US09100680B2

A method includes, in response to determining that a distribution capacity of a network device exceeds a first distribution capacity threshold and that the distribution capacity of the network device does not exceed a second distribution capacity threshold, determining, at the network device, whether a data source satisfies a popularity criteria. The method includes, in response to determining that the data source satisfies the popularity criteria, sending, from the network device, data associated with the data source to a user device.
US09100679B2

Disclosed embodiment providing for the capture of video content. The video content is segmented in real-time into clips by topic, and those clips are delivered as customized queues of video items relevant to the consumer according to their interests as aggregated from their social graph data and manual entry.
US09100675B2

Methods and systems enable receiver devices to receive electronic coupons from mobile TV broadcast service providers. Coupon templates may be broadcasted to mobile devices. Coupon templates may be used to communicate with coupon managers to receive digitally signed coupons. Coupon managers may use received data to create digitally signed coupons for delivery to receiver devices via a unicast networks. Digitally signed coupons may also be broadcasted to receiver devices. A receiver device may verify received electronic coupons using the digital signature to identify those coupons intended for them. The electronic coupons may be redeemed at a point of sale. Merchants may locally verify coupons using their digital signature. Coupon digital signatures may be generated using a chain of X.509 certificates leading to a root X.509 coupon-signing authority to enable recipients to confirm that coupons originated from a trustworthy entity.
US09100670B2

A method and apparatus for recognizing and synchronizing to in-band data at a multimedia device is provided. A content stream includes in-band data. The in-band data is processed and in-band data pattern data associated with the content stream are created. Metadata are attached to the event identification data. The event identification data are provided to multimedia devices which receive broadcasted multimedia content streams containing video programs with in-band data. The in-band data are processed and compared to the event identification data. If a match occurs, the multimedia device uses the metadata to perform specified actions.
US09100669B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may operate, for example, according to a method for identifying subsets of blogs from a collection of blogs according to a relevance of each subset of blogs to one of a plurality of media programs deliverable to a plurality of subscriber devices, determining for each subset of blogs one or more trends, detecting a subscriber device from the plurality of subscriber devices, selecting a media program from the plurality of media programs, selecting one of the subsets of blogs that is relevant to the media program, and supplying the subscriber device the selected subset of blogs with the one or more trends determined for the select subset of blogs. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09100668B2

The present invention generally relates to graphic correction systems and methods. In particular, embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods configured to test the quality of images or other multimedia content uploaded to a web-based application and automatically performing corrections and conversions to the image or other multimedia content based at least in part on the results of the quality test.
US09100664B2

A disparity vector detection unit retrieves a signal having a high correlation with an encoding target block and acquire the signal having the high correlation and a disparity vector which is a disparity in a screen of the encoding target block by using a local decoded image of a block in the same image signal which was previously encoded, with respect to the encoding target block. A disparity prediction signal generation unit generates a prediction signal in accordance with the disparity vector. The disparity vector detection unit includes a DC calculation unit operative to predict a DC component of an image signal of the encoding target block from a neighboring decoded image, and a disparity reference DC calculation unit operative to calculate a DC component of a prediction signal represented by the disparity vector.
US09100656B2

An improved MPEG-4 to H.264 transcoding algorithm is provided, exploiting residual, coding mode and motion vector information from the MPEG-4 stream. The use of the relative sum of absolute residuals (RSAR) to classify macroblocks (MB) leads to small sets of coding modes (CM) to test, and significantly reduces the computational complexity. In addition, RSAR is used to conditionally refine motion vectors (MV); only those MVs most likely to lead to quality improvements are refined. The average RSAR statistics are obtained from the transcoding of the previous Inter frame to provide adaptive thresholds for coding mode selection as well as conditional MV refinement. A corresponding video transcoder system is also provided.
US09100651B2

Provided is a moving picture coding apparatus for increasing a compression ratio of a moving picture signal while maintaining high image quality. To minimize the number of bits required for a residual block, quantized transform coefficients are adaptively divided into a plurality of subsets according to a size of a transform block, and non-zero quantized transform coefficients of each subset are scanned and encoded. Also, an intra prediction mode of the current block is determined using reference pixels obtained by filtering reference pixels of the current block. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the amount of data required for the residual block of the current block.
US09100650B2

According to one embodiment, a method can generate an interpolation image signal including the integer-pixel and interpolation pixel values, based on, if the interpolation pixel is not located at the integer-pixel position and in a row of an integer-pixel, and the interpolation pixel is located at a first pixel position displaced from the integer-pixel in horizontal and vertical directions by a half pixel, applying a first filter, and if the interpolation pixel is located at a second pixel position displaced from the integer-pixel in the directions by a quarter pixel, applying a second filter, and if the interpolation pixel is not located at the first and second pixel positions, applying the second and first filters.
US09100639B2

This image capture device includes: an image sensor 2 including first and second types of pixels that have mutually different spectral transmittance characteristics; a light-transmitting section 1 that is arranged to face the imaging area of the image sensor 2; and an imaging section 3 that includes at least a first imaging area having a first focal length and a second imaging area having a second focal length that is longer than the first focal length. The light-transmitting section 1 has a first light-transmitting area 1a comprised of multiple partial areas that are separated from each other and a second light-transmitting area 1b having a different spectral transmittance characteristic from the first light-transmitting area 1a. The distance from the light-transmitting section 1 to the imaging section 3 is equal to the first focal length f1 and the distance from the imaging area of the image sensor 2 to the imaging section 3 is equal to the second focal length f2.
US09100637B2

An image processing apparatus includes: a converting unit that converts a frame rate of a stereoscopic video into an N-fold frame rate of the frame rate; and an outputting unit that converts images of respective frames of the stereoscopic video subjected to frame rate conversion into a high frequency image or a low frequency image and outputs the converted images, wherein the converting unit outputs an image for left eye and an image for right eye N times each at the converted frame rate, and the outputting unit converts at least one set of consecutive images constituted by a frame of the image for right eye and a frame of the image for left eye, from among 2×N frames output by the converting unit, into the high frequency image, converts an image of a remaining frame into the low frequency image, and then outputs the converted images.
US09100636B2

Described herein are techniques related to motion and quality adaptive rolling intra (I) macro-block (MB) that is used to encode a particular image frame. In particular, the rolling I MB configuration may be based upon global motion direction, quantization parameter (QP) value, complexity based roll, and/or QP saturation based roll.
US09100634B2

An image decoding method for decoding a bitstream including a coded signal resulting from coding slices into which an image is partitioned and each of which includes coding units, includes decoding the coded signal, wherein each of the slices is either a normal slice having, in a slice header, information used for another slice or a dependent slice which is decoded using information included in a slice header of another slice, the image includes rows each of which includes coding units, and when the normal slice starts at a position other than the beginning of the first row, the second row immediately following the first row does not start with the dependent slice.
US09100622B2

A wideband receiver system is provided to concurrently receive multiple RF channels including a number of desired channels that are located in non-contiguous portions of a radio frequency spectrum and to group the number of desired channels into a contiguous frequency band. The system includes a wideband receiver having a complex mixer for down-shifting the multiple RF channels and transforming them to an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal in the baseband. The system further includes a wideband analog-to-digital converter module that digitizes the in-phase and quadrature signals and a digital frontend module that transforms the digital in-phase and quadrature signals to baseband signals that contains only the number of desired RF channels that are now located in a contiguous frequency band. An up-converter module up-shifts the baseband signals to a contiguous band in an IF spectrum so that the system can directly interface with commercially available demodulators.
US09100617B2

A method of guiding a menu, including storing route information generated based on hierarchical relationships of menus according to a tree structure, and displaying menu items using an on screen display and displaying a location and a function of a menu a user would like to find through a simulated menu using route information.
US09100613B1

A multi-directional remote control system and method is adapted for use with an entertainment system of a type including a display such as a monitor or TV and having display functions employing a mouse type control. The remote controller may be conveniently held in one hand of a user and still provides full mouse type functionality using a two level switch tracking and drag control. The remote control system and method detects relative motion between the controller and screen. This position information is used for control of a cursor or other GUI interface.
US09100611B2

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores image data for adjustment of image formation. The image data includes a cross-hair formed in a corner of a recording medium, and a corner edge detection mark formed to detect a folded corner edge of the recording medium from read data obtained when the corner of the recording medium including an area where the cross-hair is formed on one side is folded to an opposite side to the one side of the recording medium and an image reader reads the opposite side.
US09100589B1

A computing device may capture a first image using a first exposure length. It may be determined that x pixels in the captured first image are properly-exposed and that y pixels in the captured first image are improperly-exposed. Based on the y improperly-exposed pixels, a second exposure length may be determined. A second image may be captured using the second exposure length. The second image may include y′ pixels that correspond to the y improperly-exposed pixels in the first image. At least some of the x properly-exposed pixels from the first image may be combined with at least some of the y′ pixels from the second image to form a composite image.
US09100587B2

A motion capture system includes motion capture cameras positioned in various locations and orientations with respect to a motion capture volume. The motion capture system includes a host computing device that is operatively coupled with the motion capture cameras. The host computing device remotely controls operation of the motion capture cameras to record movement within the motion capture volume. At least one of the motion capture cameras includes a user-interface that is operable by a user to remotely initiate a control operation of the host computing device.
US09100586B2

Systems and methods for performing photometric normalization in an array camera in accordance with embodiments of this invention are disclosed. The image data of scene from a reference imaging component and alternate imaging components is received. The image data from each of the alternate imaging components is then translated to so that pixel information in the image data of each alternate imaging component corresponds to pixel information in the image data of the reference component. The shifted image data of each alternate imaging component is compared to the image data of the reference imaging component to determine gain and offset parameters for each alternate imaging component. The gain and offset parameters of each alternate imaging component is then applied to the image data of the associate imaging to generate corrected image data for each of the alternate imaging components.
US09100582B2

An image capturing method includes: continuously generating, using a processor, one or more OFF images in which the subject is captured with the illumination turned OFF, for a first number of times; continuously generating, using the processor, ON images in which the subject is captured with the illumination turned ON, for a second number of times; continuously generating, using the processor, one or more OFF images in which the subject is captured with the illumination turned OFF, for the first number of times; computing, using the processor, a difference image between each of the generated ON images and the OFF image corresponding to the ON image among the generated OFF images; and integrating, using the processor, the computed difference images.
US09100577B2

A method of providing a UI and an image photographing apparatus includes photographing an image, analyzing the photographed image, generating and storing information of the photographed image, and when a user command is input to generate an image search UI, displaying the image search UI that includes a plurality of lists corresponding to a plurality of categories using the information of the photographed image.
US09100576B2

A method and device for receiving an image of a symbology captured by an imaging device, displaying an image of the symbology, displaying a boundary indicator around the symbology, adjusting the image size to correspond with the boundary indicator, decoding the symbology, and initiating an action by device.
US09100573B2

A method and system for filtering an image frame of a video sequence from spurious motion, comprising the steps of dividing the image frame and a preceding image frame of the video sequence into blocks of pixels; determining motion vectors for the blocks of the image frame; determining inter-frame transformation parameters for the image frame based on the determined motion vectors; and generating a filtered image frame based on the determined inter-frame transformation parameters; wherein the image frame is dived into overlapping blocks.
US09100572B2

A system and method for triggering image re-capture in image processing by receiving a first image captured using a first mode, performing a computer vision task on the first image to produce a first result, generating a confidence score of the first result using a machine learning technique, triggering an image re-capture using a second mode in response to the confidence score of the first result, and performing the computer vision task on a result of the image recapture using the second mode.
US09100570B2

A method of tonally stabilizing a video sequence is provided herein. The method includes the following stages: automatically selecting one or more anchor frames from a sequence of frames; obtaining an anchor adjustment map for each selected anchor frame; applying an edge-preserving smoothing algorithm to the sequence of frames; generating for any given pair of smoothed frames, a robust set of pixels indicating pixels affected by external tonal fluctuation only; initializing an adjustment map for any given frame by applying the anchor adjustment map to accumulated color differences between pixels of the robust set of the given frame and the anchor frame; and completing the initialized adjustment map by predicting values of pixels in each adjustment map not included in the robust set by applying an interpolation at a color space for these pixels, wherein the adjustment maps are usable for tonally aligning the video sequence with the anchor frame.
US09100565B2

An image processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: an image processor configured to generate first movie data based on image capturing data, the image capturing data being obtained in response to a shooting instruction; and a controller configured to generate a movie file including second movie data, the second movie data being obtained by deleting a portion of a movie represented by the first movie data when at least one of (i) the contents of management information associated with the first movie data and (ii) the contents of the first movie data itself satisfy a predetermined condition.
US09100558B2

A color imaging element comprising: first group pixels; second group pixels at positions shifted half; and color filters which are arrayed on each of the first and second group pixels, wherein the color filter array includes a basic array pattern in which first filters corresponding to a first color and second filters corresponding to a second color whose contribution rates for acquiring a brightness signal are lower than a contribution rate of the first color are arrayed, and is formed by repeatedly arranging the basic array pattern, one or more of the first filters are arranged in horizontal, vertical, diagonal upper right and diagonal lower right directions, one or more of the second filters are arranged in the basic array pattern, and a ratio of a number of pixels of the first color is greater than a ratio of a number of pixels of each color of the second color.
US09100555B2

A system and a method are disclosed for a hybrid mode re-driver which, among other advantages, reduces power consumption while maintaining signal integrity. Equalization is performed on a signal to remove distortions such as inter-symbol interference. The signal is then analyzed and the quality of the signal is assessed. In some cases, retiming is then performed on the signal to remove additional signal distortions. In other cases, retiming is not performed and is transmitted to a driver while bypassing retiming components. When retiming components are bypassed, the retiming components are placed in a state of reduced power consumption to reduce system power consumption.
US09100553B2

A method for measuring critical dimension (CD) includes steps of: scanning at least one area of interest of a die to obtain at least one scanned image; aligning the scanned image to at least one designed layout pattern to identify a plurality of borders within the scanned image; and averaging distances each measured from the border or the plurality of borders of a pattern associated with a specific type of CD corresponding to the designed layout pattern to obtain a value of CD of the die. The value of critical dimensions of dies can be obtained from the scanned image with lower resolution which is obtained by relatively higher scanning speed, so the above-mentioned method can obtain value of CD for every die within entire wafer to monitor the uniformity of the semiconductor manufacturing process within an acceptable inspection time.
US09100551B2

A system for distributing digital content includes two or more digital content sources. Each source has a separate session manager that is distinct from other session managers associated with other digital content sources. The system further includes at least one set of network resources that receive digital content from the two or more digital content sources, modulate the digital content onto a carrier signal suitable for transmission over an access network, and transmit the carrier signal over the access network. The system also includes a receiving device for terminating the carrier signal. The receiving device generates a digital content stream corresponding to the digital content from the two or more digital content sources. The system further includes a policy server for allocating bandwidth of the network resources to the digital content sources, and for monitoring a utilization state of the network resources.
US09100534B2

The present invention relates to a system for life-size video conferencing provided in studio having a local conferee space (100). The video conferencing system comprises an optical input unit (30), an optical output unit (40), a screen (60), a network unit (34) and a transparent barrier (38). The transparent barrier (38) is arranged to seal and protect the video conferencing system from the local conference space (100) and the screen (60) is provided skewed, with an angle a in relation to the optical output unit (40), between the transparent barrier (38) and the optical output unit (40) in such a way that it totally reflects the image (31) of the local conference space into the optical input unit (30) and is transparent for a conferee sitting in the local conference space (100) and viewing the optical output unit (40). The optical input unit (30) is a camera provided with a lens system in form of an inverted telescope.
US09100530B2

An image processing apparatus includes an identifier identifying, for each pixel in the frame image, minimum pixel values for each color component from pixel values of surrounding pixels for each color component. The surrounding pixels are positioned around the pixel. The identifier also identifies, as a common pixel value, a minimum value in the minimum pixel values identified for each color component. The apparatus further includes a generator generating a preprocessed image which can be obtained by replacing a pixel value of each pixel in the frame image with the common pixel value identified for the pixel by the identifier, a low pass filter generating a first subframe image by applying a low-pass filter to the preprocessed image, and a subtractor generating, as a second subframe image, a difference image between the frame image and the first subframe image.
US09100526B2

A power supply control device includes a monitoring controller, a moving body detector, and a power supply controller. The monitoring controller controls a processor, an interface part, and an identification information acquisition part. The moving body detector detects whether or not a moving body including a user who intends to use the processor exists within a specific region. The power supply controller individually allows objects to be controlled including the processor, the interface part, the identification information acquisition part, and the monitoring controller to enter a power supply state or a power interruption state in an independent manner, in accordance with detection information by the moving body detector, and first controls the identification information acquisition part to be shifted from the power interruption state to the power supply state in a case where all the objects to be controlled are in the power interruption state.
US09100523B2

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit configured to feed stacked sheets, a detection unit configured to detect, from a side opposite the sheet feeding unit, sheet movement with respect to the stacked sheets, and a determination unit configured to determine that a sheet being fed by the sheet feeding unit is a last sheet.
US09100519B2

A data processing apparatus includes a browsing portion to display a display area of content on a display portion, and a gesture event determining portion to determine a gesture event on the basis of position(s) designated by a user on a display surface of the display portion. The browsing portion includes a display area determining portion to determine a display area on the basis of the gesture event, a capture area determining portion to determine a capture area including the display area, a captured image generating portion to generate a captured image corresponding to the capture area on the basis of the content, a temporary memory control portion to temporarily store the captured image, a display image generating portion to generate a display image corresponding to the display area on the basis of the captured image, and a display control portion to display the display image on the display portion.
US09100478B1

An IVR dialer creation method and system is described that creates new IVR dialers from recorded conversations between users and target IVR systems. An IVR dialer creation server and/or an IVR dialer application records each channel communications between a user and a target IVR system. The IVR system times target IVR system messages, and converts the times into pauses for the IVR dialer. The IVR system speech recognition determines the content of target IVR system messages. The IVR system analyzes user DTMF tones or voice responses to queries from the target IVR server. The IVR system determines which of the user responses are generic for the functional task performed and which pertain to user-specific information. The IVR system then builds the new IVR dialer from the pauses and user responses leaving open the possibility for the input of user-specific information during a later communication with the target IVR system.
US09100466B2

A method for processing an audio signal is described comprising receiving a first audio signal via a first receiving path comprising a first microphone; receiving a second audio signal via a second receiving path comprising a second microphone; and performing echo suppression of the first audio signal based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal.
US09100456B2

Provided is a waiting ticket operating system, comprising a user NFC terminal for storing and displaying waiting ticket information; a waiting ticket server for generating the waiting ticket information depending on the user NFC terminal's request and transmitting a waiting status to the user NFC terminal at regular intervals as the numerical order is updated; and a smart branch installed at a predetermined position and linked with the waiting ticket server to supply updated waiting ticket information, whereby it is advantageous that the number of a waiting ticket and the information about a waiting status are received and displayed in the user's mobile terminal, using a wireless communication network, so that the availability of the mobile terminal can be improved, and when a waiting time increases, other simple necessary affairs can be conducted, thereby enabling the user to conveniently use the mobile terminal.
US09100451B2

A mediation method and a mediation system divided into independent node components that process event records independently of the other components of the system. In addition, the system is provided with at least one node manager component that configures the node components and starts them up, when required. Further, the node manager component monitors the functioning of the node components and also stops the node components, if required. Each of the independent node components operates according to its own settings and is thus self-contained and capable of continuing operation even though some of the other components are temporarily inoperative. The system comprises also a system database that manages configuration information and stores audit trail data.
US09100441B2

An IP address assigning method is provided. Firstly, an IP address request packet containing a media access control address is transmitted to a DHCP server. The IP address request packet is analyzed, so that the media access control address is acquired. Then, at least one address forwarding table of at least one network switch is acquired. Then, the address forwarding table is analyzed according to the media access control address, so that an assigned number of a port of the network switch is acquired. Then, a predetermined IP address listed in an IP address assigning table is assigned to the network device according to the assigned number of the port of the network switch. Afterwards, the media access control address and/or the assigned IP address is recorded in a field of the IP address assigning table corresponding to the assigned number of the port of the network switch.
US09100434B2

According to one embodiment, a Web page falsification detection apparatus, a dynamic information falsification determination module determines whether extracted dynamic information corresponds to dynamic characteristic information, and extracts a plurality of static information items. A second generation module couples the extracted static information items, and generates second static characteristic information. A static information falsification determination module determines whether first static characteristic information matches with the generated second static characteristic information, and transmits the Web page information to a user terminal.
US09100433B2

A communication control apparatus (1) is connected to a router (6) and a terminal device (4), and upon receiving prefix information transmitted from the router (6) by a router advertisement, stores the prefix information. In a case where prefix information of a transmission source address or a destination address, which is included in the received communication packet, is different from the stored prefix information, the communication control apparatus (1) blocks the communication packet, and in a case where the prefix information of the transmission source address or the destination address, which is included in the received communication packet, is the stored prefix information, the communication control apparatus (1) allows passing of the communication packet. In such a way, an unauthorized communication packet can be blocked appropriately under an IPv6 network environment.
US09100430B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for network risk assessment. One of the methods includes accessing information describing network traffic between network devices. A network topology of the network is determined based on the information describing network traffic, where the network topology includes nodes connected by an edge to one or more other nodes, and each node is associated with a network device and each edge represents two nodes that can communicate with each other. User account access information indicating access rights and/or access records may be overlaid on the network topology and the system can provide various visualizations of the network topology to illustrate security risks associated with specific user accounts or nodes, identify compromise values/likelihoods/risks of particular user accounts and/or network accounts, and identify network segmentation issues, among others.
US09100429B2

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for analyzing the vulnerability of a wireless local area network (LAN). The apparatus includes a collection unit, an analysis unit, and an attack unit. The collection unit collects packets transmitted and received in a wireless LAN service. The analysis unit analyzes the state of a network using the collected packets. The attack unit makes a wireless attack against an attack target using the state of the network, and controls the mode switching of a device driver based on an operating mode.
US09100422B1

Different network segments can have overlapping address spaces. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a distributed agent of a security system receiving a security event from a network device monitored by the agent. In one embodiment, the agent normalizes the security event into an event schema including one or more zone fields. In one embodiment, the agent also determines one or more zones associated with the received security event, the one or more zones each describing a part of a network, and populates the one or more zone fields using the determined one or more zones.
US09100418B2

A system and method for adaptively verifying data in resource constrain systems. The adaptive data verification mechanism employs the proper mode of verification adaptively to balance cost/performance requirements plus security requirements. The algorithm uses a belief level for the validity of a received message, and assigns the belief level to a scale between a bona fide message at one end of the scale and a malicious message at an opposite end of the scale. Depending where on the scale the belief level falls determines which validation mode will be used to authenticate the message. In an alternate embodiment, the belief level relative to a scale and the amount of data waiting to be processed in a buffer are both used to determine which mode will be used to validate the message.
US09100415B2

A device in a provider network receives a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) request message from an originating device, where the SIP request message includes a general number for a voicemail service and where the voicemail service includes multiple voicemail systems. The device determines whether the originating device is associated with a voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) account on the provider network and, when the originating device is associated with a VoIP account, selects a direct access number assigned to a voicemail system, from the multiple voicemail systems in the network, that services the VoIP account. The device also associates the direct access number and the SIP request message, and forwards, based on the direct access number, the SIP request message to an application server.
US09100414B2

A method and apparatus for providing a reliable Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML) over packet networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) network are disclosed. For example, a service provider may utilize a plurality of content servers that can be accessed by at least one telephony browser. The telephony browser can reach the content browsers directly as well as through a shared server that may load balance among the content servers. When a request for a VXML content, e.g., a VXML application, is received, the telephony browser sends the request to the shared server. If the request fails or a response is not received prior to expiration of a predetermined time interval, then the telephony browser sends a second request directly to one of the content servers that is capable of providing the requested content.
US09100413B2

A system and method for selectively securing data from unauthorized access on a client device storing a plurality of data types with reference to an authorization level indicated in a command. A command is received at a client device comprising an authorization level indicator. Based on at least one predefined rule, which may be implemented in an IT policy stored at the client device, each of the plurality of data types to be secured is determined, and then the data corresponding to those types is secured. The data may be secured by encrypting and/or deleting the data at the client device. The predefined rules associated with each authorization level may be configured by a user or administrator having an authorization level that exceeds the associated authorization level.
US09100410B2

A method includes determining if a server supporting an application and a client having remote desktop access to the server are on a same physical computing device. Upon determining that the server and the client are on the same physical computing device, graphics data related to the application is stored from the server to shared memory that is accessible by the server and by the client. Information to enable the client to retrieve the graphics data stored by the server in the shared memory is communicated from the server to the client.
US09100407B2

In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a communication apparatus includes a communication unit configured to send and receive messages on a network. Each message has a message header configured to include a plurality of header fields, where the message header includes a suppression header field that indicates a request to suppress at least one header field in at least one subsequently sent or received message. The communication apparatus is configured to establish a suppressed header field message exchange session with a peer on the network so that at least one subsequent message exchanged between the communication apparatus and the peer is free of at least one suppressible header field.
US09100394B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for linking a computer device to a session that is being conducted on another computing device are disclosed. A content-generation session may be conducted by a user on a particular computing device. As part of the content-generation session, the user may request to add other content, which may be located on a different computing device, to content being authored during the content-generation session. Information to allow the different computing device to establish a link to the content-generation session may be generated. Using that information, a link may be automatically established between the different computing device and the content-generation session, such that the other content residing on the different computing device can be associated with the content-generation session.
US09100392B2

An approach is provided for authenticating and/or identifying a user through machine-transferrable one-time password codes. A user device sends to an authentication platform a request for a one-time password for authenticating a user at a relying party device. A machine readable form of the one-time password deliverable to the relying party device over an air gap between the user device and the relying party device is determined and transmitted. The relying party device reverts the machine readable form back to the one-time password, and transmits the one-time password to the authentication platform to authenticate the user device.
US09100385B1

Techniques are described for managing and synchronizing media content information. In one example, a method includes receiving media content information that identifies media content of the first client device, and receiving update information that includes an indication of a modification of at least a portion of the media content from the first client device, the update information conforming to a first information protocol utilized by a media management software application of the first client device. The method may also include transforming the update information to conform to a second information protocol utilized by a media management software application of a second client device, and sending the transformed update information to the second client device, the transformed update information enabling the second media management software application of the second client device to update media content of the second client device.
US09100371B2

A highly scalable application network appliance is described herein. According to one embodiment, a network element includes a switch fabric, a first service module coupled to the switch fabric, and a second service module coupled to the first service module over the switch fabric. In response to packets of a network transaction received from a client over a first network to access a server of a data center having multiple servers over a second network, the first service module is configured to perform a first portion of OSI (open system interconnection) compatible layers of network processes on the packets while the second service module is configured to perform a second portion of the OSI compatible layers of network processes on the packets. The first portion includes at least one OSI compatible layer that is not included in the second portion. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US09100368B2

Systems and methods for providing registration at a remote site that may include, for example, a monitoring module that may communicate with a remote site. A registration protocol may be used by the monitoring module and the remote site in generating the messages communicated during the registration process. The monitoring module may gather and generate various identification information to be included in the registration protocol messages. The registration information provided by the monitoring module maybe stored at the remote site in a database server having a database. A confirmation message may be communicated from the remote site to the monitoring module that may either acknowledge successful registration or report that an error occurred during the registration process.
US09100358B2

Systems and methods for sorting electronic messages using attributes of senders or of sender addresses. An electronic messaging server sorts electronic messages using attributes associated with the senders or sender addresses of the electronic messages. The sender addresses and associated attributes are stored in an accept list. A sorting module uses the accept list to sort the electronic messages into various folders. The sorting module can also access other data sources, such as a contact list, to assist in sorting the electronic messages. The attributes can be determined independently of the user or can be set directly by the user. The attributes can also identify a status of a sender such as whether the sender is authorized, unauthorized, or unconfirmed.
US09100353B2

A management method for a cloud server for managing IP addresses hostnames, network topology mapping and task synchronization of cloud hosts. The cloud server assigns a temporary IP addresses to host for performing a system boot up and installation task upon a host starting to perform a system boot up and installation task. As the system boot up and the installation task at the host proceeds to a stage, the cloud server receives requests from hosts via a DNS inquiry instruction, and replying the mapping table of a hostnames and a fixed IP addresses to the host via a DNS answer.
US09100352B2

The embodiments of the present invention provide a method, a device, and a system for forwarding a packet. The method includes: receiving an IPv6 packet sent by a gateway, and obtaining a flow label of the IPv6 packet, where the flow label of the IPv6 packet is corresponding to a link identity of customer premise equipment in one-to-one correspondence; decapsulating the IPv6 packet; performing network address translation on a decapsulated packet according to the flow label; and forwarding the decapsulated packet according to a translated network address. When multiple links between the gateway and an AFTR are corresponding to the same tunnel for network address translation, in the case that IP addresses of terminal users are overlapping or are the same, different terminal users can be distinguished, so that a terminal user that sends a packet can receive feedback, thus improving customer satisfaction.
US09100342B1

A network device may receive network traffic from a first device. The network device may identify, based on the network traffic and a service level agreement, stored by the network device, that a service is to be applied to the network traffic. The network device may send the network traffic to a second device, the second device using a service plane to apply the service to the network traffic. The network device may receive the network traffic from the second device, the network traffic having the service applied by the second device; and send the network traffic, having the service applied by the second device, to a third device.
US09100341B2

An approach provides virtual circuit protection. Traffic is received at a network interface device configured to interface an Ethernet virtual circuit of a service provider transport network over a user network interface (UNI). The network interface device is configured as a demarcation point between a customer network and the service provider transport network. Circuit replication is performed over the virtual circuit to create a plurality of communication paths over the virtual circuit by assigning respective tags for independently switching the traffic over the communication paths. One of the communication paths is designated as a standby communication path.
US09100332B2

