US09178614B2
A wavelength dispersion amount estimation method, a wavelength dispersion compensation circuit, and a receiving device which rapidly estimate and set a wavelength dispersion amount to compensate with high accuracy at the receiving device which compensates waveform distortion at an optical fiber transmission path. A wavelength dispersion compensation circuit includes an analog-digital converter which converts an optical analog waveform received from the optical fiber transmission path to a digital signal, a digital signal processor which compensates waveform distortion of the digital signal output from the analog-digital converter due to wavelength dispersion at the optical fiber transmission path with a dispersion compensation amount estimated with the wavelength dispersion amount estimation method, and a symbol clock extractor which extracts a symbol arrival timing clock of received data contained in the digital signal output from the analog-digital converter and outputs strength of the symbol arrival timing clock as the clock detection value.
US09178612B2
The present invention refers to a method for operating a coherent optical packet receiver comprising at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter wherein the settings of at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter applied on a received optical packet having at least one given travelling parameter are determined in function of previous settings determination of said at least one linear physical impairment compensation filter achieved on at least one optical packet having a similar at least one travelling parameter as said received optical packet.
US09178611B2
A multi-function optical tool may be used for example for built-in fault detection and transceiver source characterization in local optical communication networks. A single device provides swept-heterodyne optical spectrum analysis (SHOSA) and optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR) in an efficient, low-cost package by utilizing a common interrogation laser source, common optical components, and common, low-bandwidth acquisition hardware. The technology provides significant cost, space, and labor savings for network maintainers and technicians.
US09178607B2
A method of optimizing a link budget analysis (LBA) for a link comprising performing a first LBA based on a target modulation and coding pair (MODCOD) based on one or more link parameters, the MODCOD having a predetermined symbol energy to noise density ratio (Es/No), calculating a ratio of allocated bandwidth to a power equivalent bandwidth (PEB) for the link and converting the ratio to Decibels, determining whether additional energy is present by summing the Es/No for the link at the target MODCOD and the calculated ratio of allocated bandwidth to PEB, accessing a look up table to determine an optimal MODCOD for the link wherein if the sum is a positive value, selecting a MODCOD having a higher Es/No and if the sum is a negative value, selecting a MODCOD having a lower Es/No and altering one or more transmission or receiving parameters to apply the selected optimal MODCOD.
US09178602B2
A repeater and method of controlling thereof are provided. The repeater includes: a first interface unit which is configured to be connected to a gateway apparatus via a Wi-Fi communication protocol; and a second interface unit which is configured to be connected to a client device via the Wi-Fi communication protocol, wherein at least one of the first and second interface units comprises a filter which filters different frequency bands.
US09178599B2
A diversity receiving device includes receiving circuits, a diversity combining unit, and an oscillation controller. The receiving circuit performs frequency conversion of an analog received signal obtained at a first receiving system, by using a plurality of lower-side oscillation-frequency signals supplied from a first local oscillator, to generate a plurality of lower-side low-frequency signals, adds up the plurality of lower-side low-frequency signals to generate a first addition signal. The receiving circuit performs frequency conversion of an analog received signal obtained at a second receiving system, by using a plurality of higher-side oscillation-frequency signals supplied from a second local oscillator, to generate a plurality of higher-side low-frequency signals, and adds up the plurality of higher-side low-frequency signals to generate a second addition signal. The oscillation controller controls lower-side oscillation-frequencies so that frequency bands of the plurality of lower-side low-frequency signals become adjacent to one another and controls higher-side oscillation-frequencies so that frequency bands of the plurality of higher-side low-frequency signals become adjacent to one another.
US09178594B2
To report feedback information regarding a wireless channel, a mobile station determines whether a predefined condition is satisfied. In response to determining that the predefined condition is satisfied, feedback information regarding an individual one of plural subbands of the wireless channel is included in a first report to be sent to a base station. In response to determining that the predefined condition is not satisfied, aggregate feedback information regarding the plural subbands is included in a second report to be sent to the base station.
US09178587B2
The disclosed is a transmission device including a plurality of transmission antennas for transmitting signals in the same channel at the same time point to a plurality of reception devices, characterized by including: a dedicated reference signal generator configured to generate dedicated reference signals for the respective reception devices; a data signal generator configured to generate data signals for the respective reception devices; a spatial multiplexer configured to spatially multiplex at least some of the dedicated reference signals and at least some of the data signals; and a transmitter configured to transmit the spatially multiplexed signals.
US09178584B2
Systems and methods for improving the performance of a MIMO wireless communication system by reducing the amount of uplink resources that are needed to provide channel performance feedback for the adjustment of data rates on the downlink MIMO channels. In one embodiment, a method comprises encoding each of a set of data streams according to corresponding data rates, permuting the data streams on a set of MIMO channels according to a full permutation of combinations, transmitting the permuted data streams, receiving the permuted data streams, decoding and determining an SNR for each of the data streams, computing a condensed SNR metric for the set of data streams, providing the condensed metric as feedback, determining a set of individual SNR metrics for the data streams based on the condensed SNR metric, and adjusting the data rates at which the data streams are encoded based on the individual SNR metrics.
US09178581B2
A wireless transmitter can include a plurality of bandwidth modules, each bandwidth module processing data based on a predetermined frequency band. In one embodiment, such a wireless transmitter can include encoding components for receiving transmit data and generating encoded data. A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) stream parser can receive the encoded data and generate a plurality of MIMO streams. A first module parser coupled to a first MIMO stream can generate a first plurality of partial MIMO streams. A first bandwidth module can include a first interleaver that interleaves bits of the first partial MIMO stream and generates first interleaved data. A second bandwidth module can include a second interleaver that interleaves bits of the second partial MIMO stream and generates second interleaved data. A first inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) unit can combine and process the first and second interleaved data and generate a first transmission MIMO stream.
US09178575B2
In accordance with particular embodiments, a method for adjusting power distribution includes establishing a connection between a base station and a plurality of remote transceivers. The method also includes establishing a plurality of wireless connections with a plurality of endpoints via one or more of the plurality of remote transceivers. The method further includes determining a plurality of signal quality indications. Each signal quality indication is associated with a different one of a plurality of unique endpoint-remote transceiver pairs. The method additionally includes determining a power distribution for the plurality of remote transceivers based on the plurality of signal quality indications and an optimization equation. The optimization equation is configured to optimize a data throughput associated with the plurality of wireless connections by determining a power gain for each of the wireless connections.
US09178574B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, apparatus, and non-transient computer readable medium that pertain to communicating in a wireless network with a MAC layer that uses multi-level beacons, the multi-level beacons including a Discovery beacon (DB) which is transmitted in an omni mode and an announcement beacon/frame (AB) transmitted in a beam formed mode.
US09178569B2
A system and method for simultaneous charging, tracking and monitoring one or more equipments, comprising actuating a coordinator using a management server for transmitting UHF radio waves; receiving the transmitted UHF radio waves by a receiver; converting the UHF radio waves into DC power by employing an energy harvesting IC for charging a battery pack of said equipment, and simultaneously activating an RFID tag for receiving one or more operational parameters related to said equipment by employing said one or more sensors and transmitting said received one or more operational parameters by using short range data communication protocol via said coordinator.
US09178548B1
A method for processing a radio signal includes: receiving an FM in-band on-channel radio signal including a plurality of digitally modulated subcarriers in upper and lower sidebands; sampling the FM in-band on-channel radio signal to produce an input signal including complex digital samples of a combination of a desired one the upper and lower sidebands and an FM interferer; removing FM interferer components from the first signal by notch filtering to produce a notch-filtered signal; weighting the notch-filtered signal to produce a weighted notch-filtered signal; using a parametric filter to filter the input signal to produce a parametric-filtered input signal; and combining the weighted notch-filtered signal and the parametric-filtered input signal to produce an output signal. A radio receiver that implements the method is also included.
US09178529B2
The present disclosure describes an improved multi-stage noise shaping (MASH) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting an analog input signal to a digital output signal. In particular, a full delta-sigma (ΔΣ) modulator is provided at the front-end of the MASH ADC, and another full ΔΣ modulator is provided at the back-end of the MASH ADC. The front-end ΔΣ modulator digitizes an analog input signal, and the back-end ΔΣ modulator digitizes an error between the output of the front-end ΔΣ modulator and the (original) analog input signal. In this configuration where the back-end modulator digitizes the error of the (full) front-end modulator, some design constraints of the front-end are relaxed. These design constraints include thermal noise, digital noise cancellation filter complexity (the quantization noise of the front-end is already shaped by the noise transfer function of the front-end), and/or non-linearity.
US09178525B2
A mismatch corrector can include a correction path comprising a plurality of parallel branches that each includes a correction filter that applies a respective one of a plurality of time domain filter coefficients that corresponds to a function of a mismatch profile of an interleaved analog-to-digital (IADC) signal on the IADC signal. The mismatch corrector can also include a delay path that delays the IADC signal by a predetermined number of samples to provide a delayed version of the IADC signal. The mismatch corrector can further include a summer to subtract an output of each correction filter from the delayed version of the IADC signal to generate a corrected IADC signal.
US09178524B1
The apparatus may be an N-bit DAC including (2M−1) parallel stages associated with M most significant bits, and (N-M) stages associated with (N-M) least significant bits. The (2M−1) parallel stages may deliver a first current to current-summing nodes of the DAC. The (N-M) stages may include a resistive network and a second pair of switches, and may deliver a second current to the resistive network of the stage. Each resistive network may scale the respectively delivered currents according to a binary weight of a stage corresponding to the resistive network, and may deliver the scaled currents to the pair of current-summing nodes. At least one of the (N-M) stages may be separated from the remaining stages.
US09178521B2
Described is an apparatus which comprises: a current steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to receive a digital bus to control current steering; a switch capacitor network to integrate currents from the DAC, the switch capacitor network having switches which are controllable by a plurality of digital clock signals; an output stage to compare the integrated currents against at least two threshold voltages and to generate an output signal; and a duty cycle corrector (DCC) operable to adjust the at least two threshold voltages to modify duty cycle of the output signal.
US09178517B2
A level shifter circuit is implemented with dual gate fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) technology. By enhancing the performance of the NMOS and devices within the level shifting circuit, the Vt of the dual gate FDSOI NMOS transistors is lowered without a need for additional control circuitry. Lowering the Vt can be accomplished through dynamic secondary gate control, by coupling together primary and secondary gates of the NMOS devices, while secondary gates of the PMOS devices can be coupled to a high voltage supply level. Such high performance NMOS devices can then operate at higher frequencies and run on a much wider range of core power supplies. Meanwhile, conventional DC conditions are maintained during steady state operation. Because no components are added to the level shifter circuit, the higher performance is achieved without an increase in size and current consumption.
US09178514B1
The invention uses a new process called dynamic pin reassignment (DPR) to alter the circuitry. The system assigns input and output signals to buses that lead to a central distribution point, the crossbar, in the circuit. At the crossbar, signals are routed to the appropriate destination over one of the bus wires to the correct chip from the crossbar. At irregular intervals, the signal mapping for each in/out function is changed. The assignments or mappings, comprise the state of the circuit at any time. The period that a state is valid is determined by applying a reseeding function to a portion of a randomized stream that calculates the next state and the duration of validity. Multiple seeds or keys are used to create the states. Because each key changes independently of the other keys and without notice, the time interval for a valid state is greatly reduced, complicating any effort to reveal the internal states of chips.
US09178509B2
A keyboard or keyboard key that has a force sensor that measures the force imparted to the key when a user presses the key or rests a finger on a key. Key embodiments may also include an actuator that excites the in order to provide feedback to the user in accordance with various feedback methods disclosed herein.
US09178502B2
A delay line has at least four delay stages coupled together in a series, two multiplexers, and a phase interpolator. The first multiplexer has a first input coupled to an output of the first delay stage, and a second input coupled to an output of the third delay stage. Similarly, the second multiplexer has a first input coupled to an output of the second delay stage, and a second input coupled to an output of the fourth delay stage. The phase interpolator is coupled to outputs of the first and second multiplexers, and has an output.
US09178497B2
New and highly stable oscillators are disclosed. Such an oscillator may include a first capacitor electrically connected to a first charging switch and a first discharging switch, a second capacitor electrically connected to a second charging switch and a second discharging switch, a first chopping circuit having a first input electrically connected to the first capacitor and a second input electrically connected to a reference voltage, a second chopping circuit having a first input electrically connected to the second capacitor and a second input electrically connected to the reference voltage, a first comparator having a first input electrically connected to a first and second output of the first chopping circuit, a second comparator having a first input electrically connected to a first and second output of the second chopping circuit, and control circuitry having a first input electrically coupled to an output of the first comparator and a second input electrically connected to an output of the second comparator.
US09178494B2
A symmetric discrete-time square-root-raised-cosine filter may be utilized to process a serial input signal and to produce an output square in each clock cycle. The filter may be adapted to decrease the computational complexity of the resulting calculations, making the filter amenable to use in power sensitive applications and in those situations where the available processor's performance is relatively limited.
US09178490B2
A DMS filter has improved signal suppression in fly-back. At least two transformers of a first type are connected in parallel between a common node of the signal path and a ground connection/reference potential. A concentrated element is connected in the signal path of said transformers of the first type, so that the voltages present at the first transformers are different from each other.
US09178488B2
Systems and methods for direct load impedance computation for a two-port network are disclosed. For a two-port network connected between a first port and a second port, a method can include defining an equivalent PI network including a first equivalent network element in communication with the first port, a second equivalent network element in communication with the second port, and a third equivalent network element connected between the first port and the second port. A linear passive load can be connected to the second port of the two-port network, currents through the linear passive load, the second equivalent network element, and the third equivalent network element can be measured, and a load impedance of the linear passive load can be determined based on predetermined values of a voltage at the first port and a voltage at the second port.
US09178483B1
A multilayer chip electronic component may include: a ceramic body including a plurality of dielectric layers; an inductor part disposed within the ceramic body and including first and second internal electrodes; a capacitor part disposed within the ceramic body and including third to fifth internal electrodes; and first and second external electrodes disposed on first and second end surfaces of the ceramic body, a third external electrode extended from second main surface of the ceramic body to first and second side surfaces, and a fourth external electrode extended from first main surface of the ceramic body to the first and second side surfaces. The capacitor part may include first and second capacitor parts and the inductor part and the capacitor part are connected to each other.
US09178482B2
A filter element includes a laminate including insulator layers. A ring conductor pattern is provided on one of the insulator layers. Linear conductor patterns of a first inductor having a helical shape with an axial direction thereof being a laminating direction of the laminate and linear conductor patterns of a second inductor having a helical shape with an axial direction thereof being the laminating direction are provided on predetermined ones of the insulator layers. The ring conductor pattern is arranged such that inner regions of the linear conductor patterns of the first inductor and inner regions of the linear conductor patterns of the second inductor are included in an inner region of the ring conductor pattern.
US09178474B2
Provided is a feedback amplifier. The feedback amplifier includes: an amplification circuit unit amplifying a burst packet signal inputted from an input terminal and outputting the amplified voltage to an output terminal; a feedback circuit unit disposed between the input terminal and the output terminal and controlling whether to apply a fixed resistance value to a signal outputted to the output terminal; a packet signal detection unit detecting a peak value of a burst packet signal from the output terminal and controlling whether to apply the fixed resistance value; and a bias circuit unit generating a bias voltage, wherein the feedback circuit unit determines a feedback resistance value to change the fixed resistance value in response to at least one control signal and adjusts a gain by receiving the bias voltage.
US09178469B2
A quartz crystal oscillator as a resonation device includes a substrate, a quartz crystal resonator as a resonator attached with a heating element, terminals adapted to fix the resonator and the substrate to each other, and intermediate members having an electrical insulation property and lower in thermal conductivity than the terminals. The intermediate members intervene between the resonator and the substrate via the terminals, and a gap is disposed between the quartz crystal resonator and the substrate.
US09178450B2
There is provided a control device for an electric motor that controls the operation of the electric motor by outputting PWM signals to switching elements included in an inverter. The control device for the electric motor includes a voltage-command generating unit configured to generate, as voltage commands Vu*, Vv*, and Vw*, a superimposed wave signal obtained by superimposing, on a sine wave having an inverter output frequency FINV as a fundamental frequency, a third harmonic of the sine wave and a PWM-signal generating unit configured to generate PWM signals U, V, W, X, Y, and Z by comparing the amplitude of the voltage commands output by the voltage-command generating unit and the amplitude of a carrier signal CAR.
US09178449B2
A motor drive system control apparatus includes: a direct current power supply; a three-phase alternating current motor; a first power converter including switching circuits corresponding to each of three phases of the three-phase alternating current motor and a smoothing condenser disposed electrically in parallel with the switching circuits; an estimating device for estimating peak generation timing in which a peak is generated in an inter-terminal voltage VH of the smoothing condenser on the basis of at least one of an operating condition of the three-phase alternating current motor; a switching condition of the switching circuits corresponding to each of the three phases; and a controlling device for controlling a drive condition of the first power converter so the inter-terminal voltage VH (or a VH peak) in the peak generation timing decreases, for a predetermined period from start timing set in a time domain before the estimated peak generation timing.
US09178448B2
A power conversion device for driving a load, including a power conversion device main body configured to receive an input of a power supply voltage and to drive the load, and a brake circuit configured to protect the power conversion device main body from overvoltage applied thereto. The brake circuit includes a Zener diode that becomes conductive when the voltage applied to the power conversion device main body exceeds a predetermined value, to thereby suppress the voltage.
US09178447B2
Control circuits and related methods are provided. One exemplary control circuit includes a solid state switching device for coupling to a first tap of a motor and a control device coupled to the solid state switching device. The control device is configured to switch the solid state switching device to apply a signal to the first tap in response to a demand for operation of the motor at a second parameter to operate the motor at the second parameter. The control device is also configured to switch the solid state switching device to apply a signal to the first tap in response to a demand for operation of the motor at a first parameter to operate the motor at the first parameter.
US09178446B2
A generator includes a thin first contact charging layer and a thin second contact charging layer. The thin first contact charging layer includes a first material that has a first rating on a triboelectric series. The thin first contact charging layer has a first side with a first conductive electrode applied thereto and an opposite second side. The thin second contact charging layer includes a second material that has a second rating on a triboelectric series that is more negative than the first rating. The thin first contact charging layer has a first side with a first conductive electrode applied thereto and an opposite second side. The thin second contact charging layer is disposed adjacent to the first contact charging layer so that the second side of the second contact charging layer is in contact with the second side of the first contact charging layer.
US09178437B2
A controller for a power converter includes one or more controller modules operably linked to a transformer core of the power converter, to primary bridge switches of the power converter, and to secondary bridge switches of the power converter, wherein the one or more controller modules are configured to avoid saturation of the transformer core by modulating pulse widths of first electrical pulses sent to the primary bridge switches, based at least on measurements of DC components of current through primary and secondary windings adjacent the transformer core, and by modulating pulse widths of second electrical pulses sent to the secondary bridge switches, based at least on measurements of DC components of current through the primary and secondary windings.
US09178436B2
A closed-loop control circuit for an auxiliary power supply unit includes a control loop for the closed-loop control of a voltage transformer of the auxiliary power supply unit via a controlled variable to produce a setpoint voltage, wherein the control loop includes an additional circuit that limits a change in the controlled variable in the event of provision of an external voltage of a main power supply unit at a first output for emitting voltage generated by the auxiliary power supply unit when the external voltage exceeds a setpoint voltage of the auxiliary power supply unit.
US09178419B2
An object is to reduce degradation of circuit operation and to reduce the area of the entire circuit. A power source circuit is provided with a first terminal to which first voltage is input; a second terminal to which second voltage is input; a comparator being connected to the first terminal and the second terminal and comparing the first voltage and the second voltage; a digital circuit averaging, integrating, and digital pulse width modulating a first digital signal output from the comparator; a PWM output driver amplifying a second digital signal output from the digital circuit; and a smoothing circuit smoothing the amplified second digital signal.
US09178408B2
This document describes systems and techniques related to voltage regulators. The subject matter of this document can be embodied in a method that includes measuring an output current of a switching regulator. The switching regulator includes a high-side transistor and a low side-transistor wherein the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor are driven using a first gate voltage and a second, different gate voltage, respectively. The method also includes adjusting a direct-current (DC) voltage source of the switching regulator such that the first gate voltage is adjusted in accordance with the measured output current.
US09178407B2
A battery charger circuit having a regulator controller configured to control the switching transistors of a switching voltage regulator. A power path switch is disposed intermediate an output of the switching voltage regulator and a terminal of a battery to be charged, with the power path switch including at least two transistor segments having common respective drain electrodes, common respective source electrodes and separate respective gate electrodes. A power path switch controller operates to sequentially turn ON the at least two transistor segments of the power path switch, preferably in the order of a decreasing ON resistance.
US09178405B2
A magnetic drive coupling apparatus is provided and includes a drive unit having a first rotatable shaft and an open drive assembly, a driven unit having an end face and a second rotatable shaft extending through the end face axially overlap, a magnetic drive coupling having first and second magnetically attractive parts associated with the first and second rotatable shafts, respectively, which transmits rotation between the first and second rotatable shafts and a sealing unit coupled to the end face to encompass the second magnetically attractive part and to hermetically seal oil and refrigerant in an interior of the driven unit.
US09178390B2
A motor comprises a coil structure and a plurality of magnetic materials. The coil structure includes three winding groups, each of which has a plurality of winding portions. The winding portions have an interval therebetween, and are electrically connected by a wire. The magnetic materials are disposed adjacent to the coil structure and corresponding to the winding groups. Accordingly, the motor has more magnetic materials within the same bending angle of the enameled wire, so that the motor can output larger torsion and power to enhance the motor efficiency.
US09178382B2
A reversible buck or boost converter is operable in a buck mode and in a boost mode. In the buck mode, the converter receives a supply voltage via an input terminal and generates a charging current that is supplied to a battery, thereby charging the battery. The supply voltage is also supplied through the converter to an output terminal. In a boost mode, the converter receives power from the battery and generates a supply current and voltage that is output onto the output terminal. The same single current sense resistor is used both to control the charging current in the buck mode and to control a constant current supplied to the output terminal in the boost mode. The output current is controlled to be constant, regardless of changes in the in the battery voltage and changes in the output voltage.
US09178378B2
The multi wireless charging apparatus of the present invention includes a control unit generally controlling a wireless charging procedure; a plurality of wireless charging units electrically connected to the control unit; and folding units connecting between the wireless charging units, the folding units each having a void therein, which passes through both lateral surfaces thereof, and thereby to be folded up or down.Also, in the multi wireless charging apparatus of the present invention, each of the wireless charging units includes a shielding film made of a conductive material, such as conductive paste or ferrite, and formed on a lower surface thereof, for electromagnetic field shielding.
US09178356B2
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to distribution of electrical energy, and more particularly to distribution of solar electric energy at or near particular power points of solar cells.
US09178347B2
An arm for supporting a monitor comprises a telescoping arm assembly, a support member and a cord storage device. The telescoping arm assembly has at least first and second telescoping members telescopingly movable relative to each other, a distal end configured to support a monitor and a hollow interior through which at least one cord from the monitor can be routed. The support member is connected to the telescoping arm assembly proximally of the distal end to suspend the telescoping arm assembly. The support member is configured to extend transverse to the telescoping arm assembly and to be attached to a support surface. The cord storage device is positioned at least partially within at least one of the telescoping arm assembly or the support member. The cord storage device winds and unwinds the cord from the monitor as the first and second telescoping members are moved toward and away from each other, respectively.
US09178337B2
An outdoor unit of an HVAC system comprises a frame, at least one refrigerant coil mounted to the frame, a fan motor, a compressor, a controller, and a premises power source accessory panel. The fan motor is coupled to a fan which drives air through the refrigerant coil. The compressor is coupled to the refrigerant coil to drive refrigerant therethrough. The controller is coupled to the fan motor and compressor. The premises power source accessory panel is removably coupled to the frame and includes a bracket and circuit protection element. The bracket has at least one electrical conduit aperture. The circuit protection element is mounted to the bracket and coupleable to a premises power source. The premises power source is a renewable-energy power source located on a premises of the HVAC system. The bracket is removably coupleable to the outdoor unit in lieu of a conventional electrical conduit panel.
US09178330B2
Exemplary embodiments of apparatus, source arrangement and method for, e.g., providing high-speed wavelength tuning can be provided. According to one exemplary embodiment, at least one arrangement can be provided which is configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation that (i) has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes at an absolute rate that is greater than about 6000 (or 2000) terahertz per millisecond, (ii) whose mean frequency changes over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz, and/or (iii) has an instantaneous line width that is less than about 15 gigahertz. According to another exemplary embodiment, at least one arrangement can be provided configured to, periodically and as a function of time, select at least one first electro-magnetic radiation based on a mean frequency of the at least one first electro-magnetic radiation, with the periodic selection being performed at a first characteristic period. The mean frequency can vary linearly over time, wherein the apparatus can emit at least one second electromagnetic radiation that has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes periodically as a function of time with a second characteristic period. Further, the first characteristic period can be greater than the second characteristic period.
US09178325B2
An electrical connector comprises a housing having a front side and a rear side, a cage and a detection switch. The cage is engaged with the housing, the cage and the housing together define a slot, and an entrance of the slot is adjacent to the front side so as to allow an electronic card to enter into the slot along a card insertion direction. The detection switch is provided to the housing and comprises a first resilient terminal and a second resilient terminal. The second end portion is further adjacent to the front side relative and when the electronic card is received in the slot, the first resilient arm portion is separated from the second end portion.
US09178324B2
An electric plug system includes a stabilizing base constructed to stand on a horizontal floor surface, a vertical support element supported by and extending from the base and defining a vertical axis, and an electrical socket block coupled to a top portion of the vertical support element and supported thereby. The electrical socket block has a plurality of electrical sockets constructed to receive the plugs of the devices. Also, the system includes an electrical wire extending from the horizontal electrical socket block, down the vertical support element, and along or through the base and there-beyond, the electrical wire terminating in an electrical plug constructed to plug into the wall or floor electrical outlet. The system can include a device holder removably attached to the vertical support element. The base can include a first base portion and a second base portion removably attached to one another.
US09178322B2
An electrical connector (100) comprises an insulating housing (1) with a plurality of signal contacts (31) and a plurality of grounding contacts (30) received therein, a shielding member (2) and a connecting member (4) set in the insulating housing (1), the shielding member (2) locates around the signal contacts (31), each of the grounding contacts (30) includes a body portion (300), a spring arm (301) extending upwardly from the body portion (300) and a tail portion (302) extending downwardly from the body portion (300), the spring arm (301) includes a contact portion (3010) at the end thereof, the connecting member (4) connects the contact portion (3010) and the tail portion (302) with the shielding member (2).
US09178317B2
A coaxial connector with an F female waveguide is configured to limit exchange of certain RF signals.
US09178301B2
A wire seal for a waterproof connector having a seal body with a mating end surface and a terminal end surface, a plurality of wire insertion passageways extending through the seal body from the mating end surface to the terminal end surface, inner seal projections disposed on an inner peripheral wall of each of the wire insertion passageways, and relief grooves disposed on the mating end surface and the terminal end surface between adjacent wire insertion passageways.
US09178293B2
A photovoltaic module cord plate is disclosed. The cord plate has a base and channel.
US09178292B2
Disclosed is a compact battery clamp suitable for attachment to a high-amperage, two-conductor, insulated electrical cable, the compact battery clamp comprising: a clamp handle having a first clamp handle end and a second clamp handle end; a contact arm having a first contact arm end and a second contact arm end; a pivot pin passing through the clamp handle and through the first contact arm end so as to hingedly connect the contact arm to the clamp handle; a first terminal contact pad rotatably attached to the first clamp handle end; a second terminal contact pad rotatably attached to the second contact arm end; and an electrical socket attached to the second clamp handle end, the electrical socket configured for electrically coupling with an end of the insulated electrical cable.
US09178291B2
Various embodiments of the apparatus and/or methods are described for routing power to a wall-mounted appliance, particularly for routing electrical wiring and audio/video cabling up through a wall to power and communicate with a wall-mounted presentation device. The apparatus and systems include input and output enclosures with wiring therebetween and mechanisms for mounting the input and output enclosures adjacent to pre-cut wall openings. There exists at least one electrical input connector, disposed within the input enclosure, configured to electrically couple with a power source, and at least one electrical output connector, disposed within the output enclosure, configured to electrically couple with a wall-mounted appliance.
US09178283B1
Quad-slot antenna structures of user devices and methods of operating the user devices with the quad-slot antenna structures are described. One apparatus includes a RF feed coupled to a quad-slot antenna, including a first slot and a second slot and a third slot and a fourth slot. The first slot and the second slot are driven elements and the third slot and the fourth slot are parasitic elements.
US09178282B2
A system for coupling teraherz (THz) radiation to a coaxial waveguide comprises an antenna that generates THz radiation having a mode that matches the mode of the waveguide. The antenna may comprise a pair of concentric electrodes, at least one of which may be affixed to or formed by one end of the waveguide. The radiation may have wavelengths between approximately 30 μm and 3 mm. The waveguide may comprise an inner core and an outer wall defining an annular region. A terahertz sensor system may comprise a terahertz antenna comprising first and second concentric electrodes, means for generating a field across the trodes and means for triggering the emission of terahertz radiation, a first waveguide having first and second ends, said first end being coupled to said antenna so as to receive at least a portion of said terahertz radiation, and a sensor for detecting said terahertz radiation.
US09178272B2
A multiband shark fin antenna for a vehicle may include at least one transmitting and one receiving antenna element from the group consisting of AM/FM antennas, telephone and RKE antennas, GPS antenna, SDARS antenna, stacked patch antenna, DAP antenna, WLAN antenna, WIMAX antenna or DRM antenna. The antenna elements are disposed beneath a joint shark fin-shaped outer cover on the exterior of the vehicle. On the inside, the shark fin-shaped outer cover includes an antenna circuit board having the antenna elements disposed thereon. Electronic adjustment or amplifier circuits including a transceiver, tuner or receiver are disposed on both the upper and lower faces of the antenna circuit board. Shielding plates, which shield the adjustment or amplifier circuits with respect to the antenna elements, are disposed on the upper side of the antenna circuit board.
US09178261B2
In one embodiment, a vertical microcoaxial interconnect includes a dielectric substrate having a top side and a bottom side, an inner conductor extending through the substrate from its top side to its bottom side, an outer conductor that extends through the substrate from its top side to its bottom side, the outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor, a signal line extending to the inner conductor without contacting the outer conductor, and a ground line extending to the outer conductor without contacting the inner conductor or the signal line.
