Document	Document Title
US09862280B2	Systems and methods for determining relative position and orientation of a vehicle with respect to a charging station A guidance system for a motor vehicle comprising: a controller, the controller being operable to determine whether a first length of cable is sufficiently long to allow a charging connection to be established between a motor vehicle and a charging station in dependence on data corresponding to a relative position and orientation of the vehicle with respect to the charging station; and output means for providing an output to a user indicating whether the cable is sufficiently long.
US09862269B2	Carrier bearing assembly A carrier bearing assembly for bolting to a frame of a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) can include a bracket comprising a first end, a second end, a width W extending between the first end and the second end, and first and second faces extending between the first end and the second end along the width W of the bracket. An opening can be formed completely through the bracket and extend from the first face to the second face, a centerline of the opening being at least 2.5 cm closer to the first end than the second end, and an angle between the opening and the bracket being in a range of 85-89° or 91-95°. A bearing can be fit in the opening and a rubber bushing can be disposed between the bracket and the bearing. First and second bolt openings can extend into the bracket.
US09862267B2	Fuel collection device for a fuel tank in a motor vehicle In a fuel collection device for a fuel tank in a motor vehicle, a swirl pot is connected, by a catching connection and a locking connection, to a holding element mounted in the fuel tank. The catching connection, along with a supporting element, allows the swirl pot to be secured in a plane. The locking connection retains the swirl pot on the holding element. A sliding element allows the locking connection to be blocked.
US09862265B2	Lid device Provided is a lid device which is compact, and can be installed in an efficient manner. The lid device (20) releasably locks a lid (10) provided with a hinge (12) in a closed position. The lid device is provided with a push lifter (32) that alternates between an extended state and a retracted state each time the lid is pushed, a motor (46) placed next to the push lifter, a lock member (18) and a transmission mechanism (64) for transmitting the output of the motor. The push lifter and the motor are arranged such that a lengthwise direction of the push lifter and a lengthwise direction of the motor are parallel to each other.
US09862264B2	In-wheel electric motor The invention refers to a mechanical design for a simple and accurate to assemble in-wheel electric motor comprising at least stator, rotor plate, rotor tube, bearing system and brake system arranged in such a way that rotor plate is attached to the rotor tube and to the bearing system and where the opening of the rotor tube and stator is on at least one axial side larger than the largest braking system or bearing system part. Brake system and bearing system parts and attachment points are accessible when rotor plate and outer parts of brake system, bearing system and the rim are removed. The rim is a separate part of the rotor plate and rotor tube. The rotor plate attachment to the bearing system is done in parallel to the rim attachment and is preventing loosening up. On at least one of the flanges there is an edge with its height smaller than the smallest radial cranny between the rotor tube and the stator.
US09862257B1	Tonneau cover assembly and clamp with grasping tether A tonneau cover system can include a cover sized and shaped to cover the truck cargo box and a spring clamp designed to secure the cover to the truck cargo box. The spring clamp can include a rod connected to the cover. The rod can have a rod axis. A clamp body can be rotatably and slidably mounted on the rod. The clamp body can include a pair of oppositely disposed catches spaced apart from the rod axis. The catches can extend in a catch length direction intersecting the rod axis at a first angle. A grasping tether can be attached to the clamp body for manually sliding the clamp body along the rod in a direction away from the cover. Due to the flexible nature of the grasping tether, potential interference of the clamp with cargo in the cargo box can be significantly reduced.
US09862252B2	Engine driven heat pump An engine driven heat pump includes a compressor clutch to switch between an ON state where drive from an engine is transmitted to a compressor and an OFF state where transmission of the drive from the engine to the compressor is cut off, an engine actuation battery to actuate the engine, a battery charging circuit configured to charge the engine actuation battery, and an inverter configured to convert output power from a generator into a predetermined voltage and a predetermined frequency, and when the compressor clutch is placed into the ON state from the OFF state or placed into the OFF state from the ON state during a self-sustaining operation, engine revolutions, which are revolutions of the engine, are set to reference revolutions required for the generator to supply predetermined power.
US09862251B2	Vehicular air-conditioning system with a switching heat exchanger An air-conditioning system for a vehicle includes a switching heat exchanger. The switching heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger core, a receiver tank, and a switch valve. The switch valve may be arranged between the heat exchanger core and the receiver tank to control the flow of refrigerant. A controller can be configured to control the switch valve in an access position during a cooling mode and a bypass position during a heating mode. In the access position, the heat exchanger core is in communication with the receiver tank such that the refrigerant flows from a primary region of the heat exchanger core to the receiver tank. In the bypass position, the heat exchanger core is in communication with its outlet such that the refrigerant from the primary region flows out from the switching heat exchanger.
US09862249B2	Vehicle vent positioning apparatus A vehicle vent positioning apparatus includes a motion sensor, a blower of an HVAC system, a vent assembly, a positioning device and a controller. The motion sensor detects changes in direction of movement of a vehicle. The blower moves air into a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The vent assembly is installed within the vehicle to direct airflow from the blower into a passenger compartment. The vent assembly includes at least one vane positionable to aim airflow into the passenger compartment in differing airflow directions. The positioning device is connected to the vane. The controller is configured to operate the positioning device to re-position the vane from aiming the airflow in a first airflow direction to aiming the airflow in a second airflow direction in response to the controller determining via signals from the motion sensor that the vehicle is changing direction of movement.
US09862241B2	Drive assembly for tire service machines The invention provides a drive assembly for tire service machines comprising a drive motor having a rotatable output drive shaft, and a wheel support. The inventive drive assembly further comprises a gear unit having at least one gearbox, wherein the at least gear box has at least a gear box input shaft and a gear box output shaft. The wheel support is in 5 direct torque transmitting connection with the gear box output shaft, and the output drive shaft of the drive motor is in a direct torque transmitting connection with the gear box input shaft of the gear box. Furthermore, the drive assembly is adapted to provide structural support.
US09862240B2	Direct tire pressure monitoring A power efficient direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System, TPMS, for providing a non-continuous tire pressure monitoring of a tire of a vehicle, such as a automobile vehicle, the TPMS comprising: a processing unit having at least a first operating mode and a second operating mode; a timing unit; an acceleration measuring unit; a comparing unit; a pressure measuring unit; a transmitting unit; and, a power supplying unit for supplying power to the processing unit in the first and second operating modes wherein the latter mode is less power consuming than the former mode, wherein the processing unit is adapted to: enter the second operating mode after an acceleration threshold and an operating clock frequency have been set; and, enter the first operating mode responsive to a first trigger signal. A tire, a vehicle and a method are also claimed.
US09862234B2	Strip-shaped steel cord A steel cord is obtained by bundling five steel core wires, which are arrayed in parallel with one another in a plane, into a unitary body by means of an adhesive having a thickness Ad of less than 15 μm. Each of the core wires-constituting the steel cord has a diameter d of less than 0.45 mm, and spacing Gd between the core wires is less than 20 μm. The core wires used have a free coil diameter D that is greater than wire diameter d thereof by 750 times or more.
US09862233B2	Heavy truck tire for a trailer vehicle A tire having a carcass reinforcement surmounted radially by a crown reinforcement having at least two working plies, the width Lt of which is equal to the width of the axially narrowest working ply, and surmounted radially by a tread (or “cap”) and interposed radially between the cap and the crown reinforcement by a sublayer (or “base”), this base extending axially and radially under all of the cap and radially on the outside of the crown reinforcement over a total width at least equal to the width Lt of the crown reinforcement, an equatorial plane dividing the cap axially into an outer half cap (TE) and an inner half cap (TI) of the same axial width, the outer half cap (TE) positioned axially towards the outside of a vehicle and the inner half cap (TI) positioned axially towards the inside of the vehicle, the base comprising an additional volume radially under the inner half cap (TI), such that the volume occupied by the base radially under the inner half cap (TI) is greater than the volume occupied by the base radially under the outer half cap (TE), and the material of the base is a rubber-based composition having hysteresis lower than the hysteresis of the rubber-based material of the cap.
US09862232B2	Pneumatic tyre for heavy load vehicle wheels A pneumatic tyre for heavy load vehicle wheels, includes: a carcass structure, a belt structure applied in a radially outer position with respect to the carcass structure, and a tread band. The belt structure includes at least one reinforcing layer incorporating a plurality of reinforcing cords arranged substantially along the circumferential direction. The belt structure further comprises a first main belt layer and a second main belt layer wherein the first main belt layer includes a first plurality of metal cords inclined at a first angle and the second main belt layer includes a second plurality of metal cords inclined at a second angle. The metal cords of the first and second plurality of metal cords have a diameter not greater than 1.30 mm, and include a plurality of filaments having a diameter not greater than 0.30 mm.
US09862227B2	Method for detecting the wheel center depth of an aluminum wheel cast blank The invention relates to a device and method for detecting the wheel center depth of an aluminum wheel cast blank, the device includes a roller way tray, a position sensor, a frame, a CCD camera, a programmable controller and a laser distance measurement sensor, an upper servo-cylinder, a motor support, a servo-motor and a lower servo-cylinder. The invention has the following advantages: the method for automatically detecting and identifying the wheel center depth of an aluminum wheel cast blank is utilized for the identification and classification of wheel cast blanks, so as to reduce the influence of large casting dimension tolerance on the machining dimension tolerance, increase the acceptability rate of products from the automatic machining unit, ensure that the production line automatically runs with high quality and quantity and also reduce the labor intensity of operators.
US09862217B2	Printing apparatus A printing apparatus that is capable of executing, based on printing data, printing onto a first side of a printing medium and printing onto a second side, which is the back side of the first side, after the printing onto the first side is provided. A print density of a predetermined region at a rear end of the printing medium in a transporting direction at a time of printing of the first side is identified based on the printing data. Conversion data, which is a conversion coefficient to make the identified print density equal to or lower than a predetermined density, is acquired. The printing data is converted by means of the conversion data. Printing onto the first side is executed based on the converted printing data.
US09862201B2	Printing apparatus A printing apparatus includes: an ink discharge head that discharges UV ink; a sub-tank that stores the UV ink; a forward circulation path through which the UV ink flowing out from the sub-tank to the ink discharge head flows; an inflow path through which the UV ink flowing into the sub-tank flows; and a receptacle that is provided inside the sub-tank and blocks bubbles contained in the UV ink flowing into the sub-tank from the inflow path, from entering the forward circulation path.
US09862197B2	Cartridge case A cartridge case includes a case, a spout support portion, a mount portion, a roll-up member, and a lock member. The case includes a first face extending in a first direction. The spout support portion is configured to support a spout provided in a liquid container containing an inkjet liquid. An end portion on a first direction side of an elastic member is mountable in the mount portion. The elastic member generates an energizing force in the first direction. The roll-up member is configured to roll up the liquid container by being moved in the first direction by the energizing force of the elastic member. The lock member is configured to lock movement, in the first direction, of the roll-up member. The lock member is configured to release lock of the roll-up member, based on consumption of the inkjet liquid contained in the liquid container.
US09862190B2	Method for manufacturing liquid ejection head A method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head including a substrate having a terminal for electrical connection to an external device, an inorganic material layer on the substrate, and a flow path member disposed on the inorganic material layer and containing an organic material, and the manufacturing method includes a cleaning step of removing a silane coupling agent attached to the terminal by using a solution containing hydrogen fluoride, ammonium fluoride, and a water-soluble organic solvent.
US09862189B2	Method for manufacturing liquid ejection head There is provided a method for forming a smooth resin layer on a substrate having a concavo-convex portion in manufacturing a liquid ejection head by a casting method. To achieve this, after forming an opening pattern on the resin layer formed on the substrate, a mold is brought into contact with the resin layer at a predetermined pressure so as to smooth a surface of the resin layer.
US09862179B2	Web transport system including scavenger blade A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web-transport path including a fluid bar for guiding the web of media, and a scavenger blade positioned downstream of the fluid bar. A liquid is pumped through holes in an exterior bearing surface of the fluid bar, thereby pushing the web of media away from the fluid bar. The scavenger bar includes a blade edge facing the first surface of the web of media, the blade edge being spaced apart from the first surface of the web of media by a gap distance. The scavenger blade removes at least some liquid from the first surface of the web of media as it passes by the scavenger blade, thereby reducing the amount of liquid that is carried along to portions of the web-transport path that are downstream of the scavenger blade.
US09862156B2	Environmentally friendly aerosolized latex tire sealant An environmentally friendly aerosol sealing composition for tire repair can simultaneously repair a punctured flat tire and inflate the flat tire to a pressure suitable for driving. The tire sealant composition includes a sealant concentrate and an aerosol propellant. The sealant concentrate is water-based and includes a glycerin antifreeze agent and a natural rubber latex that suitably has a mechanical stability of at least about 1050 seconds, and is substantially free of coagulants.
US09862146B2	Substrate-based additive fabrication process and apparatus A method and apparatus for additive fabrication which provides a substrate which helps the newly hardened resin layer to separate from the substrate while providing a substrate of appropriate strength and durability. In an embodiment, the substrate is a multi-layer substrate comprising a transport layer and a structural layer, the transport layer comprising a polyolefin or a fluoropolymer, and the structural layer comprising a semi-crystal line thermoplastic polymer.
US09862138B2	Structure and production method therefor A structure including a substrate and a coating material. The substrate includes a plurality of voids and a surface on which at least the plurality of voids are formed, and is formed such that a void ratio of the plurality of voids decreases one of 2-dimensionally and 3-dimensionally from an inner side of the substrate toward an outer side thereof. The coating material is formed on the surface of the substrate.
US09862134B2	System and method for manufacturing cylindrical foam articles The present teachings provide a system and method for producing a cylindrical foam article. The method can include coupling a first end of an outlet adaptor to a die, and coupling the die to a die housing of an extruder. The method can also include coupling a substantially cylindrical die outlet to a second end of the outlet adaptor, and substantially continuously extruding a polymer through the outlet adaptor into the die outlet to create the cylindrical foam article with a natural skin formed about a perimeter of the cylindrical foam article.
US09862133B1	Molding system for preparing an injection molded fiber reinforced composite article The present disclosure provides a method for preparing an injection-molded fiber-reinforced composite article using a molding machine controlled by a controlling module connected to the molding machine. The method performs a molding simulation executed on the controlling module to generate a shear rate distribution of the composite molding resin in a simulating domain. Subsequently, the method generates an orientation distribution of the fibers in the composite molding resin executed on the controlling module by taking into consideration an effect of the shear rate on an inter-fiber interaction and/or an effect of the shear rate on reducing a response rate of the fibers. A controller then controls the molding machine with the molding condition to perform an actual molding for injecting the composite molding resin into at least a portion of the mold cavity.
US09862132B2	Method and device for preheating a mold for injection molding A method and device for pre-heating a first molding surface of a mold with an open position and a closed position defining a closed cavity between the first pre-heated molding surface and a second molding surface. A core is inductively heated outside the mold by placing the core inside a coil having an AC current passing there through. The core is inserted between the molding surfaces of the mold in the open position. The first molding surface is preheated by transferring the heat between the core and the first molding surface. The core is then removed and the mold is closed.
US09862124B2	Multilayer optical adhesives and methods of making same A multilayer optical adhesive including a first viscoelastic or elastomeric adhesive layer and a second viscoelastic or elastomeric adhesive layer. A crosslinked or soluble resin layer may be disposed between the first viscoelastic or elastomeric adhesive layer and the second viscoelastic or elastomeric adhesive layer or the first viscoelastic or elastomeric adhesive layer may be immediately adjacent to the second viscoelastic or elastomeric adhesive layer. An interface between immediately adjacent layers is structured and there is a difference in refractive indices across the interface.
US09862122B2	Reinforced bladder A method and apparatus for a reinforced bladder are provided. The reinforced bladder comprises a bladder with a cross-sectional shape formed of a polymeric material and a number of reinforcements. Each of the number of reinforcements covers only a portion of the cross-sectional shape such that part of the cross-sectional shape remains uncovered by the number of reinforcements.
US09862119B2	Wet cast brick molding equipment, method of using the same and brick made therewith Molding equipment comprising a mold having at least one cavity is disclosed. Each cavity allows the formation of a brick. A brick molding element is installed on top of each cavity to allow the formation of a mortise interlock element. The brick molding element is typically secured in place by mean of a securing mechanism. The molding equipment may be used for molding a variety of inter-engaging stackable brick element.
US09862113B2	Slicing apparatuses and methods for slicing products Apparatuses and methods for slicing products. Such an apparatus has an annular-shaped cutting head equipped with knife assemblies located at a circumference of the cutting head, and interior surfaces each located in a circumferential direction of the cutting head relative to one of the knife assemblies such that each interior surface leads one of the knife assemblies and trails a different one of the knife assemblies. Each knife assembly has a flat knife that extends radially inward to define a gate opening. Each interior surface has continuous flow paths defined therein that extend across at least a majority of the interior surface from adjacent a leading edge thereof through a trailing edge thereof and are fluidically connected to one of the gate openings between the interior surface and the knife that trails the interior surface.
US09862106B2	Easily disassembled folding knife Disclosed herein are embodiments of easily disassembled folding knives. In some embodiments, a folding knife includes a blade and a handle including first and second side portions. The first and second side portions can include respective locking elements which can be used to retain the side portions from lateral separation from one another. In some cases, the locking elements of one side portion include relatively narrow neck portions with relatively wide, non-circular head portions connected to the neck portions, and the locking elements of the other side portion include a recess and a corresponding non-circular opening. In some cases, folding knives can be provided with washers, liner lock mechanisms, and various other features.
US09862104B2	Folding knife with dual operational modes A folding knife has mechanisms for facilitating dual operational modes for opening the blade. In a first modality, the knife is opened and closed manually. In a second modality, the knife is fully automatic. When the blade is in the closed position the user may use either mode, manual or automatic, without any switching mechanism. A lock securely locks the blade in the open position when either opening modality is being used. To open the blade manually, the user rotates the blade from the closed to the open position—the lock automatically locks the blade open when the blade is fully open. To open the blade automatically, the lock mechanism functions as the trigger mechanism; the user slides the lock mechanism to actuate the automatic open mechanism. When the blade is in the fully open position the lock secures the blade open. A torsion spring around the pivot shaft that connects the blade to the handle and which is retained in a bushing drives the blade open in the automatic mode. The knife includes a “dry fire safety” mechanism that prevents operation of the automatic opening mechanisms when the blade is in the open position or in any position intermediate between open and closed when the manual modality is used.
US09862103B2	End effector, industrial robot, and operation method thereof An end effector of the industrial robot has an end effector base portion connected to a robot arm, a first object holding mechanism provided to the end effector base portion so as to hold a first type of object to be handled, a second object holding unit for holding a second type of object to be handled, and a unit holding mechanism provided to the end effector base portion so as to releasably hold the second object holding unit. The second object holding unit which is held by the unit holding mechanism is driven by the first object holding mechanism. The end effector is capable of considerably enlarging a range of kind and size of an object which can be handled while suppressing increase of manufacturing cost and decline in credibility and increase in changing hand installation space accompanying complication of the configuration.
US09862100B1	Robot gripper The present disclosure provides a robot gripper, comprising a bottom plate (101), a side plate A (102), an intermediate plate (103), a side plate B (104), guide rods (105), sliding blocks (106), cylinders (107), spherical joints (108), pneumatic quick plug connectors, a connecting plate (114), racks (115), a gear (116), a gear shaft (117), a horn type switch support (120), detection switches (121) and a detection head (122). By adopting the robot gripper, the bottom plate (101) can be connected with six-shaft flanges of a robot together by connectors; a gripper arm can be designed to connect the connecting plate (114) to grip a hub according to different demands; and the opening and closing state of the gripper can be detected by the detection switches (121). The robot gripper has the advantages of low price, compact overall structure, large clamping force, strong stability and the like.
US09862097B2	Industrial robot system having sensor assembly An industrial robot system includes an end effector connectable to a robot arm, a drive assembly, and a controller. The end effector includes a distal housing, a spindle assembly rotatable about a rotational axis, a drill bit rotatable about the rotational axis, and a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly includes a first light source, a second light source, and a photosensitive array. The first light source produces a first fan of light which is projected as a first line of light on the object surface. The second light source produces a second fan of light, which is projected as a second line of light on the object surface. The photosensitive array detects a first reflection line corresponding to the first line of light and a second reflection line corresponding to the second line of light.
US09862093B2	Determining a virtual representation of an environment by projecting texture patterns Example methods and systems for determining 3D scene geometry by projecting patterns of light onto a scene are provided. In an example method, a first projector may project a first random texture pattern having a first wavelength and a second projector may project a second random texture pattern having a second wavelength. A computing device may receive sensor data that is indicative of an environment as perceived from a first viewpoint of a first optical sensor and a second viewpoint of a second optical sensor. Based on the received sensor data, the computing device may determine corresponding features between sensor data associated with the first viewpoint and sensor data associated with the second viewpoint. And based on the determined corresponding features, the computing device may determine an output including a virtual representation of the environment that includes depth measurements indicative of distances to at least one object.
US09862092B2	Interface for use with trainable modular robotic apparatus Apparatus and methods for a modular robotic device with artificial intelligence that is receptive to training controls. In one implementation, modular robotic device architecture may be used to provide all or most high cost components in an autonomy module that is separate from the robotic body. The autonomy module may comprise controller, power, actuators that may be connected to controllable elements of the robotic body. The controller may position limbs of the toy in a target position. A user may utilize haptic training approach in order to enable the robotic toy to perform target action(s). Modular configuration of the disclosure enables users to replace one toy body (e.g., the bear) with another (e.g., a giraffe) while using hardware provided by the autonomy module. Modular architecture may enable users to purchase a single AM for use with multiple robotic bodies, thereby reducing the overall cost of ownership.
US09862084B2	Actuation system A device includes an actuation system with a dose chamber including an inlet for high pressure fluid. A working chamber extends away from the dose chamber. An annular wall separates a portion of the working chamber from the dose chamber such that the dose chamber encompasses the portion of the working chamber. In use an item to be driven along the working chamber is at least partially within the surrounded portion of the working chamber with the item at one end of its travel in the working chamber. A valve mechanism selectively allows high pressure fluid from the dose chamber to flow into the piston chamber.
US09862080B2	Double-ended wrench set with identical torque holes The present invention is to provide a double-ended wrench set with identical torque holes, which comprises at least two double-ended wrenches having torque holes of a same configuration and a torque rod comprising a torque body and a torque head perpendicularly connected to the torque body, wherein each said torque hole is located in a wrench body of the double-ended wrench, the torque body has a greater length than the torque head, and the torque head has a cross section identical in configuration to the torque hole and is able to be fitted into said torque hole.
US09862070B2	Systems and methods for substrate polishing end point detection using improved friction measurement Methods, apparatus, and systems for polishing a substrate are provided. The invention includes an upper platen; a torque/strain measurement instrument coupled to the upper platen; and a lower platen coupled to the torque/strain measurement instrument and adapted to drive the upper platen to rotate through the torque/strain measurement instrument. In other embodiments, the invention includes an upper carriage; a side force measurement instrument coupled to the upper carriage; and a lower carriage coupled to the side force measurement instrument and adapted to support a polishing head. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
US09862069B2	Method for producing grooves on a camshaft In a method for end processing a surface of a shaft-like workpiece, the following steps are performed in the following series, and the workpiece rotates about an axis of rotation:a) finishing the surface with a first finishing tool,b) machining the surface with a scoring tool, whereby the scoring tool produces at least one groove running in a circumferential direction, whereby the at least one groove produces 3 to 12 profiled gorges on a reference segment which reference segment has a length that is predetermined by a measuring method for roughness determination and which is extending on the surface parallel to the axis of rotation, each of said profiled gorges having a depth and width, whereby the ratio of the depth and width of each profiled gorge is greater than 2 and a distance between adjacent profiled gorges is substantially the same, c) machining the surface with the first finishing tool or a second finishing tool.
US09862067B2	Floor grinding machine A grinding or polishing machine (10) may include a working assembly (20) and a foldable cart (30). The working assembly (20) may include a grinding head (26) rotatable to engage a surface for grinding or polishing. The foldable cart (30) may be releasably coupled to the working assembly (20). The foldable cart (30) may include a mobility assembly (100) including at least one wheel (102) and a frame (104), and a handle assembly (110) operably coupled to the frame (104). The handle assembly (110) may include a first frame portion (112) and a second frame portion (114). The first frame portion (112) and the second frame portion (114) may be operably coupled to each other via a folding joint (120).
US09862064B2	Clamping apparatus and screw locking device using same A clamping device includes a supporting bracket, a lifting assembly, a first adjusting assembly and a holding assembly. The supporting bracket includes a supporting member. The lifting assembly includes a first lifting member, a second lifting member, a fixed pulley, a connecting member and a clump weight. The first lifting member and the second lifting member are both slidably sleeved on the supporting member. The fixed pulley is mounted on the supporting member. The connecting member is arranged on the fixed pulley and couples the first lifting member to the second lifting member. The clump weight is detachably fixed to the first lifting member. The first adjusting assembly includes a first fixed member rotatably sleeved on the second lifting member and a first adjusting member rotatably sleeved to the first fixed member. The holding assembly is rotationally mounted on the first adjusting member.
US09862048B2	Method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell A method and apparatus for monitoring weld cell and related activity is disclosed. The activity is sensed using a variety of sensors, and reported to the controller, or to a remote location.
US09862047B2	Welding method and steam generator channel head A welding method for making cladding or buttering on an inner surface of a base material, an inner surface of an opening portion formed in the base material, and the cut surface formed in such a manner that the cut surface is continuous from the inner surface of the base material to the inner surface of the opening portion, wherein the welding method includes a step of forming a protruding portion on the base material in advance, the protruding portion including a temporary welding surface extending toward the center of the opening portion in such a manner that the temporary welding surface is uniformly continuous to the inner surface of the base material and including the cut surface buried therein.
US09862044B2	Apparatus and method for machining internal portions of a valve body Described herein is an electric discharge machining (EDM) assembly having an EDM electrode capable of machining multiple regions of a valve seat within a valve body. The electrode includes two cutting surfaces that are separate from each other. The EDM assembly is capable of removing material from a first region of a valve seat while moving the first cutting surface in a first direction and capable of removing material from a second region while moving the second cutting surface in a second direction.
US09862043B2	Gear cutting machine and method for machining gear teeth The invention concerns a gear-cutting machine for the machining of gear teeth with a gear-cutting tool driven in rotary movement about its tool axis, further with an assembly that includes a tool holder for the gear-cutting tool and is rotatably mounted on a carrier, allowing the tool axis to be set in a desired orientation, with an actuator device through which the assembly can be set to a desired angular position, and with a locking device that allows the assembly to be secured against being dislodged from the set angular position. According to the invention, a protruding arm that is a functional element of the actuator device is coupled to the assembly through a non-rotatable connection.
US09862042B1	Chainsaw guide bar mounting device A chain saw guide bar mounting device for facilitating maintenance of a cutting chain includes a first plate that is configured to mount to a support structure. A second plate that is coupled to the first plate extends longitudinally from proximate to a first end of the first plate. Each of a pair of couplers coupled to the second plate is configured to couple to a respective penetration that is positioned in a guide bar of a chain saw. A bracket, which is slidably coupled to the first plate, is positioned between the second plate and a second end of the first plate. A second rod is selectively couplable to the bracket. A hub is axially positioned on and rotationally coupled to the second rod. The hub is positioned to rotationally couple to a cutting chain that is positioned on the guide bar to position the cutting chain for maintenance.
US09862041B2	Abrasive articles including abrasive particles bonded to an elongated body An abrasive article comprising an elongated body, a bonding layer overlying a surface of the elongated body, and abrasive grains contained within the bonding layer at an average abrasive grain concentration within a range between about 0.02 ct/m and about 0.30 ct/m.
US09862032B2	Chuck with vibration damping A tool chuck for clamping a tool in a machine tool, having a base body and a sleeve part protruding therefrom, which sleeve part forms a tool holder for fixing a tool shaft in a frictional, nonpositive fashion; a cavity in which a vibration damping component is accommodated is provided in the tool chuck.
US09862031B2	Tube scraper with biased blades A tube scraping apparatus comprises a body having a passageway for receiving a piping component; and a first blade and a second blade. The first blade and second blade each: are mounted to the body and shiftable between a first condition and a second condition; and having an engagement portion positioned to engage an outer diameter (OD) surface of the received piping component in at least one condition, the first blade engagement portion comprising a cutting edge for removing material from the OD surface. The second blade engagement portion comprises a partial thread for engaging the piping component to convert a rotation of the piping component relative to the body to an axial movement of the piping component relative to the body.
US09862029B2	Methods of making metal matrix composite and alloy articles In one aspect, methods of making freestanding metal matrix composite articles and alloy articles are described. A method of making a freestanding composite article described herein comprises disposing over a surface of the temporary substrate a layered assembly comprising a layer of infiltration metal or alloy and a hard particle layer formed of a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and the hard particles. The layered assembly is heated to infiltrate the hard particle layer with metal or alloy providing a metal matrix composite, and the metal matrix composite is separated from the temporary substrate. Further, a method of making a freestanding alloy article described herein comprises disposing over the surface of a temporary substrate a flexible sheet comprising organic binder and powder alloy and heating the sheet to provide a sintered alloy article. The sintered alloy article is then separated from the temporary substrate.
US09862024B2	Die casting apparatus and die casting method In a die casting apparatus, during feeding of molten metal by an electromagnetic pump, a molten metal level sensor repeatedly detects a during-feeding level of the molten metal stored in a molten metal holding furnace; a control unit corrects a molten metal feeding voltage to a during-feeding voltage based on the repeatedly detected during-feeding level of the molten metal such that an amount of the molten metal fed by the electromagnetic pump coincides with a prescribed amount; the control unit applies the during-feeding voltage to the electromagnetic pump to cause the electromagnetic pump to feed the molten metal from the molten metal holding furnace into a plunger sleeve; and casting is performed through an injecting operation in which the molten metal fed into the plunger sleeve is extruded by a plunger tip to be injected into a cavity.
US09862015B1	Pipe straightener The present invention provides a pipe straightener, which consists of three roller wheel units and a restraining sleeve, wherein each of the roller wheel units is juxtaposed, and the roller wheel units enclose and are configured to form a long straight-formed passageway. The passageway is used to enable metal pipes to pass therethrough. The restraining sleeve encloses and covers each of the roller wheel units, thereby restraining each of the roller wheel units. Each of the roller wheel units is mainly structured from a wheel carrier and a plurality of roller wheels. One side of the wheel carrier is a first side, and the other side is a second side. The first side is adjacent to the passageway, and the second side is adjacent to the restraining sleeve.
US09862014B2	Method for electric resistance welded steel tube A method for manufacturing an electric resistance welded steel tube including: forming a steel tube material into an almost cylindrical open pipe, the steel tube material being a steel sheet wherein Ti and N satisfy (N/14)<(Ti/47.9); forming an electric resistance welded steel tube by bonding ends of the open pipe to each other by induction resistance welding with heat input controlled so that the bond width is 30 to 65 μm; heating the electric resistance welded steel tube to a temperature equal to or higher than the Ac3 transformation temperature; and diameter-reducing rolling the heated electric resistance welded steel tube with rolling reduction expressed by an outer diameter ratio greater than (1−25/the bond width before diameter-reducing rolling (μm))×100% such that the bond width is 25 μm or less.
US09862010B2	Pipe cleaning apparatus Described herein is a pipe cleaning apparatus of relatively uncomplicated construction. The apparatus includes a pipe support assembly having a number of cradles for supporting oilfield pipe. The cradles are positioned side-by-side with one pair of cradles supporting the opposite ends of each pipe. A number of lances are positioned side-by-side and are adapted to simultaneously penetrate the oilfield pipe in the pipe support. A mill is affixed to the free end of one of the lances. An air-driven tube cleaner is affixed to the free end of another one of the lances. A water jet nozzle is affixed to the free end of still another one of the lances.
US09862005B2	Apparatus and method for sorting plant material units The invention relates to a method and apparatus for sorting plant material units (101), such as seedlings. The plant material units are arranged in a supply tray and distributed over a plurality of further trays, each further tray being dedicated to plant material units with a specific classification value assigned to it. In the method, first, the supply tray (105) is provided. An image of the plant material units in the supply tray is obtained, and on the basis of the obtained image, a classification value is assigned to each of the plant material units. Finally, the plant material units are sorted on the basis of the assigned classification value by transferring plant material units with the same assigned classification value by means of a robot directly from the supply tray to the corresponding further tray.
US09862003B2	Variable slope 3-shaft vibrating mechanism Disclosed is a vibrating material sorting screen with a substantially variable tilt angle and a tilt angle measuring device where the screen has a gear box which is horizontal when the screen is horizontal and inclined when the screen is inclined and further where the gear box has a plurality of oil level sensors or indicators therein which are sized, placed and configured to provide proper oil volume while the screen is oriented horizontally or at various inclines.
US09861994B2	Systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing viscous fluid in a particular format and implementations thereof The present invention involves providing a viscous fluid in a particular format and implementations thereof. In particular, a viscous slave fluid is provided in a particular format, wherein the particular format can be an end result or an intermediate result for the viscous fluid. In the case of an intermediate result, the viscous fluid in the second format may be further processed to a third format. Implementations or applications include supercharged fuel injection systems, methods, and apparatuses for internal combustion, lean-burn oil pre-mixing systems, methods, and apparatuses for liquid fuel combustion, and medical or biomedical devices, systems, and methods.