A data transmitting device divides application data into packets, transmits the packets, and continuously carries out packet transmission while receiving acknowledgement from a receiving device of the transmitted packets. The application data to be transmitted is stored in a data storage area of a data storage unit. The data is read from the data storage area, a sequence number is set, and the data is transmitted as the packet. If the read data is within a predetermined length from an end of the application data, a copy of the read data is saved in a temporary buffer area of the data storage unit. When data of a sequence number before that of first data of next application data is to be transmitted after transmission of the next application data is started, the data is read from the temporary buffer area of the data storage unit.
US09100331B2

A method for establishing an Ethernet communication link of a digital protective relay having at least two communication ports, includes: configuring physical layers of a first communication port and a second communication port; determining whether or not auto-negotiation with respect to the first communication port or the second communication port is successful; and replacing configuration information regarding one of physical layers of the first communication port and the second communication port with configuration information regarding the other of the physical layers of the first communication port and the second communication port according to whether or not the auto-negotiation with respect to the first communication port and the second communication port has been successful. Although Ethernet ports of the digital protective relay are connected without priority, the digital protective relay may perform the same operation.
US09100326B1

A method for analyzing an application protocol of a network. The method includes extracting non-alphanumeric tokens from conversations of the network, selecting frequently occurring non-alphanumeric token as a field delimiter candidate for dividing each conversation into a slice-set, analyzing slice-sets of the conversations to determine a statistical measure of matched slices for each conversation, and -o determine a field delimiter candidate score by aggregating the statistical measure of matched slices for all conversations, and selecting the non-alphanumeric token as the field delimiter of the protocol based on the field delimiter candidate score associated with the non-alphanumeric token.
US09100324B2

In one embodiment, a method for electronically analyzing packets using a packet analyzing apparatus includes receiving one or more data packets via a first interface port, wherein the one or more data packets comprises a full packet that may include a payload, determining whether the full packet is part of an existing permitted connection, and if so, determining whether the full packet contains a payload, and if the full packet of the existing permitted connection does not contain a payload, transmitting data indicative of the full packet via the second interface port to an industrial machine control.
US09100315B2

Technology for asynchronous communication including a wired channel, a sender controller, and a receiver controller is disclosed. The sender controller can be configured to send multiple request signals up to a predefined limit on the output request port paired with multiple data blocks sent on the data before receiving an acknowledgment signal on the output acknowledge port. At least one combination of any of the input channel, the sender controller, the output channel, and the receiver controller can be configured to operate within at least one time constraint to avoid stalling an asynchronous flow control.
US09100311B2

A system and method include determining, by a processing device, a first duration of usage of a hardware resource on which a virtual machine is instantiated in a cloud, determining, by the processing device from the virtual machine on the cloud, a second duration of usage of a software resource that is utilized by a user on the virtual machine, the software resource comprising at least part of an operating system, and calculating, by the processing device, a usage of the cloud by the user in view of the first duration and the second duration.
US09100310B2

Usage information is received that describes usage of communication services by a communications device. The usage information is compared to monitoring criteria. When the monitoring criteria are satisfied, an electronic notification message is sent to the communications device before an additional charge is incurred.
US09100302B2

Differences in the way a network and a host operating system handle multicast traffic is used to create a passive monitoring construct that measures both multicast availability and isolation. In one aspect, a computer registers a multicast group with a network to multicast a simple heartbeat message; consumer computers look for this heartbeat to detect multicast failures. In another aspect, a heartbeat is generated on the same multicast group that is being monitored but on a different port than the application traffic for this multicast group. The network routes the heartbeat packets identically to those of the application data but the heartbeat packets are instead delivered to a monitoring process and not the end application on arrival at the consumer computer. A correlating computer serves as a stateful warehouse of all multicast publisher and consumer information using information obtained by client-side agents. Using information of who is publishing and who the consumers in the various parts of the network actually see, island detection and network failures can be detected.
US09100274B1

A configurable advertisement count and skew timer in a virtual router can be used to improve the speed with which a backup virtual router assumes the role of master upon the master router's failure. Enhanced VRRP packets having a type other than one may be used to cause MAC address movement from a failed master router to a backup router assuming the role of master router without placing an undue load on other routers in the network, such as by dropping the enhanced VRRP packets having a type other than one without processing the packets in the control plane of a receiving virtual router.
US09100271B2

A routing method, apparatus, and communications system are provided. A routing method is applied to a network shared by multiple operators. The method includes: when receiving a service request message of a user terminal, obtaining, according to the shared resources occupied by the user terminal, the information about the operator to which the occupied shared resources belong from the resource configuration database; and matching the routing information in the connection route list according to the information about the operator to which the occupied shared resources belong, and forwarding the service request message according to successfully matched routing information. With the technical solutions, the operator to which the shared resources belong can charge for the call services of the user terminal.
US09100265B2

A transmitter includes a first digital up-converter for converting data to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, a pulse width modulator (PWM) for encoding the IF signal to an IF pulse train, a second digital up-converter for converting the IF pulse train to a radio frequency (RF) pulse train, a power amplifier for amplifying the RF pulse train; and a filter for reconstructing a RF analog signal from the amplified RF pulse train.
US09100263B2

A distortion compensation apparatus for performing distortion compensation processing by applying the inverse properties of distortion properties of the power amplifier to a transmission signal to be input to a power amplifier, includes a plurality of distortion compensation coefficient storage units configured to store a plurality of distortion compensation coefficients used for the distortion compensation processing, an offset correction processing unit configured to subject the distortion compensation coefficient stored in each of the plurality of distortion compensation coefficient storage units to offset correction processing, and to generate distortion compensation coefficients in the case that the offset correction processing has not been performed, corresponding to plurality of distortion compensation coefficient storage units, in a pseudo manner and a distortion compensation processing unit configured to subject the transmission signal to the distortion compensation processing based on the distortion compensation coefficients generated in a pseudo manner.
US09100258B2

A detection process for a receiver of a wireless communication system based on Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antennas (nT, nR), said receiver processing observations symbols y derived from symbols x transmitted by an emitter through a channel H; characterized in that it involves: —a preprocessing which only depends on the channel H, said preprocessing involving: —a first QRD decomposition (61) for the purpose of decomposing said channel H into two Qext and Rext matrices, with QextHQext=/and Rext being upper triangular; —a lattice reduction (62) for the purpose of generating Qext, Rext and a transformation matrix T; —a second QRD decomposition (63) applied on the matrix Rext T−1 for the purpose of generating two matrixes Q′ext and R′ext, —a loading phase (64, 65, 66) comprising a linear detection process of the observations y for the purpose of generating a value xcenter; —a neighborhood search (67-70) performed in the Original Domain Neighborhood (ODN) with a search center being equal to the result xcenter of said loading phase, said neighborhood search determining a limited number of symbols (K-best).
US09100249B2

A system configured to provide one or more virtual spaces that are accessible to users. The virtual spaces may be provided such that an enhanced level of interactivity between the virtual spaces and the Web, including resources that communicate with the system via the Internet (e.g., via users, websites, webpages, other web resources, etc.) and/or other networks. To provide this enhanced level of interactivity, the system may enable interactions between an instance of a virtual space and the Web (e.g., queries, commands, communication, administrative controls, etc.) via a standard web protocol, such as a HyperText Transfer Protocol (e.g., http, https, etc.) and/or other standard web protocols. Since interactions take place between the instance of the virtual space and the Web via a standard web protocol, the instance of the virtual space may interact directly with Web resources such as web servers, web browsers, websites, webpages, and/or other Web resources.
US09100248B2

A method and system for extending the capabilities of resource-constrained embedded devices by leveraging the memory and processing resources of clients such as web browsers (“clients”) installed on host computational devices (“host computers”). The embedded device delegates computational tasks such as generation of content (e.g., user interfaces, reports, configuration files, etc.) to clients and acts as a simple file and data server. The embedded device provides static resource files to each client, including static template files and a client processing engine. The client processing engine: interprets processing instructions contained in static template files; utilizes managed communication channels to exchange dynamic data sets with the embedded device in real-time; generates various forms of content by processing, transforming, manipulating, and aggregating dynamic data sets and static resource files; and reads and writes arbitrarily large files from and to the host computer, overcoming resource limitations of the embedded device.
US09100246B1

Distributed application virtualization provides for the distribution, configuration and control of multiple application components, layered file systems, and configuration settings that may be applied on top of an operating system of each system configured to work in conjunction with other systems within a single distributed virtualization layer. A distributed software virtualization manager or service handles communication between systems within each distributed virtual layer. One distributed virtualization operation activates components, selected based on user-defined parameters, on systems across the network belonging to a selected distributed virtual application layer. Other virtualization operations, whether local and/or distributed, include capturing file system and configuration activity associated with the detected event and storing data representative of the captured file system and configuration activity to a virtual layer, such as a local or distributed application layer.
US09100221B2

Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system include a host system structured and arranged to receive and deliver messages of various types between users of the communications system. The host system includes an instant messaging network; a mail gateway; and a configuring network in communication with both the instant messaging network and the mail gateway. The instant messaging network enables instant messaging communication between users of the communications system and has the capability to monitor whether a certain user is capable of receiving an instant message at a particular moment. The mail gateway receives and delivers e-mail messages to users of the communications system. The configuring network is dedicated to automatically configuring instant messaging communication between an intended recipient of an e-mail message and the sender of the e-mail message.
US09100217B2

Apparatus, systems and methods for receiving one or more input signals and providing output signals in various video, audio, data and mixed formats are described. One or more input processors receive the input signals. Each of the input processors provides one or more packetized signals corresponding to one or more of the input signals received at the input processor. Each output processor can receive one or more packetized signals and generate one or more output signals. The output signals correspond to one or more of the input signals, additional locally generated signals or data relating to the signals or any combination of such signals. Use of a packet router according to the invention allows input signals encoded as one set of packetized signals to be recombined to provide additional packetized signals incorporating the same or different combinations of the packetized signals.
US09100210B2

Multiple gateway devices communicating between a device level ring (DLR) network and a spanning tree (ST) network may be provided a gateway protocol that cooperatively ensures that only a single gateway is active at a given time. This cooperation may be effected by the transmission of advertise messages by gateways, the advertise messages holding precedence values so that only a single gateway having a highest precedence value is active at a given time. Loss of the advertise messages may trigger a gateway held in a backup state to assume an active gateway role.
US09100207B2

The present disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for mapping components of an automation system. More particularly, the present disclosure includes systems, devices, and methods for intelligently controlling one or more energy-consuming devices in a structure such as a residential, commercial, or industrial building. One embodiment includes a method of identifying a location of at least one component of an automation system, comprising obtaining an image of the at least one component, the image being captured by a wireless device; determining a location of the wireless device at the time of capturing the image; determining an identity of the at least one component; and associating the identity of the at least one component with the location.
US09100198B2

A provider edge bridge in a service provider network receives multiple media access control (MAC) Registration Protocol (MMRP) registration messages from customer networks via tunnels. The provider edge bridge snoops the MMRP registration messages to obtain multicast MAC addresses from the registration messages, and tunnels the MMRP registration messages toward one or more other bridges. The provider edge bridge constructs multicast forwarding tables based on the multicast addresses obtained from snooping the MMRP registrations, and uses the multicast forwarding tables for forwarding data units from the provider edge bridge towards destinations.
US09100191B2

A method for forming a digital certificate includes receiving contact information associated with the digital certificate. The contact information includes at least a name, a mailing address, and an email address. The method also includes receiving billing information associated with the digital certificate and receiving a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for the digital certificate. The method further includes receiving a first name for use in forming the digital certificate and receiving a second name for use in forming the digital certificate. Moreover, the method includes receiving an indication of a vendor of web server software, receiving an indication of a service period for the digital certificate, and forming the digital certificate. The first name is stored in a Subject field of the digital certificate and the second name is stored in the SubjectAltName extension of the digital certificate.
US09100189B2

Embodiments include methods for securely provisioning copies of an electronic circuit. A first entity embeds one or more secret values into copies of the circuit. A second entity: 1) embeds a trust anchor in a first copy of the circuit; 2) causes the circuit to generate a message signing key pair using the trust anchor and the embedded secret value(s); 3) signs provisioning code using a code signing private key; and 4) sends a corresponding code signing public key, the trust anchor, and the signed provisioning code to a third entity. The third entity embeds the trust anchor in a second copy of the circuit and causes the circuit to: 1) generate the message signing private key; 2) verify the signature of the signed provisioning code using the code signing public key; and 3) launch the provisioning code on the circuit.
US09100188B2

Apparatuses, computer readable media, methods, and systems are described for generating and communicating a create measured virtual machine (VM) request, the request comprising a network address of a boot server, initiating establishment of a secure tunnel with a measured VM, receiving a quote from the measured VM, and determining, by a processor, whether the measured VM is authentic based on the quote.
US09100187B2

According to one embodiment, a method for authenticating a device, wherein the device holds secret identification information, encrypted secret identification information, and key management information, and an authenticator holds an identification key, the method includes reading, by the authenticator, the encrypted secret identification information and the key management information from the device, and obtaining, by the authenticator, a family key by using the key management information, the family key being capable of being decrypted with the identification key. The method further includes obtaining, by the authenticator, the secret identification information by decrypting the encrypted secret identification information with the family key.
US09100180B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for retransmission based on forward error correction. The method includes: when received source data packets loss occurs, judging whether all of the lost source data payloads can be decoded by using the received source data payloads and check data; if all of the lost source data payloads cannot be decoded, determining needed source data symbols for decoding all of the lost source data payloads by using the received source data payloads and the check data; and requesting for retransmitting the needed source data symbols.
US09100179B2

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate techniques for managing respective original transmissions and re-transmissions of information within a wireless communication system. Various mechanisms are described herein for processing a new data indicator (NDI) associated with respective transmissions conducted for one or more Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) processes. For example, for a HARQ process shared between distinct scheduling schemes, an NDI associated with a latter transmission can be regarded as toggled irrespective of the value of the NDI upon recognizing that a utilized scheduling scheme (e.g., as indicated via a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) or the like) has changed between successive transmissions (e.g., from semi-persistent scheduling to dynamic scheduling), thereby allowing processing of the latter transmission as a transmission of new data. As additionally described herein, various techniques are described herein for NDI processing in the case of uplink grant and downlink assignment transmission.
US09100178B2

A method and apparatus are described for transmitting and receiving uplink control information. A base station transmits allocation information to a user equipment. The allocation information allocates a plurality of physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission resources, which include a plurality of reference signal (RS) resources, to the user equipment. Each of the PUCCH transmission resources is configured by a combination of an information resource and a reference signal (RS) resource. Positive acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information, an RS and additional control information are received by the base station from the user equipment through a specific information resource and a specific RS resource among the plurality of PUCCH transmission resources. A state of the additional control information is indicated based on a selection made by the user equipment of the specific RS resource to which the RS is transmitted, among the plurality of RS resources.
US09100175B2

A module with an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC) can include a profile for the eUICC. The profile can include a first and second shared secret key K for authenticating with a wireless network. The first shared secret key K can be encrypted with a first key, and the second shared secret key K can be encrypted with a second key. The module can (i) receive the first key, (ii) decrypt the first shared secret key K with the first key, and (iii) subsequently authenticate with the wireless network using the plaintext first shared secret key K. The wireless network can authenticate the user of the module using a second factor. The module can then (i) receive the second key, (ii) decrypt the second shared secret key K, and (iii) authenticate with the wireless network using the second shared secret key K. The module can comprise a mobile phone.
US09100171B1

A secure communication forum is established through use of a network resource that is available to a host user and one or more forum users. The host user is validated and assigned a master key for his or her forum. Individual users who are to participate in the forum are assigned users keys that are validated with the master key. The forum is maintained for ongoing use for the users.
US09100169B2

A system and method for channel state information feedback in wireless communications systems are provided. A method for reporting channel information includes determining, at a user equipment, a channel information type for first channel information to be reported to a communications controller, determining the first channel information conditioned on previously reported channel information and on the channel information type, and reporting the first channel information, the channel information type, or a combination thereof, to the communications controller.
US09100163B2

According to an embodiment, a transmitter is described comprising an input configured to receive a plurality of symbols to be transmitted and a timing circuit configured to associate each symbol with a symbol transmission period of a predefined sequence of symbol transmission periods, wherein the symbol transmission periods of the sequence of symbol transmission periods are at least partially different.
US09100154B1

A method of one AP accessing a channel occupied by a neighboring AP within CCA range, by acquiring channel knowledge via performing cooperative sounding and setting a null towards the neighboring AP, under certain conditions verifications, is provided herein. The method may include: transmitting and receive signals via a plurality of radio circuitries connected to plurality of antennas; monitoring signals received by the radio circuitries and generating a list of neighboring co-channel access points that each has plurality of antennas and are further located within a clear channel assessment (CCA) range of the access point; and instructing the radio circuitries to transmit a sounding sequence to the list of neighboring access points, and receive Channel State Information (CSI).
US09100153B2

A method for iteratively decoding a set of encoded samples received from a transmission channel is provided. A data signal indicative of a noise level of the transmission channel is received. A scaling factor is then determined in dependence upon the data signal and the encoded samples are scaled using the scaling factor. The scaled encoded samples are then iteratively decoded. Furthermore, a method for initializing edge memories is provided. During an initialization phase initialization symbols are received from a node of a logic circuitry and stored in a respective edge memory. The initialization phase is terminated when the received symbols occupy a predetermined portion of the edge memory. An iterative process is executed using the logic circuitry storing output symbols received from the node in the edge memory and a symbol is retrieved from the edge memory and provided as output symbol of the node. Yet further an architecture for a high degree variable node is provided. A plurality of sub nodes forms a variable node for performing an equality function in an iterative decoding process. Internal memory is interposed between the sub nodes such that the internal memory is connected to an output port of a respective sub node and to an input port of a following sub node, the internal memory for providing a chosen symbol if a respective sub node is in a hold state, and wherein at least two sub nodes share a same internal memory.
US09100142B2

A synchronous data transmission system for transmission of data between two communication partners, of which one serves as a transmitter and one as a receiver, comprising a clock signal producer which produces a transmission clock signal with a transmission clock signal rate from the transmitter to the receiver, which during the occurrence of one of the events equals an event specific transmission clock signal rate associated with the arising event and during an event free period of time equals a fundamental clock rate different of all event specific transmission clock signal rates.
US09100137B2

A method and system for reducing crosstalk among subcarriers of a super-channel may apply a frequency shift to selected intermediate subcarrier bands upon optical modulation. The frequency shift may be applied to equally spaced optical frequencies between a first optical frequency and a last optical frequency respectively corresponding to two end subcarrier bands that define a fixed bandwidth of the super-channel. The frequency shift may result in the intermediate subcarrier bands being optically modulated at variably spaced optical frequencies within the fixed bandwidth of the super-channel.
US09100134B2

Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, are described for synchronization of shared initial filter criteria in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. A first computing device in the IMS network transmits a registration request to a second computing device in the IMS network. The first computing device receives a response to the registration request from the second computing device, including an identifier associated with a shared initial filter criteria set stored at the first computing device. The first computing device determines whether the shared initial filter criteria set corresponding to the identifier is stored at the first computing device and transmits a retrieval request to the second computing device if the shared initial filter criteria set corresponding to the identifier is not stored. The first computing device receives the shared initial filter criteria set from the second computing device, and stores the shared initial filter criteria set.
US09100104B2

An aircraft includes a first electrical connector configured to couple with a first power cable, a first data communication network and a first modem coupled to first electrical connector and first data communication network and is configured to transmit data received at first electrical connector through first power cable to first data communication network and to transmit data from first data communication network to first power cable through first electrical connector. The aircraft additionally includes a second electrical connector configured to couple with a second power cable, a second data communication network and a second modem coupled to second electrical connector and to second data communication network and is configured to transmit data received at second electrical connector through second power cable to second data communication network and to transmit data from second data communication network to second power cable through second electrical connector.
US09100098B2

Disclosed is a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal of the present invention comprises: a front case having a keypad-accommodating portion; a rear case attachably/detachably coupled to a rear surface of the front case; an intermediate case which is interposed between the front case and the rear case and assembled to the front case and the rear case, and at one side of which a main PCB is assembled; a keypad having a plurality of key buttons and made of a flexible material, accommodated in the keypad-accommodating portion of the front case; and a touch screen arranged on the front case in the vicinity of the keypad. As the mobile terminal of the present invention has both the keypad and the touch screen, operating convenience is improved in terms of storage, maintenance and information management as compared to conventional mobile terminals.
US09100095B2

Embodiments of system and method for coordination among neighboring networks for communications over shared physical medium are provided. In one aspect, a method comprises determining, by a first domain master of a first network domain, a first number of network nodes of the first network domain that interfere with data transmission on the physical medium by at least one network node of at least one other network domain, or a second number of network nodes of the at least one other network domain that interfere with data transmission on the physical medium by at least one network node of the first network domain. The method further comprises causing, by the first domain master, one or more network nodes of the first network domain to transmit data during one of a plurality of non-overlapping time slots of a MAC cycle.
US09100090B2

Embodiments are directed towards providing acoustic echo cancellation in a closely-coupled microphone/speaker system. A speaker may produce an audible signal from a reference signal, which may be captured with a microphone. Full band cancellation (FBC) may modify the captured signal to suppress an echo of the reference signal caused by a direct acoustic path between the microphone and speaker. FBC may include a fixed filter and an adaptive filter. The fixed filter may modify the captured signal based on the reference signal. The adaptive filter may automatically adapt based on the captured signal and the reference signal. If a comparison of a performance of the adaptive filter and the fixed filter is above a threshold, then the fixed filter may be updated based on the adaptive filter. Subband acoustic echo cancellation may generate an output signal that suppresses residual echoes of the reference signal based on the modified signal.
US09100089B1

A content caching process involves a first moving vessel (MCP) communicating a content request to a satellite. A central bandwidth manager (CBM) receives the content request from the satellite and selects one or both of a port and a second MCP to cache the content specified in the request. The first MCP downloads the content from the second MCP or port using a directed wireless link, upon obtaining proximity with the port or second MCP.
US09100086B1

A wireless communications basestation that utilizes a light weight high directivity electronically-steerable antenna mounted on an aircraft to providing relay broadband communication service among mobile units in a geographic area is provided. The aircraft carries aloft the antenna; a radio and a switching device for routing. A gateway may also be provided to enable communications with a wide area network. A communication system for a geographic area utilizing the airborne wireless communications basestation is also presented. The system includes a number of user equipment units located in the geographic area in communication with the airborne wireless communications basestation. The user equipment units may utilize omni-directional antennas for low data rate communications, and/or a high directivity antenna.
US09100082B2

A radio communication system for a communication between a base station and a mobile terminal. The radio communication system repeats a signal transmitted from the base station at repeaters that are multistage-connected by a leaky coaxial cable. Each repeater converts a frequency of an input signal into a different frequency and outputs the frequency-converted signal to the leaky coaxial cable connected to the repeater. The repeaters are provided between the leaky coaxial cables connected in series.
US09100077B2

Disclosed is a sounding reference signal transmission method which is efficient in an uplink wireless telecommunications system using a multiple antenna technique and sounding reference signal hopping. A terminal is equipped with a plurality of antennas, and a base station receives the sounding reference signal transmitted from these antennas and estimates the uplink channel state of each antenna. The sounding reference signal performs frequency hopping so that the base station determines the channel condition for the entire bandwidth to which data is transmitted in the uplink system. In this environment, the sounding reference signal is transmitted through an antenna pattern through the entire data transmission bandwidth of the uplink system for each antenna of the terminal without additional overhead.
US09100064B2

A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and a circuit board carried by the housing. Radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor are carried by the housing and operative with each other. A Near Field Communications (NFC) circuit is connected to the processor for communicating using an NFC communications protocol. A magnetic sensor is supported by the housing and connected to the processor for sensing a magnetic field and generating a signal to the processor and in response, the processor activating the NFC circuit for transmitting or receiving data using the NFC communications protocol.
US09100051B2

Digital broadcasting transmission and reception devices and methods thereof are provided. The digital broadcasting transmission device includes a randomizer which randomizes a dual transport stream including a normal stream and a robust stream, a supplementary reference signal inserter which inserts a certain supplementary reference signal into a stuffing region included in the randomized dual transport stream, a Reed-Solomon (RS) encoder which adds a parity into a parity region included in the dual transport stream, a robust processor which configures a new dual transport stream by convolution-encoding the robust stream among the dual transport stream, an interleaver which interleaves the configured dual transport stream, a trellis encoder which trellis-encode the interleaved dual transport stream, and a modulator which transmits the trellis-encoded dual transport stream. Accordingly, a sub-channel can be provided in which the robust data and the supplementary reference signal will be transmitted.
US09100048B2

A method for transmitting a source binary sequence, including at least one source word, in a transmission channel. The method includes the following steps, for at least one source word: error-correcting encoding the source word, outputting a code word; matrix mapping the code word, distributing bits constituting the code word within at least two mapping matrices, which are reversible and observe a criterion of uniqueness in the cancellation of a syndrome associated with the code word; and consecutively transmitting the at least two mapping matrices.
US09100043B2

A method for converting a capacitance of a precision capacitor for measurement into a digital signal is described. According to a clocking in charging processes an integration capacitor, discharged before the start of conversion, of an integrator circuit is charged by electric current obtained from a charging of the precision capacitor and in discharge processes by brief current surges in the opposite direction which are obtained from a charging of a reference capacitor, with the result that on average no charge builds up, and the number of discharge processes in a particular number of clock pulses is counted. The clocking is paused after a predetermined number of cycles. A residual voltage is converted into a digital value and the counted number of discharge processes and the particular number of clock pulses are combined with the digital value emitted by the analog-to-digital voltage converter to form a digital total result.
US09100038B2

The present invention relates to a method of transmitting at least one current image portion, wherein the method comprises selecting a coding function from a finite set of coding functions by applying at least one choice function of a first type, said choice function or functions of said first type using already-decoded image data, coding the current image portion using the selected coding function, sending the coded image portion to a decoder, and sending to said decoder information describing the choice function or functions of said first type. The invention also relates to the corresponding decoding method.
US09100034B2

A digital-correction-type A/D converter which is a charge sharing type and performing successive approximation is realized in a small area. The A/D converter is configured with an A/D conversion unit which is a charge sharing type and performing successive approximation, a digital correction unit which receives a digital output of the A/D conversion unit and performs digital correction to the digital output, and a holding unit which holds a test signal. A test signal of a common value from the holding unit is inputted into the A/D conversion unit in the first period and the second period. The A/D conversion correction coefficient for the digital correction unit is calculated on the basis of the digital correction result of the digital correction unit in the first period, and the digital correction result of the digital correction unit in the second period.
US09100033B2

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using a digital power amplifier controller (DPAC) having forward-loop correction and feedback-loop correction. In an embodiment, the DPAC receives, via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital power-measurement signal from a power sensor coupled to an output of a power amplifier. The DPAC adjusts (e.g., linearizes) the digital power-measurement signal using a measurement-correction function for the sensor, and uses the adjusted digital power-measurement signal to generate a digital feedback signal, which the DPAC uses to generate a digital power-control signal that reflects a desired power level at the output of the power amplifier. The DPAC adjusts (e.g., linearizes) the digital power-control signal using a control-correction function for the power amplifier, and outputs the adjusted digital power-control signal via a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to a power-control node of the power amplifier.
US09100031B1

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, and methods for encoding data transmitted in a data line. In various embodiments, a device may include a first input port operative to receive a first data value. In some embodiments, the device may further include a first memory device operative to look up a second data value based on the first data value, where the second data value is a representation of the first data value encoded according to an encoding scheme that allows clock recovery, and where the memory device is operative to be configured according to a plurality of line encoding schemes. In various embodiments, the device may further include a first output port operative to provide an output signal, where the output signal comprises one or more data values including the second data value.
US09100029B2

Serializers are provided. The serializer includes a first drive control signal generator and a second drive control signal generator. The first drive control signal generator amplifies a first input data signal in response to a first clock signal and a second clock signal to generate a first pull-up drive control signal and a first pull-down drive control signal. The second drive control signal generator amplifies a second input data signal in response to the second clock signal and a third clock signal to generate a second pull-up drive control signal and a second pull-down drive control signal.
US09100027B2

Circuits and methods for implementing a continuously adaptive timing calibration training function in an integrated circuit interface are disclosed. A mission data path is established where a data bit is sampled by a strobe. A similar reference data path is established for calibration purposes only. At an initialization time both paths are calibrated and a delta value between them is established. During operation of the mission path, the calibration path continuously performs calibration operations to determine if its optimal delay has changed by more than a threshold value. If so, the new delay setting for the reference path is used to change the delay setting for the mission path after adjustment by the delta value. Circuits and methods are also disclosed for performing multiple parallel calibrations for the reference path to speed up the training process.
US09100020B2

A panel device includes a panel section, a first conductive layer that is provided in a side of one surface of the panel section, an insulating layer that is stacked on the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer that is stacked on the insulating layer. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are formed by coating an electrically conductive solvent-type substance. The insulating layer is formed by coating an insulating curing-acceleration-type substance.
US09100019B2

In a power conversion device provided with a power semiconductor device and a semiconductor driver circuit for driving the power semiconductor device, false firing can be prevented, and improvement in reliability can be achieved. The power conversion device is provided with: a first switch element inserted between a power supply voltage and an output node; a second switch element inserted between a ground power supply voltage and the output node; and a gate driver circuit for controlling turning ON/OFF of the second switch element. When the second switch element is controlled to be turned OFF, the gate driver circuit drives a gate-source voltage at, for example, a level of 0 V. However, when the first switch element is shifted from an OFF state to an ON state at a first timing in a state that the gate-source voltage is driven at, for example, the level of 0 V, the gate driver circuit temporarily applies a level of a negative voltage as the gate-source voltage during a first period which crosses over the first timing.
US09100017B2

An impedance circuit coupled to a first power supply includes: an output node; a transistor coupled between the output node and the first power supply, wherein the transistor comprises a gate electrode; and a voltage source electrically coupled to the gate electrode of the transistor and configured to apply a gate voltage to the gate electrode of the transistor, wherein the voltage source includes: a plurality of impedance components electrically coupled in series between a circuit node and the first power supply, and a current source electrically coupled between the circuit node and a second power supply.
US09100015B1