US09178242B2
A manufacturing method of a fuel cell module includes: forming an outer divided body having a frame shape and formed from an uncrosslinked item of solid rubber having adhesiveness in a seal member arrangement portion of a separator to produce an outer temporary assembly, and forming an inner divided body having a frame shape and formed from an uncrosslinked item of solid rubber in a peripheral edge portion of an electrode member to produce an inner temporary assembly fitting the inner temporary assembly into a frame of the outer temporary assembly to produce a cell assembly temporary assembly; arranging a cell assembly stack, in which a plurality of the cell assembly temporary assemblies are stacked, in a forming die; and pressurizing and heating the forming die to crosslink the uncrosslinked item.
US09178240B2
A system and method are detailed for aluminizing surfaces of metallic substrates, parts, and components with a protective alumina layer in-situ. Aluminum (Al) foil sandwiched between the metallic components and a refractory material when heated in an oxidizing gas under a compression load at a selected temperature forms the protective alumina coating on the surface of the metallic components. The alumina coating minimizes evaporation of volatile metals from the metallic substrates, parts, and components in assembled devices during operation at high temperature that can degrade performance.
US09178236B2
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention includes a membrane-electrode assembly (5) and separators (6A and 6B). Each of the electrodes (4A and 4B) includes a catalyst layer (2A, 2B) and a gas diffusion layer (3A, 3B). One main surface of the catalyst layer contacts the polymer electrolyte membrane (1). The separator (6A) includes a peripheral portion (16A) and a portion (26A) other than the peripheral portion. The peripheral portion (16A) of the separator (6A) is formed in an annular shape when viewed from a thickness direction of the separator (6A) and is a region including a portion located on an inner side of the outer periphery of the separator (6A). The separator (6A) is configured such that a porosity of the peripheral portion (16A) is higher than that of the portion (26A) other than the peripheral portion.
US09178234B2
In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for integrated operation of molten carbonate fuel cells with turbines for power generation. Instead of selecting the operating conditions of a fuel cell to improve or maximize the electrical efficiency of the fuel cell, an excess of reformable fuel can be passed into the anode of the fuel cell to increase the chemical energy output of the fuel cell. The increased chemical energy output can be used for additional power generation, such as by providing fuel for a hydrogen turbine.
US09178233B2
A method for determining when to operate a voltage recovery process for recovering a reversible voltage loss of a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system. The method includes estimating an irreversible voltage loss of the fuel cell and an actual voltage of the fuel cell stack, and determining whether a difference between the estimated irreversible voltage loss and the estimated actual voltage exceed a threshold, and if so, the voltage recovery process is performed.
US09178232B2
A system and method for utilizing a pressurized volume of oxygen in a cathode plumbing of a fuel cell system. The system and method includes calculating an air/oxygen balance that is based on an air balance and an oxygen balance in the cathode plumbing. The system and method further include determining the number of moles of oxygen available for fuel cell chemical reactions using the calculated air/oxygen balance and drawing current from a fuel cell stack using the moles of oxygen available for fuel cell chemical reactions.
US09178229B2
A membrane humidifier is provided for a fuel cell. The membrane humidifier of the present invention includes a hollow housing, a joint member, a plurality of internal partition modules, and a plurality of hollow fiber membrane bundles. The hollow housing has a humid air inlet formed at one end thereof and a humid air outlet formed at the other end thereof. The joint member is formed integrally with an inner circumferential surface of the hollow housing. The plurality of internal partition modules are coupled to the joint member and arranged adjacent to each other in the hollow housing, and have a plurality of humid air guiding apertures passing therethrough. The plurality of hollow fiber membrane bundles are disposed in the plurality of internal partition modules, respectively.
US09178223B2
A fuel cell separator 60 having a metal plate and an anticorrosion resin coating layer 55 formed thereon is provided, with which adhesion between the resin coating layer 55 and its counterpart member is further increased and the durability of a fuel cell unit is improved. In forming the fuel cell separator 60 having a separator substrate 50 that is a metal plate and an anticorrosion resin coating layer 55 formed thereon, the resin coating layer 55 is formed such that it has a surface roughness Ra of 0.5 to 13.5 μm. Increasing the surface roughness will produce an anchoring effect, which will improve the adhesive force at the interface. The aforementioned surface roughness Ra can be obtained either with the use of fillers that are mixed into the resin coating layer 55 or with external force applied to the surface of the resin coating layer 55 by means of shot blasting, for example.
US09178219B2
In one or more embodiments, an electrochemical device includes a substrate having a substrate surface; an amorphous metal oxide layer supported on the substrate surface; and a noble metal catalyst supported on the amorphous metal oxide layer to form a catalyst layer. The amorphous metal oxide layer may contact only 25 to 75 percent of the substrate surface. The amorphous metal oxide layer may include less than 10 weight percent of crystalline metal oxide. In certain instances, the amorphous metal oxide layer is substantially free of crystalline metal oxide.
US09178212B2
A composite anode active material including metal core particles and carbon nanotubes that are covalently bound to the metal core particles, an anode including the composite anode active material, a lithium battery employing the anode, and a method of preparing the composite anode active material.
US09178208B2
Composite materials and methods of forming composite materials are provided. The composite materials described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight silicon particles, and greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases can be a substantially continuous phase. The method of forming a composite material can include providing a mixture that includes a precursor and silicon particles, and pyrolyzing the precursor to convert the precursor into one or more types of carbon phases to form the composite material.
US09178200B2
Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.
US09178189B2
Disclosed is a sheet-type secondary battery having: a laminated sheath (2) including an inner layer (2a) made of a thermoplastic resin and a metal layer (2b); and electrode terminals (3), each of which is connected electrically to an internal electrode pair (1) and passes through a heat seal portion (20) of the laminated sheath (2) in a hermetic manner so as to be led out externally. The sheath (2) and electrode terminal (3) are bonded with a bonding resin (5) at portion (20) in which terminal (3) is interposed. The inner layer (2a) of the sheath (2) opposed to the terminal (3) has an excess resin receiving portion (20a) formed thereon for receiving an excess resin in a heat sealing process. The portion (20a) is not formed in a heat seal portion (20P) at which the inner layers (2a) of the laminated sheaths (2) are bonded.
US09178188B2
A rechargeable battery includes a plurality of electrode assemblies including positive and negative electrodes separated by a separator and a pair of electrode tabs protruding to both sides. A case receives the plurality of electrode assemblies. First and second current collecting plates cover openings formed on both sides of the case. First and second insulation plates are respectively disposed between the plurality of electrode assemblies and the first and second current collecting plates. The pair of electrode tabs at one side of the electrode assemblies pass through a first through hole formed in the first insulation plate and the pair of electrode tables at the other side of the electrode assemblies pass through a second through hole formed in the second insulation plate.
US09178182B2
To realize a high-performance liquid crystal display device or light-emitting element using a plastic film. A CPU is formed over a first glass substrate and then, separated from the first substrate. A pixel portion having a light-emitting element is formed over a second glass substrate, and then, separated from the second substrate. The both are bonded to each other. Therefore, high integration can be achieved. Further, in this case, the separated layer including the CPU serves also as a sealing layer of the light-emitting element.
US09178181B2
An organic light-emitting display apparatus including: a substrate; at least one thin-film transistor disposed on the substrate; at least one capacitor disposed on the substrate and including a first electrode and a second electrode; a pixel electrode connected to the at least one thin-film transistor; a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode and including a reflective material; an organic emission layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode; a first optical characteristic adjusting layer disposed between the substrate and the pixel electrode and formed on a same layer as the second electrode of the at least one capacitor; and a second optical characteristic adjusting layer disposed between the first optical characteristic adjusting layer and the pixel electrode.
US09178172B2
A flexible display device includes a flexible substrate including a display region and a peripheral region substantially surrounding the display region, the display region including a first display region and a second display region, a first display structure at the first display region of the flexible substrate, the first display structure including nanoparticles, and a second display structure at the second display region of the flexible substrate, the second display structure including silicon.
US09178170B2
An organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) that may be used as a biosensor is built up by layers applied to a monofilament. A first conducting layer applied to the monofilament includes generally cylindrical source and drain contacts with a gap therebetween. An electro-active layer of an organic material altering its electrical conductivity through a change in redox state is in electrical contact with the source and drain contacts, and has a transistor channel interface for contacting an electrolyte. A gate electrode is spaced apart from the first monofilament, and may comprise a cylindrical layer built up on another length of monofilament.
US09178167B2
A method of manufacturing a flexible display apparatus, the method includes bonding a substrate onto a porous carrier substrate; forming a light-emitting display unit on the substrate; forming an encapsulating layer on the light-emitting display unit; and removing the porous carrier substrate.
US09178161B2
There is provided a benzo[c]phenanthrene compound represented by formula [1]: wherein R1 to R10 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group, and a heteroaromatic group; n represents an integer of 1 to 3, when n represents 2 or more, R1's in different benzo[c]phenanthrene rings may be the same or different, and the same is true for R2's to R10's in different benzo[c]phenanthrene rings; Ar represents an n-valent substituent and represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group or a heteroaromatic group, or Ar may represent a single bond when n represents 2.
US09178156B2
The present invention relates to novel compositions comprising light emitting materials and/or charge transport materials and a polymeric binder, to their use as conducting inks for the preparation of organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices, to methods for preparing OLED devices using the novel formulations, and to OLED devices prepared from such methods and formulations.
US09178150B2
A resistive memory device capable of implementing a multi-level cell, a method of fabricating the same, and a memory apparatus and data processing system including the same are provided. The resistive memory device includes a lower electrode, a first phase-change material layer formed over the lower electrode, a second phase-change material layer formed to surround an outer sidewall of the first phase-change material layer, and an upper electrode formed over the first phase-change material layer and the second phase-change material layer.
US09178146B2
Resistive-switching memory elements having improved switching characteristics are described, including a memory element having a first electrode and a second electrode, a switching layer between the first electrode and the second electrode comprising hafnium oxide and having a first thickness, and a coupling layer between the switching layer and the second electrode, the coupling layer comprising a material including metal titanium and having a second thickness that is less than 25 percent of the first thickness.
US09178143B2
A resistive memory structure including at least one reactive layer, at least one electrode, and at least one resistance-changing material is provided. The reactive layer extends along a first direction and a second direction. The electrode extends at least along a third direction, wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are different from each other. At least part of the resistance-changing material is disposed between the reactive layer and the electrode. When ions diffuse from the resistance-changing material to the reactive layer or from the reactive layer to the resistance-changing material, resistance of the resistance-changing material changes.
US09178140B2
A nonvolatile memory device contains a resistive switching memory element with improved device switching performance and life and methods for forming the same. The nonvolatile memory device has a first layer on a substrate, a resistive switching layer on the first layer, and a second layer. The resistive switching layer is disposed between the first layer and the second layer and the resistive switching layer comprises a material having the same morphology as the top surface of the first layer. A method of forming a nonvolatile memory element in a ReRAM device includes forming a resistive switching layer on a first layer and forming a second layer, so that the resistive switching layer is disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The resistive switching layer comprises a material formed with the same morphology as the top surface of the first layer.
US09178138B2
Phase-change memory structures are formed with ultra-thin heater liners and ultra-thin phase-change layers, thereby increasing heating capacities and lowering reset currents. Embodiments include forming a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) over a bottom electrode, removing a portion of the first ILD, forming a cell area, forming a u-shaped heater liner within the cell area, forming an interlayer dielectric structure within the u-shaped heater liner, the interlayer dielectric structure including a protruding portion extending above a top surface of the first ILD, forming a phase-change layer on side surfaces of the protruding portion and/or on the first ILD surrounding the protruding portion, and forming a dielectric spacer surrounding the protruding portion.
US09178130B2
In the manufacture of a laminated piezoelectric/electrostrictive element by lamination of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film and an electrode film containing either platinum or an alloy composed mainly of platinum and having a thickness of 2.0 μm or less, both or either one of yttrium oxide (Y2O3) and cerium oxide (CeO2) is added to the electrode film or the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film, and the electrode film and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive film are fired simultaneously. This simultaneously achieves a reduced thickness and improved thermal resistance of the electrode film and a reduced change in piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties with time, thereby producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element with good initial piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties and with a small change in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties with time.
US09178129B2
An environmental sensor comprises a graphene thin-film as an environmentally responsive material. Such graphene films exhibit negative temperature coefficients (NTC), resulting in rapid decreases in electrical resistance as temperature increases, as well as a much faster response time than any other NTC material reported in the literature. The graphene film is also mechanically stable under bending, and, therefore, can be adapted for use in a mechanical sensor or pressure sensor, because the electrical resistance of the graphene film changes upon deflection and/or changes in pressure. The electrical resistance of the graphene film also increases in response to increases in environmental humidity. The electrical resistance changes of the graphene film can also be used as a sensing mechanism for changes in chemical and biological parameters in the environment of the sensor.
US09178127B2
The disclosure relates to Seebeck/Peltier effect thermoelectric conversion devices and in particular devices made of stack of dielectric layers alternated to treated semiconducting layers even of large size, not requiring lithographic patterning in a nano-micrometric scale.
US09178124B2
According to example embodiments, a light emitting device package includes a package body including nanofibers and light-reflective particles dispersed in a resin, first and second electrodes in the package body, and a light emitting device on the package body. The emitting device is electrically connected to the first and second electrodes.
US09178114B2
A light emitting diode (LED) comprises an n-type Group III-V semiconductor layer, an active layer adjacent to the n-type Group III-V semiconductor layer, and a p-type Group III-V semiconductor layer adjacent to the active layer. The active layer includes one or more V-pits. A portion of the p-type Group III-V semiconductor layer is in the V-pits. A p-type dopant injection layer provided during the formation of the p-type Group III-V layer aids in providing a predetermined concentration, distribution and/or uniformity of the p-type dopant in the V-pits.
US09178111B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an electrode layer, a first semiconductor layer, a first elongated electrode, a second semiconductor layer, and a light emitting layer. The first semiconductor layer includes a crystal having a cleavage plane. The first semiconductor layer includes a first thin film portion and a thick film portion. The first thin film portion extends in a first direction perpendicular to a stacking direction from the electrode layer toward the first semiconductor layer. The first thin film portion has a first thickness. The thick film portion is arranged with the first thin film portion in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction. An angle between the first direction and the cleavage plane is not less than 3 degrees and not more than 27 degrees. The first elongated electrode extends in the first direction in contact with the first thin film portion.
US09178109B2
A light-emitting device is disclosed including a light emitting structure comprising a lower layer of the first conductivity type, an active layer, an upper layer of the second conductivity type; a first electrode connected to the lower layer of the first conductivity type; a second electrode connected to the upper layer of the second conductivity type. The light emitting structure is formed using a shell member, which comprises a planar portion and a shell portion. The extent of growth defects such as misfit dislocations is reduced and the extraction of light and heat is improved in the present device. The beam profile of the device may be altered by patterning the light emitting structure instead of shaping the entire chip. The device may be manufactured in a way more compatible with the established, cost-effective processing and packaging methods for large size wafers from the IC industry.
US09178102B2
A light emitting apparatus includes a translucent substrate, and a light emitting section and an optical filter section arranged in a first region of the substrate when viewed in a normal direction of a first surface of the substrate. The light emitting section has a laminate structure that includes, on the first surface of the substrate, a dielectric multilayer film, a first electrode, a functional layer with a light emitting layer, and a second electrode having semi-transmissive reflectivity. The optical filter section has a laminate structure that includes, on the first surface of the substrate, the dielectric multilayer film, the functional layer, and the second electrode. The dielectric multilayer film and the functional layer extend over the first region.
US09178097B2
Methods are described for forming CIGS absorber layers in TFPV devices with graded compositions and graded band gaps. Methods are described for utilizing Al to increase the band gap at the front surface of the absorber layer. Methods are described for forming a Cu—In—Ga layer followed by partial or full selenization. This results in a higher Ga concentration at the back interface. The substrate is then exposed to an aluminum CVD precursor while the substrate is still in the selenization equipment to deposit a thin Al layer. The substrate is then exposed to a Se source to fully convert the absorber layer. This results in a higher Al concentration at the front of the absorber.
US09178095B2
In various embodiments, an array of discrete solar cells with associated devices such as bypass diodes is formed over a single substrate.
US09178088B2
A method for fabricating a solar cell generally comprises delivering a solar cell substructure to a chamber. Electromagnetic radiation is generated using a wave generating device that is coupled to the chamber such that the wave generating device is positioned proximate to the solar cell substructure. The electromagnetic radiation is applied onto at least a portion of the solar cell substructure to facilitate the diffusion of at least one metal element through at least a portion of the solar cell substructure such that a semiconductor interface is formed between at least two different types of semiconductor materials of the solar cell substructure.
US09178082B2
In various embodiments, photovoltaic devices incorporate discontinuous passivation layers (i) disposed between a thin-film absorber layer and a partner layer, (ii) disposed between the partner layer and a front contact layer, and/or (iii) disposed between a back contact layer and the thin-film absorber layer.
US09178072B2
Provided is a thin film transistor capable of improving reliability in the thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer. A thin film transistor including: a gate electrode; a gate insulating film formed on the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer forming a channel region corresponding to the gate electrode on the gate insulating film; a channel protective film formed at least in a region corresponding to the channel region on the oxide semiconductor layer; and a source/drain electrode. A top face and a side face of the oxide semiconductor layer are covered with the source/drain electrode and the channel protective layer on the gate insulating film.
US09178070B2
The present application discloses a semiconductor structure and a method for manufacturing the same. A semiconductor structure according to the present invention can adjust the threshold voltage by capacitive coupling between a backgate region either and a source region or a drain region with a common contact, i.e. a source contact or a drain contact, which leads to a simple manufacturing process, a higher integration level, and a lower manufacture cost. Moreover, the asymmetric design of the backgate structure, together with the doping of the backgate region which can be varied as required in an actual device design, can further enhance the effects of adjusting the threshold voltage and improve the performances of the device.
US09178066B2
Among other things, one or more semiconductor arrangements, and techniques for forming such semiconductor arrangements are provided. A layer, such as a poly layer or an inter layer dielectric (ILD) layer, is formed over a substrate. A photoresist mask is formed over the layer. The photoresist mask comprises an open region overlaying a target region of the layer and comprises a protection region overlaying a second region of the layer. An etching process is performed through the open region to reduce a height of the layer in the target region in relation to a height of the layer in the second region because the protection region inhibits the etching process from affecting the layer in the second region. A first structure, having a first height, is formed within the target region. A second structure, having a second height greater than the first height, is formed within the second region.
US09178056B2
A semiconductor device 100 includes a plurality of vertical transistors 50 provided to stand from a silicon substrate 1 and having a pillar lower diffusion layer 9 at their end portions on the silicon substrate 1 side, a metal contact plug 31 provided to stand from the silicon substrate 1 and connected to the pillar lower diffusion layer 9 of the plurality of vertical transistors 50, the plurality of vertical transistors 50 are uniformly arranged around the metal contact plug 31 and share the pillar lower diffusion layer 9 and the metal contact plug 31.
US09178053B2
One illustrative device disclosed herein includes a plurality of source/drain regions positioned in an active region on opposite sides of a gate structure, each of the source/drain regions having a lateral width in a gate length direction of the transistor and a plurality of halo regions, wherein each of the halo regions is positioned under a portion, but not all, of the lateral width of one of the plurality of source/drain regions. A method disclosed herein includes forming a plurality of halo implant regions in an active region, wherein an outer edge of each of the halo implant regions is laterally spaced apart from an adjacent inner edge of an isolation region.
US09178049B2
A MOS type semiconductor device wherein on voltage is low, the rate of rise of current at turn-on time is low, and it is possible to hold down the rate of rise of collector current at turn-on time, and reduce radiation noise. The device includes a stripe-shaped plan-view pattern of protruding semiconductor region on an n-type substrate and having a p-type region sandwiched between an upper side n-type first region and a lower side n-type second region, a top flat portion including a depression region with a depth reaching the p-type region, and an inclined portion between the top flat portion and a bottom flat portion around the protruding semiconductor region; and a gate electrode with one end portion of the gate electrode on a surface within the inclined portion, and another end portion on a surface of the lower side n-type second region in the p-type region side vicinity.
US09178045B2
Integrated circuit devices including fin field-effect transistors (finFETs) and methods of forming the same are provided. The methods may include forming a fin-shaped channel region including germanium on a substrate and forming a source/drain region adjacent the channel region on the substrate. The methods may further include forming a barrier layer contacting sidewalls of the channel region and the source/drain region, and the barrier layer may include SixGe1-x, and x may be in a range of about 0.05 to about 0.2.
US09178044B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises, providing an active fin and a field insulating film including a first trench disposed on the active fin; forming a second trench through performing first etching of the field insulating film that is disposed on side walls and a lower portion of the first trench; forming a first region and a second region in the field insulating film through performing second etching of the field insulating film that is disposed on side walls and a lower portion of the second trench, the first region is disposed adjacent to the active fin and has a first thickness, and the second region is disposed spaced apart from the active fin as compared with the first region and has a second thickness that is thicker than the first thickness; and forming a gate structure on the active fin and the field insulating film.
US09178041B2
A device includes a trench extending into a semiconductor region and having a first conductivity type, and a conductive field plate in the trench. A first dielectric layer separates a bottom and sidewalls of the field plate from the semiconductor region. A main gate is disposed in the trench and overlapping the field plate. A second dielectric layer is disposed between and separating the main gate and the field plate from each other. A Doped Drain (DD) region of the first conductivity type is under the second dielectric layer and having an edge portion overlapping the DD region. A body region includes a first portion at a same level as a portion of the main gate, and a second portion contacting the DD region, wherein the body region is of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. A MOS-containing device is at a surface of the semiconductor region.
US09178032B2
Provided is a gas sensor including a substrate, a sensing electrode extended in a first direction on the substrate, and a plurality of heaters disposed in a second direction crossing the first direction on the substrate. The plurality of heaters is separated at both sides of the sensing electrode. The plurality of heaters includes graphene.
US09178023B2
Provided are a two-terminal switching device having a bidirectional switching property, and a resistive memory cross-point array including the same. The two-terminal switching device includes a first electrode. A first tunneling barrier layer is disposed on the first electrode. An oxide semiconductor layer is disposed on the first tunneling barrier layer. A second tunneling barrier layer is disposed on the oxide semiconductor layer. A second electrode is disposed on the second tunneling barrier layer.
US09178017B2
A semiconductor device includes a first well and a second well provided within a semiconductor substrate, an isolation region disposed between the first well and the second well within the semiconductor substrate, a first wiring disposed on the first well, a second wiring disposed on the second well, a concave third wiring disposed on the isolation region, a buried insulating film disposed on the third wiring so as to fill the concave portion thereof, a plurality of fourth wirings disposed on the buried insulating film, and a contact plug disposed so as to electrically connect to at least one of the first and second wells.
US09178014B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a field plate portion formed on a front surface of a non-cell region. The non-cell region includes a plurality of FLR layers. The FLR layers extend in a first direction along a circumference of the cell region. The field plate portion includes: an insulating film; a plurality of first conducting layers each disposed along a corresponding FLR layer; and a plurality of second conducting layers. The second conducting layers are disposed on part of their corresponding FLR layers in an intermittent manner along the corresponding FLR layers. Each of the second conducting layers includes a front surface portion, a first contact portion, and a second contact portion. Any of the first contact portions and the second contact portions are not provided at positions adjacent to the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the second direction.
US09178006B2
A method for reducing the leakage current in DRAM MIM capacitors comprises forming a multi-layer dielectric stack from an amorphous highly doped material, an amorphous high band gap material, and a lightly-doped or non-doped material. The highly doped material will remain amorphous (<30% crystalline) after an anneal step. The high band gap material will remain amorphous (<30% crystalline) after an anneal step. The lightly-doped or non-doped material will become crystalline (≧30% crystalline) after an anneal step. The high band gap material is formed between the amorphous highly doped material and the lightly or non-doped material and provides an intermediate barrier to conduction through the multi-layer dielectric stack.
US09178004B2
There is provided an EL light-emitting device with less uneven brightness. When a drain current of a plurality of current controlling TFTs is Id, a mobility is μ, a gate capacitance per unit area is Co, a maximum gate voltage is Vgs(max), a channel width is W, a channel length is L, an average value of a threshold voltage is Vth, a deviation from the average value of the threshold voltage is ΔVth, and a difference in emission brightness of a plurality of EL elements is within a range of ±n %, a semiconductor display device is characterized in that A = 2 Id μ * C 0 A ( Vgs ( max ) - Vth ) 2 ≦ W L ≦ ( 1 + n 100 - 1 ) 2 * A Δ Vth 2 Δ Vth ≦ ( 1 + n 100 - 1 ) * A * L / W
US09178003B2
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a thin film transistor including an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, a first insulating layer arranged between the active layer and the gate electrode, and a second insulating layer arranged between the gate, source, and drain electrodes. The OLED display also includes a third insulating layer covering the source and drain electrodes, wherein an opening is defined in each of the second and third insulating layers and wherein the openings substantially overlap. The OLED display further includes a pixel electrode formed in the openings defined in the second and third insulating layers and including a semi-permeable metal layer.
US09177998B2
MIMCAP devices are provided that can be suitable for memory device applications, such as current selector devices for cross point memory array. The MIMCAP devices can have lower thermal budget as compared to Schottky diodes and controllable lower barrier height and lower series resistance as compared to MIMCAP tunneling diodes. The MIMCAP diode can include a low defect dielectric layer, a high defect dielectric layer, sandwiched between two electrodes having different work function values.
US09177997B2
Microelectronic device, comprising a substrate, a first electrode arranged above the substrate, a first resistive switch and a resistivity structure coupled with each other, wherein the first resistive switch and the resistivity structure are arranged in a single layer of the device, and a second electrode arranged above the layer that includes the first resistive switch and the resistivity structure, wherein the first resistive switch and the resistivity structure are coupled with the first and the second electrode.
US09177995B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing a vertical interconnect structure, a memory device and an associated production method, in which case, after the formation of a contact region in a carrier substrate a catalyst is produced on the contact region and a free-standing electrically conductive nanoelement is subsequently formed between the catalyst and the contact region and embedded in a dielectric layer.
US09177985B2
An embodiment relates to image sensor comprising one or more nanowires on a substrate of a cavity, the nanowire being configured to transmit a first portion of an electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the sensor, and the substrate that absorbs a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation beam incident on the sensor, wherein the first portion is substantially different from the second portion. The substrate could have a anti-reflective material. The ratio of a diameter of the cavity to a diameter of the nanowire could be at less than about 10.
US09177978B2
To solve a problem in that an antenna or a circuit including a thin film transistor is damaged due to discharge of electric charge accumulated in an insulator (a problem of electrostatic discharge), a semiconductor device includes a first insulator, a circuit including a thin film transistor provided over the first insulator, an antenna which is provided over the circuit and is electrically connected to the circuit, and a second insulator provided over the antenna, a first conductive film provided between the first insulator and the circuit, and a second conductive film provided between the second insulator and the antenna.
US09177977B2
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a first substrate including a first insulative substrate, an outer peripheral wiring formed above the first insulative substrate, an insulation film disposed on the outer peripheral wiring, a pixel electrode formed on the insulation film in an active area for displaying an image, and a first bank formed in a line shape on the insulation film in a peripheral area surrounding the active area, a second substrate including at least a second insulative substrate, and a sealant which is provided in a manner to envelop the first bank, and which attaches the first substrate and the second substrate.
US09177976B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) substrate includes: a substrate; a plurality of scan lines, disposed on the substrate; a plurality of data lines, disposed across the scan lines; a scan line insulting layer disposed between the scan lines and the data lines; a plurality of thin film transistors, each of thin film transistors disposed on an intersection of each scan line and each data line; a data line insulting layer, disposed on a top surface of the scan line insulting layer and used to cover the data lines; and a common electrode, disposed on the data line insulting layer, and comprising a plurality of positioning through holes, wherein the positioning through holes expose the data line insulting layer, and are located right above the data lines.
US09177974B2
An active matrix substrate includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of capacitor lines (11b) extending in one of directions in which the pixels are aligned and in parallel to each other, a plurality of TFTs (5), one for each of the pixels, a protective film (16a) covering the TFTs (5), a plurality of pixel electrodes (18a) arranged in a matrix on the protective film (16a) and connected to the respective corresponding TFTs (5), and a plurality of auxiliary capacitors (6), one for each of the pixels. Each of the auxiliary capacitors (6) includes the corresponding capacitor line (11b), the corresponding pixel electrode (18a), and the protective film (16a) between the corresponding capacitor line (11b) and the corresponding pixel electrode (18a).
US09177968B1
Various methods and devices that involve radio frequency (RF) switches with clamped bodies are provided. An exemplary RF switch with a clamped body comprises a channel that separates a source and a drain. The RF switch also comprises a clamp region that spans the channel, extends into the source and drain, and has a lower dopant concentration than both the source and drain. The RF switch also comprises a pair of matching silicide regions formed on either side of the channel and in contact with the clamp region. The clamp region forms a pair of Schottky diode barriers with the pair of matching silicide regions. The RF switch can operate in a plurality of operating modes. The pair of Schottky diode barriers provide a constant sink for accumulated charge in the clamped body that is independent of the operating mode in which the RF switch is operating.
US09177962B2
Provided is a semiconductor device wherein chip size is reduced, while potential on the dummy word lines is fixed. The semiconductor device is provided with: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of word lines for controlling memory operations of the plurality of memory cells, and a plurality of dummy word lines that do not participate in memory operations of the plurality of memory cells; and a guard ring surrounding the memory cell array. The plurality of dummy word lines are electrically fixed to the guard ring.
US09177947B2
The invention includes: multiple bit lines b1 to b5 arranged in parallel to each other at a first line pitch; multiple word lines w1 to w4 arranged in parallel to each other at a second line pitch greater than the first line pitch and intersecting with bit lines b1 to b5; and multiple capacitors. Respective center positions 4 of the multiple capacitors lie above the bit lines and are displaced by given distance C from the intersection of the bit line and the word line in a direction of arranging the word lines.
US09177944B2
A semiconductor device with a stacked power converter is described. In some examples, a semiconductor device includes: a first integrated circuit (IC) die having bond pads and solder bumps, the bond pads configured for wire-bonding; and a second IC die mounted on the first IC die, the second IC die having an active side and a backside opposite the active side, the second IC die including bond pads on the active side configured for wire-bonding, and solder bumps disposed on a backside opposite the active side; where the solder bumps of the first IC die are electrically and mechanically coupled to the solder bumps of the second IC die to form bump bonds.
US09177939B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a leadless surface mount assembly package, an electronic device, and a method for forming a surface mount assembly package, which package comprising: a first lead; a second lead; a chip fixed on an upper surface of the first lead; a clip coupled to the second lead, a lower surface of the clip being fixed to an upper surface of the chip. The surface mount assembly package further comprises a molding compound for molding the first lead, the second lead, the chip, and the clip, wherein ends of the first lead and the second lead are only exposed from the molding compound, without outward extending from the molding compound. By using the embodiments of the present disclosure, costs can be saved and processing flow can be simplified, and a new-model leadless surface mount assembly package is obtained.