US09861984B2	Microchip and channel structure for the same A microchip includes a channel permitting a sheath liquid to flow therethrough; and a microtube for introducing a sample liquid into a laminar flow of the sheath liquid flowing through the channel; wherein liquid feeding is performed in the condition where a laminar flow of the sample liquid introduced through the microtube is surrounded by the laminar flow of the sheath liquid.
US09861979B2	Injection of multiple volumes into or out of droplets The present invention generally pertains to a system for performing injection of multiple substantially controlled volumes into or out of a droplet, and methods and kits comprising the same. The system of the present invention comprises at least one microfluidic channel, one or more injection channels, an injection inlet associated with each of the one or more injection channels, and a mechanism for disrupting an interface between a droplet and a fluid and/or emulsion, wherein the at least one microfluidic channel comprises one or more droplets are flowing therein, and wherein each of the one or more injection channels comprises at least one fluid and/or emulsion therein.
US09861975B2	Visible light response catalyst structure and process for manufacturing the same A visible light response photocatalyst structure and a process for manufacturing the same are disclosed, where the structure is manufactured by the GRR for two times, so that the structure has a large surface area, high surface activity, being apt to get integrated with a silicon substrate and endurable to the environment, and further has the rapid and simple manufacturing characteristics without any additional energy required and has a high reproductively.
US09861971B2	Catalytic system for cross-coupling reactions The present invention concerns a process for creating a Carbon-Carbon bond (C—C) or a Carbon-Heteroatom bond (C—HE) by reacting a compound carrying a leaving group with a nucleophilic compound carrying a carbon atom or a heteroatom (HE) that can substitute for the leaving group, creating a C—C or C—HE bond, wherein the reaction takes place in the presence of an effective quantity of a. a catalytic system comprising a ligand and at least a metal-based catalyst, such a metal catalyst being chosen among iron or copper compounds proviso that only a single metal is present.
US09861968B2	Methods for producing crystalline microporous solids with the HEU topology and compositions derived from the same This disclosure relates to new crystalline microporous solids (including silicate- and aluminosilicate-based solids), the compositions comprising 8 and 10 membered inorganic rings, particularly those having HEU topologies having a range of Si:Al ratios, methods of preparing these and known crystalline microporous solids using certain quaternized imidazolium cation structuring agents.
US09861966B2	Catalytic cracking catalyst, process for producing the same, and method of catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon oil A catalytic cracking catalyst is provided which has high cracking activity and with which the production of FCC gasoline having a high octane number can efficiently proceed without lowering a gasoline yield. Also provided are a process for producing the catalyst and a method of the catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon oil with the catalyst.The catalyst for catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon oil comprises a crystalline aluminosilicate, a binder, and a clay mineral in a certain proportion, wherein the content of sodium and potassium therein is 0.5% by mass or lower in terms of oxide (Na2O and K2O) amount, the content of at least one rare earth metal therein is 3.0% by mass or lower in terms of oxide (RE2O3, wherein RE is a rare earth element) amount, the [RE2O3+Na2O+K2O]/[crystalline aluminosilicate] ratio by mass is 0.1 or lower, and the catalyst has a xenon adsorption amount, as measured at an adsorption temperature of 25° C. and a partial xenon pressure of 650 torr, of 2.20×1020 molecules or more per g of the catalyst. Also provided are a process for producing the catalyst and a method of catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon oil with the catalyst.
US09861965B2	Process for preparing modified V—Ti—P catalysts for synthesis of 2,3-unsaturated carboxylic acids The invention relates to a catalyst composition comprising a mixed oxide of vanadium, titanium, and phosphorus modified with alkali metal. The titanium component is derived from a water-soluble, redox-active organo-titanium compound. The catalyst composition is highly effective at facilitating the vapor-phase condensation of formaldehyde with acetic acid to generate acrylic acid, particularly using an industrially relevant aqueous liquid feed.
US09861960B2	Hydrogenation catalyst, its method of preparation and use A method of preparing a hydrogenation catalyst, for example, a phthalate hydrogenation catalyst, comprising nebulizing a liquid containing a noble metal and a chelating agent comprising at least one nitrogen-containing functional group to form a nebulized liquid, and contacting the nebulized liquid with silica particles; a hydrogenation catalyst prepared by that method; and a method of hydrogenating unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as phthalates, in which an unsaturated hydrocarbon is contacted with hydrogen gas in the presence of the hydrogenation catalyst of the invention.
US09861955B2	Treater regeneration Disclosed are embodiments of a method of regenerating a desiccant in an off-line treater of a polyolefin production process. The method may include a heating phase followed by a cooling phase. The heating phase may involve use of a regenerating gas made from heating a treated a recycle stream of the polyolefin production process to regenerate desiccant in an off-line treater. The cooling phase may involve thermosyphoning the regenerating gas, nitrogen, an olefin-free diluent, or combinations thereof in a closed-convection loop of the off-line treater.
US09861953B2	Alkylamine functionalized metal-organic frameworks for composite gas separations Functionalized metal-organic framework adsorbents with ligands containing basic nitrogen groups such as alkylamines and alkyldiamines appended to the metal centers and method of isolating carbon dioxide from a stream of combined gases and carbon dioxide partial pressures below approximately 1 and 1000 mbar. The adsorption material has an isosteric heat of carbon dioxide adsorption of greater than −60 kJ/mol at zero coverage using a dual-site Langmuir model.
US09861952B2	Method for filling a conformal shaped carbon filter A method of forming a conformal filter includes a snowstorm filling technique with a reduced sized filling tube and/or the application of ultrasonics.
US09861945B1	Ultrahigh efficiency spray drying apparatus and process The disclosure relates to ultrahigh efficiency spray drying systems and processes, utilizing induction of localized turbulence in a drying fluid flow stream to produce spray dried product, having particular utility for low temperature spray drying operations. In a specific implementation, a method of processing a spray dryable liquid composition to form a spray dried product includes the steps of: generating a spray of the spray dryable liquid composition; contacting the spray of spray dryable liquid composition in a spray drying contact zone with a stream of primary drying fluid; injecting pressurized secondary drying fluid into the stream of primary drying fluid in the spray drying contact zone at multiple loci thereof to provide localized turbulence at said multiple loci; and recovering the spray dried product from the spray drying contact zone. Systems of the present disclosure are effective in achieving high-rate production of dry powder spray dried products, with substantially reduced capital equipment costs, energy requirements, and operating expenditures.
US09861944B2	Resin discharge mechanism having cooled slide bar To suppress the thermal expansion of a slide bar and to prevent occurrence of failures such as galling or malfunctioning to the slide bar, a resin discharge mechanism, provided in mixing equipment that includes a barrel having a hollow interior and a pair of mixing rotors accommodated in the barrel and that mixes a resin material by causing the paired mixing rotors to rotate within the barrel, for discharging a part of the resin material mixed by the mixing rotors to an outside of the barrel, the resin discharge mechanism including: a resin discharge passage provided in the barrel, and communicating an inside of the barrel with the outside of the barrel; a slide bar closing or opening the resin discharge passage by moving across the resin discharge passage; and a cooling device provided within the slide bar, and cooling the slide bar using a cooling fluid.
US09861943B2	Vacuum mixing system and method for the mixing of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement Vacuum mixing systems and methods mix of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement, the systems and methods comprise at least one cartridge having an evacuable internal space, a pump with a plunger that can be moved by hand to generate a low pressure, and a connecting conduit connecting the internal space of the at least one cartridge to the pump. The pump comprises an operating element that can be operated from outside and is connected appropriately to the plunger such that it is suitable for moving the plunger in the pump by hand such that a low pressure can be generated such that the low pressure of the pump can be used to evacuate gas from the internal space of the at least one cartridge through the connecting conduit.
US09861929B2	Apparatus and system for swing adsorption processes related thereto Provided are apparatus and systems for performing a swing adsorption process. This swing adsorption process may involve passing fluids through an adsorbent bed unit having a contactor disposed within to separate contaminates from other target components. The process includes a purge stream that introduced into the contactor at a location between a first portion and a second portion of the contactor.
US09861923B2	Honeycomb filter A honeycomb filter includes a plurality of cells and porous cell walls. The plurality of cells defines exhaust gas passages. The plurality of cells includes exhaust gas introduction cells and exhaust gas emission cells. Each of the exhaust gas emission cells is adjacently surrounded fully by the exhaust gas introduction cells across the porous cell walls. The exhaust gas introduction cells include first exhaust gas introduction cells and second exhaust gas introduction cells. A cross-sectional area of each of the exhaust gas emission cells in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the plurality of cells is equal to or larger than a cross-sectional area of each of the second exhaust gas introduction cells in the cross section. The exhaust gas introduction cells and the exhaust gas emission cells have one of a first structure and a second structure in the cross section.
US09861919B2	Cell collector having an expandable mesh A cell collection device having an elongated member and a mesh disposed about the elongated member. The mesh has a low energy expanded state and a high energy compressed state. A sheath is disposed about a distal end of the elongated member and is slidable along the elongated member from a first position in which the sheath radially constrains the mesh to the high energy compressed state and a second position in which the sheath does not constrain the mesh.
US09861915B2	Centrifugal screen apparatus Screening apparatus includes a driving a shaft (12) into a screen housing (13) having a removable closure (14) and dividing wall (15) forming an underflow chamber (16) and an overflow chamber (17). The shaft (12) supports and drives an screen (21) comprising a plate steel basket carrier portion (22) axially spaced from intermediate ring frames (23) and an outer frame ring and flange (24), all interconnected by circumferentially spaced stringers (25) to form an all-welded, integral, generally truncated-conical screen (21) cage. The cage supports a wedge wire screening surface (26). The closure (14) and housing (13) mutually support an inlet assembly (27) comprising a chute (32) feeding the water and coarse coal to the inner end of the screen assembly (21). The integral, all welded screen (21) may be replaced as a unit without refurbishment.
US09861910B2	Cyclone separation and recovery of carbon dioxide from heated liquid absorbent A process and system for improving the efficiency of regenerating a CO2-rich liquid absorbent stream following contact in an absorption zone with, e.g., a flue gas stream from which it has absorbed CO2, and recovering a substantially pure stream of includes passing the pressurized liquid sorbent through a heating zone to heat it to the desorption temperature, e.g., to about 80°-85° C. for aqueous K2CO3 sorbent, introducing the heated liquid sorbent into a cyclone separation zone where the combination of increased temperature, reduced pressure and the centrifugal forces on the liquid/gas mixture result in a relatively more rapid and efficient separation of the CO2 from the liquid sorbent from which it has been released. The CO2-lean liquid sorbent descends to the bottom of the cyclone separator and is recovered, cooled and recycled to the absorption zone; the CO2 withdrawn from the cyclone separation zone passes through a condenser to remove moisture and any other condensates present, and the CO2 is recovered for storage or use in downstream processes.
US09861900B2	Game system and game device Provided is a game system having a communication function which takes into account the operability of a player. A game device is provided with: a transmission image obtaining portion which, when the hand tiles displayed in a game-state screen of a mah-jongg game are specified as a capture image, obtains image information of the capture image; and a deliver information transmitting portion which transmits the image information obtained to the server as delivery information. The server is provided with: a player information storage portion which holds delivery destinations of the delivery information of the player; a delivery destination specifying portion which specifies the delivery destinations corresponding to the player of the game device from which the delivery information was transmitted; and a delivery portion which transmits the delivery information to the delivery destinations specified via an open network.
US09861897B2	Information processing device and control method for executing a battle game including a field Instructions recorded on a non-transitory recording medium cause an information processing device that executes a battle game to execute the steps of storing different attribute information in association with each of at least two players; displaying a field including a plurality of regions, a predetermined event being set for each region, and attribute information being associable with each region; upon a player selecting at least one region from among the plurality of regions, executing processing for the event of the selected region; based on a processing result for the event, determining whether newly to associate the attribute information of the player with the selected region; and determining victory and defeat for the plurality of players based on at least one of a count, a total area, and a total volume of regions with which each piece of attribute information is associated.
US09861891B2	Information processing device and game program When a particular game stage is selected by the player from the multiple game stages configured in the game stage information, the inventive information processing device extracts, from multiple game content objects configured in the game content information, those game content objects that are associated with the game content objects, which are associated with the selected game stage as fusion source material, and, prior to initiation of game play in the selected game stage, generates screen data providing on-screen display indicating that the extracted game content objects are the original pre-fusion game content objects that can be fused with the game content objects, which are associated with the selected game stage as fusion source material.
US09861884B2	Rotating apparatus for game system A rotating apparatus for a game system, comprising: an annular rail; a rotating member that rotates on the annular rail; and a drive source that causes the rotating member to rotate, wherein the rotating member comprises: plural moving objects that move along the annular rail; and a connecting body that is disposed between neighboring moving objects and that is rotatably connected to the moving objects.
US09861878B2	Billiard table apparatus for competitive play at remote locations An arrangement adapted to be used with conventional billiard tables for greater utilization, versatility and/or application of said tables, said arrangement including, a multiplicity of billiard tables located at a variety of separate locations, a means to register and allow for communication between a plurality of players, such that said players need not necessarily play upon the same table nor be located at the one location, said players intended to compete against other registered players, or approve upon personal individual skill level, a timer such that competition between players or improvement of personal standings of an individual is based upon timing of pocketing a set of balls or part thereof upon the respective billiard table by said, timer, a means for having time results of the or each player transferred to a central database wherein individual player's times and standings may then be acknowledged.
US09861876B2	Impact resistant pad Apparatuses and methods thereof for employing impact resistant materials, pads, and layers are disclosed. Aspects of the invention include, an impact resistant material including an elastomer material having a base layer and a plurality of raised portions extending upward from the base layer, wherein each of the plurality of raised portions has a top surface and at least three primary sides. Each of the at least three primary sides having a middle region positioned closer to a center of the respective raised portion than either end region of the respective primary side.
US09861867B2	Golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a hollow body portion having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, a plurality of ports on the bottom portion and a plurality of inner support portions in the hollow body portion. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09861864B2	Golf club A golf club head includes a club body including a crown, a sole, a skirt disposed between and connecting the crown and the sole and a face portion connected to a front end of the club body. The face portion includes a geometric center defining the origin of a coordinate system when the golf club head is ideally positioned, the coordinate system including an x-axis being tangent to the face portion at the origin and parallel to a ground plane, a y-axis intersecting the origin being parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the x-axis, and a z-axis intersecting the origin being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis. The golf club head defines a center of gravity CG, the CG being a distance CGY from the origin as measured along the y-axis and a distance CGZ from the origin as measured along the z-axis.
US09861862B1	Golf ball cover layer with improved rebound resilience The present invention comprises a method for forming a golf ball comprising synthesizing an acid copolymer using controlled radical polymerization, mixing the acid copolymer with a monomer containing a carbon-carbon double bond, creating a mixture and neutralizing the mixture with a metallic base, forming an ionomeric thermoplastic elastomer for use in a cover layer for a golf ball.
US09861861B2	Golf ball A golf ball 2 includes a core 4, a mid layer 6, a cover 8 and a paint layer 10. The core 4 includes a center 12 and an envelope layer 14. The golf ball 2 satisfies the following mathematical formulas. In the mathematical formulas, Tm represents a thickness of the mid layer, Tcmin represents a minimum thickness of the cover, Tcmax represents a maximum thickness of the cover, and Tp represents a thickness of the paint layer. The golf ball 2 has a large number of dimples 16 on a surface thereof. The number of planes that can divide a pattern of the dimples so that divided patterns are mirror symmetry to each other is one. Tm>Tcmax≧Tcmin>Tp (Tcmax−Tcmin)≦0.15 mm 0.15≧(Tp/Tcmin)≧0.04
US09861860B2	Golf balls having a foam center Multi-layered golf balls containing a dual-core structure are provided. The core structure includes an inner core (center) comprising a foam composition, preferably foamed polyurethane. The outer core layer is preferably formed from a non-foamed composition selected from thermoset compositions and thermoplastic compositions. The core layers have different hardness and specific gravity levels. The specific gravity (density) of the foam inner core is preferably less than the density of the outer core layer.
US09861852B2	Game system having full-body exercise apparatus controller with independently operable appendicular members A game system is disclosed that comprises a game processor configured to control game play of an electronic video game, and a game controller in electronic communication with the game processor. The game controller includes a plurality of appendicular members configured for respective engagement with legs and arms of a user, and a resistance control system providing a resistive force on each of the plurality of appendicular members with respect to movement of the legs and arms of the user. The resistive force provided by the resistance control system is adjustable in a generally continuous manner in response to the game play of the electronic video game. The game controller also includes a feedback control system responsive to at least one of a motion parameter, a force parameter, and/or a position parameter of each of the plurality of appendicular members to control the game play of the electronic video game.
US09861849B2	Fastening system for a sports and recreational facility The invention relates to a fastening system for a sports and recreation device. The fastening system comprises a slackline, two band clamps, and a block and tackle, and two round slings. The fastening system is characterized in that the band clamps and the block and tackle comprise round-sling bolts and slackline bolts, wherein the round-sling bolts and the slackline bolts can be guided in elongated holes and functional holes vertically with respect to their axes and can be displaced, in the direction of their axes, through cut-outs in the functional holes. The bolts, at each of their two ends, comprise bolt heads having a diameter that is smaller than the cut-outs but larger than the elongated holes.
US09861848B2	Infrastructure monitoring devices, systems, and methods A leak detection assembly includes a leak detection sensor mountable on a surface of a component of a water infrastructure system; and a communications device mountable on the component, the leak detection sensor connected to the communications device, the communications device including an antenna, wherein the communications device is a component of an infrastructure monitoring system. A leak detection system includes a component of a water infrastructure system; a leak detection sensor mounted on a surface of the component; and a communications device positioned in proximity to the component and connected to the leak detection sensor, the communications device including an antenna, wherein the communications device is a component of an infrastructure monitoring system.
US09861846B2	Spring-collet mechanism for activating a fire extinguisher The present disclosure relates to a broadhead cutter activation mechanism and system inside of a fire extinguisher. The broadhead cutter device may be attached to a cutter shaft which is driven downward when the elastic potential energy is released form a spring system. The broadhead cutter device may be configured to pierce and open a burst disc to release the flow of an extinguishing agent under pressure.
US09861845B2	Combustible fire suppressant aerosol composition A composition is disclosed including an oxidizer represented by the formula M1(X1Oy)z, wherein M1 is selected from a Group IA atom, and Group IIA atom, and a Group IIIA atom, X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I, y is 1-4, and z is 1-3, a fuel, and a hydrated salt or a combination of 2 or more hydrated salts having a dehydration decomposition temperature of greater than 200° C., represented by the formula (M2)k(M3)m(X2)n(X3)o.(H2O)p, where M2 is selected from a Group IA atom, Group IIA atom, Group IIIA atom, M3 is selected from a Group IIA atom, Group IIIA, and a transition atom, X2 is a hydroxyl anion, X3 is a carbonate anion, k, m, n, and o are each independently integers that balance the charges of M2, M3, X2, and X3 and p is a number greater than or equal to 1.
US09861835B2	Method for determining a dose entering an object that is to be irradiated A method for determining a dose of radiation input into an object irradiated with an energetic particle beam includes determining, during the application of the radiation, a dose input into at least one volume region of the object. The at least one volume region of the object lies outside a target volume region. The dose input into the at least one volume region is determined with a calculation that is based at least in part on a physical model of the energetic particle beam.
US09861825B2	Orientation and placement of inductive components to minimize noise coupling to a communication coil in an implantable medical device Preferred orientations and placements of an inductor relative to a communication coil in an Implantable Medical Device (IMD) are disclosed. The inductor can comprise part of a boost converter used to generate a power supply voltage in the IMD, which inductor may interfere with the coil. The inductor may have a length defined by its windings around an axis, which axis may be in a plane of the coil or in a plane parallel to the coil. The inductor can be included within the area extent of the coil, and is preferably oriented such that its axis is parallel to a maximum dimension of the coil. Ends of the inductor are further preferably equidistant from the coil. So oriented and placed, the inductor is less prone to interfering with the coil, thus improving communications with the IMD.
US09861820B2	Cortical visual prosthesis The present invention consists of an implantable device with a hermetic electronics package that houses electronics. The hermetic package is attached to a flexible circuit electrode array having its electrodes arranged in a trapezoidal electrode array field that is suitable to stimulate the visual cortex. The hermetic electronics package is provided with a fixation structure that secures, protects and dissipates heat from the electronics package. The entire implantable device can be entirely implanted within the head.
US09861819B2	Connectorized cochlear implant systems An exemplary system includes 1) a cochlear implant module configured to be implanted within a patient and including cochlear implant circuitry configured to apply electrical stimulation representative of one or more audio signals to the patient, 2) a first connector assembly coupled to the cochlear implant module and configured to be implanted within the patient, the first connector assembly including a first induction coil, 3) an implantable module configured to be implanted within the patient, and 4) a second connector assembly coupled to the implantable module and configured to be implanted within the patient, the second connector assembly including a second induction coil. The first connector assembly may be configured to be removably connected to the second connector assembly in order to facilitate inductive transfer of power between the first induction coil and the second induction coil. Corresponding systems are also disclosed.
US09861818B2	Method and device for electrical current treatment A device for providing electrical current treatment includes an enclosure body with an upper surface and a lower surface located opposite to the upper surface. The device further includes a first electrode and a second electrode on the lower surface for delivering an electric current through an object in contact with the first electrode and the second electrode. The device further includes an electric motor for vibrating the apparatus and a light emitter. The device further includes a processor for controlling the electric current delivered by the first electrode and the second electrode to have a specific waveform, where the processor is configured to receive programmable instructions to control the electric current and the electric motor. The device further includes a power button for powering on or off the apparatus and a battery configured to supply power to the first electrode, the second electrode, the processor, and the light emitter.
US09861817B2	Medical device to provide breathing therapy Medical devices and methods for providing breathing therapy (e.g., for treating heart failure, hypertension, etc.) may determine at least the inspiration phase of one or more breathing cycles based on the monitored physiological parameters and control delivery of a plurality of breathing therapy sessions (e.g., each of the breathing therapy sessions may be provided during a defined time period). Further, each of the plurality of breathing therapy sessions may include delivering stimulation after the start of the inspiration phase of each of a plurality of breathing cycles to prolong diaphragm contraction during the breathing cycle.
US09861816B2	Transcutaneous stimulation method and system Some embodiments relate to a method of treating a waste evacuation dysfunction, comprising administering transcutaneous electrical stimulation to at least one lumbar or abdominal region for at least one treatment period per day over a treatment term of at least one week.
US09861811B2	Electrical stimulator for treatment of back pain and methods of use Apparatus and methods for treating back pain are provided in which electrical stimulation therapy is designed to cause muscle contraction to rehabilitate the muscle, restore neural drive and restore spinal stability. In accordance with one aspect, electrical stimulation is applied through at least one electrode to stimulate efferent motor nerve fibers to cause muscle contraction to facilitate rehabilitation without targeting stimulation of afferent nerve fibers. In accordance with another aspect, a stimulator further includes one or more of a number of additional therapeutic modalities, including a module that provides analgesic stimulation; a module that monitors muscle performance and adjusts the muscle stimulation regime; and/or a module that provides longer term pain relief by selectively and repeatedly ablating nerve fibers.
US09861809B2	Flexible circuit electrode array with wire or film support The disclosure relates to a flexible circuit electrode array comprising: a polymer base layer; metal traces deposited on said polymer base layer, including electrodes suitable to stimulate neural tissue; a polymer top layer deposited on said polymer base layer and said metal traces; and at least one support embedded in said array. The disclosure further relates to a flexible circuit electrode array comprising: a polymer base layer; metal traces deposited on said polymer base layer, including electrodes suitable to stimulate neural tissue; a polymer top layer deposited on said polymer base layer and said metal traces; and a folded flexible circuit cable connecting the electrode array with an interconnection pad. The disclosure further relates to a method of making a flexible circuit electrode array comprising: depositing a polymer base layer; depositing metal on said polymer base layer; patterning said metal to form metal traces; depositing a polymer top layer on said polymer base layer and said metal traces; heating said flexible circuit electrode array in a mold to form a three dimensional shape in said flexible circuit electrode array, embedding a support at least in the base layer, top layer or between the base and top layer, and/or folding a flexible circuit cable at least once connecting the electrode array with an interconnection pad the array.
US09861797B2	Balloon catheter and method for making same In at least one embodiment of the present invention a balloon catheter is provided. The balloon catheter comprises a shaft having a lumen formed therethrough. Connected to the shaft is an inflatable balloon. The inflatable balloon has a balloon wall defining a balloon interior surface and a balloon exterior surface that is opposite the interior surface. In fluid communication with the balloon wall is the lumen for inflating the balloon to define an inflated state and for collapsing the balloon to define a deflated state. The balloon wall is textured in the deflated state such that the balloon interior surface is spatially registered with the balloon exterior surface. The balloon in the inflated state is tensioned to have a surface roughness substantially less than a surface roughness of the balloon in the deflated state.
US09861795B2	Double balloon catheter A catheter including a plurality of balloons extending from the outer surface of the catheter that when inflated create a seal between the catheter and the patient's thereby eliminating leakage of fluids from around catheter during the procedure.
US09861793B2	Corewire design and construction for medical devices A guidewire for use in ear, nose and throat procedures may include an elongate core wire having a proximal region and a distal region. The distal region of the core wire may include a flattened portion adapted to provide preferential flexure along at least one axis of the wire. The distal region of the core wire may include a tip portion distal of the flattened portion, where at least one cross-sectional dimension of the tip portion is greater than at least one cross-sectional dimension of the flattened portion. The guidewire may include an outer coil disposed around at least a portion of the elongate core wire. The guidewire may also include an atraumatic tip coupled to the core wire or the outer coil.
US09861786B2	Articulating mechanism with flex hinged links An articulating mechanism comprises a first link, a second link, an intermediate portion, a first hinge between the first link and the intermediate portion, and a second hinge between the second link and the intermediate portion. The first link, the second link, the intermediate portion, the first hinge, and the second hinge are integrally formed. The articulating mechanism also comprises a plurality of cables for rotating the first and second links about the first and second hinges. The cables extend through channels in the first link and the second link without extending through the intermediate portion. The first and second hinges are oriented parallel to each other to permit the first and second links to rotate in the same plane about the first and second hinges, respectively. The first and second links are rotatable about the first and second hinges in two directions under control of the cables.
US09861781B2	Intermittent catheter assembly An intermittent catheter assembly is disclosed which comprises an intermittent catheter having a proximal insertion end, a distal end remote from the proximal insertion end, and an insertable portion. The insertable portion of the catheter extends from the proximal insertion end thereof to a point approaching the distal end thereof. The catheter is disposed in a cavity and a drawstring secured to the catheter extends through the cavity and generally along the insertable portion of the catheter. The drawstring has a first end secured to the catheter between the insertable portion and the distal end and a second end outside the cavity for withdrawing the catheter therefrom. The drawstring exits the cavity proximate the proximal insertion end of the catheter to accommodate drawing the proximal insertion end thereof from the cavity into the urethral opening by pulling on the second end of the drawstring.
US09861780B2	Bladder catheter A bladder catheter includes a tube, wherein the tube has an insertion section for inserting into a urinary bladder through a urethra and wherein the tube has a connection section for connecting connection elements, wherein fluid can be drained from the urethra at the connection section via the insertion section, wherein a closable valve is arranged between the insertion section and the connection section in such a way that the discharge of fluid from the connection section can be prevented while the valve is closed.
US09861777B2	Apparatus for control of oxygen and/or air flow to nasal prongs Apparatus for control of oxygen and/or air flow to nasal prongs.
US09861768B2	Pharmaceutical injection device, and pharmaceutical management system A pharmaceutical injection device may comprise a main body case in the interior of which a pharmaceutical syringe can be mounted; a drive means that is provided inside the main body case and pushes out the pharmaceutical inside the pharmaceutical syringe through a syringe needle; a cover that opens and closes an opening on the side of the main body case where the syringe needle is mounted; an outside air temperature sensor that measures a first temperature, which is the temperature outside the main body case; a display component; and a controller that controls the drive means and the display component and acquires the first temperature at predetermined intervals. When the cover is closed, the controller causes the display component to display information about the storage state of the pharmaceutical in the mounted pharmaceutical syringe on the basis of the first temperature.
US09861758B2	Drive mechanism of a drug delivery device A drug delivery device for dispensing a dose of a medicament includes an elongated housing extending in an axial direction, and a piston rod to operably engage with a piston of a cartridge to displace the piston in a distal axial direction. The drug delivery device further includes a drive sleeve extending in an axial direction and being rotatable against the action of a spring during a dose setting procedure and a dispensing sleeve rotatably engaged with the piston rod and being displaceable in an axial direction relative to the drive sleeve to engage with the drive sleeve in a torque transmissive way during a dose dispensing procedure.
US09861749B2	Drive mechanism for drug delivery device The present disclosure relates to a drug delivery device, in particular pen-type injectors, wherein a number or pre-set doses can be administered. In particular, the present disclosure relates to such drug delivery devices, where a user may activate the dose injection process and wherein the user is still able to control the dose injection process even after a dose injection process has been activated. The process of injecting a dose is supported by some kind of energy storing means as well as by a force to be exerted by a user. Moreover, the disclosure characterizes by a reduced amount of mechanical components.
US09861739B2	Systems and methods for accessing the lumen of a vessel An apparatus for accessing the lumen of a vessel. The apparatus includes a handheld device and a cartridge. The handheld device includes an imaging device attachment utilized to secure an image capturing instrument, an arm coupled to the imaging device attachment. The cartridge includes a sheath, needle or guidewire coupled to the cartridge. The sheath or needle extends to the insertion depth when fully advanced, thereby allowing the sheath, needle, or guidewire to access the lumen of a vessel.
US09861737B2	Nasal rinse tip A device for nasal lavage is described. The device ejects a gentle flow of fluid under pressure. The fluid stream provides a high quantity of fluid at low pressure. The low pressure fluid stream is more comfortable for a user than a high pressure fluid stream that is delivered by some types of pressurized cans of solution.
US09861736B2	Methods for extracting platelet-rich plasma for therapeutic injection Methods are provided for collecting platelet-rich plasma. A disposable flow circuit is mounted to a fluid processing device having a fluid separation chamber and an injection device. A fluid containing plasma and platelets is continuously conveyed from a fluid source into the fluid separation chamber and processed to produce platelet-rich plasma. At least a portion of the platelet-rich plasma is automatically conveyed from the fluid separation chamber into the injection device, which is directly connected to a pump device such that at least a portion of the platelet-rich plasma from the fluid separation chamber is automatically conveyed into the pump device prior to being conveyed into the injection device. The injection device with the platelet-rich plasma is then detached from the disposable flow circuit.
US09861734B2	Bifurcated peritoneal catheter The bifurcated peritoneal catheter serves as a peritoneal dialysis device for patients with kidney failure. The catheter includes a primary tube with two porous internal tubes extending therefrom at a small acute angle to one another. The two internal tubes provide a solution to the potential problem of blockage in a single catheter tube, greatly reducing the potential need for surgery to remove and replace such a single catheter tube. The bifurcated peritoneal catheter includes a subcutaneous cuff, and can include a second deep cuff in the abdominal wall. Either or both of the internal tubes can be straight, curved or coiled, with the curvatures and coils oriented in the same direction, toward one another, or away from one another.
US09861730B2	VAD integrated flow sensor A blood pump with an integrated flow sensor is provided. The blood pump may include an implantable pump for pumping blood having a housing, a flow path extending within the housing and at least one movable element within the housing for impelling blood along the flow path and a sensor for measuring the flow rate of blood through the pump. According to one embodiment, the sensor may be mounted to the housing of the pump. In accordance with a further embodiment, the housing may have an exterior surface defining a cavity, and the sensor may be located within the cavity.
US09861723B2	Amine-functionalized polymeric compositions for medical devices The present disclosure provides amine-modified polymer foams, which may be used for wound dressing materials. For example, the modified materials can include a covalently attached molecule comprising free amine groups. Such amine groups can be used, for instance, to conjugate biologically active polypeptides and/or linkers. Methods for using modified polymers are also provided.
US09861722B2	Method for preparing oxidized cellulose hemostatic product Disclosed is a method for preparing an oxidized cellulose hemostatic product, including using a sodium hydroxide solution with the concentration of 1 to 5% to pre-process a cellulose product; after removing lignins or impurities on the fiber surface, using an alkaline solution to activate the fiber surface further; after the activating treatment, using demin-water for washing until it is neutral and drying the obtained cellulose product in air to obtain a raw material; using a sodium hydroxide solution with the concentration of 5 to 20% as a solvent; adding the cellulose product, carbamide and ZnO that are 3 to 10%, 2% and 2% of the sodium hydroxide solution respectively.
US09861718B2	Measurement of the NCG concentration in a steam sterilizer A method and system for determining steam sterilant quality of a steam sterilizer where the steam sterilant comprises non-condensable gas(es).
US09861715B2	Body fluid drainage device and method Method for sterilizing a body fluid drainage system for handling a body fluid ex vivo. The body fluid drainage system comprises a chamber. The method comprises the steps providing a container containing a surface protective fluid to be released into the chamber of the body fluid drainage system, subjecting the container to radiation sterilization, inserting the container into the chamber of the body fluid drainage system, and subjecting the chamber containing the container to gas sterilization. A body fluid drainage system for handling a body fluid ex vivo. The body fluid drainage system comprises a chamber. The body fluid drainage system further comprises a container containing a surface protective fluid. The container is arranged to release the surface protective fluid into the chamber. The surface protective fluid is sterilized by radiation sterilization. An outer surface of the container and at least the chamber of the body fluid drainage system is sterilized by gas sterilization.