Finding the first bit that is set in an n-bit input word includes generating n n-bit patterns from an n-bit input word. If the bit at one bit position of the input word has a logic 1 value, a corresponding pattern has a logic 1 value in a corresponding bit position and in each bit position left of the corresponding bit position, and a logic 0 value in each bit position right of the corresponding bit position. If the bit at the one bit position of the input word has a logic 0 value, the corresponding pattern has a logic 0 value in every bit position. The n patterns are combined into one merged n-bit pattern. An output n-bit pattern is generated from the merged n-bit pattern. The output pattern has a logic 1 value in one bit position that is the same as the rightmost bit position of the input word having a logic 1 value, and a logic 0 value in every other bit position.
US09100014B2

Provided is a nonvolatile storage gate embedded logic circuit embedding a nonvolatile storage gate which can hold data after power supply cutoff and can cut off a power supply at the same time shifting into a standby state. The nonvolatile storage gate embedded logic circuit includes a logic calculation unit having a logic gate, and a nonvolatile storage gate having a nonvolatile storage element, a data interface control unit disposed so as to be adjoining to the nonvolatile storage element, and receiving a nonvolatile storage control signal for data read-out from the nonvolatile storage element and data write-in to the nonvolatile storage element, and a volatile storage element disposed so as to be adjoining to the nonvolatile storage element, receiving a data input signal and a clock signal, and outputting a data output signal.
US09100013B2

Provided is a nonvolatile resistor network assembly characterized by that: it comprises a first and a second resistor network which are each composed of a plurality of nonvolatile resistive elements connected together; it also comprises a write means for writing into the first and second resistor networks; and writing into the first and second resistor networks is performed by the use of the write means in a manner to make total resistances of respectively the first and second resistor networks different from each other. Further provided is a nonvolatile logic gate which performs logical operation using stored data determined by the total resistances of the respective nonvolatile resistor networks.
US09100011B1

One embodiment relates to a circuit for pipelined direct-drive routing, the circuit including a routing multiplexer, a flip-flop, and a mode multiplexer. The output of the routing multiplexer is coupled to an input of the mode multiplexer and to the flip-flop. The output of the flip-flop is connected to another input of the mode multiplexer. The flip-flop may be directly connected to the routing multiplexer and the mode multiplexer, or, in an alternate embodiment, the flip-flop may be a member of a pipeline register pool. Another embodiment relates to a circuit for pipelined direct-drive routing which uses a pulse latch. Other embodiments relate to method for pipelined direct-drive routing which includes a degree of logical separation between logic elements and flip-flop elements. Another embodiment relates to a logic array block. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed.
US09100000B2

A semiconductor device may be provided with a semiconductor substrate, an insulating film disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, at least one electrode disposed on a surface of the insulating film, and a voltage applying circuit configured to apply a first voltage to the at least one electrode. The semiconductor substrate may be provided with a cell region and a non-cell region adjacent to the cell region. The cell region is provided with a semiconductor element, and the non-cell region is provided with a withstand voltage structure. The insulating film may be disposed on a surface of the non-cell region. The at least one electrode may be electrically insulated from the semiconductor substrate. The voltage applying circuit may apply the first voltage to the electrode during at least a part of a first period in which a second voltage is not applied to the semiconductor element.
US09099996B2

A method for providing cross point information includes: providing an input signal having amplitude and phase information; interpolating between a first point of the input signal and a second point of the input signal to provide cross point information between the first point and the second point; and providing a pulse-width modulated signal based on the input signal and the cross point information.
US09099994B2

In an embodiment, a method includes: during a first portion of a cycle of a clock signal generated by an oscillator, pre-charging a first capacitor of a first switched capacitor stage until a first comparator determines that a first node voltage of the first switched capacitor stage is greater than a first reference voltage at a first reference voltage node; applying a second reference voltage to the first reference voltage node; and responsive to a first edge of the clock signal, charging the first capacitor until the first comparator determines that the first node voltage is greater than the second reference voltage at the first reference voltage node.
US09099985B2

A power divider for transmitting signals of an input terminal to a plurality of output terminals includes a rectangular microstrip line coupled to the input terminal, and a plurality of coupling units conducting the rectangular microstrip line and the plurality of output terminals by electromagnetic coupling, wherein each of the plurality of coupling units and the rectangular microstrip line are separated by a first gap, and each coupling unit includes at least one dual-L resonator disposed between the microstrip line and an output terminal, wherein the first gap and a second gap of each dual-L resonator are related to a power ratio between the input terminal and the plurality of output terminals.
US09099978B2

A method of operating a speaker system including a speaker coupled to an amplifier, and a dedicated digital speaker protection circuit includes turning on the amplifier in a mute mode, after a first delay period, issuing a play command to the amplifier to place the amplifier in a play mode, but without an input signal during a second delay period, and performing a speaker offset detection during the second delay period, wherein, if there is an offset, then the amplifier is forced back into the mute mode, and if there is no offset, then the amplifier is allowed to continue to operate in the play mode. The method also includes issuing a speaker protection control signal or command if an offset is detected.
US09099973B2

In a system and method for maintaining the spatial stability of a sound field a balance gain may be calculated for two or more microphone signals. The balance gain may be associated with a spatial image in the sound field. Signal values may be calculated for each of the microphone. The signal values may be signal estimates or signal gains calculated to improve a characteristic of the microphone signals. The differences between the signal values associated with each microphone signal may be limited although some difference between signal values may be allowable. One or more microphone signals are adjusted responsive to the two or more balance gains and the signal gains to maintain the spatial stability of the sound field. The adjustments of one or more microphone signals may include mixing of two or more microphone. The signal gains are applied to the two or more microphone signals.
US09099971B2

Providing a virtual keyboard interaction is disclosed. An indicator identifying a force intensity of a touch input provided on a touch input surface is received. It is determined that the touch input is associated with a virtual keyboard. A virtual keyboard interaction is provided based at least in part on the indicator identifying the force intensity of the touch input.
US09099967B2

An audio source device has an audio connector to which an external load can be connected. An audio signal is amplified and then driven through the connector, wherein the amplification process uses feedback from the return pin of the connector. The return pin is directly connected to a ground break resistor circuit. The ground break resistor circuit is connected between the return pin of the audio connector and circuit ground. A determination is made as to whether the connected external load has a low impedance or a high impedance. When a low impedance load is detected, such as a headset, the ground break resistor circuit is essentially short-circuited. When a high impedance load is detected, the ground break resistor circuit is maintained and its value is set in accordance with the detected load. Other embodiments are also described.
US09099961B2

A switch mode power supply converter, a parallel amplifier, and a parallel amplifier output impedance compensation circuit are disclosed. The switch mode power supply converter provides a switching voltage and generates an estimated switching voltage output, which is indicative of the switching voltage. The parallel amplifier generates a power amplifier supply voltage at a power amplifier supply output based on a compensated VRAMP signal. The parallel amplifier output impedance compensation circuit provides the compensated VRAMP signal based on a combination of a VRAMP signal and a high frequency ripple compensation signal. The high frequency ripple compensation signal is based on a difference between the VRAMP signal and the estimated switching voltage output.
US09099956B2

A method, an apparatus and/or a system of injection locking based power amplifier is disclosed. A method includes inputting a reference signal through an injection circuit of an oscillator circuit that generates an output signal of high power that oscillates at an inherent frequency of oscillation of the oscillator circuit. The method also includes reducing a frequency of the reference signal through a differential transistor pair coupled to the injection circuit of the oscillator circuit. The method further includes locking through a tuning circuit of the oscillator circuit coupled to the differential transistor pair a frequency of the output signal to the reduced frequency of the reference signal based on the power of the reference signal to amplify the power of the reference signal through the oscillator circuit. The frequency of the reference signal is higher than the frequency of the output signal.
US09099954B2

A method of controlling a motor is provided. The method may determine one of a switching period, a fundamental cycle, and a current target per phase leg of the motor having at least one high voltage transition point; determine a dwell period to be enforced at the transition point between an engagement of a first switch of the phase leg and an engagement of a second switch of the phase leg where each of the first switch and the second switch may be selectively engageable between a first state and a second state; engage the first switch from the first state to the second state at the transition point; and engage the second switch from the first state to the second state after the transition point and upon expiration of the dwell period.
US09099950B2

A fan simulation circuit includes a connector, a voltage converter, a control chip, and a selecting module. The connector is used to output a speed signal. A power pin of the voltage converter is connected to a first voltage input terminal. An output pin of the voltage converter is connected to a speed pin of the connector through a first resistor. The output pin is also connected to a second voltage input terminal through the first resistor and a second resistor in that order. The selecting module is used to output high or low-level signals to the control chip. The control chip outputs different speed signals to an input pin of the voltage converter. The voltage converter converts the speed signals and outputs converted speed signals to the speed pin of the connector.
US09099945B2

In a system supplying power from an AC power supply to a three-phase motor via a converter and an inverter, a leakage current reducing apparatus is connected to a connection line between the AC power supply and the converter. A common mode transformer detects, as common mode voltage, common mode current flowing from the AC power supply to the connection line. The common mode voltage is inputted to a voltage amplifier via a filter apparatus. Output voltage obtained by voltage amplification passes through a capacitor and then is applied as an AC component to a neutral point of capacitors connected in a Y-connection fashion, so as to have the same phase as that of the common mode voltage. Thus, current having the same phase as that of the common mode current is supplied via the capacitors to the converter through the connection line, thereby reducing the common mode current.
US09099944B2

To provide a disk drive capable of inhibiting the occurrence of acoustic noise caused by a voltage pulse when the head is retracted using a speed control method using voltage obtained by rectifying a back electromotive force after the power source has been cut off from the rotation of a spindle motor. Retraction control circuit is used to control the on and off modes of transistors in accordance with the speed of VCM. The voltage across VCM becomes a voltage that can be regulated with VCM voltage control circuit. At this time, voltage is supplied to the terminals based on the voltage of ISO5V that is the rectified voltage of the back electromotive force of the spindle motor and the pulsating voltage is synchronized and produced at both terminals. As a result, the potential difference across VCM is such that the pulsating voltage is negated and acoustic noise is inhibited.
US09099936B2

A high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter system includes a line commutated converter (LCC) configured to convert a plurality of AC voltages and currents to a regulated DC voltage of one of positive and negative polarity and a DC current transmitted in only one direction. The HVDC converter system also includes a buck converter configured to convert a plurality of AC voltages and currents to a regulated DC voltage of one of positive and negative polarity and a DC current transmitted in one of two directions. The LCC and the buck converter are coupled in parallel to an AC conduit and are coupled in series to a DC conduit. The HVDC converter system further includes a filtering device coupled in parallel to the buck converter through the AC conduit. The filtering device is configured to inject AC current having at least one harmonic frequency into the AC conduit.
US09099931B2

A power supply device includes a converter, a rectifier circuit, a voltage cycle detection circuit, and a power supply cutoff signal output unit. The converter converts an AC voltage inputted from an external power supply to a DC voltage and outputs the DC voltage. The rectifier circuit rectifies the AC voltage inputted from the external power supply and outputs a rectified waveform voltage. The voltage cycle detection circuit detects a voltage cycle in which the rectified waveform voltage reaches a predetermined threshold value and, when the voltage cycle is detected to be longer than a predetermined cycle, outputs a voltage cycle abnormality signal. The power supply cutoff signal output unit outputs a power supply cutoff signal when the voltage cycle abnormality signal is inputted.
US09099930B2

A power converter includes a plurality of power conversion modules. At least one power conversion module includes a plurality of power conversion devices defining a three-level bridge. A first power conversion module includes four terminals including one of a positive terminal and a negative terminal, an output terminal, a first neutral terminal, and a second neutral terminal. The first neutral terminal is coupled to a direct current (DC) link and the second neutral terminal is coupled to a second power conversion module.
US09099929B2

A power converting device includes a main switch, a synchronous rectifier switch, a rectifier-filter circuit which outputs an output voltage, and a synchronous rectifier control circuit which includes a sampling circuit coupled to the rectifier-filter circuit for outputting a voltage variation signal, a differential amplifier circuit that outputs an amplified signal by adding the output voltage and an offset voltage to the voltage variation signal attenuated thereby, and a comparison circuit that compares the amplified signal with the output voltage so as to output a trigger signal, such that the synchronous rectifier switch is turned on when the main switch is turned off, and is turned off prior to conduction of the main switch.
US09099927B2

A multi-voltage power supply including a transformer including a primary coil, a first secondary coil, and at least one second secondary coil, a first output unit to output a first output voltage by using a voltage transferred to the first secondary coil of the transformer, at least one second output unit to output at least one second output voltage by using a voltage transferred to the at least one second secondary coil of the transformer, and a power reduction mode controller to control the at least one second output unit to turn off independent of the first output unit according to an external control signal.
US09099923B1

A hybrid power supply architecture including a microcontroller, a linear regulator, a first current sensing unit, a second current sensing unit, a switching regulator, a PWM controller and a hybrid output stage is disclosed. The linear and switching regulators respectively perform linear and switching regulation according to a first enable signal and a second enable signal generated by the microcontroller to generate a linear output power and a switching output power. The first and second current sensing units respectively generate a first current sensing signal and a second current sensing signal by sensing the linear and switching output powers. The microcontroller receives the first and second current sensing signals to determine a loading state. The switching regulator is enabled to actuate in case of heavy loading, and particularly the linear regulator is shut off only when the switching output power is stable, thereby implementing the best conversion efficiency.
US09099916B2

A parallel filter arrangement with at least two filters supplying current in line side sensing configuration and a number of sensors for measuring current. The sensors are used to determine the amount of current being supplied by the filters and the amount of current being supplied by a source. The filters adjust their supplied current in order to reduce or eliminate the amount of reactive or harmonic current being supplied by a source.
US09099913B2

A method and a device for estimating the winding clamping force on a winding package of a transformer or a reactor, the winding package comprising at least one winding with connections and an iron core. The device includes a current pulse generator configured to generate a current pulse sufficient to excite the winding, means for supplying the current pulse to the winding, a sensor for measuring vibrations of the transformer or the reactor generated by the current pulse, and a computing unit configured to calculate a mechanical resonant frequency based on the measured vibrations and to estimate the clamping forces on the winding packages based on the calculated mechanical resonant frequency and a predetermined relation between the expected mechanical resonant frequency and the clamping force.
US09099905B2

In one embodiment, a permanent magnet rotor for use with a stator is provided. The permanent magnet rotor includes at least one permanent magnet and a substantially cylindrical rotor core including an outer edge, a hub having an inner edge defining a central opening, and a plurality of independent pole pieces spaced from the hub radially about the central opening. The rotor core further includes at least one radial aperture extending radially from the outer edge through the rotor core between adjacent independent pole pieces, the at least one aperture configured to receive the at least one permanent magnet.
US09099904B2

An electric machine includes a stator and a rotor configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in a direction of angular rotation. The rotor includes a first claw-pole segment and an opposing second claw-pole segment. The first claw-pole segment includes a plurality of fingers extending from an end ring. Each finger includes a distal end and a proximal end with the proximal end fixed to the end ring. Each finger also includes an interior side and an exterior side with the exterior side facing the stator. A leading side and a trailing side are defined on each finger by the direction of angular rotation. A chamfer is formed on the exterior trailing side of each finger at the proximal end of the finger.
US09099900B2

Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module. The module can include a housing, which can define a machine cavity. In some embodiments, a coolant jacket can be at least partially positioned within the housing. In some embodiments, a plurality of coolant apertures can be disposed through at least a portion of the housing. A stator assembly can be at least partially disposed within the housing and can include a plurality of coolant channels being in fluid communication with the machine cavity. Each of the coolant channels includes at least one radial subunit and at least one axial subunit. The radial subunits are fluidly coupled to some of the coolant apertures so that the coolant jacket is in fluid communication with the machine cavity via the coolant channels.
US09099895B2

In order to provide a magnetic pole-piece having good immunity to eddy currents while providing a high torque rating there is provided a magnetic pole-piece (60) comprising a magnetic part (64) and a retaining part (62), wherein the retaining part (62) supports the magnetic part (64).
US09099892B2

A power system includes an electric battery and an enclosure configured to surround the electric battery. A console is disposed on at least one side of the enclosure. The console includes a first charge input configured to receive a charge from an AC power source, a second charge input configured to receive a charge from a DC power source, and an outlet configured to receive a connector for a device. A battery management system includes controls to regulate a battery charge between the first charge input and the second charge input.
US09099880B2

A supply system for supplying in a contact-free manner electrical energy and data signals to a subscriber module, including a support member, a supply bar mounted on the support member, which supply bar supports primary energy and data interfaces, and at least one bus subscriber module mounted on the support member, which bus subscriber module includes secondary energy and data interfaces arranged adjacent and spaced from the primary energy and data interfaces, respectively, whereby electrical energy and data signals supplied to the primary interfaces are transmitted in a contact-free manner to the secondary interfaces, respectively. Preferably the support member is a mounting rail having an inverted top-hat configuration, with the supply bar being mounted longitudinally in the space defined by the horizontal bottom and vertical side walls of the mounting rail.
US09099877B2

An intelligent rechargeable battery pack having a battery management system for monitoring and controlling the charging and discharging of the battery pack is described. The battery management system includes primary and secondary protection circuits for monitoring the charging and discharging of the battery. Individual battery cells forming the battery pack are connected by a main bus to a connector for connection to a battery charger or a device to be powered, and the main bus may be interrupted by a switch controlled by the battery management system to prevent damage to the battery during charging or discharging of the battery.
US09099866B2

According to one aspect, an apparatus for computing a solution to a power flow problem for an electrical power system comprising a plurality of buses. The apparatus includes (a) at least one processor comprising a plurality of cores; and (b) memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing an admittance matrix for the power system, real power and reactive power for each bus, and an initial complex voltage for each bus; (c) wherein the at least one processor is configured to: (i) perform a Jacobi power flow calculation for each bus to determine the complex voltage for each bus, the Jacobi power flow calculation using the admittance matrix, the real power and reactive power for each bus, and the initial complex voltage for each bus as inputs, wherein at least two Jacobi power flow calculations are performed concurrently on the plurality of cores; (ii) calculate a power mismatch at each bus based on the complex voltages; and (iii) determine whether the Jacobi power flow calculations have converged based on the power mismatch and repeat (i) to (iii) if the Jacobi power flow calculations have not converged.
US09099862B1

A self ESD protected RF transistor. The RF transistor is connected to a sub-circuit which causes the RF transistor to self-protect from ESD damage. The sub-circuit triggers the RF transistor to clamp a positive polarity ESD pulse to ground/emitter terminal. The sub-circuit also shunts a negative polarity ESD pulse to ground.
US09099856B2

Brackets may be mated with or coupled to an opening of an electronic device enclosure or housing for receiving plug connectors to reinforce the receptacle connector and/or device housing and potentially reduce damage/breakage. For example, a bracket can have a front face with a curvature. A back face of the bracket can include a first opening that communicates with a cavity. The cavity can be defined at least in part by upper and lower opposing inner surfaces, the lower inner surface including a portion that extends parallel to a portion of the bracket front face. The bracket can also include a hollow protrusion extending from the bracket front face in a front direction. The hollow protrusion can include an opening that communicates with the opening of the back face and extends through the hollow protrusion. Methods for manufacturing the connector bracket are also provided.
US09099850B2

An electrical junction box includes: a frame; and a block having a double wall defined by outer and inner walls. At a position where the double wall and a component receiving section of the block are opposite to each other, a lower end of the inner wall is positioned higher than a component insertion surface at a lower end of the component receiving section, and a waterproof wall is provided on the lower end and an outer edge at the double wall side of the component receiving section. The waterproof wall is defined by a first waterproof portion extended horizontally toward the outer wall from the lower end and the outer edge at the double wall side of the component receiving section, and a second waterproof wall extended downward and parallel to the outer wall from an end at the outer wall side of the first waterproof wall.
US09099841B2

Provided is a semiconductor laser which has a low operating current and stably oscillates even for high-temperature output. The semiconductor laser is provided with a substrate (10); an n-type clad layer (12) arranged on the substrate (10); an active layer (13) arranged on the n-type clad layer (12); a p-type clad layer (14), which is arranged on the active layer (13) and composed of a compound containing Al and has a stripe-shaped ridge structure to be a current channel; a current block layer (16), which is arranged on the surface of the p-clad layer (14) excluding an upper surface of the ridge structure and composed of a compound containing Al and has an Al composition ratio not more than that of the p-type clad layer (14); and a light absorption layer (17), which is arranged on the current block layer (16) and absorbs light at the laser oscillation wavelength.
US09099832B2

Provided is a laser optic module including: a laser light source which generates laser light; a beam guide which includes a light path whose side wall is a reflective surface to introduce the laser light into the light path to guide the laser light; and a fluorescent substance which is provided at a point where the light path of the beam guide ends and emits fluorescence by the laser light, in which a width of the light path is formed by a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the laser light in a position where the laser light is incident onto the fluorescent substance. Therefore, the laser light is directly used to improve luminance efficiency and reduce a size by adopting a simple structure.
US09099830B2

A connector comprises a base insulator, a plurality of elongated plate shaped contacts arranged on the base insulator, and a cover insulator arranged to hold the contacts in cooperation with the base insulator and welded to the base insulator, the base insulator is provided with a pair of openings arranged to face each other across each of holders and to intersect with the direction in which the holders are arranged.
US09099828B2

A modular electrical plug connector assembly for control units in a motor vehicle includes a module rack and at least first and second plug-in modules that are situated in the module rack and that each includes respective housings shaped to accommodate respective electrical plug connectors. The housings are provided with respective electrically conductive contact elements. The first and second plug-in modules are positioned relative to one each other in a predetermined manner in the module rack, and are inseparably connected to the module rack by a joining process.
US09099827B2

A marking system for knowing precisely at which location on an electrical device a used brush and associated brush holder assembly were positioned to evaluate whether abnormal brush wear, abnormal operation or other anomaly is occurring and performing maintenance and/or replacement of components as needed.
US09099825B2

A center conductor engagement member comprising a resilient contact region having a first end and a second end, the resilient contact region being substantially curvilinear from the first end to the second end, wherein the second end of the resilient contact region is secured by a body portion, and an insert engageable with the second end of the resilient contact region to retain the second end of the resilient contact region is provided. Furthermore, an associated method is also provided.
US09099817B2

A waterproof connector (1) comprises: retainers (50) and (60) which include an inner receiving portion (91) formed on opposite surfaces (51) and (61) which face a wiring substrate (30); and a first seal member (70) which is filled in at least the inner receiving portion (91). An outer receiving portion (92) is formed on outer surfaces (55) and (65) and side surfaces (50d), (50e), (60d), and (60e) of the retainers (50) and (60). Defective portions (58) and (68), which pass from the outer surfaces (55) and (65) to the inner receiving portion (91), are formed in the retainers (50) and (60). The inner receiving portion (91) communicates with the outer receiving portion (92) at the side surfaces (50d), (50e), (60d), and (60e). The first seal member (70) includes: an inner seal portion (70a) which is received in the inner receiving portion (91); and; a defective seal portion (70d) and a side seal portion (70c) which are formed integrally with the inner seal portion (70a). The defective seal portion (70d) and the side seal portion (70c) reach the outer surfaces (55) and (65).
US09099816B2

A connection device for detecting connection status is used for detecting that an electrical connector is inserted in upside up position or upside down position. In the connection device, first connecting terminals are disposed on a first side while second connecting terminals are disposed on a second side. When the electrical connector is connected to the connection device, the terminals, which do not establish connection with the electrical connector, contact with a metal housing of the electrical connector. Therefore, at least two of these terminals are short circuited. Through determining which group of the first connecting terminals and the second connecting terminals is short circuited, a control module determines that the electrical connector is inserted in upside up position or upside down position.
US09099811B2

Connector receptacles may be provided, where a multiple of such connector receptacles may be readily aligned to openings in a device enclosure, particularly where the openings are located on a curved or otherwise non-planar surface of the device enclosure. One example may provide a connector assembly that includes a plurality of connector receptacles. The connector receptacles in a connector assembly may be accurately aligned or registered to each other, and the connector assembly may be accurately aligned to a device enclosure. In this way, several connector receptacles may be accurately aligned to openings in the device enclosure. In another example, two or more connector receptacles may have faces that are at an oblique angle relative to each other.
US09099809B2

A connector system including a first connector having a longitudinally extending lock arm defining a lock nib and attached to the first connector. The lock nib is configured to engage a primary lock tab of a second connector when the first and second connectors are in a fully mated position and the lock arm is in a resting position. The lock nib is configured to disengage the primary lock tab and engage a secondary lock tab of the second connector when the lock arm is moved from a resting to an activated position and the first and second connectors are moved to a partially mated position while the lock arm is in the activated position. The connector system generates an audible or tactile click only when the first connector is fully mated with the second connector. The connectors can be disconnected with bare hands, no tools are required.
US09099808B2

A male connector has a moving plate which is movable between an initial position and a retreat position, and an initial position locking part which immovably locks the moving plate with respect to a male housing in the initial position. A female connector has a locking releasing part which, when a female housing is inserted into an opening of the male housing, engages with the initial position locking part to release the locking of the moving plate with respect to the male housing. The moving plate is moved from the initial position to the retreat position by insertion of the female housing inside the male housing in a state that the locking by the initial position locking part has been released by the locking releasing part.
US09099805B2

A spring lock type connector has a male connector (M) with a front receptacle (52). A female connector (F) is fit on an outer peripheral side of the front receptacle (52) and has a terminal accommodating portion (12) to be fit into the front receptacle (52). A spring (40) is mounted onto the female connector (F) and deforms to spread as the female connector (F) is connected to the male connector (M). The connectors are locked in a properly connected state by a spring force of the spring. Engaging recesses (54) are provided on the outer surface of the male connector (M) and engage with the spring (40). The recesses (54) are recessed inwardly of the outer surface of the front receptacle (52) and are more backward than a connecting bottom surface (53) on a back end of the inner surface of the front receptacle (52).
US09099804B2

It is aimed to reliably restrict the insertion of a terminal fitting in an improper posture. A connector includes terminal fittings 40 to be inserted into terminal accommodating chambers (13) of a housing (10) successively through through holes (61) of a rubber plug holder (60) and sealing holes (51) of a one-piece rubber plug (50), restricting projections (44) projecting from the outer surfaces of the terminal fittings (40), wires (46) passing through the through holes (61) in a state where the terminal fittings (40) are inserted in the terminal accommodating chambers (13), and restricting portions (17) provided to be located in the terminal accommodating chambers (13) and configured to restrict inserting movements of the terminal fittings (40) by interfering with the restricting projections (44) halfway through when the terminal fittings (40) are inserted in an improper posture into the terminal accommodating chambers (13).
US09099801B2

An electrical power socket comprising a well having an electrically conductive well portion having a proximal and a distal end; a connector part for receiving electrical connections to an electrical power supply disposed at the distal end of the well portion; a first electrical contact being provided in electrical isolation from the well portion at the distal end of the well portion, the first electrical contact being electrically connected to a first electrical connection of the connector part; the well portion being electrically connected to a second electrical connection of the connector part; and an electrically insulating sleeve portion being provided at the proximal end of the well portion forming an electrically insulating portion of the well, the sleeve portion adapted to be disposed in an opening in a receiving panel, whereby the insulating sleeve portion prevents an electrically conductive foreign object that is inserted in the well and electrically contacts the first electrical contact from simultaneously making electrical contact with the electrically conductive well portion.
US09099798B2

A current-source contacting device, a current source and a current-source contacting system are described. To increase the mechanical stability, corrosion resistance and temperature stability of current-transferring members of the current-source contacting device, the current source and the current-source contacting system, these current-transferring members are made of a metal-infiltrated ceramic. A method for producing metal-infiltrated ceramic bodies, metal-infiltrated ceramic bodies produced in this manner, as well as their use, are also described.
US09099784B2

An antenna array of a mobile terminal and an implementing method thereof are disclosed in this document. The antenna array includes: a mobile terminal floorboard, configured to act as a radiation body to radiate antenna energy coupled by multiple pairs of coupling units, and multiple pairs of coupling units corresponding to multiple antennas, each of which are fixed at two ends of the mobile terminal floorboard and are configured to inspire a waveguide mode of the mobile terminal floorboard to radiate the coupled antenna energy through feed points of feed lines of each coupling unit therein, located at the same side of a dielectric material plate; and a matching circuit located at the other side of the dielectric material plate, connected with the feed points located at the opposite side of the dielectric material plate and configured to implement impedance matching of a micro-strip feed line of each coupling unit.
US09099780B2

An antenna device is provided. The antenna device includes a circuit board including a first side configured with a transmission unit, and a second side opposite to the first side; a main radiator disposed at the first side, electrically connected to the transmission unit, and having a major axis direction; a first parasitical radiator adjacent to the main radiator, and coaxially disposed in the major axis direction at the first side; and a second parasitical radiator coaxially disposed in the major axis direction at the second side.
US09099772B2

An antenna apparatus for a portable terminal includes a main board and a display device. The main board has a ground for grounding and a feed terminal for feeding. The display device electrically communicates with the main board by the medium of a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) and has an ElectroStatic Charge (ESD) prevention ground. If the display device is mounted above the main board, the ESD prevention ground of the display device comes in electric contact with the feed terminal of the main board, for emission.
US09099767B2

The invention relates to an antenna core, an antenna comprising an antenna core, and to methods for producing an antenna core and an antenna. The antenna core used in each case consists of a continuous soft-magnetic strip having a plurality of layers which are stacked one on top of the other and each of which is formed by a section of the strip. The layers are connected to one another by curved sections of the strip at end regions of the antenna core.
US09099763B2

The invention relates to a high-frequency transmission line including a conductive tape (6) associated with a shielding surface (4) that is placed under the line structure and is divided into parallel microstrips in a direction generally orthogonal to the direction of the line, said microstrips being movable relative to the conductive tape.
US09099749B2