US09177938B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes: a semiconductor device including a first electrode; a substrate including a second electrode and a recess; and a heat-dissipating adhesive material to set the semiconductor device in the recess so as to arrange the first electrode close to the second electrode, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the second electrode and the heat-dissipating adhesive material covers a bottom surface and at least part of a side surface of the semiconductor device.
US09177936B2
Chip cracking that occurs when a dicing step using a blade is carried out to acquire semiconductor chips with the reduced thickness of a semiconductor wafer is suppressed. When the semiconductor wafer is cut at the dicing step for the semiconductor wafer, a blade is advanced as follows: in dicing in a first direction (Y-direction in FIG. 12) along a first straight line, the blade is advanced from a first point to a second point. The first point is positioned in a first portion and the second point is opposed to the first point with a second straight line running through the center point of the semiconductor wafer in between.
US09177928B1
A semiconductor device fabrication method includes forming a barrier layer upon a dielectric layer, forming a pillar interconnect structure upon the barrier layer, forming solder upon the pillar interconnect structure, reflowing the solder to release solder voids, forming a perimeter material around at least a portion of an exposed sidewall of the pillar, and removing the barrier layer exterior to the pillar interconnect structure. Another fabrication method includes forming the barrier layer, forming the pillar interconnect structure, forming the solder upon the pillar interconnect structure, forming a perimeter material on exposed surfaces of the pillar interconnect structure, and removing the barrier layer on the surface of the dielectric layer exterior to the pillar interconnect structure. Another fabrication method includes forming the barrier layer, forming the pillar interconnect structure, forming a wettable material on sidewalls of the pillar, and removing the barrier layer exterior to the pillar interconnect structure.
US09177923B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a substrate structure including a silicon substrate layer, a conductive through-substrate via extending through the silicon substrate layer. The apparatus further includes a semiconductor device located in the substrate structure and a conductive wall located between the through-substrate via and the semiconductor device. The conductive wall is in electrical contact with the silicon substrate layer.
US09177920B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a thin film transistor array substrate, a method of manufacturing the same, and display device. A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate, comprises: forming a resin layer on a substrate formed with a thin film transistor array, patterning the resin layer by using a mask process to form a spacer and a contact hole filling layer, the contact hole filing layer is used for filling contact holes on the thin film transistor array substrate; forming an alignment film on the substrate patterning with the spacer and the contact hole filing layer.
US09177910B2
An embodiment of an interconnect structure for an integrated circuit may include a first conductor coupled to circuitry, a second conductor, a dielectric between the first and second conductors, and a conductive underpass under and coupled to the first and second conductors and passing under the dielectric or a conductive overpass over and coupled to the first and second conductors and passing over the dielectric. The second conductor would be floating but for its coupling to the conductive underpass or the conductive overpass. In other embodiments, another dielectric might be included that would electrically isolate the second conductor but for its coupling to the conductive underpass or the conductive overpass.
US09177909B2
A semiconductor capacitor is includes a substrate, a plurality of odd layers formed on the substrate, and a plurality of even layers formed on the substrate. Each odd layer includes a plurality of first odd fingers and a first odd terminal electrically connected thereto, and a plurality of second odd fingers and a second odd terminal electrically connected thereto. Each even layer includes a plurality of first even fingers and a first even terminal electrically connected thereto, and a plurality of second even fingers and a second even terminal electrically connected thereto. The semiconductor capacitor further includes at least a first odd connecting structure electrically connecting the first odd terminals, at least a second odd connecting structure electrically connecting the second odd terminals, at least a first even connecting structure electrically connecting the first even terminals, and at least a second even connecting structure electrically connecting the second even terminals.
US09177900B2
A lead frame includes a first outer lead portion and a second outer lead portion which is arranged to oppose to the first outer lead portion with an element-mounting region between them. An inner lead portion has first inner leads connected to the first outer leads and second inner leads connected to the second outer leads. At least either the first or second inner leads are routed in the element-mounting region. An insulation resin is filled in the gaps between the inner leads located on the element-mounting region. A semiconductor device is configured with semiconductor elements mounted on both the top and bottom surfaces of the lead frame.
US09177898B2
An integrated circuit package system includes: forming a first locking terminal having a first terminal recess with a top portion of the first terminal recess narrower than a bottom portion of the first terminal recess; connecting an integrated circuit and the first locking terminal; and forming a package encapsulation over the integrated circuit and in the first locking terminal.
US09177877B2
A temperature-adjusted spectrometer can include a light source and a temperature sensor.
US09177873B2
Methods and systems are provided for fabricating and measuring physical features of a semiconductor device structure. An exemplary method of fabricating a semiconductor device structure involves obtaining raw measurement data for a wafer of semiconductor material from a metrology tool and adjusting a measurement model utilized by a metrology tool based at least in part on the raw measurement data and a value for a design parameter. The wafer has that value for the design parameter and an attribute of the semiconductor device structure fabricated thereon, wherein the measurement model is utilized by the metrology tool to convert the raw measurement data to a measurement value for the attribute.
US09177871B2
An issue arises when manufacturing semiconductor circuits including PFETs with an SiGe alloy embedded in their source/drain regions and NFETs without any embedded SiGe alloy. In this case, the thickness of the NFET spacers is considerably greater than that of the PFET spacers. In order to alleviate this asymmetry in spacer thickness, a manufacturing flow is proposed wherein a spacer-reducing etching process is introduced before the salicidation. The etching process is performed directly after the ion implantation performed in order to form deep regions of source/drain regions of the NFETs. Thus, the spacer-reducing etching process may be performed in the presence of the same mask used during the NFET deep implantations. The spacer-reducing etching process results in thinning of the NFET spacer structures, thus alleviating the spacer thickness imbalance between NFETs and PFETs.
US09177863B2
A semiconductor device has a plurality of stacked semiconductor dice mounted on a substrate. Each die has similar dimensions. Each die has a first plurality of bonding pads arranged along a bonding edge of the die. A first group of the dice are mounted to the substrate with the bonding edge oriented in a first direction. A second group of the dice are mounted to the substrate with the bonding edge oriented in a second direction opposite the first direction. Each die is laterally offset in the second direction relative to the remaining dice by a respective lateral offset distance such that the bonding pads of each die are not disposed between the substrate and any portion of the remaining dice in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. A plurality of bonding wires connects the bonding pads to the substrate. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US09177853B1
Air gaps are formed between conductive metal lines that have an inner barrier layer and an outer barrier layer. An etch step to remove sacrificial material is performed under a first set of process conditions producing a byproduct that suppresses further etching. A byproduct removal step performed under a second set of process conditions removes the byproduct.
US09177849B2
Chucks for mounting and retaining semiconductor wafers during processing are described, particularly suited for wafer processing involving total immersion of the wafer-chuck structure in a liquid. Chuck structures are disclosed for preventing or hindering processing chemicals from contacting and contaminating large portions of the underside of the wafer undergoing processing, limiting such chemical contact to readily cleaned, relatively small annular regions on the periphery of the wafer. Embodiments include structures with supplemental gas flows on the underside of the wafer as well as the creation of gas/liquid meniscusci to prevent chemical penetration of the wafer's underside. Methods of processing semiconductor wafers employing such chucks are also described.
US09177848B2
A semiconductor wafer contains a plurality of die with contact pads disposed on a first surface of each die. Metal vias are formed in trenches in the saw street guides and are surrounded by organic material. Traces connect the contact pads and metal vias. The metal vias can be half-circle vias or full-circle vias. The metal vias are surrounded by organic material. Redistribution layers (RDL) are formed on a second surface of the die opposite the first surface. The RDL and through-hole vias (THV) provide expanded interconnect flexibility to adjacent die. Repassivation layers are formed between the RDL on the second surface of the die for electrical isolation. The die are stackable and can be placed in a semiconductor package with other die. The RDL provide electrical interconnect to the adjacent die. Bond wires and solder bumps also provide electrical connection to the semiconductor die.
US09177838B2
A top plate 32 is provided to be moved in a horizontal direction between an advanced position, in which the top plate 32 covers from above a substrate W held by a substrate holding unit 21, and a retracted position that is retracted from the advanced position. An air hood 70 configured to supply a purified gas downward is provided to be lifted between a lower position, in which the air hood covers from above the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 21, and an upper position located above the lower position.
US09177837B2
A semiconductor package having electrical connecting structures includes: a conductive layer having a die pad and traces surrounding the die pad; a chip; bonding wires; an encapsulant with a plurality of cavities having a depth greater than the thickness of the die pad and traces for embedding the die pad and the traces therein, and the cavities exposing the die pad and the traces; a solder mask layer formed in the cavities and having a plurality of openings for exposing the trace ends and a portion of the die pad; and solder balls formed in the openings and electrically connected to the trace ends. Engaging the solder mask layer with the encapsulant enhances adhesion strength of the solder mask layer so as to prolong the moisture permeation path and enhance package reliability.
US09177826B2
Disclosed herein are various methods of forming metal nitride layers on various types of semiconductor devices. In one example, the method includes forming a layer of insulating material above a semiconducting substrate, performing a physical vapor deposition process to form a metal nitride layer above the layer of insulating material, wherein the metal nitride layer has an intrinsic as-deposited stress level, and performing at least one process operation on the metal nitride layer to reduce a magnitude of the intrinsic as-deposited stress level in the metal nitride layer.
US09177821B2
Provided is a method of fabricating an electronic circuit. The method includes preparing a substrate, forming a polymer film on the substrate, patterning the polymer film to form a polymer pattern, and forming an electronic device on the polymer pattern.
US09177808B2
An embodiment relates to a memory device that includes a semiconductor channel, a tunnel dielectric located over the semiconductor channel, a charge storage region located over the tunnel dielectric, a blocking dielectric located over the charge storage region, and a control gate located over the blocking dielectric. An interface between the blocking dielectric and the control gate substantially prevents oxygen diffusion from the blocking dielectric into the control gate.
US09177806B2
Oxide growth of a gate dielectric layer that occurs between processes used in the fabrication of a gate dielectric structure can be reduced. The reduction in oxide growth can be achieved by maintaining the gate dielectric layer in an ambient effective to mitigate oxide growth of the gate dielectric layer between at least two sequential process steps used in the fabrication the gate dielectric structure. Maintaining the gate dielectric layer in an ambient effective to mitigate oxide growth also improves the uniformity of nitrogen implanted in the gate dielectric.
US09177804B2
A silicon carbide layer is epitaxially formed on a main surface of a substrate. The silicon carbide layer is provided with a trench having a side wall inclined relative to the main surface. The side wall has an off angle of not less than 50° and not more than 65° relative to a {0001} plane. A gate insulating film is provided on the side wall of the silicon carbide layer. The silicon carbide layer includes: a body region having a first conductivity type and facing a gate electrode with the gate insulating film being interposed therebetween; and a pair of regions separated from each other by the body region and having a second conductivity type. The body region has an impurity density of 5×1016 cm−3 or greater. This allows for an increased degree of freedom in setting a threshold voltage while suppressing decrease of channel mobility.
US09177800B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes, forming, on a substrate, an element isolation insulating film which includes a protruding portion protruding above a level of a surface of the substrate, forming a first film on the substrate and on the element isolation insulating film, polishing the first film to expose the protruding portion, forming a first resist pattern which straddles the first film and the protruding portion after polishing the first film, patterning the first film using the first resist pattern as a mask to form a first pattern, and forming a sidewall film at side surfaces of the first pattern.
US09177797B2
A method embodiment for patterning a semiconductor device includes patterning a dummy layer over a hard mask to form one or more dummy lines. A sidewall aligned spacer is conformably formed over the one or more dummy lines and the hard mask. A first reverse material layer is formed over the sidewall aligned spacer. A first photoresist is formed and patterned over the first reverse material layer. The first reverse material layer using the first photoresist as a mask, wherein the sidewall aligned spacer is not etched. The one or more dummy lines are removed, and the hard mask is patterned using the sidewall aligned spacer and the first reverse material layer as a mask. A material used for forming the sidewall aligned spacer has a higher selectivity than a material used for forming the first reverse material layer.
US09177773B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods that allow analysis of macromolecular structures using laserspray ionization at intermediate pressure or high vacuum using commercially available mass spectrometers with or without modification and with the application of heat. The systems and methods produce multiply-charged ions for improved analysis in mass spectrometry.
US09177771B2
A method and apparatus is provided including an ion source for generating ions, a vacuum chamber having an inlet aperture for receiving ions and an exit aperture for passing ions from the vacuum chamber. At least one ion guide is provided between the inlet and exit apertures, the at least one ion guide having an entrance end and an exit end. The at least one ion guide having an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder. The inner cylinder having a plurality of sections, each section having a different number of slots and the inner cylinder coaxially disposed within the outer cylinder wherein the inner cylinder is configured to generate more than one multipole field. A power supply is provided for providing an RF voltage between the outer and inner cylinders.
US09177770B2
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for transmitting beams of charged particles, and in particular to such systems and methods that employ defecting at least one set of grid elements into the same plane to form an ion gate. In addition, an operation method of closing a gate involving alternating voltages on the adjacent gate wires is described.
US09177765B2
A method for automatically checking and adjusting a calibration of a mass spectrometer having a first quadrupole (Q1), a fragmentation cell and a mass analyzer comprises: introducing a sample having at least one known chemical entity; decreasing a kinetic energy so as to prevent fragmentation of ions in the fragmentation cell; optionally applying a drag field to the fragmentation cell; ionizing the at least one known chemical entity sample to generate a set of ions; performing a mass scan of the set of ions using Q1; transmitting the scanned ions through Q1 to and through the fragmentation cell; detecting the scanned and transmitted ions by a detector of the mass analyzer; and comparing the results with expected results. Embodiments may include automatic recalibration or notification of possible errors, need for further data processing or an analysis of system performance.
US09177762B2
A plasma process chamber includes a top electrode, a bottom electrode disposed opposite the top electrode, the bottom electrode capable of supporting a substrate. The plasma process chamber also includes a plasma containment structure defining a plasma containment region, the plasma containment region being less than an entire surface of the substrate. The plasma containment structure rotates relative to the substrate and wherein the plasma containment region includes a center point of the substrate throughout the rotation of the plasma containment structure relative to the substrate. The plasma containment structure includes multiple gaps. A vacuum source is coupled to the gaps in the plasma containment structure. A method of processing a substrate is also described.
US09177751B2
A charged particle cancer therapy system is used to accelerate an anion, such a C−, and to convert the anion to a cation, such as C6+, through use of one or more electron extraction subsystems. A first example of an electron extraction subsystem is a hydrogen gas electron stripping system. A second example of an electron extraction subsystem is a carbon foil electron stripping system. The resultant cation is accelerated in a synchrotron, transported along a beam-line, and targeted to a tumor resulting in ablation of the tumor.
US09177749B2
A magnetron cathode comprises electron emissive material included in a cathode body and a support structure for supporting the cathode body. The support structure has a longitudinal axis and includes a first part having a first cylinder integrally formed with a first end hat and a second part having a second cylinder integrally formed with a second end hat. The first cylinder and the second cylinder have an overlapping region in the longitudinal axial direction and are joined together. The cathode body is located around the first cylinder of the first part of the support structure and is joined to the first cylinder by a brazed joint. The outer surface of the first cylinder is grooved at the brazed joint.
US09177739B2
A scalable earthing switch that incorporates a torsion spring to effect rapid closure of the switch. The torsion spring is supported coaxially about a rotatable shaft on which contact blades are mounted resulting in compact design. The blade contacts are separated axially along the length of the shaft by one or more spacers. By using difference size spacers the distance between adjacent blade contacts can be changed and, thus, the earthing switch can be easily scaled for different applications. A latching (detent) mechanism is provided for latching the switch in an open position.
US09177733B2
A key assembly in accordance with embodiments of the invention comprises a base, a keycap, a biasing mechanism, a first linkage, and a second linkage. The keycap is spaced from the base along a press direction and configured to move between an unpressed position and a pressed position relative to the base. The unpressed and pressed positions are separated by a first amount in the press direction and a second amount in a lateral direction orthogonal to the press direction. The first amount is at least as much as the second amount and no larger than twice the second amount. The biasing mechanism is configured to bias the keycap away from the base. The first and second linkages are rotatably coupled to the base and the keycap.
US09177729B2
The present invention provides a separator and a method for manufacturing the separator. The separator includes a first nanofiber layer (20) which has a lattice shape when viewed from a plan view, a second nanofiber layer (30) which is provided on a first surface of the first nanofiber layer (20) and is thinner than the first nanofiber layer, and a third nanofiber layer (40) which is provided on a second surface of the first nanofiber layer and is thinner than the first nanofiber layer. The thickness of the first nanofiber layer ranges from 7 μm to 30 μm. The thickness of each of the second and third nanofiber layers ranges from 1 μm to 5 μm. The present invention can provide a separator which has high insulation, high dendrite resistance, high ion conductivity and high mechanical strength.
US09177724B2
In a method of manufacturing a multilayer ceramic electronic component, polishing is performed so that intersection lines extending from external surfaces of a green element body and interfaces between a green chip to be formed into a laminate portion and ceramic side surface layers are each located within a curved-surface formation range of a chamfer portion. Accordingly, since a green ceramic material is extended so as to fill the interfaces like so-called “putty”, and the adhesive strength between the green chip to be formed into the laminate portion and each of the ceramic side surface layers is increased.
US09177722B2
There are provided a multilayer ceramic electronic component and a board for mounting the same. The multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a hexahedral ceramic body including dielectric layers and satisfying T/W>1.0 when a width thereof is defined as W and a thickness thereof is defined as T; first and second internal electrodes stacked to face one another, with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween, within the ceramic body; and insulating layers formed on both lateral surfaces of the ceramic body and having a thickness less than that of the ceramic body, wherein when the sum of the width of the ceramic body and widths of the insulating layers is defined as Wb, 0.90≦W/Wb≦0.97 is satisfied.
US09177714B2
Energy transfer elements having a shield to reduce EMI while maintaining a low profile are disclosed. In one example, the transformer may include a transverse shield wire that may be utilized to keep displacement current within the energy transfer element. While windings of the energy transfer element are generally wound axially around the axis of a bobbin in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the bobbin, the transverse shield wire may be placed on the bobbin extending over multiple power windings of the energy transfer element in a transverse direction. The transverse shield wire may be situated outside all other windings wound around the bobbin. In some examples, one end of the transverse shield wire may be coupled to a switching node of the energy transfer element while the other end of the transverse shield wire may be coupled to a winding of the energy transfer element.
US09177709B2
A multi-port inductor structure for use in semiconductor applications such as high-performance RF filters and amplifiers is provided. Embodiments of the present invention may provide 3 metallization layers and two via layers. The metallization layers and via layers may be substantially stacked on top of each other to conserve space. Each metallization layer comprises a ring pattern. In embodiments, the top two ring patterns include a plurality of concentric bands, forming a spiral pattern. The third (bottom) ring may include a broken ring pattern. In embodiments, the second (middle) ring may include one or more spans to facilitate connection to the inner bands of the second ring. The spans connect inner bands to an outer perimeter region of the second ring. Multiple tap points along the bands and spans allow multiple inductance values to be obtained from the structure.
US09177704B2
The present invention is directed to a potentiometer having enhanced reliability and durability, capable of being unlimitedly used in a high-temperature environment inside a flying object (air vehicle). Said potentiometer comprises: a consecutive type potentiometer having a structure that a resistor is formed of a material having an excellent stability in a high-temperature environment, and having an excellent surface hardness so as to have a high resistance to damages; and a discrete type potentiometer having a structure that a resistor is protected by a passivation layer, and through holes are formed at the passivation layer for electrical connection with the outside, and the through holes are filled with a conductive material.
US09177698B2
An arrangement for electrically conductively connecting two superconductive strip-shaped electrical conductors (1, 2) having at least approximately the same width, where the two conductors (1, 2) rest against each other with their end faces against each other in a connecting point (V). A strip (6) of superconductive material is soldered to the two conductors (1, 2), where the strip extends beyond both conductors so as to cover the connecting point (V). A strip (6) is used which has, only in the area of the connecting point (V) between the two conductors (1, 2), at least approximately the same width as the conductors, and where the strip narrows on both sides of the connecting point (V) and facing away from the connecting point (V).
US09177697B2
A transmission line section of a flat cable includes a dielectric element including a signal conductor at an intermediate position of a thickness direction, a first ground conductor, and a second ground conductor. The first ground conductor includes elongated conductors that are spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the dielectric element, and extend in a longitudinal direction, and bridge conductors that connect the elongated conductors at spaced points along the longitudinal direction. A widened portion having a width larger than the width of the elongated conductors is located at the intermediate position between bridge conductors that are adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction. The widened portion is configured to project in a direction in which the elongated conductors are opposed to each other. An interlayer connection conductor is located in the widened portion. The first ground conductor and the second ground conductor are connected by the interlayer connection conductor.
US09177695B2
Motor vehicle battery lead with a first connection element for a battery pole, a second connection element for at least one consumer, and a flat conductor arranged between the first connection element and the second connection element. A modular construction with a high degree of flexibility is achieved, in that the flat conductor is formed in a number of parts, wherein at least two parts of the multi-part flat conductor are connected to each other over the course of the flat conductor.
US09177687B2
A coating for a conductor, the coating having a layered structure of a palladium layer. The palladium layer has a crystal plane whose orientation rate is 65% or more, which means 65% or more of the crystal planes of the palladium layer are aligned to this crystal plane. Preferably the crystal plane whose orientation rate is 65% or more in the coating is the (111) plane or (200) plane.
US09177685B1
A photoconductive antenna is described that includes a substrate that includes a pair of trenches. Furthermore, a pair of non-parallel electrodes, which can be designed with a chaotic electrode geometry, can each be deposited in one of the trenches, and can be configured to produce chaotic trajectories of incoherent electric currents. Finally, an insulation layer, which can be either a physical electrical insulation layer or an air gap, can be included between each of the pair of non-parallel electrodes and the trench walls. Overall, the thickness of the substrate, the thickness of the trenches, and the thickness of the non-parallel electrodes can each be optimized to produce a coherent terahertz beam.
US09177683B2
A scintillator panel including: a plate-like substrate; a grid-like barrier rib provided on the substrate; and a scintillator layer composed of a phosphor filled in cells divided by the barrier rib, wherein the barrier rib is formed of a material which is mainly composed of a low-melting-point glass containing 2 to 20% by mass of an alkali metal oxide. The scintillator panel is provided with a narrow barrier rib with high accuracy in a large area, and the scintillator panel has high luminous efficiency, and provides sharp images.
US09177658B2
An one-transistor-one-bit (1T1b) Flash-based EEPROM cell is provided along with improved key operation schemes including applying a negative word line voltage and a reduced bit line voltage for perform erase operation, which drastically reduces the high voltage stress on each cell for enhancing the Program/Erase cycles while reducing cell size. An array made by the 1T1b Flash-based EEPROM cells can be operated with Half-page or Full-page divided programming and pre-charging period for each program cycle. Utilizing PGM buffer made of Vdd devices in the cell array further save silicon area. Additionally, a two-transistor-two-bit (2T2b) EEPROM cell derived from the 1T1b cell is disclosed with additional cell size reduction but with the operation of program and erase the same as that for the 1T1b cells with benefits of no process change but much enhanced storage density, superior Program/Erase endurance cycle, and capability for operating in high temperature environment.
US09177653B2
A multi-level non-volatile memory device programs cells in each row in a manner that takes into account the coupling from the programming of cells that are proximate the row to be programmed. In one example of the invention, after the row has been programmed, the proximate cells are verified by read, comparison, and, if necessary, reprogramming operations to compensate for charge added to proximate memory cells resulting from programming the row. In another example of the invention, a row of memory cells is programmed with charge levels that take into account the charge that will be added to the memory cells when proximate memory cells are subsequently programmed.
US09177650B2
A non-volatile memory device incorporates a write buffer within a multi-level column decoder to enable multiple memory cells associated with a single write driver to be written in parallel. In this manner, in a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that performs batch write operation, a group of data bits for a single I/O can be written to the memory cells at a time, thereby reducing the number of write cycles required for writing a block of program data and increasing the speed of write operation.
US09177643B2
A method for multi-level programming of a phase change memory device includes selecting a word line from multiple word lines and applying multiple bits of data to a bit line of a cell connected to the selected word line. According to the type of data, the method applies a program current to the selected word line or a multi-level program current to word lines adjacent to the selected word line.
US09177639B1
Memory devices, circuits and methods having data values based on dynamic change in material property
A method can include determining a data value stored in a memory element of a memory cell array based on the length of time required to cause a property of the memory element to change. A memory device can include a plurality of elements programmable into at least two different states; and an electrical bias section that applies sense conditions to a selected element; and a sense section configured to distinguish between the two different states according to whether a change in property occurs in the selected element within a predetermined time under the sense conditions.
US09177628B2
An array configuration capable of supplying a necessary and sufficient current in a small area is achieved and a reference cell configuration suitable to temperature characteristics of a TMR element is achieved. In a memory using inversion of spin transfer switching, a plurality of program drivers are arranged separately along one global bit line, and one sense amplifier is provided to one global bit line. A reference cell to which “1” and “0” are programmed is shared by two arrays and a sense amplifier.
US09177624B1
A memory includes a logic controller, a word line driver, a boost circuit, plural capacitor circuits, plural memory cores, plural selectors, and plural output drivers. The logic controller generates a word line enabling signal and a boost enabling signal. The word line driver receives the word line enabling signal. The boost circuit receives the boost enabling signal. The plural capacitor circuits are connected between the boost circuit and the word line driver. Each of the plural memory cores is connected with the word line driver through plural word lines. The plural selectors are connected with the corresponding memory cores. The plural output drivers are connected with the corresponding selectors. The number of the plural memory cores is positively correlated with the number of the plural capacitor circuits.
US09177621B2
A device includes a first switch configured to control a connection between a first voltage node and a capacitor, and a second switch configured to control a connection between a common charge node and the capacitor. The device further includes a plurality of bit-lines, and a plurality of bit-line charge switches, each configured to control a connection between a respective one of the plurality of bit-lines and the common charge node.
US09177619B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed which comprises first and second local bit lines coupled to a plurality of memory cells arranged in first and second areas, respectively, a differential type local sense amplifier amplifying a voltage difference between the first and second local bit lines, a global bit line arranged in an extending direction of the first and second local bit lines, and first and second switches controlling electrical connections between the first and second local bit lines and the global bit line, respectively.
US09177617B2
Disclosed are methods, circuits, apparatuses and systems for providing power to a dynamic load such as a non-volatile memory array. According to embodiments, a voltage source may be adapted to generate and output a supply current at substantially a target voltage through a regulating transistor whose channel is in series between an output terminal of said charge pump and an input terminal of said NVM array. A discharge circuit branch coupled to an output terminal of the regulating transistor may be adapted to drain away current from the regulating transistor output terminal when a voltage at the regulating transistor output terminal exceeds a first defined threshold voltage. A bulk regulating circuit branch coupled to a bulk of the regulating transistor may be adapted to reduce a bulk-voltage of the regulating transistor when a voltage at the regulating transistor output terminal exceeds a defined threshold voltage.
US09177614B2
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a first set of data lines, a second set of data lines, and memory cells located in different levels of the apparatus. In at least one of such embodiments, the memory cells can be arranged in memory cell strings between the first and second set of data lines. Other embodiments including additional apparatuses and methods are described.
US09177602B2
Multi-frame trick play clips of the stored performance are selected for playing in a trick play mode, portions between the trick play clips, at least as long as the trick play clips, are skipped in the trick play mode. The trick play clips are sufficiently long and presented at a sufficiently low speed so that the content of the trick play clips can be understood by a human audience.
US09177600B2
The present disclosure provides systems and methods associated with data storage using atomic films, such as graphene, boron nitride, or silicene. A platter assembly may include at least one platter that has one or more substantially planar surfaces. One or more layers of a monolayer atomic film, such as graphene, may be positioned on a planar surface. Data may be stored on the atomic film using one or more vacancies, dopants, defects, and/or functionalized groups (presence or lack thereof) to represent one of a plurality of states in a multi-state data representation model, such as a binary, a ternary, or another base N data storage model. A read module may detect the vacancies, dopants, and/or functionalized groups (or a topographical feature resulting therefrom) to read the data stored on the atomic film.
US09177597B2
According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes a disk having a storage area, a storage device storing management information, and a controller. The storage area includes a plurality of areas. The management information includes information indicative of a use priority or rank of each of the areas. The information indicative of the use priority or rank is set based on a quality index relating to a read operation or a write operation. The controller selects an area which is high in the use priority or rank and is usable, by referring to the management information, and executes the write operation on the selected area.
US09177590B2
There is provided a recording apparatus including a light radiating unit that radiates light to an optical recording medium, a recording unit that performs light emission control of the light radiating unit, and performs recording on the optical recording medium, and a control unit that performs control in a manner that, in a state in which a logical address space, a virtual address space obtained by adding at least a spare area to the logical address space, and a physical address space obtained by adding a buffer area to the virtual address space are defined, a process for replacing a recording area of the optical recording medium with the spare area is executed using a virtual address.
US09177586B2
A magnetic disk having at least a magnetic layer, a carbon protective layer, and a lubrication layer sequentially provided on a substrate. The lubrication layer is a film formed by a lubricant that contains two types of compounds having a perfluoropolyether main chain in the structure, a molecular weight distribution of the two types in total being within a range of 1 to 1.2. The two types of compounds include a compound a having a hydroxyl group at the end and a compound b having a number average molecular weight smaller than the number average molecular weight of the compound a and not more than 1500. A content of the compound b in the two types of compounds is not more than 10%.
US09177584B2
An aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a vinyl polymer, which comprises: mixing a first liquid and a second liquid to conduct an addition reaction, wherein the first liquid has been obtained by reacting a sulfonic acid group-containing compound selected from the group consisting of taurine, N-methyl taurine, and meta-aminobenzenesulfonic acid with an alkali metal hydroxide in methanol, the second liquid comprises a vinyl polymer having an intramolecular epoxy group in a ketone solvent, and the addition reaction incorporates a sulfonic acid alkali metal salt group onto a side chain of the vinyl polymer.
US09177582B1
In a disk apparatus, media include first and second surfaces having first and second servo patterns which are read at different timings by first and second heads. A controller controls the first head based on a first demodulated position obtained by demodulating the first servo pattern and a target position. The controller calculates a first estimated demodulated position from the demodulated position and a first demodulated velocity based on the first servo patterns, calculates a second estimated demodulated position from the first demodulated position and a second demodulated velocity based on the second servo patterns, and stops writing operation of the first head in accordance with one of the first and second estimated demodulated positions exceeding a threshold.