US09861713B2	PSMA-binding agents and uses thereof Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) binding compounds having radioisotope substituents are described, as well as chemical precursors thereof. Compounds include pyridine containing compounds, compounds having phenylhydrazine structures, and acylated lysine compounds. The compounds allow ready incorporation of radionuclides for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) for imaging, for example, prostate cancer cells and angiogenesis.
US09861704B2	Polymeric prodrug of disulfiram and application thereof Polymer/drug conjugates that can selectively target and kill cancer cells are described. Conjugates can include a copolymer formed by the reaction of a biocompatible hydrophilic component and a disulfiram derivative. The copolymer reaction product can include additional functional groups pendant to the backbone via a disulfide linkage, for instance copper chelators. The hydrophilic component can form the polymer backbone and/or can form hydrophilic pendant groups off of the backbone. Copper ions can be associated with the copolymer.
US09861692B2	Dengue virus vaccine compositions and methods of use thereof The present invention relates to dengue virus vaccine compositions comprising a first and a second dengue vaccine, wherein the first dengue vaccine is a live, attenuated dengue vaccine and the second dengue vaccine is a recombinant dengue subunit vaccine or an inactivated dengue vaccine; wherein the live attenuated dengue vaccine comprises at least one live, attenuated dengue virus or at least one live attenuated chimeric flavivirus. The dengue virus vaccine compositions of the invention may further comprise one or more adjuvants. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the first and the second dengue vaccine are tetravalent. The invention also relates to methods of using the dengue virus vaccine compositions of the invention to treat or prevent dengue infection, or to prevent, ameliorate, or delay the onset or progression of the clinical manifestations thereof.
US09861690B2	Ehrlichia ewingii proteins, nucleic acids, and methods of their use The novel omp-1 gene cluster encoding twenty one Ehrlichia ewingii (EE) proteins was isolated and sequenced completely. This invention relates to isolated E. ewinigii (EE) polypeptides, isolated polynucleotides encoding EE polypeptides, probes, primers, isolated antibodies and methods of their production, immunogenic compositions and vaccines, as well as methods of using the EE polypeptides, antibodies, probes, and primers for the purpose of diagnosis, therapy and production of vaccines against E. ewingii.
US09861687B2	Protein material The invention relates to a protein material includes angiogenin and/or angiogenin hydrolysate in an amount of 2 to 15 mg/100 mg, and lactoperoxidase and/or lactoperoxidase hydrolysate, in the mass ratio to angiogenin and/or angiogenin hydrolysate of 0.3 to 20.
US09861678B2	Casein peptide for use in the treatment of uterine infections The present disclosure relates to a casein peptide for use in the treatment of an uterine infection in a female mammalian animal, to methods of treatment of such infections by administering to a female mammalian animal at least one casein peptide, to the use of casein peptide for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for treatment of uterine infection and to a kit for said treatment. The casein peptide is preferably a casein hydrolysate, e.g. obtained by trypsin hydrolysis of casein protein. The female mammalian animal is, in accordance with some embodiments, a lactating animal, the infection being a post-partum infection.
US09861671B2	Composition for preventing and treating aids and preparation method thereof The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition made from the following raw materials or from water and/or alcohol extracts of the following raw materials in parts by weight: 5 to 200 parts of Ganoderma, 5 to 150 parts of Radix Panacis Quinquefolii or Radix Et Rhizoma Ginseng, 1 to 90 parts of fermented Cordyceps sinensis powder and/or 1 to 120 parts of Cordyceps, and optionally one or more of 5 to 90 parts of Flos Rosae Rugosae, 5 to 150 parts of Ganoderma spore powder, 10 to 400 parts of Radix Pseudostellariae, 3 to 400 parts of Radix Codonopsis and 3 to 400 parts of Radix Astragali. Clinical trials demonstrate that the composition can significantly reduce HIV virus load in patients, increase the number of CD4+ cells, enhance the immunity of patients, has no considerable toxic and side effects, and is suitable for long-term use.
US09861669B2	Oncolytic virotherapy for prevention of tumor recurrence Described is a parvovirus for preventing recurrence of a tumor, preferably a malignant brain tumor or pancreas tumor.
US09861668B2	Replication-competent vesicular stomatitis viruses This document provides methods and materials related to vesicular stomatitis viruses. For example, replication-competent vesicular stomatitis viruses, nucleic acid molecules encoding replication-competent vesicular stomatitis viruses, methods for making replication-competent vesicular stomatitis viruses, and methods for using replication-competent vesicular stomatitis viruses to treat cancer or infectious diseases are provided.
US09861667B2	Bacteriophages against Salmonella ssp and their use In a first aspect, the present invention relates to new compositions comprising new bacteriophages allowing the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of Salmonella infections in mammals and birds. Moreover, the present invention relates to the method for fighting Salmonella comprising the step of treating matter suspected to be afflicted with Salmonella with the bacteriophages according to the present invention. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing Salmonella infection, in particular, in livestock.
US09861663B2	Ex-vivo vascularized implant composition comprising poly-l-lactic acid, polylactic-co-glycolic-acid and olfactory bulb cells The present invention provides a composition including a poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and polylactic-co-glycolic-acid (PLGA) scaffold on which neuronal tissue is grown ex-vivo. Furthermore, the invention provides a method for making ex-vivo cellular vasculature networks, and a method for treating a neuronal injury in a subject by implanting the current composition.
US09861641B2	Methods for reducing body fat using tafluprost and analogs thereof Provided are methods of reducing body fat in a subject, comprising locally (e.g., topically) administering one or more compounds of the Formula (I) and/or (V): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate, stereoisomer, polymorph, tautomer, isotopically enriched derivative, or prodrug thereof, wherein X is —OR1, —SR2, or —NR3R4, and R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R7′, Z, Y, n, y, and x, are as defined herein.
US09861639B2	Cyclic amines The present invention is directed to novel cyclic amines which inhibit the P2X7 receptor.
US09861623B1	Combination treatment of RAS-positive diseases with PDE-δ inhibitor and direct autophagy inhibitor The present invention provides methods for treatment of a RAS-positive disease, in particular KRAS-positive non-small cell lung cancer as well as a method for potentiating the apoptotic activity of a PDEδ inhibitor by combining the PDEδ inhibitor with a direct autophagy inhibitor. The PDEδ inhibitor is preferably, but not exclusively, deltarasin, and the direct autophagy inhibitor is in particular 3-methyladenine. Further provided by the present invention are a kit and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the PDEδ inhibitor and a direct autophagy inhibitor. The methods of the present invention in particular provide a new treatment option for RAS-positive diseases such as KRAS-positive non-small cell lung cancer allowing for an increased apoptotic activity of the PDEδ inhibitor by simultaneously blocking its “tumor protective” autophagy.
US09861620B2	Substituted quinolizine derivatives useful as HIV integrase inhibitors The present invention relates to Substituted Quinolizine Derivatives of Formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts or prodrug thereof, wherein X, Y, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R9 and R10 are as defined herein. The present invention also relates to compositions comprising at least one Substituted Quinolizine Derivative, and methods of using the Substituted Quinolizine Derivatives for treating or preventing HIV infection in a subject.
US09861615B2	Methods and pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of beta-thalassemias The present invention relates to methods and pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of beta-thalassemias. In particular, the present invention relates to an XPO1 inhibitor for use in a method for treating beta-thalassemia in a subject in need thereof.
US09861601B2	Treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension with leukotriene inhibitors Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can be prevented in persons susceptible to the diseases and PAH patients can be treated by administering an effective dose of a leukotriene inhibitor. Suitable inhibitors include leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) inhibitors, leukotriene B4 receptor (BLT1/BLT2) antagonists, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitors, and 5-lipoxgygenase activating protein (FLAP) inhibitors.
US09861588B2	Nanoparticulate systems prepared from sorbitan esters The invention relates to systems comprising homogenous nanoparticles having an average size of less than 1 micrometer and containing at least a sorbitan ester, a macrogol ester, a macrogol ether or a derivative of same and, optionally, at least one component derived from oxyethylene and/or at least one component having an electric charge (positive or negative). According to the invention, the components are incorporated in a single step consisting in mixing two solutions. The invention also relates to the use of said systems as medicines or medical devices, in tissue engineering or regenerative medicine, for cosmetic, hygienic or nutritional uses, and in surface coatings. The invention further relates to methods for preparing same.
US09861586B2	Chewable soft capsules A matrix formulation for a soft chewable capsule is provided which includes a gel-forming composition, a plasticizer, a polymer modifier, and water. The polymer modifier may be a carboxylic acid or other organic compound that alters the physical and/or chemical properties of the capsule formulation. A chewable soft capsule is also provided, having enhanced organo-leptic and processing properties. An active material may be delivered to a user using this dosage form. A method of forming the chewable soft capsule is also provided.
US09861583B2	Pharmaceutical formulation containing gelling agent Disclosed in certain embodiments is a controlled release oral dosage form comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a drug susceptible to abuse together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients; the dosage form further including a gelling agent in an effective amount to impart a viscosity unsuitable for administration selected from the group consisting of parenteral and nasal administration to a solubilized mixture formed when the dosage form is crushed and mixed with from about 0.5 to about 10 ml of an aqueous liquid; the dosage form providing a therapeutic effect for at least about 12 hours when orally administered to a human patient.
US09861569B2	Specificity, flexibility and valence of DNA bonds for guided emulsion architecture A method of forming an end product by self-assembly of a first component having a patch of a linker component, such as DNA strands, cadherins, adhesive proteins and nanoparticle linkers. Such emulsions can be used to process personal care products, skin cremes, foods and animal feedstocks.
US09861568B2	Composition for improving skin conditions, containing chlorophyll a or pheophorbide a The present disclosure provides a composition for improving skin condition comprising chlorophyll a or pheophorbide a as an active ingredient. According to the present disclosure, chlorophyll a or pheophorbide a exhibits an effect of improving skin wrinkles and inflammatory reaction due to ultraviolet lights. The composition of the present disclosure is characterized by oral administration and can be provided as a cosmetic composition, a pharmaceutical composition or a food composition.
US09861566B2	Internal olefin sulfonate composition Provided are an internal olefin sulfonate composition which is capable of sufficiently enhancing foamability, foam lubricity and volume of foam, and a cleansing composition containing the same.The internal olefin sulfonate composition comprises (A) an internal olefin sulfonate having 16 carbon atoms and (B) an internal olefin sulfonate having 14 carbon atoms, in which a content mass ratio of the component (A) to the component (B), (A/B), is from 80/20 to 90/10.
US09861564B2	Valeric acid esters of resveratrol and cosmetic compositions Valeric acid esters of resveratrol and topical compositions containing the esters.
US09861559B2	Consumer product comprising a porous, dissolvable, fibrous web solid structure with a silicone coating A consumer product comprises: (a) a porous dissolvable solid structure, and (b) a hydrophobic coating comprising a first benefit agent and a second benefit agent. The hydrophobic coating is applied to the porous dissolvable solid structure. The first benefit agent and the second benefit agent are premixed to form the hydrophobic coating before the hydrophobic coating is applied to the porous dissolvable solid structure. A method of forming an aqueous treatment liquor comprises the steps of: (a) providing a consumer product, (b) providing an aqueous solution, and (c) dissolving the consumer product in the aqueous solution to form an aqueous treatment liquor comprising a hydrophobic portion and an aqueous portion.
US09861554B2	Time-indicating medication bottle A medication bottle includes: a bottle having a body and a neck; a set of indicia disposed on a surface of the body; a timing ring having detent features on an inner ring surface, the detent features configured to fit onto the neck; a time indicator manually positionable proximate a selected indicium by rotating the timing ring about the neck; and a cap removably attached to the neck.
US09861550B2	Adverse condition detection, assessment, and response systems, methods and devices A method includes receiving an input indicative of at least one factor that contributes to the development of pressure ulcers; determining a risk score as a function of the input; comparing the risk score to a previous risk score; and at least one of activating a therapy configured to reduce the magnitude of the factor and notifying a caregiver if the risk score is greater than the previous risk score.
US09861546B2	Body containment construction suitable for use within bio-cremation processes Body containment constructions, materials, and methods of use for bio-cremation processes are disclosed. Preferably, the containment constructions of the present invention provide the functionality of liquid containment and also the functionality of body presentment for viewing purposes, if desired, in addition to bio-degradability. Advantageously, liquid containment is provided in a body containment construction that is sufficiently liquid impervious, allows for body transport by sufficient structural support, and is decomposable within the time period for a bio-cremation process. More preferably, the containment construction will dissolve or decompose within a normal procedural time period without leaving any component remaining from the containment construction. According to an aspect of the present invention, a body containment bag is provided that is made from a structural material that is combined with a liquid containment material and one or more closures, wherein the body containment bag is effectively usable for bio-cremation during which all components of the body containment bag can effectively decompose by alkaline hydrolysis. Methods of making and of utilizing a body containment bag for decomposition are also disclosed.
US09861535B2	Tampon for days between menstruation A tampon with an absorbent body of which at least a part of its volume is made from an absorbent material and having a middle part, a distal end and a proximal end, and which is connected to an extraction device. The volume of absorbent material in such a tampon is designed to absorb between 0.5 g and 4 g, preferably 3.5 g, of liquid.
US09861530B2	Protective headgear and optical-filter cartridge removably mountable thereto Protective headgear and an optical filter cartridge that is removably mountable thereto, and methods of removably inserting such a cartridge and removing such a cartridge.
US09861529B2	Mask removable type automatic shading goggles Provided are mask removable type automatic shading goggles in that a welding helmet is manufactured in a goggle shape, so that the mask removable type automatic shading goggles can replace the existing heavy and large welding surface; the mask removable type automatic shading goggles can also be used for both an arc welding work and a grinding work, a cutting work, and a gas welding work; and if necessary, the mask part can be easily attachably and detachably coupled to the goggle part.
US09861524B2	Smart shunt devices and methods Devices and methods for the measurement and control of fluid using one or two capacitors are described. The devices use Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) and radio-frequency inductive coupling to sense the properties of a fluid in a tube. The single and double capacitor devices may be coupled to shunts implantable in a patient and operable to be interrogated non-invasively. The shunts employing the novel capacitor devices are insensitive to stray signals such as the orientation of a patient's head. The devices are operable to employ a wireless external spectrometer to measure passive subcutaneous components.
US09861518B2	Devices for vestibular or cranial nerve stimulation A nerve tissue stimulator configured for contacting to or insertion in the body of a subject to stimulate a tissue therein, said probe comprising: (a) a support configured for contacting to or positioning adjacent a tissue of said subject; (b) at least one thermoelectric device (TED) on said support and positioned for thermally stimulating said nerve tissue.
US09861511B2	Drainage bag support apparatus The present invention relates to a drainage bag support apparatus that has a trunk belt, one or more support straps, and additional means to connect the trunk belt and the support straps together, to adjust the support strap, and to attach a drainage bag. The apparatus of the present invention allows one to adjust and lock the length of the support strap, to change the positions of the trunk belt and the support straps, and to use one or more drainage bags. Methods of using the drainage bag support apparatus include securing the trunk belt around an individual and securing one or more drainage bags to the drainage bag support apparatus. Kits that provide the components of the drainage bag support apparatus to be used along with at least one drainage bag are also described herein.
US09861510B2	Cervical orthosis A cervical orthosis comprises a main body supporting member having an occipital region supporting part; and a plurality of belt-like members for fixing the main body supporting member to a human body. An occipital region receiving member is fixed inside the occipital region supporting part at the positions near a temporal part at a predetermined interval from a curved surface of the occipital region supporting part, whereby the occipital region receiving member is deformed according to the shape of an occipital region and a pressure is distributed when the patient is in the supine posture.
US09861509B2	Device and methods for treating a lower limb joint pathology and lower limb pain A method of treating a patient suffering from pain in the lower limb or a lower limb musculoskeletal disease is provided. The method includes placement of at least two calibrated, differential disturbances or protuberances under the patient's feet.
US09861496B2	Apparatus and method of spinal implant and fusion An apparatus and method of performing a minimally invasive posterior spine fusion. More specifically an apparatus with a handle and a forked head on the distal end of the handle is used to grasp implant material and introduce the material to an implant site. The shaft of the apparatus is shaped so as to allow the affixation of a drill guide and drill while simultaneously holding the implant material in the implant site. After removal of the boring tools and assembly of the fusing element, the apparatus can be selectively removed from the implant site. A method of achieving facet joint fusion with near simultaneous fixation is also disclosed.
US09861490B2	Asymmetric tibial components for a knee prosthesis An orthopedic tibial prosthesis includes a tibial baseplate with an asymmetric periphery which promotes proper positioning and orientation on a resected tibia, while also facilitating enhanced kinematics, soft-tissue interaction, and long-term fixation of the complete knee prosthesis. The asymmetric baseplate periphery is sized and shaped to substantially match portions of the periphery of a typical resected proximal tibial surface, such that proper location and orientation is evident by resting the baseplate on the tibia. The baseplate periphery provides strategically positioned relief and/or clearance between the baseplate periphery and bone periphery, such as in the posterior-medial portion to prevent deep-flexion component impingement, and in the anterior-lateral portion to avoid undue interaction between the anatomic iliotibial band and prosthesis components.
US09861488B2	Knee joint prosthesis A knee joint prosthesis which comprises a tibial component (4, 6) and a femoral component (2). The femoral component has condyles (14, 16) which act against the tibial component, directly or indirectly, during flexing of the knee. A cam (20) on the femoral component acts against a post (26) on the tibial component at high flex angles. The surface of the post which is contacted by the cam at high flex angles is convex when the post viewed generally perpendicular to the tibial bone contact and bearing surfaces, and the femoral bearing surface which is provided by the cam, where it contacts the convex surface of the post at high flex angles, is locally concave (32) when viewed along the surface of the post which contacts the cam so that the area of contact between the post and the cam is greater at high flex angles than at lower flex angles.
US09861487B2	Total knee femoral component with flexible anterior flange Prostheses that address stress shielding are disclosed. For instance, a knee prosthesis includes a monolithic femoral component having medial and lateral condylar elements for confronting and engaging a natural tibia or a bearing member of a tibial component, an intercondylar notch between the condylar elements for confronting and engaging a natural patella or a patellar component, and an anterior flange extending proximally from the medial and lateral condylar elements and the intercondylar notch. The femoral component defines a bone-facing surface and a bearing surface, the bearing surface including medial and lateral condylar articular surfaces defined by the medial and lateral condylar elements, respectively, and an intercondylar articular surface defined by the intercondylar notch. A slot extends through the femoral component from the bearing surface to the bone-facing surface, the slot starting at an edge of the femoral component and ending at a location within the anterior flange. Methods of making and using the prosthesis are also provided.
US09861485B2	Reverse knee prosthesis A reverse knee prosthesis for use in knee replacement surgery having a femoral component and a trochleal component. The femoral component comprises a stem, which is affixed in a femur, and a femoral cup having a generally concave portion which is sized to articulate on the trochleal component. The femoral cup also comprises a posterior lip and an anterior lip wherein the anterior lip is longer than the posterior lip. The trochleal component is affixed to a tibial tray which in turn is affixed to the tibia and has a transverse curved body with a narrowed waist. The generally concave portion of the femoral cup has a ridge extending outwardly therefrom, the ridge being sized to articulate on the narrowed waist.
US09861483B2	Planar bone replacement material and method for producing a porous body Planar alloplastic bone replacement material and methods comprise at least one plate for augmentation of bone defects, whereby the bone replacement material consists of a biocompatible plastic material, a biocompatible metal and/or a biocompatible metal alloy, whereby the at least one plate comprises a planar structure and comprises a plurality of pins extending outwards from the planar structure of the at least one plate, whereby the pins each comprise at least one connecting element, whereby the pins are deformable elastically and are arranged sufficiently close to each other such that pressing the surfaces of multiple plates onto each other causes the connecting elements of different plates to interlock with and/or snap into each other and the mutually interlocked and/or snapped-in plates form an open-pored body of mutually interlocked and/or snapped-in plates.
US09861478B2	Methods of deploying a mitral heart valve An improved holder and storage system for a tissue-type prosthetic mitral heart valve that constricts the commissure posts of the valve and prevents suture looping. A rod axially movable relative to the holder tensions lengths of attachment sutures that extend between the commissure post tips to create a tent and flex the tips inward, thus helping to prevent looping of any of an array of pre-implanted sutures around the leading tips during delivery of the valve. The holder has a safety mechanism that prevents valve delivery before the rod is deployed. One embodiment automatically deploys the rod upon opening a storage jar. One embodiment permits a delivery handle to directly deploy the rod, while another uses a separate worm screw and coupling. A holder clip that attaches to a packaging sleeve may be formed of flexible members meshed together from which the heart valve and holder are easily pulled free to eliminate a step of decoupling the clip from the sleeve.
US09861473B2	Valve apparatus, system and method A cardiac valve with a first anchor frame and a cover on the first anchor frame for unidirectional flow of a liquid through the valve.
US09861469B2	Accommodating intraocular lens with haptics for sulcus fixation An accommodating intraocular lens construction includes a lens of fixed optical power to correct refractive error and a lens of variable power to restore accommodation of the eye, which variable lens can have two optical elements which either shift perpendicular to the optical axis, or which variable lens can have two elements which move along the optical axis. The accommodating intraocular lens has at least one haptic to provide transfer of movement to at least one of the optical elements and at least one additional haptic for sulcus fixation to provide limitation of movement of at least one component of the lens along the optical axis. The movement of the additional haptic is largely independent from the haptic for movement.
US09861467B2	Filament-wound implantable devices A self-expanding implantable medical device formed from one or more non-interlocking filaments. Stents, stent-grafts, occluder devices, and filters are manufactured from one or more filaments utilizing a non-interlocking crossing pattern.
US09861466B2	Endoluminal prosthesis An endoluminal prosthesis may include a tubular main body and a branch. The main body may include proximal and distal end openings, a lumen, a sidewall, and a fenestration in the sidewall. The branch may include a tubular retrograde branch segment, a tubular antegrade branch segment, and a tubular branch junction. The retrograde branch segment may include an inlet opening fluidly coupled to the fenestration of the main body and an outlet opening fluidly coupled to the branch junction and positioned longitudinally between the proximal end opening and the fenestration of the main body. The antegrade branch segment may include an inlet opening fluidly coupled to the branch junction and an outlet opening positioned longitudinally distal of the inlet opening of the antegrade branch segment. The retrograde branch segment and the antegrade branch segment may be in fluid communication with one another through the branch junction.
US09861464B2	Cardio-embolic stroke prevention An embolic protection device comprises an intravascular flow-interactive surface supported by an expandable, substantially cylindrical frame, wherein the frame is configured to expand and engage the luminal surface of the ascending aortic arch, wherein said frame defines a longitudinal channel generally parallel to predominant blood flow vectors, and wherein a flow-modulating element is configured to alter fluid dynamics in a manner that redirects the cranial trajectory of embolic particles originating from the heart through and beyond the longitudinal channel. The embolic protection device may also comprise a plurality of independent or interconnected flow-modulating elements serially spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the primary vessel. The interstitial space between flow-modulating elements allows blood flow passage between one another in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal channel. The open central channel allows interval passage and manipulation of transcatheter instruments while maintaining the integrity of radially positioned flow-modulating surfaces.
US09861462B2	Device especially useful for hernia repair surgeries and methods thereof The present invention discloses an inflatable contour-balloon useful in minimal invasive and/or open surgery. The inflatable contour-balloon positioned in the contour of a mesh and/or a patch and/or a net. The inflatable contour-balloon is adapted to spread and/or deploy the mesh and/or the patch and/or the net in the abdominal cavity and/or pre-peritoneal and/or space and/or hollow body organs and/or natural and/or artificial orifices and/or spaces and/or post operative spaces. The present invention also discloses an elongate open-bored applicator (EOBP) adapted to spread and/or deploy a mesh and/or a patch and/or a net. The EOBP is useful in minimal invasive surgery. The EOBP has a distal portion that is insertable into the abdominal cavity and/or pre-peritoneal and/or space arid/or hollow body organs and/or natural and/or artificial orifices and/or spaces and/or post operative spaces; and a proximal portion that remains outside the body. The EOBP comprises: (a) at least one inflatable contour-balloon; (b) at least one inflatable dissection balloon. The inflatable contour-balloon and the inflatable dissection balloon are adjustable and located at the distal portion; and, (c) at least one actuating means located at the proximal portion. The actuating means is in communication with the inflatable contour-balloon and the inflatable dissection balloon. The actuating means is adapted to provide the inflatable contour-balloon and the inflatable dissection balloon with independent activation and/or de-activation.
US09861451B1	Combination orthodontic and periodontal; orthodontic and implant; and orthodontic and temperomandibular joint dysfunction and orthodontic orthognathic treatment Disclosed is a non-invasive method of realignment of maloccluded teeth of a patient suffering from a periodontal and/or an orthognathic condition that includes application of flexible aligners to induce the movement of the maloccluded teeth toward a realigned position along an ideal arch.
US09861438B2	Pre-formed curved ablation catheter A medical device includes an insertion tube, having a longitudinal axis and having a distal end adapted for insertion through a body passage into a cavity within a body of a patient. An electrode is located on the distal end of the insertion tube and is configured to contact tissue in the cavity. A resilient member is contained within the distal end of the insertion tube and is configured, when unconstrained, to cause the distal end to bend away from the longitudinal axis in a curved shape and to straighten toward the longitudinal axis when subjected to a force.
US09861435B2	Device and methods for renal nerve modulation monitoring Systems and methods for monitoring and performing tissue modulation are disclosed. An example system may include an elongate shaft having a distal end region and a proximal end and having at least one modulation element and one sensing electrode disposed adjacent to the distal end region. The sensing electrode may be used to determine and monitor changes in tissue adjacent to the modulation element.
US09861432B2	Rotation mechanism for bipolar and monopolar devices An electrosurgical device and a method of orienting the electrosurgical device are provided. The device includes a rotation mechanism including a first and a second connector where the first connector is rotatable relative to the second connector. The device also includes a handle operably connected to the first connector; and a catheter operably connected to the second connector where the handle is rotatable relative to the catheter. The device further includes a first wire having a distal portion anchored to a distal portion of the catheter so that the distal portion of the wire is orientable by rotation of the handle relative to the catheter. At least one of the rotation mechanism or a proximal portion of the wire forms a conductive connection that operably connects a power source to the distal portion of the first wire to energize the distal portion of the first wire in the electrosurgical device.
US09861431B2	Radiofrequency inflatable device A device for performing a surgical procedure comprises an elongated shaft extending between a proximal end and a distal end and defines an outer surface and an inner surface. An expandable member is disposed at the distal end and is configured to receive inflation material. At least one electrode is disposed with the inflatable member. A cooling mechanism is configured to cool surrounding tissue that the device comes in contact.
US09861426B2	Anchored RF ablation device for the destruction of tissue masses The inventive ablation element comprises an elongated cannula having a proximal end and a distal end. The cannula defines an internal lumen and a cannula axis. A plurality of conductors contained within the lumen, each having a proximal end proximate the proximal end of the cannula, and a distal end proximate the distal end of the cannula. A plurality of ablation stylets each has a proximal end and a distal end, and each coupled to the distal end of a respective conductor, the conductors together with their respective stylets being mounted for axial movement. A trocar point defined proximate the distal end of the cannula. A deflection surface positioned between the trocar point and the proximal end of the cannula, the deflection surface being configured and positioned to deflect at least some of the stylets laterally with respect to the cannula axis in different directions defining an ablation volume.
US09861424B2	Measurement and control systems and methods for electrosurgical procedures An energy delivery system for use in performing a medical procedure is provided. The medical procedure can employ an energy source, the energy source can be connected to an energy delivering device via a transmission line. The energy delivery system can include a measurement system, the measurement system can be configured to sample an output signal generated by the energy source. The energy delivery system includes a control system, which includes a calibration unit. The calibration unit can be configured to generate a calibration signal. The calibration signal can have a magnitude and phase, wherein the magnitude and phase is representative of the output signal and the transmission line loss information. The energy delivery system can also include a control unit, the control unit being configured to receive the calibration signal and adjust the energy source as needed.
US09861421B2	Compositions, treatment systems and methods for improved cooling of lipid-rich tissue Compositions and formulations for use with devices and systems that enable tissue cooling, such as cryotherapy applications, for alteration and reduction of adipose tissue are described. Aspects of the technology are further directed to methods, compositions and devices that provide protection of non-targeted cells (e.g., non-lipid-rich cells) from freeze damage during dermatological and related aesthetic procedures that require sustained exposure to cold temperatures. Further aspects of the technology include systems for enhancing sustained and/or replenishing release of cryoprotectant to a treatment site prior to and during cooling applications.
US09861418B2	Implant insertion device with continuously adjustable targeting assembly An implant insertion device including a body having a first portion for coupling to a proximal end of an intramedullary rod and a second portion extending in a spaced position from the intramedullary rod in the vicinity of an aperture in a proximal end of the rod when the rod is coupled to the first portion. The second portion can include a targeting assembly having a passageway for receiving a guide sleeve and for pivoting the guide sleeve relative to the aperture through an angular range for inserting the fastener into the aperture of the rod. An implant insertion device for use with an implantable device is additionally provided.
US09861415B2	Dynamic bone anchor and method of manufacturing the same A dynamic bone anchor includes an anchor member having first and second ends and a tubular section between the ends, a longitudinal axis extending from the first to second end, an outer surface, and a bone engagement structure for engaging a bone on at least a portion of the outer surface; and a longitudinal core member having a first portion and a second portion configured to be received in the tubular section and to connected to the anchor member, with the first portion configured to be spaced apart from the anchor member and movable with respect to it. The core member is made at least partially of a nickel-titanium (Ni—Ti) based shape memory alloy such that its shape after transitioning from a martensitic to austenitic phase is configured to result in a press-fit connection between the second portion and the anchor member with the second portion in the austenitic phase.
US09861402B2	System and method for treating a fractured bone A system for treating a fracture of a bone with an intramedullary canal. A first implant has a body with an elongate intramedullary portion and a paddle having a surface to engage the bone. The intramedullary portion has a length between first and second lengthwise ends and can be directed into the intramedullary canal to place the first implant into an operative position with the paddle exposed outside of the intramedullary canal. At least one fixation element maintains the implant operatively positioned. The intramedullary portion is elongate with a primary length portion having a first lengthwise axis. At least a portion of the paddle surface faces away from the first lengthwise axis.
US09861391B2	Bone fixing system This disclosure provides a system for securing a bone to a rod, the system comprising a ligature, a body, and two fasteners. The ligature has two free ends and an intermediate portion therebetween, the intermediate portion being configured to engage a bone. A portion of a rod can be fastened to the body using one of the fasteners. The ligature can be fastened to the body using another one of the fasteners. The two fasteners are distinct from one another and are adapted to fasten two free end portions of the ligature to the body independently from fastening the portion of the rod to the body.
US09861385B2	Surgical needle with enhanced ultrasound reflectivity A surgical needle having notches in a sidewall with enhanced ultrasound reflectivity is disclosed. Indentations, ridges, projections, overhanging edges, and other structures are formed in the notches to retain small amounts of air or other reflective material as the surgical needle is passed through tissue. The additional amounts of reflective material retained by these structures will significantly enhance the ultrasound reflectivity and enhance the response to ultrasonic probing to provide an enhanced image during needle placement in a medical patient so that the needle may be accurately placed as desired. Alternatively or additionally, the notches are filled with a substance that contains air bubbles suspended in the substance wherein the suspended air bubbles provide the reflectivity enhancement. In both embodiments, the needle will be visible at any angle in which the device is used in a medical patient.
US09861381B2	Removable battery casing for surgical instrument A surgical instrument includes a body, a grip, and a strip assembly. The strip assembly releasably couples the grip with the body. The grip is movable from a first position to a second position. The grip is coupled with the body in the first position and detached from at least a portion of the body in the second position. At least a portion of the strip assembly detaches from at least a portion of the grip, the body, or another portion of the strip assembly when the grip is in the second position.
US09861370B2	Occlusion device An occlusion device (e.g., for treatment of the left atrial appendage) includes a framework and a biocompatible covering disposed over at least a part of the framework. The framework may include a proximal portion, a middle portion, and a distal portion, wherein: the proximal portion includes a first hub that has a fixed first diameter; the middle portion has a second diameter and includes a plurality of beams extending from the first hub to a distal portion, wherein each of the plurality of beams is connected to an adjacent beam by a first circumferentially extending column of strut pairs; and the distal portion has a third diameter. In one or more embodiments, the framework includes improved circumferential strength and minimizes foreshortening.
US09861369B2	Method and apparatus for treating a patient by intentionally occluding a blood vessel, including method and apparatus for inducing weight loss in a patient by intentionally occluding the celiac artery A method for inducing weight loss in a patient, the method comprising: intentionally occluding a blood vessel so as to create hypoperfusion in a gastrointestinal organ serviced by the blood vessel, whereby to interfere with normal gastrointestinal function and thereby induce weight loss in a patient.
