Patent Applications published on Apr 5, 2018

Explore the 6,197 U.S. Patent Applications published on the 14th week of 2018, including 4,824 applications that subsequently received a Patent Grant.

Featured patent applications from Apr 5, 2018

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: Ethicon LLC.
US20180095487A1
Physics
Application 20180095487, fig. 01

Systems and methods for controlling a segmented circuit

A powered surgical instrument is disclosed comprising a motor, a shaft extending from the housing, an end effector extending from the shaft, a power source, a processor, a motor controller, and a control circuit. The control circuit comprises a first segment configured to supply the processor with a first voltage from the power source, and a second segment configured to supply the motor controller with a second voltage from the power source. The second voltage is different than the first voltage. The powered surgical instrument further comprises means for shifting power to the first segment when the second segment experiences a power drop due to high power demand from the motor.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: Auris Surgical Robotics, Inc..
US20180092517A1
Human necessities
Application 20180092517, fig. 01

Automated calibration of endoscopes with pull wires

A surgical robotic system automatically calibrates tubular and flexible surgical tools such as endoscopes. By compensating for unideal behavior of an endoscope, the surgical robotic system can accurately model motions of the endoscope and navigate the endoscope while performing a surgical procedure on a patient. During calibration, the surgical robotic system moves the endoscope to a target position and receives data describing an actual position and/or orientation of the endoscope. The surgical robotic system determines gain values based at least on the discrepancy between the target position and the actual position. The endoscope can include tubular components referred to as a sheath and leader. An instrument device manipulator of the surgical robotic system actuates pull wires coupled to the sheath and/or the leader, which causes the endoscope to articulate.

Published: 2018-04-05
US20180092710A1
Human necessities
Application 20180092710, fig. 01

ELECTRONIC TOOL RECOGNITION SYSTEM FOR DENTAL DEVICES

A tool for use with an electronic tool recognition system includes a tool blank with a distal tip configured for performing a procedure and a proximal handle encasing, fixedly, a proximal end of the tool blank. A tool-identifying apparatus including a mechanical resonator is embedded in a proximal end of the tool blank to provide a tool identifier. A conductive wire in electrical contact with the resonator provides the identifier to a processor. In another arrangement, conductive brushes in contact with slip rings provide the identifier to a processor. In another arrangement, a dental tool handle includes an insulating portion defining a recess in a proximal end of the handle configured to receive either a sensor or an information-managing chip.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V..
US20180094351A1
Chemistry; metallurgy
Application 20180094351, fig. 01

Reactant vaporizer and related systems and methods

Herein disclosed are systems and methods related to solid source chemical vaporizer vessels and multiple chamber deposition modules. In some embodiments, a solid source chemical vaporizer includes a housing base and a housing lid. Some embodiments also include a first and second tray configured to be housed within the housing base, wherein each tray defines a first serpentine path adapted to hold solid source chemical and allow gas flow thereover. In some embodiments, a multiple chamber deposition module includes first and second vapor phase reaction chambers and a solid source chemical vaporizer vessel to supply each of the first and second vapor phase reaction chambers.

Published: 2018-04-05
US20180096175A1
Physics
Application 20180096175, fig. 01

Blockchain Enabled Packaging

A distributed manufacturing platform and related techniques connect designers, manufacturers (e.g., 3D printer owners and other traditional manufacturers), shippers, and other entities and simplifies the process of manufacturing and supplying new and existing products. A distributed ledger or blockchain may be used to record transactions, execute smart contracts, and perform other operations to increase transparency and integrity of supply chain. Blockchain enabled packaging can be used to track movement and conditions of packages from manufacture, through transit, to delivery.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION.
US20180097076A1
Electricity
Application 20180097076, fig. 01

Fully depleted SOI device for reducing parasitic back gate capacitance

A method is presented for forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a bilayer buried insulator over a substrate, forming an extremely thin silicon-on-insulator (ETSOI) over the bilayer buried insulator, forming a dummy gate, and forming a source/drain next to the dummy gate, the source/drain defining a raised source/drain region. The method further includes depositing a dielectric material over the raised source/drain regions, removing the dummy gate to define a recess, implanting a species within a first layer of the bilayer buried insulator, and depositing a gate dielectric and a conducting material within the recess. The method further includes removing the substrate, etching the implanted portion of the first layer of the bilayer buried insulator to expose a surface of a second layer of the bilayer buried insulator, and forming a back gate over the exposed second layer, the back gate self-aligned to the ETSOI channel.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc..
US20180096821A1
Electricity
Application 20180096821, fig. 01

Dual-channel showerhead with improved profile

Described processing chambers may include a chamber housing at least partially defining an interior region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The chambers may include a pedestal. The chambers may include a first showerhead positioned between the lid and the processing region, and may include a faceplate positioned between the first showerhead and the processing region. The chambers may also include a second showerhead positioned within the chamber between the faceplate and the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The second showerhead may include at least two plates coupled together to define a volume between the at least two plates. The at least two plates may at least partially define channels through the second showerhead, and each channel may be characterized by a first diameter at a first end of the channel and may be characterized by a plurality of ports at a second end of the channel.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED.
US20180098063A1
Electricity
Application 20180098063, fig. 01

Motion vector prediction for affine motion models in video coding

A video decoder selects a source affine block. The source affine block is an affine-coded block that spatially neighbors a current block. Additionally, the video decoder extrapolates motion vectors of control points of the source affine block to determine motion vector predictors for control points of the current block. The video decoder inserts, into an affine motion vector predictor (MVP) set candidate list, an affine MVP set that includes the motion vector predictors for the control points of the current block. The video decoder also determines, based on an index signaled in a bitstream, a selected affine MVP set in the affine MVP set candidate list. The video decoder obtains, from the bitstream, motion vector differences (MVDs) that indicate differences between motion vectors of the control points of the current block and motion vector predictors in the selected affine MVP set.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: Verb Surgical Inc..
US20180092706A1
Human necessities
Application 20180092706, fig. 01

Immersive three-dimensional display for robotic surgery

An immersive display for use in a robotic surgical system includes a support arm, a housing mounted to the support arm and configured to engage with a face of the user, at least two eyepiece assemblies disposed in the housing and configured to provide a three-dimensional display, and at least one sensor, wherein the sensor enables operation of the robotic surgical system, and wherein the support arm is actuatable to move the housing for ergonomic positioning.

Published: 2018-04-05 Assignee: Google LLC.
US20180096683A1
Physics
Application 20180096683, fig. 01

Processing voice commands based on device topology

Example aspects of the present disclosure are directed to processing voice commands or utterances. For instance, data indicative of a voice utterance can be received. A device topology representation can be accessed. The device topology representation can define a plurality of smart devices associated with one or more structures. The device topology representation can further define a location of each of the plurality of devices within the associated structures. A transcription of the voice utterance can be determined based at least in part on the device topology representation. One or more selected devices and one or more actions to be performed by the one or more selected devices can be determined based at least in part on the determined transcription and the device topology representation.