US09177580B1
A recording head assembly that includes two side-by-side and separately actuated heads. To increase tape capacity while controlling tape mis-registration, write elements are provided in two subsets with a first subset provided on a first of the two heads and a second subset provided on the second of the two heads. The two subsets are offset a distance along the direction of travel for a tape (or horizontal offset) while the two subsets of write elements are also offset along the longitudinal axes of the heads (or bumps on the heads) such that a first subset acts as the upper half of the write element set and a second subset acts as the lower half of the write element set. The subsets of write elements simultaneously writes data, and a similar arrangement can be provided for two subsets of read elements that are aligned with the write elements.
US09177569B2
A method and apparatus to encoding or decoding an audio signal is provided. In the method and apparatus, a noise-floor level to use in encoding or decoding a high frequency signal is updated according to the degree of a voiced or unvoiced sound included in the signal.
US09177563B2
The present invention relates to an encoding device and method, and a decoding device and method, and a program which enable music signals to be played with higher sound quality by expanding a frequency band.A band pass filter divides an input signal into multiple subband signals, a feature amount calculating circuit calculates feature amount using at least any one of the divided multiple subband signals and the input signal, a high-frequency subband power estimating circuit calculates an estimated value of high-frequency subband power based on the calculated feature amount, and a high-frequency signal generating circuit generates a high-frequency signal component based on the multiple subband signals divided by the band pass filter and the estimated value of the high-frequency subband power calculated by the high-frequency subband power estimating circuit. A frequency band expanding device expands the frequency band of the input signal using the high-frequency signal component generated by the high-frequency signal generating circuit. The present invention may be applied to a frequency band expanding device, encoding device, decoding device, and so forth, for example.
US09177562B2
A speech signal encoding method and a speech signal decoding method are provided. The speech signal encoding method includes the steps of specifying an analysis frame in an input signal; generating a modified input based on the analysis frame; applying a window to the modified input; generating a transform coefficient by performing an MDCT (Modified Discrete Cosine Transform) on the modified input to which the window has been applied; and encoding the transform coefficient. The modified input includes the analysis frame and a self replication of all or a part of the analysis frame.
US09177560B2
A system and method may be configured to reconstruct an audio signal from transformed audio information. The audio signal may be resynthesized based on individual harmonics and corresponding pitches determined from the transformed audio information. Noise may be subtracted from the transformed audio information by interpolating across peak points and across trough points of harmonic pitch paths through the transformed audio information, and subtracting values associated with the trough point interpolations from values associated with the peak point interpolations. Noise between harmonics of the sound may be suppressed in the transformed audio information by centering functions at individual harmonics in the transformed audio information, the functions serving to suppress noise between the harmonics.
US09177558B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for assessing non-native spontaneous speech pronunciation. Speech recognition on digitized speech is performed using a non-native acoustic model trained with non-native speech to generate word hypotheses for the digitized speech. Time alignment is performed between the digitized speech and the word hypotheses using a reference acoustic model trained with native-quality speech. Statistics are calculated regarding individual words and phonemes in the word hypotheses based on the alignment. A plurality of features for use in assessing pronunciation of the speech are calculated based on the statistics, an assessment score is calculated based on one or more of the calculated features, and the assessment score is stored in a computer-readable memory.
US09177550B2
Various technologies described herein pertain to conservatively adapting a deep neural network (DNN) in a recognition system for a particular user or context. A DNN is employed to output a probability distribution over models of context-dependent units responsive to receipt of captured user input. The DNN is adapted for a particular user based upon the captured user input, wherein the adaption is undertaken conservatively such that a deviation between outputs of the adapted DNN and the unadapted DNN is constrained.
US09177545B2
A recognition dictionary creating device includes a user dictionary in which a phoneme label string of an inputted voice is registered and an interlanguage acoustic data mapping table in which a correspondence between phoneme labels in different languages is defined, and refers to the interlanguage acoustic data mapping table to convert the phoneme label string registered in the user dictionary and expressed in a language set at the time of creating the user dictionary into a phoneme label string expressed in another language which the recognition dictionary creating device has switched.
US09177544B2
A system includes a controller for receiving first and second signals representative of a load on an engine, and generating based on the signals. Harmonic scaling elements generate a scaled version of a received engine harmonic signal. Each harmonic scaling element includes a harmonic specific mapping element for mapping the control parameter to a harmonic specific scaling factor. Some of the harmonic specific scaling factor values of the harmonic specific mapping element are mapped to control parameter values associated with a negative load on the engine, and some are mapped to control parameter values associated with a positive load on the engine. The control parameter values associated with the negative load are derived from the first signal, and control parameter values associated with the positive load are derived from the second signal. An adjustable gain element applies the harmonic specific scaling factor to the received engine harmonic signal.
US09177538B2
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for inferential generation of virtual sequencer controls in a MIDI sequencer to automate functionality of physical or virtual controls of MIDI instruments. MIDI source data from a song or a live feed is analyzed to determine a sequence of MIDI control commands from which a set of virtual sequencer controls can be automatically inferred without manual generation or configuration of the virtual control. The virtual sequencer controls are generated to automate a corresponding MIDI instrument control. Some embodiments provide functionality, including generation and handling of clone controls, use of virtual sequencer controls as slave and/or translation controls, and handling of after-click control information through a virtual synthesizers and the like.
US09177533B2
Virtual surface update and composition techniques are described. These techniques support the use of initialization and batching of updates, use of updates and lookaside lists, use of gutters, blending and BLT operations, use of surface optimization techniques such as push down as well as enumeration and clumping, mesh usage, and use of occlusion management techniques.
US09177531B2
When a process of rendering an image in a single frame is performed by allocating an object to be displayed as an image to any of a plurality of layers and superimposing the plurality of layers, an image processing device refers to an object database including a list of object rendering commands for each layer and dynamically changes the number of object rendering processes performed in each layer according to the number of rendering commands included in the list, at the time of rendering an image in a single frame.
US09177527B2
A multiple primary color display device includes a plurality of pixels located in a matrix including a plurality of rows and columns. The pixels are each formed of at least four sub pixels for displaying different primary colors, which can be sorted into n number of virtual pixels, and use each of the n number of virtual pixels as a minimum color display unit for providing display. The sub pixels which form each of the virtual pixels include a sub pixel common to another of the virtual pixels. When a line having a width corresponding to the n number of virtual pixels is displayed, two sub pixels which are located at both of two ends, in a width direction, of the line and display a certain identical primary color to each other have a luminance lower than the original luminance that the two sub pixels.
US09177523B2
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming images on a display utilizing a control matrix to control the movement of MEMs-based light modulators.
US09177522B2
A display method and a stereoscopic display system thereof are provided. The stereoscopic display system comprises an image display unit and an image switching unit. The image switching unit is configured on a display surface of the image display unit. The display method comprises the following steps of: driving the image display unit to display a dragging window; driving the image switching unit when the dragging window is executed on a 3D display mode, so that the dragging window can display a 3D image; determining whether the dragging window is moved; executing a 2D display mode and turning off the image switching unit when the dragging window is moved, so that the dragging window can display a 2D image.
US09177519B2
A driving circuit electrically coupled between a first data line and a second data line and between a first scan line and a second scan line. The driving circuit includes a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a first sub-capacitor, a second sub-capacitor, a fifth switch, a sixth switch, a first voltage dividing unit and a second voltage dividing unit. The first voltage dividing unit is coupled between a second end of the fifth switch and a reference voltage end. The second voltage dividing unit is coupled between a second end of the sixth switch and the reference voltage end, for redistributing stored electric charges.
US09177511B2
An electrophoretic display device is provided, in which an image update period is constituted with a reset period including at least a stirring pulse for stirring electrophoretic particles and a compensation pulse for suppressing accumulation of the residual DC component and with a set period including a set pulse for applying, to intended pixels, a voltage of polarity for making transition to black or white for a prescribed amount of time according to a next image. The voltage waveforms for each display gradation are so designed that a period where a positive voltage is applied to a counter electrode and a period where a negative voltage is applied do not overlap with each other, and a compensation pulse is applied after the stirring pulse which sets all the pixels of the display unit to a white or black base state. Thereby, changes in the display state are not visually recognized.
US09177510B2
In the first range of a screen, an image signal is input to a plurality of pixels arranged in the first region, and next an image signal is input to a plurality of pixels arranged in the second region that is adjacent to one side of the first region, and light of the first color is delivered every time the input of the image signal is finished. Further, in the second range, an image signal is input to a plurality of pixels arranged in a fourth region; next, an image signal is input to a plurality of pixels arranged in a third region adjacent to the other side of the fourth region, and light of a second color is delivered every time the input of the image signal is finished.
US09177505B2
A pixel of a display panel includes a first transistor with a first end coupled to a data line, a control end coupled to a scan line; a second transistor with a first end coupled to a first voltage source, a control end coupled to a second end of the first transistor; a third transistor with a first end coupled to a second end of the second transistor, a control end for receiving a control signal; a light emitting unit with a first end coupled to the second end of the second transistor, a second end coupled to a second voltage source; a first capacitor with a first end coupled to the second end of the first transistor, a second end coupled to a second end of the third transistor; and a second capacitor coupled between the second end of the first capacitor and the second voltage source.
US09177504B2
To provide an image display device having a circuit for solving burning phenomenon without increasing the size of the circuit. An image display device is provided having a display unit formed using display devices, a signal line for inputting a display signal voltage to the display unit, and a display control unit for controlling the display signal voltage, the image display device comprising a detection power source, a switch for causing a current of the detection power source to flow to the display device, a detection circuit for detecting the current, and a detection information storage circuit for storing information, and compensating the display signal voltage, using the information, wherein using a first reference voltage, and current detection is carried out, the detection circuit feeds back the current detected to set a second reference voltage different from the first reference voltage, and carries out current detection.
US09177502B2
A scan driver and a display device including the same are provided. The scan driver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention generates and transmits at least two different types of scan signals to a display unit including a plurality of pixels, and includes a plurality of sequence drivers each including a plurality of shift registers for generating the different scan signals. In one of the sequence drivers, the scan signal generated in one of the shift registers is transmitted as the input signal of a next one of the shift registers, and the scan signal is concurrently transmitted as an input signal to another one of the shift registers of another one of the sequence drivers of a previous stage or a next stage adjacent to the one of the sequence drivers including the one of the shift registers according to the driving direction of the scan driver.
US09177493B2
Provided is an image display panel, image display panel installation equipment, and a manufacturing method for an image display panel, which display an image by using reflective light and realize a high reproducibility of a base image with a simple method. An image is displayed by a plate-like body processed through carving work. The plate-like body has a main portion made of a metal reflecting light and a surface layer portion made of a material absorbing light more than the main portion. The carving work forms linear V-shaped grooves on the front surface side of the plate-like body such that each minute section includes a plurality of grooves. Shading of the image is expressed by the depths of the V-shaped grooves. The image is displayed by light absorption on the surface layer portion and light reflection on the V-shaped grooves.
US09177487B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of transmitting position information of a digital map which can enhance matching precision on a receiving side.The invention provides a method of transmitting position information of a digital map in which a transmitting side transmits a vector shape on the digital map and a receiving side specifies the vector shape on a self-digital map by map matching, wherein the transmitting side selects a portion in which a plurality of candidate points are generated with difficulty during the map matching as an endpoint of the vector shape and transmits the vector shape having the endpoint in the portion to the receiving side. Mismatching on the receiving side can be prevented and the position information on the digital map can be transmitted accurately.
US09177480B2
A system and method to improve efficiency in aircraft maneuvers meant to accommodate time-related constraints in air traffic. Information related to flight performance and atmospheric conditions is gathered onboard an aircraft, then transmitted to an air traffic control center. In the event of a delay or any other event which necessitates an alteration in an aircraft trajectory, the data is sent to a decision support tool to compute and provide alternative trajectories, preferably including operator-preferred trajectories, within air traffic constraints. Air traffic controllers can then offer an alternative trajectory to an aircraft that is more efficient, cost effective, and/or preferable to the aircraft operator.
US09177479B2
A method for identifying variations in aircraft operational parameters includes processing a four-dimensional (4D) aircraft trajectory for a flight along a defined route. The method also includes determining an aircraft intent corresponding to the flight along the defined route based at least in part on an aircraft performance model from a trajectory predictor. The aircraft intent includes multiple segments and corresponding intent parameters. In addition, the method includes adjusting the intent parameters such that a computed 4D trajectory substantially corresponds to the 4D aircraft trajectory. The method further includes determining a computed operational parameter based at least in part on the computed 4D trajectory and the aircraft performance model from the trajectory predictor. In addition, the method includes identifying variations between the computed operational parameter and a corresponding measured operational parameter.
US09177476B2
Method and system for guiding a person to a location includes providing a processor, coupling an operator control such as a user interface to the processor to enable the person to enter a phone number which is provided to the processor, the processor being arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered phone number, and guiding the person to the physical location associated with the entered phone number as determined by the processor. The method may be implemented in a vehicle context whereby the processor is arranged on a vehicle and the person is guided to the physical location by controlling a steering system, a throttle and/or brakes of the vehicle to automatically guide the vehicle to the physical location. Alternatively, the person may be guided to the physical location by providing audible and/or visual directions to the person operating the vehicle.
US09177475B2
An in-vehicle parking system and method for displaying and analyzing parking information. The system displays information of available parking in the vicinity of a driver's destination. The system can provide personalized information, predictions and advisories to a particular driver because the system can learn the behavior of particular drivers over time.
US09177473B2
A system, method and computer program product for estimating a vehicle arrival time. The system receives information representing prior travel times of vehicles between pre-determined vehicle stops along a vehicle route. The system receives real-time data representing a current journey. The current journey refers to a movement of a vehicle currently traveling along the route. The system calculates a regular trend representing the current journey based on the received prior travel times information and the received real-time data. The system computes a deviation from the regular trend in the current journey. The system determines a future traffic status in subsequent vehicle stops in the current journey. The system estimates, for the vehicle, each arrival time of each subsequent vehicle stop based on the calculated regular trend, the computed deviation and the determined future traffic status.
US09177469B2
Method and apparatus receiving reports from at least two wireless vehicular sensor nodes and stepping through a process of comparing filtered queues to determine the first and the second waveform in time, leading to counting the vehicles passing the magnetic sensors of the wireless vehicular sensor nodes.
US09177467B2
An electrical gateway and a communication method of the electrical gateway are disclosed. The electrical gateway includes: an uplink communication module, a downlink communication module and a control unit; the uplink communication module is configured to communicate with an uplink network element; the downlink communication module is configured to communicate with a terminal device; and the control unit, connecting the uplink communication module and the downlink communication module, is configured to, when it is determined that downlink data sent by the uplink network element is obtaining terminal device information, transmit the terminal device information to the uplink communication module if the terminal device information is stored in the electrical gateway, and transmit the obtaining the terminal device information to the downlink communication module if the terminal device information is not stored in the electrical gateway. Therefore, data communication is achieved.
US09177465B2
A bed status system includes a patient support apparatus having a status, a location unit configured to provide a location to the patient support apparatus, and a bed status module coupled to the location unit and the patient support apparatus to receive the status and the location.
US09177464B2
An alarm system can provide security, fire, protection, or other alarm services for a premises, such as for a building or other property. When the alarm system detects an alarm condition, such as an intrusion or a fire, a two-way voice channel can be opened between the premises and a remote entity. Via the two-way voice channel, an operator at a central monitoring station can verbally communicate with someone at the premises, for example. A person associated with the alarm system may own a mobile communication device, such as a smartphone or other handheld cellular device. If the mobile communication device located is at the premises, the two-way voice channel can be established between the remote entity and the mobile communication device. Location of the mobile communication device can be determined based on GPS, service provider tracking, or user entry, for example.
US09177460B2
The invention describes a pressure detection system for a pressure cooker, having a sensor (17) for detecting a pressure prevailing inside the pressure cooker by means of measured values, a computer unit (16) connected to the sensor (17), and a display (3, 4), wherein the computer unit (16) is designed to evaluate the measured values supplied by the sensor (17) and to establish whether at least one first threshold value (S1) has been reached. In order to indicate use-related wear, the computer unit (16) is further designed to continue a counter when the measured value reaches the first threshold value (S1) and to output a notification on the display (3, 4) when a predefined value of the counter is reached.
US09177455B2
A personal safety system, method, and apparatus provides image, audio, and data capture and transport system (IADCTS) features wherein an electronic device placed on a user can capture data associated with a potential perpetrator of a crime against the user. The electronic device sends the captured data (such as images or audio) to a secure and remote storage location. The capturing and sending of the data cannot be reversed or canceled by the user or potential perpetrator. The potential perpetrator is notified that the potential perpetrator's data has been captured by the electronic device, thereby discouraging the potential perpetrator from further proceeding with the crime.
US09177449B1
An apparatus that operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records, includes at least one processor that is in operative connection with a card reader, a check acceptor, a cash dispenser and a display. The at least one processor causes the machine to operate to read card data from a user card, and to cause a determination to be made that the read card data corresponds to an authorized financial account. The at least one processor is operative to cause data to be read from a check and/or cash to be dispensed, and a financial transfer to or from the account corresponding to the value thereof. A secure chest portion of the machine is accessible responsive to servicer input through an input device of the machine.
US09177448B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a slot game including a symbol generator modification event. In various embodiments, the gaming system is configured to provide a slot game, each play of which employs a subset of a plurality of symbol generators. If a symbol generator modification event occurs in association with a first play that employs a first subset of the symbol generators, the gaming system removes one of the symbol generators from the first subset and adds another one of the plurality of symbol generators to the first subset to form a second subset, and employs the second subset for a second play. The gaming system removes and adds the symbol generators to form the second subset such that the average expected payback percentage of the second play is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the first play.
US09177447B2
In various embodiments, the present disclosure generally relates to gaming systems and methods which utilize a symbol matrix or symbol field in conjunction with a movable symbol display window to randomly select different subsets of symbols from the symbol matrix and provide different awards to players based on such selected symbol subsets.
US09177444B2
The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of players with an opportunity to win a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the gaming system. The gaming system accumulates a quantity of progressive event points for each player playing at one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points for a designated player to determine which one or more of the progressive awards the designated player wins. In another embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points to determine the designated player's probability of winning one or more of the progressive awards. Accordingly, the gaming system provides a point-based system in which either a progressive award to win or a probability of winning a progressive award is determined based on the quantities of progressive event points accumulated by the players.
US09177441B2
A gaming machine for conducting wagering games comprises a plurality of reels, each reel having one or more reel symbols with a colored background and one or more reel symbols with a white background. The gaming machine may include a progressive game having multiple progressive jackpots that are awarded based on patterns formed by the reel symbols with the colored background in the outcomes of the wagering game. In some embodiments, a video display device is provided for overlaying a video image on the reels. The video image operates as a colored placeholder to hold any partial patterns that were formed by the reel symbols having the colored background for multiple plays of the wagering game. Reel symbols having the colored background appearing in subsequent outcomes of the wagering game may then be used to complete one or more patterns.
US09177433B2
A moiré magnification device includes a transparent substrate, the transparent substrate carrying a regular array of micro-focusing elements on a first surface, where the focusing elements define a focal plane, and a corresponding array of microimage element unit cells located in a plane substantially coincident with the focal plane of the focusing elements, where each unit cell includes at least two microimage components. The pitches of the micro-focusing elements and the array of microimage element unit cells and their relative locations are such that the array of micro-focusing elements cooperates with the array of microimage element unit cells to generate magnified versions of the microimage components due to the moiré effect.
US09177421B2
Aspects include provision of a hair mesh structure that can be used for modeling, animating, simulating, and/or rendering hair and hair-like objects in the field of computer graphics. The hair mesh structure can use an ordered plurality of surface primitives, which can be represented by correspondence data, and mapping(s) of points on corresponding surface primitives. A plurality of paths can be generated based on the mappings. These paths can be used to generate hair-like geometry elements. Therefore, hair can be modeled, edited, and animated by editing surface primitives. This approach provides control of the hair shape and permits hair modeling using surface modeling processes, without direct editing of curves defining hairs themselves.
US09177418B1
A system and method for converting data generated in a computer aided design software component to an alternate, smaller format usable by a variety of alternate software components is provided. CAD data from a project having a plurality of objects is provided. Objects are identified and grouped into object data layers for processing, conversion and 3D model generation. The selected, grouped objects are processed by removing unnecessary data and redundancies, converted to an alternate format, transported to the alternate software component and regenerated by the alternate software component in its own environment.
US09177414B2
A method for rendering point cloud using a voxel grid, includes generating bounding box including all the point cloud and dividing the generated bounding box into voxels to make the voxel grid; and allocating at least one texture plane to each of the voxels of the voxel grid. Further, the method includes orthogonally projecting points within the voxel to the allocated texture planes to generate texture images; and rendering each voxel of the voxel grid by selecting one of the texture planes within the voxel by using central position of the voxel and the 3D camera position and rendering using the texture images corresponding to the selected texture plane.
US09177412B2
Techniques for multiple pass rendering include receiving vertex data for one or more objects to be enhanced. Parameters in a display list may be determined using the vertex data. Multiple pixel rendering passes may be run using the parameters in the display list. An enhanced depiction of the one or more objects may be rendered based on the multiple pixel rendering passes. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09177395B2
A display device has a first color mode in which an image is output in monochrome except for a designated color and a second color mode in which colors in an image are output in non monochrome. The display device includes a display unit operable to output a display, and a display controller operable to control the display output on the display unit. While a selecting operation by a user on an image is urged, the display controller displays an image on the display unit in the second color mode, and after completion of the selecting operation by the user, the display controller changes a color mode from the second color mode to the first color mode and then displays an image on the display unit in the first color mode.
US09177392B2
The present technique relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which allow the encoding efficiency to be improved. The image processing apparatus includes: a determination unit which determines whether neighboring motion information is available or unavailable, the neighboring motion information being motion information of a neighboring region located around a current region and being used to encode motion information of the current region to be processed; and an encoding unit which encodes the motion information of the current region by using available motion information of another neighboring region in place of the motion information of the neighboring region determined by the determination unit to be unavailable. The present disclosure can be applied to an image processing apparatus.
US09177383B2
In one aspect, there is disclosed a digital signal processor and method performed by the same for performing object detection, including facial detection, in a reduced number of clock cycles. The method comprises using Sobel edge detection to identify regions with many edges, and classifying those regions as foreground candidates. Foreground candidates are further checked for vertical or horizontal symmetry, and symmetrical windows are classified as face candidates. Viola-Jones type facial detection is then performed only on those windows identified as face candidates.
US09177382B2
To provide a solution by which adjustment of the depth display of the image can be easily carried out by the user at will in a technique for forming a 3-D image from plural images, from the plural feed images, one feed image is extracted as the reference feed image, with an object recognition process being carried out to extract the object region having the prescribed characteristic features. The reference feed image IL is displayed on the display unit 108 together with the markers MK indicating the object regions, and the user selects one object region. A region that is similar in image content with the selected region is detected from each other feed image, with the images being shifted so that the regions overlap each other.
US09177381B2
Systems and methods for generating pixel based depth estimates are disclosed. An image processing system operating as depth analysis engine generates an estimated depth associated with a pixel based on a reference image and other related images. A current depth estimate is refined based on neighboring pixels and calculated consistency scores. Further, depth estimates can be levered in object or scene recognition to trigger or initiate an action taken by a computing device.
US09177378B2
The coregistration of digital images of tissue slices is improved by updating landmarks based on the manual outlining of regions of interest on the images. A first image of a first slice is coarsely coregistered with a second image of a second slice using a first landmark on the first image and a second landmark on the second image. A user manually outlines a first region of interest on the first image. The outline is positioned over a second region of interest on the second image using the second landmark. The user manually moves a contour point of the outline on the second image to form a corrected outline. The second landmark is moved based on how the contour point was manually moved so that the first and second images are more finely coregistered after the second landmark is moved. Each state of corrected contour points and landmarks is saved.
US09177375B2
In one example embodiment, an information processing apparatus, for an observed image associated with an observation target object (e.g., a section of biological tissue), associates and stores position information and observation magnification information. In this embodiment, the information processing apparatus causes a display device to: (i) display an image associated with the observation target object; (ii) indicate the first positional information of the first observed image; and (iii) indicate the first observation magnification information of the first observed image.
US09177372B2
Acquired mask data of a defect portion is sent to a simulated repair circuit 300 to be simulated. The simulation of the acquired mask data 204 is returned to the mask inspection results 205 and thereafter sent to a wafer transfer simulator 400 along with a reference image at the corresponding portion. A wafer transfer image estimated by the wafer transfer simulator 400 is sent to a comparing circuit 301. When it is determined that there is a defect in the comparing circuit 301, the coordinates and the wafer transfer image which is a basis for the defect determination are stored as transfer image inspection results 206. The mask inspection results 205 and the transfer image inspection result 206 are then sent to the review device 500.
US09177364B2
Film grain simulation within a receiver occurs by first obtaining at least one block of pre-computed transformed coefficients. The block of pre-computed transformed coefficients undergoes filtering responsive to a frequency range that characterizes a desired pattern of the film grain. In practice, the frequency range lies within a set of cut frequencies fHL, fVL, fHH and fVH of a filter in two dimensions that characterizes a desired film grain pattern. Thereafter, the filtered set of coefficients undergoes an inverse transform to yield the film grain pattern.
US09177361B2
An embodiment generally relates to a device for rotating image tiles using line segment read buffers. The device comprises an image memory configured to store an image and a plurality of buffers, wherein the image comprises a plurality of tiles. The plurality of buffers comprises line segment read buffers configured to interface with the image memory to read line segments of the plurality of tiles from the image memory. A rotator logic module is configured to micro-rotate the line segments, aggregate the line segments as rotated tiles, and macro-rotate the rotated tiles to determine an address of the image memory at which to write the rotated tiles. Write buffers are configured to write the rotated tiles to the image memory at the determined address.
US09177360B2
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for adjusting the orientation of an image frame and a scene depicted in the image frame are described. In general, techniques are disclosed for analyzing an image with one or more feature detectors to identify features in the image. An alignment or position associated with one or more features identified in the image may be used to determine a proper orientation for the image frame. The image can then be rotated to the proper orientation. It may also be determined if a scene depicted in the image is properly aligned in the rotated image orientation. If not, alignment information associated with the identified features may be utilized to straighten the depicted scene.
US09177359B2
According to one embodiment, an information processor divides input image data for a plurality of information processors so as to perform a super resolution process as a distributed processing. The super resolution process generates a high resolution image based on a plurality of low resolution input images. The information processor includes a division point determining unit, a division processor, and a combination processor. The division point determining unit determines a division point for an input image of a sequence of image frames. The division processor divides, for each of the information processors, the input image at the division point, and allocates each divided input image to each corresponding one of the information processors.
US09177355B1
A linear algebraic transform is established that adjusts images to be rendered by a computing device to the human from a default rendering for the baseline normal visual acuity to an adjusted rendering for the deviated visual acuity. Before visually presenting the images to be rendered by the computing device the linear algebraic transform is applied, which results in the adjusted rendering of the images. The images of the adjusted rendering are visually presented after the linear algebraic transform has been applied. The human, with myopia, hyperopia, or both, is able to perceive the images of the adjusted rendering without using the one or more corrective lenses. The perceived images are perceived with approximately a baseline normal visual acuity for the human population.
US09177354B2
A rendering apparatus acquires graphic information of a figure to be rendered in a rendering area; specifies for each division area of the rendering area, graphic information of a figure to be rendered in the division area; calculates based on data size of the specified graphic information and for each division area, total data size of graphic information of the figure to be rendered in the division area; selects a division area as a rendering destination, based on each calculated total data size and a data capacity of a memory area to which graphic information is to be stored that is among the acquired graphic information and for the figure to be rendered; writes to the memory area, the graphic information of the figure to be rendered in the selected division area; and generates based on the written graphic information, an image for the selected division area.
US09177350B1
Systems and methods for facilitating video fingerprinting are provided. In one embodiment, a system can include: a memory, a microprocessor, a communication component that receives a video, and a video fingerprinting component that fingerprints the video with a subfingerprint (SFP). The video fingerprinting component can employ an SFP component stored in the memory and that comprises: a feature extraction component that determines local descriptors for at least one frame of a video; and a quantization component that quantizes the local descriptors to generate first frame information including a set of values for the at least one frame. The SFP component can also include: an accumulation component that accumulates first frame information over a snippet of the video; and an SFP generation component that computes the SFP associated with the snippet. The SFP can be computed based on a hash based on the accumulated first frame information over the snippet.
US09177346B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first user action relating to a first topic from a first user, identifying the first topic based on the first user action, identifying one or more second posts that relate to the first topic, and transmitting to the first user one or more of the second posts or information associated with the second posts in a structured document for display to the first user, the structured document further comprising one or more interactive elements that enable the first user to interact with the one or more second posts or to respective second users that declared the second posts.
US09177345B1
Aspects of the invention include methods and systems for electronically signing a plurality of documents, such as an insurance application, a loan application, a set of mortgage papers, a bank application, or the like. A customer, or multiple customers, electronically submits the signature once and the customer's one signature is applied to all of the areas where the customer signature is required. The electronic signature may include initials and/or a graphical representation of the customer's handwritten signature. Aspects of the invention include an apparatus comprising a display, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and programmed with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for electronically signing a plurality of documents.
US09177341B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for using relevance indications provided by a user in performing a search. Search results corresponding to a search query are provided to a user of a client computing device. The user provides a relevance indication corresponding to relevance of at least one of the search results. A subsequent search is performed which takes the relevance indication into account.
US09177336B2
A recommendation apparatus for determining, for a user, a set of one or more recommended paths through an information space in response to receiving from the user a path request message. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the path recommender apparatus determines a recommended path by analyzing a set of paths, where each path in the set was traversed by a person who is in a “social graph” belonging to the user (e.g., each path in the set was traversed by one of the user's Facebook friends). In this way, paths can be recommended to the user based on paths that are popular with the user's friends.
US09177325B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating product or service information to a potential purchaser. A product or item describing a service are scanned to obtain both a product or service code and an advertisement promotion code provided by a vendor/retailer or manufacturer of the product or service using a smartphone of a first user. A barcode is generated on the smartphone by combining the product or service code and the advertisement promotion code with information from the smartphone associated with the product or service and with an advertiser code that uniquely identifies the first user. The barcode is communicated to a communication device of a second user that is the potential purchaser of the product or service. When the communication device is presented to a point of sale (POS) terminal, the terminal scans the barcode, decodes the barcode, and compensates the first user according to the advertisement promotion code.