US09861368B2	Circular stapling instrument A circular stapling instrument including a stapling forming assembly that is actuated independently from actuation of the cutting assembly is provided. The instrument includes a handle assembly, an elongate body extending from the handle assembly, a cartridge assembly mounted on a distal end of the elongate body. The cartridge assembly includes a pusher and a knife assembly. The knife assembly is selectively fixed relative to the pusher.
US09861356B2	Suturing device and method A suturing device and method of use involve inserting the device into a hole, positioning material around the hole into a notch of the device, passing a needle through a cavity in the device and the material positioned in the notch, and lining up an eye of the needle with a portal for passage of a suture. A suture is then passed through the eye of the needle and the needle is removed from the material (such as skin and fascia) with the suture. The suture is then removed and the process is repeated with another end of the suture at another location through the material, around the hole. When the suture is passed through the second point of penetration, the suture now extends both into and out of the material at different points around the hole and can be tied.
US09861347B2	Patent foramen ovale closure method The present invention relates to devices for closing a passageway in a body, for example a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in a heart, and related methods of using such closure devices for closing the passageway. The method includes introducing a mechanical closure device into an atrium of the heart and transeptally deploying the closure device across the interatrial septum to provide proximation of the septum secundum and septum primum.
US09861343B2	TGC controls for an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system The TGC slide switches (20) which provide the TGC control of an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system have LEDs (10) mounted on the sliders (22) of the slide switches so that the switches can be easily visualized in a darkened room. The light emitted by the LED of a switch is changed to an indicative color or brightness when the slider of the switch is set in its default position (36) for the application of a nominal gain to echo signals received from a given depth.
US09861327B2	Radiation blocking unit, radiographic imaging apparatus, and radiographic imaging method The present invention provides a radiation blocking unit including: an attachment member that is attachable between sources and an object table surface to which radiation from a radiation source and visible light from a visible light source are emitted, the sources including the radiation source and the visible light source; a radiation blocking portion, disposed on the attachment member, that transmits the illuminated visible light to an overlapping incidence region on the object table surface in which an incidence region of the radiation and an incidence region of the visible light overlap, and that blocks the irradiated radiation outside the overlapping incidence region; and a visible light blocking portion, disposed on the attachment member, that transmits the irradiated radiation to the overlapping incidence region, and blocks the illuminated visible light outside the overlapping incidence region.
US09861326B2	Medical examination facility A medical examination facility is provided, wherein the facility includes an imaging apparatus and a mobile patient table. Mechanical coupling devices to be connected to each other are provided on both the imaging apparatus and the mobile patient table for the purpose of mechanically coupling the patient table to the imaging apparatus in an end position. The mechanical coupling device of the imaging apparatus includes a pulling device that is movable to a locking position via a controllable drive motor. In order to automatically move the patient table, the pulling device engages a driver provided on the patient table, before the end position is reached, and carries it by moving to the locking position, in which the patient table is in the end position.
US09861318B2	Optical detection of motion effects There is provided a wearable item configured to be placed at least partially against a skin of a person; and an optically sensitive detector mounted to the wearable item and configured to detect optical signals reflected from the skin of the person, wherein the detected optical signals represent a relative motion between the wearable item and the skin of the person and wherein the optically sensitive detector is mounted to the wearable item such that there is a predetermined space between the optically sensitive detector and the skin of the person.
US09861316B2	Methods and probes for vaginal tactile and electromyographic imaging and location-guided female pelvic floor therapy Methods and a probes are disclosed for vaginal tactile and electromyographic imaging, and location-guided female pelvic floor therapy. Methods include the steps of inserting a vaginal probe equipped with tactile sensors and electrodes acting as electromyographic sensors into a vagina along a vaginal canal to separate apart two opposing vaginal walls, recording a tactile response and an electromyographic response from at least one of two opposing vaginal walls during pelvic floor muscle contraction, determining locations along the vaginal canal for delivery of therapy based on presence of tactile response above a predetermined tactile threshold and/or presence of electromyographic response above a predetermined EMG threshold along the vaginal probe, selecting at least one of target locations to be used for location-guided therapy, and applying the therapy such as electrical muscle stimulation to at least one of selected locations using the same electrodes at these locations. The probe comprises a probe housing, a tactile sensors array, a plurality of electrodes which can be used as an electromyography array or as an electric muscle stimulation array, and at least one reference electrode.
US09861315B2	Adhesive functional strip for transcutaneous fluorescence measurement The present invention pertains to a functional patch to be affixed to the skin, with the aim of measuring metabolic disruptions to organs, and general organ functions, of kidneys, liver, heart, pancreas and muscles (lactate), for example—more particularly it concerns the measurement of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)—and also to a method for producing a functional patch of this kind.
US09861314B2	Wearable electronic device and method for manufacturing thereof A wearable electronic device including a molded body part made of a moldable ceramic material, having an inner surface, an outer surface, and at least one cavity having a depth arranged on the inner surface of the body part, an electronic part arranged in the cavity, which electronic part has a thickness that is less than the depth of the cavity, and a coating made of an epoxy material on the inner surface of the body part, covering the electronic part and the cavity.
US09861312B2	Blinding kit for clinical trials The present invention relates to a blinding kit for administering a medicament to a patient in a clinical trial, the blinding kit comprising: a first blinding device having an opaque container and having an outlet for administering a liquid substance to a patient and having at least a first and a second inlet, wherein the first inlet is in permanent fluid communication with the outlet and wherein at least the second inlet is disconnected from the outlet, a second blinding device having an opaque container and having an outlet for administering a liquid substance to a patient and having at least two inlets, wherein said at least two inlets are in permanent fluid communication with the outlet.
US09861305B1	Method and apparatus for calibration to reduce coupling between signals in a measurement system A method and an apparatus for separating a composite signal into a plurality of signals is described. A signal processor receives a composite signal and separates a composite signal into separate output signals. Feedback from one or more of the output signals is provided to a configuration module that configures the signal processor to improve a quality of the output signals. In one embodiment, calibration data from multiple calibration data sets is used to configure the demodulation of the composite signal into separate output signals.
US09861295B2	System and method for surgical planning and navigation to facilitate placement of a medical device within a target region of a patient One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system that can facilitate delivery of a medical device in proximity to a target region within a patient's body. Data representing an image of a portion of the patient's body can be received. Based on the data representing the image, a first three dimensional (3D) model of the medical device can be generated. A second 3D model of the medical device can be fitted within the first 3D model at a location in proximity to the target region to create a combined 3D model. A two dimensional (2D) projection of the combined 3D model can be created. In some instances, the 2D projection can be used to facilitate delivery of a medical device in proximity to the target region within a patient's body.
US09861291B2	Electrode assembly The present invention relates generally to an electrode assembly including a thin, low thickness snap for use, for example, in a heart rate monitoring. The electrode assembly can come in the form of a kit with multiple pieces or in an assembled form. The electrode assembly includes two electrodes with respective snaps connected by a non-stretchable material portion. The electrode assembly can be easily integrated into a garment with minimal interference in the usability of the garment itself. Additionally, the present invention relates to a garment having integrated therein an electrode assembly.
US09861286B1	Short-wave infrared super-continuum lasers for early detection of dental caries A wearable device for use with a smart phone or tablet includes LEDs for measuring physiological parameters by modulating the LEDs and generating a near-infrared multi-wavelength optical beam. At least one LED emits at a first wavelength having a first penetration depth and at least another LED emits at a second wavelength having a second penetration depth into tissue. The device includes lenses that deliver the optical beam to the tissue, which reflects the first and second wavelengths. A receiver is configured to capture light while the LEDs are off and while at least one of the LEDs is on and to difference corresponding signals to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of the optical beam reflected from the tissue. The signal-to-noise ratio is further increased by increasing light intensity of at least one of the LEDs. The device generates an output signal representing a non-invasive measurement on blood within the tissue.
US09861285B2	Handheld skin measuring or monitoring device A handheld skin monitoring or measuring device includes a camera having a camera optical axis; and a structured light arrangement configured to project three or more laser fan beams such that the laser fan beams cross at a crossing point in front of the camera.
US09861284B2	Method and system for image processing to determine patient-specific blood flow characteristics Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model.
US09861281B2	Telemetrics and alert system A telemetric monitoring system and data analysis tool is provided that assists in trial management by identifying relationships between subject profiles and monitors physiological attributes using telemetric devices. The tool may identify subjects having certain response predispositions based on their profiles, which may be used to better select subjects to enroll in a trial. The system may monitor the physiological attributes of a subject to identify adverse events, and may generate event alerts that are sent to investigators over a communication channel. The system may present the investigators with a dashboard through which they can investigate and respond to event alerts.
US09861276B2	Supra-threshold test and a sub-pixel strategy for use in measurements across the field of vision One embodiment of the invention provides a method for performing a supra-threshold test of sensitivity across a visual field of a subject. The method includes presenting a stimulus at each location of a set of locations spread across the visual field and obtaining for each stimulus a result indicating whether or not the stimulus was seen by the subject. The method further includes determining for each location whether or not to re-present a stimulus at that location, wherein for a given location, the determining involves combining results obtained from multiple locations. These multiple locations are defined by a cluster associated with the given location, with the cluster being determined based on the paths of optic nerve fibre bundles across the visual field.
US09861261B2	Endoscope system and method of operation thereof An endoscopic microinstrument may include a substantially rigid body having first and second ends, a channel between the first and second ends; a substantially rigid end portion movably coupled to the body and having first and second ends; a tool located at the first end of the end portion and including first and second anvils; first and second handles coupled to the body, at least one of the handles further coupled to the tool and configured to control actuation of at least one of the first and second anvils; a camera coupled to, and situated to a side of, the substantially rigid end portion, the camera configured to obtain images of a region-of-interest; and an end portion controller coupled to the body and configured angulate and/or rotate the substantially rigid end portion relative to the substantially rigid body.
US09861258B2	Dishwasher A dishwasher has a treating chamber for receiving dishes for treatment according to an automatic cycle of operation and a dispensing system for storing and dispensing treating chemistry to the treating chamber during the cycle of operation. The dishwasher can be provided with a lifetime supply of a treating chemistry for the dispensing system.
US09861257B2	Detergent dispenser module for a dishwashing appliance A detergent dispenser module for a dishwashing appliance may generally include a body extending between a top side and a bottom side. The body may include an outer surface extending from the top side and may define a detergent chamber between the outer surface and the bottom side. The detergent chamber may be at least partially formed by an upper sidewall, a lower sidewall and a bottom wall extending between the upper and lower sidewall. In addition, the dispenser module may also include at least one flow diverter extending outwardly from the outer surface at a location adjacent to the upper sidewall of the detergent chamber. The flow diverter(s) may be angled in a direction of a fluid collection opening defined through a top of the upper sidewall such that fluid flowing downwardly along the outer surface of the body is directed into the fluid collection opening.
US09861252B2	Dishwasher A dishwasher is provided. The dishwasher includes a main body including a washing chamber and an input port for inputting dishes into the washing chamber; a door configured to hinge-connect at one end to the main body and open and close the washing chamber; and a door opening apparatus installed in the main body configured to open the door, wherein the door opening apparatus includes a thermally driven actuator configured to thermally expand and contract to make a plunger protrude, a movable member configured to linearly reciprocate when supplied with power from the thermally driven actuator, and a push portion configured to push the door so as to open the input port when supplied with power form the movable member.
US09861251B2	Filter with artificial boundary for a dishwashing machine A dishwasher with a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber, a liquid spraying system, a liquid recirculation system defining a recirculation flow path, and a liquid filtering system. The liquid filtering system includes a filter disposed in the recirculation flow path to filter the liquid and at least one artificial boundary to aid in cleaning the filter.
US09861247B2	Particle trap/filter and systems related thereto The present patent document provides embodiments of a filter and a system for use with the filter for separating dirt and other contaminates from wash liquids. In a preferred embodiment the filter comprises: a plurality of passages all oriented parallel to each other wherein the passages have a circular top with a first diameter and a circular bottom with a second smaller diameter and a portion in between the top and the bottom that is funnel shaped; a body that couples each of the plurality of passages together; wherein the passages are arranged in concentric circles radiating out from the center of the body.
US09861244B2	Steam cleaning device and accessory A steam cleaning accessory for use with a steam generator comprises: a flexible body comprising a base and at least one peripheral wall upstanding from the base. At least one steam conduit is connectable to the steam generator and arranged to be in fluid communication therewith. The steam conduit comprises at least one steam outlet for ejecting steam and the at least one steam outlet is mounted on an underside of the base which is configured to be adjacent to a surface to be cleaned. A flexible pocket is mounted on the flexible body and is arranged to receive a user's hand. The at least one peripheral wall comprises at least one deflection element outwardly projecting from the peripheral wall.
US09861243B1	Flexible light weight vacuum cleaner head A head (200) for a vacuum cleaning device includes a central airflow conduit (255), first and second flexible tubular appendage (211, 212), and a cross member (240). Each tubular appendage includes an internal channel (220) connected to a surface channel (222) via a plurality of ingress vents (221). A cross member (240) structurally connects the first and second flexible tubular appendages such that a cross-connecting airflow channel provides airflow from the first and second tubular appendages to the central airflow conduit. The first and second flexible appendage are attached at an apex (215) to form an A-shaped structure with the cross member.
US09861238B2	Spindle adapter for roll paper product dispensers An adapter for a recessed dispenser is disclosed. The adapter includes a frame configured to fit into a cavity of the dispenser. The adapter also includes a fastener for securing the frame to the dispenser. The frame includes two arms extending away from the cavity. The two arms are configured to removeably couple with a reduced-core diameter spindle. The spindle can expand/contract and is configured for use with a reduced-core roll of paper product. The adapter described herein allows for rolled product to be dispensed from an existing recessed dispenser where the rolls being dispensed have a larger outer diameter and a smaller inner core diameter than allowed by the original design of the recessed dispenser.
US09861234B2	Oil reclamation device and process A fryer filtration arrangement includes an oil reclamation system to reclaim used filtered cooking oil.
US09861221B2	Package receiving systems and methods A package receiving device, the package receiving device includes a sensor configured to obtain package identifying information from a package, a verification module configured to determine if the package identifying information matches information stored in a computer-readable storage media, and a receptacle configured to change from a compact mode to an extended mode to secure the package based on a determination of the verification module. Securing the package includes enclosing the package in the receptacle.
US09861220B2	Slidable anti-fatigue mat A moveable anti-fatigue mat that can be moved by a user's foot without the need for the user to bend over. In one embodiment, the anti-fatigue mat comprises a cushioned top layer affixed to a high friction bottom layer, wherein a low friction activation pad is positioned on or within the bottom layer. The activation pad can be attached so that a bottom surface protrudes below or is flush with the bottom surface of the bottom layer, and the activation pad is preferably located near the edge of the bottom layer. The anti-fatigue mat may be slid laterally on a floor or surface by a user's foot when a user places his foot on the mat directly above the activation pad and applies pressure downward and in the direction the user wishes the mat to move.
US09861213B2	Forced cold air well with false bottom insert A cold food display unit includes a well defining a receptacle, an insert positioned within the receptacle, a refrigeration system, a first cooling air discharge, and a second cooling air discharge. The insert is positioned within the receptacle to form a first cooling air flow path and a second cooling air flow path. The refrigeration system includes a cooling air outlet positioned within the receptacle to provide cooling air to the first and second cooling air flow paths. The first cooling air discharge discharges a first flow of cooling air toward the second side of the well, and the second cooling air discharge discharges a second flow of cooling air toward the first side of the well.
US09861204B2	Automatic support system for headrest An automatic support system for headrest includes a first fastener, a connecting component, a driving rod, a first swinging component, a first sleeve component, and a linear drive device; The linear drive device is pivotally connected to the first fastener and has an output shaft that is capable of linearly sliding, a front end of the connecting component is pivotally connected to the first fastener, the output shaft of the linear drive device and one end of the driving rod are respectively pivotally connected to two spaced positions of a rear end of the connecting component, a front end of the first swinging component is pivotally connected to the first fastener, the other end of the driving rod is pivotally connected to a rear end of the first swinging component, and the first sleeve component is fixed to a headrest and set on the first swinging component detachably.
US09861201B2	Chair assembly A chair assembly includes a base structure defining upper and lower portions, and a support structure, a seat support structure having a forward portion pivotably connected to the upper portion of the base structure for rotation about a first pivot point and a rearward portion, a back support structure having a forward portion pivotably connected to the lower portion of the base structure for rotation about a second pivot point that is located below and rearward of the first pivot point, and an upwardly extending back portion that moves rearwardly and downwardly as the back support structure pivots and the back portion moves, and a control link pivotably coupled to the seat support structure for rotation about a third pivot point and to the back support structure for rotation about a fourth pivot point each located rearward of the first and second pivot points.
US09861200B2	Sliding rails for mounting shelf Provided is a sliding rail for mounting a shelf, which is mounted on a shelf for displaying things of various kinds and is simply regulated in length according to thickness and width of the shelf, thereby improving convenience in use.
US09861197B2	Slide rail assembly A slide rail assembly adapted to mount an object to a rack includes first through third rails. The first rail is mounted to the rack. The second rail is movably connected to the first rail and includes a reinforcement structure having a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion. The third rail is movably connected to the second rail. When the slide rail assembly is in a fully pulled out position, each of the second and third rails is at an extended position with respect to the first rail, the second rail is located between the first and third rails, and the first and second portions of the reinforcement structure correspond in position to the third and first rails respectively.
US09861196B2	Slide rail assembly with interlock device A slide rail assembly includes a supporting rail, a first rail, a second rail, and an interlock device. The second rail can be displaced with respect to the first rail. The interlock device is movably disposed between the first rail and the supporting rail. The second rail displaces the interlock device while being displaced from a retracted position with respect to the first rail to a predetermined position in an opening direction.
US09861185B2	Fastener-stick dispensers for field use A fastener-stick dispenser for dispensing sticks of fasteners, such as staples, nails, and screws. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a body defining a fastener-stick receptacle that receives a plurality of the fastener sticks. The dispenser also includes a dispensing port through which fastener sticks are dispensed one or more at a time by a user. The dispenser may also include one or more securing device for securing the dispenser to a user so that the user can carry the dispenser in a hands-free manner. A method of providing a fastener-stick dispenser is also disclosed. The method includes providing a fastener stick dispenser and providing various instructions for its use. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a pivotable dispensing mechanism designed, configured, and arranged to dispense fastener sticks in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the fastener sticks. The dispensing mechanism may be actuated using a lever arm.
US09861182B2	Device for supporting an electronic tool on a user's hand An attachment device for attaching to a user's finger, thumb, hand, or wrist is provided. The attachment device may also be configured to support an object, such as a small electronic tool. According to one implementation, an attachment device comprises a mounting frame, a side wall extending at an angle from the mounting frame, an outer C-band extending from an end of the side wall, and an inner C-band extending from the mounting frame. The outer C-band is configured to at least partially surround the inner C-band.
US09861180B1	Dual beam, vehicle mounted hammock frame The present invention is a vehicle mounted hammock frame having dual beams that resist torsion and rotation of the sidearm extensions. It allows for a hammock to be suspended in the bed of a pickup truck approximately 6 feet above ground level. Further, the sidearm extensions have a narrow and wide side such that when the frame is folded for storage the narrow extension nestles inside the wide extension. The extensions are rotatably attachable to the central crossbeam assembly via sidearm receivers and generally L-shaped sidearm guides. The extensions may be easily attached or detached from the sidearm guides by inserting or removing a hinge pin. Moving the frame can be made easier by attaching axles and wheels to the folded frame.
US09861172B1	Luggage handle assembly with two push buttons A handle assembly for a luggage includes a grip unit, a button unit and a crank unit. The button unit includes a left push and a right push button. The crank unit includes a left crank having a first end provided with a left resting section abutting the left push button and a second end provided with a left ratchet section, a right crank having a first end provided with a right resting section abutting the right push button and a second end provided with a right ratchet section engaging the left ratchet section. Thus, the button unit includes two push buttons mounted on two opposite ends of the grip unit, so that the button unit will not be touched or pressed by the user, thereby preventing the handle assembly from being unlocked inadvertently.
US09861162B2	Components for articles of footwear including lightweight, selectively supported textile components Footwear components are made from lightweight textile structures (e.g., including circular knitted structures made from natural or synthetic fibers, such as socks or sock-type structures). The textile structures are selectively supported at various areas to provide desired local characteristics. Additional aspects relate to methods of making such components, precursors to such components, and articles of footwear containing such components.
US09861161B2	Components for articles of footwear including lightweight, selectively supported textile components Footwear components are made from lightweight textile structures (e.g., including circular knitted structures made from natural or synthetic fibers, such as socks or sock-type structures). The textile structures are selectively supported at various areas to provide desired local characteristics. Methods are provided for making such components, precursors to such components, and articles of footwear containing such components.
US09861154B2	Articles of manufacture releasing an active ingredient The present invention relates to articles of manufacture having a formulation distributed therein, wherein the formulation comprises an active agent which manifests a desirable property when released from the articles of manufacture. The present invention also relates to methods for manufacturing these articles of manufacture, to vehicles for applying the formulation to these articles of manufacture, and to perception indicators indicating the presence and the amount of formulation comprising an active agent applied to an article of manufacture.
US09861152B1	Method and apparatus for improved helmet Method and apparatus for improved helmet having an outer shell with a face mask disposed thereon along with an inner shell so that the outer shell floats without the inner and outer shells separating while maintaining an air gap between the inner shell and the head of a user which prevents direct contact between the helmet and the head or neck of a user. An outer collar closely surrounds the sides and back of the outer shell and is attached to the shoulder pads preventing direct impact to the rear of the outer shell and also much of the area behind the ear of a user. Gel pads are placed between the two helmet shells and the top of the helmet collar and between the shoulder, chest and back pads and the body of the user. A head and neck restraint and third-party neck brace are also shown.
US09861147B1	Modular lighted tree A lighted artificial tree includes a first tree portion including a first trunk portion, first branches joined to the first trunk portion, and a first light string. The first trunk portion has a trunk connector and a first trunk wiring assembly, the first trunk wiring assembly is electrically connectable to the first light string and the trunk connector, and at least a portion of the first wiring assembly is located inside the first portion. The second tree portion includes a second trunk portion, second branches, and a second light string. The second trunk portion has a trunk connector and a second trunk wiring assembly, the second trunk wiring assembly electrically connectable to the second lighting string and the trunk connector. The second tree portion may be mechanically coupled and electrically connected to the first tree portion by coaxially coupling the first trunk portion to the second trunk portion.
US09861142B1	Visor with fans to deflect vapors for eye protection while cooking A head worn visor having an array of battery operated fans in a chamber that includes contiguous air supply ducts that draw clean air from behind the user that is discharged through the visor fan array outlets in a downward force in front of the eyes to deflect irritating vapors that cause tearing from preparing food. The visor chamber houses the wiring and electrical connections to the fans and the dry cell battery compartment. The device operation is controlled by an on/off switch that activates the electrical circuitry.
US09861140B2	Electronic cigarette atomizer with convenient-to-mount heating wire The disclosure relates to an electronic cigarette atomizer with a convenient-to-mount heating wire, which includes an oil storage atomization main body, a suction nozzle and a base. The base is provided with the heating wire and a heating wire fixing seat. More than two mounting holes are formed in an outer lateral surface of the heating wire fixing seat, more than two clamping blocks capable of moving up and down are arranged therein, and the clamping blocks are connected with the mounting holes in a one-to-one correspondence manner. Two ends of the heating wire are inserted into the mounting holes in the one-to-one correspondence manner, and are clamped and fixed under action of the clamping blocks. The electronic cigarette atomizer is simple and ingenious in structure, easy to product and machine and favorable for batch production.
US09861133B2	Electronic cigarette An electronic cigarette includes an atomizer and a battery pack. A pluggable connecting means is provided between the atomizer and the battery pack. The pluggable connecting means is designed as an elastic snap connection or a detachable clip means so that the atomizer and the battery pack can be connected together pluggably to prevent the threaded connection.
US09861131B2	Atomizer and electronic cigarette having same An exemplary atomizer for an electronic cigarette includes an atomizing tube, an atomizing assembly, a first fixing sleeve arranged at a first end of the atomizing tube, and a fixing tube received in the first end of the atomizing tube adjacent to the first fixing sleeve. The fixing tube receives the atomizing assembly and is connected to the first fixing sleeve. The atomizing tube defines a liquid reservoir. The fixing tube defines a liquid guiding chamber.
US09861129B2	Preparation method of porous ceramic, porous ceramic, and electronic cigarette The present invention relates to a preparation method of a porous ceramic, the porous ceramic, and a use thereof in the electronic cigarette. The method of preparing a porous ceramic includes: mixing amorphous silica, aluminum oxide and iron oxide uniformly to obtain a mixture; sintering the mixture at a temperature of 1000° C. to 1400° C. for 0.5 hour to 3 hours to obtain a precursor; grinding the precursor to obtain precursor powder; mixing the precursor powder, sodium silicate, and porogen uniformly to obtain a premix; mixing and extruding the premix with water to obtain a molded body; and heat preserving the molded body at a temperature of 200° C. to 600° C. for 1 hour to 6 hours, and sintering the molded body at a temperature of 700° C. to 1200° C. for 0.5 hour to 3 hours to obtain the porous ceramic.
US09861128B2	Electronic cigarette The present invention provides an electronic cigarette including a nozzle, a battery rod assembly and an atomizer assembly. The nozzle defines vent holes. The nozzle and the atomizer assembly are located at two ends of the battery rod assembly respectively, and the battery rod assembly defines a smoke vent communicated with the atomizer assembly and the vent holes. Since the nozzle and the atomizer assembly locate at the two ends of the battery rod assembly respectively, the nozzle is far away from the atomizer assembly, and the atomizer assembly is of good sealing, thus it can avoid smoke liquid being sucked into smoker mouth problem.
US09861125B2	Holder for cigars, and the like The present invention provide a new and novel holder for storing unlit articles to be smoked, such as cigar, and holding such articles when they are lit and not currently being smoked. When the holder is in a closed position, it acts as a carrying case for a number of articles to be smoked of any size (adjustable for lengths). When opened, the unit can be easily mounted to any frictional engagement device, such as a golf cart ball holder tray or easily with the cup-holder adapter. The device can also easily be applied to any cup holder typically found within golf carts, boats, and vehicles and any other structure that includes a cup holder.
US09861113B2	Methods of forming coffee and dairy liquid concentrates Blended fluid concentrates are provided that can be reconstituted into an instant coffee plus dairy beverage using either hot or cold liquids. The blended fluid concentrates include a blend of at least a dairy component, a coffee component, and a stabilizing component to form a shelf-stable pourable liquid.
US09861107B2	Coating for iced or glazed frozen food products The gloss of iced frozen baked goods once thawed, is enhanced by coating the baked goods with shellac prior to freezing.
US09861102B2	Methods for disinfection The present disclosure relates to methods and system for disinfecting surfaces within an area by forming peracids in a reaction layer in situ on the surfaces to be disinfected. Aqueous compositions comprising peracid reactant compounds, particularly hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid, are sequentially dispersed into the area, preventing peracids from being formed until the two peracid reactant compounds contact each other on the surface to be disinfected. Additionally, aqueous compositions containing peracid reactant compounds can further comprise ethanol to both decrease the surface tension of the droplets and enhance the reactants' biocidal activity. Peracid reactant compounds can be sequentially dispersed as electrostatically-charged droplets, so that droplets of a first aqueous composition containing at least one peracid reactant compound are dispersed with a polarity opposite that of a subsequently-applied second aqueous composition containing at least one peracid reactant compound, driving formation of a peracid on the surface in situ.
US09861101B2	Continuous on-line adjustable disinfectant/sanitizer/bleach generator Methods and systems for on-site, continuous generation of peracid chemistry, namely peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions, are disclosed. In particular, an adjustable biocide formulator or generator system is designed for on-site generation of peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions from sugar esters. Methods of using the in situ generated peroxycarboxylic acids and peroxycarboxylic acid forming compositions are also disclosed.
US09861095B2	Use of extracellular hemoglobin obtained from the marine worm, Arenicola marina, for the preservation of organs, tissues, cells Disclosed is a method for preserving an organ in a donation after brain death donor or a donation after cardiac death donor comprising administering to the donor a composition comprising at least one globin, one globin protomer or one extracellular hemoglobin of Annelida, a stabilizing solution and/or a solution for conserving organs, said composition having a temperature of between 0° C. and 37° C. Also disclosed is a method for conserving an organ in situ in a donation after brain death donor or a donation after cardiac death donor using normothermic ECMO or double-balloon triple-lumen catheter techniques or any other similar technique.
US09861093B2	Branched spike bird deterrent A bird deterrent has a base and at least one branched spike extending from the base. The branching can occur anywhere along the spike, and a single branch point can give rise to multiple branches. Spikes can have multiple branches. The various branches can be of any suitable length(s), and can be oriented in any suitable direction(s).
US09861091B2	Snap trap actuator The present improved animal trap and unique catch release mechanism eliminates substantial eating or removal of the bait without the trap activating and provides a dual means to activate the trap. This is accomplished by the present catch release mechanism having a sliding member which slides within a hole through the platform of the trap under the influence of gravity and a prop which holds at least a portion of the trap platform above a support surface. When the prop is destabilized by an external force, the prop's support of the platform is disturbed, permitting the platform to fall toward the support surface. The platform falls relative to the sliding member; and the sliding member is forced toward the catch by contact with the support surface, thus pushing the catch so that the catch releases the holding arm bar to activate the trap.
US09861083B2	Water filter Water filters which comprise a multitude of discrete filter media elements in a chamber require periodic cleaning. However, the elements tend to become adhered to one another and to the interior surface of the chamber. The invention provides a water filter for use with ponds, comprising a filter chamber for containing filter media, and a first movable cutting member provided substantially immediately adjacent the interior wall of the chamber for movement across the surface of the interior surface of the wall to break the adherence of filter media to the interior wall.
US09861051B2	Soybean cultivar SJ1313415 The present invention is in the field of soybean variety SJ1313415 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean variety SJ1313415 and its seed, cells, germplasm, plant parts, and progeny, and methods of using SJ1313415 in a breeding program.
US09861049B1	Soybean variety XB34A15R A novel soybean variety, designated XB34A15R is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB34A15R, cells from soybean variety XB34A15R, plants of soybean XB34A15R, and plant parts of soybean variety XB34A15R. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB34A15R with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB34A15R, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB34A15R, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB34A15R. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB34A15R are further provided.
US09861045B2	Broccoli type adapted for the ease of harvest A broccoli plant characterized in having an exerted head having a crown higher than the leaf canopy and a harvestable head of at least about 200 grams when planted at a density of 40,000 plants per hectare, where the harvestable head comprises the top 25 centimeters of said stalk.
US09861040B2	Method and stereo vision system for facilitating the unloading of agricultural material from a vehicle A spout is operably connected to a transferring material for transferring the agricultural material to the receiving vehicle. An imaging device faces towards the storage portion of the receiving vehicle and collects image data. A container module is adapted to determine a container position of the storage portion, or its container perimeter. A spout module is adapted to identify a spout of the transferring vehicle in the collected image data, or to determine a spout position. An alignment module is adapted to determine the relative position of the spout and the container position based on the collected image data and to generate command data or user interface data to facilitate placement of the spout and storage container in relative cooperative alignment for transferring of material from the transferring vehicle to the receiving vehicle.
US09861037B2	Mechanical produce harvester with gathering belts A mechanical harvester for harvesting a produce with a stem/core planted in a field includes a chassis, and a cutting device and a transport assembly connected to the chassis. The cutting device is configured to cut the stem/core of the produce. The transport assembly is configured to transport the produce using a movable first belt with a first set of produce grippers and a movable second belt with a second set of produce grippers. When the produce is held between the first set and second set of produce grippers, a portion of the first set of produce grippers opposes a portion of the second set of produce grippers. The opposing produce grippers are configured to compress and exert a force on the produce to hold the produce between the movable first and second belts.
US09861035B2	Height of cut control system A height of cut control system on a mower deck includes a linear actuator connected to the lift linkage. A height of cut dial has a plurality of operator-selected desired cutting heights, and a deck height control is connected to the electronic controller that commands the linear actuator to lower or raise the mower deck to the desired cutting height when the deck height control is in a down position or an up position. A deck height display provides visual feedback of operator selected cutting height and actual cutting height. If the actual height is at least a specified amount off the operator selected cutting height, the electronic controller may automatically adjust the mower deck by commanding the linear actuator to move the mower deck to the desired cutting height.
US09861034B2	Trimmer head with incorporated line cutter A trimmer head for a rotary trimmer, includes an upper housing and a lower housing secured to the upper housing, wherein either the upper housing or the lower housing has a passageway. The trimmer head also includes a cutter assembly maintained in the passageway, wherein the cutter assembly has a knife, and wherein trimmer line inserted into the passageway is cut by the knife. A related method of cutting a trimmer line using the cutter assembly incorporated into a trimmer head is also disclosed.
US09861028B2	Seed treatment device with improved fluid application A seed treater provides enhanced seed coating capabilities and performance. The seed and/or treatment fluid may be heated for improving vaporization and absorption by the seed. Air may be injected in the seed treater to provide heat, dehumidified air, and to provide vaporization enhancement, and component cleaning functions. The functions may be controlled by a control processor based on recipes and may be changed dependent upon sensed or input environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity.