Catalysts of the present invention are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability.The catalyst includes a metal oxycarbonitride containing two metals M selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, platinum, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, copper, iron, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, hafnium, vanadium, cobalt, cerium, aluminum and nickel, and containing zirconium and/or titanium.
US09099743B2

A secondary battery capable of providing a high energy density and superior cycle characteristics is provided. The secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The anode has an anode active material layer containing a carbon material and a lithium-containing compound (Li3-aMaN) as an anode active material. M is one or more transition metal elements. a is a numerical value satisfying 0
US09099742B2

A graphite composite material obtained by mixing graphite material 1 having diversity in the sizes of optical anisotropic structure and optical isotropic structure, the ratio thereof, and crystal direction, and graphite material 2 having a rhombohedron structure, which is different from graphite material 1 and has an average interplanar spacing d002 of plane (002) of 0.3354 nm to 0.3370 nm measured by the powder X-ray diffraction method and Lc of 100 nm or more. Also disclosed is a carbon material for a battery electrode, a paste for an electrode, an electrode, a battery, a lithium ion secondary battery and a method of producing the graphite composite material.
US09099730B2

A storage battery includes a generally rectangular container having opposed side walls, end walls, a bottom wall and an open top defining a container interior. The container interior is divided into a plurality of cells supporting positive and negative plates. The plates include aligned positive lugs and aligned negative lugs. A pair of conductive straps are provided. One of the straps interconnects the positive lugs while the other strap interconnects the negative lugs. A tombstone extends from each of the straps. Each tombstone is located at a position spaced inwardly from the container walls. A pair of battery terminals are supported within the container end walls. Each battery terminal is directly connected to one of the tombstones. The battery terminals are positioned between the tombstone and the container wall and include a termination location adjacent the container wall for direct disconnectable termination thereat. A cover is provided for enclosing the open end of the container.
US09099728B2

The invention presents a possible way of converting power supply units, in particular compact power supply units, which are critical for safety into stable, impact-resistant fuel cell units by using expanding plastic.
US09099727B2

A lead plate that electrically connects a plurality of battery cells. The lead plate includes a first welding unit; a second welding unit separately disposed from the first welding unit by a slit between the first and second welding units; and a by-pass unit, an end of which is connected to the first welding unit and the other end of which is connected to the second welding unit, wherein the end of the by-pass unit is disposed on an opposite side of the slit based on the first welding unit, and the other end of the by-pass unit is disposed on an opposite side of the slit based on the second welding unit.
US09099724B2

A battery cell assembly and a method of manufacturing the same. The battery cell assembly includes a plurality of battery cells including anode terminals and cathode terminals, a plurality of lead tabs disposed on at least one of the anode terminal and the cathode terminal of each battery cell, wherein a groove is formed in each lead tab, and a lead plate disposed on top portions of the plurality of lead tabs, the lead plate including a connector contacting the plurality of lead tabs and a through hole formed in a position corresponding to the groove of the lead tab.
US09099719B2

A transition metal hexacyanoferrate (TMHCF) battery electrode is provided with a Fe(CN)6 additive. The electrode is made from AxMyFez(CN)n.mH2O particles overlying a current collector, where the A cations are either alkali and alkaline-earth cations such as sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), or magnesium (Mg), and M is a transition metal. A Fe(CN)6 additive modifies the AxMyFez(CN)n.mH2O particles. The Fe(CN)6 additive may be ferrocyanide ([Fe(CN)6]4−) or ferricyanide ([Fe(CN)6]3−). Also provided are a related TMHCF battery with Fe(CN)6 additive, TMHCF fabrication process, and TMHCF battery fabrication process.
US09099711B2

The fuel cell membrane is a polymer electrolyte (or polyelectrolyte) membrane formed from a blend of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and phosphonated polysulfone in the ester form (PPSU-E), where the sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) and the phosphonated polysulfone each form about 50 wt % of the polyelectrolyte membrane. The polyelectrolyte membrane is made by dissolving a mixture of SPEEK and PPSU in the ester form (PPSU-E) in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at room temperature to form a solution. The SPEEK/PPSU-E mixture has a concentration of between about 10 wt % and about 15 wt % in the solution. The solution is then stirred and left to release air bubbles therefrom. The DMAc is then evaporated from the solution, leaving the resultant polyelectrolyte membrane, which is then washed and dried.
US09099707B2

A battery pack, which prevents a circuit module from being bent, has durability against an external impact, and is easily welded. The battery pack includes a bare cell on which an electrode terminal protrudes from a surface thereof, a circuit module disposed on the surface of the bare cell and electrically connected to the bare cell, and an elastic holder disposed between the circuit module and the surface of the bare cell and through which the electrode terminal passes. The elastic holder comprises an elastic material.
US09099704B2

A method for removing contaminants in a fuel cell comprises: supplying a hydrogen-based fuel to the anode; supplying a first oxidant to the cathode, wherein the first oxidant comprises at least some sulfur dioxide; drawing a primary load from the fuel cell stack while supplying the hydrogen-based fuel to the anode and the air to the cathode; shutting down the fuel cell when a voltage of the fuel cell is equal to or less than a threshold voltage at which sulfur crosses over from the cathode to the anode, wherein shutting down the fuel cell comprises: performing at least one oxidant starvation while drawing the primary load, removing the primary load after performing the at least one oxidant starvation, and bringing the anode to a high potential after removing the primary load; and thereafter, restarting the fuel cell.
US09099701B2

A system and method for estimating an amount of carbon support loss in fuel cells of a fuel cell stack in a vehicle, for example, during vehicle off-times. The system and method include estimating an amount of time that a hydrogen concentration in the fuel cell stack is zero and calculating an amount of carbon loss based on the amount of time that the hydrogen concentration in the fuel cell stack is zero.
US09099692B2

A rechargeable battery is provided, including: a cabinet provided with two electrode terminals for connecting inner and outer parts thereof, to which an anode and a cathode are connected, respectively, and being formed with a cooling fluid channel on a bottom surface of the cabinet; an electrode plate received in the cabinet together with an electrolyte such that both ends of the electrode plate are connected to the internal electrode terminal; and a cover which covers an opened portion of the cabinet and is wound together with the cabinet while an edge of the cover overlaps with the edge of the cabinet to seal the cabinet.
US09099689B2

A method for making current collector is described. In the method, a substrate, a graphene film, and a plastic support film are provided. The substrate has a surface. The graphene film is disposed on the surface of the substrate. The graphene film disposed on the surface of the substrate and the plastic support film are laminated to form a substrate-graphene-plastic support film composite structure. The substrate is removed.
US09099675B2

A light emitting apparatus having organic EL elements is provided. The first optical length L1 between the emission point of the light emitting layer and the reflection surface of the first electrode, satisfies the following formula: L1>0, (λ/8)×(−1−2Φ1/π)
US09099671B2

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparing an organic light-emitting device, comprising the steps of: 1) forming a spacer pattern on a first electrode formed on a substrate; 2) forming an organic material layer and a second electrode; 3) exposing the first electrode by forming an encapsulation thin film and then etching at least one portion of the encapsulation thin film; and 4) forming an auxiliary electrode which is electrically connected to the first electrode exposed in the step 3). The organic light-emitting device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may solve problems of a voltage drop due to resistance of a transparent electrode in a longitudinal direction and of resultant brightness non-uniformity of the diode.
US09099669B2

An organic light-emitting device including a first electrode, a plurality of hole transport layers, a plurality of intermediate layers, an emission layer, a plurality of electron transport layers, and a second electrode. The emission layer may include a host, an emitting dopant, and an auxiliary dopant. The host and the auxiliary dopant are able to transport different types of carriers.
US09099664B2

A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes forming an adhesion layer on a substrate, forming a material layer on the adhesion layer and applying release tape to the material layer. The substrate is removed at a weakest interface between the adhesion layer and the substrate by mechanically pulling the release tape to form a transfer substrate including the adhesion layer, the material layer and the release tape. The transfer substrate is transferred to a target substrate to contact the adhesion layer to the target substrate. The transfer substrate includes a material sensitive to formation processes of the transfer substrate such that exposure to the formation processes of the transfer substrate is avoided by the target substrate.
US09099659B2

This invention provides an organic EL element, which can control luminescence wavelength, exhibits high luminescence efficiency, and has a prolonged emission life, and a lighting equipment and a display device. They can be realized by an organic electroluminescent element material characterized by a metal complex having a structure represented by the following general formula (A) as a partial structure.
US09099656B2

A novel organic compound suitably used for a green-light-emitting device and an organic light-emitting device are provided.An organic light-emitting device and an image display apparatus containing a naphtho[2′,3′:5,6]indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene derivative represented by general formula (1) as a dopant: wherein in general formula (1), R1 to R16 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy groups, substituted or unsubstituted amino groups, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, and substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic groups, and at least one of R3, R4, R9, and R10 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups and substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic groups.
US09099650B2

An organic light-emitting display device, a method of manufacturing the same, and a donor substrate and a donor substrate set used to manufacture the organic light-emitting display device. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an organic light-emitting display device comprising a substrate which comprises a green region and a red region, a plurality of first electrodes which are formed on the green region and the red region of the substrate, respectively, a plurality of light-emitting layers which are formed on the first electrodes and comprise a green light-emitting layer formed on the green region and a red light-emitting layer formed on the red region, and a second electrode which is formed on the light-emitting layers, wherein the green light-emitting layer comprises a first light-emitting layer which comprises a first host material and a first dopant material and a first buffer layer which is formed on the first light-emitting layer and comprises the first host material, and the red light-emitting layer comprises a second light-emitting layer which comprises a second host material and a second dopant material and a second buffer layer which is formed on the second light-emitting layer and comprises the first host material.
US09099642B2

Spin transfer torque memory elements and memory devices are provided. In one embodiment, the spin transfer torque memory element includes a first portion including CoFeB, a second portion including CoFeB, an intermediate portion interposed between the first and second portions, a third portion adjoining the second portion opposite the intermediate portion, and a fourth portion adjoining the third portion opposite the second portion. The intermediate portion includes MgO. The third portion includes at least one of Ag, Au, Cr, Cu, Hf, Mo, Nb, Os, Re, Ru, Ta, W, and Zr. The fourth portion includes at least one alloy of Co, Fe, Pd, and Pt.
US09099638B2

A vertical Hall Effect element includes one or more of: a low voltage P-well region disposed at a position between pickups of the vertical Hall Effect element, Light-N regions disposed under the pickups, a pre-epi implant region, or two epi regions to result in an improved sensitivity of the vertical Hall Effect element. A method results in the vertical Hall Effect element having the improved sensitivity.
US09099636B2

A piezoelectric element includes a plurality of individual electrodes, a piezoelectric layer formed on each of individual electrodes, and a common electrode which is formed on the piezoelectric layer and is an electrode common to the individual electrodes. Further, a protection film covering a region, which is not covered by the common electrode on the individual electrode, is provided.
US09099634B2

An elastic-wave filter device includes a first piezoelectric substrate, a second piezoelectric substrate, a first pillar-like wiring electrode, and a second pillar-like wiring electrode. The first and second substrates have a first and a second IDT electrodes on their top faces respectively. A lateral face of the second substrate confronts a lateral face of the first substrate. The first pillar-like electrode and the second pillar-like electrode are formed above the first and the second substrates respectively, and are electrically connected to the first and the second IDT electrodes respectively. The first substrate is thicker than the second substrate. A distance between a plane including the top face of the first substrate and a plane including the top face of the second substrate is smaller than a distance between a plane including an underside of the first substrate and a plane including an underside of the second substrate.
US09099629B2

A semiconductor light emitting device includes a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer, a first internal electrode, a second internal electrode, an insulating part, and first and second pad electrodes. The active layer is disposed on a first portion of the first conductive semiconductor layer, and has the second conductive layer disposed thereon. The first internal electrode is disposed on a second portion of the first conductive semiconductor layer separate from the first portion. The second internal electrode is disposed on the second conductive semiconductor layer. The insulating part is disposed between the first and second internal electrodes, and the first and second pad electrodes are disposed on the insulating part to connect to a respective one of the first and second internal electrodes.
US09099626B2

A broadband, omnidirectional, multi-layer, dielectric reflector for an LED in a white light emitting device provides both near 100% reflectivity across the visible spectrum of light, and electrical insulation between the substrate and the electrical circuitry used to power and control the LED. When a sealant material, having a higher index of refraction than air, is used to protect the LED and the accompanying electrical circuitry, an aluminum reflector layer or substrate is provided to make up for the loss of reflectivity at certain angles of incidence.
US09099623B2

A manufacture includes a package structure, a first substrate, and a conductive member of a same material. The package structure includes a chip comprising a conductive pad, a conductive structure over the chip, and a passivation layer over the conductive structure. The passivation layer has an opening defined therein, and the opening exposes a portion of a planar portion of the conductive structure. The first substrate includes a first surface defining a first reference plane and a second surface defining a second reference plane. The conductive member extends across the first reference plane and the second reference plane and into the opening. The conductive member is electrically coupled to the exposed portion of the planar portion.
US09099622B2

An optoelectronic semiconductor component is provided, having a connection carrier (2), an optoelectronic semiconductor chip (1), which is arranged on a mounting face (22) of the connection carrier (2), and a radiation-transmissive body (3), which surrounds the semiconductor chip (1), wherein the radiation-transmissive body (3) contains a silicone, the radiation-transmissive body (3) comprises at least one side face (31) which extends at least in places at an angle β of <90° to the mounting face (22) and the side face (3) is produced by a singulation process.
US09099620B2

The present invention is directed to reduction of angle dependence of chromaticity in a phosphor layer, without using a light scattering agent, the phosphor layer being made up of phosphor particles adhered tightly to one another via a binder according to the spray coating method. The phosphor layer contains phosphor particles laid along the top surface of the light emitting element and the binder embedded into a gap between the phosphor particles, and the phosphor layer does not contain the light scattering agent. The area of a region on the upper surface of the phosphor layer is between or equal to 3% and 10% with respect to the area of the top surface of the light emitting element, the region being positioned at the gap between the phosphor particles and allowing the light being outputted to pass through the binder and directly reach the upper surface of the phosphor layer. This configuration makes the asperities smaller on the surface of the phosphor layer and reduces the angular dependence of chromaticity.
US09099616B2

Light emitter packages and devices having improved wire bonding and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment a light emitter package can include at least one light emitting diode (LED) chip electrically connected to an electrical element via a wire bond. The wire bond can be provided at improved wire bonding parameters such as a temperature of approximately 150° C. or less, a bonding time of approximately 100 ms or less, a power of approximately 1700 mW or less, and a force of approximately 100 grams force (gf) or less, or combinations thereof.
US09099611B2

Disclosed is a method for fabricating a light emitting device. The method includes forming an oxide including gallium aluminum over a gallium oxide substrate, forming a nitride including gallium aluminum over the oxide including gallium aluminum and forming a light emitting structure over the nitride including gallium aluminum.
US09099608B2

Provided is a method for manufacturing solar modules with an improved yield. A heat and pressure applying step is performed in which an opposing solar cell (10) and wiring member (11) with a resin adhesive (21) interposed between them are heated while applying pressure. After the heat and pressure applying step has been performed, a cooling step is performed in which the solar cell (10) and the wiring member (11) are cooled while applying pressure.
US09099602B2

A photocoupler includes: a support substrate; a MOSFET; a light receiving element; a light emitting element; and a bonding layer. The support substrate includes an insulating layer, input and output terminals. The MOSFET is bonded to the support substrate. The MOSFET has a first surface having an operation region. The light receiving element includes p-n junction and is bonded to the MOSFET. The light receiving element has first and second surfaces. The first surface includes a light reception region, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The light emitting element is connected to the input terminal. The light emitting element has first and second surfaces. The first surface includes first and second electrodes. The second surface has a light emitting region. The bonding layer is configured to bond the light emitting element to the light reception region.
US09099601B2

Materials having improved thermoelectric properties are disclosed. In some embodiments, lead telluride/selenide based materials with improved figure of merit and mechanical properties are disclosed. In some embodiments, the lead telluride/selenide based materials of the present disclosure are p-type thermoelectric materials formed by adding sodium (Na), silicon (Si) or both to thallium doped lead telluride materials. In some embodiments, the lead telluride/selenide based materials are formed by doping lead telluride/selenides with potassium.
US09099598B2

A light-emitting device (10) is provided with: a substrate (11); a light-emitting region including a light-emitting portion (17) formed to contact a first electrode layer (12) and a second electrode layer (14); and plural concave portions (16). The light-emitting portion contacting at least the first electrode layer and the dielectric layer in the concave portion. The light-emitting device further comprises a terminal (anode terminal) (15) formed outside the light-emitting region, and connecting one of the first electrode layer (12) and the second electrode layer (14) having larger sheet resistance to a power supply. In the light-emitting region, the plural concave portions (16) are formed such that the sum, per unit area, of a contour length of the planar shapes of the concave portions (16) on an upper face of the dielectric layer (13) increases from a region near the terminal (15) towards a region far from the terminal (15).
US09099595B2

Device structures, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed for photovoltaic cells that may be a single-junction or multijunction solar cells, with at least a first layer comprising a group-IV semiconductor in which part of the cell comprises a second layer comprising a III-V semiconductor or group-IV semiconductor having a different composition than the group-IV semiconductor of the first layer, such that a heterostructure is formed between the first and second layers.
US09099582B2

The present disclosure includes a texture formulation that includes an aliphatic diol, an alkaline compound and water which provides a consistent textured region across a silicon surface suitable for solar cell applications. The current invention describes silicon texturing formulations that include at least one high boiling point additive. The high boiling point additive may be a derivative compound of propylene glycol or a derivative compound of ethylene glycol. Processes for texturing a crystalline silicon substrate using these formulations are also described. Additionally, a combinatorial method of optimizing the textured surface of a crystalline silicon substrate is described.
US09099580B2

An elementary image acquisition or display device, including a focusing structure with microlenses, each microlens being shaped to focus incident light beams towards a substrate while avoiding intermediate conductive tracks and vias.
US09099579B2

A photoelectric conversion device with a novel anti-reflection structure. In the photoelectric conversion device, a front surface of a semiconductor substrate which serves as a light-receiving surface is covered with a group of whiskers (a group of nanowires) so that surface reflection is reduced. In other words, a semiconductor layer which has a front surface where crystals grow so that whiskers are formed is provided on the light-receiving surface side of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer has a given uneven structure, and thus has effects of reducing reflection on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and increasing conversion efficiency.
US09099577B2

A photoelectric module includes a lower substrate, an upper substrate, a photoelectric module, and a hermetical structure. The lower substrate includes a reflecting surface and defines a receiving hole facing the reflecting surface. The photoelectric module is mounted on the upper substrate and faces the reflecting surface. The hermetical structure includes a first hermetical part and a second hermetical part, the first hermetical part is positioned on the lower substrate, and the second hermetical part is positioned on the upper substrate. The photoelectric module is surrounded by the hermetical structure.
US09099576B2

Generation of ripples and the decrease in the output voltage of a photoelectric conversion device are suppressed. The photoelectric conversion device includes a first photoelectric conversion element; a first voltage conversion element for converting the output voltage of the first photoelectric conversion element; a second photoelectric conversion element whose characteristic is different from the characteristic of the first photoelectric conversion element; a second voltage conversion element for converting the output voltage of the second photoelectric conversion element; and a control element for controlling timing of the first voltage conversion element and the second voltage conversion element.
US09099574B2

An optoelectronic semiconductor chip (12) is disclosed comprising a thin-film semiconductor body (8), which comprises a semiconductor layer sequence (2, 20) having an active region (3) suitable for generating radiation, and comprising a carrier layer (7), which is formed on the semiconductor layer sequence and carries the thin-film semiconductor body.
US09099573B2

A method of manufacturing a light emitting device having a plurality of nano-light emitting structures is provided. The method comprises depositing a first conductivity-type semiconductor material on a substrate to form a base layer. A mask having a plurality of openings is formed on the base layer. The first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor material is deposited in the openings of the mask to form a plurality of nanocores having a main portion bounded by the mask and an exposed tip portion. A current blocking layer is deposited on the tip portion of the nanocores. A portion of the mask is removed to expose the main portion of the nanocore. An active material layer is deposited on the plurality of nanocores. A second conductivity-type nitride semiconductor layer is deposited on the active material layer.
US09099569B2

A micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) microphone includes: a printed circuit substrate; a MEMS chip that is combined with the printed circuit substrate and has a MEMS inner space; and a case that is combined with the printed circuit substrate, accommodates the MEMS chip, and forms an inner space that is separated from an external space, wherein the case is a double-type case including an inner case and an outer case, a medium acoustic path space is formed between the inner case and the outer case, and the printed circuit substrate includes a substrate acoustic path that connects the medium acoustic path space to the MEMS inner space of the MEMS chip so that external sound passing through the sound hole enters the MEMS inner space of the MEMS chip after passing through the medium acoustic path space.
US09099567B2

An embodiment of a method of attaching a semiconductor die to a substrate includes placing a bottom surface of the die over a top surface of the substrate with an intervening die attach material. The method further includes contacting a top surface of the semiconductor die and the top surface of the substrate with a conformal structure that includes a non-solid, pressure transmissive material, and applying a pressure to the conformal structure. The pressure is transmitted by the non-solid, pressure transmissive material to the top surface of the semiconductor die. The method further includes, while applying the pressure, exposing the assembly to a temperature that is sufficient to cause the die attach material to sinter. Before placing the die over the substrate, conductive mechanical lock features may be formed on the top surface of the substrate, and/or on the bottom surface of the semiconductor die.
US09099565B2

A method for forming a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) semiconductor device includes forming laterally adjacent first and second active regions in a semiconductor layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. A stress inducing layer is formed above the first active region to impart stress thereto. Trench isolation regions are formed bounding the first active region and adjacent portions of the stress inducing layer. The stress inducing layer is removed leaving the trench isolation regions to maintain stress imparted to the first active region.
US09099561B2

A transistor may include a light-blocking layer that blocks light incident on a channel layer. The light-blocking layer may include a carbon-based material. The carbon-based material may include graphene oxide, graphite oxide, graphene or carbon nanotube (CNT). The light-blocking layer may be between a gate and at least one of the channel layer, a source and a drain.
US09099559B2

Methods and structures for forming strained-channel finFETs are described. Fin structures for finFETs may be formed using two epitaxial layers of different lattice constants that are grown over a bulk substrate. A first thin, strained, epitaxial layer may be cut to form strain-relieved base structures for fins. The base structures may be constrained in a strained-relieved state. Fin structures may be epitaxially grown in a second layer over the base structures. The constrained base structures can cause higher amounts of strain to form in the epitaxially-grown fins than would occur for non-constrained base structures.
US09099546B2

A dividing method for a workpiece having a substrate with a film formed on the front side thereof. A first laser beam is applied to the film from the front side of the workpiece along the streets formed on the film, thereby forming a plurality of laser processed grooves along the streets to cut the film along the streets. Thereafter, an adhesive tape is attached to the front side of the workpiece. Thereafter, a second laser beam is applied to the substrate from the back side of the workpiece along the streets in the condition where the focal point of the second laser beam is set inside the substrate, thereby forming a plurality of modified layers inside the substrate along the streets. Thereafter, the adhesive tape is expanded to thereby divide the substrate along the streets, thereby obtaining a plurality of individual devices. Thereafter, the back side of the substrate of each device is ground to remove the modified layers and reduce the thickness of each device to a predetermined thickness.
US09099541B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first side and a second side such that the first and second sides face each other, a through via plug penetrating the substrate, an insulating film liner, and an antipollution film. The insulating film liner is between the through via plug and the substrate and the insulating film liner has a recessed surface with respect to the second side. The antipollution film covers the second side and the antipollution film is on the recessed surface and between the through via plug and the substrate.
US09099537B2

A method of selectively growing one or more carbon nano-tubes includes forming an insulating layer on a substrate, the insulating layer having a top surface; forming a via in the insulating layer; forming an active metal layer over the insulating layer, including sidewall and bottom surfaces of the via; and removing the active metal layer at portions of the top surface with an ion beam to enable the selective growth of one or more carbon nano-tubes inside the via.
US09099535B1

The present invention pertains to methods for forming a metal diffusion barrier on an integrated circuit wherein the formation includes at least two operations. The first operation deposits barrier material via PVD or CVD to provide some minimal coverage. The second operation deposits an additional barrier material and simultaneously etches a portion of the barrier material deposited in the first operation. The result of the operations is a metal diffusion barrier formed in part by net etching in certain areas, in particular the bottom of vias, and a net deposition in other areas, in particular the side walls of vias. Controlled etching is used to selectively remove barrier material from the bottom of vias, either completely or partially, thus reducing the resistance of subsequently formed metal interconnects.
US09099532B2

Narrow word lines are formed in a NAND flash memory array using a double patterning process in which sidewall spacers define word lines. Sidewall spacers also define edges of select gates so that spacing between a select gate and the closest word line is equal to spacing between adjacent word lines.
US09099529B2

The present disclosure relates to microstructure devices, in which a conductive pattern is formed on the basis of a conductive polymer material. In order to avoid the deposition and processing of the sacrificial materials and reduce a negative influence of the lithography process on sensitive conductive polymer materials a one-layer patterning sequence is proposed, in which a trench pattern is formed in a dielectric material that is subsequently filled with the conductive polymer material.
US09099526B2

A device, including: an integrated circuit chip, where the integrated circuit chip includes: a first layer including a plurality of first transistors including a mono-crystal channel; at least one metal layer overlying the first layer, the at least one metal layer including aluminum or copper and providing interconnection between the first transistors; a second layer overlying the at least one metal layer, the second layer including second horizontally oriented transistors including a second mono-crystal channel; and a through the second layer via of diameter less than 150 nm, where the second horizontally oriented transistors are interconnected to form logic circuits.
US09099525B2

A method of forming SSRW FETs with controlled step height between a field oxide and epitaxially grown silicon and the resulting devices are provided. Embodiments include providing a SiN layer on a substrate, forming first, second, and third spaced STI regions of field oxide through the SiN layer and into the substrate, removing a top portion of the field oxide for each STI region by a controlled deglaze, removing the SiN layer, forming an n-type region in the substrate between the first and second STI regions and a p-type region in the substrate between the second and third STI regions, and epitaxially growing a Si based layer on the substrate over the n-type and p-type regions.
US09099515B2

An apparatus includes a robot arm, and a plurality of guide pins mounted on the robot arm. Each of the plurality of guide pins includes a plurality of wafer supports at different levels, with each of the plurality of wafer supports configured to support and center a wafer having a size different from wafers configured to be supported and centered by remaining ones of the plurality of wafer supports.
US09099512B2

New temporary bonding methods and articles formed from those methods are provided. The methods comprise bonding a device wafer to a carrier wafer or substrate only at their outer perimeters in order to assist in protecting the device wafer and its device sites during subsequent processing and handling. The edge bonds formed by this method are chemically and thermally resistant, but can also be softened, dissolved, or mechanically disrupted to allow the wafers to be easily separated with very low forces and at or near room temperature at the appropriate stage in the fabrication process.
US09099509B2

A tray carrier system having a tray loading position, a tray off-loading position, and four parallel rails extending from the tray loading position to the tray off-loading position. A tray carrier platform is disposed on each rail, where each tray carrier platform is configured to move along the rail on which it is disposed between the tray loading position and the tray off-loading position. Each tray carrier platform includes a carriage for engaging the rail, swing arms attached to the carriage, retaining pieces attached to the swing arms for selectively retaining and releasing a tray, and means for moving the swing arms between an open position and a closed position. The retaining pieces retain the tray at a tray level when the swing arms are in the closed position, and release the tray and are disposed entirely below the tray level when the swing arms are in the open position. Two of the tray carrier platforms form a first tray carrier unit, and the other two tray carrier platforms form a second tray carrier unit. The first tray carrier unit is capable of passing underneath a tray carried by the second tray carrier unit in the closed position when the first tray carrier unit is in the open position.
US09099501B2

A gas knife configured to dry a surface in an immersion lithographic apparatus is optimized to remove liquid by ensuring that a pressure gradient is built up in the liquid film on the surface being dried.
US09099496B2

A stack can be patterned by a first etch process to form an opening defining sidewall surfaces of a patterned material stack. A masking layer can be non-conformally deposited on sidewalls of an upper portion of the patterned material stack, while not being deposited on sidewalls of a lower portion of the patterned material stack. The sidewalls of a lower portion of the opening can be laterally recessed employing a second etch process, which can include an isotropic etch component. The sidewalls of the upper portion of the opening can protrude inward toward the opening to form an overhang over the sidewalls of the lower portion of the opening. The overhang can be employed to form useful structures such as an negative offset profile in a floating gate device or vertically aligned control gate electrodes for vertical memory devices.
US09099489B2

A higher breakdown voltage transistor has separated emitter, base contact, and collector contact. Underlying the emitter and the base contact are, respectively, first and second base portions of a first conductivity type. Underlying and coupled to the collector contact is a collector region of a second, opposite, conductivity type, having a central portion extending laterally toward, underneath, or beyond the base contact and separated therefrom by the second base portion. A floating collector region of the same conductivity type as the collector region underlies and is separated from the emitter by the first base portion. The collector and floating collector regions are separated by a part of the semiconductor (SC) region in which the base is formed. A further part of the SC region in which the base is formed, laterally bounds or encloses the collector region.
US09099483B2

A glass composition for protecting a semiconductor junction contains at least SiO2, B2O3, Al2O3, ZnO, and at least two oxides of alkaline earth metal selected from the group consisting of CaO, MgO and BaO, and substantially contains none of Pb, P, As, Sb, Li, Na and K.
US09099472B2

Some embodiments include methods of forming conductive structures. An electrically conductive material may be deposited with a first deposition method. The first deposition method has a first deposition rate and forms a first portion of a conductive structure. A second portion of the conductive structure may be formed by depositing the electrically conductive material with a second deposition method having a second deposition rate. The second deposition rate may be different from the first deposition rate by at least about a factor of 3. In some embodiments, a region of the conductive structure is utilized as a transistor gate of a DRAM cell. Some embodiments include semiconductor constructions.
US09099470B2