US09177324B2
A method of analyzing Internet-based communication sessions may include detecting interactions during a communication session and detecting an associated characteristic. The method may also include identifying other communication sessions that are also associated with the characteristic and accessing a group profile of the other communications sessions. The group profile may be assigned a first group profile state in a state-machine-based progression of group profile states and have a group lead score. The method may additionally include associating the communication session with the group profile, adjusting the group lead score based on the communication session to cross a threshold value, and moving to a second group profile state. The method may further include authorizing devices associated with the group profile access to additional data after moving to the second group profile state.
US09177319B1
Methods and systems for providing customer support in response to support communication are disclosed. Such communications may be structured or unstructured, and unstructured communications may be subject to further processing. A determination is made at least as to one or more relevant support classes, as well as to whether further support action(s) should be initiated. When determined that at least a further support action should be initiated, aspects of the support action may be determined and initiated.
US09177318B2
A conversation-simulating system facilitates simulating an intelligent conversation with a human user. During operation, the system can receive a user-statement from the user during a simulated conversation, and generates a set of automatic-statements that each responds to the user-statement. The system then determines a set of behavior-characteristics for the user, and computes relevance scores for the automatic-statements based on the behavior-characteristics. Each relevance score indicates an outcome quality that the user is likely to perceive for the automatic-statement as a response to the user-statement. The system selects an automatic-statement that has a highest relevance score from the set of automatic-statements, and provides the selected automatic-statement to the user.
US09177317B2
A method for combating website spoofing can be used in connection with a website for a financial institution accessible by a plurality of users. Registration information is stored for a user having a financial account with the financial institution, including user login information and customization information for a website associated with the financial institution. A marker is issued, to be stored on a computer used by the user to access the website. At some point, a request is received from the user to display a webpage of the website on the computer, and the user is recognized based on the marker. A webpage is then provided to the computer, having an interface with an attribute customized according to the customization information. The user login information is entered via the website. Upon receiving the user login information, the user is provided access to the financial account.
US09177313B1
A system and method for issuing, circulating and trading financial instruments with smart features is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, a financial instrument having smart features may comprise a document portion and a token device attached to or embedded in the document portion. The token device may comprise a storage device and a communication interface, wherein the token device is configured to provide a unique address for the financial instrument, the unique address including a device identifier that matches at least in part the document portion and a network address that changes based on a network location of the financial instrument and to communicate securely with an external entity at least to report an identity or a status of the financial instrument.
US09177307B2
A wearable article, such as but not limited to a watch, wristband, or ring, is configured for indicating financial information to a customer. The wearable article includes a communication device configured for receiving a financial indicator from a server. The financial indicator may be communicated by a financial institution's server in accordance with a financial indicator profile pre-established by the customer. A user output device, such as a display, is configured for communicating user output, such as a colored light, to the customer based at least in part on the financial indicator. The wearable article may be configured to communicate with the server through a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, an Internet hot spot, a mobile telephony system, a payment network, a point-of-sale terminal, or the like. The wearable article may be configured to communicate with a point-of-sale terminal so that the wearable article can also be used as a payment device.
US09177303B2
A method and apparatus are provided for tracking documents. The documents are tracked by simultaneously monitoring each document's electronic processing status and physical location. Determinations are made whether specific combinations of electronic processing states and physical locations are valid and whether specific movements of documents are permitted. Invalid combinations or movements are reported to a reporting station. The preparation of batches of documents prior to scanning may be monitored and operator metrics related to the batch prep process may be tracked. Exception documents rejected during document processing may be monitored to enable retrieval of such documents.
US09177289B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for extending a knowledge base, implementations including receiving an enterprise service signature (ESS) associated with an enterprise service (ES), the ESS being stored in a computer-readable repository, segmenting the ESS to provide a segmented ESS, identifying one or more unknown terms from the segmented ESS, determining that at least one unknown term of the one or more unknown terms comprises at least one of a specialization and a new entity, and extending the knowledge base in view of the at least one of the specialization and the new entity.
US09177287B2
A networked system that provides group play features for respective end users of a plurality of game machines is provided. The gaming machines may be connected together through a peer-to-peer environment or through a network controller or other device. An eligibility score may be maintained by each gaming machine, and the eligibility score indicates eligibility to participate in the group-play bonus feature. The group-play bonus feature is initiated when a triggering event is detected. Intermediate and final results of the group-play bonus feature are provided by the eligible gaming machines to all other eligible gaming machines. Each gaming machine apportions a bonus award from a bonus pool associated with the group-play bonus feature to each player.
US09177284B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to discussion forum management and provide a method, system and computer program product for instant conversations in a thread within a discussion forum. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for instant conversations in a thread within a discussion forum can be provided. The method can include providing a discussion forum and initiating a thread in the discussion forum and measuring a temporal proximity of postings between two or more users in the thread. In response to determining a close temporal proximity, an instant messaging session can be launched between the two or more users and entries in the instant messaging session can be inserted as responses to the thread in the discussion forum.
US09177279B2
A method, a system, and a device for monitoring risks associated with at least one business process, including: evaluating at least one of a plurality of document instances, wherein each of the document instances includes, in association therewith, a plurality of document values, against a plurality of risk categories; implementing the plurality of risk categories pursuant to at least one acceptable risk policy approved for the at least one business process; and qualifying at least one of the at least one of the plurality of documents pursuant to an approval rating of the at least one document in at least one risk category. The system, method, and device efficiently monitor risk, and allow for flexibility in modifying or updating risk policy.
US09177270B2
A disciplinal engineering review computer information system and method by defining a database of disciplinal engineering review process entities for an enterprise engineering program, opening a computer supported engineering item based upon the defined disciplinal engineering review process entities, managing a review of the opened engineering item according to the defined disciplinal engineering review process entities, and closing the opened engineering item according to the opened engineering item review.
US09177268B2
There is disclosed herein a method and system for communicating over a telecommunications network between a service provider and one or more users, wherein the service provider can have access to multiple distinct addresses in the telecommunications network and each user is identified by an address, more specifically where a first message can be sent over at least a portion of the telecommunications network to a user's address and based on a response from the user determining the message to which the response is a reply to.
US09177264B2
A method for creating and assigning categories to electronic messages and detecting the categories for a given message when the message becomes available to the recipient.
US09177263B2
A method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for identifying and tracking grouped content in e-mail campaigns. An instruction set is placed in an e-mail to form a modified e-mail, wherein the modified e-mail contains a grouped content having a plurality of levels that are expandable to present additional content. The modified e-mail is sent to a distribution list, wherein the instruction set is used to track information about the grouped content.
US09177257B2
A system and an article of manufacture for providing a prompt for real-time cognitive assistance include analyzing input from at least one environmental sensor to identify context information pertaining to a user situation, identifying a likely subsequent cognitive task of the user in the user situation based on the context information and use of a learned model, determining an action with respect to information to be suggested to the user via a corresponding prompt, wherein the determining is based on the likely subsequent cognitive task, the context information and information learned from at least to one previous user situation, computing a confidence value to represent a level of certainty in the action, and providing the prompt to the user if the action has a confidence value greater than a threshold value corresponding to the action.
US09177244B2
Proposed is a transponder for receiving a wireless electromagnetic interrogation signal and for transmitting a wireless electromagnetic response signal with a first coil acting as an antenna for generating a first wired electrical receive signal from the interrogation signal, and with at least one further coil acting as an antenna for generating a further wired electrical receive signal from the interrogation signal, wherein an axis of the first coil and an axis of the further coil are aligned differently in the space, wherein in each case one full-wave rectifier for rectifying the respective receive signal is assigned to the coils, wherein a summing element for summing up the rectified receive signals generated by the full-wave rectifiers is provided in order to generate in this manner a pulsating sum signal, the frequency of which corresponds to twice the frequency of the interrogation signal.
US09177225B1
Generation of interactive content. In an embodiment, a representation of candidate object(s) in content of a digital media asset are received. For each of the candidate object(s), feature(s) of the candidate object are compared to corresponding feature(s) of a plurality of reference objects to identify reference object(s) that match the candidate object. For each of the matched candidate object(s), a hotspot package is generated. The hotspot package may comprise a visual overlay which comprises information associated with the reference object(s) matched to the respective candidate object.
US09177224B1
Various embodiments utilize geometric hashing to automatically recognize and track and an object. For example, a user can capture an image of a product, or other object, and a point detection algorithm can identify particular features of the product and designate feature points of the product within the captured image. Hash values are then determined for each feature point by determining a basis for the image and determining the location of each feature point relative to that basis. A hash table including the identified hash values is then created and compared to hash values for either a stored product when performing object recognition or from a reference image when performing object tracking.
US09177218B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for detecting an edge in scan data. In use, RGB scan data is analyzed for determining an approximate location of a background in the scan data representing a background adjacent a document having a similar color as the background. Additionally, a threshold is set for at least one of R, G and B, where the threshold is based in part on RGB values of the background and a predefined color threshold. Further, an intensity threshold is set. Further still, the scan data is analyzed using the thresholds for generating distribution points. Also, a first edge of the document is detected based on a location of a contour in the distribution points. In addition, the scan data and information about the detected edge are output.
US09177207B2
Software for supervised learning extracts a set of pixel-level features from each source image in collection of source images. Each of the source images is associated with a thumbnail created by an editor. The software also generates a collection of unique bounding boxes for each source image. And the software calculates a set of region-level features for each bounding box. Each region-level feature results from the aggregation of pixel values for one of the pixel-level features. The software learns a regression model, using the calculated region-level features and the thumbnail associated with the source image. Then the software chooses a thumbnail from a collection of unique bounding boxes in a new image, based on application of the regression model. The software uses a thumbnail received from an editor instead of the chosen thumbnail, if the chosen thumbnail is of insufficient quality as measured against a scoring threshold.
US09177205B2
An attribute of image data can accurately be discriminated. An image attribute discrimination apparatus includes a heterogeneous region extracting unit that specifies a heterogeneous region from image data. The heterogeneous region includes a heterogeneous matter whose attribute is different from that of a content originally produced by the image data. An image attribute discrimination apparatus further includes a scene discrimination unit that discriminates the attribute of the image data based on a feature quantity extracted from a pixel group except each pixel in the heterogeneous region in each pixel of the image data.
US09177198B1
An alignment guide may be provided in the field of view of a camera associated with a mobile device used to capture an image of a check. When the image of the check is within the alignment guide in the field of view, an image may be taken by the camera and provided from the mobile device to a financial institution. The alignment guide may be adjustable at the mobile device. The image capture may be performed automatically by the camera or the mobile device as soon as the image of the check is determined to be within the alignment guide. The check may be deposited in a user's bank account based on the image. Any technique for sending the image to the financial institution may be used.
US09177195B2
A system for counting and tracking objects of interest within a predefined area with a sensor that captures object data and a data capturing device that receives subset data to produce reports that provide information related to a time, geographic, behavioral, or demographic dimension.
US09177185B2
Wireless sensors for detection of an analyte may include a sensor receiving antenna configured to receive interrogation pulses having an interrogation frequency, a DC converter, a relaxation oscillator circuit electrically, and a sensor transmitting antenna. The relaxation oscillator circuit may include a capacitance element that defines a response-pulse frequency of the wireless sensor. The capacitance element may include an interdigitated capacitor coated with a detection layer of a functional material having a dielectric constant that defines the dielectric constant of the interdigitated capacitor. This dielectric constant changes when the functional material is exposed to the analyte, thereby changing the response-pulse frequency of the relaxation oscillator circuit to an analyte-exposure frequency indicative of the exposure of the functional material to the analyte. Wireless systems for detecting an analyte may include a wireless sensor that communicates with an interrogation module.
US09177171B2
Method, system, and computer program product for access control for entity search are provided. The method includes: representing entity-relationship data in a conceptual model; representing entities in a search system as documents containing the entity's searchable content and metadata; defining authorization rules for searchers over entities and their relationships; and extending an entity document to include searchable tokens defining the authorization rules. Defining authorization rules may include: identifying query predicate constraints for entity search; and defining searchable tokens as paths for query predicates and permissible searchers; wherein the permissible searchers are permitted access to data based on a query that contains the predicate. Defining authorization rules may further include: defining searchable document files for a free-text predicate with a field name as a token of permissible searchers and the field value as the searchable content.
US09177169B2
Systems and methods for activating a token to enable a user to enter a transaction based on information received from a recovery key and a passcode are described herein.
US09177164B2
A system and method is introduced for combining a secure device with a non secure user machine for using and sharing secure data seamlessly through the non secure user machine. The secure device runs in a separate, “parallel world” to the user machine so that the user machine cannot access secure data while it is being used. Even if the user machine is already compromised, the secure data and its usage remain protected from the likes of key logging and screen captures. The secure device authenticates secure data handling to the user so that the user is able to differentiate between a secure and a non secure data usage, as well as identify false imitations of the secure environment.
US09177161B2
Various embodiments of the invention provide a strong logical link between a SAM and a secure terminal to combat SAM counterfeiting and misuse. The link is based on mutual validation methods using firmware and cryptographic protocols. Once the SAM is removed from a terminal that it has been tied to, or the link is broken by a tampering attempt of a potential intruder, the SAM and/or the terminal are disabled.
US09177158B2
A system and method for processing content access rights and/or entitlement rights are disclosed. A method, in one aspect, provides for receiving a selection of a content option, requesting access information associated with the selected content option, receiving access information comprising location information relating to a compatible format, requesting access rights from a first service associated with the location information, wherein the first service requests an access decision relating to the selected content option from a second service based upon the access rights, and receiving the access rights.
US09177155B2
Arrangements described herein relate to analyzing vulnerable information flows in an application. A black-box scan of the application can be performed to record a call-tree representation of call stacks arising in the application due to test inputs provided during the black-box scan. For each path in the call-tree representation that does not constitute a vulnerable information flow during the black-box scan, a static analysis can be performed to determine at least one parameter value that, when abstracted, drives execution of the application, via the path, to flow to the at least one security sink. A security report can be generated identifying at least one of the paths in the call-tree representation that does not constitute the vulnerable information flow during the black-box scan, but flows to the at least one security sink when the at least one parameter value is abstracted.
US09177154B2
A computer security vulnerability remediation system (CSVRS) is disclosed, including a CSVRS client communicatively coupled to a remediation server through a network. The CSVRS client includes software having a security vulnerability, which vulnerability may be known to malicious actors who develop an exploit. In some cases, the exploit is a “zero-day exploit,” meaning the vulnerability may not be known to the CSVRS client until the exploit is deployed. A RSP receives information about the exploit and vulnerability from a team of remediation experts. The RSP may prepare a remedial exploit, which carries a self-healing pay load. The remedial exploit may be delivered either through the vulnerability itself, or through credentials granted by the CSVRS client to the RSP. The self-healing pay-load takes appropriate action, such as closing ports or disabling scripts, to prevent the vulnerability from being further exploited.
US09177149B2
The present invention relates to means for detecting malware. The method is realized on a computer with an operating system (OS) installed thereon, and comprises a step in which a point of interrupt is established when a system call is made by a user application requesting the transfer of control via an address in the kernel of the loaded OS. Next, the data structure of the loaded OS is checked. As this check is carried out, the address of the command in the random-access memory of the computer, by means of which command control will be transferred during the system call, is determined and the addresses of the commands to be executed during the system call are checked to see if they belong to the normal range of addresses of the OS kernel and OS kernel modules in the random-access memory. The presence of malware is then detected in the event that a command address does not belong to the normal range of addresses. The proposed method includes a dynamic check of the execution of the OS kernel code in order to detect the illegal interception and alteration of the code in the kernel and in the kernel modules (drivers) that are to be loaded. The proposed method enables the detection of both known and previously unregistered malware in an OS kernel and in OS kernel modules that are to be loaded.
US09177142B2
The present invention provides a method for determining the likelihood that an electronic document contains embedded malware. After parsing or sequencing an electronic document, the metadata structures that make up the document are analyzed. A number of pre-established rules are then applied with respect to certain metadata structures that are indicative of embedded malware. The application of these rules results in the generation of a score for the electronic document being tested for embedded malware. The score is then compared to a threshold value, where the threshold value was previously generated based on a statistical model relating to electronic documents having the same format as the document being tested. The result of the comparison can then be used to determine whether the document being tested is or is not likely to contain embedded malware.
US09177131B2
A computer-implemented method is performed at a server having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors for authenticating a user from video and audio data. The method includes: receiving a login request from a mobile device, the login request including video data and audio data; extracting a group of facial features from the video data; extracting a group of audio features from the audio data and recognizing a sequence of words in the audio data; identifying a first user account whose respective facial features match the group of facial features and a second user account whose respective audio features match the group of audio features. If the first user account is the same as the second user account, retrieve the sequence of words associated with the user account and compare the sequences of words for authentication purpose.
US09177126B2
Method for establishing and maintaining a person's identity starts at the time the person registers with the system using a mobile device to validate the identity of a person in an inherently anonymous computing environment such as the internet or any other distributed network where face to face communication is not possible. The person will provide information required to establish the person's identity with an authenticator. The authenticator then submits that information to the system administration service to be validated by external databases and services. The external service provides a set of challenge/response questions unique to that person to establish positive identification. Upon successful authentication of the person's identity, the person and their device will be associated with each other and recorded in the system. Each authentication service will define a criterion, labeled as a schema, by which authentication events will be governed.
US09177125B2
In one embodiment, a user authentication server may use geo-location tracking to determine whether to present an enhanced identity challenge. A communication interface 180 may receive a user login attempt by a user and a current location of the user login attempt. A data storage 150 may store a user location profile of the user. A processor 120 may execute a comparison of the current location to the user location profile. The communication interface 180 may present the user with an enhanced identity challenge before allowing user access based on the comparison.
US09177122B1
Techniques for managing secure data transfer, including firmware updates and/or cryptographic keys, may be provided. For example, a portable device may be provided that includes at least a first memory configured to store data associated with secure firmware updates while the device is interacting with a second device. In some examples, a network connection with a third device may be established. The data associated with the firmware update may be received from the third device by utilizing the established network connection. Further, in some examples, the received data may be stored in the first memory only while the first device is interacting with the second device. The portable device may also enable a firmware update of the second device based at least in part on the data stored in the first memory.
US09177121B2
Methods for code protection are disclosed. A method includes using a security processing component to access an encrypted portion of an application program that is encrypted by an on-line server, after a license for use of the application program is authenticated by the on-line server. The security processing component is used to decrypt the encrypted portion of the application program using an encryption key that is stored in the security processing component. The decrypted portion of the application program is executed based on stored state data. Results are provided to the application program that is executing on a second processing component.
US09177119B2
Techniques are generally disclosed for using an operating entity, including a method, apparatus, and/or system to control usage of the operating entity. In various embodiments, an in-use signal generator may be configured to generate at least one in-use signal, with the at least one in-use signal having a signal duration representative of at least one usage episode of the operating entity. An aging circuit may be coupled to the in-use signal generator and configured to output at least one age-affected signal in response to the at least one in-use signal. A metering module may be coupled to the aging circuit and, in response to the at least one age-affected signal, and configured to measure a signal characteristic of the at least one age-affected signal and translate the signal characteristic into a generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit.
US09177113B2
Systems and methods for managing jobs to be scanned based on existence of processing nodes are described. One of the methods includes obtaining identification information regarding operation of a first set of the processing nodes from an inventory and creating a job for scanning the processing nodes of the first set for security vulnerability. The job includes the identification information. The method further includes verifying the inventory to determine the first identifying information of the first set of processing nodes for removal from the job and loading the job having second identifying information for a second set of processing nodes that remain after the verifying operation.
US09177102B2
Methods are provided including receiving a plurality of images from at least one image acquisition system; selecting at least a portion of a set of images for analysis using at least one attribute of image metadata; selecting at least one method for deriving quantitative information from the at least a portion of the set of images; processing the selected at least a portion of the set of images with the selected at least one method for deriving quantitative information; associating the derived quantitative information with the at least a portion of the set of images via a data structure; selecting at least one method for aggregating at least a portion of a set of derived quantitative information into a reduced set of results; and generating at least one report to represent the reduced set of results for one of an individual image and the set of images as a pool.
US09177095B1
Disclosed are method(s), system(s), and article(s) of manufacture for creating or manipulating electrical data sets for an electronic design across multiple abstraction levels. The method identifies simulation result(s) obtained from simulation run(s) for an electronic circuit or at least a portion thereof, identifies at least a part of one or more sets of simulation results, each of which is obtained from a simulation run for the electronic circuit or at least a portion thereof at the first abstraction level, identify relevant electrical data or information for design under test instance(s) of a master library or a master cell and creates electrical data set(s), generates a view for at least some of the electrical data set(s), and hand-off the electrical data set(s) to second abstraction level. The method may further identify preexisting electrical data set(s). The method may further compare the electrical data set(s) and preexisting electrical data set(s).
US09177091B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve methods and systems for component placement in a datapath block of a microelectronic circuit design. In particular, implementations provide for collecting groups of common components in the datapath block that form a row or partial row. A preliminary layout of the datapath block is performed with the component set rows and any other components of the datapath block design. Common components are then collected into groups or sets to form additional rows within the datapath layout, with at least some consideration to the wire lengths between components in the rows. By collecting common components into rows with consideration to the wire lengths between interconnected components, the timing performance of the datapath block may be improved.
US09177085B2
In one embodiment, a viewer executing on an electronic device having a touch sensitive display shows a three-dimensional (3D) model of a building created using computer aided design (CAD) software. A plurality of selectable interface nodes are provided at respective locations within the 3D model. Each interface node is linked to at least one corresponding two-dimensional (2D) construction drawing that shows a section view, a plan view, an elevation view or a detail view of the building related to the location of the interface node. In response to receiving input from a user indicating selection of a particular interface node, a menu is displayed with one or more selectable menu options. In response to receiving additional input from the user indicating selection of a particular menu option, a corresponding 2D construction drawing for the particular interface node is displayed in context of the 3D model of the building.
US09177084B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a system, for generating an analytical energy model from a conceptual representation or a mass form model. In one aspect, actions include receiving a conceptual representation of a building including one or more user-defined floor levels and multiple surfaces defining volumetric space, and, responsive to a request to generate an analytical energy model, automatically generating the analytical energy model by: deriving geometric information from the conceptual representation; defining one or more mass volumes; algorithmically assigning one or more surface types to mass volume surfaces; defining one or more thermal mass zones based on the mass volumes and a corresponding number of user-defined floor levels; deriving thermal properties of the one or more thermal mass zones; and combining the defined one or more thermal mass zones, the derived thermal properties, and predefined analytical energy model parameters to generate the analytical energy model.
US09177077B2
A method for improving backward and forward web browser performance is described. In one embodiment, backward and forward web performance is enhanced by ignoring unload handler scripts and caching web pages. Web elements with unload handler scripts are examined. In a first pass, if the web page elements are not determined to be significant, then the related unload handler scripts can be ignored, enabling the web page to be cached. In a second pass, if the web page element is significant, but the unload handler script is determined to be insignificant, then the unload handler script can be ignored and the web page can be cached.
US09177074B2
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for confirming authorship of documents is presented. A document hosted on a website of a domain is accessed, where the document includes an authorship identifier asserting authorship of the document by an entity. Authorship of the document by the entity is conditionally confirmed when a profile for the entity is associated with the authorship identifier and when the profile for the entity indicates that the entity has confirmed that the authorship identifier is included in documents authored by the entity that are hosted on the first website of the first domain. Responsive to confirming authorship of the document by the entity, application of a confirmed authorship process to the document is permitted. Responsive to failing to confirm authorship of the document by the entity, application of the confirmed authorship process to the document is barred.
US09177066B2
A method and system for displaying comments associated with a query. The method includes receiving the query provided by a user, retrieving a set of comment clusters from a comment cluster database, selecting engaging comments from each comment cluster included in the set of comment clusters, aggregating the engaging comments that are obtained from each comment cluster, identifying a plurality of independent comments included in a list of aggregated comments and displaying a list of engaging comments to the user. The system includes an electronic device, a communication interface and a memory. The system also includes a processor to receive the query, retrieve a set of comment clusters, select engaging comments from each comment cluster, aggregate the engaging comments, identify a plurality of independent comments and display a list of engaging comments to the user.
US09177062B2
The present technology includes systems and methods for searching for social profiles based on user search queries and sorting search results based on determining and matching personal similarities. In some implementations, the systems and methods retrieve a plurality of search results that either partially or fully match a search query by a user of an online community for a particular social profile. The systems and methods determine a plurality of personal similarity factors relating to the search results and compare them to the profile of the user requesting the search based on predetermined criteria and assign varying weights to the personal similarity factors. The weights are aggregated and total scores for the search results are computed. The systems and methods sort the search results based on the total scores to identify and separate results of greater interest to the user from those that of less interest.
US09177044B2
A computer-implemented system and method for extracting Human Generated Lists from an electronic database is described. The system searches for objects of the same class within a context window to identify Human Generated Lists and stores them to an archive, The archive may be used to generate a relationship network. The system generates variable length data vectors to represent the relationships between the objects within each Human Generated List. This relationship network can then be queried to discover relationships between the objects in the Human Generated Lists and to provide related objects as recommendations.
US09177038B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for comparing multi-dimensional datasets are provided. A multi-dimensional dataset comparison includes receiving a plurality of datasets, each including a plurality of coordinates, wherein a subset of coordinates defines a geo-fence. For a coordinate within a geo-fence of one of the plurality of datasets, determining analogous coordinates in each of the other datasets, the analogous coordinates defining a coordinate input set, and performing in parallel an operation on the coordinate input set to determine whether an entry is present at a coordinate of the coordinate input set.
US09177036B2
Runtime performance of report generation and other response to query requests can be improve using a report analyzer that can parse the query request and distribute the necessary analytical task among two or more analytical engines of varying levels of complexity.
US09177019B2
A computer system including a database having a database table for storing records including first columns for storing data values, and at least one second column for storing keys identifying records stored in the database. The computer system also including a set of index tables with each having assigned thereto an index table identifier, an arrangement for receiving a query an arrangement for storing a predefined ordered sequence of index table identifiers, and an arrangement for processing the query by checking each one of the index tables for being relevant for the execution of the query, storing the index table identifier for each relevant index table in a query execution table, sorting the query execution table in accordance with the predefined ordered sequence, and executing the query using the index tables identified in the query execution table in the order given by the sorting of the query execution table.
US09177017B2
A query specified in a source programming language can be analyzed as a function of a type-based state machine that encodes query constraints of a target programming language. The type-based state machine can encode such constraints as types representing states and methods representing transitions between states or types.
US09177003B2
Embodiments of methods, apparatus, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are discussed. For example, in one embodiment, a method of splitting a first tree into at least second and third trees includes the following. A first tree is converted to a first numeral via a computing platform. The first numeral is factored into at least second and third numerals. The at least second and third numerals are converted to at least second and third trees. Many other embodiments are disclosed.
US09176992B2
A method and system for providing on online file- service that automatically stores and organizes digital files. The method and system include providing the server with a set of trigger handlers that are each configured to perform a particular action on a digital file. The user may log into the server and specify attribute criteria for each of the trigger handlers. Digital files uploaded by the user are received by the server, wherein each file has a plurality of attributes associated therewith. The attributes of each file are then compared with the attribute criteria entered by the user for each of the trigger handlers. And upon a match, the corresponding trigger handler is invoked, such that actions are automatically performed on the digital files.
US09176989B2
Image analysis includes: determining, using one or more processors, an image quality score associated with an image, including: determining a foreground and a background in the image; calculating a set of one or more characteristic parameters of the image based on the determined foreground and background; calculating the image quality score based at least in part on the set of characteristic parameters, wherein calculating the image quality score comprises using an image quality computation model that has been pre-trained; and in response to a search query, generating a set of search results that includes a set the images, wherein inclusion of the images or ranking of the search results is based at least in part on image quality scores associated with the set of images.
US09176987B1
An automatic face annotation method is provided. The method includes dividing an input video into different sets of frames, extracting temporal and spatial information by employing camera take and shot boundary detection algorithms on the different sets of frames, and collecting weakly labeled data by crawling weakly labeled face images from social networks. The method also includes applying face detection together with an iterative refinement clustering algorithm to remove noise of the collected weakly labeled data, generating a labeled database containing refined labeled images, finding and labeling exact frames containing one or more face images in the input video matching any of the refined labeled images based on the labeled database, labeling remaining unlabeled face tracks in the input video by a semi-supervised learning algorithm to annotate the face images in the input video, and outputting the input video containing the annotated face images.
US09176986B2
A server system receives a visual query from a client system distinct from the server system, performs optical character recognition (OCR) on the visual query to produce text recognition data representing textual characters, including a plurality of textual characters in a contiguous region of the visual query, and scores each textual character in the plurality of textual characters. The server system identifies, in accordance with the scoring, one or more high quality textual strings, each comprising a plurality of high quality textual characters from among the plurality of textual characters in the contiguous region of the visual query; retrieves a canonical document having the one or more high quality textual strings; generates a combination of the visual query and at least a portion of the canonical document; and sends the combination to the client system.
US09176984B2
An MMR system for publishing comprises a plurality of mobile devices, an MMR gateway, an MMR matching unit and an MMR publisher integrated into a network with an advertiser, an ad broker, and an MMR service bureau. The MMR matching unit receives an image query from the MMR gateway and sends it to one or more of the recognition units to identify a result including a document, the page and the location on the page. The MMR service bureau uses the result to retrieve advertising or other links associated with the location on the page. The list of results and links are sent back to the MMR gateway for presentation on the mobile device. The present invention also includes a number of novel methods including a differentially weighting links associated with an MMR document.
US09176983B2
A system and method for providing a digital map database wherein multiple instances of geocoded objects pertaining to points of interest (POI) and/or three-dimensional (3D) objects contained within one or more building blocks are compared to find undesirable duplicate geocoded objects. Cross-referencing information is stored and preference information about which geocoded object or object property/attribute should be used is assessed to determine priority for selection or presentation on the display screen of a navigation device or other suitable computing device. Cross-references can be pre-calculated at compile time or calculated on-the-fly by the navigation application at run time and may be persistently stored in dedicated data structures. When duplicate geocoded objects are found, only the most accurate information or a super set of (attribute) information is used by applications or presented to a user thereby preventing confusion.
US09176980B2
Scalable caching of remote file data in cluster file systems is provided. One implementation involves maintaining a cache in a local cluster file system and caching local file data in the cache by fetching file data on demand from the remote cluster file system into the local cached file system over the network. The local file data and metadata corresponds to the remote file data and metadata in the remote cluster file system. Updates made to the local file data and metadata are pushed back to the remote cluster file system asynchronously.
US09176965B2
An apparatus for associated search terms with a downloaded file includes a storage device storing machine-readable code and a processor executing the machine-readable code. The machine-readable code includes a reference module that references one or more search terms for a file selected for download. The file is retrieved by a search engine searching with the one or more search terms. The machine-readable code includes an embedding module that embeds the one or more search terms into data associated with a file copy. The file copy includes a copy of the file for saving on a storage device.