US09861026B2	Seed treater A seed treater comprises a rotatable bowl positioned in a bowl containment, the containment closeable with the rotatable bowl therein and having ports or inlet for seed and seed treatment chemicals, the containment having a containment base and a cover. The containment base having a generally cylindrical wall portion, a bottom wall portion below the bowl, and a corner wall portion connecting the cylindrical wall portion and the bottom wall portion. The containment base having access ports for cleaning and the corner wall portion is a curved wall portion having a radius of curvature of at least one inch with no sharp interior corners between the planar bottom wall portion and the cylindrical wall portion. A liner, such as a polymer liner, may be installed on the cylindrical wall such that it is adjacent the upper edge of the bowl and extending upwardly on the cylindrical wall. Whereby a batch seed treater is provided with enhanced cleaning and maintenance capabilities.
US09861022B2	Agricultural apparatus with hybrid single-disk, double-disk coulter arrangement An agricultural row unit assembly includes an attachment frame, a swing-arm, an opener disk, a deflecting disk, a support, a gauge wheel, and a ground-hardness sensor. The opener disk is mounted to and offset from the distal end of the swing-arm for forming a furrow, and is configured to rotate about a first axis. The deflecting disk is mounted to the distal end of the swing-arm for deflecting debris from entering the furrow, and is configured to rotate about a second axis. The support has a first end pivotably mounted to the swing-arm and a second end movable relative to the opener disk. The gauge wheel is mounted to the second end of the support. The ground-hardness sensor is disposed within the swing-arm and is configured to detect movement of the gauge wheel relative to the opener disk.
US09867319B2	Vehicle power module assemblies and manifolds A vehicle power module assembly includes a modular manifold, an upper frame, and a plurality of power stages. The modular manifold includes a first base unit defining an inlet chamber, a second base unit defining an outlet chamber, a mid-unit defining one or more ports open to the chambers, and an upper unit defining a first set of slots and a second set of slots in fluid communication with the chambers via the ports. The plurality of power stages is housed within the frame and each of the power stages are spaced from one another to define inner channels therebetween. The chambers, channels, and ports are arranged with one another such that coolant flowing through the inner channels is in thermal communication with the power stages. The mid-unit may further include flow guides each sized to partially extend into one of the inner channels.
US09867314B2	Method for controlling temperature of inverter system by controlling a fan A method for controlling temperature of an inverter system having an inverter and a cooling fan is provided, the method including: obtaining an internal temperature of the inverter and a DC (Direct Current)-link voltage of the inverter; and outputting a fan driving control signal for driving the fan or maintaining the fan being driven to the fan, when the internal temperature is above a predetermined fan drive setting temperature and the DC-link voltage is above a predetermined fan drive setting voltage.
US09867311B2	Server cable management structure A server cable management structure includes a first arm member and a second arm member respectively pivotally coupled to the outer and inner sliding rails of a sliding rail assembly which is connected to a drawer of a server. An intermediate arm member is pivotally coupled between the first and second arm members, and a sliding bar is slidably coupled to the first arm member, with at least one spring member connected between the first arm member and the sliding bar, and a connection frame connected to the sliding bar and pivotally connected to the outer sliding rail. The inner sliding rail is movable outward a first distance when the first arm member is fully extended outward relative to the second arm member, and outward a further distance while stretching the at least one spring member when the sliding bar is fully extended outward relative to the first arm member.
US09867310B2	Rack sidecar for additional IT equipment and cable management A structure of a server rack and sidecar combination. The structure may include; a server rack having an opening and a server door on a front side of the server rack; a sidecar mounted to a side of the server rack, the sidecar has an access area on a front side of the sidecar, wherein the server rack opening and the access area are accessible form a common side; an adapter mounted to the accessible common side, wherein the adapter does not restrict access to the server rack opening and the access area, the adapter has at least three vertical sides; and a cable management bar located within the at least three vertical sides.
US09867302B2	Electrical connector with reinforced rib stiffener An electrical connector and the buckle assembly thereof. The buckle assembly includes a stiffener provided with a frame opening for receiving an insulating body of the electrical connector, and a load plate with a rear end pivoted to the stiffener. The stiffener has a reinforce rib in front of the frame opening. The reinforce rib has a raised portion protruding upward from an upper surface of the stiffener, and an extending portion is formed by horizontally extending from the raised portion. The load plate has a through hole for receiving the chip module, a receiving hole in front of the through hole, and two receiving holes behind the through hole. Each receiving hole allows a locking member to pass therethrough to fix the load plate onto the stiffener.
US09867290B2	Selective segment via plating process and structure A selective segment via plating process for manufacturing a circuit board selectively interconnects inner conductive layers as separate segments within the same via. Plating resist is applied to a conductive layer of an inner core and then stripped off after an electroless plating process. Stripping of the electroless plating on the plating resist results in a plating discontinuity on the via wall. In a subsequent electroplating process, the plug non-conductive layer can not be plated due to the plating discontinuity. The resulting circuit board structure has separate electrically interconnected segments within the via.
US09867289B2	Filled large-format imprinting method A method of making a filled large-format imprinted structure includes providing a substrate, locating a curable layer over the substrate, imprinting the curable layer, and curing the curable layer to form a cured layer including a layer surface having one or more areas. Each area has a plurality of imprinted micro-cavities, wherein each micro-cavity has a micro-cavity width less than or equal to 20 microns. A rib separates each micro-cavity from an adjacent micro-cavity by a rib width that is less than the micro-cavity width, the rib extending from a bottom of the micro-cavity to the layer surface. A common curable material is located in each micro-cavity and cured to form common cured material in each micro-cavity, thereby defining a filled large-format imprinted structure.
US09867283B2	Package board and prepreg A package board includes a stack structure that includes a circuit layer and a fiber layer. The fiber layer includes at least one first fiber that extends in a first direction and is a non-woven fiber. Also, a prepreg includes a first fiber that is a non-woven fiber; a plurality of second fibers that are spaced apart from the first fiber and are woven fibers; and an insulating layer that fills gaps between the first fiber and the plurality of second fibers.
US09867279B2	Electronic device for vehicles An electronic device includes: a printed circuit board; a conductive casing; and a connecting part. The printed circuit board is mounted with an electronic component to configure a predetermined electronic circuit. The conductive casing stores the printed circuit board. The connecting part is arranged between the conductive casing and the printed circuit board, and is configured to be capacitively coupled with a conductor pattern of the printed circuit board so as to guide radiation noise from the printed circuit board to the conductive casing.
US09867256B2	Display system and self-checking method of the display system Provided is a light-emitting diode (LED) driving system. The LED driving system includes an LED current controller, a detector, and a system controller. The LED current controller is configured to control a current flowing through a plurality of LED arrays including at least one LED, such that no current flows through a first LED array from among the plurality of the LED arrays and a current flows through a second LED array from among the plurality of the LED arrays. The detector is configured to detect a sensing voltage from the first LED array. The system controller is configured to determine, based on a comparison result between the sensing voltage and a reference voltage, a failure of the at least one LED included in the second LED array.
US09867248B2	Dimming module, solid state lighting device, and dimming method A dimming module and a solid state lighting device are shown. The dimming module includes a rectifying circuit, a phase control circuit, a processing circuit and a first driving circuit. The rectifying circuit is configured to convert an input AC voltage to a rectified voltage signal. The phase control circuit is configured to receive the rectified voltage signal and a dimming command, and output a control voltage signal correspondingly in which the phase control circuit controls a phase delay angle of the control voltage signal according to the dimming command. The processing circuit is configured to receive the control voltage signal and adjust a first driving voltage signal according to the phase delay angle. The first driving circuit is configured to receive the first driving voltage signal to drive a first lighting module.
US09867246B2	Methods and apparatus for lifetime extension of LED-based lighting units Methods and apparatus for lighting control. One or more properties of light output of one or more LEDs (124A, 124B, 124C, 124N) of an LED node (120A, 120B, 120C, 120N) of an LED-based lighting unit (110) are controlled to extend the lifetime of the LED-based lighting unit. For example, an LED node controller controlling an LED may determine whether the LED will be operated in the active light emitting state based on an LED activation probability. Thus, based on the LED activation probability the LED may at some times be in the active light emitting state and provide light output and may at other times be prevented from being in the active light emitting state and prevented from providing light output.
US09867237B2	Induction heating cooker An object of the present invention is to provide an induction heating cooker with improved assemblability, and with which a reduction in the temperature sensing precision of an infrared sensor can be suppressed and a reduction in the thickness of the induction heating cooker can be achieved. To this end, the induction heating cooker of the present invention includes a duct 33 that forms a cooling air path for guiding the cooling air produced by the air blower 32 to a control circuit 27 and to an infrared sensor 26. The infrared sensor 26 and the control circuit 27 are disposed at positions lower than the top wall of the duct 33.
US09867230B2	Method and device for detecting and generating synchronization signal for device-to-device wireless communication Provided is a method of generating a Device-to-Device Synchronization Signal (D2DSS) by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes determining a service attribute for identifying whether the terminal is serviced by at least one base station; and generating a D2DSS for identifying whether the terminal is serviced by the base station, based on the determination result. In addition, provided is a method of configuring D2D synchronization by a terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method includes receiving a signal from at least one base station or another device; determining whether a synchronization signal is detected from the received signal; and when the synchronization signal is detected, configuring synchronization with the another device based on the timing reference of the detected synchronization signal.
US09867225B2	Method and nodes for handling a failure in a communications network The embodiments herein relate to a method in a second CN node (205,407) for handling a failure in a communications network (200). The failure has caused communication between the second CN node (205, 407) and an old first CN node (203a) to become unavailable. The communication is associated with a session. When the failure has been detected, the second CN node transmits a session start request message to a new first CN node (203b, 405b, 410b). The session start request is a request to restore the session. The session start request message comprises a restoration flag indicating restoration of the session for a same service established before the failure and allowing a RAN node (201, 403) in the communications network (200) to accept the session start request message.
US09867224B2	Method and apparatus for transmitting a handover report and an RLF report A method for transmitting a handover report and for transmitting a radio link failure (RLF) report are provided. The method includes obtaining, by a target base station, at least one of location information of a source cell or location information of a user equipment (UE) history cell during a handover procedure, and transmitting, by the target base station, the handover report to at least one of a source base station or to a base station where the UE history cell is located, according to the obtained at least one of location information of the source cell or the location information of the UE history cell, wherein the handover report including at least one of an unnecessary handover report, a too early handover report, or a handover to wrong cell report.
US09867223B2	Network apparatus and user terminal eNB 200 controls a UE group including a plurality of UEs 100 (UE 100-1 and UE 100-2) that support cellular communication and D2D communication. The eNB 200 selects a communication mode for applying to the UE group from the cellular communication and the D2D communication, based on first channel information on a channel state between the UEs 100 (UE-UE) included in the UE group and second channel information on a channel state between the eNB 200 and the UEs 100 included in the UE group (UE-eNB).
US09867221B2	Pairing between wireless devices The present invention relates to a method for enabling a wireless communication between at least one peripheral unit (a1-aN) and a device (100), the at least one peripheral unit (a1-aN) being arranged for communicating with a pairing system (10) according to first wireless communication type, the device (100) being arranged for communicating with the pairing system (10) according to a second communication type, the method comprising the following steps: —the pairing system (10) configuring a main communication unit (11) adapted to communicate according to the first wireless communication type; —pairing the at least one peripheral unit (a1-aN) with the main communication unit (11); —the pairing system (10) sending to the device (100) the pairing information suitable for communicating with the at least one peripheral unit (a1-aN); —the device (100) configuring a first communication unit (101) adapted to communicate with the at least one peripheral unit (a1-aN) according to the first wireless communication type, using the pairing information received from the pairing system (10).
US09867218B2	Connecting wireless devices using visual image capture and processing A method facilitates establishment of wireless pairing connections between wireless electronic devices by: initiating, at a first device, a connection utility that enables the first device to establish a wireless connection with at least one second device; capturing an image of a selected second device, representing a second device to which a wireless connection is desired; and scanning for identifying information about each discoverable second device that is within a connection range of the first device. The method further includes: forwarding the captured image and any detected identifying information to a wireless connectivity assist (WCA) service; receiving wireless connection setup and configuration (WCSC) instructions from the WCA service; and establishing the wireless connection with the selected second device utilizing wireless connection setup and configuration (WCSC) instructions received from the WCA service.
US09867216B2	Method and apparatus for performing access control in wireless communication system A method and apparatus for performing access control in a wireless communication is provided. A user equipment (UE) receives an access control parameter and a backoff parameter from a network, and determines whether to apply the access control parameter or the backoff parameter based on applications. If it is determined to apply the access control parameter, the UE applies the access control parameter instead of the backoff parameter.
US09867214B2	Clear channel assessment (CCA) levels within wireless communications A wireless communication device is configured to perform clear channel assessment (CCA) using one or more CCA levels that are selected based on various criteria. The device receives or detects one or more packets on the communication medium, and the device then processes those one or more packets to determine status of one or more channels within one or more frequency bands using the one or more CCA levels. These CCA levels may be selected based on one or more parameters, and different CCA levels may be used at different times, for different channels, etc. Also, different CCA levels may be used to determine the status of different channels, different portions of the frequency spectrum, etc. When at least one channel is determined as being clear and available for usage, the device is configured to support communications with one or more other devices via one or more channels.
US09867205B2	Stage-by-stage successive MIMO decoding for multihop communications According to some embodiments, a method of estimating a relayed wireless signal in a multihop network comprises receiving, at a destination network node, a wireless signal relayed from a plurality of network nodes. The received wireless signal comprises successive quantizations of a source wireless signal performed at each relay stage. The destination network node also receives a plurality of messages, each including quantization information associated with the quantization performed at a corresponding relay stage. The destination network node estimates a wireless signal received at a previous relay stage using a quantized multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel model with the received wireless signal and a message corresponding to the quantization performed at the previous relay stage. The destination network node estimates the source wireless signal using the estimated wireless signal received at the previous stage and the remaining messages to estimate a wireless signal received at each of the previous relay stages.
US09867204B2	Terminal apparatus, base station apparatus, integrated circuit, and communication method A terminal apparatus includes a reception unit that receives first information indicating a subframe in which a CRS is present, and second information which indicates the number of CRS antenna ports and is used to determine a resource element to which a PDSCH is mapped. In a subframe other than a subframe indicated as the subframe in which the CRS is present by the first information, a resource element to which a PDSCH transmitted through an antenna port different from a CRS antenna port for a serving cell is mapped is based on the number of CRS antenna ports indicated by the second information corresponding to the PDSCH. Accordingly, the terminal apparatus can efficiently communicate with a base station apparatus using a downlink physical channel.
US09867203B2	Synchronous TDM-based communication in dominant interference scenarios Techniques for supporting communication in a heterogeneous network are described. In an aspect, communication in a dominant interference scenario may be supported by reserving subframes for a weaker base station observing high interference from a strong interfering base station. In another aspect, interference due to a first reference signal from a first station (e.g., a base station) may be mitigated by canceling the interference at a second station (e.g., a UE) or by selecting different resources for sending a second reference signal by the second station (e.g., another base station) to avoid collision with the first reference signal. In yet another aspect, a relay may transmit in an MBSFN mode in subframes that it listens to a macro base station and in a regular mode in subframes that it transmits to UEs. In yet another aspect, a station may transmit more TDM control symbols than a dominant interferer.
US09867202B2	Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data using multi-path in wireless communication system of distributed MAC Provided is an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data using multiple paths in a wireless communication system using a distributed Media Access Control (MAC). More particularly, provided is an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data that may select a path with a better channel status from multiple paths that include a direct path using a Line of Sight (LOS) and a relay path passing through a relay apparatus, in a wireless communication system that may transmit data via the LOS using a distributed MAC and a directional antenna.
US09867199B1	Dynamic control of air interface capacity A method and system for managing capacity of a base station's air interface. The base station identifies a served user equipment device (UE) based at least in part on the UE being located in an area of overlap between coverage of the base station and coverage of another base station. The base station then increases an order of modulation of air interface communication between the base station and the identified UE, so as to help free up some air interface capacity. Further, in view of the possible decrease in reliability of communication due to the increased order of modulation, the base station may also invoke use of Coordinated Multipoint Communication (CoMP) for the UE to help improve air interface communication between the base station and the UE.
US09867198B2	Data transmission method and apparatus based on networks of multiple communications standards The present invention provides a data transmission method and apparatus based on networks of multiple communications standards. According to the method of the present invention, an air interface state of a first communications standard network and an air interface state of a second communications standard network are detected, a data packet sending rate suitable for the air interface status of the first communications standard network and a data packet sending rate suitable for the air interface state of the second communications standard network are determined, and a data packet is allocated to the first communications standard network and the second communications standard network according to the determined data packet sending rates, so that the data packet may be simultaneously delivered to a user by using the networks of the two communications standards together.
US09867194B2	Dynamic UE scheduling with shared antenna and carrier aggregation A system capacity improvement is achieved by dynamically selecting a particular antenna mode of operation from the multiple radio access technology modes. In some implementations, the system capacity improvement is achieved by dynamically generating an indication of a user equipment (UE) antenna capability during a communication connection. The UE's indication of its antenna capability is dynamic and/or is subject to change throughout the duration of the communication connection. The indication may be sent to a base station.
US09867179B2	Terminal device, base station device and radio communication method In a radio communication system using OCC for DMRS, a base station apparatus correctly receives PUSCH. If a first mode is set in which a demodulation reference signal of a physical uplink shared channel is multiplied by an orthogonal code determined in advance or if a temporary C-RNTI was used for a transmission of downlink control information, the demodulation reference signal of the physical uplink shared channel is multiplied by the orthogonal code determined in advance, and if a second mode is set in which the demodulation reference signal of the physical uplink shared channel is multiplied by an orthogonal code determined on the basis of cyclic shift information in the downlink control information and moreover, if an RNTI other than the temporary C-RNTI was used for the transmission of the downlink control information, the demodulation reference signal of the physical uplink shared channel is multiplied by the orthogonal code determined on the basis of the cyclic shift information in the downlink control information.
US09867177B2	Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data using plurality of carriers in mobile communication system The present specification discloses a mobile communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving data using a plurality of carriers in a mobile communication system.
US09867173B2	Method and apparatus for receiving downlink signal in wireless communication system One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for enabling a terminal to receive a downlink signal through an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), comprising the steps of: decoding fallback downlink control information (DCI) format in an EPDCCH physical resource block set; and receiving a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) on the basis of the fallback DCI format, wherein the PDSCH transmission for receiving the PDSCH is determined according to whether the EPDCCH physical resource block set corresponds to localized EPDCCH transmission or distributed EPDCCH transmission.
US09867165B2	Method and device for transmitting a feedback signal in a multi-node system The present invention relates to wireless communication, and particularly, to a method and device for transmitting a feedback signal of a terminal in a multi-node system. The method for a terminal to transmit feedback information in a multi-node system including a plurality of nodes and a base station for controlling same includes: transmitting first information upon the request of resource allocation so as to give notice that there is information to be transmitted to the base station; receiving information from the base station at the request for the transmission of second information necessary for the resource allocation; and transmitting the requested second information to the base station. The feedback information may be transmitted to the base station together with the first information or the second information.
US09867154B2	Synchronization channel structure for a shared channel A method includes transmitting, at an LTE device configured to transmit data over an unlicensed band, first synchronization data over a first frequency channel of the unlicensed band during a timeframe. The method further includes transmitting, at one of the first LTE device or a second LTE device, second synchronization data over a second frequency channel of the unlicensed band during the same timeframe. The data transmissions of at least one of the first LTE device or the second LTE device are coordinated based on the synchronization data.
US09867148B2	Power control for transmissions to first and second base stations A method including receiving at a user equipment first power information for transmitting to a first base station, receiving at the user equipment second power information for transmitting to a second base station, causing said user equipment to transmit to said first base station with a first power less than or equal to a first maximum power dependent on said first power information and causing said user equipment to transmit to said second base station with a second power less than or equal to a second maximum power dependent on said second power information, such that said first and second power does not exceed a total power allowed for said user equipment.
US09867139B1	Antenna switching for transmission diversity Devices and apparatuses are described. An apparatus may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry including a RF feed and a modem to transmit one or more signals via the RF feed. The apparatus may include an antenna structure including a first element and a second element. The apparatus may include an application processor coupled to the first element and the second element, where the application processor includes proximity sensing circuitry. The proximity sensing circuitry can measure a first capacitance value and a second capacitance value and the application processor can transmit a first signal of the one or more signals via the first element. The modem can determine whether an object is proximate to the first element and select the second element when the object is determined to be proximate to the second element.
US09867137B2	Signal power management in a multicarrier wireless device A wireless device determines a first transmission power for a first signal starting in a first subframe and a second transmission power for a second signal starting in a second subframe. When a calculated power value is more than an allowable transmission power a power control mechanism is employed. The wireless device reduces signal transmission power during an overlap period if the first subframe and the second subframe overlap in time by less than a first duration. The wireless device drops a signal if the first subframe and the second subframe overlap in time by more than a second duration.
US09867136B2	System and method for signaling control information in a mobile communication network A method of decoding encoded information communicated over a radio channel includes receiving a vector of encoded information transmitted by a wireless terminal. The encoded information includes an encoded representation of unencoded information bits that have been encoded using a first order Reed-Muller code. The method also includes generating a vector of transform values by performing a Hadamard Transform on the received vector and identifying a subset of the transform values based on scheduling information associated with the wireless terminal. Additionally, the method includes selecting, from the subset of transform values, one of the transform values based on a magnitude of the selected transform value and determining an estimate of the unencoded information bits based on a bit sequence associated with the selected transform value. In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus is operable to implement this method.
US09867130B2	System and method for ultra low power mode transmission A time slot assignment arrangement for ultralow power devices in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The time slot assigned to ultralow power device wakeup frame is identified as ultralow power timeslot using various indicators. The ultralow power timeslot is assigned as contention based timeslot allowing ultralow power devices in the wireless network to extend the interval for synchronizing with the network overcoming the short synchronization interval requirements of wireless communication network resulting in significant improvement in battery life by preserving the power needed for frequent synchronization with the wireless communication network.
US09867127B2	Feature pack for interfacing with devices A feature pack coupled to and interface with a cellular phone is able to relieve the cellular phone from performing tasks that drain the battery of the cell phone thus preserving the power of the battery of the cellular phone. The feature pack has its own battery separate and apart from the battery of the cellular phone and processes signals received from the cellular phone. The feature pack also provides power to various tools mounted onto surfaces of the feature pack.
US09867123B2	Wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method A data processor is configured to perform first processing to acquire data that is included in reception signals received by an antenna and is transmitted in accordance with a first wireless communication scheme and second processing to acquire data that is included in the reception signals and is transmitted in accordance with a second wireless communication scheme. The data processor has, as an operating mode, a first operating mode and a second operating mode. The first operating mode is a mode in which, when the first processing is performed, the second processing is intermittently performed in place of the first processing. The second operating mode is a mode in which, when the first processing is performed, the second processing is intermittently performed in place of the first processing at intervals longer than intervals in the first operating mode.
US09867104B2	Centralized network management for different types of RAT Techniques and apparatus disclosed herein include methods for allocating data sessions among two radio access networks (RANs), as might be carried out in a network management node operatively connected to one or more network nodes in each of a first RAN and a second RAN, where the first and second RANs have overlapping coverage areas. An example method includes receiving (401) current data session information and network performance information for each of the first and second RANs, from the one or more network nodes, and computing (402) a reallocation of data sessions among the first and second RANs, based on the performance information and configuration data for the first and second RANs, using a metaheuristic algorithm. The method further includes triggering (403, 404) a transfer of one or more current data sessions between the first and second RANs, based on the computed reallocation.
US09867102B2	Method for resisting small base station uplink signal interference of indoor DAS system based on antenna selection The present invention provides a method for resisting small base station uplink signal interference of an indoor DAS based on antenna selection. The method comprises: step 1: determining an initial access RU, and establishing an uplink; step 2: determining, by the access RU of UE 1 on the basis of the level of interference, whether to switch to another RU, and continuously detecting, by the access RU of UE 1 an SINR value at a set time interval, and comparing the SINR with a preset threshold value γ1; wherein if the SINR value is lower than γ1, an MU sets the access RU and each peripheral RU as a candidate RU, and the MU, on the basis of the acquired SINR value of each RU, selects an SINR greater than γ1 and sets the RU having the greatest receiving signal power as the new access RU of UE 1.
US09867091B2	Apparatus and method for searching target cell for handover in wireless communication system Disclosed is a method and apparatus for searching a target cell for handover in a wireless communication system. The method includes determining a priority of at least one neighboring base station based on the reliability of a direction of a beam allocated to a mobile station, and transmitting a message informing the mobile station of the priority.
US09867089B2	Communication apparatus, communication system, notification method, and program product There is provided a communication apparatus including: a first communication unit having a first communication range; a second communication unit having a second communication range wider than the first communication range; a control unit which transmits a request signal for starting communication via the second communication unit from the first communication unit to another communication apparatus, and transmits authentication information from the second communication unit to the another communication apparatus in the case where it is determined that communication with the another communication apparatus via the second communication unit is possible based on a response signal after the first communication unit receives the response signal in response to the request signal; and a notification unit which notifies a user after the second communication unit receives a result of authentication based on the authentication information.
US09867082B2	Methods and arrangements for communications in low power wireless networks Embodiments may comprise an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system operating in the 1 GHz and lower frequency bands. In many embodiments, the physical layer logic may implement repetition logic to repeat portions of the data streams to increase the ability of a receiving device to detect and decode the data streams. In some embodiments, the repetition logic may comprise a preamble repeater to repeat the training and/or signal fields. In further embodiments, the repetition logic may comprise a payload repeater to repeat the payload one or more times. Other embodiments comprise a receiving device comprising a correlator to correlate the repeated preamble symbols to detect a communication from a transmitting device. The receiving device may also comprise correction logic to correct data streams from the communications signal based upon repetitions of the payload in the data streams.
US09867080B2	Determining network congestion based on target user throughput Systems and methods for determining network congestion (e.g., reduced or low average user throughput with telecommunications networks, such as LTE networks, are described. The systems and methods described herein facilitate the identification and/or prediction of congestion at cell sites, which may enable telecommunications networks to prevent and/or remedy current or future occurrences of congestion at cell sites within their networks.
US09867075B2	Measurement device and method, and control device and method for wireless network A measurement device and method, and a control device and method for a wireless network. The measurement device includes: a receiving unit configured to receive measurement configuration information containing a measurement solution for a target measurement object and coming from a control end; a measurement unit configured to conduct corresponding measurement on the target measurement object according to the measurement configuration information received by the receiving unit; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit a measurement result to the control end, wherein in response to the situation that the measurement solution contained in the measurement configuration information is a first measurement solution or a second measurement solution, the transmitting unit is configured to transmit a measurement result processed by different communication protocol layers.
US09867074B2	Method and apparatus for handling buffer status reporting and scheduling request with dual connectivity A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to receive, at a user equipment, an indication providing a cell location to which the user equipment, operating in a dual connectivity mode, should transmit a buffer status report for one or more bearers, the cell location being one of a first location, a second location, or a first location and second location and in response to being triggered, causing buffer status report to be transmitted to the location provided in the indication. In some embodiments, the bearer may be a split bearer. In some embodiments, the indication may be provided by RRC signaling, MAC signaling or physical layer signaling.
US09867067B2	Measurement module A system for measuring the quality of a wireless communications network includes a measurement module coupled to a mobile device, such as a cell phone. The mobile device is provisioned for typical use on the wireless communications network. The measurement module receives measurement data from the mobile device over a first interface. The measurement module organizes the measurement data into a second format and transmits that data back to the mobile device over a second interface. The measurement module includes a real-time clock so that the data is transmitted back to the mobile device in order to be joined with other measurement data concurrently gathered by the mobile device.
US09867062B1	System and methods for using a remote server to authorize a receiving device that has requested wireless power and to determine whether another receiving device should request wireless power in a wireless power transmission system The embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transmission signal (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signal waves) to create a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or integrated into electronic devices and receive power from the pocket of energy. A wireless power network may include a plurality of wireless power transmitters each with an embedded wireless power transmitter manager, including a wireless power manager application. The wireless power network may include a plurality of client devices with wireless power receivers. Wireless power receivers may include a power receiver application configured to communicate with the wireless power manager application. The wireless power manager application may include a device database where information about the wireless power network may be stored.
US09867059B2	Distributed node operation in heterogeneous networks Systems and methods related to providing spatial reuse gain as well as Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) gains in a combined cell of a heterogeneous cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of operation of a wireless device includes receiving node-specific pilot signals from transmission nodes in a combined cell, where each node-specific pilot signal is transmitted by a different transmission node in the combined cell. The method further includes generating channel measurements based on the node-specific pilot signals. The channel measurements include a separate channel measurement for each transmission node based on the node-specific pilot signal transmitted by the transmission node. The method further includes selecting a desired combination of nodes from the subset of the transmission nodes based directly or indirectly on the channel measurements and providing an indication of the desired combination of nodes to the central control node for the combined cell.
US09867058B2	Shared use of licensed frequency spectrum in a mobile communications network There is provided shared use of licensed frequency spectrum in a mobile communications network, while maintaining confidentiality between the license holder and the licensee. Geographical information on availability of licensed frequency spectrum for shared use is obtained. A site map of a mobile communications network is obtained. The site map includes locations of sites, where wireless access to the mobile communications network is provided. A configuration of frequencies for the sites on the basis of the available licensed frequencies for shared use at each location of the sites is determined.
US09867056B2	Opportunistic signal transmission for inter-rat co-existence Various embodiments may be generally directed to techniques for transmitting and receiving one or more reference signals opportunistically within a window over an unlicensed carrier. Various embodiments provide techniques for determining a configuration of the window within an operating environment that may include one or more different radio access technologies (RATs). Various embodiments provide techniques for transmitting the one or more reference signals opportunistically within the window based on an availability of a wireless communications medium. Various embodiments provide techniques for receiving and recovering the one or more reference signals regardless of their location within the window, thereby improving communications in an unlicensed spectrum shared by a variety of different communication devices that may operate according to a variety of different communication protocols.
US09867055B2	Techniques for coordinating communications over an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band Techniques are described for wireless communication. One method includes identifying, by a first transmitter, a first contention access protocol timing for accessing an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, and aligning a second contention access protocol timing with the first contention access protocol timing, the second contention access protocol timing being used by the first transmitter for accessing the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.
US09867048B2	Automatic authentication of a mobile device using stored authentication credentials Systems and methods are disclosed which may allow a user having a mobile device to automatically authenticate to a server using a device identifier associated with the mobile device. An access point may be configured to send the device identifier as well as additional identifying information to the server so that the device identifier can be accurately matched to the mobile device. Then, when the mobile device submits a credential during authentication, the device identifier and the credential may be matched such that the next time the server receives the device identifier from the access point, the mobile device may be automatically authenticated.
US09867037B2	Profile deletion codes in subscription management systems A mobile device, having a smart card within the mobile device, stores a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) profile for the mobile device in the smart card, where the MNO profile includes one or more network access credentials for accessing a wireless mobile network. The mobile device receives a customer request to delete the MNO profile, and sends, from the mobile device to a network node in the wireless mobile network, a request for profile deletion. The mobile device receives, responsive to the request from the network node, a deletion code; extracts, from the received deletion code, a deletion code signature and a public key of the network node. The mobile device validates the deletion code signature and the public key, and deletes, upon successful validation of the deletion code signature and the public key, the MNO profile from the smart card.
US09867036B2	Creation and management of wireless reader device profiles The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that creates, manages, or maintains multiple device versions in a network of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices. The system can include components that detect whether a device has joined the network and based at least in part on such indication creates a device profile the first time that the device is detected, establishes a version trail containing configuration settings specific to the detected device, and thereafter builds and maintains the version trail when the device joins and/or leaves the network.
US09867027B2	Apparatuses and methods for proximity-based service (prose) user equipment (UE)-to network relay A mobile communication device located within a radio signal coverage of a service network to serve as a relay User Equipment (UE) for Proximity-based Service (ProSe) UE-to-network relay is provided. The mobile communication device includes a wireless transceiver and a controller. The wireless transceiver performs wireless transmission and reception to and from the service network and a remote UE which is located out of the radio signal coverage of the service network. The controller transmits a Device-to-Device (D2D) Synchronization Signal (D2DSS) to the remote UE via the wireless transceiver in response to receiving a relay discovery message from the remote UE via the wireless transceiver, and requests radio resource allocation from the service network for the remote UE via the wireless transceiver in response to receiving a Direct Communication Request message from the remote UE via the wireless transceiver.
US09867022B1	Emergency services dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) function A method and system for providing emergency location detection service for a vehicle is disclosed. The method and system comprise receiving one or more dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signals by a vehicle via an active communication channel. The one or more DTMF signals are decoded and perform a corresponding vehicle function. A system and method in accordance with the present invention allows Public Safety Answering Point or 3rd party emergency service provider to send (DTMF) signals over a communication channel to activate vehicle system functions remotely such as engaging vehicle horn, flashing of headlights and/or taillights or emitting radio signals for the purpose of identification of location of the vehicle.
US09867017B1	Scheduling optimized charging of battery enabled devices based on battery usage impact factors and predicted usage received from multiple sources A power service receives a user schedule of one or more events each specifying predicted usage and predicted location for one or more battery enabled mobile devices. The power service accesses one or more battery usage impact factors for each predicted location. The power service analyzes the predicted usage and predicted location for each of the one or more events and the one or more battery usage impact factors to predict at least one recommended charging time and charging location for each of the one or more battery enabled mobile devices. The power service updates the user schedule to specify at least one charging event for each at least one recommended charging time and charging location.