Provided is a method of forming patterns for a semiconductor device in which fine patterns and large-width patterns are formed simultaneously and adjacent to each other. In the method, a first layer is formed on a substrate so as to cover a first region and a second region which are included in the substrate. Both a blocking pattern covering a portion of the first layer in the first region and a low-density large-width pattern covering a portion of the first layer in the second region are simultaneously formed. A plurality of sacrificial mask patterns are formed on the first layer and the blocking pattern in the first region. A plurality of spacers covering exposed sidewalls of the plurality of sacrificial mask patterns are formed. The plurality of sacrificial mask patterns are removed. The first layer in the first and second regions are simultaneously etched by using the plurality of spacers and the blocking pattern as etch masks in the first region and using the low-density large-width pattern as an etch mask in the second region.
US09099463B2

The present invention relates to a layout structure and a version control circuit for integrated circuits. The layout structure for integrated circuits according to the present invention comprises a signal-supplying unit and at least a transfer cell. The signal-supplying unit is used for supplying a first signal and a second signal. The transfer cell has a plurality of metal layers interconnected. One of metal layers receives and transfers the first signal or the second signal. When changing the transfer cell to transfer the second signal instead of the first signal, the metal layers interrupt transferring the first signal but receive and output the second signal. When the circuit is revised and multiple sub-circuits as well as the transferred signal are changed, the fewest metal layers commonly adopted are used. Accordingly, the present invention can reduce effectively the number of masks, and thus reducing costs.
US09099460B2

To manufacture a stack semiconductor package, a board mold covers a first semiconductor. The board mold includes a first face and a second face opposite to the first face. An active surface of the first semiconductor faces the second face. A first opening is formed in the board mold from the second surface. The first opening is disposed on the first semiconductor. A second opening penetrates the board mold from the first surface. A conductive metal layer fills the first and the second openings using an electroless plating method. A plurality of semiconductor devices is stacked on the first face of the board mold.
US09099447B2

A local interconnect is formed in contact with an upper surface of an impurity diffusion region and extends to below a potential supply interconnect. A contact hole electrically couples the local interconnect to the potential supply interconnect. The local interconnect, which is formed in contact with the upper surface of the impurity diffusion region, is used for electrically coupling the impurity diffusion region to the potential supply interconnect.
US09099443B2

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a first region and a second region having a thickness that is less than a thickness of the first region, a first metal film having a same film thickness provided in each of a first through hole, and a second through hole, the first through hole penetrating the semiconductor substrate from the second surface to the first surface in the first region, and the second through hole penetrating the semiconductor substrate from the second surface to the first surface in the second region. A second metal film is formed on the first metal films and is provided inside the first through hole, and inside and outside of the second through hole. A thickness of the second metal film located outside the second through hole is greater than a thickness of the second metal film located outside the first through hole, and heights of upper surfaces of the second metal film in the first and second regions are the same.
US09099435B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming trenches in a first conductivity type semiconductor layer. An insulating film is then formed to cover the inner surfaces of the trenches. A part of the insulating film which is covering a bottom part of the trenches is removed from at least a portion of the trenches. Dopant ions are implanted into regions of the semiconductor layer that are below the bottom parts of that portion of the trenches from which the portion of the insulating film has been removed.
US09099428B2

In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, an oxide insulating layer is formed so as to be in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. Then, oxygen is introduced (added) to the oxide semiconductor layer through the oxide insulating layer, and heat treatment is performed. Through these steps of oxygen introduction and heat treatment, impurities such as hydrogen, moisture, a hydroxyl group, or hydride are intentionally removed from the oxide semiconductor layer, so that the oxide semiconductor layer is highly purified.
US09099427B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor structure and method to dissipate heat generated by semiconductor devices by utilizing backside thermoelectric devices. In certain embodiments, the semiconductor structure comprises an electronic device formed on a first side of the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure also comprises a thermoelectric cooling device formed on a second side of the semiconductor structure in close proximity to a region of the semiconductor structure where heat dissipation is desired, wherein the thermoelectric cooling device includes a Peltier junction. In other embodiments, the method comprises forming an electronic device on a first side of a semiconductor structure. The method also comprises forming a thermoelectric cooling device on a second side of the semiconductor structure in close proximity to a region of the semiconductor structure where heat dissipation is desired, wherein the thermoelectric cooling device includes a Peltier junction.
US09099422B2

A compound semiconductor device includes: a substrate; an electron transit layer and electron supply layer formed over the substrate; a gate electrode, source electrode, and drain electrode formed over the electron supply layer; and a first Fe-doped layer provided between the substrate and the electron transit layer in a region corresponding to the position of the gate electrode in plan view, the first Fe-doped layer being doped with Fe to reduce two dimensional electron gas generated below the gate electrode.
US09099419B2

A test method in accordance with one or more embodiments may include: providing a semiconductor device to be tested, the semiconductor device including at least one device cell, the at least one device cell having at least one trench, at least one first terminal electrode region and at least one second terminal electrode region, at least one gate electrode, and at least one additional electrode disposed at least partially in the at least one trench, wherein an electrical potential of the at least one additional electrode may be controlled separately from electrical potentials of the at least one first terminal electrode region, the at least one second terminal electrode region and the at least one gate electrode; and applying at least one electrical test potential to at least the at least one additional electrode to detect defects in the at least one device cell.
US09099413B2

A display substrate and a method of manufacturing the same. The display substrate includes a substrate including an active area and an inactive area, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) unit disposed on the active area of the substrate, and a transmittance measurement pattern unit disposed on the inactive area of the substrate. The transmittance measurement pattern unit includes a deposition assistant layer pattern disposed on the substrate.
US09099406B2

An organic electroluminescence display device includes: a light emission region including a plurality of pixels on a drive substrate, wherein each of the pixels includes, in order from a side close to the drive substrate, a first electrode, a functional layer, and a second electrode, the first electrode is provided for each of the pixels, and the functional layer includes at least an organic electroluminescence layer; a print pattern layer included in the functional layer and formed individually for each of the pixels; and a protrusion provided on the drive substrate and protruding further than any layer provided between the print pattern layer and the drive substrate.
US09099397B1

A transistor includes a first emitter layer area, a second emitter layer area, wherein the second emitter layer area is separate from the first emitter layer area, a first metal formed on the first emitter layer area, a second metal formed on the second emitter layer area, a base, and a base metal formed on the base and on the second metal. The first emitter layer area is an emitter of the transistor and the first metal provides an emitter contact. The base metal on the base and on the second metal provides a base contact.
US09099393B2

A method for semiconductor fabrication includes forming at least one of a diffusion barrier layer and a metal containing layer over a dielectric layer in a gate cavity. A first anneal is performed to diffuse elements from the at least one of the diffusion barrier layer and the metal containing layer into the dielectric layer. The metal containing layer and the diffusion barrier layer are removed. A second anneal is performed to adjust diffusion of the elements in the dielectric layer to provide a gate dielectric region.
US09099390B2

A crystallization apparatus for crystallizing a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, the crystallization apparatus including: a laser generator, which generates a laser beam, and a stage on which the substrate is mounted, where the semiconductor layer is divided into a plurality of crystallization areas and a plurality of non-crystallization areas, and the laser beam is radiated onto the crystallization areas a plurality of times to crystallize the crystallization areas, where the laser beam is radiated onto different positions of the same crystallization area a plurality of times.
US09099385B2

Vertical 1T-1R memory cells, memory arrays of vertical 1T-1R memory calls, and methods of forming such memory cells and memory arrays are described. The memory cells each include a vertical transistor and a resistivity-switching element coupled in series with and disposed above or below the vertical transistor. The vertical transistor includes a controlling electrode coupled to a word line that is above or below the vertical transistor. The controlling electrode is disposed on a sidewall of the vertical transistor. Each vertical transistor includes a first terminal coupled to a bit line, a second terminal comprising the controlling electrode coupled to a word line, and a third terminal coupled to the resistivity-switching element.
US09099383B2

A GaN-based semiconductor is epitaxially grown on a silicon substrate with a surface orientation of (111). The difference between the lattice constant of the GaN and the silicon (111) surface is approximately 17%, which is quite large. Therefore, the dislocation density of the grown GaN exceeds 1010 cm−2. Screw dislocation density causes the leak current of the transistor using GaN to increases. Furthermore, the mobility of the transistor is reduced. Provided is a semiconductor substrate comprising a silicon substrate and a nitride semiconductor layer that is epitaxially grown on a (150) surface of the silicon substrate.
US09099371B1

A barrier-type photo-detector, such as an infra-red detector, is disclosed. The detector may include an absorber layer having predetermined majority and minority carrier types with corresponding energy bands; and a Barrier made, at least in part, of a semiconductor with a Barrier energy gap and corresponding conduction and valence bands, a first side of said Barrier adjacent a first side of said absorber layer. Metal contact regions may be disposed on the barrier layer, the metal contact regions delineating pixels where image data may be read out from the photo-detector; wherein the Barrier is configured so as to allow minority carrier current flow while blocking majority carrier current flow between the absorber layer and the metal contact regions.
US09099368B2

A camera module may include a substrate, and an image sensor mounted on the substrate. The camera module may also include a housing, and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield provided around the image sensor and within the module. The camera module may be particularly suited for use in a mobile telephone, for example.
US09099364B1

Disclosed is a MPS-C2 (Metal Post Soldering Chip Connection) semiconductor device having shorter supporting posts. Bonding pads are reentrant from a wafer-level packaging (WLP) layer formed on the active surface. A patterned UBM metal layer includes a plurality of UBM pads disposed on the bonding pads and at least a UBM island disposed on the WLP layer. The island area of the UBM island on the WLP layer is at least four times larger than the unit area of the UBM pads. A plurality of I/O pillars are one-to-one disposed on the UBM pads by plating and a plurality of supporting pillars are many-to-one disposed on the UBM island by one plating process. The unit footprint of the supporting pillars on the UBM island is smaller than the unit footprint of the I/O pillars on the UBM pads so as to compensate the height difference between the top jointing surfaces of the supporting pillars and the I/O pillars.
US09099360B2

A display device and a manufacturing method thereof with improved performance and low manufacturing complexity are provided. One inventive aspect includes: a first control electrode, a semiconductor layer, an etch stop layer, a first input electrode and a first output electrode, a third control electrode, a passivation layer and a pixel electrode. The third control electrode is formed on the etch stop layer. The passivation layer is formed on the first electrode, the first output electrode and the third control electrode. The pixel electrode is formed on the passivation layer and connects to the first output electrode.
US09099348B2

A semiconductor device includes: vertical channel layers; a pipe channel layer configured to connect lower ends of the vertical channel layers; and a pipe gate surrounding the pipe channel layer and including a first region, which is in contact with the pipe channel layer and includes a first-type impurity, and remaining second regions including a second-type impurity different from the first type impurity.
US09099347B2

Provided are three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The device may include an electrode structure extending in a first direction and including electrodes and insulating patterns which are alternately and repeatedly stacked on a substrate, and vertical active patterns penetrating the electrode structure. At least an uppermost electrode of the electrodes is divided into a plurality of physically isolated segments arranged in the first direction. The segments of the uppermost electrode are electrically connected to each other.
US09099345B2

A WLP device is provided with a flange shaped UBM or an embedded partial solder ball UBM on top of a copper post style circuit connection.
US09099339B2

A package-on-package stack may include an upper package, an optical interface, and a lower package. The upper package may send an optical signal from a first component in the upper package. The optical interface may receive the optical signal from the upper package, and may transmit the optical signal. The lower package may receive the optical signal from the optical interface, and may relay the optical signal to a second component in the lower package or at the motherboard.
US09099333B2

An LED lamp device includes a plurality of LED elements separately mounted on a substrate and effective to emit light having a first wavelength. A fluorescent element includes a fluorescent material excitable by light emitted from the LED elements to emit light of a second wavelength, and is arranged to cover each LED element with no gaps provided between the fluorescent element and the substrate. The fluorescent element is shaped in accordance with the positioning of the LED elements and the spaces defined there-between such that a proportion of light of the first wavelength with respect to light of the second wavelength is substantially uniform irrespective of light exit direction.
US09099331B2

Provided is a semiconductor device which includes a bonding wire, one end of which is connected to a bipolar device, the other end of which is connected to a conductive member, and the center of which is connected to a unipolar device, said semiconductor device being capable of improving the reliability of wire bonding. A package (4) includes a die pad (61), a source lead (63), a first MOSFET (11), and a first Schottky barrier diode (21). A source electrode (11S) of the first MOSFET (11), an anode electrode (21A) of the first Schottky barrier diode (21), and the source lead (63) are electrically connected by the bonding wire (31), one end of which is bonded to the source electrode (11S) of the first MOSFET (11), the other end of which is bonded to the source lead (63), and the center of which is bonded to the anode electrode (21A) of the first Schottky barrier diode (21).
US09099327B2

A multigate structure which comprises a semiconductor substrate; an ultra-thin silicon or carbon bodies of less than 20 nanometers thick located on the substrate; an electrolessly deposited metallic layer selectively located on the side surfaces and top surfaces of the ultra-thin silicon or carbon bodies and selectively located on top of the multigate structures to make electrical contact with the ultra-thin silicon or carbon bodies and to minimize parasitic resistance, and wherein the ultra-thin silicon or carbon bodies and metallic layer located thereon form source and drain regions is provided along with a process to fabricate the structure.
US09099323B2

A Si-on-half-insulator device and its manufacturing method are disclosed in this invention. In one embodiment, a horizontal insulating layer located below at least one of the source and drain regions is realized to reduce junction capacitance. In another embodiment, a horizontal insulating layer located below at least one of the source and drain regions and a vertical insulating layer located below at least one side surface of the gate are realized. The additional vertical insulating layer can reduce punch leakage. Further, a method of manufacturing the above semiconductor device is also disclosed, wherein the horizontal and vertical insulating layers are formed using an additional layer of epitaxially grown semiconductor material and isolating trenches.
US09099314B2

Spacers in a pitch multiplication process are formed without performing a spacer etch. Rather, the mandrels are formed over a substrate and then the sides of the mandrels are reacted, e.g., in an oxidization, nitridation, or silicidation step, to form a material that can be selectively removed relative to the unreacted portions of the mandrel. The unreacted portions are selectively removed to leave a pattern of free-standing spacers. The free-standing spacers can serve as a mask for subsequent processing steps, such as etching the substrate.
US09099309B2

Disclosed are methods and resulting structures which provide an opening for epitaxial growth, the opening having an associated projection for reducing the size of the contact area on a substrate at which growth begins. During growth, the epitaxial material grows vertically from the contact area and laterally over the projection. The projection provides a stress relaxation region for the lateral growth to reduce dislocation and stacking faults at the side edges of the grown epitaxial material.
US09099304B2

A semiconductor device is provided that includes a diffusion barrier layer between a compound semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer, as well as a method of fabricating the semiconductor device, such that the semiconductor device includes a compound semiconductor layer; a dielectric layer; and a diffusion barrier layer including an oxynitride formed between the compound semiconductor layer and the dielectric layer.
US09099301B1

Methods and compositions for depositing La-containing layers are described herein. In general, the disclosed methods deposit the precursor compounds comprising rare earth-containing compounds using deposition methods such as chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition. The disclosed precursor compounds include a cyclopentadienyl ligand having at least one aliphatic group as a substituent and an amidine ligand.
US09099297B2

An electrochemical processor may include a head having a rotor configured to hold a workpiece, with the head moveable to position the rotor in a vessel. Inner and outer anodes are in inner and outer anolyte chambers within the vessel. An upper cup in the vessel, has a curved upper surface and inner and outer catholyte chambers. A current thief is located adjacent to the curved upper surface. Annular slots in the curved upper curved surface connect into passageways, such as tubes, leading into the outer catholyte chamber. Membranes may separate the inner and outer anolyte chambers from the inner and outer catholyte chambers, respectively.
US09099296B2

A microelectronic assembly is provided in which first and second electrically conductive pads exposed at front surfaces of first and second microelectronic elements, respectively, are juxtaposed, each of the microelectronic elements embodying active semiconductor devices. An electrically conductive element may extend within a first opening extending from a rear surface of the first microelectronic element towards the front surface thereof, within a second opening extending from the first opening towards the front surface of the first microelectronic element, and within a third opening extending through at least one of the first and second pads to contact the first and second pads. Interior surfaces of the first and second openings may extend in first and second directions relative to the front surface of the first microelectronic element, respectively, to define a substantial angle.
US09099286B2

Mass spectrometers and methods for measuring information about samples using mass spectrometry are disclosed.
US09099283B2

A signal processing unit (21) of a charged particle microscope calculates a degradation function (H (s)) of an image, on the basis of detection signals (11) obtained by scanning a charged particle beam (2) at two types of scanning speeds, a scanning speed within the bandwidths of a detector (12) and an amplifying circuit at a subsequent stage of the detector, and another scanning speed exceeding the upper limit of the bandwidths. Then, the signal processing unit creates a one-dimensional correction filter for recovering image quality, from an inverse function (H−1 (s)) of the degradation function, and applies the one-dimensional correction filter to the detection signal recorded at the scanning speed exceeding the upper limit of the bandwidths of the detector and the amplifying circuit at a subsequent stage of the detector, or to a two-dimensional image based on the detection signal.
US09099274B2

Described is a lateral field emission device emitting electrons in parallel with respect to a substrate. Electron emission materials having a predetermined thickness are arranged in a direction with respect to the substrate on a supporting portion. An anode is disposed on a side portion of the substrate, the anode corresponding to the electron emission materials.
US09099269B2

An adapter configured to connect a switch device to a data bus, wherein the switch device has a box-like body which houses a switching unit for switching an electric circuit, wherein the adapter includes a case having a first opening and a second opening and an electronic control unit housed in the case and having a first connection element adapted to be connected to the switching unit through the first opening and second connection element adapted to be connected to the data bus through the second opening to convert the electric signals generated by the switching unit into data signals and vice versa.
US09099264B2

Systems and methods for providing input component assemblies with anti-rotational buttons in electronic devices are provided. The input component assembly includes a switch, a button positioned over the switch, where the button is operative to close at least one circuit of the switch when the button is depressed towards the switch, and at least one pin positioned underneath the button, where the at least one pin is operative to engage with a surface to assist in preventing rotation of the button, when the button is depressed towards the switch.
US09099261B2

A keyswitch includes a casing, a key cap and a support device rotatably disposed between the key cap and the casing. One of the casing and the key cap has a first magnetic area and the support device has a second magnetic area corresponding to the first magnetic area. When the key cap is not pressed, a magnetic attraction force between the first and second magnetic areas keeps the key cap at a non-pressed position. When the key cap is pressed by an external force such that the second magnetic area moves away from the first magnetic area, the key cap moves from the non-pressed position toward the pressed position. When the external force is removed, the second magnetic area moves toward the first magnetic area due to the magnetic attraction force such that the key cap moves from the pressed position toward the non-pressed position.
US09099259B2

A circuit breaker includes a latch including a switching mechanism for opening and closing a switching contact operatively connected to a tensioning element, and an unlatching mechanism by which, on the basis of a tripping signal, the tensioning element can be changed from a tensioned to an at least largely untensioned state, thereby opening the switching contact. In an embodiment, the tensioning element is indirectly linked to a tensioning lever having a locating surface on which a locking pawl of the unlatching mechanism bears in the tensioned state of the tensioning element. The locating surface is curved in the direction of the locking pawl and is movably disposed relative to the tensioning lever.
US09099258B2

A rocker contact switch for a GFCI device includes a base and first and second legs extending from the base. When the base is moved, the second leg rotates to contact a conductive member to put the GFCI device in an end of life condition. The first leg is substantially prevented from moving in response to movement of the base. A test button of the GFCI device is pushed a first distance to complete a first circuit that trips the GFCI device. The test button is pushed a second distance, which moves the base of the rocker contact switch, to complete a second circuit that puts the GFCI device in an end of life condition by moving the rocker switch base.
US09099255B2

A housing having activated structure by remotely activates an embedded switch. The case includes a front panel having an inner and outer surface, an operation button, a first elastic member, a latch member having a lead-in portion at one end and an activating portion at the other end, and a lever. The operation button is arranged on the outer face and contacts the lead-in portion. The lever pivotally connects the front panel and selectively contacts the latch member and the switch. When the operation button is pressed, the first elastic member is compressed and the lead-in portion shifts accordingly. The activating portion further applies a force to the lever which then tilts toward the switch, allowing activation. When the first elastic member decompresses, a force applies to the latch member and the latch member returns to the original position.
US09099254B2

A control device for generating electrical signals. The control device includes a bottom support, a first, a second, and a third fixed contacts, a first, a second, and a third moving contacts, each of which is elastically deformable. The control device also includes an intermediate control cradle thank includes first, second and third actuating pawls. The control device is suitable for occupying an inactive position in which at least one first, one second and one third bearing points of the intermediate cradle are in abutment, vertically upwards, each against an associated surface portion facing the bottom support, and a single top control member in the form of a drum.
US09099253B2

Elongated noble-metal nanoparticles and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. The method involves the formation of a plurality of elongated noble-metal nanoparticles by electrochemical deposition of the noble metal on a high surface area carbon support, such as carbon nanoparticles. Prior to electrochemical deposition, the carbon support may be functionalized by oxidation, thus making the manufacturing process simple and cost-effective. The generated elongated nanoparticles are covalently bound to the carbon support and can be used directly in electrocatalysis. The process provides elongated noble-metal nanoparticles with high catalytic activities and improved durability in combination with high catalyst utilization since the nanoparticles are deposited and covalently bound to the carbon support in their final position and will not change in forming an electrode assembly.
US09099250B2

There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor to be embedded in a board, including: a ceramic body; first and second internal electrodes alternately exposed through end surfaces of the ceramic body; first and second external electrodes formed on end surfaces of the ceramic body; and first and second plating layers enclosing the first and second external electrodes, wherein when distance from one end of bands of the first or second external electrode to the other end thereof is ‘A’ and distance between points at which a virtual line drawn from a point vertically spaced apart from a surface of the first or second plating layer at a point ½×A from one end of the bands inwardly of the ceramic body by 3 μm in length direction of the ceramic body intersects points on the surface of the first or second plating layer is ‘B,’ B/A≧0.6.
US09099235B2

A laminate has a structure in which magnetic layers and a non-magnetic layer containing glass are stacked. A coil is incorporated in the laminate. The magnetic permeability μ2 in portions (low-magnetic-permeability portions), of the magnetic layers, which are adjacent to the non-magnetic layer and into which the glass diffuses is lower than the magnetic permeability μ1 in portions (high-magnetic-permeability portions), of the magnetic layers, which are not adjacent to the non-magnetic layer.
US09099232B2

A magnetic device and power converter employing the same. In one embodiment, the magnetic device includes a first L-core segment including a first leg and a second leg extending therefrom, and an opposing second L-core segment including a first leg and a second leg extending therefrom. The magnetic device also includes a winding formed around at least one of the first leg and the second leg of the first L-core segment or the second L-core segment.
US09099231B2

A magnetic core (106) is adapted for a solenoid valve (100). The magnetic core (106) includes a base (113), a stem (112), and an inner cavity (115). The inner cavity (115) is formed in a portion of the base (113) and in a portion of the stem (112). The inner cavity (115) defines a thin wall (108) of the stem (112). The magnetic core (106) further comprises a non-magnetic pressure retaining sleeve (420). The non-magnetic pressure retaining sleeve (420) is arranged in such a way that either the non-magnetic pressure retaining sleeve surrounds at least a portion of the thin wall of the stem or that at least a portion of the thin wall portion surrounds the non-magnetic pressure retaining sleeve.
US09099227B2

A pattern of conductive micro-wires as in a conductive pattern can be prepared using photo-lithography, or imprint technology. A photocurable composition is cured to form a pattern of photocured micro-channels. A conductive composition comprising metal nano-particles is added to the photocured micro-channels and excess conductive composition outside the photocured micro-channels is removed. The conductive composition in the photocured micro-channels is then dried at a temperature of less than 60° C. The dried conductive composition in the photocured micro-channels is treated with hydrogen chloride vapor to form conductive micro-wires in the photocured micro-channels at a temperature of less than 60° C. The outer surface of the conductive micro-wires is then polished in the presence of water, to form a micro-wire pattern.
US09099225B2

Primary wire for marine or undersea cable comprises a conducting core (10), typically a multifilament core of copper, and an insulating sheath comprising an insulating inner layer (12) having a thickness of 0.35 to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.5 to 0.75 mm, and an outer protective layer (14) of polyvinylidene fluoride having a thickness of 0.15 to 0.3 mm, at least the outer layer being radiation crosslinked. The inner and outer layers are preferably crosslinked together using electron beam radiation. The combination of the inner and outer layers of the sheath enables marine and subsea cables and the like to be made with smaller diameters, without loss of capacity or electrical properties and with an increase in overall performance such as temperature range and mechanical properties.
US09099212B2

One example is a betavoltaic cell that has been fabricated using a semiconductor that includes, but is not limited to, Silicon Carbide (SiC), Silicon (Si), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs), Gallium Nitide (GaN), Gallium Phosphide (GaP), or Diamond, and uses through wafer via holes or other fabrication techniques to form both positive (+ve) and negative (−ve) contacts on the front and back sides of the cell. In another example, several of these cells with +ve and −ve contacts on the front and back sides of the cell are arranged vertically and/or horizontally to form customized parallel and/or series combinations that produce a close packed, energy dense betavoltaic composite unit, with increased power outputs relative to a single cell. In another example, tritium or a metal tritide is used as the radioisotope source for the cells.
US09099207B2

According to one embodiment of a reactor core monitoring system, includes: an information retention portion for retaining a regular cycle and a short cycle as calculation information of reactor core performance data; a signal processing portion for creating heat balance data based on a process signal; a data acquisition portion for acquiring, in a timing of the regular cycle, the heat balance data and reactor core performance data which was calculated in a previous timing of the regular cycle, while acquiring, in a timing of the short cycle asynchronous to the regular cycle, the heat balance data and reactor core performance data which was calculated most recently; and a data calculation portion for calculating new reactor core performance data based on the acquired reactor core performance data and the heat balance data.
US09099189B2

Methods of operating memory devices including precharging an adjacent pair of data lines to a particular voltage, isolating one data line of the adjacent pair of data lines from the particular voltage while maintaining the other data line of the adjacent pair of data lines at the particular voltage, and selectively discharging the one data line depending upon a data value of a selected memory cell of a string of memory cells associated with the one data line.
US09099171B2

An information processor includes an information processing sub-system having information processing circuits and a memory sub-system performing data communication with the information processing sub-systems, wherein the memory sub-system has a first memory, a second memory, a third memory having reading and writing latencies longer than those of the first memory and the second memory, and a memory controller for controlling data transfer among the first memory, the second memory and the third memory; graph data is stored in the third memory; the memory controller analyzes data blocks serving as part of the graph data, and performs preloading operation repeatedly to transfer the data blocks to be required next for the execution of the processing from the third memory to the first memory or the second memory on the basis of the result of the analysis.
US09099169B1

A first input of a sense amplifier is connected to a first bitline, a second input of the sense amplifier is connected to a second bitline, a third input of the sense amplifier is coupled to a third bitline. The sense amplifier provides at an output an indicator of a storage state of a memory cell connected to the first bitline based upon information provided to the sense amplifier via the first, second, and third bitlines.
US09099167B2

The disclosure relates to a method for detecting a current comprising: generating a bias current, transmitting the bias current to a feedback stage and a measurement stage connected to the measurement node receiving a current to be measured, slaving a voltage to the measurement node at a constant value by the measurement and feedback stages, transmitting to an output stage, a current circulating in the measurement stage, which depends on the bias current and the current to be measured, and converting a current circulating in the output stage into a voltage.
US09099156B2

A system including transmission lines, read elements, and differential amplifiers. The read elements are connected in series. Each of the read elements is connected to a respective pair of the transmission lines. The differential amplifiers are connected respectively to the read elements via the transmission lines. The differential amplifiers are configured to amplify differential signals received from the respective pairs of the transmission lines.
US09099155B1

Apparatus and method for adaptively mitigating adjacent track interference (ATI) effects on a data recording medium. In some embodiments, a write count value is accumulated for a first track responsive to successive writes to a second track on the data recording medium. For each of the successive writes, the accumulated write count value for the first track is incremented by a different variable amount based on temperature. The first track is refreshed responsive to the accumulated write count reaching a selected threshold value.
US09099152B2

A method and apparatus for creation, distribution, assembly and verification of media, including one embodiment, media is transmitted to a receiver where the receiver assembles the media into programming. In another embodiment, media is transmitted to the receiver from a plurality of sources. In a further embodiment, a source of media performs a tagging operation to associate sets of tags with elements of the stream of media. In various embodiments, different combinations of look-and-feel, content and other tags are associated with the media stream. In an additional embodiment, tagging of the media stream is performed at the receiver. A user at the receiver may also provide data about the user to the receiver. In yet another embodiment, the receiver uses the tags to assemble the media into a program. In still further embodiments of the invention, various Royalty Only Aggregate Revenues or “ROAR” models and apparatus are disclosed.
US09099146B2

A device including a magnetic structure, the magnetic structure having a substrate adjacent surface and a second, opposing surface, the magnetic structure having a near field transducer (NFT), wherein the NFT includes gold or an alloy thereof, and is positioned at the second surface an overcoat structure; and a film structure, the film structure positioned between the magnetic structure and the overcoat structure, the film structure having a total thickness of not greater than about 100 Å, and the film structure including: a first interfacial structure having a first and a second opposing surface; a second interfacial structure having a first and a second opposing surface; and an intermediate structure wherein the first surface of the first interfacial structure is positioned adjacent the NFT of the magnetic structure, and the second surface of the second interfacial structure is positioned adjacent the overcoat structure, and the intermediate structure is positioned between the first interfacial structure and the second interfacial structure, and wherein the first interfacial structure includes one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or a combination thereof.
US09099145B1