US09176964B1
A system and method for data deduplication includes a first computer device that determines duplicacy of a data item. If the data item is not a duplicate, the first computer device transmits a request to add an entry for the data item in a deduplication table of a deduplication database. The database adds the entry for the data item while enforcing uniqueness of data across one or more data fields of the deduplication table, where, in enforcing the uniqueness, the database denies an attempt by the second device to add an entry in the deduplication table for the same data item.
US09176956B2
The present embodiment provides an apparatus for providing a search screen comprising: a data communication unit that performs a data communication with a storage medium in which at least one data is stored; a control unit that analyzes types of data for the at least one data provided through the data communication unit and sorts the provided at least one data based on the analyzed types of data; and a search screen generation unit that generates a search screen for the at least one data sorted based on the types of data, wherein the search screen generation unit generates virtual folders corresponding to the types of data and disposes the data corresponding thereto in the virtual folders for generated each type of data.
US09176949B2
Systems and methods for performing logical semantic sentence comparisons and sentence-based searches. Training is performed by running an NLP pipeline on unstructured text comprising sentences and creating sentence matrix representations on the unstructured text; storing the matrix representations in an indexed database; combining the stored matrix representations; running an SVD on the combined matrix; storing the SVD components in the indexed database; reiterating through the output of the NLP pipeline the sentences of the unstructured training text to form a low-dimensional matrix conversion for each sentence for storage in the database based on the calculated SVD components. Subsequent query statements are run through the same process based and converted into low-dimensional matrix representations using the SVD components from training; the low-dimensionality query matrix is compared to the stored low-dimensional matrices to determine the closest relevant documents, that are returned to the user.
US09176947B2
Techniques are disclosed for supplying users in an online environment with a safe and effective chat facility. The chat facility is “safe” in the sense that the ability of users to compose inappropriate messages is greatly restricted, while “effective” in the sense that users are still allowed a broad range of expressivity in composing and exchanging chat messages.
US09176936B2
Feature sequences are extracted, as individual letters separated by spaces, from a digital representation of a proper name in a first language to obtain a first orthographic feature sequence set; and from a digital representation of a proper name in a second language to obtain a second orthographic feature sequence set. The first and second orthographic feature sequence sets (a transliteration pair) are compared to determine a similarity score, based on a similarity model including a plurality of conditional probabilities of known orthographic feature sequences in the first language given known orthographic feature sequences in the second language and a plurality of conditional probabilities of known orthographic feature sequences in the second language given known orthographic feature sequences in the first language. Based on at least one threshold value, it is determined whether the transliteration pair belong to an identical actual proper name.
US09176935B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image data generation unit configured to write at least one of image data for print output and image data for confirmation display based on intermediate data on an object included in print data and store the image data in a buffer; an intermediate data generation unit configured to generate the intermediate data based on comparing a resolution or gradation of a target object with an output resolution or output gradation that is defined based on a size of the buffer, adjusting a resolution to either the resolution of the target object or the output resolution and adjusting gradation to either the gradation of the target object or the output gradation; a printing unit configured to print using the image data for print output; and a display unit configured to display a print preview.
US09176930B2
Method for estimating the Hessian of the objective function, times a vector, in order to compute an update in an iterative optimization solution to a partial differential equation such as the wave equation, used for example in full wave field inversion of seismic data. The Hessian times vector operation is approximated as one forward wave propagation (24) and one gradient computation (25) in a modified subsurface model (23). The modified subsurface model may be a linear combination of the current subsurface model (20) and the vector (21) to be multiplied by the Hessian matrix. The forward-modeled data from the modified model are treated as a field measurement in the data residual of the objective function for the gradient computation in the modified model. In model parameter estimation by iterative inversion of geophysical data, the vector in the first iteration may be the gradient of the objective function.
US09176929B2
A multi-granularity parallel FFT computation device including three memories, a butterfly computation device, a state control unit, a data reversing network and a first selector. The three memories are each a multi-granularity parallel memory, and store butterfly group data and twiddle factors corresponding to the butterfly group data. The butterfly computation device perform computations of a butterfly group based on the butterfly group data outputted from the first selector and the corresponding twiddle factors outputted from one of the memories, and write a computation result back to the other two memories. The device can read butterfly group data and corresponding twiddle factors in parallel from the multi-granularity parallel memories with a specific R/W granularity. No memory conflict will occur in the read operation, and no additional process is required for sorting the read/written data.
US09176926B2
A method monitoring an aircraft engine, including: collecting time history measurements on a first set of measurements on endogenic variables and a second set of measurements on exogenic variables; standardizing measurements related to the endogenic variables considering the exogenic variables to form an entry point corresponding to a condition of a current engine in a multi-dimensional space, for each acquisition; projecting each multi-dimensional space entry point onto an image point on a previously constructed map, forming a sequence of image points on the map reflecting a distribution of the multi-dimensional space entry points, the image points forming a current trajectory representing a change to conditions of the current engine; comparing an end of the current trajectory with previously recorded portions of aircraft engine trajectories kept in a database; and analyzing statistical variations of the trajectories to anticipate maintenance operations on the current engine.
US09176919B2
A process controller includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a multi-channel serial communication interface including a plurality of serial communication engines in parallel to one another coupled to the CPU. The multi-channel serial communication interface provides a plurality of independent serial communication channels between the CPU and a plurality of IO modules. The plurality of independent communication channels enable the CPU to simultaneously receive signals at any time from any combination of the plurality of IO modules.
US09176918B2
Component apparatuses with inter-component communication capabilities, and system having such component apparatuses are disclosed herein. In embodiments, such a component may include a number of control pins including a clock pin, a number of data pins, and a logic unit. The logic unit may be configured to receive a clock signal from another component through the clock pin, to provide an alert signal to the other component through a selected one of the control and data pins to initiate a transaction with the other component, to receive in response to the alert signal from the other component through the data pins a status request to determine nature of the transaction, and to provide in response to the status request to the other component through the data pins a status to indicate the nature of the transaction. The provision of the alert signal, the receipt of the status request and the provision of the status may be in reference to the clock signal. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.
US09176916B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for address mapping between die-to-die-port (DTDP) host devices and DTDP expansion devices for combined system-in-package (SiP) solutions. Interconnect circuitry having a plurality of ports is configured to provide communication from the host device to the expansion device so that the expansion device appears to be resident on the host device. Configurable address mapping is used to re-configure the host memory map to include expansion memory map details in a seamless fashion. Further, direct circuit interconnection blocks (e.g., using copper pillar (CuP) connectors) can be used to improve connectivity and performance.
US09176911B2
Methods, apparatus and systems for facilitating explicit flow control for RDMA transfers using implicit memory registration. To setup an RDMA data transfer, a source RNIC sends a request to allocate a destination buffer at a destination RNIC using implicit memory registration. Under implicit memory registration, the page or pages to be registered are not explicitly identified by the source RNIC, and may correspond to pages that are paged out to virtual memory. As a result, registration of such pages result in page faults, leading to a page fault delay before registration and pinning of the pages is completed. In response to detection of a page fault, the destination RNIC returns an acknowledgment indicating that a page fault delay is occurring. In response to receiving the acknowledgment, the source RNIC temporarily stops sending packets, and does not retransmit packets for which ACKs are not received prior to retransmission timeout expiration.
US09176906B2
A memory system includes a memory unit and a memory controller. The memory unit includes a plurality of memory banks, wherein an information stored in a memory bank is accessed via a word line and a bit line. The memory controller is configured to limit repetitive accessing of a same word line or a same bit line so that the number of consecutive access is less than a predetermined critical value.
US09176884B2
For efficient track destage in secondary storage in a more effective manner, for temporal bits employed with sequential bits for controlling the timing for destaging the track in a primary storage, a preference of movement to lower speed cache level is implemented based on at least one of an amount of holes and a data heat metric. If a first bit has at least one of a lower amount of holes and a hotter data heat metric, it is moved to the lower speed cache level ahead of a second bit that has at least one of a higher amount of holes and a cooler data heat. If the first bit has a hotter data heat and greater than a predetermined number of holes, the first bit is discarded.
US09176881B2
The entirety or a part of free space of a second storage device included in a host computer is used as a cache memory region (external cache) outside of a storage apparatus. If Input/Output (I/O) in the host computer is Write, a Write request is transmitted from the host computer to a storage apparatus, the storage apparatus writes data associated with the Write request into a main cache that is a cache memory region included in this storage apparatus, and the storage apparatus writes the data in the main cache into a first storage device included in the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus writes the data in the main cache into an external cache included in the host computer. If the I/O in the host computer is Read, the host computer determines whether or not Read data as target data of the Read exists in the external cache. If a result of the determination is positive, the host computer reads the Read data from the external cache.
US09176878B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that filters pre-fetch requests to reduce pre-fetching overhead. During operation, the system executes an instruction that involves a memory reference that is directed to a cache line in a cache. Upon determining that the memory reference will miss in the cache, the system determines whether the instruction frequently leads to cache misses. If so, the system issues a pre-fetch request for one or more additional cache lines. Otherwise, no pre-fetch request is sent. Filtering pre-fetch requests based on instructions' likelihood to miss reduces pre-fetching overhead while preserving the performance benefits of pre-fetching.
US09176869B2
A method, processing system, and computer readable storage medium, reduce heap memory used by an application, where unused memory in the heap memory is reclaimed by a garbage collector. A processor periodically monitors the application's memory usage including maximum heap memory size, committed heap memory size, in use heap memory size, and a garbage collection activity level. The processor, based on determining that the monitored garbage collection activity level is below a threshold, releases unused heap memory from the application by reducing the maximum heap memory size.
US09176865B2
A data writing method for controlling a rewritable non-volatile memory module having physical erasing units is provided. The physical erasing units are grouped into a first buffer area and a second buffer area. A write command instructed to write a data to a first logical address is received. Whether the quantity of the data is smaller than a predetermined value is determined. If so, the data is written into the first buffer area or the second buffer area. If the data is written into the second buffer area, at least one second logical address mapped to at least one physical programing unit in the first buffer area is obtained, and valid data belonging to the second logical address is merged, wherein the number of the second logical address is smaller than a merging threshold. Thereby, the time for a host system to wait for a write success message is shortened.
US09176859B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods that recognize and recapture potentially unused processing time in typical page program and block erase operations in non-volatile memory (NVM) devices. In one embodiment, a characterization module within a controller executes a characterization procedure by performing page program and block erase operations on one or more NVM devices in an array and storing execution time data of the operations in a calibration table. The procedure may be executed at start-up and/or periodically so that the time values are reflective of the actual physical condition of the individual NVM devices. A task manager uses the stored time values to estimate the time needed for completing certain memory operations in its task table. Based on the estimated time for completion, the task manager assigns tasks to be executed during page program and/or block erase cycles, so that otherwise unused processing time can be utilized.
US09176857B2
A method for managing an image memory in an embedded device is provided. A node is obtained from a linked list of the image memory. It is judged whether valid data is present in a memory block corresponding to the node. When no valid data is present, it is judged whether valid data is present in a memory block corresponding to a previous node of the node. When valid data is present in the previous node, it is further judged whether the valid data is movable. When the valid data is movable, memory block information described in the two nodes is exchanged, and the valid data previously stored in the memory block corresponding to the previous node is moved to the memory block corresponding to the node.
US09176856B2
A data store has a data array for storing data values and a tag array for storing tag values for tracking which data values are stored in the data array. The associativity of the data array is greater than the associativity of the tag array. This means that fewer tag entries need to be accessed on each data access than in a conventional data store, reducing power consumption.
US09176851B2
Embodiments of the invention provide for utilizing an intelligent automated script to test software applications. According to one embodiment, testing a software application can comprise executing a test script for testing a plurality of versions of the software application. For example, executing the test script can comprise instantiating a first instance of the test script for testing the first version of the software application. The first version of the software application can be initiated and a temporary map of the first version of the software application can be built by the test script. The first version of the software application can be tested based on the temporary map. In some cases, a second instance of the test script can be instantiated for testing a second version of the software application. In such cases, the first and second versions of the application may be tested in parallel.
US09176849B2
An exemplary method includes performing a first static analysis to locate elements within a program and instrumenting the program to enable a subsequent dynamic analysis based on the located elements. The method includes executing the instrumented program and performing during execution analysis to determine individual sets of statements in the program affected by a corresponding element. The method includes partitioning the sets of statements into partitions based on one or more considerations, each partition including one or more of the elements. The method includes performing a second static analysis on the partitions of the program to produce results and outputting the results. The method may be performed for, e.g., security (e.g., taint) analysis, buffer overflow analysis, and typestate analysis. Apparatus and program products are also disclosed.
US09176844B2
A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to receive a tool error output determined by a code inspection tool and select at least one defect classification mapping profile based on the code inspection tool. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to map the tool error output to one or more output classifications using the selected at least one defect classification mapping profile and generate at least one report based on the one or more output classifications.
US09176843B1
A method is described that includes receiving an application and generating a representation of the application that describes specific states of the application and specific state transitions of the application. The method further includes identifying a region of interest of the application based on rules and observations of the application's execution. The method further includes determining specific stimuli that will cause one or more state transitions within the application to reach the region of interest. The method further includes enabling one or more monitors within the application's run time environment and applying the stimuli. The method further includes generating monitoring information from the one or more monitors. The method further includes applying rules to the monitoring information to determine a next set of stimuli to be applied to the application in pursuit of determining whether the region of interest corresponds to improperly behaving code.
US09176837B2
A re-characterization process is provided that adjusts one or more operating parameters of a processor to improve the health (e.g., reduce errors) of the processor. The parameters include voltage and/or clock frequency, as examples. The processor can be an inactive or active processor for which the re-characterization process is performed. It is performed, in one instance, by a hardware controller in real-time.
US09176827B2
A disaster recovery system, including a target datastore for replicating data written to source datastores, and a checkpoint engine (i) for transmitting, at multiple times, quiesce commands to a plurality of host computers, each quiesce command including a timeout period that is adjusted at each of the multiple times, (ii) for determining, at each of the multiple times, whether acknowledgements indicating that a host has successfully stopped writing enterprise data to the source datastores, have been received from each of the host computers within the timeout period, (iii) for marking, at each of the multiple times, a cross-host checkpoint in the target datastore and reducing the timeout period for the quiesce commands at the next time, if the determining is affirmative, and (iv) for increasing, at each of the multiple times, the timeout period for the quiesce commands transmitted at the next time, if the determining is not affirmative.
US09176821B2
A functional simulator with watchpoint support includes a CPU having a first-level DMI cache, a watchpoint manager having a second-level DMI cache, an interconnect module, and a memory controller. The simulator is operated by a front-end tool. Watchpoints corresponding to a predetermined memory addresses are set by the front-end tool and stored as a watchpoint address list in the watchpoint manager. When a memory access request is received by the first-level DMI cache, after a failure to complete the memory access request, the CPU transmits the request to the watchpoint manager. The watchpoint manager searches for a memory address associated with the memory access request in the watchpoint address list. If a match is found, the watchpoint manager generates a watchpoint hit signal and notifies the front-end tool.
US09176820B2
The present disclosure proposes a disk logging method configured for an electronic device comprising a temporary non-volatile storage medium to log data from a volatile memory to said first storage medium, and the method includes the elements of aggregating data from applications of the electronic device in a queue, transferring the aggregated data to a per device queue targeted toward a native queue of the storage medium, writing the data stored in the native queue of the storage medium into a disk platter of the storage medium, and transmitting an interrupt in response to the completion of the writing of the data to the disk platter, wherein the first batch size is dynamically adjusted such that the step of writing the data to the platter takes more time than the step of transferring the data from the per device queue to the native queue of the storage medium.
US09176817B2
A mechanism is provided for controlling a solid state storage device in which the solid state storage comprises erasable blocks each comprising a plurality of data write locations. Input data is stored in successive groups of data write locations, each group comprising write locations in a set of erasable blocks in each of a plurality of logical subdivisions of the solid state storage. The input data is error correction encoded such that each group contains an error correction code for the input data in that group. Metadata, indicating the location of input data in the solid state storage, is maintained in memory. An indication of validity of data stored in each data write location is also maintained. Prior to erasing a block, valid input data is recovered from the group containing write locations in that block. The recovered data is then re-stored as new input data.
US09176808B2
A storage device which includes a user area of a memory cell array; a buffer area configured to temporarily store compressed data to be written into the user area; and compressed data management logic configured to control the user area and the buffer area such that compressed data stored in the buffer area is written into the user area. The compressed data management logic manages compressed data to be written into the user area by an ECC block unit rather than by a page-size unit.
US09176804B2
Reducing memory dump data size by: (i) receiving a memory dump data including a set of stack(s), including at least a first stack which includes a current stack portion; (ii) removing from the memory dump data a first removed data portion that comes from a portion of the first stack to yield an optimized memory dump data; (iii) determining respective ranking values for a plurality of ranked data portions from the set of stacks; and (iv) selecting a ranked data portion from the current stack portion of the first stack to be a first removed data portion based, at least in part, upon the ranking values.
US09176800B2
Apparatuses and memory refresh methods are disclosed, such as those involving checking a portion of a memory device for errors in response to the memory device being powered on, and reprogramming corrected data to the memory device if errors are found in checking the portion of the nonvolatile memory for errors. Other apparatuses and memory refresh methods are disclosed.
US09176789B2
There are described a system, apparatus and/or method according to which collected history data from monitorable and/or manageable entities within a server estate or data center is used to tailor a model to the past behavior and/or loading upon individual ones or parts of ones of the entities. The tailored model can then be used to predict a future value for one or more metrics included in the history data for an entity or part of an entity under consideration. The predicted value can then be used to determine whether some form of corrective action is required in respect of the entity, entity part or some other entity or entity part. Alternatively or in addition, predicted values for more than one entity or entity part can be aggregated to determine whether some form of corrective action is required in respect of the entity, entity part or some other entity or entity part. A corrective action can be applied on an automated or on a manual basis.
US09176784B2
A device may include a memory and logic. The logic may be configured to monitor a number of computer devices associated with a service, identify, based on the monitoring, whether any of the computer devices is experiencing a problem or is unavailable, and store, in the memory, information identifying each of the computer devices that is experiencing a problem or is unavailable. The logic may also be configured to receive a client request for the service, the client request being directed to a virtual Internet protocol (VIP) address associated with the device. The logic may be further configured to identify one of the computer devices to which the request is to be forwarded, and forward the request to the identified computer device.
US09176775B2
A re-configurable logic device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) can be used to deploy a data processing pipeline, the pipeline comprising a plurality of pipelined data processing engines, the plurality of pipelined data processing engines being configured to perform processing operations, wherein the pipeline comprises a multi-functional pipeline, and wherein the re-configurable logic device is further configured to controllably activate or deactivate each of the pipelined data processing engines in the pipeline in response to control instructions and thereby define a function for the pipeline, each pipeline function being the combined functionality of each activated pipelined data processing engine in the pipeline.
US09176768B2
A job extraction method, includes: referring to first information indicating an input time, a start time, an execution time, and a number of computation resources to be used, for each of jobs to be executed using one of computation resources; specifying first jobs having a first waiting time and a first start time later than a second start time of a second job having a second input time earlier than the first input time; and extracting, based on second information indicating a time-sequential transition of a number of computation resources not being used, a third job for which a state where computation resources of a number being equal to or greater than the number of computation resources to be used for one of the first jobs are not being used has continued for a first execution time of the first job or longer during the first waiting time.
US09176765B2
The present invention provides a virtual machine system and a method for sharing a graphics card amongst virtual machines. A VMM of the virtual machine system is provided with a resource-converting module, which converts data exchanged between a graphics card drive module of a GOS in the foreground and the graphics card based on a resource-converting table, and also intercepts accesses to the real graphics card by a GOS in the background and then responds to its operations on the graphics card. The VMM is further provided with a switching module, which alters a state of a VM based on a command for switching the VM, saves a graphics card state before the VM is switched to the background and restores the stored graphics card state to the graphics card when the VM is switched back to the foreground. Further, the GOSs each comprise a graphics card drive module corresponding to the real graphics card for accessing the real graphics card. The systems and the methods according to the present invention enable the GOSs to access the real graphics card, and also enable switching among a plurality of virtual machines.
US09176756B2
There is a need to provide a computer system capable of preventing a failure from propagating and recovering from the failure.VCPU#0 through VCPU#2 each operate different OS's. VCPU#0 operates a management OS that manages the other OS's. When notified of bus error occurrence, a virtual CPU execution portion 201 operates only VCPU#0 regardless of an execution sequence stored in schedule register A. VCPU#0 reinitializes a bus where an error occurred.
US09176747B2
A user interface apparatus includes a display device, display application, and processor. The display device includes a display area, and the display area includes an active area. The processor and display application are configured to display application stacks, each of which may be moved into and out of the active area in response to user input, and each of which contains one or more stack cards. Each application stack is associated with a computer application, and each stack card represents a content entity capable of being operated on by the computer application corresponding to its application stack. When an application stack is in the active area the application stack is activated such that its stack cards are displayed in sequence and at least one of them may be selected. Selecting a stack card causes the corresponding computer application to be executed and to operate on the corresponding content entity.
US09176743B2
A system for performing task execution in a workflow includes a processor device, at least one modular device having a digital microscope that is interchangeably coupled to the processor device, a memory device coupled to the processor device comprising instructions that when executed by the processor device execute a software service, a network interface, and an electronic workflow system coupled to the processor device via the network interface. The digital microscope corresponds to at least one particular task of a workflow to authenticate a workflow item using discrepancy detection, and the software service controls operation of the at least one modular device and generates forensic metadata from task information received by the digital microscope of the at least one modular device for the electronic workflow system.
US09176739B2
A system and method includes modules for determining whether an instruction is a target of a non-sequential fetch operation with an expected numerical property value, and avoiding execution of the instruction if it is the target of the non-sequential fetch operation and does not have the expected numerical property. Other embodiments include encoding an instruction with a functionality that is a target of a non-sequential fetch operation with an expected numerical property value. Instructions with the same functionality that are not targets of non-sequential fetch operations can be encoded with a different numerical property value. More specific embodiments can include a numerical property of parity, determining whether the instruction is valid, and throwing an exception, setting status bits, sending an interrupt to a control processor, and a combination thereof to avoid execution.
US09176735B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for a digital signal processor having an instruction set with one or more non-linear complex functions. A method is provided for a processor. One or more non-linear complex software instructions are obtained from a program. The non-linear complex software instructions have at least one complex number as an input. One or more non-linear complex functions are applied from a predefined instruction set to the at least one complex number. An output is generated comprised of one complex number or two real numbers. A functional unit can implement the one or more non-linear complex functions. In one embodiment, a vector-based digital signal processor is disclosed that processes a complex vector comprised of a plurality of complex numbers. The processor can process the plurality of complex numbers in parallel.
US09176734B2
A ladder program creation apparatus may include a command listing table storage unit configured to store a command listing table, the command listing table registering standard command information and custom ladder command information, a custom ladder command information creation unit configured to create the custom ladder command information based on an operation by user, and a custom ladder command information storage control unit configured to register the custom ladder command information, which has been created by the custom ladder command information creation unit, and the standard command information in the command listing table.
US09176732B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method for minimum cost cycle removal from a directed graph. The system determines if a provided graph contains any cycles by assigning each vertex an integer value and comparing the integer values of vertices connected by an edge. When the value of a starting vertex is greater than an ending vertex, a cycle is present. The system then determines which edges may be removed in order to minimize the cost of breaking the cycle. The system generates a linear cost function that is equal to the sum of a cost to remove an edge multiplied by a corresponding binary variable. Constraints are generated to ensure that the result does not have any cycles. The system then solves for the minimum of the linear cost function by utilizing the constraints. The value of the binary variables may then be used to determine which edges to remove.
US09176731B1
A system and method for isolating one or more code changes which are suspected of causing a code failure are disclosed. An example system may include a backend, a frontend, and a datastore. A list of changes to a codebase may be received along with a list of test targets in the codebase that are failing and a snapshot of the codebase at the time when one or more of the codebase's tests started failing. A heuristic may be used to find the code changes causing the one or more code failures.
US09176728B1
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for an automated infrastructure management and remediation in an enterprise-type computing infrastructure that provides for automated deployment of critical updates/patches to enterprise-wide computing servers to insure that such updates occur and within prescribed time limits. Further, the invention provides for automatic extraction data from the various different data sources that contain data relevant to the update/patch process, consolidation and transformation of the data to accommodate reporting needs and analytical research and relying on the data to automatically determine the current state of the servers for the subsequent purpose of determining which of enterprise-wide servers require a pending update/patch. Additionally, the data is relied upon to automatically determine optimal times for deploying the update/patch to each of the servers, scheduling of an optimal time for deployment and subsequent automated deployment.
US09176724B2
A firmware update method and apparatus of a set-top box for a digital broadcast system is provided. A firmware update method of a set-top box for a digital broadcast system includes determining whether a newly received Code Version Table (CVT) following a public CVT which has been previously received and stored is the public CVT or a filtering CVT; and updating, when the newly received CVG is the filtering CVT, the firmware of the set-top box with a filtering firmware indicated by the filtering CVT.
US09176723B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that monitor upgrade availability for computer information on a user's computer and allows the user to determine which of the available upgrades will be downloaded to the user's computer and installed. The upgrade availability for computer information on the user's computer is monitored in the background, without user-intervention when the user connects to a network, such as the Internet. If any such upgrades are available, a flag is set to notify the user of such upgrades. The user is notified of any available upgrades when computer information is accessed for which an upgrade is available, and given a choice of whether or not to download the available upgrade(s). The downloaded upgrade(s) may then be installed by an installation means. In this manner, the present invention allows for the user to download only those upgrades desired by the user.
US09176722B1
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for installing web management software on an entity server by communicating requests to entity servers for the purpose of executing instruction on the entity servers. As an example, the system receives installation parameters comprising hardware, software, and network information associated with an entity server and based on these installation parameters, generates a list of commands to install web management software on an entity server, wherein each command is executable by the entity server for performing a function to install the web management software on the entity server. The system initiates a server communication session with the entity server, and for each command in the list of commands, communicates a request comprising the command to be executed by the entity server, wherein the requests are sent in a selected order and at selected times to install web management software on the entity server.
US09176717B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for exploiting stateless and stateful data parallelism in a streaming application, wherein a compiler determines whether an operator of the streaming application is safe to parallelize based on a definition of the operator and an instance of the definition. The operator is not safe to parallelize when the operator has selectivity greater than 1, wherein the selectivity is the number of output tuples generated for each input tuple. Parallel regions are formed within the streaming application with the compiler when the operator is safe to parallelize. Synchronization strategies for the parallel regions are determined with the compiler, wherein the synchronization strategies are determined based on the definition of the operator and the instance of the definition. The synchronization strategies of the parallel regions are enforced with a runtime system.
US09176713B2
A method, apparatus and program storage device that provides a user mode device interface for enabling software reuse. The user mode device interface allows device interface requests to be sent and received, including commands and data structures, via socket communication. A device state machine on the client side is implemented in a set of shared functions that can be incorporated by all applications that want to communicate to a particular service provider. The service provider offers the software functions over a user mode device interface via socket communication. The device state machine on the service provider side is embedded in the socket server implementation. The interaction between the state machines on both client and server sides ensures a device interface request is properly handled.
US09176709B2
A multiplier for performing multiple types of multiplication including integer, floating point, vector, and polynomial multiplication. The multiplier includes a modified booth encoder within the multiplier and unified circuitry to perform the various types of multiplication. A carry save adder tree is modified to route sum outputs to one part of the tree and to route carry outputs to another part of the tree. The carry save adder tree is also organized into multiple carry save adder trees to perform vector multiplication.
US09176702B2
A multi-monitor display system is described having an arm adapted for supporting a plurality of monitors containing display screens. The system also includes a column for supporting the arm, a monitor controller assembly for electronically controlling images displayed on the screens, and a graphics assembly for sending signals to the monitor controller assembly to produce the images. The system is used in conjunction with a central processor located in a computer housing. The monitor controller assembly is disposed outside of the monitors and/or the graphics assembly is disposed outside the computer housing.
US09176701B2
A handheld communication device includes first and second screen assemblies, each including a screen having an active display area and housing having a rear surface, and a side surface extending between a periphery of the screen and the rear surface of the housing and a hinge connected to the first and second screen assemblies, whereby, when the hinge is in the fully opened position, the hinge is configured to enable a distance between the first and second active display areas to be no more than about 10 mm.
US09176700B2
Certain example embodiments described herein relate to systems and/or methods for efficient rendering of vector graphics corresponding to business models generated by a business process management (BPM) package. Such graphics may be provided in an Abstract Vector Graphic (AVG) format. In certain example embodiments, graphic images are provided to an AVG generator, along with a renderer fragment file including static code that is independent from the generated graphic but dependent on the target platform. The AVG generator in certain example embodiments produces program logic that is executable on the target device to cause the display of the graphic.
US09176697B2
A job for executing predetermined processing is received from an external apparatus. When the job is received, the predetermined processing is executed. A setting value to be used to execute the predetermined processing is stored in a memory from which an external apparatus can read out the setting value even if no power is supplied to a communication apparatus.
US09176696B2
A relay apparatus includes a processor and a network interface for performing communication with an image processing apparatus and a server apparatus through a network. The processor functions as: a server-request-information receiving unit for receiving server request information transmitted to the relay apparatus by the server apparatus; an establishment request information receiving unit for receiving establishment request information transmitted by the image processing apparatus for requesting establishment of a session between the relay apparatus and the image processing apparatus according to a session establishment type first protocol for enabling server-push for transmitting the server request information to the image processing apparatus; and a server-request-information transmitting unit for transmitting the server request information received by the server-request-information receiving unit to the image processing apparatus by using the session established between the relay apparatus and the image processing apparatus.
US09176693B2
An electronic device includes a log management unit and an assist function managing unit. The log management unit stores job logs containing, in relation to jobs, set content and execution result, and at least one of: required time, or printed sheet count and printed page count. The assist function managing unit: (a) extracts failed-job job logs in which the execution results indicate failure from the log management unit; (b) extracts successful-job job logs, corresponding to the failed-job job logs, in which, for jobs on a document executed immediately after a failed job on the document, the execution results indicate normal termination; and (c) registers, as operation assist functions, alternative user operations in terms of setting operations for successful jobs corresponding to the failed jobs that meet predetermined conditions in terms of the at least one of: required time, or printed sheet count and printed page count.