US09867011B2	Identifying proximity history of computer devices A proximity detector miming on a server receives a request from an origin device to identify a proximity history of the origin device with one or more target devices and retrieves context information from the origin device and from the target devices. The proximity detector compares the context information from the origin device to the context information from the target devices that is within a time threshold of the context information from the origin device and generates a list of a subset of the target devices that satisfy a proximity threshold with respect to the origin device based on comparing the context information that is within the time threshold. The proximity detector generates an ordered list of events, each event indicating when a target device satisfies the time threshold and the proximity threshold with respect to the origin device, and provides the ordered list of events to the origin device.
US09867010B2	Method, electronic device, and computer readable recording medium for providing location based services An electronic device provides location-based services. The electronic device may include a communication module configured to receive information on a wireless network device, including identification information of at least one electronic device, from the wireless network device. The electronic device may also include a controller configured to perform at least some functions of the electronic device, based on at least one piece of action information corresponding to the identification information, when the identification information corresponding to the electronic device is included in the received information.
US09867008B2	Vehicle control system A vehicle control system includes a vehicle control apparatus mounted on a vehicle for controlling the vehicle, an electronic key carried by a user for performing communication with the vehicle control apparatus, and a portable device carried by the user for performing communication with the electronic key. When detecting user's getting in or out of the vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus determines a location of the electronic key based on communication with the electronic key. When the location of the electronic key is in the vehicle and the user has no intention of getting out of the vehicle, communication between the electronic key and the portable device is brought into a connected state. When the location of the electronic key is outside the vehicle and the user has no intention of getting in the vehicle, communication between the electronic key and the portable device is brought into a disconnected state.
US09866998B2	Passive check-in A system to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device is described. A server system may be configured to receive communications from a GPS-enabled mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone), extract a stream of locations from the received communications, and use the location information to determine whether a boundary-crossing event has occurred with respect to the mobile device. In response to detecting a boundary-crossing event, the server stores special locations information in a profile that represents the user with respect to a web-based service.
US09866990B2	System and method for simultaneous wireless control of multiple peripheral devices A system for controlling a plurality of peripheral devices includes a portable electronic device and a plurality of peripheral devices in wireless communication with the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes a processor configured to connect to each of the plurality of peripheral devices one at a time based on round-robin scheduling. The processor is configured to execute an instruction for searching for a broadcast signal transmitted from a selected one of the plurality of peripheral devices. The processor is configured to execute an instruction to wirelessly connect with the selected one of the plurality of peripheral devices. The processor is configured to execute an instruction to send a control signal to the selected one of the plurality of peripheral devices. The processor is configured to execute an instruction to terminate the connection between the portable electronic device and the selected one of the plurality of peripheral devices.
US09866975B2	Hearing assistance system and method A hearing assistance system having a hearing assistance device to be worn at one of a user's ears and a scanning device, the hearing assistance device and the scanning device both having an interface for wireless data exchange between the hearing assistance device and the scanning device, wherein the hearing assistance device is adapted for wireless data exchange with an external device, wherein the scanning device is adapted to scan for wireless signals from the external device and to transmit, once such signals have been received by the scanning device, a message to the hearing assistance device for notifying the hearing assistance device of the availability of the external device, and wherein the hearing assistance device is adapted to decide, upon receipt of such notification message from the scanning device, whether on not to initiate wireless data exchange with the external device.
US09866953B2	Electronic stethoscope An electronic stethoscope has a body with a diaphragm at one end of the body. A microphone is housed within the body, wherein the microphone is to generate a first analog audio signal based on sounds waves amplified by the diaphragm. A processing device is also housed within the body and connected to the microphone. The processing device is to receive a second audio signal from a computing device connected to the electronic stethoscope via a connection, and enable the microphone responsive to receipt of the second audio signal.
US09866930B2	Station side terminal device, subscriber side terminal device, optical communication system, route switching method, non-transitory computer readable medium storing route switching program, and wavelength switching method The station side terminal device of the present disclosure includes: plural terminal devices, each including a buffer section including a through queue and one or more switch queues that temporarily stores packets, and a subscriber side terminal device assignment section that causes unicast packets addressed to switching target subscriber side terminal devices and packets for switching targets that are addressed to all of the subscriber side terminal devices to be stored in a switch queue, and causes unicast packets addressed to non-switching target subscriber side terminal devices and packets for non-switching targets addressed to all of the subscriber side terminal devices to be stored in the through queue; and a terminal device assignment section that transmits obtained unicast packets and obtained packets addressed to all of the subscriber side terminal devices to the terminal device designated by the packets.
US09866926B2	Information descriptor and extended information descriptor data structures for digital television signals According to an aspect, there is provided a digital television (DTV) data stream including program and system information protocol (PSIP) data associated with content of the DTV data stream, the PSIP data including a virtual channel table (VCT) and an event information table (EIT), the EIT comprising: a source identification field identifying a source of an associated event in a DTV data stream; an event identification field indicating an identification of the event; a start time field indicating a star time of the event; a title field indicating a title of the event; and a descriptor comprising: a descriptor tag identifying the descriptor as a genre descriptor; a descriptor length indicating a total length of the descriptor; and at least one category code for an associated event in a DTV data stream, each category code specifying genre, program type, or category information of the associated event, wherein the at least one category code specifies at least one of a set of basic categories.
US09866925B2	Relevancy improvement through targeting of information based on data gathered from a networked device associated with a security sandbox of a client device In one embodiment, a method of a relevancy-matching server includes generating a fingerprint data using a television, matching primary data generated from the fingerprint data with targeted data based on a relevancy factor, and searching a storage for the targeted data, a reference and/or a metadata. The primary data is a content identification data and/or a content identification history. An embedded object is processed using a mobile device capable of being associated with the television. An executable environment is constrained in a security sandbox of the mobile device. A sandboxed application is executed in the executable environment. The fingerprint data from the television and/or the mobile device is processed through a content identification server. The primary data from the fingerprint data is communicated to any devices with an access to identification data of the television and/or an automatic content identification service through the content identification server.
US09866923B2	Digital channel integration system Systems and methods are disclosed for generating links to points in a video stream corresponding to actual programming events of a show playing, played, or about to be played in the live video stream, improving the utility of streaming by enabling viewers to view information specifically related to a story and easily navigate to the start of the story within the video stream.
US09866900B2	Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to detect shapes Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to detect shapes are disclosed. An example method includes determining a depth value associated with an object outline detected in image data representative of an environment; and using the depth value to select a first group of reference shapes to be compared to the object outline from a collection of reference shapes, the first group representing a portion of the collection of reference shapes.
US09866894B2	Method for annotating an object in a multimedia asset The present invention relates to a method, system and related devices for annotating an object in a multimedia asset, where the multimedia asset comprises at least one image. The method comprises the steps of first determining a category of the object in an image of the multimedia asset by means of classifying the object and subsequently selecting based on the category of the object an appropriate object detector model from at least one object detector model associated with said category. Thereafter a location of the object in the image of the multimedia asset is determined based on the object detector model that is selected, where the object detector model corresponds to the object which step is followed by segmenting the object detected in the image of the multimedia asset based on the location of the object within the said image and optionally based on the object detector. Finally, the object within the image being segmented is annotated with a hyperlink.
US09866888B1	Systems and methods for creating a virtual channel for binge watching Systems and methods are described herein such that, a media guidance application presents, in an interactive program guide, a virtual content source for binge watching a program series. The media guidance application may determine a program series a user is currently watching. The media guidance application may determine the number of episodes the user watches in one session. The media guidance application may predict the next episodes of the program series the user may want to watch and present them using a virtual content source.
US09866887B2	Auto video preview within a digital magazine A computer implemented method enables presenting interesting and informative preview video of a video content item in a digital magazine. The method comprises steps of receiving a video content item from a content provider, e.g., a 2-minute video advertisement for a car from an advertiser, and analyzing the video content item. The video content item is segmented into multiple segments based on the analysis, e.g., scene changes detected with the video frames of the video content item. One or more segments are selected, e.g., based on their associated visual quality, and are combined to generate a preview video, e.g., a 10-second long video highlighting new features of the car. One or more transition segments can be added between segments to enhance user experience with the preview video. The preview video is provided to a client device for display and auto playback.
US09866886B2	Method and apparatus for distributing a media content service A media content service is distributed across a distribution network. A plurality of media content service representations (80A, 80B) for the media content service are generated. Each of the media content representations (80A, 80B) has a different bit rate. Each of the media content service representations (80A, 80B) is divided into segments (81A, 81B). Segments (81A, 81B) of the plurality of media content service representations are aligned in time. The segments are transmitted as a sequence of bursts (82A, 82B). The bursts of the plurality of media content service representations are aligned in time. There is a window period (83) between successive bursts during which media content is not transmitted. Each of the media content service representations is transmitted as a multicast. Each of the generated media content service representations (80A, 80B) has a respective bit rate and each of the segments (81A, 81B) is transmitted at a higher bit rate to create the window periods (83) between successive bursts (82A, 82B).
US09866879B2	IP-based television messaging services Architecture for the delivery of IP-based messages from wired and/or wireless devices to a television system. The means for delivery can be via an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology. The message is processed through a messaging system that obtains a mapping of a message address to an IPTV address, and routes the message to an IPTV network for delivery the desired television system for presentation. Messaging can be via SMS (short message service) for textual content, MMS (multimedia messaging service) for multimedia content, or other messaging technologies, such as instant messaging, an e-mail, for example. Optionally, the message from the user device can include a request for confirmation of delivery of the message to the television. The confirmation can then be routed back over an IP data network to the user device and presented to the user.
US09866876B2	Digital media distribution device A digital media distribution device that includes an encoder, a decoder coupled to the encoder, and a transcoder coupled to the decoder. The encoder is configured to encode input data that is received by the digital media distribution device into a first data format. The decoder is configured to decode output data to be output by the digital media distribution device. The transcoder is configured to convert the encoded input data from the first data format into a second data format. The digital media distribution device is configured to be coupled to a computer network.
US09866874B2	Method for entropy-encoding slice segment and apparatus therefor, and method for entropy-decoding slice segment and apparatus therefor Provided are entropy encoding and entropy decoding for video encoding and decoding. The video entropy decoding method includes: determining a bin string and a bin index for a maximum coding unit that is obtained from a bitstream; determining a value of a syntax element by comparing the determined bin string with bin strings that is assignable to the syntax element in the bin index; storing context variables for the maximum coding unit when the syntax element is a last syntax element in the maximum coding unit, a dependent slice segment is includable in a picture in which the maximum coding unit is included, and the maximum coding unit is a last maximum coding unit in a slice segment; and restoring symbols of the maximum coding unit by using the determined value of the syntax element.
US09866873B2	Method for entropy-encoding slice segment and apparatus therefor, and method for entropy-decoding slice segment and apparatus therefor Provided are entropy encoding and entropy decoding for video encoding and decoding. The video entropy decoding method includes: determining a bin string and a bin index for a maximum coding unit that is obtained from a bitstream; determining a value of a syntax element by comparing the determined bin string with bin strings that is assignable to the syntax element in the bin index; storing context variables for the maximum coding unit when the syntax element is a last syntax element in the maximum coding unit, a dependent slice segment is includable in a picture in which the maximum coding unit is included, and the maximum coding unit is a last maximum coding unit in a slice segment; and restoring symbols of the maximum coding unit by using the determined value of the syntax element.
US09866871B2	Use of frame caching to improve packet loss recovery Various new and non-obvious apparatus and methods for using frame caching to improve packet loss recovery are disclosed. One of the disclosed embodiments is a method for using periodical and synchronized frame caching within an encoder and its corresponding decoder. When the decoder discovers packet loss, it informs the encoder which then generates a frame based on one of the shared frames stored at both the encoder and the decoder. When the decoder receives this generated frame it can decode it using its locally cached frame.
US09866867B2	Non-transform coding Techniques for selectively transforming one or more coding units when coding video content are described herein. The techniques may include determining whether or not to transform a particular coding unit. The determination may be based on a difference in pixel values of the particular coding unit and/or one or more predefined rate-distortion constraints. When it is determined to not perform a transform, the particular coding unit may be coded without transforming the particular coding unit.
US09866866B2	Method and system for generating a transform size syntax element for video decoding In a video processing system, a method and system for generating a transform size syntax element for video decoding are provided. For high profile mode video decoding operations, the transform sizes may be selected based on the prediction macroblock type and the contents of the macroblock. A set of rules may be utilized to select from a 4.×.4 or an 8.×.8 transform size during the encoding operation. Dynamic selection of transform size may be performed on intra-predicted macroblocks, inter-predicted macroblocks, and/or direct mode inter-predicted macroblocks. The encoding operation may generate a transform size syntax element to indicate the transform size that may be used in reconstructing the encoded macroblock. The transform size syntax element may be transmitted to a decoder as part of the encoded video information bit stream.
US09866850B2	Method of determining binary codewords for transform coefficients Decoding a symbol may include decoding a binary codeword from an encoded video stream and decoding a symbol from the binary codeword, wherein the binary codeword is a binary codeword generated by an encoder for the symbol by determining a truncated rice prefix for a symbol, the symbol having a parameter variable, in response to a determination that the parameter variable is greater than zero, determining a truncated rice suffix for the symbol and concatenating the end of the truncated rice prefix with the truncated rice suffix to determine a main prefix, and in response to a determination that the main prefix is the same as a comparison string, wherein the comparison string is a bin string with each bin set to “1”, determining a main suffix for the symbol by concatenating the end of the main prefix with the main suffix to determine the binary codeword for the symbol.
US09866848B2	Method and apparatus for line buffer reduction for video processing A method for encoding luma intra mode using context adaptive entropy processing determines a current luma intra mode for a current block and determines whether a neighboring block of the current block within a region of an independently coded slice is on a different side of a boundary of the region from the current block. The method replaces prediction mode information associated with the neighboring block by DC mode if the neighboring block is on the different side of the boundary of the region from the current block, and forms data for processing a current syntax element associated with the current luma intra mode based on the prediction mode information associated with the neighboring block. In addition, the method performs context adaptive entropy encoding processing on the current syntax element according to the formed data.
US09866847B2	Method and module for acquiring position information of transform block An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for acquiring position information of a transform block. The method includes obtaining a splitting manner of an image block, obtaining splitting direction information according to the splitting manner of the image block and a splitting layer number of a transform block, or obtaining splitting direction information according to the splitting manner of the image block and a numerical relationship between a width and a height of a transform block, and obtaining position information of a post-splitting transform block according to the splitting direction information. In embodiments of the present disclosure, splitting direction information is obtained directly according to a splitting manner of an image block and a layer number, and then, size information of a transform block is coded according to the splitting direction information, thereby effectively reducing complexity of a coding process.
US09866845B2	Method of content adaptive video encoding A method of content adaptive encoding video comprising segmenting video content into segments based on predefined classifications or models. Based on the segment classifications, each segment is encoded with a different encoder chosen from a plurality of encoders. Each encoder is associated with a model. The chosen encoder is particularly suited to encoding the unique subject matter of the segment. The coded bit-stream for each segment includes information regarding which encoder was used to encode that segment. A matching decoder of a plurality of decoders is chosen using the information in the coded bitstream to decode each segment using a decoder suited for the classification or model of the segment. If scenes exist which do not fall in a predefined classification, or where classification is more difficult based on the scene content, these scenes are segmented, coded and decoded using a generic coder and decoder.
US09866844B2	Method, system and device for image and video coding The present invention relates to a method of image processing or coding comprising dividing image data into a plurality of blocks of image data wherein each block is defined by a first positional index and a second positional index. For each block of image data, firstly the block of image data is processed at step 402 to generate at least one parameter value required to process one or more adjacent blocks of image data, secondly a position of a memory element in a parameter memory is determined by combining the first positional index of the block of image data with the second positional index of the block of image data, and thirdly the generated at least one parameter value is stored at step 406 in a memory element in the position by overwriting at least one parameter value generated from a previously processed block of image data which has been previously stored at the determined position in the parameter memory. The method enables at least one parameter value for an image section image section to be generated and stored in a position which is occupied by a previously generated parameter value. All of the parameter values are stored in a simple one-dimensional array which is computationally efficient to access.
US09866843B2	Method and device for intra prediction A method for decoding an image according to the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving and decoding MPM index information for indicating an MPM candidate which is to be used as an intra prediction mode of a current block; generating an MPM candidate list containing a plurality of MPM candidates for the current block; determining the MPM candidate indicated by the decoded MPM index information as the intra prediction mode of the current block, among the plurality of the MPM candidates which constitute the MPM candidate list; and generating a prediction block corresponding to the current block by performing intra prediction for the current block based on the determined intra prediction mode.
US09866841B2	Image coding method and image coding apparatus Provided is an image coding method which obtains a picture, and codes the obtained picture. The image coding method generates a processing block, performs a first intra prediction that selects one intra prediction mode from a first set of candidates based on a component of a first signal contained in the processing block, performs a second intra prediction that selects one intra prediction mode from a second set of candidates based on a component of a second signal contained in the processing block. The first set of candidates includes a plurality of intra prediction modes, and the second set of candidates includes an intra prediction mode, having no dependency between the second intra prediction and the first intra prediction, of the plurality of intra prediction modes. The first intra prediction and the second intra prediction are performed in parallel.
US09866837B2	Apparatus and methods for recompression of digital images A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block boundaries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.
US09866831B2	Method and encoder system for encoding video A method for encoding video is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving information representative of pixels in a current digital image frame of a video to be encoded, calculating a group value for each group of neighboring pixels based on the received information, accumulating group values of corresponding groups of pixels in a first sequence of frames to form a first accumulation of accumulated group values, accumulating group values of corresponding groups of pixels in a second sequence of frames to form a second accumulation of accumulated group values, wherein the second sequence includes frames captured over a longer period of time than the first sequence, comparing accumulated group values of the first accumulation with accumulated group values of the second accumulation, calculating a global change value based on the comparison, setting a GOP length based on the global change value; and encoding the current image frame as an intra-frame or inter-frame based on the GOP length. An encoder system for encoding video is also disclosed.
US09866829B2	Coding of syntax elements that correspond to coefficients of a coefficient block in video coding A video encoder performs multiple coding passes on coefficients in a coefficient block. During each coding pass, the video encoder encodes a different set of syntax elements for coefficients in the coefficient block. A video decoder uses the syntax elements for a coefficient to determine the value of the coefficient. When the video encoder performs a coding pass, the video encoder selects a coding context for a syntax element based at least in part on a syntax element generated in an earlier coding pass for a non-causal coefficient and based at least in part on a value of a syntax element generated during the current coding pass for a causal coefficient. The video encoder entropy encodes the syntax element based on the selected coding context. A video decoder performs a similar series of coding passes in which the video decoder selects coding contexts and entropy decodes the syntax elements.
US09866828B1	Video timing test equipment and methods of using the same for measuring light integration time of a camera A video timing test equipment for measuring light integration time of a camera. The video timing test equipment may comprise: a control unit and shutter timing test unit. The control unit may generate input timing signals adjustable by a user. The shutter timing test unit may comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs), infrared light emitting diodes (IR LEDs), and an output controller. The output controller may regulate the illumination of the LEDs and IR LEDs based on the input timing signals. The shutter timing test unit may also comprise a UTC time display, edge time display, and pulse width display. The UTC time display may depict a UTC time as to when light integration begins or ends. The edge time display may depict an offset time associated with the start or end of light integration. The pulse width display may depict the duration of light integration.
US09866825B2	Multi-view image display apparatus and control method thereof A multi-view image display apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a crosstalk compensator configured to compensate for crosstalk with respect to multi-view images by using a crosstalk matrix defining the crosstalk that occurs between the multi-view images; a tracker configured to track a position of a user's face as a user's position is moved; a controller configured to determine at least two views to be provided as images for user's left and right eyes from among the multi-view images based on the tracked position of the user's face, and to control the crosstalk compensator to compensate for the crosstalk by applying a predetermined weight to the at least two determined views; and a display configured to display the multi-view images of which the crosstalk is compensated.
US09866819B2	Distance measuring apparatus, vehicle and method of calibration in distance measuring apparatus A distance measuring apparatus is installed in a thing and a distance between the thing and a measuring target varies. The distance measuring apparatus includes a plurality of imaging devices; a first distance acquisition part that acquires a first distance to the measuring target based on respective sets of image data taken by the plurality of imaging devices; a second distance acquisition part that acquires a second distance to the measuring target based on a reflected wave of an electromagnetic wave irradiated onto the measuring target; and a holding member that holds the plurality of imaging devices and the second distance acquisition part.
US09866816B2	Methods and apparatus for an active pulsed 4D camera for image acquisition and analysis An active-pulsed four-dimensional camera system that utilizes a precisely-controlled light source produces spatial information and human-viewed or computer-analyzed images. The acquisition of four-dimensional optical information is performed at a sufficient rate to provide accurate image and spatial information for in-motion applications where the camera is in motion and/or objects being imaged, detected and classified are in motion. Embodiments allow for the reduction or removal of image-blocking conditions like fog, snow, rain, sleet and dust from the processed images. Embodiments provide for operation in daytime or nighttime conditions and can be utilized for day or night full-motion video capture with features like shadow removal. Multi-angle image analysis is taught as a method for classifying and identifying objects and surface features based on their optical reflective characteristics.
US09866810B2	Optimization of optical systems for improved light field capture and manipulation According to various embodiments of the present invention, the optical systems of light field capture devices are optimized so as to improve captured light field image data. Optimizing optical systems of light field capture devices can result in captured light field image data (both still and video) that is cheaper and/or easier to process. Optical systems can be optimized to yield improved quality or resolution when using cheaper processing approaches whose computational costs fit within various processing and/or resource constraints. As such, the optical systems of light field cameras can be optimized to reduce size and/or cost and/or increase the quality of such optical systems.
US09866807B2	Light source system and image projection system A light source system using an excitation light source and a multi-segmented color wheel device with wavelength conversion materials is disclosed. The color wheel device includes a first area having two or more first segments and a second area having two or more second segments for receiving the excitation light. The color wheel device is driven by the driving device periodically, so that a first light sequence is generated by the two or more first segments in the first working mode and a second light sequence is generated by the two or more second segments in the second working mode. The first light sequence is different from the second light sequence. The first and second working modes are switched by a switching device. The light source system may be used in image projection system generating two or more different lights sequences in different working modes.
US09866806B2	Prism unit and projector A prism unit that combines light in the three primary colors of R, G, and B on the same optical axis includes: a G-reflecting dichroic coating that reflects G light and passes R and B light; and an RB dichroic coating that reflects one of R and B, and passes the other one of R and B, the prism unit satisfying the following conditional expression: λrg≧λrb≧0.67×λrg+0.33×λgb, where λgb represents the wavelength at which the transmittance is 50% when the colors of G and B on the composite optical axis are combined, λrg represents the wavelength at which the transmittance is 50% when the colors of R and G on the composite optical axis are combined, and λrb represents the wavelength at which the transmittance is 50% when the colors of R and B on the composite optical axis are combined.
US09866800B2	Camera module A camera module is described that incorporates a rear portion, a front portion, a camera, a wireless antenna, and a wireless transceiver. The rear portion has a substantially circular cross section with a first diameter and includes a front surface and a rear surface. The front portion has a substantially cylindrical body with a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter and extends from the front surface of the rear portion of the camera module. The front portion also includes a front surface that is arranged opposite the rear surface of the rear portion of the camera module. The camera is configured to capture video data and is exposed at the front surface of the front portion of the camera module. The wireless antenna is arranged within the camera module. The wireless transceiver is coupled to the wireless antenna and the camera and is configured to communicate video data captured by the camera to a wireless network.
US09866792B2	Display apparatus and echo cancellation method thereof A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a display, a video receiver, and a processor. The display is configured to display an image. The video receiver is configured to receive an input signal of an impulse response. The processor configured to divide the input signal into sub-bands, apply primary echo-cancellation to the input signal by using sub-band signals corresponding to the sub-bands, estimate a residual echo based on acoustic echo path information obtained in the primary echo-cancellation with regard to each of the sub-bands, and perform secondary echo-cancellation to remove the estimated residual echo from the primary-echo-canceled input signal.
US09866789B2	Automatic program formatting for TV displays A smart multimedia content receiver automatically resizes video images based on the content being displayed on the TV screen. Such a self-formatting content receiver includes on-board image processing capability that provides continuous video analysis to detect changes in program formatting and convert each frame as it is received in real time, as opposed to processing and re-releasing an entire program or movie, or relying on the viewer to re-format programs manually. In response to detecting a change, aspect ratio adjustments are made as needed. Because the self-formatting content receiver has access to the video data before it is displayed, such automatic on-the-fly adjustments ensure that the viewer's experience during program changes is seamless and without distortion. Subscribers can influence decisions made by the content receiver by pre-setting viewer preferences for aspect ratio adjustment.
US09866788B2	Digital content conversion quality control system and method Automated, algorithmic quality control is performed for digital content converted from one form or format to another. Such conversion may be made of movies, television programs, feature films, advertisements, or any other content. The conversion process may be semi or fully automated, and may include a range of alterations, such as pulldown or frame rate conversions, size and/or resolution conversions, addition of content, deletion of content, and so forth. Actual content contained in pre- and post-converted frames is utilized, such as by image recognition techniques, as a base for the quality control routines. Audio data may also be considered. The quality control is fully or nearly fully automated with minimal manual involvement.
US09866785B2	Automatic reduction of video display device power consumption One or more components of a video display device such as a television set can be powered down in response to a determination that a video input source has been paused. The video signal provided by the video input source can be analyzed to determine whether the video source is paused. When the video input source is no longer paused, the powered down components can be restored to fill power operation.
US09866781B2	Broadcast method and system A method and system for airing broadcast signals is disclosed. Preferably, the system includes a production truck interface panel receiving a broadcast signal. A transmission relay circuit relays the signal from the interface panel to a broadcast network, and preferably including a broadcast signal detection circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The detection circuit determines a signal type of the broadcast signal, and the signal processing circuit processes the determined signal type. The system preferably further includes an operations control station displaying the determined type of broadcast signal. The method for airing broadcast signals over the broadcast network preferably includes the steps of providing the broadcast signal to the transmission relay circuit, detecting the broadcast signal type with the broadcast signal sensing and discerning circuit; and reconfiguring the signal processing circuit when the configuration of the signal processing circuit does not support transmission of the determined broadcast signal type.
US09866769B2	Nano-imaging device and systems and methods for implementing and using same An imaging device configured to convert a first electromagnetic emission or spectrum to a second electromagnetic emission or spectrum is provided. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the imaging device comprises an electromagnetic spectrum detector configured from a nanomaterial and operable to receive the first electromagnetic emission or spectrum and generate a voltage based at least in part on the received first electromagnetic emission or spectrum. The imaging device further comprises a capacitor, configured from a nanomaterial and operable to receive the generated voltage from the detector, store the voltage or charge for a brief period of time, and then release the stored voltage or charge. The imaging device further comprises an electromagnetic emission or spectrum emitter configured from a nanomaterial and operable to receive the stored and released charge or voltage from the capacitor and generate the second electromagnetic emission or spectrum in response to the charge or voltage received from the capacitor.
US09866764B2	Method and apparatus for synchronizing auto exposure between chromatic pixels and panchromatic pixels in a camera system A method and apparatus synchronize auto exposure between chromatic pixels and panchromatic pixels in a camera system. A first exposure can be determined for different chromatic pixels that detect different color light. An illumination type of a scene can be detected. An exposure ratio between the chromatic pixels and panchromatic pixels can be ascertained based on the illumination type of the scene. A second exposure can be determined for the panchromatic pixels that detect panchromatic light. The first exposure can be different from the second exposure based on the exposure ratio between the chromatic pixels and the panchromatic pixels with respect to an illumination type of a scene. Then, at least one image of the scene can be captured using the first exposure for the different chromatic pixels and the second exposure for the panchromatic pixels.
US09866753B2	Electronic device having camera and method for operating the same Disclosed herein is a method of operating an electronic device having a camera. The electronic device includes a camera, a display unit, a sensor unit configured to detect an external event value, an image processor configured to process data received through the camera into a preview image, and a main processor. The main processor is configured to switch from a preview mode to a ready mode when the external event value is detected by the sensor unit, wherein the preview mode comprises activation of the camera, the image processor to display the preview image on the display unit, and the ready mode comprises deactivation of the camera and the image processor and display of a ready mode image on the display unit.
US09866743B2	Automatic image-capturing apparatus, automatic image-capturing control method, image display system, image display method, display control apparatus, and display control method An automatic image-capturing apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject so as to obtain captured image data; an automatic captured-image obtaining unit configured to automatically obtain the captured image data obtained by the image-capturing unit without being based on an operation of a user; an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction; and a control unit configured to control the obtaining operation performed by the automatic captured-image obtaining unit on the basis of information on the inclination in the pan direction or in the tilt direction, the inclination being detected by the inclination detection unit.
US09866736B2	Device having a camera unit and a double-walled housing The invention relates to a device, comprising a camera unit (7), which is used to record images of the outside region (2) of a motor vehicle (3), a housing (10, 20), in which the camera unit (7) is movably arranged, and a protective element (4), which can be moved between an open position (5) and a closed position (6), wherein the camera unit (7)assumes an idle position (60) in the closed position (6) of the protective element (4), in which idle position the camera unit (7) is located behind the protective element (4) and thus is inaccessible from the outside region (2), and the camera unit (7) is located in the active position (61) for recording images in the open position (5) of the protective element (4). According to the invention, the housing (10, 20) is double-walled at least in some regions in such a way that the housing (10, 20) has an inner wall (13) having at least one opening (11, 12) and the housing (10, 20) has an outer wall (23), which has an outlet opening (21), through which liquid possibly contained in the housing (10, 20) can be discharged to the outside region (2).
US09866722B2	Image forming device including correction process The image forming device includes an image formation request accepting section, an image data acquisition section, a readability improvement request accepting section, an area discriminating section, a line width measuring section, a correction object extracting section, a correction processing section, and an image forming section. The area discriminating section discriminates between a line drawing area and an area other than the line drawing area in the image data, and extracts a letter and a line. The line width measuring section measures the line width of the line or the letter. The correction object extracting section extracts an area where the line width measured by the line width measuring section is lower than the predetermined threshold as a correction object. The correction processing section broadens the width of the area determined as the correction object up to the predetermined value, to form corrected data for printing.
US09866712B2	Operation console, and electronic device and image processing apparatus provided with the operation console An operation unit of an image forming apparatus having a plurality of operation modes, allowing accurate and easy input by the user requesting switching of display to a screen image allowing selection of an operation mode, includes: a pilot lamp, a touch-panel display, and hardware keys including a power key, an energy-saving key and a home key. The home key that switches the display on the touch-panel display to an operation mode selecting screen image (home screen image) when pressed is provided closer to the touch-panel display than other hardware buttons.
US09866711B2	Image forming apparatus undergoing maintenance work Provided is an image forming apparatus that prevents the image forming apparatus being operated in a state where a user setting value is changed by a maintenance worker before a user is aware of the change without lowering efficiency of a maintenance work. The image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure is an image forming apparatus whose operation is controlled based on a setting value, and the setting value contains an operation control user setting value set by an administrator user having administrator authority. The image forming apparatus includes a maintenance work processing part that prohibits a general user having no administrator authority from using the image forming apparatus until the administrator user approves the operation control user setting value changed by the maintenance worker if the operation control user setting value is changed by the maintenance worker having the administrator authority.
US09866704B2	Line digital signal processing device and method A line digital signal processing device and method. The device includes at least two line accessors and a data processor, where the at least two line accessors are connected to the data processor and each line accessor is not provided with line digital signal processing, and the data processor simultaneously performs line digital signal processing and service data recovery on service data sent by the at least two line accessors, thereby reducing complexity of an access device, and monitoring, maintenance, and alarming are simultaneously performed on complex line digital signal processing components.
US09866702B2	Echo cancellation device, non-transitory computer readable medium storing echo cancellation program, and echo cancellation An echo cancellation device includes an echo signal reduction processing unit that generates a transmitting signal in which an echo signal component is reduced from the acoustic signal; and a filter coefficient update determination unit that instructs the echo signal reduction processing unit to update the filter coefficient when the output voice signal corresponds to a voice section and the acoustic signal includes the echo signal component. The filter coefficient update determination unit calculates a feature value of the acoustic signal and instructs to update the filter coefficient when a difference between a first feature value of a frequency band equal to or lower than the target frequency and a second feature value of a frequency band higher than the target frequency is equal to or greater than a preset update determination threshold.
US09866697B2	Consumer electronic registration, control and support concierge device and method We disclose a concierge device that can be configured to register, control and support a consumer device. It can alternatively or redundantly connect to a home management bridge and/or cloud-based management servers. It can accept menus that allow a single concierge device to provide a wide range of functions for various consumer devices. The concierge device allows the user in a single action to initiate a support session, automatically identifying the consumer device. The concierge device can be configured for voice or video support calls. The concierge device in conjunction with a home management bridge or gateway can manage on boarding of components of an automated home, such as switches and lamps. Implementations of the concierge device that include a display can show supplemental information, such as advertising, optionally in coordination with media being played on a consumer device coupled in communication with the concierge device.
