US09226789B2

A thermal ablation system comprises a fluid handling unit receiving fluid from a fluid source at a first pressure, the fluid handling unit including a heater heating the fluid to a desired temperature and a pump and an introducer including a sheath which, when in an operative position, is received within a hollow organ, the sheath including a delivery lumen introducing fluid heated by the heater to the hollow organ and a return lumen withdrawing fluid from the hollow organ and returning the withdrawn fluid to the console via a return lumen, wherein the pump increases a pressure of the fluid between the fluid source and the delivery lumen of the introducer.
US09226777B2

A spinal fixation system includes a rod and anchor devices that include a bone engaging fastener having a head defining a spherical socket. A ball insert is placed within the socket and rotated so that the ball insert is juxtaposed with the socket. The anchor device further includes a yoke defining a yoke channel for receiving the rod and a stem engaged to the ball insert captured within the socket. A sleeve disposed between the yoke channel and the fastener head supports the rod. A set screw is operable to clamp the rod against the sleeve and draw the insert into engagement within the socket. A releasable detent defined between the yoke and the fastener head is configured to releasably retain the yoke in at least one discrete position relative to the fastener. Portions of the releasable detent may also exert a frictional retention force against the fastener head.
US09226774B2

The present disclosure relates to an optical obturator that facilitates the visualization of tissue therethrough during use. The optical obturator disclosed herein includes a housing that is disposed at a proximal end thereof, an elongate member that extends distally from the housing, a distal end formed of a substantially opaque material with one or more openings formed therein, and a shield member.
US09226769B2

The present invention provides a puncture needle set for combined spinal-epidural anesthesia comprising an epidural needle with a small guiding conduit on the pin and a groove on the outer wall and a spinal needle with a beaked tip. During anesthesia, first the epidural needle is punctured into the epidural space, then the epidural catheter is placed, afterwards the spinal needle is guided to enter into the groove on the needle peduncle by the small conduit on the pin of the epidural needle and slide into the epidural space, then let it go ahead deep into subarachnoid space. After medicine is injected, the spinal needle and the epidural needle are withdrawn in turn, at the same time the epidural catheter is left back.
US09226763B2

Systems and methods for treating disc herniation or degeneration, disc degeneration, and vertebral body fracture include surgical and endoscopic access and removal of disc tissue. The tissue removal devices that may be used include rotatable blade devices having flow control surfaces that may be inserted into a vertebral disc and rotated to pulverize the disc material and facilitate its removal.
US09226762B2

An atraumatic microsurgical forceps may include an actuation structure, an actuation sleeve having an actuation sleeve distal end and an actuation sleeve proximal end, a surgical blank, and atraumatic forceps jaws of the surgical blank having atraumatic forceps jaws distal ends and atraumatic forceps jaws proximal ends. The surgical blank may be disposed within the actuation sleeve wherein at least a portion of the atraumatic forceps jaws extends from the actuation sleeve distal end. A compression of the actuation structure may be configured to gradually extend the actuation sleeve over the atraumatic forceps jaws proximal ends. An extension of the actuation sleeve over the atraumatic forceps jaws proximal ends may be configured to gradually close the atraumatic forceps jaws wherein the atraumatic forceps jaws initially contact at the atraumatic forceps jaws distal ends.
US09226756B2

A bone access instrument comprising a shaft having a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion. The first shaft portion has a first diameter, a distal end, and at least one cutting edge formed on the distal end. The second shaft portion has a second diameter and a tapered distal end. The second diameter is less than the first diameter, and the second shaft portion extends axially from the distal end of the first shaft portion.
US09226754B2

The present disclosure provides structures and/or gaskets for deposition between adjacent intestinal sections in an anastomosis procedure. The structure possesses at least an inner ring of a first material, and a middle ring of a second material. The first material and the second material include a wound treatment material consisting of at least one of an adhesive, a sealant and/or a medicament. The first material is different from the second material.
US09226752B2

A surgical fastening instrument is provided. The surgical fastening instrument includes a handle portion and an elongate portion extending distally from the handle portion and defining a longitudinal axis along a length thereof. The surgical fastening instrument also includes an end effector assembly that includes an anvil and a cartridge supported adjacent a distal end of the elongate portion. Each of the anvil and the cartridge includes a tissue contacting surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. One or more independently movable pushers is configured to support one or more surgical fasteners. A thrust bar is operatively coupled to the elongate portion, wherein the thrust bar is movable over a predetermined stroke to effect sequential ejection of at least two surgical fasteners of the plurality of surgical fasteners from the cartridge.
US09226750B2

Systems and methods are provided for detecting failure in clamping of a material and/or firing of a staple into a clamped material and indicating such failure to a user on a user interface. The system and methods are particularly suited for use with end effectors having closing and/or firing mechanisms coupled to an actuator. By monitoring a driving parameter of an actuator that effects the clamping and/or firing, the systems and methods provide an indication of failure in response to the monitored drive parameter. In some embodiments, an indication of failure is output when the monitored drive parameter is outside an acceptable range of desired driving parameters during clamping and/or firing. The disclosed systems and methods are particularly beneficial when used for minimally invasive surgery.
US09226747B2