US09176683B2
An image information processing device has a controller which is configured to display images represented by the image files included in a target image group selected by a user on the display unit sequentially at particular switching intervals. The controller detects whether one of a plurality of specific flick operations is performed during execution of the switching-displaying process. When it is determined that one of a plurality of specific flick operations is performed, one of the plurality of associated processes to be applied to an image which is currently displayed on the display unit is executed.
US09176679B2
The invention relates to a computer implemented method for creating a backup of data by a computer system. The creation of the backup comprises: assigning a first memory space in a main memory to data and loading the data into the first memory space; allocating a second memory space in the main memory for acting as container of one or more images of the data in the first memory space; creating the one or more images of the data in the first memory space; and storing the created one or more images in the second memory space and storing a respective copy of at least one of the one or more images in the one or more non-volatile storage media.
US09176676B2
Example apparatus and methods provide two types of storage for a virtual machine running on a hypervisor. The first storage is de-duplication based and the second storage is not de-duplication based. Example apparatus and methods may acquire data from the first storage to instantiate the virtual machine, to instantiate an operating system on the virtual machine, or to instantiate an application on the virtual machine from the first storage. Example apparatus and methods may write a snapshot to the second storage and then support random input/output for the virtual machine, for the operating system, or for the application from the second storage. The snapshot may selectively be collapsed or the second storage may selectively be retired and thus example systems may selectively update the first storage from the second storage. Having dual devices facilitates using de-duplication storage for de-duplication-centric I/O while non-de-duplication storage is used for random I/O.
US09176673B2
According to an embodiment of the invention, a memory device includes an interface unit, a determining unit, a second command generating unit, and a processor. The interface unit receives a first command from the outside of the memory device. The determining unit determines whether the first command received by the interface unit is an access command that is a write command or a read command. When the determining unit determines that the first command is the access command, the second command generating unit extracts access destination information, which is address information or size information of an access destination, from the first command and generates a second command which includes the extracted access destination information and has a size less than that of the first command. The processor executes the second command.
US09176664B2
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes displaying an e-book content on a touchscreen, determining whether a touch lock prerequisite for setting the touchscreen to a touch lock mode is met, and if the touch lock prerequisite is met, setting the touchscreen to the touch lock mode. If the touchscreen is set to the touch lock mode, the touchscreen maintains a locked status for a touch action except a specifically provided touch action. And, the touchscreen set to the touch lock mode is set to display the e-book content.
US09176663B2
An electric device supports gesture input, so a user can determining whether the electric device is in a state of accepting the gesture input. An electronic device includes a touch panel display, a storage unit for storing sets of display data and trajectory related information that is associated with each set of display data, and a control unit. The trajectory related information includes trajectory data and function information that is associated with the trajectory data, and the control unit determines whether or not to accept the gesture input on the basis of the trajectory related information that is associated with the display data displayed on the touch panel display. When having determined to accept the gesture input, overlay-displays on the touch panel display, the trajectory data included in the trajectory related information that is associated with the display data so as to be overlaid on the display data.
US09176661B2
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed. The mobile terminal comprising a touchscreen configured to display a 1st region that comprises a 1st icon and one or more other icons and a controller configured to control the touchscreen to shift the 1st region in a 1st direction when the 1st icon is selected by a touch and dragged in a 2nd direction that is opposite to the 1st direction, shift a position of the 1st icon to a prescribed zone in the 1st region when the dragged 1st icon is released over the prescribed zone and arrange the one or more other icons of the 1st region according to a prescribed formation.
US09176651B2
An electronic device can receive a request from an accessory to provide a user interface to be displayed by the accessory. The electronic device can determine whether an accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices or a second set of one or more user input devices. In accordance with a determination that the accessory has a first set of one or more user input devices, the electronic device can provide to the accessory a first user interface configured to be controlled with the first set of user input devices. In accordance with a determination that the accessory has a second set of one or more user input devices, the electronic device can provide to the accessory a second user interface, different from the first user interface, the second user interface configured to be controlled with the second set of user input devices.
US09176650B2
A graphical user interface (GUI) may be displayed on a display unit in an apparatus which may include a tactile sensor unit. When a contact by a user is detected at the tactile sensor unit, a control unit may receive a contact detection signal therefrom. Based on the contact detection signal, the control unit may determine a contact pattern and may then display the GUI corresponding to the contact pattern. The GUI may be displayed and modified depending on the location and pressure of contacts by a user's manipulating fingers. Therefore, a user can manipulate the apparatus without any inconvenience or accidental touches.
US09176647B2
A method comprises determining that a personal message for an IM profile has been updated frequently according to at least one metric; providing an option to post subsequent personal messages in a blog; and after determining that the option has been selected, providing a user interface for entering and posting the subsequent personal messages in the blog. Another method comprises providing an option to follow a blog for a contact, the blog including a plurality of personal message updates for an IM profile of the contact; and after determining that the option has been selected, generating a social feed for the blog. Another method comprises determining that a predetermined number of contacts have selected to follow a blog associated with IM personal message updates for a mobile device; and providing an option to at least one of the mobile device and the contacts to participate in an IM group.
US09176644B1
A process for organizing a series of discussion replies is disclosed, including monitoring a discussion thread for a series of single replies, each subsequent reply in the series responding to an immediately preceding reply. Once the system determines the existence of the series of single replies, the series of single replies is arranged into a single horizontally-aligned block, the block being vertically separated from other replies to the discussion comment that are not in the series of single replies. Thus, the horizontal-space used by the discussion thread is minimized and readability of the discussion thread improved.
US09176642B2
A computer-implemented system and method for displaying clusters via a dynamic user interface is presented. Cluster spines are displayed and each cluster spine includes two or more clusters of documents. At least one compass frames at least a portion of one or more of the cluster spines in the display. At least one label is generated to identify a concept of one of the framed cluster spines. The label is circumferentially displayed around the compass. Then, the concept is changed as the compass moves over others of the cluster spines.
US09176641B1
A method for displaying temporal data via a graphical user interface in a manner designed to facilitate easy review and comprehension includes displaying, to a user via a display screen of an electronic device, a radial graphical user interface element configured to display the return of results, the radial graphical user interface element displaying a plurality of icons positioned in one or more circumferential rings of the radial graphical user interface element, the icons representing abnormal readings or measurements having an associated time falling over a displayed twelve hour period, and an indication, in a central area of the radial graphical user interface element, of a total number of abnormal readings or measurements falling over a certain period; wherein each of the icons is displayed on the radial graphical user interface element in a position corresponding to the time associated with the icon it represents.
US09176638B2
User interfaces that enable monitoring of the configuration and status of computing systems are disclosed. The user interfaces may summarize data collected from a plurality of computing systems. The data may be summarized by flagging collected information that does not match a set of reference information or the collected information from other systems. The flags may be presented at a variety of levels of granularity, and the presence of a flag at one level of granularity may indicate the presence of a flagged item at any lower level of granularity. A dynamic hierarchical user interface provides a user with a high level overview of system status, as well as the ability to drill down to identify specific system information that does not adhere to a specified configuration.
US09176637B2
A system includes, but is not limited to: one and one or more display control modules configured to direct controlling display of one or more portions of the bendable interface containing electronic device regarding display of second information in response to the information associated with the one or more changes in one or more sequences of two or more conformations of the one or more portions of the one or more regions of the bendable interface containing electronic device. In addition to the foregoing, other related system/system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US09176633B2
A processing system configured to sense an input object in a sensing region of a sensing device including a transmitter module coupled to a first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter electrode and configured to simultaneously apply a first transmitter signal to the first transmitter electrode and a second transmitter signal to the second transmitter electrode, wherein the first transmitter signal is based on a first one of a plurality of distinct codes and the second transmitter signal is based on a second one of the plurality of distinct codes. The processing system also includes a receiver module including receiver circuitry coupled to a first receiver electrode and configured to receive a first resulting signal with the first receiver electrode, the first resulting signal comprising effects corresponding to the first and second transmitter signals and a noise component. The processing system is configured to determine an estimate of the noise component using a third one of the plurality of distinct codes which is not associated with a transmitter signal.
US09176625B2
An information input device includes an input panel and one or more circuits. The one or more circuits are configured to determine first, second and third representations of possible proximity of an object to an input panel from first, second and third input frames, respectively. The second input frame is generated after the first input frame, and the third input frame is generated after the second input frame. The one or more circuits are configured to determine whether proximity of the object to the input panel is detected for the second input frame, based on the third representation, if the first and second representations are not similar.
US09176622B1
A touch structure is disclosed. The touch structure includes an active region including a plurality of first conductive patterns, and an inactive region including a wiring. The first conductive patterns at an edge of the active region are electrically connected with each other and are electrically connected with the wiring of the inactive region to form a coil. A touch panel and a touch device including the touch structure are also disclosed.
US09176620B2
A mobile terminal including a display unit including a touch screen, a memory unit configured to store data, a receiving unit configured to receive an input command to view requested stored data on the display unit of the mobile terminal, and a controller configured to classify the requested stored data into at least first and second categories of data, each category of data including a common type of data, to control the display unit to display the at least first and second categories of data in lists that are parallel with each other, and to individually and separately control the lists of the first and second categories of data based on a touching action performed on one of lists of the first and second categories of data.
US09176611B2
A touch screen panel having first sensing electrodes including a plurality of first sensing cells arranged on a substrate and a first coupling unit that electrically couples adjacent ones of the first sensing cells, and having second sensing electrodes including a plurality of second sensing cells arranged on the substrate and a second coupling unit that electrically couples adjacent ones of the second sensing cells. The second coupling unit includes a plurality of relay patterns and the relay patterns are positioned in the first sensing electrodes.
US09176610B1
Building on a set of captured audiovisual segments clipped to provide a palette of audio and synched video, techniques and implementations described herein facilitate a new and highly-personalized (and in some cases crowd-sourced or sourcable) genre of audiovisual sampling and musical performance. Using a palette of captured and/or imported audio and associated video, users can remix to create a coordinated audiovisual performance. Because the audiovisual sampling and musical performance capabilities can be hosted on ubiquitous handheld or other portable computing devices such as smartphones and/or pad-type computers, user/musicians can, in essence, creatively remix their life.
US09176605B2
The technical subject is realizing a highly useful input-output device which can be used alone to independently input and output information, and, when connected with an information processing device, can function as an input device that depends on the applications of the information processing device. The input-output device comprises: a function of recognizing whether a connection with the information processing device through a connection unit is present by the connection recognition unit and transmitting a code value and/or a coordinate value converted by a processing unit to the information processing device through the connection unit; and a function of outputting the content data from the output unit or controlling operation based on the operation instruction when the connection recognition unit does not recognise a connection between the connection unit and the information processing device. The provided functions make the disclosed input-output device highly useful.
US09176599B2
A display device can make it possible to easily recognize a plurality of indication bodies as a plurality of pointing devices. The display device is provided with a function device having a first interface and a second interface, and stores configuration information assigning the same class to the first interface and the second interface in a storage section. The display device detects a first position indicated by a first indication body to a display surface and a second position indicated by a second indication body to the display surface, assigns first coordinate data representing the first position to the first interface, assigns second coordinate data representing the second position to the second interface, and supplies a host device with the first coordinate data and the second coordinate data.
US09176594B2
An information display apparatus includes an input device adapted to input user operation information, a touch sensor adapted to detect the state of the input device in terms of whether the input device is touched by a user, a display adapted to display information, and a control unit adapted to receive user operation information from the input device and sensor detection information from the touch sensor, and control displaying of the information on the display in accordance with the received user operation information and the sensor detection information. If the touch information indicating that the input device is touched by the user is received from the touch sensor, the control unit displays first information associated with the input device on the display. If the input device is maintained in the touched state longer than a predetermined period, the control unit switches the displayed information into second information.
US09176592B2
A system for, and a method of, configuring an electro-optical reader as a keyboard device having a selected keyboard layout containing keyboard layout data, encode each of a plurality of configuration symbols with a symbol sequence number, a total number of the configuration symbols, and a fractional amount of the keyboard layout data. During a configuration procedure, all the configuration symbols are electro-optically scanned and decoded, and the symbol sequence number, the total number of the configuration symbols, and the fractional amount of the keyboard layout data are extracted for each configuration symbol. The keyboard layout data for all the configuration symbols are linked in a sequence determined by each symbol sequence number and the total number of the configuration symbols. All the keyboard layout data is processed to configure the reader during the configuration procedure.
US09176588B2
A method for gesture determination (e.g., discerning complex gestures) via an electronic system (e.g., a gesture sensing system) including an array of optical sensors is described herein. The method includes detecting a plurality of sub-gestures (e.g., simple gestures provided by a target located proximate to the system) via the array of optical sensors. The sensors generate signals based upon the detected (e.g., received) sub-gestures and transmit the signals to a processor of the gesture sensing system. The processor processes the signals to obtain data associated with the sub-gestures and analyzes the sub-gesture data to determine if the sub-gestures collectively constitute a gesture (e.g., complex gesture). When the analyzing indicates that the sub-gestures collectively constitute a complex gesture, the gesture sensing system detects the complex gesture.
US09176586B2
A touch panel device with the tactile sense presenting function according to this embodiment includes the plurality of electrodes 1 arranged on the single plane, and the controller 20. The controller 20 performs a first operation and a second operation in a time division manner. The first operation includes applying the first voltage which changes temporally, to some of the electrodes 1, detecting voltages generated on at least some of the remaining electrodes 1 in this state, and detecting the position of the dielectric which is in proximity to the touch panel device, on the basis of the detected voltages. The second operation includes applying the second voltage which changes temporally, to some of the electrodes 1, and generating electric field with the some working electrodes 1.
US09176573B2
Cumulative movement animation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an output a first animation is initiated that involves a display of movement in a user interface of a computing device. An input is received by the computing device during the output of the first animation, the input configured to cause a second display of movement in the user interface. Responsive to the receipt of the input, a remaining portion of the movement of the first animation is output along with the movement of the second animation by the computing device.
US09176572B2
Methods, systems and devices that include a dynamic clock and voltage scaling (DCVS) solution configured to compute and enforce performance guarantees for a group of processors to ensure that the processors does not remain in a busy state (e.g., due to transient workloads) for a combined period that is more than a predetermined amount of time above that which is required for one of the processors to complete its pre-computed steady state workload. The DCVS may adjust the frequency and/or voltage of one or more of the processors based on a variable delay to ensure that the multiprocessor system only falls behind its steady state workload by, at most, a predefined maximum amount of work, irrespective of the operating frequency or voltage of the processors.
US09176567B2
A method of charging a battery of a device using a battery of a computer powered by the battery, in which the procedure is implemented by a circuit independent of the computer's processors. The method includes supplying a power supply voltage, insufficient to charge a battery, to a computer port, as long as a device is detected as connected to the port, controlling the supply of a charging voltage to the port, while supplying charging voltage to the port, detecting an end of charging condition of a battery of the device, and controlling the cutting off of the charging voltage to the port if the end of charging condition is detected, where this condition is determined according to the intensity of a charging current and according to a quantity of electrical charge supplied to the port and/or of a charging period.
US09176564B2
In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, a controller for thermal control of an enclosure comprising one or more storage resources may be configured to receive an indication of a physical quantity indicative of a power delivered from at least one power supply module to information handling resources of the enclosure. The controller may also be configured to, based on the physical quantity indicative of the power delivered from the at least one power supply module, determine a desired rate of the flow of air from at least one air mover configured to cool one or more storage resources received by the enclosure by delivering a flow of air within the storage enclosure and cause the at least one air mover to deliver the flow of air in accordance with the desired rate.
US09176562B2
A system and method for executing a plurality of pre-determined signal processing tasks includes an energy source for powering a signal processing system. The energy source supplies an amount of energy that varies over the service life of the energy source. The signal processing system determines an amount of energy available from the energy source and selects for execution a specific one of the pre-determined signal processing tasks in dependence on the amount determined.
US09176560B2
A method for power management may include collecting data related to resource utilization and process information from a server. The method may further include using the collected data to generate use and state models respectively based on use and state categories of the server. The method may also include determining a state condition of the server through use of the generated use and state models to manage power utilization of the server.
US09176559B2
A display device using infrared sensor modules that is capable of reducing power consumption and extending durability of infrared light sources and sensors and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The display device includes a display panel to display images, a plurality of infrared sensor modules to optically detect a touched position on the display panel, an infrared sensor module controller to sequentially drive the infrared sensor modules and to switch the infrared sensor modules to a low-power mode when a touch operation has not been performed within a predetermined period of time or when the display panel is in a power-saving mode, and a system to provide a state of the display panel to the infrared sensor module controller.
US09176555B2
Devices and methods for a communication device having at least one power supply unit coupled to a power connector for providing an operating power for operation of network modules of the communication device and a PoE power for the ports connected to Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices. The PoE power includes a consumable power to power up at least one PoE devices and a leftover power. Further, a PoE power harvester adapter is coupled to a power connector to convert the leftover PoE power into additional operating power for operating additional network modules.
US09176554B2
Methods and apparatus relating to robust governing of power management infrastructure in a bridge design are described. In one embodiment, a first agent (such as a processor core) is coupled to a second agent (such as an input/output device) via a bridge. The bridge may or may not enter a different power management state from a current power management state based on a second derivative value. The second derivative value may be in turn determined based on a plurality of first derivative values corresponding to received packets Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09176553B2
Disclosed herein is a device that includes: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, the memory cell array operates on a first internal voltage; a peripheral circuit accessing selected one or ones of the memory cells, the peripheral circuit operates on a second internal voltage; a first internal voltage generation circuit that supplies the first internal voltage to the memory cell array; and a second internal voltage generation circuit that supplies the second internal voltage to the peripheral circuit. The second internal voltage generation circuit sets the second internal voltage to a first voltage value in a first mode, and to a second voltage value that is different from the first voltage value in a second mode. The first internal voltage generation circuit sets the first internal voltage to a third voltage value in both the first and second modes.
US09176549B2
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to a case having a base unit and a display unit. The base unit includes an emitting surface. The display unit includes a dissipating member. A hinge connects the base unit and the display unit, the hinge connected below at least part of the heat emitting surface or first vent and the heat dissipating member or second vent. The emitting surface and the dissipating member are to overlap or align when the display unit is in a closed position.
US09176538B2
Input device configurations are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a connection portion, protective case, and one or more controls. The connection portion is configured to provide a removable physical connection to a computing device. The protective case is coupled to the connection portion and configured to support rotational movement of the protective case in relation to the computing device when the connection portion is physically connected to the computing device. The one or more controls are disposed on the protective case such that at least one control is accessible to a user when the protective case is positioned behind the computing device and the computing device and the input device are grasped by one or more hands of a user.
US09176537B2
Particular examples described herein provide for an electronic device, such as a notebook computer or laptop, which includes a circuit board coupled to a plurality of electronic components (which includes any type of hardware, elements, circuitry, etc.). The electronic device may also include a connector assembly that is positioned within at least a portion of a recess of the electronic device, where the connector assembly includes: a first assembly that is to receive a connector; and a second assembly that is to receive an identification module that is to provide an association between a user and the electronic device.
US09176534B2
An electronic apparatus comprises a display unit and a first cover member that is located on a surface of the electronic apparatus and includes a layer made of sapphire. The first cover member has a first surface opposed to a display surface of the display unit and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The electronic apparatus includes an apparatus case to which the first cover member is mounted and accommodates the display unit. The second surface of the first cover member comprises an outline including first through sixth partial outlines. The electronic apparatus includes a second cover member and a fixing member that fixes said second cover member and said apparatus case to each other.
US09176532B2
A case for a mobile device includes a housing sized to receive the mobile device. The housing defines a plurality of corner portions, each corner portion includes an interior wall. The mobile device is spaced a distance from the interior wall of the corner portions when disposed within the housing. The housing includes a plurality of protrusions disposed along at least a portion of the interior wall, the protrusions are operable to space the mobile device a distance away from the interior wall.
US09176531B1
An apparatus for providing utility receptacles and HDMI cables at a location on a work surface has a bottom panel member and a wall structure attached to the bottom panel member. The wall structure defines an interior region. An interior panel is positioned within the interior region and attached to the wall structure to form upper and lower compartments. An electrical power device is positioned within the interior region and attached to the wall structure. The electrical power device has an electrical power receptacle and device charging ports. A HDMI signal switcher is in the lower compartment and has HDMI input and output connectors. The apparatus includes a plurality of HDMI cables. Each HDMI cable extends from a corresponding opening in the interior panel and has a first HDMI connector connected to a corresponding HDMI input connector and a second HDMI connector for connection to an HDMI signal source device.
US09176522B1
A clock signal generator provides a gated clock signal GCLK to trigger operation of dual-edge triggered circuits. A first detector generates, while a clock gating signal /EN is asserted, a first detector output signal that is asserted or de-asserted as a function of disjunction or conjunction respectively of the values that an input clock signal CLK and the gated clock signal GCLK had when the clock gating signal /EN transitioned. A second detector generates, while the clock gating signal /EN is de-asserted, as the value of the gated clock signal GCLK, the value CLK or its complement /CLK as a function of the first detector output signal. When the clock gating signal /EN is asserted, the second detector maintains the value that the gated clock signal GCLK had when the clock gating signal /EN transitioned from de-asserted to asserted.
US09176519B2
Receiving, by a first zone player, first control information from a user interface module; based on the received first control information, transmitting, by the first zone player, a notification to a second zone player, wherein the notification indicates that the first zone player is joining a synchrony group with the second zone player; receiving, by the first zone player, second control information from the second zone player, wherein the second control information comprises a multicast address that an audio information channelization device uses to broadcast audio information and playback timing information to the synchrony group; and playing, by the first zone player, the audio information in synchrony with the second zone player.
US09176514B2
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a reference voltage generator circuit. Specifically, the circuit may for example comprise: a mirror constant current source having a first branch and a second branch, wherein a first current on the first branch is proportional to a second current on the second branch; wherein the first branch has a first resistive element, and the second branch has two second resistive elements connected in series; and a power supply terminal located between said two second resistive elements on the second branch. A high-precision reference voltage relative to the voltage source can be provided at the power supply terminal by using the circuit provided by various embodiments of the present invention.
US09176513B2
The high dynamic range exponential current generator produces an output waveform (current/voltage) which is an exponential function of the input waveform (current/voltage). The exponential characteristics are obtained in BiCMOS or Bipolar technologies using the intrinsic characteristics (IC/VBE) of the bipolar transistors. The high dynamic range exponential current generator is biased in weak inversion region. MOSFETs biased in weak inversion region are used not to utilize the inherent exponential (IDS/VGS) relationship but to simply implement x2 and x4 terms using translinear loops. The term x4 is realized by two cascaded squaring units. The approximation equation used is ⅇ x ≅ 0.025 + ( 1 + 0.125 x ) 4 0.025 + ( 1 - 0.125 x ) 4 .
US09176512B2
A multi-current-source comprises a voltage converter (VC), a first current source (CS1) with a first terminal (A1) which is adapted to be coupled to an output (OUT) of a voltage converter (VC) and with a second terminal (B1) which is adapted to be coupled to an input (IN) of the voltage converter (VC), at least a second current source (CS2) with a first terminal (A2) which is adapted to be coupled to the output (OUT) of the voltage converter (VC) and with a second terminal (B2) which is adapted to be coupled to the input (IN) of the voltage converter (VC), wherein the first current source (CS1) being adapted to provide a first load current (Il1) at its first terminal (A1) the first load current (Il1) being regulated to a first constant value and to provide a first unidirectional error current (Ierr1) at its second terminal (B1), wherein the at least one second current source (CS2) being adapted to provide a second load current (Il2) at its first terminal (A2), the second load current (Il2) being regulated to a second constant value and to provide a second unidirectional error current (Ierr2) at its second terminal (B2), such that a sum of the first unidirectional error current (Ierr1) and the second unidirectional error current (Ierr2) adjusts the first and the second load current (Il1, Il2).
US09176510B2
A voltage equalization device for equalizing voltage fluctuations in a voltage supply is provided. The voltage supply has an electrical voltage that is as constant as possible. The voltage equalization device has at least one transformer unit which has a primary winding unit and a secondary winding unit and, on one of the two winding units, has at least three or more selection units for switching in or switching out turns of the winding unit. Two adjacent selection units are so arranged in each case as to be separated from one another by a distance having a number of turns. The number of turns between two first adjacent selection units is different from the number of turns between two further adjacent selection units.
US09176506B2
A low pressure and high-low temperature test box capable of controlling humidity comprises a test box body (1), a first heater (2) and a first evaporator (3) which are installed in the test box body (1), a humiture sensor (4) for detecting the humiture inside the test box body (1) and a vacuum manometer (5) for detecting the pressure inside the test box body (1) which are both installed on the test box body (1), an air circulation device (6) for circulating the air inside the test box body (1), and a humidity adjusting device (7) which is connected to the test box body (1) and used for adjusting the humidity inside the test box body (1). A vacuum pump (8) for vacuumizing the test box body (1) is also provided on the test box body (1).
US09176504B2
Methods and devices for the formation of droplets of a first fluid in a second fluid and the encapsulation of particles or cells within such droplets are disclosed. Impetus for droplet formation is provided by the creation of a transient bubble, which may be induced using a pulsed laser. Droplet volume and the frequency at which droplets are formed can be controlled by modulation of the pulsed laser. The disclosed methods and devices are particularly suitable for use in microfluidic devices.
US09176503B2
An ebb and flow watering system having controls for starting an internal timing clock when a fluid in a control bucket reaches a fill level, restarting the internal timing clock if the fluid drops below the fill level, and shutting off the fill pump if the internal timing clock runs for a complete fill period; and starting an internal timing clock when the fluid in the control bucket reaches a drain level, restarting the internal timing clock if the fluid raises above the drain level, and shutting off the drain pump if the internal timing clock runs for a complete drain period.
US09176502B2
An automatic guided vehicle and a method for drive control enable setting the vehicle alongside a conveyor with high accuracy in stopping at a task address. An automatic guided vehicle includes photoelectric sensors which detect the presence of an article by projecting light to a reflecting plate arranged on a conveyor and receiving signal light reflected from the reflecting plate and are arranged in one at each of the front and rear portions of the automatic guided vehicle, and a unit for detecting the distance between the vehicle and the conveyor. When both the photoelectric sensors arranged at the front and read portions of the side surface of the vehicle, a steering vehicle is steered toward the conveyor, and the automatic guided vehicle is driven toward the conveyor until the distance between the vehicle and the conveyor becomes within a predetermined distance.
US09176500B1
An autonomous vehicle configured for active sensing may also be configured to weigh expected information gains from active-sensing actions against risk costs associated with the active-sensing actions. An example method involves: (a) receiving information from one or more sensors of an autonomous vehicle, (b) determining a risk-cost framework that indicates risk costs across a range of degrees to which an active-sensing action can be performed, wherein the active-sensing action comprises an action that is performable by the autonomous vehicle to potentially improve the information upon which at least one of the control processes for the autonomous vehicle is based, (c) determining an information-improvement expectation framework across the range of degrees to which the active-sensing action can be performed, and (d) applying the risk-cost framework and the information-improvement expectation framework to determine a degree to which the active-sensing action should be performed.
US09176499B2
A method is provided for managing the flight of an aircraft flying a trajectory calculated by a flight management system. The trajectory necessitates at least one transition between two different aerodynamic configurations of the aircraft. The method comprises: extraction of performance data of the aircraft from a database, at least one item of performance data being a function of an aerodynamic configuration, selection between a first determination step and a second determination step, a step of determination of a start point and of an end point of the transition between two aerodynamic configurations and engine speeds of an aircraft during a flight, the determination step being implemented by the flight management system and chosen from among the first and second determination steps, the determination step calculating the trajectory by numerical integration of the equations representative of the dynamics of the aircraft making use of the performance data of the aircraft.
US09176494B2
A communication system includes functional modules, wherein at least one functional module includes a processing unit and at least one functional module includes a controllable device. The modules are powered by an alternating voltage at a frequency and are electrically associated by a power bus and a communication bus. The processing unit provides a communication signal to the communication bus for interaction between the functional modules through a plurality of sets of high frequency pulses arranged to repeat at a predetermined repetition frequency substantially greater than the frequency of the voltage, and each set of high frequency pulses forms an information pulse corresponding to at least one bit of a communication protocol. Filters are disposed between an electric energy power supply and the functional modules for permitting the passage only of frequency components of an electric signal greater than the voltage frequency of the electric energy power supply.
US09176490B2
A control program generation device includes a control program reuse library for storing a plurality of control modules, and an architecture pattern library for storing a plurality of units of pattern information representing architecture patterns. In addition, the control program generation device correlates and displays architecture patterns selected from the architecture pattern library, program structure of control programs including the architecture patterns, execution times of the control modules, and time constraints. Moreover, in addition, the control program generation device connects control modules of the control program reuse library on the basis of the program structure.
US09176487B2
This document relates to methods and materials for reducing the risk of infection after a shoulder surgery or medical procedure. For example, this document relates to methods and materials for using a topical composition containing clindamycin or erythromycin to reduce the risk of or to prevent infection associated with shoulder surgeries or medical procedures.
US09176484B2
A standard characteristic which is an average characteristic of multiple samples is approximated in a polygonal-line fashion by first to third lines. The coordinate-point positions of the first and second lines at comparison adjustment points are stored as standard data in a data memory of an electronic control apparatus. An actual-product characteristic as a calibration target is approximated in a polygonal-line fashion by first to third lines. The resistance value of a label resistor is adjusted to a value corresponding to ratios of monitoring outputs. The electronic control apparatus reads the resistance values of one or two label resistors, combines them with the stored standard characteristic, and interpolates a third line portion, thereby restoring and generating the actual-product characteristic.
US09176476B2
Autonomous control mechanism (100) for a movement, comprising a control stem (10) moveable relative to a bar (80) between stable stem positions, for controlling the pivoting, in each of said positions, of a single control train of the control trains of said mechanism (100).It includes, on a first side (81) of said bar (80), a first control train (810), and on a second side (82) opposite said bar (80), a second control train (820). Every stable position of the control stem (10) drives a stable position of a pull-out piece (20) fitted to one of said sides and moveable relative to a boss (210) of said bar (80). In said stable pull-out piece position, any movement applied to the control stem (10) causes the pivoting movement, of either a single first control train (810), or a single second control train (820).
US09176475B2
An assembly for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring includes a balance spring stud and a stud-holder. The stud-holder includes a device to secure the stud-holder to an escapement mechanism. The balance spring stud includes a lateral bearing surface defining a direction of holding or supporting the balance spring. The stud-holder is in two parts, and includes a rigid structure carrying the securing device, and a strip spring pressed against this rigid structure and including at least one elastic lip defining, with this structure, a chamber for receiving this stud and cooperating with this lateral bearing surface of this stud to hold this stud in an indexed locking position.