US09866696B2	Skill change and routing correction Customer of a contact center often provide information related to their call that is use to route the call to an appropriate agent. As a result, a work item is created and routed to an agent selected, at least in part, as having a skill associated with the information provided. However, the information is often missing or wrong. As an agent processes the work item, it may become apparent that the work item was misrouted and if the true nature of the work item was known earlier, the work item would have been routed to a different agent. Provided with respect to certain embodiments, misrouted work items are identified and, if appropriate, rerouted to an appropriate agent for processing.
US09866692B2	Routing user communications to agents A call handling platform receives a call placed by a caller to a calling number. The call handling platform computes an experience score for the caller using measurements of a subset of data points based on an interaction of the caller with an interactive voice response (IVR) module during the call. The experience score reflects a numerical measure of a level of satisfaction of the caller in interacting with the IVR module. The call handling platform compares the experience score to a predetermined threshold that indicates a minimum level of caller satisfaction, and determines that the experience score indicates that the caller has a lower level of satisfaction than the minimum level of satisfaction. Conditioned on this determination, the call handling platform routes the call to a human agent at a call center, along with enabling the agent to perceive a representation of the experience score.
US09866691B2	System and methods for predicting future agent readiness for handling an interaction in a call center A system for making outbound calls includes a first node connected to a network for placing outbound telephone calls, a second node connected to the network and accessible to the first node for reporting agent status relative to busy, ready, and time to ready, a number of agent appliances connected to the network and accessible to the second node, and a number of agent activity applications installed one per on the agent appliances. In a preferred embodiment outbound calls are predicted based on the number of agents reported ready to accept a call plus the number of agents predicted to be ready to accept a call within a specified time window.
US09866682B2	Method for processing non-access stratum message, user equipment, and network side device The present application discloses a method for processing a non-access stratum message, user equipment, and a network side device. The user equipment includes a configuration module, at least one non-access stratum module, and at least two access stratum modules, and the at least two access stratum modules separately support different network standards, where the configuration module is configured to acquire configuration information, and map the at least one non-access stratum module to at least one of the access stratum modules according to the configuration information, so that the at least one non-access stratum module transfers a non-access stratum message with the access stratum module to which mapping is performed. According to the present invention, a technical problem that a mapping relationship between an access stratum and a non-access stratum in prior-art user equipment is fixed can be resolved, signaling interactions can be reduced, and a delay can be shortened.
US09866677B1	Mobile device monitoring system A mobile device case and monitor for discouraging cell device usage (web, texting, voicemail, games, apps, etc.) device during specific activities (while driving, working, at school, etc.) The case has sensors to detect whether the case is open or closed and whether a cell device is located inside the case. If a driver's cell device is not placed inside the case with the lid closed and the user's vehicle is not stationary, then an alert is generated indicated that the driver is maintaining an unsafe condition. If an employee's cell device is not placed inside the case with the lid closed and the employee is on company time, then an alert is generated indicated that the employee is not adhering to corporate procedures.
US09866675B2	Dynamically organizing visual voicemail Visual voicemail is dynamically organized according to detected criteria. Voicemail may be automatically associated with a category, priority, or other attribute. The attributes may be assigned based on user-configured associations with particular senders, the detection of user-defined words or phrases within the voicemail, or on other attributes such as the voicemail sender's relative location to the voicemail recipient. Voicemail may be visually identified as being associated with one or more attributes, and may be organized and presented to a user based on the associated attributes. Actions may be performed and the voicemail may be manipulated based on the attributes.
US09866674B2	Method for performing function and electronic device supporting the same An electronic device and a method for performing a function in the electronic device are provided. The method includes recognizing that the electronic device is at a first state, the first state including that electronic device is in an overturned and stationary state or that a predetermined amount of a display of the electronic device is covered; detecting a specific event in the first state; outputting a color notification associated with the detected specific event through at least a portion of the display; receiving a specific user input corresponding to the color notification, while outputting the color notification; and performing a function associated with the received specific user input.
US09866667B2	Handheld device with notification message viewing Displaying information related to a message on a display screen of a handheld electronic device. In response to a movement of the handheld electronic device from an initial position to a first orientation, displaying on the display screen a first notice related to the message.
US09866663B2	Case having standing leg for electronic devices A case for an electronic device includes a protective cover having a base member for covering a back portion of the electronic device and a side member for covering a side portion of the electronic device; a pivot opening formed on the base member wherein the pivot opening has a pair of end grooves formed on an inner surface of the base member; and a standing leg (or a kickstand) having a pair of projections. The projections are respectively mounted on and received in the end grooves. The standing leg has a body portion and a pivot portion and a standing leg recess is formed on the outer surface of the base member for receiving the body portion of the standing leg therein. The case further includes a sticker for being attached to the inner surface of the base member to cover the pivot opening.
US09866658B2	Method and apparatus for SAS open address frame processing in SAS expanders SAS expanders are commonly used within a SAS network topology to allow multiple disk drives (targets) to connect to multiple host devices (initiators). A connection between an initiator and a target is setup inside an expander on the pathway between the initiator and the target. A source device sends a connection request message called an open address frame using in-band signaling. The expander processes the open address frame and forwards an modified open address frame to the next expander in the path or to the final destination device.
US09866653B2	Data transfer system and method The present invention is a data transfer system that can transfer, with respect to simulation result data, physical quantities necessary for a user, further perform area division based on characteristics of physical quantities, designate an allowable range of a compression error according to a purpose for each of divided areas, compress the data on the basis of the designated error range, transfer the data, and further display an error of each of the divided areas for each of the physical quantities on a receiver/client side.
US09866652B2	Method, apparatus and computer program for providing a data object from a content server to a client device over a radio access network (RAN) A method and apparatus for providing a data object from a Content Server to a client device over a Radio Access Network (RAN). A first property is determined that may affect the way in which the data object is to be transferred. A property of the data object is also determined. In response to the determined first property and the property of the data object, a characteristic of a transfer of the data object from the Content Server to the client device is amended. The data object is then provided from the Content Server to the client device. The method allows characteristics of the transfer of the data object to be changed to optimize transfer to the client device. Examples of the first property include properties in the RAN or client device instructions.
US09866636B2	Server access processing system A method, programmed medium and system are provided for preventing the denial of file system access to a plurality of clients accessing a NFS server. In one example, an NFS server is configured to listen on a server port. The server runs a separate daemon which “watches” client requests as they are received at the NFS server. The server processing system tracks the number of times a client sends consecutive TCP zero-window packets in response to a data packet from the server. If the number of zero-window packets crosses a user-defined threshold, then a routine is called to stop responding to that client using a backoff algorithm. When the server reaches a point where the number of available threads or any other relevant resource dips below a user-defined threshold, the server process starts terminating connections to the clients starting from the ones with the oldest entry in the table.
US09866621B2	Transfer device, client apparatus, server apparatus, reproduction apparatus and transfer method A technology is disclosed by which, when plural content data are successively transmitted from a server apparatus to a reproduction apparatus through a client apparatus, if the transmission is interrupted, the transmission of the content data can be resumed from the point at which the transmission is interrupted. The transfer device includes a storage section for storing a transmission object list including content identification information corresponding to plural content data to be transmitted from a server apparatus to a reproduction apparatus connected to a client apparatus through the client apparatus. A reception section successively receives the content data from the server apparatus. A transmission section successively transfers the successively received content data to the reproduction apparatus. A control section deletes, every time content data is transferred, the corresponding content identification information from the transmission object list stored in the storage section.
US09866616B2	Radio module as web-controllable remote sensor The present invention provides for network control of a radio module having a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports capable of communication with one or more sensing devices across a network, where the radio module may be controlled remotely to obtain information from one or more networked remote sensing devices.
US09866615B2	Remote browsing session management A browsing process is directed to the generation and management of a browse session at a network computing provider. A client computing device requests a remote browse session instance at a network computing provider. The browse session instance may correspond to requested network content. The network computing provider determines a browse configuration. The browse configuration may identify a communication protocol and various processing actions. The network computing provider retrieves the requested content through an instantiated network browse session instance, and performs a first set of processing actions to generate a processing result. The network computing provider determines whether the requested content is likely to perform high risk operations on the client computing device, and notifies the user or transmits a processed representation of the requested content to the user such that the likelihood of high risk operations being performed on the client computing device is reduced.
US09866612B2	Server-based browser system A server-based browser system provides a server-based browser and a client system browser. The client browser reports the position of a user click on its display screen, hotspot ID, or URL to the server-side browser which retrieves a Document Object Model (DOM) model and view tree for the client and finds the location on the Web page that the user clicked on using the coordinates or hotspot ID received from the client. If there is a script associated with the location, it is executed and the resulting page location is requested from the appropriate server. If there is a URL associated with the location, it is requested from the appropriate server. The response Web page HTML definition is parsed and a DOM tree model is created which is used to create a view tree model. The server-side browser retrieves a style sheet, layout algorithms, and device constraints for the client device and lays out the view model using them onto a virtual page and determines the visual content. Textual and positional information are highly compressed and formatted into a stream and sent to the client browser which decodes the stream and displays the page to the user using the textual and positional information.
US09866607B2	Distribution of broadcast content to controlled-environment facilities A system for receiving satellite radio signals and/or internet content and extracting a plurality of channels from the satellite radio signals and/or internet content is disclosed. The content of the channels is converted to IP packets and streamed across an Ethernet network. In one embodiment, each of the channels is associated with an IP address or port. Users receive the content of the channels by selecting the IP address or port associated with the desired content. An administrator may control the channels that are available to the users. In one embodiment, the users each have a subscription to access the content, and the subscription may control the channels that the user access.
US09866606B2	Method for switching between media play devices, and device The present invention applies to the field of multimedia communication technologies, and provides a method for switching between media play devices, and a device. The method includes: acquiring and displaying a media play device list on a home area network, and determining a to-be-switched-to media play device according to a user operation; sending a request message that carries a browsing history of a media content page of a media server and device capability information of the to-be-switched-to media play device to a remote user interface server RUI Server; receiving a uniform resource identifier URI of a user interface UI sent by the RUI Server; and sending the URI to the to-be-switched-to media play device, so that the to-be-switched-to media play device displays the UI that includes the browsing history.
US09866601B2	Communication system, communication apparatus, and method of program update A communication system is provided that includes a communication terminal that stores at least one program and a plurality of update apparatuses that provide update data for updating the program to the communication terminal. The communication terminal includes a memory that stores update apparatus information associated with communication bandwidth information, and processing circuitry that calculates an actual bandwidth obtained from a previous downloading of previous update data, determines an update apparatus for downloading next update data based on the calculated actual bandwidth and the update apparatus information stored in the memory, and downloads the next update data from the determined update apparatus.
US09866598B2	Methods and systems to assess an ability to playback media content The present disclosure includes methods and systems to assess an ability to playback media content. The system progresses through media content playback applications by communicating a query to a computer system over a computer network. The progressing is used to assess an ability of the computer system to playback media content locally. Next, the system, receives a response to the query. The response indicates an ability of the computer system to playback the media content locally.
US09866586B2	Facilitating cross-platform content access A messaging system includes features of gathering information regarding content accessed across multiple applications and/or devices and making that information available to account holders of the messaging system. The messaging system stores data related to accessed content in a plurality of indices and makes that data available to enable account holders to access previously-accessed content, even if the previous access occurred in a different software application, on a different device, or on a device with a different operating system. Account holders may also be provided with recommendations based on gathered information.
US09866585B2	Scanning computer files for specified content Scanning for computer viruses or E-mail and data content filtering is performed using a distributed programming approach. A master computer 4 serves to divide the scanning operation into a plurality of tasks that are allocated to further computers 8, 10, 12, 14, 20. These further computers then separately perform the tasks and return the results to the master computer 4. The master computer 4 can check the update status of the further computers prior to them starting operation in order to check that they have the latest data defining the scanning to be performed.
US09866578B2	System and method for network intrusion detection anomaly risk scoring Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for scoring network anomaly risk. A system identifies a baseline usage for a facet of a server and determines, for the facet, a normal range of use based on the baseline usage. The system also determines an abnormal range of use based on the baseline usage. When actual usage data is available, the system determines whether the usage data corresponds to the normal range of use or the abnormal range of use, and calculates a facet score based on the abnormality value.
US09866571B2	Securing execution of customer-supplied network page generation code Disclosed are various embodiments for securing execution of page generation code. The page generation code may be instrumented with code that facilitates monitoring of one or more resources consumed by the page generation code. Various checks relating, for example, to code size and whether exception-handling code is present may be performed. The page generation code may be executed to generate a network page in response to a request obtained from a client. One or more resource consumption limits may be enforced upon the page generation code.
US09866566B2	Systems and methods for detecting and reacting to malicious activity in computer networks Described herein are systems and methods for performing potentially malicious activity detection operations. Embodiments may include receiving data associated with a plurality of authentication messages; analyzing the received data associated with the plurality of authentication messages; determining, based on the analyzing, a plurality of characteristics of the data associated with the authentication messages; receiving data associated with a new authentication message communicated over the network; determining a plurality of characteristics of the data associated with the new authentication message; comparing at least one determined characteristic of the new authentication message data with at least one of: a determined characteristic of the plurality of authentication messages data, known valid data, and known invalid data; and generating, based on the comparison, an assessment of whether the new authentication message is indicative of the potentially malicious activity in the network.
US09866564B2	System, method and computer program product for gathering and delivering personalized user information A system, method and computer program product for providing a secure data channel between a user and associates. The method may receive pushed information from an associate, including, e.g., an update to the user profile information, related information, or personalized content for the user. The method can convey to the user, personal information including a selectable union of the user profile information, the related information, and/or the personalized content. The method can further share access to the personal information to a family, where the family can include another user, users, or multiple related users. The pushed information can include textual, digitized audio, digitized video, graphical image, or other data, and can include prescription, automobile service, or purchased product information, or voicemail messages.
US09866556B2	Common internet file system proxy authentication of multiple servers Techniques are described for a proxy system to provide a client device with transparent access to multiple network file servers. The proxy system may appear to the client device as a single network file server. The proxy may be configured to forward requests received from the client device to multiple servers as well as provide responses from the server back to the client. Further, the proxy system may authenticate itself, as the client, to each of the multiple network servers using authentication credentials supplied by the client. After prompting a user to submit credentials to establish a session with a first network server, the proxy system may send a session timeout error code, prompting the client to submit a fresh authentication request used by the proxy system to establish a session with a second network server.
US09866553B2	Method for securing access to a computer device The invention relates to a method for securing access to a computer device, that includes the step of establishing a secured connection and authentication of said computer device and the user of the computer device with a remote server, wherein the steps of establishing the secured connection and authentication are carried out upon the execution of commands included in a data set adapted for implementing the pre-start of the computer device before triggering the execution of the boot loader of the computer device operating system.
US09866548B2	Authentication-free configuration for service controllers Embodiments generally relate to out-of-band management of a computing system. The present technology discloses enable a primary service controller to provide a centralized configuration of multiple secondary service controllers so that they can share a same configuration. It can utilize an authentication-free protocol to modify and manage credentials for a large number of service controllers.
US09866546B2	Selectively enabling multi-factor authentication for managed devices Disclosed are various examples of selectively enabling multi-factor authentication for applications on managed devices. An identity provider receives an authentication request for a first client application executed in a managed client device. The authentication request includes a first authentication factor corresponding to a management credential. The identity provider then determines whether one or more second authentication factors should be requested. If so, the identity provider then requests the second authentication factor(s) from a second client application. The identity provider receives the second authentication factor(s) from the second client application. The identity provider then authenticates the first client application in response to verifying the first authentication factor and the second authentication factor(s).
US09866544B2	Systems and methods for location-based authentication Systems and methods are disclosed for performing location-based authentication using location-aware devices. One method includes: receiving an access request comprising authentication credentials and a first location from a first location-aware device; receiving a second location from a second location-aware device associated with the authentication credentials; and upon determining that the first location and second location are within a pre-determined distance, authenticating the authentication credentials.
US09866543B2	Authentication through multiple pathways based on device capabilities and user requests There are provided systems and methods for authentication through multiple pathways depending on device capabilities and user requests. A user may wish to utilize some device process, such as unlocking and accessing the device to utilize the device's operating system or access and use of a device application or other module (e.g., a camera). The device may be protected by an authentication profile that includes one or more authentication pathways in order to authenticate the user to use those processes. The device may collect user data using device components, such as biometrics, user movements, environmental factors, or other information. The device may attempt to authenticate the user through one of the authentication pathways. If the collected user data is insufficient for one pathway, another pathway may be used. If the user is authenticated under any pathway, the device may provide access to the correspond process.
US09866540B2	System and method for rule matching in a processor In one embodiment, a system includes a format block configured to receive a key, at least one rule, and rule formatting information. The rule can have one or more dimensions. The format block can be further configured to extract each of the dimensions from the at least one rule. The system can further include a plurality of dimension matching engines (DME). Each DME can be configured to receive the key and a corresponding formatted dimension, and process the key and the corresponding dimension for returning a match or nomatch. The system can further include a post processing block configured to analyze the matches or no matches returned from the DMEs and return a response based on the returned matches or nomatches.
US09866539B2	System and method for protecting transmission of audio data from microphone to application processes Disclosed are systems and methods for protecting transmission of audio data from microphone to application process. An exemplary method includes receiving a request from a software process to obtain an audio stream from an audio endpoint device; allocating a data buffer for the software process; processing and encrypting audio data received from the audio endpoint device by audio processing objects; storing the encrypted audio data in the allocated data buffer; installing an interceptor of a API function call for the software process; and decrypting the encrypted audio data from the allocated data buffer by the software process using the interceptor of the API function call.
US09866532B2	Anonymization of traffic patterns over communication networks A computer-implemented method of obfuscating communication traffic patterns occurring over a cloud-based communication infrastructure includes detecting first data communication sessions between a first communications device a second communications device via a first computer server using a network protocol. An information content threshold value associated with the first data communication sessions is accessed. A traffic pattern based on the first data communication sessions is also accessed, whereby the traffic pattern determines communication occurrences between the first and the second communication devices over a predefined time period. An information content value associated with the accessed traffic pattern is determined. Using the network protocol, the first data communication sessions via the first computer server is re-routed to a second data communication session via a second computer server based on a detection of the information content value associated with the accessed traffic pattern exceeding the information content threshold value.
US09866520B2	Method and apparatus for managing internet content A method and apparatus for managing Internet content is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an Internet content manager (ICM) having a computing element that monitors Internet content supplied to subscribers of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) by one or more Internet content providers according to a process established by the ISP to certify said Internet content of the one or more Internet content providers. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09866513B2	Systems and methods to control the lifetime of online posts Systems and methods to control the lifetime of social networking posts. The viewable range and/or duration of a post is determined as a function (e.g., Gaussian) of the viewer location/position relative to the post location/position and other factors, such as, local content density power of the poster, net likes, etc. The expiration time of the post at the viewer location/position is extended when content density is low, and reduced when content density is high. Posts are retained for a fixed duration in server; and zone-relevant content is delivered to clients based on local content density. Content from distant cells is highlighted by graphics that distinguish it from local range posts.
US09866509B2	Spam filtering and person profiles Systems and methods to reduce false positives in spam filtering. In one aspect, a method includes automatically generating profiles for persons identified in messages, such as incoming and outgoing e-mails. Messages flagged as spam can be checked against the profile to identify false positives.
US09866502B2	Programmable broadband gateway hierarchical output queueing An improved method of hierarchical output queueing of packets for a network scheduler of a network gateway that determines delays needed to conform to applicable rate shaping, and enqueues the packets based on the delay. Queues are associated with different classes of service (CoS), and within each class, each queue has a different scheduled time upon which it becomes available for dequeuing. A single set of CoS queues can support a large number of devices, improving the efficiency of software-based queuing by reducing the number of queues and simplifying queue polling.
US09866501B2	Virtual switch enabling communication between external objects and simulation objects Enabling communication between real and simulated elements of a process control system. Software instructions stored in a memory device are executed by a processor to represent a virtual switch. The virtual switch connects to a real element of a process control system and to a simulated element of a process control system. The virtual switch receives communication from the real element intended for the simulated element and forwards the communication to the proper simulated element. The virtual switch receives communication from the simulated element intended for the real element and forwards the communication to the proper real element.
US09866493B2	Dynamic activation of pre-deployed network resources A network device may receive an activation instruction. The network device may provide network resources. The activation instruction may request the network device to activate a particular network resource that is deactivated. The activation instruction may be associated with a license that identifies the particular network resource and identifies a resource request of a user. The network device may configure, based on the activation instruction, a component of the network device to activate the particular network resource. The component, after being configured to activate the particular network resource, may allow data flows, received by the network device, to be provided towards a destination device using the particular network resource. The network device may receive a data flow and provide, by the component of the network device, the data flow towards the destination device using the particular network resource.
US09866487B2	Adaptive load balancer and methods for intelligent data traffic steering An adaptive load balancer intelligently steers data traffic through a software defined network (SDN) to which the load balancer is operatively coupled. The network has egress ports to which a plurality of servers is connected. The network has an SDN controller which generates statistical information concerning the network. The adaptive load balancer includes a weighted round robin scheduler module which receives client requests and, based on the statistical information generated by the SDN controller, determines a weight to be attributed to each server of the plurality of servers connected to the network. The adaptive load balancer operates in a passive port mode, a passive path mode, an active path mode and an active path with quality of service (QoS) overlay mode.
US09866484B2	Network congestion management systems and methods Systems, methods and software useful for overcoming network congestion problems including head-of-line blocking issues and other network congestion problems. In certain aspects, flow control mechanisms implemented in a switch device or other network device manage buffer and system level resources using a scheduler to control the amount of data requested from a local SAN fabric. Switches and other network devices configured according to the present invention monitor each individual SCSI task, and are configured to apply flow control measures to each active session when buffering resources become scarce, such as when buffering data for a slower-speed WAN link or TCP/IP based interconnects of any speed.
US09866479B2	Technologies for concurrency of cuckoo hashing flow lookup Technologies for supporting concurrency of a flow lookup table at a network device. The flow lookup table includes a plurality of candidate buckets that each includes one or more entries. The network device includes a flow lookup table write module configured to perform a displacement operation of a key/value pair to move the key/value pair from one bucket to another bucket via an atomic instruction and increment a version counter associated with the buckets affected by the displacement operation. The network device additionally includes a flow lookup table read module to check the version counters during a lookup operation on the flow lookup table to determine whether a displacement operation is affecting the presently read value of the buckets. Other embodiments are described herein and claimed.
US09866478B2	Techniques for user-defined tagging of traffic in a network visibility system In one embodiment, a data plane component of the network visibility system can receive a data packet tapped from a source network. The data plane component can further match the data packet with an entry in a rule table, where the entry includes one or more match parameters, and in response to the matching can tag the data packet with a zone identifier defined in the entry. The data plane component can then forward the tagged data packet to an analytic server for analysis.
US09866464B1	Team notification on new support cases Methods for automating the generation and management of notifications are described. In some embodiments, an issue tracking system may allow an end user (e.g., software support personnel) to specify the types of notifications to be generated and transmitted to the end user based on issue attributes (e.g., a corresponding product, customer identifier, or country) entered using wildcard support. The end user may subscribe to various types of notification alerts by setting personalized notification filter parameters. In some cases, the end user may use wildcard characters or regular expressions to specify the personalized notification filter parameters and specify the method of communication for the notification (e.g., to receive notifications via email). In one embodiment, once an end user takes ownership for a particular issue, then corresponding notifications that were previously sent to others may be automatically marked as taken or deleted.
US09866448B2	Electronic device and method for DNS processing A method for DNS processing is provided. The method is executed by an electronic device and includes the following steps: determining a plurality of TTL values, wherein each of the TTL values corresponds to one of a plurality of operating states of the electronic device, and determining whether to remove an entry from a local DNS cache in the electronic device or not according to the TTL value corresponding to the current state among the operating states of the electronic device.
US09866447B2	Indicator on a network device Systems, methods, and apparatus for connection of a device to a network are disclosed. In an example, a playback device includes an amplifier, a speaker, a button, a light indicator, a network interface, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes an application module that, when executed by the processor, causes the playback device to: detect a press of the button; after detecting the press of the button, cause the light indicator to indicate a first indication; determine that the playback device is connected to a wireless network; and after determining that the playback device is connected to the wireless network, cause the light indicator to indicate a second indication.
US09866440B2	Recording medium, handling method generation method, and information processing apparatus A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-readable handling-method generation program causing a computer to execute a method including extracting at least one existing system, which has a predetermined similarity with a new system which is newly generated or whose configuration has been changed, based on the similarity between a system configuration of at least one existing system and a system configuration of the new system; and generating candidates of event handling methods corresponding to the new system by using handling methods corresponding to a predetermined event which corresponds to the extracted existing system.
US09866434B2	Method, system and devices for managing user registration of a service in an IMS network Present invention refers to a method system and devices for managing user registration of a service in a IMS network. The proposed solution allows optimizing the dimensioning of networks focusing on active users.
US09866433B1	Light-weight cloud application platform Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for deploying and using a light-weight cloud application platform. In one aspect, a method includes providing a deployment tool configured to deploy a light-weight cloud application platform in an execution environment in response to a user command that specifies the environment, and to create one or more instances of a cloud application executing on the light-weight cloud application platform in response to a user command that specifies a container image that includes the application. The deployment tool receives a first user command that specifies the execution environment. In response, the deployment tool deploys components of the light-weight cloud application platform, including a scheduling subsystem and a routing subsystem. The deployment tool receives a second user command that specifies a location of the container image. In response, instances of the cloud application are deployed without receiving further user commands.
US09866431B2	Deterministic control loop scheduling In one embodiment, a scheduling device in a network receives routing metrics regarding a network path between a device controller and a networked device. The scheduling device also receives controller metrics for the device controller. The scheduling device determines time costs associated with the network path and one or more control operations performed by the device controller, based on the routing and controller metrics. The scheduling device generates a communication schedule based on the time costs and instructs the device controller and the networked device to use the communication schedule.
US09866425B1	Systems and methods for operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) in the physical coding sublayer (PCS) Systems and methods described herein provide a method for operation, administration and maintenance (OAM) of data message transmission. The method comprises reading a transmit register of a transmitter associate with a first management entity to determine a transmit status of the transmit register. The method further comprises loading a data message into the transmit register when the transmit status of the transmit register indicates availability. The method further comprises embedding the data message as an out-of-band message with physical code sublayer modulation, and transmitting the out-of-band message on the physical code sublayer to a receiver associated with a second management entity. A transmit state machine of the transmitter and a receive state machine of the receiver establish a handshake to allow the out-of-band message to be passed asynchronously.
US09866422B1	Methods of blind source separation filter resource management Systems and methods that solve the problem of scheduling the fixed filter resources of a blind source separation subsystem by choosing in real time the center frequency and bandwidth of each filter in such a way as to allow new and existing signals to be separated out in consistent channels, with as few missed signals as possible given the filter resources available. The proposed method comprises an algorithm that uses a periodic time/frequency covering map to set the center frequency and bandwidth of each filter over all time by acquiring energy measurements from the filtering subsystem using existing filter settings and continuously adaptively updating those settings while maintaining optimal coverage in time and frequency.
US09866419B2	Transmission apparatus, reception apparatus, and communication system A transmission apparatus that transmits a block signal including a plurality of data symbols, includes a data-symbol generation unit that generates data symbols; a fixed-symbol arrangement unit that arranges a data symbol and a fixed symbol such that the fixed symbol is inserted at a predetermined position in the block signal to generate a block symbol; an interpolation unit that performs interpolation processing on the block symbol; and a CP insertion unit that inserts a Cyclic Prefix into a signal on which the interpolation processing has been performed to generate the block signal.
US09866413B2	Transition enforcing coding receiver for sampling vector signals without using clock and data recovery A transition enforcing coding (TEC) receiver includes a delay line circuit, a transition detection circuit, a data sampling circuit, and a skew calibration circuit. The delay line circuit employs a calibrated delay setting to delay a plurality of vector signals to generate a plurality of delayed vector signals under a normal mode, respectively. The transition detection circuit detects a transition of at least one specific delayed vector signal among the delayed vector signals. The data sampling circuit samples the vector signals according to a sampling timing, wherein the sampling timing is determined based on an output of the transition detection circuit. The skew calibration circuit sets the calibrated delay setting under a calibration mode, wherein transition skew between different delayed vector signals is reduced by the calibrated delay setting under the normal mode.
US09866412B2	Equalization in high speed links through in-situ channel estimation A method for estimating performance of a serial communication channel using processing circuits. The channel is configured to transmit a binary input stream from a transmitting end to an output stream at a receiving end. The method includes modeling by the processing circuits the channel at the receiving end as a first finite impulse response (FIR) system. The modeling includes estimating a cursor pulse response of the first FIR system by analyzing the output stream received at the receiving end, and estimating one or more pre-cursor or post-cursor pulse responses of the first FIR system from the received output stream using the estimated cursor pulse response. The method further includes determining by the processing circuits a performance metric by using the estimated one or more pre-cursor or post-cursor pulse responses.
US09866400B2	Action(s) based on automatic participant identification Techniques are described herein that are capable of performing action(s) based on automatic participant identification. For example, participants of a meeting may be automatically identified independently from an invitee list for the meeting. In another example, participants of the meeting may be automatically identified even if such participants are not indicated by the invitee list. An action is performed with regard to the participants of the meeting based at least in part on the participants being automatically identified.
US09866397B2	Method and apparatus for providing electrical power to a broadband digital subscriber line access Power is supplied to telecom equipment in DSLAM outdoor/remote cabinets with relatively short distances between the subscriber and the cabinet. All of the subscriber Customer Premises Equipment connected to the DSLAM each provide a portion of the required power to the remote cabinet via the telephone line connecting the DSLAM and the subscriber CPE. The CPE at the subscriber premises is already connected to power mains in the subscriber premises so, providing power, via the telephone line to the outdoor cabinet is relatively simple. The remote cabinet includes a circuit for receiving the power input from each subscriber and then distributing the power, required by the DSLAM load, equally among the subscribers.
US09866395B2	Method and apparatus for secure communications and resource sharing between anonymous non-trusting parties with no central administration A unifying network model with a structure and architecture configured to address security, interoperability, mobility, and resource management, including priority and quality of services is provided. The network of the network model is structured as a hierarchical mesh network, with dynamically generated routing tables. The configuration of the network model optimizes routing and distributes communication load. Every device on the network is capable of being both an endpoint and a forwarder of communications. The network model may include underlying networks that are represented with one of two models, the link model or the star model. The nodes are organized in a hierarchical relationship structure to optimize throughput. The model may include a cryptographic method of dynamically assigning local network addresses.
US09866389B2	Multi-broadcast beacon signals Disclosed herein are techniques and systems for transmitting a multi-broadcast signal from a wireless broadcasting device (or beacon) as part of a beacon recognition process. Specifically, the multi-broadcast signal may be in the form of multiple packets that are broadcast from the beacon within a recognition time period. A process may include creating a first packet having a first identifier (ID) and a randomly generated value, broadcasting the first packet from the beacon, generating a second ID based at least in part on the randomly generated value included in the first packet, and broadcasting, within a period of time from the broadcast of the first packet, a second packet having the second ID and a device ID that uniquely identifies the beacon. A mobile device in proximity to the beacon may include logic to detect and interpret a multi-broadcast signal from the beacon.
US09866388B2	Portable device interface methods and systems While portable electronic devices such as smartphones have become ubiquitous for billions of users their primarily uses are consuming content or generating limited low complexity data. In contrast, laptops, desktop PCs etc. allow users to enter extended and/or complex content due to ergonomic user interfaces such as keyboard and mouse. Moving data requires either a third electronic device, e.g. a USB memory drive, or remotely storing the content. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide users with the benefit of entering and generating content on one or more electronic systems supporting ergonomic and user compatible haptic interfaces with the ability to store this upon their PED, e.g. smartphone. It would be further beneficial to provide the user also with a means to enter information into applications upon their PED through such external interfaces rather than the haptic interface of their PED, e.g. typically a small touchscreen.
US09866382B2	Secure app-to-app communication Secure application-to-application communication is disclosed. A shared encryption key may be used to encrypt data to be transferred from a first mobile application to a second mobile application. The encrypted data is provided to a shared storage location. The second mobile application is configured to retrieve the encrypted data from the shared storage location.
US09866373B2	Polymorphic encryption key allocation scheme Embodiments of the present invention relate to encryption key allocation with additional security elements to lessen vulnerability to certain attacks. In one embodiment, a method and computer program product is provided for broadcast encryption. A key bundle encoded in a non-transient machine-readable medium is received. The key bundle comprises a first cryptographic key and an associated first cryptographic function identifier. Encrypted content is received. A key block corresponding to a subset difference tree is received. A first cryptographic triple function corresponding to the first cryptographic function identifier is determined. The subset difference tree is traversed using the first cryptographic key and the first cryptographic triple function to obtain a content cryptographic key. The content cryptographic key is applied to the encrypted content to obtain decrypted content.
US09866363B2	System and method for coordinated management of network access points A method for coordinated wireless network management applicable to overlay network access points. The method includes sending, from an overlay access point of a plurality of overlay access points to a coordinator device, wireless operational parameters characterizing operation of the one of the plurality of overlay access points. The overlay access point receives suggested operational information provided by the coordinator device. The suggested operational information causes modification of a perceived value of at least one operational parameter of the one of the plurality of overlay access points wherein the perceived value is different from an actual value of the operational parameter. The method further includes adjusting an operational mode of the overlay access point based upon the perceived value. The adjusting may be further based at least in part upon a negotiation of wireless access parameters between the overlay access point and one or more local wireless devices.