A slider and method of making same to reduce contrast interference for visual identification of alignment marks on the slider for heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) includes a plurality of alignment marks arranged for alignment of a chip on submount assembly (COSA) with respect to the slider, and at least one shield arranged with the plurality of alignment marks. A hard disk drive includes a plurality of alignment marks arranged for alignment of a chip on submount assembly (COSA) with respect to the slider, and at least one shield arranged with the plurality of alignment marks.
US09099141B2

An aspect of the present invention relates to a radiation-curable vinyl chloride resin composition comprising a vinyl chloride resin containing a radiation-curable functional group, and/or starting material compounds thereof, as well as a benzoquinone compound.
US09099127B1

A magnetic read head and associated circuitry for reducing side track noise and decreasing read width, thereby providing increased data density. The magnetic read head includes first and second sensor elements that are aligned with one another in a data track direction, with the first sensor element being wider than the second sensor element. Electrical circuitry is connected with the read head in such a manner as to read a first signal from the first sensor element and a second signal from a second sensor element. Because the second sensor element is wider than the first sensor element, it will read more side signal noise from adjacent data tracks than will the second sensor element. The circuitry connected with the first and second sensor element detects and distinguishes the side signal noise and separates it out from the data signal, based sensor width difference and location difference.
US09099126B2

A magnetic head, according to one embodiment, includes a sensor structure extending from an air bearing surface end thereof in a stripe height direction, the sensor structure having sidewalls on opposite sides thereof, the sidewalls extending between a top and a bottom of the sensor structure, the sidewalls extending in the stripe height direction, wherein a spacing between the sidewalls in a track width direction along the top of the sensor structure is about constant therealong in the stripe height direction.
US09099124B1

A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a magnetic recording disk drive read head, has a nitrogen-containing layer between the MgO barrier layer and the free and/or reference ferromagnetic layers that contain boron. In one embodiment the free ferromagnetic layer includes a boron-containing layer and a trilayer nanolayer structure between the MgO barrier layer and the boron-containing layer. The trilayer nanolayer structure includes a thin Co, Fe or CoFe first nanolayer in contact with the MgO layer, a thin FeN or CoFeN second nanolayer on the first nanolayer and a thin Co, Fe or CoFe third nanolayer on the FeN or CoFeN nanolayer between the FeN or CoFeN nanolayer and the boron-containing layer. If the reference ferromagnetic layer also includes a boron-containing layer then a similar trilayer nanolayer structure may be located between the boron-containing layer and the MgO barrier layer.
US09099123B1

A magnetic read sensor having an extended pinned layer and having a free layer structure with a back edge formed at an angle for optimizing sensor performance and pinned layer pinning. The magnetic free layer has a back edge that is formed at an angle of between 6 and 10 degrees relative to a plane parallel with the air bearing surface plane. The magnetic sensor can be formed by forming the free layer stripe height with an ion milling that is performed at an angle of 6 to 10 degrees relative to normal.
US09099121B2

A current-perpendicular-to-plane magnetoresistive read sensor includes a stack of layers extending along a stacking direction, and an edge surface parallel to the stacking direction that forms at least part of a bearing surface of the read sensor, the bearing surface designed to face a recording medium. The stack of layers includes a first contact layer, a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetic orientation varies according to an applied magnetic field, above the first contact layer, a non-magnetic layer above the ferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic spin injection layer above the non-magnetic layer, and a second contact layer above the spin injection layer, such that a current can flow between the second contact layer and the first contact layer along a current-perpendicular-to-plane direction, parallel to the stacking direction. The stack of layers further includes a series of structures extending along a direction parallel to the bearing surface and perpendicular to the stacking direction.
US09099117B2

A near field transducer with a peg region, an enlarged region disposed adjacent the peg region, and a barrier material disposed between the peg region and the enlarged region. The barrier material reduces or eliminates interdiffusion of material between the peg region and the enlarged region.
US09099115B2

A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes an underlayer, a first nonmagnetic spacer layer above the underlayer, a free layer above the first nonmagnetic spacer layer, a second nonmagnetic spacer layer above the free layer, and a cap layer above the second nonmagnetic spacer layer. At least one of the cap layer and the underlayer comprises a soft ferromagnetic material and a high spin orbit coupling material. Other embodiments are also described.
US09099108B2

An apparatus may be constructed with a magnetic element, such as a data transducing head. A first permanent magnet may be configured to bias the write pole to decrease remnant magnetization and erasure after write (EAW). The first permanent magnet can be separated from the write pole be a predetermined distance.
US09099104B2

A component comprising a stacked interleaved film structure that includes a plurality of layers inert to light. Alternating layers are either doped with a reverse saturable absorber (RSA) material or the RSA material is located between the adjacent inert layers. In some embodiments, the inert alternating layers have different refractive indices. A data storage device and methods of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09099101B1

Described herein is a method for controlling the acoustic noise generated by a spindle motor of a hard disk drive includes detecting vibrations of the hard disk drive, and distorting an input signal to the spindle motor based on the vibrations of the hard disk drive.
US09099098B2

In speech processing systems, compensation is made for sudden changes in the background noise in the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculation. SNR outlier filtering may be used, alone or in conjunction with weighting the average SNR. Adaptive weights may be applied on the SNRs per band before computing the average SNR. The weighting function can be a function of noise level, noise type, and/or instantaneous SNR value. Another weighting mechanism applies a null filtering or outlier filtering which sets the weight in a particular band to be zero. This particular band may be characterized as the one that exhibits an SNR that is several times higher than the SNRs in other bands.
US09099094B2

Microphone arrays (MAs) are described that position and vent microphones so that performance of a noise suppression system coupled to the microphone array is enhanced. The MA includes at least two physical microphones to receive acoustic signals. The physical microphones make use of a common rear vent (actual or virtual) that samples a common pressure source. The MA includes a physical directional microphone configuration and a virtual directional microphone configuration. By making the input to the rear vents of the microphones (actual or virtual) as similar as possible, the real-world filter to be modeled becomes much simpler to model using an adaptive filter.
US09099089B2

A content alignment service may generate content synchronization information to facilitate the synchronous presentation of audio content and textual content. In some embodiments, a region of the textual content whose correspondence to the audio content is uncertain may be analyzed to determine whether the region of textual content corresponds to one or more words that are audibly presented in the audio content, or whether the region of textual content is a mismatch with respect to the audio content. In some embodiments, words in the textual content that correspond to words in the audio content are synchronously presented, while mismatched words in the textual content may be skipped to maintain synchronous presentation. Accordingly, in one example application, an audiobook is synchronized with an electronic book, so that as the electronic book is displayed, corresponding words of the audiobook are audibly presented.
US09099086B2

An Internet radio station program discovery service is provided. A plurality of Internet radio station programs is obtained. For each Internet radio station program of the plurality of Internet radio station programs, the Internet radio station program is dynamically categorized by mapping a dynamically identified topic of the Internet radio station program to a content classifier. A User is enabled to discover an Internet radio station program of interest from the plurality of Internet radio station programs based on the dynamic categorizations for the plurality of Internet radio station programs.
US09099085B2

A method for configuring a voice authentication system employing at least one authentication engine comprises utilizing the at least one authentication engine to systematically compare a plurality of impostor voice sample against a voice sample of a legitimate person to derive respective authentication scores. The resultant authentication scores are analyzed to determine a measure of confidence for the voice authentication system.
US09099081B2

To facilitate text-to-speech conversion of a username, a first or last name of a user associated with the username may be retrieved, and a pronunciation of the username may be determined based at least in part on whether the name forms at least part of the username. To facilitate text-to-speech conversion of a domain name having a top level domain and at least one other level domain, a pronunciation for the top level domain may be determined based at least in part upon whether the top level domain is one of a predetermined set of top level domains. Each other level domain may be searched for one or more recognized words therewithin, and a pronunciation of the other level domain may be determined based at least in part on an outcome of the search. The username and domain name may form part of a network address such as an email address, URL or URI.
US09099074B1

Acoustic insulation comprising tuned resonant absorbers to absorb sound energy and prevent it from being emitted and a method of installation of the acoustic insulation. The acoustic insulation is preferably placed or sprayed by a thermal spray process. The resonant absorbers are strategically placed in the placed or thermally sprayed material to maximize sound absorption. Discrete mass absorbers may be sealed or left open.
US09099066B2

A system and method is disclosed that facilitates the processing of a sound signal. In embodiments, an input sound signal can be processed according to a computational model using predetermined parameters. A sound signal originating from a musical instrument can be processed according to coefficients that are generated using a learning model.
US09099059B2

To provide an image display device capable of carrying out a data reading process in advance on data of a plurality of images in an order according to the likelihood of becoming a display target. There is provided an image display device for displaying on a display device (2) an image in accordance with a position change instruction issued by a user to change a position in an image sequence comprising a plurality of images, the image display device holds information about a display image position which is a position in the image sequence, of an image to be displayed next and determined according to an image being displayed on the display device (2) and the position change instruction; reads, with respect to respective images in a plurality of positions in the image sequence, the positions being determined according to the display image position, data of the respective images from an image data storage unit in an order determined according to content of the position change instruction, the image data storage unit storing data of the plurality of images; and displays an image in accordance with the position change instruction by a user, based on the read image data.
US09099049B2

A plurality of gray-scale values is extracted from image signals corresponding to a dimming area to calculate a mean value of the gray-scale values, and at least one of a variance, a standard deviation, a kurtosis, a skewness, a central moment, and an image moment is calculated using the mean value. Then, a representative gray-scale value corresponding to the dimming area is determined using the calculated values, and a dimming function for the light sources included in the dimming area is determined based on the representative gray-scale value. Then, the light sources included in the dimming area are driven based on the dimming function.
US09099042B2

A high luminance display apparatus is provided. When a spectral radiance of a backlight at a time point of factory shipment is less than a spectral radiance of external light, a CPU generates a correction matrix for performing color correction so that color produced by external light, i.e., color produced by reflection light of external light by a half mirror conforms to color produced by only irradiation light of the backlight, transmits the generated correction matrix to a video image signal processing section as parameter information, and causes execution of color correction based on the parameter information. The CPU generates a correction matrix based on a spectral radiance of external light detected by a second spectral radiance sensor, a spectral radiance of the backlight detected at the time point of factory shipment, and spectral transmittance of a color filter as well as a color-matching function.
US09099041B2

A display device includes pixel array unit and a driver unit. A sampling transistor samples a signal potential to hold the signal potential in a holding capacitor. A driver transistor flows a drive current to a light emitting element in accordance with the signal potential held. A main scanner in the driver unit outputs the control signal having a shorter pulse width than the time period to the scan line to make the sampling transistor conductive during a time period while the signal line is at the signal potential, thereby adding the signal potential a correction for a mobility of the driver transistor when the signal potential is held in the holding capacitor.
US09099040B2

Embodiments may provide a scan driver including a plurality of stages for simultaneously outputting first scan signals in a simultaneous driving period and for progressively outputting second scan signals in a progressive driving period, wherein each of the stages includes a first signal processing unit coupled to an input terminal, a first clock terminal, a third clock terminal, an auxiliary terminal, a first power source terminal, and a second power source terminal to output a first output signal and a second output signal, and a second signal processing unit coupled to a second clock terminal and the first power source terminal to receive the first output signal and the second output signal and to output a first scan signal and a second scan signal to an output terminal.
US09099037B2

An organic light emitting diode display having improved display quality is disclosed. The organic light emitting diode display includes pixels positioned at intersections of scan lines and data lines, an emission control unit for controlling emission times of the pixels according to a second emission width signal indicating emission time information of the pixels, and an emission time controller for dividing the pixels into a plurality of blocks and for generating the second emission width signal according to a brightness history of the blocks.
US09099033B2

A method and system for controlling power consumption of a display is disclosed. The method includes determining battery voltage, brightness of ambient light, temperature, and adjusting the brightness of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus, or by adjusting the voltage difference between a first power voltage and a second power voltage of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus, according to the battery voltage, the brightness of the ambient light, the temperature, and image data of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus.
US09099031B2

Methods, program products, and systems for layout synchronization are described. A first device can share with a second device a layout designed according to display properties of the first device, even if display properties of the second device differ from those of the first device. The layout can be synchronized between the devices, where each device can adapt the layout in a manner specific to the display properties of the device. Two-dimensional views of same data can have a consistent appearance on multiple devices each having distinct display properties.
US09099021B2

A display screen, terminal device using same and method for controlling same are described. The display screen includes a display panel portion configured to display an image based on inputted image data; a transparent fixing component, which is located above the display panel portion, configured to protect the display panel portion; and a camera unit provided on a first area of the display panel portion. By way of the above configuration, a user looks directly at the display screen during a video call or video chat. In this way, the user looks directly at the camera component which takes a video of the user, so that the users participating in the video call feel they are achieving eye contact, thus enhancing the experience of video calls and chats.
US09099020B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a display device consuming lower amounts of power. The display device determines whether or not video signals corresponding to all of pixels in one row of a plurality of pixels are equal to one another. In a case where the video signals corresponding to at least two pixels among the video signals corresponding to all of the pixels in one row of the plurality of pixels, are different from each other, video signals input to an image signal input line are sequentially output to a plurality of source signal lines in synchronization with a sampling pulse output from a shift register. On the other hand, when the video signals corresponding to all of the pixels in one row of the plurality of pixels are equal to one another, input of a start pulse to the source driver is stopped, and the video signals input to the image signal input line are simultaneously output to the plurality of source signal line.
US09099019B2

The present invention relates to an image display device, to an image display system, to a method for analyzing the emotional state of user, wherein information on a user response to a scene containing content is analyzed so as to provide a user with information on the emotional state of the user for the scene or to selectively provide information added for each scene of the content, thereby rendering an interactive service. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method for analyzing the emotional state of a user comprises the steps of: outputting a scene comprising content having identification information; receiving information on a user response to the scene; determining the emotional state of the user for the scene on the basis of the information on the user response; and storing the determined emotional state in association with the identification information.
US09099011B2

Two parties have three distinct viewpoints of their relationship, from which assumptions emerge and working hypotheses about how to manage their relationship. The system, device, and method described herein include using computer system mediated learning tool for understanding face-to-face human interactions. The process includes using the learning tool in reviewing an audio-video recording of a face-to-face interaction with one or more persons, whereby one or more of the participants use the learning tool to privately describe their separate viewpoints of the interaction. The participants use the learning tool to receive immediate feedback for analysis, to compare viewpoints, to examine how the viewpoints are arrived, and to explore the viewpoints' consequences for the participants' relationship.
US09099003B2

A GNSS/IMU safety sensor platform is disclosed consisting of data fusion Processors, GNSS Acquisition and Tracking Processors, MEMS IMU sensors, one or multiple accelerometers able to provide orientation information, optional V2V communication modules, and optional V2I communication modules. The data fusion processors provide interface ports to GNSS/IMU processors, odometers, video (Visual/Infrared) cameras installed in the vehicle, V2V relative positioning sensors (laser, radar or any other distance measuring), and V2V and V2I communication modules. The data fusion processors are interfaced to a driver warning system and optionally to the vehicle controls for providing safety warning messages to drivers, or for automatic control of the vehicle for preventing and reducing accidents.
US09099001B2

Method for reducing a reaction delay time of a vehicle safety control device which makes interventions into the control of the vehicle as a result of a surrounding situation in which there is a risk of collision, wherein the vehicle safety control device makes a first intervention into the control of the vehicle before the surrounding situation in which there is a risk of collision is validated.
US09098999B2

Automated systems and methods that utilize high-accuracy landing system data to correct the position of a synthetic runway presentation on a pilot display. This is achieved by first computing the “synthetic” lateral and vertical rectilinear deviations of the airplane from an ideal beam using the airplane's GPS position and barometric altitude, the runway location and orientation contained in an airborne database, and approach angle information. This synthetic deviation data is then compared to rectilinear deviation data computed by the computer system as received from a ground installation. The computer system is programmed to determine the differences between the ground-based and GPS-based rectilinear deviation data and then compute a corrected position vector using those differences. The position of the synthetic runway symbology on the pilot display is adjusted as a function of the corrected position vector.
US09098988B2

A device and method for manufacturing an integrated smoke cell are presented. The smoke cell includes an integral housing with a ceiling portion and a smoke permeable wall forming a chamber when mounted on a printed circuit board. An emitter and detector are mounted above apertures in the chamber ceiling so the emitter and detector are mounted substantially outside the chamber while detecting smoke present within the chamber without blocking ingress of smoke through the chamber wall.
US09098987B2

A smoke detector with a transmitter (4) for a radiation that can be detected by a receiver (5), the transmitter (4) and the receiver (5) are to be assigned a monitored region (11).
US09098979B2

The invention discloses a scanning-printing integrated machine for lottery ticket printing and cashing, comprising a first passage connected with an external paper inlet, a second passage connected with a paper house, a third passage connected with a paper outlet, and a control device, wherein a paper outlet of the first passage and a paper outlet of the second passage meet together at the third passage, at least one pair of delivery rollers is arranged in the first passage, a first printing mechanism and a paper cutting mechanism are arranged in the second passage, a scanning mechanism and a second printing mechanism for printing mark information on a medium are in sequence arranged in the third passage, wherein the control device judges the validity of the medium according to medium images collected by the scanning mechanism, and controls the printing operation of the second printing mechanism according to the judgment result. The scanning-printing integrated machine of the invention can not only achieve printing and cashing of the lottery tickets, but also detect the integrality of the printed contents.
US09098974B2

A system includes a user device in communication with an award server. The user device executes a game application to earn a bonus award. However, the bonus award is not issued by the user device. Rather, the bonus award is stored at the award server. In one optional embodiment, the bonus award may be issued through a gaming device which receives the bonus award from the award server and executes a gambling game which may result in the issuance of the bonus award. Additionally or alternatively, the bonus award may be issued through a redemption device.
US09098950B2

The invention relates to a method and system for the user-specific initialization of identification devices in the field, particularly on-board units in road toll systems, based on a central facility, whereby each identification device, when delivered, has a unique device identification to which, in the central facility, a unique user identification is assigned, and in the central facility, an initialization PIN is generated from the device identification and from the user identification and is transmitted to the identification device from which the identification device, based on its device identification, computes the user identification for the user-specific initialization.
US09098947B2

An image processing apparatus includes a synthesizing unit which synthesizes a drawn image drawn on a displayed image on a display device with the displayed image; a content data receiving unit which receives content data; a content data conversion unit which converts the received content data to image data; an external snapshot generation unit which generates an external snapshot to be displayed on the display unit based on the converted image data and stores the external snapshot in a storage unit; and a display control unit which displays the synthesized image by the synthesizing unit on the display device and also displays an object corresponding to the external snapshot in a selectable manner so that the external snapshot is displayed on the display device when the object is selected.
US09098943B1

Conflicts between the database-building and traversal phases are resolved by allowing the database bin size to be different from the display bin size. The database bin size is some multiple of the bin display bin size, and when there are multiple display bins in a database bin, each database bin is traversed multiple times for display, and the rasterizer discards primitives outside of the current display bin. This allows a trade off between memory bandwidth consumed for database building and bandwidth consumed for display, particularly when the display traversal is done multiple of times.
US09098942B2

Various arrangements for identifying and selected a data value of a dataset presented on a graph are described. The graph may be presented, wherein the graph illustrates a plurality of datasets and a legend that identifies each of the plurality of datasets. A selection of the dataset may be received via the legend of the graph. An input of a point on the graph may be received. A value of a data point from the dataset that corresponds to the input of the point on the graph may be presented.
US09098933B2

A memory management system for generating 3-dimensional computer images is provided. The memory management system includes a device for subdividing an image into a plurality of rectangular areas, a memory for storing object data pertaining to objects in the image which fall in each rectangular area, a device for storing the object data in the memory, a device for deriving image data and shading data for each rectangular area from the object data, a device for supplying object data for each rectangular area from the respective portion of the memory and, if the rectangular area contains objects also falling in at least one other rectangular area, also from the global list, to the deriving device, and a device for storing the image data and shading data derived by the deriving device for display. The memory includes at least one portion allocated to each rectangular area and at least one portion allocated as a global list.
US09098932B2

Briefly, graphics data processing logic includes a plurality of parallel arithmetic logic units (ALUs), such as floating point processors or any other suitable logic, that operate as a vector processor on at least one of pixel data and vertex data (or both) and a programmable storage element that contains data representing which of the plurality of arithmetic logic units are not to receive data for processing. The graphics data processing logic also includes parallel ALU data packing logic that is operatively coupled to the plurality of arithmetic logic processing units and to the programmable storage element to pack data only for the plurality of arithmetic logic units identified by the data in the programmable storage element as being enabled.
US09098927B2

An image processing apparatus for diagnostic imaging,which allows easy verification of a spatial position on an arbitrary cross section is provided. An image processing apparatus 1 includes a basic position calculating unit 2 configured to calculate a position of a basic cross section from an image data, an auxiliary position calculating unit 3 configured to calculate a position of an auxiliary cross section, a generating unit 4 configured to generate a basic cross-sectional image using the image data and the position of the basic cross section and generate an auxiliary cross-sectional image using the image data and the position of the auxiliary cross section, a relationship calculating unit 5 configured to calculate information on a positional relationship indicating the relative positional relationship between the position of the basic cross section and the position of the auxiliary cross section, and a combining unit 6 configured to combine the information on the positional relationship with the basic cross-sectional image or the auxiliary cross-sectional image respectively, and a display unit 9 configured to display the combined image.
US09098926B2

The subject disclosure relates to generating three-dimensional façade models from images. In one aspect, a systematic decomposition schema is disclosed for a façade structured into a Direct Acyclic Graph and implemented as a top-down recursive subdivision and bottom-up merging. In a further aspect, optimization of façade depth operating in a façade surface and in the super-pixel level of a whole subdivision region is described.
US09098925B2

One embodiment sets forth a method for associating each stencil value included in a stencil buffer with multiple fragments. Components within a graphics processing pipeline use a set of stencil masks to partition the bits of each stencil value. Each stencil mask selects a different subset of bits, and each fragment is strategically associated with both a stencil value and a stencil mask. Before performing stencil actions associated with a fragment, the raster operations unit performs stencil mask operations on the operands. No fragments are associated with both the same stencil mask and the same stencil value. Consequently, no fragments are associated with the same stencil bits included in the stencil buffer. Advantageously, by reducing the number of stencil bits associated with each fragment, certain classes of software applications may reduce the wasted memory associated with stencil buffers in which each stencil value is associated with a single fragment.
US09098923B2

A method of identifying long shots of sports video comprising receiving a video frame comprising a plurality of pixels, classifying each of the plurality of pixels as a candidate field pixel or a candidate non-field pixel, determining whether at least a predefined percentage of the plurality of pixels are candidate field pixels, calculating a first standard deviation, the first standard deviation being the standard deviation of the hues of all candidate field pixels, and classifying the video frame as a long shot of sports video when at least the predefined percentage of the plurality of pixels are candidate field pixels and the first standard deviation is equal to or lower than a predefined maximum standard deviation value.
US09098920B2

An image capturing apparatus is provided that is capable of performing both object detection using image recognition and object detection using movement detection on successively captured images. In the image capturing apparatus, the reliability of the result of the object detection using image recognition is evaluated based on the previous detection results. If it is determined that the reliability is high, execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. If it is determined that the reliability is low, non-execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. With this configuration, the object region can be tracked appropriately.
US09098916B2

Creation of a Bit-accurate film grain pattern for blending in an image block occurs by first establishing a set of bit-accurate transformed coefficients. The set of bit-accurate transformed coefficients undergo frequency filtering and a subsequent bit-accurate inverse transformation to yield the film grain pattern. The film grain pattern can then undergo blending with an image block to restore the look of film to the image.
US09098912B2

A method for automatic segmentation of a medical image is provided. The method comprises registering a reference image associated with an object to the medical image, determining a transformation function on the basis of the registration, applying the transformation function to a probability map associated with the object; carrying out a probability thresholding on the transformed probability map by selecting a first area of the medical image in which the probability of the object is within a probability range, carrying out an intensity thresholding on the medical image by selecting a second area of the medical image in which the intensity is within an intensity range, selecting a common part of the first and second areas and carrying out on the common part a morphological opening resulting in separate sub-areas, selecting the largest sub-area as a seed, and segmenting the medical image on the basis of the seed.
US09098911B2

A combined depth map is generated for a monoscopic image based on a weighted combination of a color depth map, a spatial depth map, and a motion depth map for the image, each describing the depth of pixels in the image relative to the image plane. The color depth map determines the depth of pixels according to their color, the spatial depth map determines the depth of pixels according to their location in the image, and the motion depth map determines the depth of pixels according to their motion in the image. Each of the depth maps is associated with a weight that is used to generate the weighted combination. The weights are adaptive to account for variation between different monoscopic images.
US09098890B2

Provided are a robot for managing a structure, and a method of controlling the robot. The robot for maintaining and repairing the structure measures a luminance value by capturing an image of the structure, or measures depth information of the structure by using a laser sensor or stereo vision, determines a protruding portion or depressed portion of the structure by using the measured luminance value or the measured depth information. Also, the robot removes the determined protruding portion and fills the determined depressed portion by using a combination hardener. Accordingly, protrusion, depression, and crack of a wall caused by deterioration or poor construction of the structure may be automatically found and repaired so as to efficiently manage the structure.
US09098884B2

The present invention refers to a system, process, and method of collecting, handling and processing paperboard based fast food service items for the production of pulp suitable for reuse into paper or paperboard and the contemporaneous recovery of the waterproofing film for the production of energy.
US09098882B2

Methods, systems, and products create anonymous loan documents. Electronic loan documents are prepared for a borrower of a loan. An anonymous shadow copy of the electronic loan documents is generated that removes personally identifying information, such as names, addresses, and social security numbers. The anonymous shadow copy of the electronic loan documents may then be electronically published.
US09098878B2

A stratified composite portfolio can be formed by selecting a group of investment securities, stratifying them according to attributes that correlate to a specific asset risk, and assigning relative portfolio weights to the components based on their stratified positions. The attributes are selected from a universe of possible values. Further positive and negative biases can be applied at any arbitrary point or stratified position, including to individual assets, groups of arbitrarily selected assets, or arbitrary stratification positions.
US09098874B2

Gifting of virtual items between users of a virtual space may be facilitated. A purchase interface may be presented to a first user. The purchase interface may be configured to receive selection from the first user of (i) a virtual item for purchase, and (ii) one or more users with which the first user has established a virtual space relationship. Responsive to selection by the first user through the purchase interface of a first virtual item and a second user with which the first user has established a virtual space relationship, the first virtual item may be distributed to the second user in the virtual space.
US09098872B2

A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails. A technique can include receiving activity information when a recipient accesses a first link; when a first node representative of a sender of the first link is not identified in a social graph and after receiving the activity information, creating a second node to represent the sender in the social graph; and using to the social graph to personalize content for delivery.
US09098866B1

The present invention generally relates to utilization of at least two known location addresses yielding accurate determination of a user's mode of operations and/or preferences. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes proximity and/or vector between a current location address and a known home or work address to determine preferences that dynamically change based on the current location and inter-relationship between the current location and at least one other known location address.
US09098860B2

Application servers and methods of operating the same are provided for generating a personalized recommendation of items to a first user. An updated rating value N(t) of an initial rating value N(0) is determined for each rated item based on an age of each rating. The updated rating value N(t) is based on a difference between the value of the initial rating N(0) and a neutral rating value R, and on a predetermined half-life of the ratings. The updated rating value N(t) converges towards the neutral rating value R with an increase in the age t for each rating.
US09098858B2

Embodiments relate to a computer-implemented method for visualizing expressions for dynamic analytics. A graphical user interface control is generated for each of one or more variables of an expression. Each of the one or more variables is bound to the corresponding graphical interface control generated previously. Then, the generated graphical user interface control for each of the one or more variables of the expression is graphically output using a display device. A user may input an adjusted value of each of the one or more variables of the expression using the corresponding graphical user interface control.
US09098855B2

In an embodiment, a system for redeeming coupons, promotions, or incentives comprises a network through which a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal communicates, through a POS controller, with an Intelligent Clearing Network (ICN) server. One or both of the POS terminal and POS controller are installed with POS bridge software. The ICN server is configured to run a real time software application while in communication with the POS terminal, wherein the POS terminal transmits coupon transaction information including universal product codes to the ICN server via the network.
US09098839B2

A method for digital commerce in conjunction with a digital broadcast, the method may comprise: a) receiving a digital broadcast signal with a receiving device, wherein the digital broadcast signal includes a commercial message and ancillary data associated with the commercial message; b) presenting the commercial message with a display device associated with the digital broadcast receiving device if a predetermined condition exists; c) generating response information using the ancillary data, wherein the response information is usable to determine an effectiveness of the commercial message in generating a response of a percipient of the commercial message; and d) transmitting the response information if a commercial transaction associated with the commercial message is completed. An alternative method may include a), b) and determining an effectiveness of the commercial message in generating a response of a percipient of the commercial message.
US09098838B2

A portable terminal device includes a wireless communication unit (103) which receives charging information (payment permission request information), a sub-storage unit (100) which stores electronic money information increased and decreased by the charging information (payment permission request information), and a sub-control unit (102) which performs charging processing based on the charging information (payment permission request information) received by the wireless communication unit (103). The sub-control unit specifies the upper limit of a payable amount or a charging category based on an authentication rate acquired by biometric authentication, determines whether the charging is within the upper limit of a payable amount or whether the charging is in a payable charging category based on the charging information (payment permission request information) acquired by the wireless communication unit, and provides external notification that the charging is not possible when not within the upper limit of the payable amount or when not matching the payable charging category.
US09098833B2

This paper proposes a new method and architecture for populating, updating and managing the NAB. It also proposes user's Contact Information Discovery (CID). In context of populating the NAB; since the NAB of each individual subscriber will be stored in the network in future, the paper proposes CI to flow from one NAB to another NAB within the core network, instead of CI flowing from Device to Network. Thus with the user authorization, his CI would shoot from one NAB to another NAB within the core network instead of from LAB to NAB through air interface. It would reduce huge amount of data traffic on the air that otherwise would be generated in updating and populating the NAB by all the NAB users. In context of CID, the paper proposes a query-response mechanism and introduces a NAB Manager. The new architecture will provide several benefits for example it will eliminate the need of “Number Portability,” “United States National Do Not Call Registry” and “411 Directory Assistance.”
US09098820B2