US09176471B2
An image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body including an inner wall that defines an accommodation portion, photoconductive drums arranged in parallel at intervals in a predetermined direction toward a first side from a second side, in the accommodation portion, chargers disposed corresponding to the photoconductive drums, respectively, each charger charging a corresponding one of the photoconductive drums, a frame body configured to support the photoconductive drums and the chargers and be accommodated in the accommodation portion, a regulating member disposed between the inner wall and a first-side end portion of the frame body in the predetermined direction, the regulating member configured to apply an urging force to the frame body and regulate an air current, and a pressing member configured to press the frame body against the urging force of the regulating member and regulate a movement of the frame body relative to the apparatus main body.
US09176463B2
A color multifunction printer as an example of an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges each containing a photoconductor; a support frame configured to support the cartridges arranged in tandem, the support frame being allowed to be pulled out horizontally from a casing of the apparatus to a position in which each of the cartridges is detachable from the support frame; and a plurality of exposure units mounted to the support frame, wherein each of the exposure units is disposed opposite to a corresponding photoconductor and is configured to expose the photoconductor to light to form an electrostatic latent image thereon. Each of the cartridges is configured to be detachable in such a direction that the photoconductor in the cartridge moves away from the corresponding exposure unit upon detachment.
US09176458B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a waste toner accommodating unit, a movement member, and a driving mechanism. The image forming unit forms an image by using a toner. The waste toner accommodating unit accommodates a waste toner after being used in the image forming unit. The movement member is supported so as to move in a direction parallel with a falling direction of the waste toner in a toner falling path, through which the waste toner falls, of a movement path of the waste toner that moves from the image forming unit to the waste toner accommodating unit. The driving mechanism reciprocates the movement member in the direction parallel with the falling direction of the waste toner.
US09176455B2
A cleaning apparatus includes a blade, a screw, a toner crushing member, and a casing. The toner crushing member is located in contact with the screw. The toner crushing member is provided in association with the screw and configured to crush toner accumulated between the screw and the blade, by being swung by the screw rotating. The casing houses the screw and the toner crushing member. The screw rotates in the direction reverse to the rotational direction of the photoreceptor drum. The toner crushing member is configured having a first part and a second part, with a base-end side of the first part being secured to the casing, and the second part being folded back along a distal-end side of the first part, such that a distal-end side of the second part swings between the blade and the screw, in association with the rotation of the screw.
US09176446B2
Devices and methods to determine media size in a printing device. Media being added to a media sheet tray of a printing device is detected. A size of the media in the tray is estimated based only on at least one of: a size of the media in the tray prior to the media being added, a size of the media recently used prior to the media being added, and a size of the media most frequently used. A selection of previously used sizes of media is displayed on a user interface. The selection comprises: the size of the media in the tray prior to the media being added, the size of the media recently used prior to the media being added, and the size of the media most frequently used. Confirmation of the size of the media added to the tray is received, on the user interface.
US09176444B2
The present invention is concerning to a fixing unit position-adjusting apparatus including: a first member configured to include a positioning portion that is formed on a lateral surface of the first member, the positioning portion being engaged with a positioning portion of a main body so that the first member is mounted on the main body in a manner positionable in a left and right direction; and a second member configured to include a reference pin insertion portion that is formed to receive insertion of a reference pin of the main body, the second member being assembled with the first member.
US09176436B2
When secondary-transfer residual toner adheres to a brush member, the secondary-transfer residual toner is concentrated on an end of the brush member and it is difficult to uniformly charge the secondary-transfer residual toner. The secondary-transfer residual toner can be recovered to the roots of conductive fibers of the brush member by satisfying the relationship Rb≧Ri, where Rb (Ω) is a resistance value of the brush member and Ri (Ω) is a resistance value of an intermediate transfer member in an area where the intermediate transfer member is in contact with the brush member.
US09176431B2
A developing device includes a developer bearer to carry, by rotation, developer including toner and magnetic carrier to a development range facing a latent image bearer, and the developer bearer includes a magnetic field generator having multiple magnetic poles and a cylindrical developing sleeve to rotate and bear developer on an outer circumferential face thereof with magnetic force of the magnetic field generator provided inside the developing sleeve. The developing sleeve receives developing bias voltage including an AC component, and includes a base to maintain a cylindrical shape of the developing sleeve and a low friction surface layer including a material lower in friction coefficient with toner than a material of the base.
US09176430B2
A developing device includes a developer bearer to carry developer, disposed facing an image bearer, a developer conveyance member disposed facing the developer bearer, to agitate and supply developer to the developer bearer, a decompression portion surrounded by upper walls of the developing device and including multiple vents arranged in a longitudinal direction of the developing device and a filter. A number of the multiple vents is greater in either end portion than in a center portion in the longitudinal direction of the developing device.
US09176417B2
A surface-emitting laser device includes a transparent dielectric layer provided in an emitting region and configured to cause a reflectance at a peripheral part to be different from a reflectance at a central part in the emitting region. In the surface-emitting laser device, the thickness of a contact layer is different between a region having a relatively high reflectance and a region having a relatively low reflectance in the emitting region. The contact layer is provided on the high refractive index layer of an upper multilayer film reflecting mirror, and the total optical thickness of the high refractive index layer and the contact layer in the region having the relatively low reflectance is deviated from an odd number multiple of a one quarter oscillation wavelength of laser light emitted from the emitting region.
US09176416B2
A charging device according to an embodiment includes a surface potential sensor configured to output a result of detecting a surface potential of a photoconductor, on which charge is deposited by the charging device, of an image forming apparatus and a main control unit. The main control unit is configured to perform a charging-current determining process which determines a charging-current setpoint value, which is an output setpoint value for constant current control of a charging bias to be fed from a corona power supply, based on a difference between the result of detection output from the surface potential sensor and a grid setpoint value, which is an output setpoint value for constant voltage control of a grid bias to be fed from a grid power supply, at predetermined timing.
US09176407B2
The present invention provides a toner that contains an azo pigment well-dispersed in a binder resin and has a satisfactory color tone.The toner contains toner particles each containing a binder resin and a colorant. Each of the toner particles contains a compound having a polyester moiety and a bisazo structure moiety. The colorant is the azo pigment.
US09176403B2
A process includes forming, by emulsion polymerization, polymer resin particles in a latex, the polymer resin particles being formed from a mixture including one or more monomer emulsions and a non-surfactant-based charge control agent, the emulsion polymerization is carried out with a solids content in a range from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of the mixture, and forming toner particles from the polymer resin particles, the toner particles support a sufficient triboelectric charge for use under A-zone environmental conditions in a single-component development system.
US09176402B2
A method for manufacturing a toner, including at least: dissolving or dispersing a toner material including at least any one of a binder resin and a precursor of a binder resin in an organic solvent which is dispersed in a dispersant-including aqueous medium; forming particles by removing the organic solvent; washing the particles; forming voids in the particles by heating to a temperature T while or after dispersing the particles in an aqueous medium; forming toner base particles by adding a charge controlling agent; and adding an external additive to the toner base particles to obtain toner particles, wherein the T is between a glass transition temperature Tg of the toner particles and Tg+25° C., and the toner has a cross-sectional void fraction Sp/St of 0.1% to 15.0%, where St is a cross-sectional area of the toner particles, and Sp is a cross-sectional area of the voids.
US09176394B2
An immersion lithography apparatus that includes a substrate holder on which a substrate is held, a projection system having a final optical element and that projects an exposure beam onto the substrate through an immersion liquid, and a liquid confinement member having an aperture through which the exposure beam is projected, a lower surface including a non-fluid removal area surrounding the aperture, and a liquid recovery outlet from which the immersion liquid is recovered, also includes a movable member. The movable member is movable relative to the liquid confinement member in a substantially horizontal direction, and has an opening through which the exposure beam is projected. The movable member has upper and lower surfaces that surround the opening, and is movable while a portion of the upper surface faces the non-fluid removal area in the lower surface of the liquid confinement member.
US09176386B2
A method of forming patterns includes (a) coating a substrate with a resist composition for negative development to form a resist film, wherein the resist composition contains a resin capable of increasing the polarity by the action of the acid and becomes more soluble in a positive developer and less soluble in a negative developer upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, (b) forming a protective film on the resist film with a protective film composition after forming the resist film and before exposing the resist film, (c) exposing the resist film via an immersion medium, and (d) performing development with a negative developer.
US09176380B2
The present invention includes a composition comprising an alkyne-based substrate, an azide-based substrate, a Cu(II) salt and a photoinducible reducing agent. The present invention further includes a method of immobilizing a chemical structure in a given pattern onto a section of the surface of a solid substrate, using the photoinducible Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition Click reaction.
US09176375B2
Methods of reducing a registration error of a photomask are provided. A method of reducing a registration error of a photomask may include identifying the registration error with respect to a pattern element in a pattern region of the photomask. Moreover, the method may include reducing a thickness of a portion of a non-pattern region of the photomask by irradiating an energy beam onto a location of the non-pattern region of the photomask that is spaced apart from the pattern element, to generate stress at the pattern element. Related photomasks and methods of manufacturing an integrated circuit are also provided.
US09176371B2
A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a projection system, and a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine immersion liquid to an immersion space defined by the projection system, the liquid confinement structure and a substrate and/or substrate table. Measures are taken in the lithographic apparatus, for example, to reduce the effect of droplets on the final element of the projection system or to substantially avoid such droplet formation.
US09176361B2
An optical analog to digital converter including a light source, a driver, an array of single photon avalanche diodes, and control circuitry. The light source emits photons. The driver receives an analog input signal and to drive the light source on the basis of the analog input signal. The array of single photon avalanche diodes detects the photons provided by the light source. The control circuitry is coupled to the array of single photon avalanche diodes and activates the array of single photon avalanche diodes for a predetermined time interval such that the array of single photon avalanche diodes detects the photons provided by the light source during the predetermined time interval. The control circuitry further determines the number of single photon avalanche diodes of the array of single photon avalanche diodes which detected a photon during the predetermined time interval.
US09176359B2
A display apparatus may include a first substrate defined by a pixel region and a transmitting region adjacent to the pixel region, the pixel region emitting light in a first direction and the transmitting region transmitting external light; a second substrate that faces the first substrate and seals pixels defined on the first substrate; an optical filter arranged on a first side of the display apparatus through which light is emitted, the optical filter being configured to transmit circularly polarized light that rotates in a predetermined direction; and an optical reflectance conversion device arranged on a second side of the display apparatus, opposite the first side, the optical reflectance conversion device being configured to change a reflectance of the external light according to modes of operation of the display apparatus.
US09176353B2
An object is to propose a method of manufacturing, with high mass productivity, liquid crystal display devices having thin film transistors with highly reliable electric characteristics. In a liquid crystal display device having an inverted staggered thin film transistor, the inverted staggered thin film transistor is formed as follows: a gate insulating film is formed over a gate electrode; a microcrystalline semiconductor film which functions as a channel formation region is formed over the gate insulating film; a buffer layer is formed over the microcrystalline semiconductor film; a pair of source and drain regions are formed over the buffer layer; and a pair of source and drain electrodes are formed in contact with the source and drain regions so as to expose a part of the source and drain regions.
US09176349B2
A gradient index liquid crystal optical apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a first substrate having a first face; a second substrate having a second face opposed to the first face of the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of first electrodes provided on the first face of the first substrate, and arranged along a first direction; a plurality of second electrodes provided on the first face of the first substrate to correspond to the first electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes being arranged along the first direction; a plurality of third electrodes provided on the first face of the first substrate and arranged along the first direction; and a fourth electrode provided on the second face of the second substrate.
US09176346B2
The embodiment of present invention discloses a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display panel comprises: a color filter substrate and an array substrate, which are assembled oppositely to form a cell; a liquid crystal layer provided between the color filter substrate and the array substrate; and a layered structure adapted to drive rotation of liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer and comprising a gate metallic layer, a pixel electrode layer and a common electrode layer, wherein the gate metallic layer comprises a gate wiring, the common electrode layer comprises a first auxiliary electrode and a common electrode that are electrically-insulated, the pixel electrode layer comprises a pixel electrode, and the common electrode and the pixel electrodes are used to form an electric field for driving the liquid crystal; and wherein the first auxiliary electrode and the gate wiring are electrically connected so as to be connected in parallel in circuit.
US09176344B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other; a switching element disposed on the first substrate; a pixel electrode connected to the switching element and supplied with a data voltage; an opposing electrode disposed on the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and including liquid crystal molecules. The pixel electrode includes a cutout and a liquid crystal direction controller that are alternately disposed. The cutout and the liquid crystal direction controller divide the pixel electrode into a plurality of sub-regions, and inclination directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different according to the plurality of sub-regions when the pixel electrode is supplied with the data voltage. The liquid crystal direction controller is concave downward or convex upward with respect to a surface of the first substrate.
US09176335B2
A display panel, which realizes a 3D image in an active method, includes a first glass on which light is incident, a second glass which is aligned with the first glass and transmits an image, a first liquid crystal layer disposed between the first glass and the second glass and adjusts an amount of the light passing therethrough, and a second liquid crystal layer which is disposed between the second glass and the first liquid crystal layer and realizes the 3D image, wherein, in response to the display panel realizing the 3D image, the second liquid crystal layer is alternately arranged according to a first liquid crystal arrangement which corresponds to a first polarization direction and a second liquid crystal arrangement which corresponds to a second polarization direction which is different from the first polarization direction, so that images passing through the second liquid crystal layer are alternately polarized in the first polarization direction and the second polarization direction.
US09176328B1
Generic optical matrices may have pixels corresponding to color and sub-pixels corresponding to non-color effects. A generic optical matrix may include an array of pixels disposed on a substrate. The array may comprise first pixels corresponding to a first color and second pixels corresponding to a second color. The first and second pixels may be arranged in a motif such that individual ones of the first pixels are positioned adjacent to individual ones of the second pixels. Individual ones of the pixels may comprise sub-pixels. A given pixel may comprise a first and a second sub-pixel. The first sub-pixel may comprise an optical structure configured to reflect or transmit light meeting a first condition. The second sub-pixel may comprise an optical structure configured to reflect or transmit light meeting a second condition. The light reflected or transmitted by the sub-pixels may be the corresponding color of the given pixel.
US09176326B2
A display apparatus includes: a liquid crystal display element in which a plurality of display units including at least a pixel that displays an image for a first eyepoint and a pixel that displays an image for a second eyepoint are arranged in a matrix shape; an optical unit which distributes light emitted from the pixel that displays the image for the first eyepoint and light emitted from the pixel that displays the image for the second eyepoint in mutually different directions; a first control electrode and a second control electrode disposed on each pixel in the display units; and a plurality of domain regions of which the orientation is controlled by a diagonal electric field or a lateral electric field formed by the first control electrode and the second control electrode and which have different liquid crystal molecule orientation states.
US09176325B2
A head mounted display system for use with a mobile computing device, comprises a soft main body made entirely of a soft and compressible material, the main body has a retention pocket entirely formed by the material and configured to accept and secure the mobile computing device and a lens assembly comprising two lenses configured to focus vision on respective areas of a display screen of the mobile computing device, the lens assembly held within one or more apertures formed in the main body entirely by the material, the two lenses mounted for independent movement with respect to each other, such that a split screen image may be viewed through the two lenses on the display screen.
US09176324B1
A present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for enhancing an image presented to the pilot on an aircraft display unit. Locations of visible and invisible objects related to aviation such as airports, navigation aids and facilities, and airspace are enhanced by providing highlighter bands with location highlighters. Navigation data representative of aircraft navigation information is received, and location data representative of the location of at least one object located outside the aircraft is retrieved based upon the navigation data. An image generating processor generates an image data set as a function of highlighter data associated with the location data, where the image data set is representative of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image in which each object is enhanced with location highlighter and/or highlighter band of. The image data set may be provided to a tactical display unit, a strategic display unit, or both for display.
US09176319B2
Exemplary systems and methods for filtering an electromagnetic radiation can be provided. For example, at least one first arrangement can be provided which is capable of receiving at least one first electro-magnetic radiation and forwarding at least one second electro-magnetic radiation at different angles with respect to a direction of incidence of the first electro-magnetic radiation. At least one second wavelength dispersion arrangement can be provided which is configured to receive the second electro-magnetic radiation, forward at least one third electro-magnetic radiation to the first arrangement and further receive at least one fourth electro-magnetic radiation. The third electro-magnetic radiation can be based on the second electro-magnetic radiation, and the fourth electro-magnetic radiation can be based on the third electro-magnetic radiation. For example, the second arrangement can be configured to forward the second electro-magnetic radiation at different angles with respect to a direction of incidence of the at least one particular electro-magnetic radiation. Exemplary embodiments of methods can be provided to implement such exemplary techniques.
US09176318B2
This invention relates to methods of manufacturing fluid-filled MEMS displays, where the fluid is sealed in the display assembly and substantially surrounds the moving components of the display to reduce the effects of stiction and to improve the optical and electromechanical performance of the display.
US09176316B2
An improved spatial light modulation display system includes light sources for providing red, green, and blue light. A system controller includes functionality for controlling a color balance of the red, green, and blue light. A sensor is provided for sensing light from each of the light sources. The controller can detect a shift in color balance based on the intensity of light sensed by the sensor. If the sensor output indicates that the sensor is operating out of a desirable range, the spatial light modulator can modulate the light in order change the brightness of light sensed by the sensor. The modulation pattern can be varied until the sensor output is a specified value or within a specified range of values. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is located to receive off-state light from the spatial light modulator so as to avoid obstruction of light used for displaying images.
US09176308B2
A zoom lens includes sequentially from an object side, a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, a fifth lens group having a positive refractive power, and a sixth lens group having a negative refractive power. The zoom lens varies the interval between the lens groups to perform zooming; shifts the second lens group in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis to correct image blur occurring with optical system vibrations; and satisfies given conditions, enabling a compact size and a high zoom ratio to be achieved while improving imaging performance.
US09176306B2
An imaging lens provided with a negative first lens group and a positive second lens group arranged in order from the object side. The first lens group is composed of a first group first lens which is a biconcave negative single lens, and the second lens group is composed of a positive second group first lens, an aperture stop, a positive second group second lens, and a negative second group third lens arranged in order from the object side, in which the second group second lens and the second group third lens are cemented together to form a cemented lens. When f1 and f2 are taken as the focal lengths of the first group first lens and the second group first lens respectively, the imaging lens satisfies a conditional expression (4a′): 0.62<|f1/f2|<0.82.
US09176305B2
An imaging lens consists of negative first lens having a concave image-side surface, positive second lens, negative third lens, positive fourth lens, positive fifth lens having a convex image-side surface, and negative sixth lens, which are in this order from an object side. In the imaging lens, all of the lenses constituting the lens system are single lenses, which are not cemented lenses, and a stop is arranged closer to the object side than an image-side surface of the fourth lens is arranged. When a refractive index of a material of the third lens for d-line is Nd3, the following formula (1-1) is satisfied: Nd3<1.65 (1-1).
US09176297B2
An apparatus comprising a tubular housing having an axial length L and a circumferential length C. A first canopy secured to the tubular housing around a perimeter of the first canopy, the first canopy extends for an axial length L1 that is less than L and for a circumferential length C1 that is less than C/2. The first canopy has a front sloping section and a rear sloping section that extend from the perimeter to a semicircular outer perimeter. A second canopy disposed circumferentially opposite the first canopy and secured to the tubular housing around a perimeter of the second canopy. The second canopy extends an axial length L2 that is less than L and a circumferential length C2 that is less than C/2. The second canopy has a front sloping section and a rear sloping section that extend from the perimeter to a semicircular outer perimeter.
US09176295B2
The stranded optical cable 10 includes a plurality of stranded multicore optical cables 12 and a cable sheath 16 covering the multicore optical cables 12, each multicore optical cable 12 including at least two of optical units 13 as a pair and a unit sheath 14 covering the optical units 13, each optical unit 13 being formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers. And, parts of the cable sheath corresponding to both ends of the stranded optical cable 10 are removed to expose the multicore optical cables 12 certain lengths so that the optical connectors 21 are connected to the multicore optical cables 12, respectively.
US09176294B2
A fiber optic connector arrangement includes a printed circuit board coupled to a connector housing. The printed circuit board includes a memory storage device that is configured to store physical layer information pertaining to the fiber optic connector arrangement. The printed circuit board also defines contacts that are electrically coupled to the memory storage device to enable the physical layer information to be read from the memory storage device by a media reading interface. A connector assembly includes at least one adapter assembly; a printed circuit board; and a media reading interface. The connector assembly also may include a tactile pressure sensor. The adapter assembly defines at least a first port and a second port that are configured to connect optical fibers of two connector arrangements. One or more connector assemblies can be mounted to a fiber panel system.
US09176288B2
Disclosed are optical plug connectors and methods for making the same. The disclosure is directed to optical connectors. In one embodiment, the optical connector includes an optical body having at least one optical channel with an optical interface at a first side. The at least one optical channel having a total internal reflection (TIR) surface with a lens at the second side for turning the optical signal, and at least one fiber lead-in aligned to the TIR surface. The TIR surface may be angled in one or more directions from a longitudinal axis to allow a small form-factor for the optical body. In one embodiment, the optical body has a plurality of optical channels each having a discrete TIR surface. The optical connections disclosed herein may optionally also include an electrical connection if desired.
US09176282B2
A concave diffraction grating for integrated optics is constructed by replacing the reflective metallic part by either multiple thin elements of metal or multiple elements of dielectric material, each partially reflecting the light, and arranged on elliptical fashion in order to distribute the diffraction/reflection of light and provide aberration-free focusing, by combining diffraction condition and Bragg condition of these curved reflectors.
US09176279B2
Apparatuses and systems for analyzing light by mode interference are provided. An example of an apparatus for analyzing light by mode interference includes a number of waveguides to support in a multimode region two modes of the light of a particular polarization and a plurality of scattering objects offset from a center of at least one of the number of waveguides.
US09176278B2
A broadband spectral power generator in a multimode optical fiber utilizes a standard multimode fiber that is coiled. A plate is placed on the coiled fiber and a force is applied to compresses the coiled fiber and thereby increase the interactions between the compressed windings and induce modal mixing and birefringence in the fiber. In addition, the compression causes additional non-linear processes to be excited and occur in the compressed fiber coil to generate more broadband light. This allows for better “mixing” of the spatial beam in the multimode fiber coil and allows for the various modes to overlap. The multimode fiber coil is made of silica, silicate, germinate, phosphate, fluoride, chalcogenide, or telluride. The compressed coiled fiber may be driven by a laser providing more than one wavelength output and this greatly increases the amount of nonlinear mixing in the fiber for a greatly enhanced spectral coverage.
US09176271B2
A light guide plate that uses a resin film as a material for the light guide plate, that has a reflecting or scattering pattern formed by printing, and that guides a light propagating in the film to exit and emerge from the front surface thereof. The light guide plate is thinner and highly flexible, and has high reliability and durability. A base material of the light guide plate is formed from a thermosetting polyurethane sheet with a thickness of 0.4 mm or less. When a dot pattern is formed by ink-jetting, a white UV curable ink, for which the thermosetting polyurethane exhibits a swellability such that the thermosetting polyurethane increases by 10% or more in weight as a result of being soaked in the ink for one hour at a room temperature, is used as the ink.
US09176270B2
The present invention relates to a light-diffusing ink composition and to a light guide panel and display unit using same, wherein the light-diffusing ink composition comprises: an ink binder made of one or more selected from a group consisting of acrylic resin and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) copolymer; polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles for forming a crystal optical pattern; and a solvent for ink. According to the present invention, light from a light source is converted into a crystal optical pattern and outputted, thus producing aesthetic and sensuous light, and lighting with an aesthetic design can be achieved by means of the light guide panel using the composition.
US09176269B2
A light source module including a light guide plate and a light source is provided. The light guide plate has a light incident surface and a light emitting region, and the light guide plate has a plurality of grooves or protruding patterns thereon. The length of the grooves or the protruding patterns is smaller than the length of the light guide plate. The light source is disposed on the light incident surface of the light guide plate, and the grooves or the protruding patterns of the light guide plate are disposed beside the light incident surface.
US09176268B2
The invention relates to a surface light source with a lighting surface that includes at least one semiconductor body that emits electromagnetic radiation from its front side during operation. Decoupling structures are suitable for producing a local variation of the light density on the lighting surface, so that the light density is increased in at least one illumination area with respect to a background area.
US09176259B2
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to methods and compositions for forming porous low refractive index coatings on substrates. In one embodiment, a method for forming a porous coating on a substrate is provided. The method comprises coating a substrate with a sol-gel composition, comprising at least one porosity forming agent, wherein the porosity forming agent is selected from at least one of dendrimers and organic nanocrystals and removing the at least one porosity forming agent to form the porous coating. Use of at least one of the dendrimers and organic nanocrystals leads to the formation of stable pores with larger volume fraction in the film. Further, the size and interconnectivity of the pores may be controlled via selection of the organic nanocrystal or dendrimer structure, the total organic nanocrystal or dendrimer molecule fraction, polarity of the organic nanocrystal or dendrimer molecule and solvent, and other physiochemical properties of the gel phase.
US09176256B2
A plastic mirror that includes a plastic substrate having a front surface, a hardcoating on the front surface, a reflective layer, and an intermediate zone between the hardcoating and the reflective layer, the intermediate zone including at least one layer formed from a material selected from the group consisting of metals and metalloids, oxides and nitrides of metals and metalloids, and carbon.
US09176252B2
Methods and related systems are described relating to an inversion approach for interpreting the geophysical electromagnetic data. The inversion can be constrained by using a multiphase fluid flow simulator (incorporating pressure data if available) which simulates the fluid flow process and calculates the spatial distribution of the water saturation and the salt concentration, which are in turn transformed into the formation conductivity using a resistivity-saturation formula. In this way, the inverted invasion profile is consistent with the fluid flow physics and moreover accounts for gravity segregation effects. Jointly with the pressure data, the inversion estimates a parametric one-dimensional distribution of permeability and porosity. The fluid flow volume is directly inverted from the fluid-flow-constrained inversion of the electromagnetic data.
US09176248B2
A method for estimating an underwater acoustic sound velocity in a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas and in which a plurality of acoustic signals are transmitted between the nodes. The method includes: obtaining two predetermined distances each separating a couple of nodes placed along a same first acoustic linear antenna (31); for each couple of first and second nodes, obtaining a first propagation duration of an acoustic signal transmitted between said first node and a third node placed along a second acoustic linear antenna and a second propagation duration of an acoustic signal transmitted between said second node and said third node; and estimating said underwater acoustic sound velocity, as a function of said two predetermined distances and said first and second propagation durations obtained for each couple of nodes.
US09176246B2
Systems, methods, and software can be used to identify properties of fractures in a subterranean zone. In some aspects, a basic plane orientation is determined for each of a plurality of basic planes. The basic planes are defined by coplanar subsets of microseismic event data from a fracture treatment of a subterranean zone. The quantity of the basic plane orientations in each of a plurality of ranges is calculated. In some implementations, a histogram is displayed to indicate the quantity of basic plane orientations in each of the orientation ranges. A dominant fracture orientation is identified for the subterranean zone based on one or more of the identified quantities.
US09176244B2
Source-receiver compression is used to help design surveys and mitigate the computational costs of data set inversion. The source-receiver compression is based on data redundancy and sensitivity. More particularly, a compressed source array is produced for minimum redundancy and maximum sensitivity to reservoir model parameters. The synthesized transmitter array has a reduced number of sources, thereby reducing the number of forward model simulations needed to carry out the inversion. Furthermore, the data collected at the receivers employed in the survey can be compressed. This has the implication of reducing the computational cost of constructing the Jacobian matrix and inverting the corresponding Hessian matrix.
US09176236B2
The invention provides a radiation intensity measuring apparatus for each of small sealed radiation sources for cancer therapy that is capable of measuring multiple cartridges. The apparatus includes a device for setting up multiple cartridges and a device for measuring the radiation intensities of radiation passing through a narrow slit. Radiation is emitted from multiple radiation sources and the radiation measurement device moves simultaneously together with the slit along with the side of cartridge holding device while scanning the radiation intensities. Included is a radiation detection scanning device for measuring radiation intensities for each of the radiation sources passing through the narrow slit, and a slit shielding system for restricting radiation originated originating from both the side neighboring radiation sources. The moving device is configured move the radiation measurement device along the direction in the side of cartridge where multiple radiation sources are lined up close to each other.
US09176232B2
The present invention is related to location positioning systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for making accuracy improvements to a GPS receiver's navigation calculations. According to a first aspect, the invention provides an extreme sensitivity GNSS tracking architecture. According to other aspects, the architecture includes multiple loops per channel, with the loops implemented with hardware and/or software. According to still further aspects, the architecture includes a multi-level lock detection algorithm designed to provide a trade-off between sensitivity and speed that is not possible with existing tracking architectures.
US09176227B2
There is described a method for processing data generated by a synthetic aperture imaging system, comprising: receiving raw data representative of electromagnetic signals reflected by a target area to be imaged; receiving a parameter change for the synthetic aperture imaging system; digitally correcting the raw data in accordance with the parameter change, thereby compensating for the parameter change in order to obtain corrected data; and generating an image of the target area using the corrected data.
US09176220B2
An ultrasonic sensor includes a transceiver device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; a circuit board mounted with an electronic circuit processing ultrasonic signals transmitted and received through the transceiver device; a housing including a device storing portion storing the transceiver device, a board storing portion storing the circuit board and a communication hole for bringing the device storing portion and the board storing portion into communication with each other, the board storing portion having an opening; and an electric connection unit extending through the communication hole to electrically interconnect the transceiver device and the circuit board. A cover member is installed in the opening of the board storing portion to hermetically seal the board storing portion.
US09176218B1
A system and method for estimating the geographic location of an RF emitter which involves spatially filtering and receiving RF signals through use of a beamforming antenna array having multiple overlapping beams; detecting and measuring the time-of-arrival and amplitude of signals which are received in each beam through use of multiple synchronized receivers; identifying simultaneous detections of the same emitter which have occurred in adjacent beams; projecting the associated beamformed antenna gain patterns onto the underlying terrain for all instances in which there was a simultaneous detection in adjacent beams; weighting and accumulating all projections to form a Maximum Likelihood Surface (MLS); and finally, estimating the location of the emitter through analysis of the resulting MLS.
US09176216B2
A system and method of determining the location of a mobile device. Network measurement report information may be received from a target mobile device, the NMR having measurement information and range information of the target mobile device from a cell serving the device. The serving cell may be divided a plurality of subsectors and candidate locations placed on an intersection of a range formed from the range information and bisectors of the plurality of subsectors. A subset of neighboring and serving cells may be selected as a function of the NMR measurement information and a radio frequency (RF) coverage centroid determined for each of the selected neighboring cells. A centroid of the determined RF centroids may be determined, and a location of the target mobile device estimated as the candidate location having a minimum distance to the determined centroid.