A medical implement particularly useful in arthroscopic sutures, includes: a handle having a proximal end configured for manual gripping by a user, a distal end, an internal passageway extending between the proximal end and the distal end, and an intermediate portion formed with a recess extending from the outer surface to the internal passageway. A shuttle is movable through the passageway and has an intermediate portion exposed within the recess for manipulation by a user gripping the handle, and a suture-receiving-element at its distal movable axially through the distal end of the handle. A roller is rotatably mounted to the handle to underlie the exposed portion of the shuttle such that, after a suture has been received by the suture-receiving-element of the shuttle, a user, gripping the handle, may manipulate the shuttle with respect to the distal end of the handle by thumb-pressing the exposed portion of the shuttle against the roller and rotating the roller.
US09226745B2

A suture device is configured to guide a suture thread. The device includes a sleeve that defines an opening, and a plunger to which a suture thread can be attached. The plunger can be inserted into the opening of the sleeve, and movable between a retracted position and an advanced position. When the plunger is in the retracted position, a distal portion of the suture thread is located proximal with respect to the distal end of the suture device. When the plunger is in the advanced position, the distal portion of the suture thread is driven out the distal end of the suture device.
US09226729B2

The ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, ultrasound image generation apparatus and method transmit ultrasound waves to a subject into which a puncture tool is inserted, receive reflected waves reflected from the subject and the puncture tool, and generate echo signals of time-sequential frames based on the received reflected waves, and generate an ultrasound image of the subject based on the generated echo signals. These apparatus and method generate a differential echo signal between time-sequential frames from the echo signals, perform a tip detection process based on the differential echo signal to thereby detect at least one tip candidate including a tip end of the puncture tool, highlight a tip candidate of the puncture tool detected to thereby generate a tip image, and display the tip image of the highlighted puncture tool so as to be superimposed on the generated ultrasound image.
US09226724B2

In a case where a series of operations of an imaging sequence are continuously performed when an imaging switch is continuously in ON state, if the imaging switch is turned into OFF state only for a given period and the given period is not more than a predetermined threshold value, control is exerted such that part of the operations of the imaging sequence is continuously performed.
US09226720B2

A radiographic apparatus comprising, a radiation source for emitting radiation, a radiation detecting device having a detecting surface for detecting radiation, an image generating device for generating images in accordance with detection data outputted from the radiation detecting device, a collimator for restricting spread of a radiation beam emitted from the radiation source, an opening-degree obtaining device for obtaining a degree of opening of the collimator and a display device for displaying a radiation-irradiation area on the image, the opening-degree obtaining device determining the radiation-irradiation area to be displayed on the image in accordance with a relationship between a width of the radiation beam contained in the image obtained in advance by two or more degrees of opening of the collimator through radiation irradiation and the degrees of opening of the collimator as well as the current degree of opening of the collimator.
US09226719B2

An X-ray image diagnosis apparatus according to embodiments includes: a table on which an examinee lies down; a table driving unit configured to move the table upward and downward; an imaging device configured to take a side image of the examinee by irradiating a side of the examinee on the table with X-rays and detecting X-rays transmitted through the examinee; and a controller configured to control the table driving unit so that the table driving unit moves the table upward or downward to make a center position of the examinee on the table in a thickness direction of the examinee coincide with a center position of the side image in an upward-downward moving direction of the table.
US09226711B2

The invention generally relates to intravascular imaging catheters and methods of making catheters for imaging systems. The invention provides a connector for an imaging catheter that includes a unitary body with very thin electrical contacts that are formed on the surface of the body. Due to the scale of the contacts, the connector operates essentially as a single unitary piece of material. Each of the leads may be less than about 100 μm wide and less than about 8 μm thick, and further the leads may be spaced apart by less than about 160 μm.
US09226703B2

Provided is a holder which comprises at least two probe mount portions into which a light-transmitting probe for emitting light from the tip thereof or a light-receiving probe for receiving light through the tip thereof is inserted from above and is to be put on the head of a subject, the holder being characterized by further comprising: a linear backbone portion that extends in a first direction that is perpendicular to the above-described direction from above; and at least two linear branch portions that extend in a second direction that is perpendicular to the above-described direction from above and is different from the first direction, wherein the lower end portions of the probe mount portions protrude from the lower surface of the backbone portion or a branch portion and are tapered.
US09226701B2

Provided are methods, systems, and apparatus for error detection of bits of a data packet received at a receiver unit by detecting corrupted data bits.
US09226698B2

Techniques are disclosed for authentication and identification of a user by use of an electroencephalographic (EEG) signal. For example, a method for authenticating a user includes the following steps. At least one electroencephalographic response is obtained from a user in accordance with perceptory stimuli presented to the user. The user is authenticated based on the obtained electroencephalographic response. The authenticating step may be based on detection of an event-related potential in the obtained electroencephalographic response. The event-related potential may be a P300 event-related potential. The method may also include the step of enrolling the user prior to authenticating the user. The enrolling step may include a supervised enrollment procedure or an unsupervised enrollment procedure.
US09226693B2