Methods, including service methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices provide a conservation modeling engine framework. Programmable conservation modeling engines in communication with different customizable resource conservation modules, each resource conservation module customized to a distinct resource, select one of the modules customized to a resource identified for conservation, and user-defined criteria as a function of the identified resource and the selected module. Input data is selected and collected as a function of the resource identified and the selected module and used to weight the input data. Different optimized conservation plans are created as a function of the weighted input data and the selected module, each of the optimized conservation plans displayed having a different implementation cost, a different time for implementation and a different total amount of the identified resource saved.
US09098819B1

A system and method for determining matching pairs between social networks is disclosed. The system comprises a matching module that includes an account retrieval engine, candidate pairing module, a match determination module, a social network engine, a personalizing engine and a graphical user interface engine. The candidate pairing module generates candidate pairs of accounts from different social networks that may represent the same user. The match pairing module generates scores for the pairs. The match determination module determines a subset of the pairs that most likely represent the same users.
US09098815B2

Examples of a user interface are described that may include a master risk landscape map that includes nodes representing risks and links representing correlations between the risks. The visual appearance of the nodes and links may provide information about their characteristics, such as risk likelihood, risks severity, risk detectability, and/or strength of interconnectivity. The user may be able to interact with the master risk landscape map to drill down to further detail while simultaneously removing less relevant information as desired, thereby potentially allowing the user to focus on the most relevant information.
US09098797B2

An image forming apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects an object in a first region, a second detection unit that detects an object in a second region larger than the first region, a control unit that, if the first detection unit detects an object in the first region, shifts the image forming apparatus from a power-saving state to a normal power state, a display unit that displays information indicating a state of the image forming apparatus, and a power control unit that, when the state of the image forming apparatus is an error state, supplies power to the display unit if the second detection unit detects an object in the second region and, when the state of the image forming apparatus is not the error state, supplies power to the display unit if the first detection unit detects an object in the first region.
US09098796B2

An image forming device has an image processing unit that generates first image data on the basis of image forming data describing an object. The first image data specify first gradation values of at least one black or chromatic color. The image processing unit also identifies certain pixels in an area in which the object is disposed, and generates second image data specifying a second gradation value that is greater than a predetermined gradation value for the identified pixels. An image forming unit forms a first image, based on the first image data, by using at least one black or chromatically colored developing agent, and forms a second image, based on the second image data, by using a white developing agent, thereby reproducing colors in white areas while reducing the usage of the white developing agent.
US09098787B2

In general, the present invention relates to a systems, apparatuses and methods. The system comprises in principle a mobile terminal device and at least one smart memory module. The smart memory module comprises a RFID technology based communications circuitry. The mobile terminal device comprises an antenna circuitry, a RFID technology based communications circuitry, a smart memory module interface, and a radio frequency signal switch. The antenna circuitry is arranged to transmit and receive data carrying radio frequency (RF) signals to/from any counterpart device being equipped with a corresponding counterpart interface. The smart memory module interface is arranged to interface with at least one smart memory module when the smart memory module is present at the smart memory module interface. The radio frequency signal switch is operatively connected to the antenna circuitry. The radio frequency signal switch is further adapted to switch the antenna circuitry to be operatively connected with one of the RFID technology based communications circuitry of the terminal device and the RFID technology based communications circuitry of the smart memory module. Means for generating a switching signal are provided in order to control operation of the radio frequency signal switch. The switching signal is generated on the basis of at least criteria whether the smart memory module is present at the smart memory module interface.
US09098784B1

A beautifying method for quick response code (QR code) is provided herein and includes the following steps: a step of setting an image in a QR code; a step of determining an ideal value of a correction code for the QR code; a step of calculating an energy function related to vision beauty condition in accordance with the image, the correction code and the ideal value and a step of optimizing the energy function to obtain a minimum procedure of the energy function of the ideal value.
US09098782B2

According to the invention it is possible to determine in advance whether it is possible to correctly generate a conversion table for calibration or color profile correction even with respect to an unknown print medium, and to avoid the preparation of unsuitable parameters and the performance of unsuitable image processing based thereon. In order to achieve this the color of a subject print medium is measured and from the color measurement result it is determined, based on color measurement data from a test pattern printed on the print medium, whether it is possible to obtain parameters suited to the print medium. As a result it has become possible to avoid the preparation of unsuitable parameters to be associated with the print medium, and it has become possible to output images with a comparatively stable reproduction of color even where performing printing on a variety of print mediums.
US09098765B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, computer-implemented methods, and computer program products for capturing elements of a negotiable instrument and generating a thumbnail image of the negotiable instrument for use in image recreation. In some embodiments, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving an image of the negotiable instrument, wherein the image of the negotiable instrument comprises one or more elements that are used for processing the negotiable instrument; (b) capturing, using the image capture device, images of one or more elements of the negotiable instrument; (c) generating a thumbnail image of the negotiable instrument based at least partially on an image of the negotiable instrument; and (d) storing the images of the one or more elements of the negotiable instrument and the thumbnail image of the negotiable instrument in the database.
US09098763B2

An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal can comprise a microprocessor communicatively coupled to a system bus, a memory, a communication interface, and a pluggable imaging assembly identified by a type identifier and configured to acquire an image comprising decodable indicia. The imaging assembly can comprise a two-dimensional image sensor configured to output an analog signal representative of the light reflected by an object located within the field of view of the imaging assembly. The EIR terminal can be configured to output, by processing the analog signal, the raw image data derived from the analog signal and/or a decoded message corresponding to the decodable indicia. The imaging assembly can be communicatively coupled to the system bus via an imaging assembly interface comprising a plurality of wires and a multi-pin connector. The imaging assembly interface can comprise one or more wires configured to carry the imaging assembly type identifier. The EIR terminal can be configured, responsive to receiving the type identifier via the one or more wires, to retrieve from the memory one or more imaging assembly configuration information items corresponding to the type identifier and/or to receive via the communication interface one or more imaging assembly configuration information items corresponding to the type identifier. The EIR terminal can be further configured to control the imaging assembly using the imaging assembly configuration information items.
US09098762B2

In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus configured for use with one or more directional antennas. The one or more directional antennas each have a respective directional axis, a first sensitivity region being proximal to the directional axis and associated with a first variation in sensitivity across the first region, and a second sensitivity region being distal to the directional axis and associated with a second variation in sensitivity across the second region. The second variation in sensitivity is greater than the first variation in sensitivity. The apparatus is configured to discriminate one source of radio frequency identification signalling at a particular angular position from other neighboring sources of radio frequency identification signalling by using the alignment of one or more second sensitivity regions with respect to the particular angular position.
US09098759B2

An image processing apparatus includes an accepting unit, a recognizing unit, and a selecting unit. The accepting unit accepts character information about a character image in a character region in an image. The recognizing unit performs character recognition on the character image in the character region. The selecting unit selects a character recognition result which matches the character information accepted by the accepting unit, from multiple character recognition results that are obtained by the recognizing unit.
US09098756B2

A biometric authentication device determining whether or not a user is to be authenticated, by matching biological information of a finger of the user and biological information of a palm thereof against biological information of a finger of a registered user and biological information of a palm thereof, the biometric authentication device includes, a first sensor configured to generate a first biological image in which the biological information of the finger of the user is captured; a second sensor configured to generate a second biological image in which the biological information of the palm of the user is captured; a guiding member configured to regulate a position of the finger of the user; an object area detection unit configured to detect a first object area in which the biological information of the finger is captured on the first biological image; and a position determination unit configured to determine.
US09098752B2

A number of variations include a vehicle path assessment system.
US09098745B2

In the case of collecting samples, it is difficult to select a representative point of a target area. Thus, the samples are collected from certain positions, resulting in generation of variations of data. The target area is specified on an image to extract features from the target area. Further, clustering is performed for the features on a feature space to obtain representative features, and the obtained representative features are extracted as sampling points.
US09098734B2

A system for recognizing the presence of a second portable data carrier by a first portable data carrier, wherein the data carriers have respectively a contactless interface with an antenna and an electronic circuit for storing and/or processing data. An RFID reading device supplies the data carriers with energy and for the respective communication of the data carriers with the reading device. In the first and the second data carrier there is respectively provided a further communication device, via which an additional, direct communication channel, independent of the field of the reading device, is made available between the first and the second data carrier, to thereby check the immediate presence of the second data carrier in the field of the reading device by the first data carrier.
US09098725B2

In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a memory storing data and a processor performing operations. The apparatus generates or maintains an accumulation tree for the stored data—an ordered tree structure with a root node, leaf nodes and internal nodes. Each leaf node corresponds to a portion of the data. A depth of the tree remains constant. A bound on a degree of each internal node is a function of a number of leaf nodes of a subtree rooted at the internal node. Each node of the tree has an accumulation value. Accumulation values of the root and internal nodes are determined by hierarchically employing an accumulator over the accumulation values of the nodes lying one level below the node in question. The accumulation value of the root node is a digest for the tree.
US09098723B2

A system and method are provided for forming crowds of users and providing access to corresponding crowd data. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices. The central system forms a crowd including a number of users based on the current locations of the number of users. The central system then generates crowd data for the crowd and provides access to the crowd data for the crowd. In one embodiment, the crowd data for the crowd includes an aggregate profile for the crowd. In another embodiment, the crowd data includes data characterizing the crowd. The central system provides access to the crowd data by serving crowd data requests.
US09098719B2

A method and an apparatus that configure a sandbox document for secure presentation of a block of data stored in the sandbox document in response to an editing request from a client are described. A presentable content corresponding to a document may be sent to the client for editing. The document and the sandbox document may be separately addressable by separate paths of separate domains. The editing request may include the block of data to update the presentable content of the document. The updated presentable content may include a hyperlink to the sandbox document. The edited document and the sandbox document may allow secure presentation of the block of data within the updated presentable content of the edited document without a need to filter the block of data.
US09098696B2

A security appliqué provides a secure deployment environment (SDE) for a wireless communications device. The Security appliqué isolates the security features, requirements, and information security boundaries such that no hardware modifications are required to a wireless communications device. Rather, a security module thin client is provided to the wireless communications device to provide the Secure Deployment Environment (SDE). The wireless communications device is coupled to the security appliqué via the standard connection interface. Through the standard connection interface, the security appliqué provides the SDE for the wireless communications device without implementing modifications to the wireless communications device.
US09098692B2

The apparatus of the present invention are directed to a selectively accessible electromagnetically resonant data storage element (implemented as a resonant tag, card, embedded element and/or similar devices), for inventory and facility control and management, for product tracking during transportation, for security purposes (e.g., personal identification (e.g., passports, driver's licenses), access control, etc.), and to facilitate various forms of electronic information interchange (for example in electronic commerce, such as payment card, tag etc.), that is selectively responsive to predetermined electromagnetic interrogation thereof, that comprises a novel connecting component and a security mode selection component, for a user to change from Always-ON to Always-OFF, then enabling selectively to ON and OFF for interrogatory access to resonant component, to protect from unauthorized interrogation thereof.
US09098690B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving data uniquely identifying a particular user to the verification authority and a request to access a shared device. The shared device being configured for use by at least a number of users. The method also includes accessing a social graph of the particular user to determine whether one or more users in the social graph have previously accessed the shared device; and displaying on a display of the mobile device information indicating which of the users in the social graph have previously accessed the shared device.
US09098679B2

A raw sound data organizer includes a processing unit configured to extract and convert an input into a digital format, and a display unit connected to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to convert the input into a sequence of digital data and display the sequence of digital data in a form of a multi-dimensional color representation through the display unit. A raw sound data organizing method is also provided.
US09098676B2

In an embodiment of a method of and system for detecting rollback of usage data, the usage data is recording in a database. A sequence value in the database is repeatedly advanced. A copy of the sequence value is repeatedly saved to protected storage. The copy of the sequence value in the protected storage is compared with the sequence value in the database, and it is determined whether the result of the comparison is consistent with normal operation of the database since the previous save to protected storage.
US09098675B1

Systems and methods are described for delegating permissions to enable account access to entities not directly associated with the account. The systems determine a delegation profile associated with a secured account of at least one customer. The delegation profile includes a name, a validation policy that specifies principals which may be external to the account and which are permitted to assume the delegation profile, and an authorization policy that indicates the permitted actions within the account for those principals which are acting within the delegation profile. Once the delegation profile is created, it can be provided to external principals or services. These external principals or services can use the delegation profile to obtain credentials for performing various actions in the account using the credentials of the delegation profile.
US09098665B2

A design problem can include a mixture of hard constraints and soft constraints. The soft constraints can be prioritized and the design problem solved. One or more soft constraints may not be honored in the midst of the solving of the design problem. Debugging can be performed and the unsatisfied soft constraints identified. Root-cause analysis can evaluate the challenges within the design problem which caused soft constraints not to be honored.
US09098664B2

A device may identify signal channels for connecting circuit blocks, where each circuit block is associated with a block implementation area corresponding to a substrate. The device may assign a channel priority to each of the signal channels based on at least one channel criteria. The device may allocate a channel implementation area, corresponding to the substrate, for each of a plurality of signal channels, based on the channel priority assigned to the signal channel and based on the block implementation areas. The device may generate an integrated circuit design comprising the channel implementation area allocated for each of the plurality of signal channels.
US09098661B1

A system for facilitating system design includes a back-annotation tool that annotates a model of a hardware system with information derived from results of synthesizing the model to the target hardware description. The derived information may include timing information, information about area usage, power consumption, etc. The derived information may be displayed in conjunction with the model in a modeling environment.
US09098660B2

A method for modeling metal routing includes extracting physical parameters of a metal interconnect for a circuit design, determining a resistance value from a database of metal interconnects with the extracted physical parameters, the resistance value being at a maximum frequency of a frequency range to be simulated, modeling the interconnect with a symmetric lumped transmission line model, and defining a resistance value of the lumped transmission line model to be about 1.05-1.3 times the resistance value taken from the database.
US09098658B2

A method and NoC design tool is disclosed that automatically maps the paths listed in a timing report and the unit size in an area report to the topology of a NoC and displays the paths and unit sizes in a GUI. The tool can also automatically add pipeline stages, separated by the maximum delay allowed in the timing budget, in order to achieve timing closure in an automated way.
US09098657B2

Methods and systems for creating a contact surface definition involving lower order and quadratic finite elements (QFE) in a FEA model used for numerically simulating an impact event are disclosed. FEA model is organized by one or more groups of finite elements. Each group represents one of the product's parts and is identified by a part ID. Further, the FEA model is configured with one or more contact surface definitions for detecting contacts amongst the parts due to the impact event. For each determined group that is determined to contain QFE, a new group is created. The new group is associated with a unique part ID. Contact segments for the new group are then generated in accordance with a set of predefined rules for subdividing one or more geometric shapes associated with the QFE. Contact surface definitions are updated by replacing each determined group with the new group.
US09098656B2

In the event of modifying analysis condition, after the simulation of a first time step carried out when the analysis condition is modified finishes and before the simulation of a second time step next after the first step starts, the modified analysis condition is referred and the simulation based on the modified analysis condition is carried out in the next time step.
US09098637B1

The present disclosure relates to a method for verifying a digital design using a computing device. The method may include determining one or more tests associated with verifying the digital design and generating, using the computing device, a verification result by performing one or more verification runs on the digital design. The method may further include merging coverage data generated by the one or more verification runs and ranking the one or more tests based upon, at least in part, a first verification run having a first configuration and a second verification run having a second configuration, wherein the first and second configurations differ.
US09098635B2

A system and method is described in which the state of the art in automated software applications is significantly improved. According to some approaches, interface testing is implemented and based upon a verification language and a verification environment. The system and method support the concepts of constrained random test generation, coverage, constrained random generation, and dynamic checks.
US09098634B2

Example embodiments relate to creating test templates based on steps in existing tests. In example embodiments, a testing computing device may select an existing test from multiple existing tests. Each existing test of the multiple existing tests may include a set of distinct steps. The testing computing device may determine a sub-sequence related to the selected existing test. The sub-sequence may be based on a subset of the distinct steps included in the selected existing test. The testing computing device may determine that the distinct steps in the subset occur in a number of existing tests from the multiple existing tests, and may generate a test template using the sub-sequence. The test template may include the distinct steps in the subset.
US09098627B2

A system and a method for providing a core dump-level stack trace. In one example, the method includes receiving, by a processing device, a recorded state of a program, the recorded state including a base address of the program and a stack frame including an executable address for a call instruction of a function of the program; determining, by the processing device, a list of functions in view of the recorded state of the program, and creating, by the processing device, a stack trace in view of the list of functions without using debugging symbols.
US09098621B2

The described implementations relate to analysis of computing programs. One implementation provides a technique that can include accessing values of input variables that are processed by test code and runtime values that are produced by the test code while processing the input variables. The technique can also include modeling relationships between the runtime values and the values of the input variables. The relationships can reflect discontinuous functions of the input variables.
US09098620B2

A technique for parallelizing model checking using breadth-first search in order to detect deadlocks and safety property violations is disclosed. The technique is based on Parallel Structured Duplicate Detection (PSDD) and preserves a model checker's ability to perform partial order reduction with parallel breadth-first search. PSDD also uses much less memory and is able to achieve better parallel speedup and verify models more quickly. Also, PSDD used herein is able to make use of external memory, such as hard disks, to reduce the memory requirements of verification.
US09098618B2

Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media for validating components of a dynamic user interface in an on-demand multi-tenant service environment are disclosed. Organizations corresponding to tenants in the on-demand multi-tenant service environment are identified. A multi-tenant database system residing on multiple servers is provided for each of the identified organizations. Dynamic user interface pages associated with the organizations are identified. First and second compilation outputs based upon respective first and second invocations of a compiler configured to compile the one or more dynamic user interface pages are produced with reference to respective first and second builds of computer program code. Differences between the first and second compilation outputs are identified and presented in a user interface on a display device of the multi-tenant service environment. The differences can be identified by performing a comparison and selecting one or more differences that match a pattern specifier.
US09098613B2

The processing application includes numerous jobs for performing processing operations on computing objects. Whereas previous systems log job information on a per job basis, the apparatus and method includes generating application messages. These application messages are generated based on events in the operation of the application and the messages include predefined event information. The application messages are processing and filtered by a central logging device, which may be in response to customization properties. From this central logging device the filtered messages are centrally stored in an application log database, thereby providing a central depository and formatting of previously incongruent job-specific logging data.
US09098611B2

A telepresence device may relay video, audio, and/or measurement data to a user operating a control device. A user interface may permit the user to quickly view and/or understand temporally and/or spatially disparate information. The telepresence device may pre-gather looped video of spatially disparate areas in an environment. A temporal control mechanism may start video playback at a desired point in a current or historical video segment. Notations may be associated with time spans in a video and recalled by capturing an image similar to a frame in the time span of the video. An area of interest may be selected and video containing the area of interest may be automatically found. Situational data may be recorded and used to recall video segments of interest. The telepresence device may synchronize video playback and movement. A series of videos may be recorded at predetermined time intervals to capture visually trending information.
US09098608B2

An embodiment or embodiments of an information handling apparatus are adapted to facilitate resource allocation using an entitlement vector comprising multiple fields that are respectively directed to multiple different resources or capabilities. In illustrative embodiments, an information handling apparatus can comprise an entitlement vector configured with a plurality of bit fields at least partly corresponding to a plurality of resources and operable to specify the resources used by at least one object of a plurality of a plurality of objects. The information handling apparatus can further comprise logic operable to allocate the resources to the at least one object based on entitlement as specified by the entitlement vector.
US09098606B1

Disclosed herein are methods and systems that relate to an “activity assistant” that provides users with dynamically-selected “activities” that are intelligently tailored to the user's world. The subject technology receives the one or more global parameters of one or more selected activities. The subject technology further receives the one or more account-specific parameters of a selected user account. For the selected user account, and for each of the one or more selected activities, the subject technology: (a) determines one or more signals based at least in part on one or more of the global parameters of the selected activity and one or more of the account-specific parameters of the selected user account, and (b) uses the determined signals as a basis for determining an importance of the selected activity for the selected user.
US09098597B2

An area of interest can be defined in a content presentation and a clip can be created that contains content associated with the area of interest. The clip can be presented with other clippings in a clipping page where it can be edited by a user. The clipping page can be stored as a web page or other content source, so that the clipping page can be shared with other users. The clippings can be refreshed in accordance with a selectable refresh scheme.
US09098596B2

Continued access to services, content, and other electronically-based signaling is contemplated. The continued access may be facilitated with a redirect server or other device having capabilities sufficient to facilitate redirecting content when the user desires to transition access from a first device to a second device, such as but not limited to facilitating redirection of a television program streamed to a tablet so that the to the television program can be viewed through a television without disrupting or overburdening a sourcing entity originating the television program.
US09098591B2

It is provided a spatio-temporal data management system for managing time series data associated with a spatio-temporal region, comprising: a processor for executing a program; a memory for storing the program; and a storage device for storing the time series data. The processor segments the spatio-temporal region in time and space to generate a plurality of spatio-temporal segments, assigns, in consideration of temporal and spatial proximity of the plurality of spatio-temporal segments, identifiers for uniquely identifying the plurality of spatio-temporal segments, each of the identifiers being expressed with a one-dimensional integer value; and determines an arrangement of the time series data so that pieces of data of spatio-temporal segments that are close in the assigned identifiers are arranged close on the storage device.
US09098588B2

Related ingredient names are extracted from ingredient names included in recipes while reducing the time and effort of a person. An information processing apparatus acquires one or more ingredient names included in each of one or more recipes included in one division of a plurality of divisions of recipes. Next, on the basis of an ordinal number of presentation of each of the acquired ingredient names in an ingredient list in the recipe, the information processing apparatus calculates a value indicating a probability that the ingredient name is a name of a main ingredient of the recipe belonging to the one division for each of the ingredient names. Then, the information processing apparatus associates a plurality of the ingredient names, among the acquired ingredient names, whose calculated values satisfy a predetermined condition with each other as related terms and stores the plurality of the ingredient names in a storage means.
US09098584B1

A unified search entity, which provides at least visual query based web searching and an associated mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, obtains, from a requester, a visual query including at least a first facial image. The unified search entity identifies, via facial recognition on the at least first facial image, an identity of an individual subject of the at least first facial image and/or at least a second facial image of the individual subject associated with the at least first facial image. The unified search entity obtains, from the individual, via the mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, a plurality of privacy preferences including a visual query preference. The identity of the individual subject and/or the at least second facial image are communicated from the unified search entity to the requester only if permitted by the visual query preference.
US09098581B2

Example methods for finding a text reading order in a document are described in which text zones are determined, the text zones are clustered using semantic measure and correlation and a reading order is found within each of the clusters.
US09098578B2

A method and system for providing up-to-date monitoring results in a virtual machine environment are described. A host controller may receive requests to execute a plurality of searches pertaining to a plurality of objects in a virtual machine system. The host controller may execute the plurality of searches and provides the results to one or more requestors. The host controller may monitor data associated with the plurality of objects to detect a change in plurality of objects. The host controller may re-execute searches impacted by the change and may refrain from re-executing searches which are not impacted by the change.
US09098577B1

A system and method are provided for creating collaborative content tracks to be presented to a user concurrently with a media presentation such as a movie, an episode of a television series, a song, or the like. Each time a user selects and plays a media presentation, user events describing actions taken by the user while viewing or listening to the media presentation are collected and provided to a Collaborative Content Track (CCT) server. The user events may include user events occurring on a primary media playback system, user events occurring on associated secondary user devices, or a combination thereof. In this manner, the CCT server obtains user events for each of a number of media presentations. Based on the user events, the CCT server may generate CCTs for any one of the media presentations to be presented to a user concurrently with the media presentation.
US09098563B2

A hierarchical object is exported from a first electronic system to a second electronic system, where the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems, and where a baseline version of the hierarchical object is created. A first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system is compared against the baseline version, to form a first data structure identifying any changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version. A second data structure is received identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version. A visualization based on the first and second data structures is provided.
US09098559B2

A system and method for generating a display of a dataset for optimized visualization of the dataset are disclosed. A data area of the display is defined. The data area includes two or more dimensions, the intersection of which defines a graphical object having a set of visual attributes. One or more of the set of visual attributes of each graphical object in the data area is modified based on a value associated with each graphical object relative to a user-selectable measure.
US09098558B2

An aspect of the present disclosure provides enhanced flexibility for users to transform XML data to a desired format. In an embodiment, a configuration data indicates the specific elements required for generating the output for other elements. During a first pass, any occurrences of the specific elements in an input XML data are populated in a cache. During a second pass, XSL transformation rules are used for transforming the elements of the XML data. When an XSL transformation requires a specific element stored in the cache, the specific element is retrieved and an output portion is formed by incorporating the retrieved element according to the XSL transformation rule. According to another aspect, the configuration data also specifies various context objects that are enabled to interface with corresponding external (data) sources. Accordingly, data from external sources is enabled to be incorporated in the output according to XSL transformation rules.
US09098546B2

A new query language can be embedded in a business application programming language (e.g., the ABAP language). A query language consistent with implementations of the current subject matter can be based on a graph data-model of connected business objects (BO) or other data objects and can be designed as an efficient query language embedded into the business application programming language runtime, thereby allowing expression of business logic in a declarative manner.
US09098542B2

Systems and methods for managing electronic data are disclosed. Various data management operations can be performed based on a metabase formed from metadata. Such metadata can be identified from an index of data interactions generated by a journaling module, and obtained from their associated data objects stored in one or more storage devices. In various embodiments, such processing of the index and storing of the metadata can facilitate, for example, enhanced data management operations, enhanced data identification operations, enhanced storage operations, data classification for organizing and storing the metadata, cataloging of metadata for the stored metadata, and/or user interfaces for managing data. In various embodiments, the metabase can be configured in different ways. For example, the metabase can be stored separately from the data objects so as to allow obtaining of information about the data objects without accessing the data objects or a data structure used by a file system.
US09098541B2

Embodiments facilitate greater flexibility in definition of user segments for targeted advertising, by employing indexed semantic user profiles. Semantic user profiles are built through extraction of online user behavior data such as user search queries and page views, and include user interest information that is inferred based on user behavior. Semantic user profiles are then indexed to facilitate search for a set of users that fit specified semantic search terms. Search results for semantic profiles are ranked according to a ranking model developed through machine learning. In some embodiments, building and indexing of semantic profiles and learning of the ranking model is performed offline to facilitate more efficient online processing of queries.
US09098536B1

A process for upgrading a mirrored shared-nothing database system comprises a sequence of short well-defined idempotent steps, and at least one non-idempotent step involving transforming a master catalog. The upgrade process is managed and controlled by a state machine that has a persistent memory running on the master node. In the event of a failure or crash during an idempotent step, the process stops the database in the current state and repeats the step. If a failure or crash occurs during a non-idempotent step, the upgrade process is rolled back to the beginning and repeated.
US09098530B2

Aspects of the invention provide a service for data management and integration across a wide range of applications. Clustered computers may be arranged in a cloud-type configuration for storing and handling large amounts of user data under the control of a front-end management server. Communities of distributed users may collaborate on the data across multiple enterprises. Very large tabular data files are uploaded to the storage facilities. The data files are maintained as tables, and a composite table of related information is created and maintained in response to user queries. Different ways of visualizing the data are provided. Depending on the amount of information that can be displayed, features in a spatial index may the thinned for presentation. Spatial and structured queries are processing and results are intersected to obtain information for display.
US09098528B2

According to the prior art load distribution method, there was a drawback in that the time required from discovery of increase of load to the completion of countermeasures was long. In particular, upon receiving migration of data from other file devices, it was necessary to equalize not only the load accompanying normal processes but also the load accompanying the data migration processes. In a file system receiving migration of data from a plurality of file devices, a plurality of virtual NAS (VNAS) is provided within the file storage subsystem, and an associated VNAS for executing data migration from file devices and accesses from clients is respectively associated with each file storage subsystem. Then, the state of each VNAS is defined based on the state of progress of data migration in the file storage subsystem. According to the defined state, load distribution among VNAS is performed.
US09098522B2

Systems, methods and computer program product embodiments for providing version garbage collection using snapshot lists are disclosed herein. Version garbage collection using snapshot lists includes storing, by at least one processor, versions of a record in a database table, the record comprising a record value and a version timestamp, storing, by the at least one processor, active snapshots in two levels of active snapshot lists, an active snapshot comprising a transaction identifier and a snapshot timestamp, determining, by the at least one processor, a minimum active snapshot from the active snapshots in the two levels of active snapshot lists and deleting, by the at least one processor, versions of the record having a version timestamp earlier than a snapshot timestamp of the minimum active snapshot.
US09098518B2

A resource sharing method for a resource sharing system for a plurality of edge peers that individually store a resource and a plurality of super peers that manage the plurality of edge peers or resource information including a name of the resource that includes at least one key word is provided. In the resource sharing system, the super peers distribute and manage resource information of the edge peers according to a key word. Therefore, if a resource is requested using part of a name of a resource desired by a certain edge peer, the super peer searches for resources including the resource desired by the edge peer. Therefore, a user of an edge peer may acquire a desired resource even using part of a name of a desired resource.
US09098515B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for data destruction. In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method. The method may include receiving a request to destroy a first data object; determining whether other data objects depend from the first data object; determining a structure for the first data object and the other data objects, when the other data objects depend from the first data object; initiating, based on the determined structure, calls to the other data objects to destroy the other data objects before the first data object; and initiating a call to the first data object to destroy the first data object, when the other data objects have been destroyed. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US09098513B1

Difference data is generated between a reference file and a target file that are orderly dependent having common blocks that appear in the same order in both the reference and target files. The difference data is generated by comparing hash values of chunks of the reference file against hash values of parts of the target file to identity copy operations between the reference and target files. Chunks of the reference file and parts of the target file are loaded into main memory to create hashes for comparison and unloaded from the main memory after exhaustion. The difference data is included in a difference file, which is provided to one or more endpoint computers. In an endpoint computer, the target file is reconstructed using a copy of the reference file and the difference data from the difference file.
US09098512B2