US09866346B2	Redundancy protection for reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM) branching unit Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, structures and methods providing fully reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexing (ROADM) that provide redundancy protection against any two (2) simultaneous wavelength selective switch (WSS) failures with only four 2×1 WSS structures for both Eastbound and Westbound traffic, while not requiring bidirectional operation of the WSS structures.
US09866345B2	Device, system and method for transmitting wavelength division multiplexed optical signal A transmission device for which a work path is established in a first degree and a protection path is established in a second degree includes: a switch equipped with a plurality of optical ports; an optical signal generator, optically connected to a first optical port, and configured to generate an optical signal that is transmitted through the work path; and a monitor light generator, optically connected to a second optical port, and configured to generate monitor light by using a wavelength tunable light source. The monitor light generator controls a wavelength of the monitor light to be substantially the same as a wavelength of the optical signal. The switch guides the optical signal that arrives at the first optical port toward the first degree and guides the monitor light that arrives at the second optical port toward the second degree.
US09866338B2	Encoding and decoding method for short-range communication using an acoustic communication channel Encoding and decoding methods are provided. An information object is encoded according to a preset encoding scheme. A preset set of bits is selected from the encoded information object and the selected set of bits is output as a sample. A control packet including information on a sample number is generated. The sample is assembled with the control packet. The sample is modulated into a sound signal according to a preset scheme. An input sound signal is demodulated according to the preset scheme. Sample bits and control packet bits containing information of the sample are separated from each other in demodulated received bits. Address information corresponding to each bit of the sample is generated according to the control packet. A soft decision of the sample bits is summed for each piece of the generated address information. A sample decoding of the summed soft decision of the sample bits is performed.
US09866335B2	Testing circuit with directional coupler Testing circuit with directional coupler. A testing circuit can include a testing circuit input configured to receive an output signal from a module, the output signal having a fundamental component and a harmonic component. The testing circuit can further include a testing circuit fundamental output configured to output the fundamental component and a testing circuit harmonic output configured to output the harmonic component. The testing circuit can include a first directional coupler having a first coupler input coupled to the testing circuit input, a first transmitted output coupled to the testing circuit fundamental output, and a first coupled output coupled to the testing circuit harmonic output.
US09866332B2	Receiver for human body communication and method for removing noise thereof Provided is a receiver for human body communication, the receiver including a comparator, a clock and data recovery circuit, and resistors or passive elements having a resistance property in power supply and ground connection units of other digital operation components and a power supply and ground connection unit of a printed circuit board (PCB) to remove or suppress a digital noise reflowed into a human body in the receiver and to raise reception performance by amplifying, with a high gain, a very small transmission signal transmitted through the human body causing a very high loss.
US09866331B1	Optical module An optical module is disclosed. According to one implementation, the optical module comprises an optical receiver, a diode, a first resistor, a first capacitor, a comparator, and a control chip. The diode anode connects electrically with a triggering signal output end of the optical receiving module, the cathode of the diode connects with one end of the first capacitor and one input end of the comparator. Another end of the first capacitor connects with the ground; the first resistor is connected in parallel with both ends of the first capacitor. A pre-set reference voltage is connected with another input end of the comparator. The optical receiver generates a first triggering signal in response to a burst mode optical signal. After inputting the first triggering signal into the diode anode, the comparator outputs a second triggering signal from the output end, triggering the control chip to generate a reset signal input into the optical receiver.
US09866328B2	Optical module An optical module includes an optical fiber connector, a transmitter optical component, a receiver optical component and a printed circuit board arranged within an optical module housing; the transmitter optical component and the receiver optical component are optically coupled to the optical fiber connector, and electrically connected to the printed circuit board which is arranged horizontally within the optical module housing. The transmitter optical component and the receiver optical component are stacked in a direction perpendicular to the printed circuit board. Stacking the transmitter optical component and the receiver optical component makes use of the width of the optical module by improving design flexibility of the optical path and the electric circuit, reducing or even substantially eliminating crosstalk between the high-speed devices and high-speed signals, and improving the heat dissipation effect of the optical module.
US09866325B1	System and method for bidirectional exchange of data with a mobile apparatus through at least one leaky optical fiber Method and system for bidirectional exchange of data with a mobile apparatus through at least one leaky optical fiber. An optical reception module of the mobile apparatus receives an incoming optical signal optically leaked from the leaky optical fiber. An optical to electrical conversion module of the mobile apparatus converts the incoming optical signal into an incoming electrical signal. A control unit of the mobile apparatus processes the incoming electrical signal to extract incoming data from the incoming electrical signal, and processes outgoing data to generate an outgoing electrical signal transporting the outgoing data. An electrical to optical conversion module of the mobile apparatus converts the outgoing electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal. An optical transmission module of the mobile apparatus injects the outgoing optical signal into the leaky optical fiber. For example, the fiber is positioned along a path of a rail-guided trolley travelling along a rail.
US09866317B2	Method and apparatus for detecting power of uplink optical signal, optical line terminal, and optical network system Embodiments disclose a method and an apparatus for detecting power of an uplink optical signal, an optical line terminal, and an optical network system. The method includes: separately generating a triggering signal that is used for detecting optical power for each uplink optical signal among multiple uplink optical signals to be detected, where the triggering signal of each uplink optical signal has same duration. The method also includes separately detecting power of each uplink optical signal in the duration of the triggering signal of each uplink optical signal.
US09866299B2	Synchronization in a beamforming system A beamforming system synchronization architecture is proposed to allow a receiving device to synchronize to a transmitting device in time, frequency, and spatial domain in the most challenging situation with very high pathloss. A periodically configured time-frequency resource blocks in which the transmitting device uses the same beamforming weights for its control beam transmission to the receiving device. A pilot signal for each of the control beams is transmitted in each of the periodically configured time-frequency resource blocks. The same synchronization signal can be used for all stages of synchronization including initial coarse synchronization, device and beam identification, and channel estimation for data demodulation.
US09866296B2	Method and arrangement in a wireless communications system A method for assisting the adaptation of a signal from a first node to a second node is provided. The first node communicates with the second node in a wireless communication system over a radio link. The second node has a codebook comprising a set of possible information alternatives for assisting the adaptation of a signal received from the first node. The second node may select an information alternative from the codebook and send it to the first node to assist the first node in adapting the signal. The first node is configured with a number of subsets, each comprising a part of the possible information alternatives. The first node requests that the second node restrict the selection of information alternatives to one of the subsets, and in response, receives an information alternative from the second node that is selected from among the subsets configured according to the configuration request.
US09866293B1	Apparatus, system and method of updating one or more beamforming settings of a beamformed link Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, devices, systems and methods of updating one or more beamforming settings of a beamformed link. For example, a first wireless station may be configured to estimate a change in an Angle of Arrival (AoA) of signals received from a second wireless station over a beamformed link between the first and second wireless stations; and to update one or more beamforming settings of the beamformed link based on the change in the AoA.
US09866282B2	Magnetic induction antenna for use in a wearable device A wearable device includes a housing, a first short range transceiver for far field communication disposed within the housing, a second short range transceiver for near field communication disposed within the housing, wherein the second short range transceiver for near field communications comprises a core and a plurality of coil turns wrapped around the core. The wearable device further includes a generally planar printed circuit board disposed within the housing and having a plurality of components mounted thereto. The core is mounted perpendicularly to the plurality of components mounted on the generally planar printed circuit board to thereby reduce electromagnetic interference. The wearable device may be an earpiece. The core may be mounted at a posterosuperior portion of the wearable device.
US09866278B2	Wireless power repeater Disclosed is a wireless power repeater. The wireless power repeater repeats power between a wireless power transmitter and an electronic device. The wireless power repeater includes a charging container having at least one side, wherein the charging container has a form for receiving the electronic device, a repeating coil placed at one of the at least one side of the charging container to repeat the power between the wireless power transmitter and the electronic device using resonance.
US09866274B2	Method for estimating a time invariant transmission channel, and corresponding receiver A method is for processing an analog channel signal from a transmission channel. The method may include converting of the analog channel signal to a digital channel signal, and performing a channel estimation digital processing of the digital channel signal. The channel estimation digital processing may include for at least one frame, generating transfer functions of the transmission channel, the transfer functions respectively associated with reference symbols of the frame, and averaging processing of the transfer functions to generate an average transfer function. The method may include decoding of symbols of the frame following the reference symbols using the average transfer function.
US09866252B2	Mobile terminal There is disclosed a mobile terminal including a case having a display unit coupled to a front side, a first antenna mounted in the case and comprising a first slot extended in a first direction and having a closed end and an open end, a second antenna mounted in the case and comprising a second slot extended in a second direction opposite to the extended direction of the first slot and comprising a closed end and an open end, a power supply unit mounted in the case, a first feeder supplying the power of the power supply unit to the first antenna, and a second feeder supplying the power of the power supply unit to the second antenna.
US09866247B2	Communications devices, infrastructure equipment and methods A communications device including a receiver configured to receive a plurality of sub-units of an encoded transport block of data in a plurality of time-divided units within frequency resources of a wireless access interface allocated to the mobile terminal, each of the sub-units being received a repeated number of times within a repetition cycle; and circuitry configured to combine a same sub-unit received the repeated number of times to form a composite sub-unit to recover the transport block.
US09866236B1	Appapatus and method for fast conversion, compact, ultra low power, wide supply range auxiliary digital to analog converters A data converter includes a single-end capacitive digital to analog converter (DAC); a transconductance (GM) buffer having an output, a positive input coupled to the DAC and a negative input coupled to the output; a resistor and a capacitor load in parallel coupled to the output at one terminal and to ground at the other terminal. The developed architecture of comprising single end capacitive DAC and GM-based buffer provides fast conversion rate, low current consumption, small silicon area and wide supply range for general-purpose auxiliary DAC applications.
US09866233B1	Circuit and method for generating reference signals for hybrid analog-to-digital convertors An embodiment circuit includes a first reference source configured to provide a first reference signal to an analog-to-digital convertor (ADC). The circuit also includes a filter coupled to an output of the first reference source and configured to filter the first reference signal to produce a filtered first reference signal. The circuit further includes a second reference source coupled to an output of the filter. The second reference source is configured to provide a second reference signal to the ADC, and the second reference signal is generated based on the filtered first reference signal.
US09866229B2	Power adapter and control method thereof A power adapter includes a power converting circuit, a connecting terminal and a controller. The power converting circuit is used to convert an input voltage to an output voltage according to a control signal. The connecting terminal is connected to an electronic device to allow the output voltage outputted by the power converting circuit to charge the electronic device. The controller receives an identifying command from the electronic device when the electronic device is connected to the connecting terminal, and outputs the control signal according to the identifying command.
US09866224B2	Oscillator, radio communication device, and radio communication method An oscillator has an oscillator which comprises a first variable capacitor to adjust capacitance based on a first signal and a second variable capacitor to adjust capacitance, generates an oscillation signal having a frequency in accordance with the capacitance of the first variable capacitor and the second variable capacitor, an integer phase detector to detect an integer phase of the oscillation signal, a fractional phase detector to detect a fractional phase of the oscillation signal, a phase error generator to generate a fourth signal indicating a phase error of the oscillation signal, a first filter to extract the first signal in a predetermined frequency band, included in the fourth signal, and to output the first signal, and a second filter to extract the second signal in a predetermined frequency band, included in the fourth signal, and to output the second signal.
US09866210B2	Bridge circuits and their components A half bridge is described with at least one transistor having a channel that is capable in a first mode of operation of blocking a substantial voltage in at least one direction, in a second mode of operation of conducting substantial current in one direction through the channel and in a third mode of operation of conducting substantial current in an opposite direction through the channel. The half bridge can have two circuits with such a transistor.
US09866209B2	Radio frequency switch with improved switching time A radio frequency (RF) switch which comprises an RF domain section having a plurality of RF switching elements. A DC domain section is provided having circuitry configured for controlling the RF switching elements in response to one or more control signals. A resistive load is provided between the RF domain section and the DC domain section. A bypass circuit is configured for selectively bypassing at least a portion of the resistive load.
US09866207B2	Semiconductor device, power control device and electronic system A driver integrated circuit includes a bootstrap circuit (BSC) configured to output a boot power supply voltage (VB) based on a first power supply voltage, the boot power supply voltage being higher than the first power supply voltage; a level shift circuit (LSC) configured to output an output pulse signal based on an input pulse signal and the boot power supply voltage; a high side driving circuit (HSU) configured to output a high side driving voltage based on the boot power supply voltage and the output pulse signal, wherein the bootstrap circuit includes a sense metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor and a boot MOS transistor, wherein the sense MOS transistor includes a depression-type transistor.
US09866190B2	Multi-stage amplifiers with low loss An amplifier circuit (100) comprises three amplifier subcircuits (121,131,141) connected via a network of transmission lines to a common node. A control circuit is configured to control the three amplifier subcircuits (121,131,141) to operate in first, second, and third operating modes, such that a first subcircuit (121) is active in the first, second, and third modes, a second sub-circuit (141) is inactive in the first mode but active in the second and third modes, and a third subcircuit (131) is inactive in the first and second modes but active in the third. A quarter-wavelength transmission line (170) couples the output node of the second sub circuit (141) to the output node (160) of the third subcircuit (131).
US09866183B2	Devices and methods for adaptive crest factor reduction in dynamic predistortion A non-linear pre-distortion engine maintaining constant peak power at its output is disclosed. The engine includes a compression estimator, a crest factor reduction processor, a digital pre-distorter and a power amplifier. The compression estimator is configured to generate a compression estimate based on an input signal and a feedback signal. The feedback signal is based on an RF output signal. The crest factor reduction processor is configured to reduce a crest factor of the input signal to generate a crest factor reduced signal based on the compression estimate. The digital pre-distorter is configured to apply a pre-distortion to the crest factor reduced signal after an initial phase and generate a pre-distorted signal based on pre-distortion parameters. The power amplifier is configured to amplify the pre-distorted signal to generate the RF output signal. The operation of the chain consisting of pre-distorter and power amplifier is substantially linear and the pre-distorter maintains constant peak power at its output, which eliminates unwanted avalanche or pre-distorter blow-up issues.
US09866176B2	Apparatus and methods for envelope shaping in mobile devices Apparatus and methods for envelope shaping in a mobile device are provided. In certain implementations, a mobile device includes an envelope tracker configured to control a voltage level of a power amplifier supply voltage based on a shaped envelope signal, a power amplifier configured to receive the power amplifier supply voltage and to provide amplification to a radio frequency signal, and a transceiver including a modulator configured to generate the radio frequency signal and an envelope shaping circuit configured to generate the shaped envelope signal by shaping an envelope of the radio frequency signal. The envelope shaping circuit includes a shaping table configured to maintain a substantially constant distortion in a transmit band of the mobile device across a range of the envelope of the radio frequency signal.
US09866173B2	Coupling structure for inductive device A circuit includes a coupling structure and a first inductive device. The coupling structure includes two or more conductive loops and a set of conductive paths electrically connecting the two or more conductive loops. The first inductive device is magnetically coupled with a first conductive loop of the two or more conductive loops.
US09866172B2	Hollow supports and anchors for mechanical resonators A micromechanical resonator having one or more anchoring stems which are hollow to increase resonator Q factor. By way of example a micromechanical disk resonator embodiment is shown utilizing a resonant micromechanical disk anchored by a stem between at least one electrode used for input and output. To increase resonator Q, a hollow stem is utilized in which an outer thickness of stem material surrounds a hollow area interior of the stem, or that is fabricated with a plurality of vias and/or fabricated substructures containing hollow spaces in the stem material. Measurements have confirmed that Q values can be increased using the hollow core stems by a factor of 2.9 times in certain implementations and operating modes.
US09866170B2	Utility-friendly hybrid energy conversion system for apportioning concentrated solar radiation in real time upon selective demand between a plurality of solar energy conversion devices, including a photovoltaic receiver Extremely fast dynamic control is allowed for hybrid PV/T (photovoltaic/thermal) distributed power production using concentrated solar power by manipulating the transmissive or reflective state of a capture element or mirror or lens that can pass highly concentrated solar light from one energy conversion device to another, such as a thermal collector and a photovoltaic receiver, such as a vertical multijunction cell array. This allows superior quality electrical backfeed into an electric utility, enhanced plant electrical production revenue, and responsiveness to a multitude of conditions to meet new stringent engineering requirements for distributed power plants. The mirror or lens can be physically articulated using fast changing of a spatial variable, or can be a fixed smart material that changes state. A mechanical jitter or variable state jitter can be applied to the capture element, including at utility electric grid line frequency.
US09866169B1	Photovoltaic junction box with non-zero angle between diodes A photovoltaic junction box comprises a body having a first end and a second end opposite to each other in a lengthwise direction thereof, and a first side and a second side opposite to each other in a widthwise direction thereof, a plurality of conduction terminals disposed in the body, and a plurality of diodes each having an anode pin and a cathode pad respectively soldered on two adjacent conduction terminals. An angle between two adjacent diodes of the plurality of diodes is not equal to zero.
US09866167B2	Modular solar mobile generator A mobile solar generator for autonomous and continuous supply of electricity in a transportable automatically or semi-automatically unfolding/folding system. The mobile solar generator generally includes photovoltaic modules, energy storage (lithium ion batteries), power converters, and a mechanical system to fold/unfold the photovoltaic modules. The mobile solar generator may also optionally include a detachable trailer. The mobile solar generator typically has the ability to provide alternating current at a voltage of 120 or 230V single-phase or three-phase 400 V/460V 50 or 60 HZ. Electricity is generally provided by 12, 16 or 24 photovoltaic modules 347 W depending on the version of the product is typically a photovoltaic power 4, 5, or 8 KWp. The mobile solar generator can preferably be folded on itself for shipping purposes. The SMG can also include skids for water treatment or other skids which use the power generated by the SMG.
US09866161B1	Universal monitor and fault detector in fielded generators and method A method and system for monitoring an engine driven generator system (GMS) is provided herein. The system self-configures across generator types and manufacturers via a learning algorithm. Additional sensors are included in the system to provide a robust set of sensor data. Data analysis employed includes comparison to threshold levels, trending of historical data, and Wavelet analysis. A graphical touch screen is provided to users for both controlling the GMS and for viewing results. Monitoring results include operating conditions, existing faults, and warnings of undesirable conditions. Ethernet connections afford review of real time data, diagnostic feedback, and prognostic information at a central location. A sleep state of the GMS conserves generator battery life.
US09866160B2	Power conversion system and controlling method thereof and wind turbine power generation system A system includes a source side converter for being electrically coupled to a generator of a power source, a line side converter for being electrically coupled to a power network, a DC link coupled between the source side converter and the line side converter, and a controller for generating source side switching signals based on a current or torque of the generator and a virtual impedance signal for system damping or reactive power compensation when at least one detected signal of the system is not normal. A method for controlling the system is also included.
US09866152B2	Motor control topology for airborne power generation and systems using same In an example embodiment, a system includes a plurality of drive units coupled to a plurality of propellers. Each drive unit includes a single motor/generator and a single motor controller, and the plurality of drive units includes a first drive-unit pair and a second drive-unit pair. The system also includes a high-voltage bus connecting the motor controllers in the first drive-unit pair to a tether, a low-voltage bus connecting the motor controllers in the second drive-unit pair to the tether, and an intermediate-voltage bus connecting the motor controllers of the first drive-unit pair in series with the motor controllers of the second drive-unit pair. The motor controllers in the first drive-unit pair are connected in parallel via the high-voltage bus and the intermediate-voltage bus, and the motor controllers in the second drive-unit pair are connected in parallel via the intermediate-voltage bus and the low-voltage bus.
US09866137B2	Deviation compensation method of potential transformer A deviation compensation method of a potential transformer is provided. The deviation compensation method includes: providing first to Nth potential transformers to be installed at different locations in a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system; supplying a first voltage to the first to Nth potential transformers provided; measuring voltage values output through the first to Nth transformers by the first voltage supplied; determining whether there is a deviation between the measured voltage values; and determining compensation values for correcting the measured voltage values to the same voltage value when there is the deviation.
US09866136B2	Isolated power supply with input voltage monitor A power converter can include an electrical isolation circuit between input and output nodes. An input signal monitor node can be provided, such as on a converter output side of the isolation circuit. In an example, a peak detection circuit can be coupled to the input signal monitor node. The output node of the power converter can be configured to supply an output power signal that is a function of an input signal at the input node. The power converter can include multiple, independently-switchable switches at one or more of the input and output sides of the isolation circuit. In an example, the power converter with the input signal monitor node can be configured as a bias supply to provide power, at the output node, to a controller circuit for a main stage power converter circuit.
US09866135B2	Power conversion device including primary inverter, transformer, secondary converter A power conversion device includes first and second terminals connected to a DC power source, third and fourth terminals connected to a commercial power system or a load, a transformer including a primary winding having seventh and eighth terminals and a secondary winding having fifth and sixth terminals, an inverter circuit connected between the first and second terminals and the seventh and eighth terminals, a converter circuit connected between the fifth and sixth terminals and the third and fourth terminals, a diode bridge including first and second AC input terminals connected to the fifth and sixth terminals, respectively, and first and second DC output terminals, a first capacitor connected between the first and second DC output terminals, and a first resistor connected in parallel with the first capacitor between the first and second DC output terminals.
US09866114B2	Transitioning a power supply from a mode to another mode in response to a length of a portion of a current pulse An embodiment of a power-supply controller includes a switching circuit and a transition circuit. The switching circuit is configured to generate a regulated output voltage by generating first current pulses at an approximately fixed frequency during a first mode, and generating second current pulses at a variable frequency during a second mode. And the transition circuit is configured to transition the switching circuitry from the first mode to the second mode in response to a length of one of the first current pulses. For example, a power supply may include such a power-supply controller to transition the supply from a PWM mode to a PFM mode under light-load conditions. To cause this transition at a predictable load point, the controller may monitor the lengths of the current pulses during the PWM mode, and may transition the supply to a PFM mode in response to the lengths being below a threshold.
US09866108B2	PFC shutdown circuit for light load A power converter includes a front end stage having a power factor correction controller, an output stage with a DC/DC controller, and light load detection circuitry coupled to detect relatively low power consumption by a load on an output of the output stage. In response to the detection, the power factor correction controller in the front end stage is turned off.
US09866107B2	Control system for inverter A control system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute three-phase ON control such that two transistors connected in parallel to the first transistor are switched ON when a condition i) is satisfied, The first transistor is one of the transistor of the six transistors and in which the short-circuit fault has occurred. The condition i) is that a recovery loss of a first diode in which a reverse recovery current is generated is estimated to be smaller than a recovery tolerance.
US09866106B2	Power supply apparatus with extending hold up time function A power supply apparatus includes a bulk capacitor, a voltage dropper unit and a pre-charging capacitor. The voltage dropper unit is electrically connected to the bulk capacitor. The pre-charging capacitor is electrically connected to the voltage dropper unit. When the power supply apparatus receives an input direct current voltage, a voltage of the bulk capacitor is provided with a first voltage, and the pre-charging capacitor is charged so that the pre-charging capacitor is provided with a second voltage, and the second voltage is greater than the first voltage. When the voltage of the bulk capacitor is less than a predetermined voltage, the second voltage of the pre-charging capacitor is converted voltage by the voltage dropper unit to provide for extending a hold up time of the power supply apparatus.
US09866102B2	Power conversion device A power conversion device is mounted with a control circuit, a plurality of drive circuits for driving switching elements in response to control signals from the control circuit, and a plurality of power supply circuits for supplying power to the drive circuits on a substrate. The power conversion device has a drive-circuit/power supply-circuit placement and wiring regions of a high current system in which the drive circuits and the power supply circuits are disposed on the substrate are provided for the respective switching elements with isolating regions interposed between the drive-circuit/power supply-circuit placement and wiring regions and the control circuit of a low current system. A gap is formed between the pairs of the drive-circuit/power supply-circuit regions. Power supply transformers are provided for transforming a voltage supplied from the control circuit for the respective power supply circuits in-between the isolating regions.
US09866100B2	Dynamic sharing average current mode control for active-reset and self-driven synchronous rectification for power converters A circuit for providing dynamic output current sharing using average current mode control for active-reset and self-driven synchronous rectification with pre-bias startup and redundancy capabilities for power converters. The circuit communicates a secondary side feedback signal to a primary side via a bidirectional magnetic communicator that also provides a secondary voltage supply. Pre-bias startup is achieved by detection of the output current direction and controlling the gate signals of synchronous rectifiers. The circuit permits dynamic current sharing via a single-control signal and automatic master converter selection and promotion.
US09866095B2	End-ring for induction motor, rotor having the same A rotor comprises a rotor core comprising a rotational axis and a plurality of slots, a plurality of rotor bars inserted in the plurality of slots, and a plurality of holders arranged around a rotational axis of the rotor. Each holder comprises an insertion groove configured to receive and engage with an end of one of the plurality of rotor bars. An end of another rotor bar among the plurality of rotor bars is interposed between and coupled to two immediately neighboring holders among the plurality of holders.
US09866089B2	Mechanical motor soft start and systems and methods relating thereto A system of providing a mechanical soft start of a load driven by an electrical motor is provided. The system includes, in addition to the rotor driven by the electric motor during normal operation, a drive belt coupled to both the electric motor and the rotor for communicating mechanical power from the electric motor to the rotor. The system further includes a secondary motor, and a primary roller coupled to the secondary motor, wherein the roller is selectively engaged with the drive belt during a mechanical soft-start to communicate mechanical power from the secondary motor to the rotor without requiring mechanical power from primary motor.
US09866087B2	Cooling structure for cooling a stator core of a rotating electrical machine and method of manufacturing the cooling structure A cooling structure for cooling a stator core of a rotating electrical machine includes: a stator core (1b) arranged along an outer periphery of a rotor fixed to a rotary shaft (AX) of a rotating electrical machine; a stator frame (2) extending along an outer peripheral surface of the stator core (1b), the stator frame being configured to fix and support the stator core from the outer peripheral surface side thereof; and a motor case (7) having small-diameter end portions on both sides in an axial direction of the rotary shaft (AX), the small-diameter end portions being welded with airtightness onto an outer peripheral surface of the stator frame so that the motor case forms a space, which is the coolant flow path (CC), together with the outer peripheral surface of the stator frame.
US09866068B2	Electric power transmission system with power transmission and receiving antennas An electric power transmission system may include: a power transmission antenna that constitutes a series resonator with an inductance component of L1 and a capacitance component of C1, and to which AC power is input; a power receiving antenna that constitutes a series resonator with an inductance component of L2 and a capacitance component of C2, and which receives electromagnetic energy from the power transmission antenna via electromagnetic fields; a rectifying unit that rectifies an output of the power receiving antenna to output DC power; and a load to which an output of the rectifying unit is input, wherein, when a coupling coefficient between the power transmission antenna and the power receiving antenna is k, if load resistance value R is used in a range that satisfies Rmin≦R≦Rmax, the following relationships are established: L 1 ⁢ C 1 = L 2 ⁢ C 2 ⁢ ⁢ and ( 2 ) L 1 C 1 > L 2 C 2 ⁢ ⁢ and ( 6 ) R m ⁢ ⁢ i ⁢ ⁢ n ≤ k ⁢ L 2 C 2 ≤ R m ⁢ ⁢ ax . ( 8 )
US09866062B2	Electrical device There is provided an electrical device (10) comprising electrical elements communicating with an integral power supply (12), wherein a power connection means (22) associated with the electrical elements (13, 13′ and 14) is adapted to receive a temporary external source of electrical power such as a battery (24) to allow removal and replacement of the integral power supply without interrupting power to the electrical elements. The integral power supply (12) is adapted to receive an enduring external power source, with a second switch (32) provided to disable connection of the integral power supply (12) to the enduring power source while the battery (24) is connected.
US09866060B2	Apparatus for performing hybrid power control in an electronic device to allow charging using any of high power adaptors corresponding to different voltages An apparatus for performing hybrid power control in an electronic device includes a charger positioned in the electronic device, and the charger is arranged for selectively charging a battery of the electronic device. In addition, at least one portion of the charger is implemented within a charger chip, and the charger may include: a plurality of terminals that are positioned on the charger chip; a plurality of switching units, positioned on the charger chip; and at least one control circuit, positioned on the charger chip and coupled to the plurality of switching units. For example, the control circuit may be arranged for controlling the plurality of switching units to allow charging using any of a plurality of adaptors corresponding to different voltages, wherein a first charging path and a second charging path of the charger correspond to a first adaptor and a second adaptor within the plurality of adaptors, respectively.
US09866050B2	Battery cell charge equalization Battery cell charge equalization devices, systems and methods are provided. A particular method includes receiving a charging current at a battery charge equalization circuit coupled to a battery cell of a multi-cell battery. The method also includes routing at least a portion of the charging current away from the battery cell when a voltage of the battery cell satisfies a first voltage threshold. The method further includes establishing a second voltage threshold in response to the voltage of the battery cell satisfying the first voltage threshold. The second voltage threshold is lower than the first voltage threshold. The charging current is routed away from the battery cell while the voltage of the battery cell satisfies the second voltage threshold.
US09866047B2	Multi-battery and multi-device connection system An electrical connection system that connects and disconnects a plurality of supply circuits. More specifically, a connection system that can quickly connect two or more batteries in series or in parallel by connecting a wire bridge system to two or more mated battery side connectors. Alternatively, the connection system can quickly connect a plurality of devices to one battery connection point by connecting a multi-device connector to a mated battery side connector.
US09866044B1	Combined vehicle and standard electrical outlet charger The combined vehicle and standard electrical outlet charger is a device that is adapted to receive power from multiple power sources to power a plurality of USB ports for use in charging electronic devices. The combined vehicle and standard electrical outlet charger is specifically adapted to draw power either from the national power grid or a standard 12 Vdc electrical system and is capable of powering a plurality of USB ports with 5 volts of power at 2.0 amps each. The combined vehicle and standard electrical outlet charger comprises a car adapter plug, a NEMA 1 plug, a housing, and charging circuitry.
US09866040B2	Power transmission device and wireless power transmission system A power transmission device applies a alternating-current voltage to an active electrode OPPOSING an active electrode of a power reception device with a gap therebetween, and to a passive electrode OPPOSING a passive electrode of the power reception device with a gap therebetween and transmits power via electric field coupling. The power transmission device includes a controller that monitors a voltage applied to the passive electrode. If a change in the voltage per unit time exceeds a threshold, the controller determines that a metal foreign object has become interposed between the active electrodes and a user has touched the metal foreign object, and stops the transmission of power to the power reception device. Thus, a power transmission device and a wireless power transmission system are provided that are capable of preventing with certainty a malfunction due to a foreign object when a foreign object has become interposed between electrodes.
US09866037B2	Power receiving device, wireless power-supplying system, and cover unit A wireless power-supplying system includes a power-supplying coil disposed on a ground contact surface side, a power-receiving coil mounted on a movable body and to which power is wirelessly supplied from the power-supplying coil, a cover member provided in the movable body and configured to be opened and closed and cover the power-receiving coil in a closed state, and a bag configured to expand and contract and to open and close the cover member.
US09866036B2	Electricity supply device and electricity reception device The electricity supply device (100) supplies electricity using electromagnetic force and opposes an external electricity reception coil (153a). An electricity supply coil (102a) has a hollow section (102b), and has a spiral shape. A reader (103) has an antenna disposed in the projected space resulting from projecting the hollow section (102b) in the central axial direction of the electricity supply coil (102a) and at a position more separated from the electricity reception coil (153a) than the opposing surface that opposes the electricity reception coil (153a) and is of the electricity supply coil (102a), and ID data transmitted by an RF tag (154) installed proximally to the electricity reception coil (153a) is received and detected by the antenna. An electricity-supply-side control unit (104) determines the presence/absence of an electricity reception coil (153a) on the basis of the ID data detected by the reader (103).
US09866025B2	Method for the overall optimization of the operation of distributed storage devices in an electrical power supply system having distributed generators and loads The invention substantially relates to a method, wherein operational control parameters and/or control limits, which are to be conveyed using communications technology, are determined on the operator side for each of the distributed storage devices in such a way that a specific cost function is minimal for all of the distributed storage devices on the basis of locally measured variables determined at the respective storage device and transmitted to the operator and on the basis of installation-dependent control limits stored locally in each case and which are also transmitted to the operator, and wherein the operational control parameters and/or control limits, which are to be conveyed using communications technology, are transmitted from the operator side to the corresponding distributed storage devices and implemented there. Consideration of the locally limited available energy and power and the boundary conditions resulting from serving multiple applications from one storage device hereby ensures power availability and, by way of example, an optimal overall service life of all distributed storage devices.
US09866020B2	Electric power control method, electric power control device, and electric power control system An electric power control method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes determining a control threshold value at a start of a demand time period based on a demand target value, measuring an amount of demand electric power of a customer which has received an electric power supply from an external power source and consumed electric power from the start of the demand time period to an arbitrary time point during the demand time period, updating the control threshold value based on the measured amount of demand electric power and the demand target value, and supplying electric power to the customer from a distributed power source when an instantaneous value of an electric power consumption of the customer exceeds the control threshold value during the demand time period.

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