A computer-implemented method of generating a presentation including a plurality of slides, the method comprising: storing a first slide and a second slide, each slide having one or more content elements; selecting, based on the one or more content elements of the first slide or the second slide or both, a slide transition from a set of slide transitions, each slide transition in the set of slide transitions defining how display of one slide changes to display of another slide; displaying the first slide; and, subsequently changing display of the first slide to display of the second slide in accordance with the selected slide transition. An electronic device and computer program product are also provided.
US09098510B2

Methods, systems, and subsystems for identifying and accessing multimedia content are provided. One system is specifically provided for automatically selecting a content source for accessing a movie that is accessible from multiple content sources. Account log-in information for at least one of the content sources, cost preferences, and quality preferences are stored in computer memory. A processor is in data communication with the account log-in information and the stored cost and quality preferences. Programming causes the processor to automatically select between the content sources through which the movie is accessible; the automatic selection is restricted to: (a) content sources for which the account log-in information is stored, and (b) content sources for which no account log-in information is necessary. The automatic selection is based on a comparison of the stored cost and quality preferences to actual cost and quality information associated with the content sources.
US09098504B2

A method and system for converting XML files to and from files in a data format based on hierarchies in real-time. A method for converting from XML to the data format based on hierarchies includes: applying a stylesheet to at least one XML file thereby generating at least one data record in an intermediate format and including information included in the at least one XML file; and, translating the at least one record in the intermediate format to the data format based on hierarchies. A method for converting from a data format based on hierarchies to XML includes: translating at least one record including information stored in the file format based on hierarchies to an intermediate format; and, applying a stylesheet to the at least one record in the intermediate format thereby generating at least one XML file being indicative of the information and suitable for transmission.
US09098501B2

A search engine server system receives from a client system a search query and identifies a set of documents in accordance with the search query. A content snippet corresponding to content in a respective document of the identified set of documents is generated, the content snippet associated with at least one query term of the one or more query terms in the search query. A response to the search query is returned to the client system, the response including information identifying at least the respective document and including the content snippet. Generating the content snippet includes performing a first decompression operation on first token identifiers, from a compressed document repository, to provide a set of second token identifiers, and performing a second decompression operation on the set of second token identifiers to recover uncompressed content comprising a portion of the respective document.
US09098500B1

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for maintaining and storing revision history of a design. The method includes, in response to a first control input by a user, determining, by a processor, module definition parameters that have changed from a design file. The changed module definition parameters are stored in the design file. For each changed module definition parameter, revision data are appended to revision history data. The revision data indicates a revision identifier, a module definition parameter identifier, and an updated value of the changed module definition parameter.
US09098497B1

A method for building an application is disclosed and includes receiving a request to build a search service application for a first object, where the object is associated with attributes and each attribute is associated with a value, receiving a first indication selecting an end-user input field that corresponds to a first attribute associated with the first object, and receiving a second indication selecting a search result output field that corresponds to an attribute associated with the first object. The method also includes selecting a code template from a plurality of code templates in a code library that comprises programming code for creating a search model of a search service application. Using the selected code template, the search model representing the search service application is generated based on the end-user input and the search result output fields.
US09098491B2

This invention discloses a method for data transfer between a host memory and a flash memory module through direct memory access (DMA), and a related data-transfer subsystem. In one embodiment, the subsystem comprises a DMA controller, a flash-memory controller, a data buffer for buffering data transferred between the DMA controller and the flash-memory controller, and a status-register group for storing a current status of the data buffer. The DMA controller and the flash-memory controller are configured such that both of them are allowed to update the current status and to detect a change of the current status during the data transfer, so that a substantial part of the data transfer's process is executed through direct interaction between the DMA controller and the flash-memory controller without involving a central processing unit. The subsystem may further comprise a command storing unit for storing command packages for execution by the flash-memory controller.
US09098489B2

A method comprising a preliminary automated analysis of at least one corpus of natural language text is disclosed. For each sentence of a corpus, the method includes performing a syntactic analysis using linguistic descriptions to generate at least one syntactic structure for the sentence, building a semantic structure for the sentence, associating each generated syntactic and semantic structure with the sentence, and saving each structure. For each corpus text that was preliminary analyzed, performing an indexing operation to index lexical meanings and values of linguistic parameters of each syntactic structure and each semantic structure associated with sentences in the corpus text. A semantic search includes at least one automatic preliminary analyzed corpus of sentences comprising searched values of linguistic, syntactic and semantic parameters. Due to a deep semantic analysis of a corpus, the search may be executed in various languages, in resources of various languages, and in the text of corpora of various languages regardless of the language of the query.
US09098488B2

A communication object including a plurality of object words may be received. The communication object may be parsed to identify each of the object words as tokens. A first natural language and at least one natural language different from the first natural language that are associated with the plurality of object words may be determined, based on a language analysis of the tokens. Tokens associated with the first natural language and tokens included in embedded word phrases associated with the embedded natural language may be translated, via a translating device processor, to a target natural language, based on at least one context associated with the communication object.
US09098479B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for improved navigation among controlled terms in one or more user documents. A user can navigate among a plurality of occurrences of a controlled term in one or more documents. A disclosed navigation and editing tool provides a link for each of the occurrences of the controlled term, wherein each of the links include a plurality of destination links, wherein each of the destination links allow a user to navigate to a corresponding one of the other of the plurality of occurrences in the one or more documents; receives a user selection of at least one of the destination links; and jumps, in response to the user selection, to a destination in the one or more documents associated with the selected destination link.
US09098478B2

A program (e.g., an operating system) is provided a warning that it has a grace period in which to perform a function, such as cleanup (e.g., complete, stop and/or move a dispatchable unit). The program is being warned, in one example, that it is losing access to its shared resources. For instance, in a virtual environment, a guest program is warned that it is about to lose its central processing unit resources, and therefore, it is to perform a function, such as cleanup.
US09098465B1

A service provider can maintain one or more host computing devices which may be utilized as bare metal instances by one or more customers of the service provider. Illustratively, each host computing device includes hardware components that are configured in a manner to allow the service provider to implement one or more processes upon a power cycle of the host computing device and prior to access of the host computing device resources by customers. In one aspect, a hosting platform includes components arranged in a manner to limit modifications to software or firmware on hardware components. In another aspect, the hosting platform can implement management functions for establishing control plane functions between the host computing device and the service provider that is independent of the customer. Additionally, the management functions can also be utilized to present different hardware or software attributes of the host computing device.
US09098464B2

A method includes receiving demand information from edge routers, estimating an optimal request distribution based on the demand information using a bicriteria approximation algorithm, wherein initial programming states for the estimation are specified by (u, F, D, FS, DS, Fexp, Fimp), where u is a current node, F is a vector representing an available facility for large capacity, D is a vector representing an outsourced large client, FS is an amount of cache server capacity offered to small clients, DS is a total demand of outsourced small clients, Fexp is an index of a cache server being exported from a subtree, and Fimp is an index of another cache server of another subtree that is being utilized, and providing each of the edge routers with anycast route information for the cache servers.
US09098446B1

If none of the fragments of an erasure-coded data file have become corrupted then the original data file can be readily reconstructed. If one or more fragments of an erasure-coded data file have become corrupted it may still be possible to find a combination of fragments that reconstruct the original data file, but the number of possible combinations may be impracticably large. If an attempt with a first set of fragments fails, an efficient approach is to use an independent set of fragments for the second attempt. Then, for further attempts, the results of a current attempt are compared with previous results. If a match is found then the original data file has been reconstructed. An original data file may also be reconstructed by separately recovering each data block of the data file from corresponding fragment blocks and assembling the data file from the recovered data blocks.
US09098438B2

A method is provided for scaling voltage in an integrated circuit. A calibration operation is performed on a functional module on the integrated circuit periodically at a rate T1. At least one parameter on the integrated circuit in monitored to determine when a performance threshold is reached. A change is initiated to an operating voltage for a portion of the integrated circuit in response to reaching the threshold. The rate of performing calibration operation is increased to a higher rate T2 for a window of time W in response to initiating the change in operating voltage, after which the rate of performing calibration is returned to the rate T1.
US09098436B2

Disclosed is a process that is performed by a management application for automatically mapping the topology of one domain to another domain. In addition, if a device in a domain fails, the domain application can automatically associate replacement devices with predecessor management objects.
US09098430B2

A composite semiconductor memory device, comprising: a plurality of nonvolatile memory devices; and an interface device connected to the plurality of nonvolatile memory devices and for connection to a memory controller, the interface device comprising an error correction coding (ECC) engine. Also, a memory system, comprising: a memory controller; and at least one composite semiconductor memory device configured for being written to and read from by the memory controller and comprising a built-in error correction coding (ECC) engine. Also, a memory system, comprising: a composite semiconductor memory device comprising a plurality of nonvolatile memory devices; and a memory controller connected to the at least one composite semiconductor memory device, for issuing read and write commands to the composite semiconductor memory device to cause data to be written to or read from individual ones of the nonvolatile memory devices; the composite semiconductor memory device providing error-free writing and reading of the data.
US09098423B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an adaptive cache system and an adaptive cache system for a hybrid storage system. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, an input/out (I/O) traffic analysis component is provided for monitoring data traffic and providing a traffic analysis based thereon. An adaptive cache algorithm component is coupled to the I/O traffic analysis component for applying a set of algorithms to determine a storage schema for handling the data traffic. Further, an adaptive cache policy component is coupled to the adaptive cache algorithm component.
US09098422B2

Systems and methods for managing cache configurations are disclosed. In accordance with a method, a system management control module may receive access rights of a host to a logical storage unit and may also receive a desired caching policy for caching data associated with the logical storage unit and the host. The system management control module may determine an allowable caching policy indicator for the logical storage unit. The allowable caching policy indicator may indicate whether caching is permitted for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit. The system management control module may further set a caching policy for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit, based on at least one of the desired caching policy and the allowable caching policy indicator. The system management control module may also communicate the caching policy to the host.
US09098420B2

An approach is provided for segmenting a cache into one or more cache segments and synchronizing the cache segments. An cache platform causes, at least in part, a segmentation of at least one cache into one or more cache segments. The cache platform further determines that at least one cache segment of the one or more cache segments is invalid. The cache platform also causes, at least in part, a synchronization of the at least one cache segment. The approach allows for a dynamic optimization of the synchronization of the cache segments based on one or more characteristics associated with the devices and/or the connection associated with the cache synchronization.
US09098419B1

A data storage system can automatically improve the layout of data blocks on a mass storage subsystem by collecting optimization information during both read and write activities, then processing the optimization information to limit the impact of optimization activities on the system's response to client requests. Processing read-path optimization information and write-path optimization information through shared rate-limiting logic simplifies system administration and promotes phased implementation, which can reduce the difficulty of developing a self-optimizing storage server.
US09098412B1

Described are techniques for problem analysis. Notification is provided through a user interface regarding a performance problem of a system. A plurality of user interface displays are then displayed which correspond to a plurality of steps in connection with performing analysis of the performance problem. Each of the user interface displays includes a predefined set of one or more options. At least a first of the options in the predefined set corresponds to a recommended action automatically performed in response to selecting said first option of the predefined set.
US09098409B2

A method begins where a processing module accesses at least some of a set of basic input/output system (BIOS) memories to retrieve a decode threshold number of encoded BIOS slices, where a BIOS program is dispersed storage error encoded to produce the set of encoded BIOS slices. The method continues with the processing module reconstructing the BIOS program from the decode threshold number of encoded BIOS slices. The method continues with the processing module detecting a BIOS issue based on one or more of an operational issue with one or more BIOS memories of the set of BIOS memories, a rebuild issue with one or more encoded BIOS slices of the one or more sets of encoded BIOS slices, and a modification to the BIOS program. The method continues with the processing module determining a BIOS change regarding the BIOS issue and implementing the BIOS change.
US09098407B2

A method for use with an electronic reading device comprising automatically fetching electronic media content and automatically and dynamically sequencing portions of the electronic media content for display on an electronic reading device. Optionally, the electronic media content can be automatically and dynamically divided into the portions that are then sequenced. Optionally, the electronic media content can be re-sequenced to reflect user preferences and needs. Various methods for recognizing and altering the display of the electronic reading device quickly and efficiently are disclosed.
US09098404B2

A storage array, a storage system, and a data access method. A data access method of a storage device includes: transferring data input from a user interface chip to a non-volatile storage device through a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) link, where the user interface chip and the non-volatile storage device are connected to the PCIE link, and the non-volatile storage device includes a memory and a non-volatile storage medium; writing the data to the memory of the non-volatile storage device; and writing the data written in the memory of the non-volatile storage device to the non-volatile storage medium. The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure are advantageous for reducing occupation of PCIE links due to data access and improving system performance.
US09098401B2

A method includes, in a memory with multiple analog memory cells, storing one or more data pages in respective groups of the memory cells using a first programming configuration having a first storage speed. Upon receiving a request to securely erase a data page from the memory, one or more of the memory cells in a group that stores the data page are re-programmed using a second programming configuration having a second storage speed that is faster than the first storage speed.
US09098400B2

A system and method for tuning a solid state disk memory includes computing a metric representing a usage trend of a solid state disk memory. Whether one or more parameters need to be adjusted to provide a change in performance is determined. The parameter is adjusted in accordance with the metric to impact the performance of running workloads. These steps are repeated after an elapsed time interval.
US09098391B2

Provided is a method of operating a memory system. The method includes programming first bit data into multiple memory cells; identifying target memory cells that are in a first state and have threshold voltages equal to or greater than a first voltage from the memory cells programmed with the first bit data; receiving second bit data which is to be programmed into the memory cells; calculating multiple third bit data by performing a first process on the second bit data; and selecting third bit data of the calculated multiple third bit data that changes a largest number of target memory cells from the first state to a second state when the memory cells are programmed with each of the multiple third bit data, respectively. The selected third bit data is programmed into the memory cells.
US09098383B1

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a crossbar unit that is coupled to a plurality of client subsystems. The crossbar unit is configured to transmit data packets between the client subsystems and includes a high-bandwidth channel and a narrow-bandwidth channel. The high-bandwidth channel is used for transmitting large data packets, while the narrow-bandwidth is used for transmitting smaller data packets. The transmission of data packets may be prioritized based on the source and destination clients as well as the type of data being transmitted. Further, the crossbar unit includes a buffer mechanism for buffering data packets received from source clients until those data packets can be received by the destination clients.
US09098382B2

A method and system to manage document workflow communication is provided. The system may include a polling module to poll a server at an active polling rate to obtain resources associated with a workflow of an electronic document, a ramp-down trigger detector to detect a workflow ramp-down trigger event, and a throttling module to initiate a ramp down of the polling of the server according to a ramp-down schedule. In one example embodiment, the electronic document workflow may be associated with collaborative review of the electronic document.
US09098378B2

Methods and arrangements for facilitating virtual appliance image delivery. Virtual appliance image templates are stored at a caching location, based on a historical request pattern. A request is received for a virtual appliance image and there is provided, to a second location, a virtual appliance image responsive to the received request. A difference is determined between the requested virtual appliance image and stored virtual appliance image templates.
US09098375B2

A device may receive information that identifies available patches that have been released by a software provider. The information may further identify dependencies between available patches. The device may receive information that identifies installed patches that have been installed on a particular device. The device may determine a set of patches to be installed on the particular device based on the available patches and the installed patches. The device may determine an installation order for installing the set of patches on the particular device. The installation order may be based on a dependency between at least two patches included in the set of patches to be installed. The device may cause installation of the set of patches on the particular device, in an order identified by the installation order, after determining the set of patches to be installed.
US09098371B2

A method and a system for managing the introduction of a new non-backward compatible version of an application server into a client/server networking, the method includes first distributing to a client system to be served by the new non-backward compatible version of the application server a client application operable in a mode compatible with the current version of the application server and in a mode compatible with the new non-backward compatible version. Upon installation in the client system the client application is set into a downgraded mode compatible with the current version of the application server. While the current version of the application server is still in production, the client application is kept operated in the downgraded mode. Upon introduction of the new non-backward compatible version of the application server, the client application is set into a valid mode compatible with the new version of the application server. From that point on, the client application is operated in the valid mode.
US09098366B1

A mobile communication device comprises a processor, a memory, a plurality of stub applications comprising updateable version numbers, and a widget stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, configures the processor to: determine a plurality of the stub applications to present, present the stub applications on a display of the mobile communication device, and elicit, in response to selection of a first stub application, retrieval and installation of a first full application in place of the first stub application.
US09098363B2

At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method to extend search capabilities to third party applications installed on a device. In one embodiment, records associated with a third party application are indexed in a process isolated from other third party applications installed on the device using a search plugin specific to the third party application. Furthermore, the indexed records can be searched in response to a user search query without invoking the third party application.
US09098353B2

A transactional memory (TM) receives a lookup command across a bus from a processor. The command includes a memory address, a starting bit position, and a mask size. In response to the command, the TM pulls an input value (IV). The memory address is used to read a word containing multiple result values (RVs) and multiple threshold values (TVs) from memory. A selecting circuit within the TM uses the starting bit position and mask size to select a portion of the IV. The portion of the IV is a lookup key value (LKV). The multiple TVs define multiple lookup key ranges. The TM determines which lookup key range includes the LKV. A RV is selected based upon the lookup key range determined to include the LKV. The lookup key range is determined by a lookup key range identifier circuit. The selected RV is selected by a result value selection circuit.
US09098345B2

A system of portable and flexible deployment of dedicated and virtual servers comprises a plurality of geographically-dispersed data centers comprising a plurality of dedicated servers, a plurality of hosts operable to host a plurality of virtual servers, a management workstation operable to capture dedicated and virtual server images, an image repository operable to store the captured server images, and an intra-data center networking infrastructure enabling communication within the data center. An integrated management system is operable to control and manage deployment of server images to dedicated and virtual servers located in a user-specified data center, and an inter-data center networking infrastructure enables communication between the plurality of data centers.
US09098342B2

A method and system determines capacity needs of components in a distributed computer system. In the method and system, a pair-wise invariant network is determined from collected flow intensity measurements. The network includes at least two separate and unconnected pair-wise invariant subnetworks, each of the subnetworks including two of the flow intensity measurements connected by a pairwise invariant, each of the pair-wise invariants characterizing a constant relationship between their two connected flow intensity measurements. At least one overlay invariant is determined from the pair-wise invariant network and from the collected flow intensity measurements using a minimal redundancy least regression process. The capacity needs of the components are determined using the pair-wise and overlay invariants.
US09098339B2

Embodiments related to predictive cloud-based presimulation are described herein. For example, one disclose embodiment provides, on a computing device, a method comprising receiving an input of state from a client device and executing a server simulation of a digital experience based on the input of state, the server simulation configured to run concurrently with, and ahead of, a client simulation on the client device. The method further comprises generating a plurality of simulation results from the server simulation, selecting one or more simulation results from the plurality of simulation results based on a likelihood the client simulation will utilize a particular simulation result, and sending the one or more simulation results to the client device.
US09098331B2

A multi-process scheduler applies a joint optimization criterion to jointly schedule multiple processes executed on a shared processor. The scheduler determines, for each one of a plurality of processes having a predetermined processing time, at least one of an expected arrival time for input data and required delivery time for output data. The scheduler jointly determines process activation times for the processes based on said arrival/delivery, and the processing times, to meet a predetermined joint optimization criterion for the processes. The processes are scheduled on the shared processor according to the jointly determined activation times to minimize queuing delay.
US09098330B2

A method for packet processing on a multi-core processor. According to one embodiment of the invention, a first set of one or more processing cores are configured to include the capability to process packets belonging to a first set of one or more packet types, and a second set of one or more processing cores are configured to include the capability to process packets belonging to a second set of one or more packet types, where the second set of packet types is a subset of the first set of packet types. Packets belonging to the first set of packet types are processed at a processing core of either the first or second set of processing cores. Packets belonging to the second set of packet types are processed at a processing core of the first set of processing cores.
US09098324B2

A physical host machine determines that a storage device from a network storage system is available to the host machine as a pass-through disk. Virtualization software running on the host machine assigns the pass-through disk to a temporary resource group on the host machine. The pass-through disk is logically attached to the virtual machine running on the host machine and made available to an operating system and application running on the virtual machine.
US09098318B2

Embodiments allow management software applications to distinguish computational assets without the use of static, predetermined identifiers that are susceptible to duplication along with computational assets. Managers and computational assets are associated with authenticator values. Additionally, a manager and computational asset determine (e.g., negotiate) an expected nonce (number used once) to be provided by either party when requesting a transaction. Upon receiving a transaction request associated with an authenticator value and a transaction nonce, the sender's knowledge of the expected nonce is proven when the nonce associated with the request matches the expected nonce, and disproven otherwise. When such knowledge is proven, the manager treats the computational asset as the one originally associated with the computational asset authenticator value and negotiates a new nonce. When such knowledge is disproven, the manager treats the computational asset as a duplicate of the one that was originally associated with the computational asset authenticator value.
US09098316B2

A method and system for routing a function call to a core dynamic link library (DLL) via a pass-through DLL. An indication that an application requires a specific functionality is received. Using the indication, an initialization function internal to the pass-through DLL identifies a core DLL as providing the specific functionality. The core DLL is loaded into a memory. The pass-through DLL calls an internal processing initialization function included in the core DLL. The pass-through DLL receives and stores an address of a list of pointers that reference a set of functions included in the core DLL. The pass-through DLL receives a function call to a first function in the set of functions. The pass-through DLL calls the first function by utilizing the address of the list of pointers to identify a pointer that references the first function in the set of functions.
US09098313B2

A method for recording a display-independent computerized guidance script, the method comprising capturing a screenshot of a GUI of a computerized application, analyzing an area, in the screenshot, surrounding a determined cursor position, to identify a GUI control, recording a manual operation sequence of the computerized application, and assigning the GUI control to a step of the operation sequence.
US09098310B2

A flow pattern is generated from a single flow, in which the flow pattern describes a plurality of flows that are structurally similar to one another and perform similar tasks. End users are then capable of exploring the different flows of the pattern and selecting one or more flows based on high-level goals.
US09098308B2

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for profiling. The method includes collecting symbol information to map traces of codes in a program to memory addresses storing corresponding native codes that are dynamically compiled from the traces of codes during an execution of the program, and making the symbol information available after the dynamic compilation to analyze profiling data sampled during the execution of the program.
US09098300B2

In one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated code (SIC) may be provided in a binary format by a processor manufacturer. This SIC may include platform independent code of the processor manufacturer. Such code may include embedded processor logic to initialize the processor and at least one link that couples the processor to a memory, and embedded memory logic to initialize the memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09098285B2

A method and system for managing power consumption of a pool of computing devices are disclosed. One aspect of certain embodiments includes managing resource utilization for each computing device without installing customized software, firmware or hardware on the computing device and dynamically selecting, one or more candidate computing devices for altering their respective power states based on at least real-time information on the quantity of requests.
US09098283B2

A switched-mode power supply unit for a computer includes at least one switching element that switches a charging current to charge a storage element, at least one secondary output circuit that provides an output voltage (Vout+), at least one controllable oscillator circuit that provides a switching clock, and at least one control circuit that determines a switch-off time for the at least one switching element, wherein, in operation of the switched-mode power supply unit, a mean oscillator clock of the oscillator circuit is controlled in dependence on a controlled variable (Vcontrol) specifying the output voltage or power of the secondary output circuit such that the mean oscillator clock rises monotonously with the output power and a switch-on time for the at least one switching element is determined in dependence on the mean oscillator clock and a random deviation.
US09098275B2

A method and a device for controlling power of a mobile terminal are provided. The method of controlling power of a mobile terminal includes, activating a low power mode, and applying a predefined setting value for reducing power consumption by limiting some functions of the mobile terminal in the low power mode. Therefore, by providing a low power mode of limiting some functions of the mobile terminal, unnecessary battery consumption can be prevented.
US09098273B2

An electronic apparatus includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire first instruction information transmitted from an external apparatus, which instructs changing of a power state to a normal energized state, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire second instruction information transmitted from the external apparatus, which instructs changing of the power state to a power saving state, and a power state change unit configured to change the power state from the normal energized state to the power saving state based on an acquisition state of the first instruction information and the second instruction information.
US09098262B2

A processor may include a conditional arithmetic logic unit and a main arithmetic logic unit. The conditional arithmetic logic unit may perform a first arithmetic logic operation to generate a first result, and output the result. The main arithmetic logic unit may select input buses among a plurality of data buses that carry the first result from the conditional arithmetic logic unit, perform a second arithmetic logic operation on data provided by the selected input buses to generate a second result, and write the second result in a storage component.
US09098259B1

A low-power mode for interfaces, such as secure digital input/output (SDIO) interfaces, is described. The low-power mode provides significant power savings while allowing rapid resumption of data transfer on the interface. The SDIO low-power mode gates an SDIO clock and transitions the SDIO bus to a 1-bit mode. One line of the bus carries the 1-bit data while another line carries interrupts from an SDIO peripheral. Normal data transmission results in enabling the SDIO clock and setting the bus set to the 4-bit mode.
US09098258B2

At least certain embodiments of the disclosures relate to methods, devices, and data processing systems for thermal-based acoustic management. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method defers one or more background tasks during normal operation of a system if the system has a reduced performance feature that allows reduced or throttled performance in a non-user state. The system enters a low power state (e.g., sleep state) to cool the system after a period of normal operation. The system enters a different low power state (e.g., dark wake state) with a reduced performance and performs at least one of the deferred background tasks while in this low power state without needing a cooling mechanism.
US09098253B2

Daughter cards couple to an information handling system chassis and are secured in place with insertion of a retainer in a retainer guide that aligns to engage with securing elements of the daughter cards coupled to the chassis. A hinge member couples the retainer to the retainer guide between an inserted position and an idle position to maintain the retainer attached to the chassis but removed out of the way for daughter card manipulation during addition or removal of the daughter card at the chassis.
US09098246B2

An assembly can include a first component; a second component that includes a socket; a processor and a memory accessible by the processor, the processor and memory being included in one or more of the first component and the second component; and an interconnection mechanism for pivotable interconnection of the first component and the second component about a pivot axis where the interconnection mechanism includes a hinge that defines the pivot axis, a prong pivotable about the pivot axis, a latch mechanism to latch the second component to the interconnection mechanism with the prong received by the socket of the second component, an actuator to unlatch the latch mechanism, and a lever to adjust the hinge to a high stiffness state to adjust the hinge to a low stiffness state. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US09098241B1

A rollable display device includes a display panel for displaying an image, a printed circuit board connected to an edge of the display panel, and a roller which the display panel is rolled onto or unrolled from. The roller has a cylindrical shape having an inner space, and the printed circuit board is disposed in the inner space.
US09098227B2

A method for employing a controlled-modification current time value is presented. In the method, the current time value is maintained. Also, requests for modification of the current time value are received. The requests are processed so that the requested modification associated with one of the requests is immediately incorporated into the current time value, and so that the requested modification associated with another one of the requests is not immediately incorporated into the current time value.
US09098224B2

In an image processing apparatus, a waiting time until power supply to a storage unit is stopped is suitably set corresponding to a type of input job and a state of power supply to the storage unit when the job has been input. A first waiting time is set if power is not supplied to the storage unit when the job has been input in a case where the input job is a first type of job. A second waiting time is set regardless of whether power is supplied to the storage unit when the job has been input in a case where the input job is a second type of job. Power supplied to the storage unit is controlled to stop when the waiting time has elapsed.
US09098223B2

Disclosed is a job information display device, including: an AR display unit configured to display an augmented reality space in which an image is overlapped with a real space viewed by a user; a recognition unit configured to recognize an image forming apparatus which exists in the real space viewed by the user; an information obtaining unit configured to obtain job information indicating an execution state of a job input to the image forming apparatus recognized by the recognition unit; and a control unit configured to instruct the AR display unit to display the augmented reality space in which the execution state of the job is indicated by a virtual paper on a paper passage of the image forming apparatus in which the job is executed, in accordance with the job information obtained by the information obtaining unit.
US09098213B1

Previous printers were designed to print a paper copy of data and/or receipts which causes a disconnect with modern day data manipulation. This printer interface can print data to and receive data from the internet and hand held devices which will open up extremely fast data exchange and data manipulation for consumers, cities, states and the federal government without the expense of having to purchase complete new systems. By simply changing out an old printer we can connect all old computer systems with modern day systems that now have the ability to manipulate data automatically.
US09098211B1

Non-disruptive data migration from a source array to a destination array entails generating a virtual array spanning at least one destination array for receiving a copy of all data at the source array. The virtual array has at least as many virtual ports as physical source ports of the source array and at least as many logical units (LUNs) as the source array. Each source array LUN corresponds to a virtual array LUN and equals the storage capacity of that corresponding LUN. Each virtual port has a virtual port address. All data resident in the LUNs of the source array are copied to corresponding LUNs in the virtual array. A name server database is reconfigured to associate port names of the physical source ports with the virtual port addresses of the virtual ports such that the virtual array appears to a host as the source array.
US09098207B2

There is provided a system capable of transformation of logical data objects for storage and method of operating thereof. The method comprises: a) identifying among a plurality of requests addressed to the storage device two or more “write” requests addressed to the same logical data object; b) deriving data chunks corresponding to identified “write” requests and transforming the derived data chunks; c) grouping the transformed data chunks in accordance with the order the requests have been received and in accordance with a predefined criteria; d) generating a grouped “write” request to the storage device; and e) providing mapping in a manner facilitating one-to-one relationship between the data in the obtained data chunks and the data to be read from the transformed logical object. The method further comprises obtaining an acknowledging response from the storage device; multiplying the obtained acknowledging response, and sending respective acknowledgements to each source which initiated respective “write” request.
US09098205B2

In a nonvolatile memory array, such as a three-dimensional array of charge-storage memory cells, data is randomized so that data of different strings along the same bit line are randomized using different keys and portions of data along neighboring word lines are randomized using different keys. Keys may be rotated so that data of a particular word line is randomized according to different keys in different strings.
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