A canine gait analyzer is used in connection with a treadmill. A sensor assembly includes a plurality of overlapping sensor panels, each having a pressure transducer array connected to a circuit board with conductive traces. An elastomer sheet with carbon-graphite dampens the dog's pawsteps, and is electrically grounded for static electric charge. The sensor assembly is held fast between the belt inner surface and the treadmill bed with a J bracket. The sensor panel edge extends downward on the side of the frame. A C-shaped side cover is attached to the frame and covers the sensor panel edge having the circuit boards. A motor speed controller is connected to the motor, the circuit boards, and to a computer.
US09226687B2

Visual-assisted guidance of an ultra-thin flexible endoscope to a predetermined region of interest within a lung during a bronchoscopy procedure. The region may be an opacity-identified by non-invasive imaging methods, such as high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) or as a malignant lung mass that was diagnosed in a previous examination. An embedded position sensor on the flexible endoscope indicates the position of the distal tip of the probe in a Cartesian coordinate system during the procedure. A visual display is continually updated, showing the present position and orientation of the marker in a 3-D graphical airway model generated from image reconstruction. The visual display also includes windows depicting a virtual fly-through perspective and real-time video images acquired at the head of the endoscope, which can be stored as data, with an audio or textual account.
US09226680B1

An improved ECG electrode connector adapted for attachment to a biomedical patient electrode by either pinch or snap connection is disclosed. A closed-end electrical connector includes pair of pivotally connected members including a main connector body having an electrically conductive plate defining an electrode stud receiving aperture and disposed in proximity to the bottom surface thereof, and a jaw pivotally connected thereto and resiliently biased to a closed position. The jaw is adapted with a beveled surface that functions to urge the jaw in open by engagement of the top surface of an ECG stud thereby allowing the connector to be attached by snap engagement. The electrically conductive plate defines an irregular, generally oval-shaped opening that allows the electrode stud to be inserted through a wide portion of the opening and retained by the narrow portion of the opening. Positioning an electrically conductive plate at the bottom of the connector allows the connector to maximize electrical contact with the electrode stud. An ECG electrode connector in accordance with the present invention may further be fabricated of radiolucent materials.
US09226674B2

The current subject matter relates to indicating extent and location of myocardial ischemia in a patient. Electrodes can be placed on a body of the patient. Signal amplifiers can receive orthogonal electrical signals from the electrodes via three bipolar leads. The signal amplifiers can amplify the signals and send the amplified signals to analog to digital converters. The analog to digital converters can convert the amplified signals to digital signals. A computing device can execute a data analysis application that can receive these digital signals, generate QRS complexes associated with these signals, generate depolarization vectors associated with these QRS complexes, and then determine changes in magnitudes and directions of these vectors. Based on the changes in magnitudes and directions, the data analysis application can determine and display extent and location of myocardial ischemia in the patient. Related apparatus, systems, methods, techniques and articles are also described.
US09226673B2

Non-invasive methods for determining blood flow distribution in a region of interest are provided. The method includes illuminating a region of interest of a subject with a coherent light source; sequentially acquiring at least two speckle images of the region of interest, wherein sequentially acquiring the at least two speckle images comprises acquiring the at least two speckle images in synchronization with motion of the heart of the subject; and electronically processing the at least two acquired speckle images based on the temporal variation of the pixel intensities in the at least two acquired speckle images to generate a laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) image, determine distribution of blood flow speed in principal vessels and quantify perfusion distribution in tissue in the region of interest from the LSCI image. The LSCI image enables detection of different blood flow speeds.
US09226671B2

An apparatus for measuring blood flow includes a detection part and a signal processing part. The detection part includes a blood flow detector for measuring a blood flow of a measured portion of an object, which makes contact with the measured portion, and a force detector for detecting a contact force between the blood flow detector and the measured portion. The signal processing part produces a corrected blood flow in reflection of an error of the blood flow due to the contact force.
US09226670B2

A physiological monitoring system may determine physiological information, such as physiological rate information, from a physiological signal. The system may select two segments of the physiological signal, shifted in time relative to one another by a lag value, and determine a correlation value between the two segments. The system may determine a metric based on the segments, and determine correlation information based on the correlation value and the metric. The metric may be indicative of how well the segments are correlated, providing additional information relative to the correlation value. Based on the metric, the system may modify the correlation value, determine a confidence value, or determine other information. The system may determine physiological rate information based on the correlation information.
US09226668B2

A blood pressure monitor includes a cuff to be wound around a living body of a subject, a measuring unit for measuring blood pressure with said cuff wound around the living body of said subject, a detecting unit for detecting an inclination angle of said cuff, a specifying unit for specifying a current inclination level among a plurality of predetermined inclination levels upon measurement by said measuring unit, based on a result of detection by said detecting unit, a memory for storing therein the inclination level specified by said specifying unit, in association with blood pressure data measured by said measuring unit, and a notifying unit for providing notification of at least one past inclination level of the plurality of inclination levels stored in said memory and said current inclination level, in association with each other.
US09226660B2

A system, process and software arrangement are provided to determine at least one position of at least one portion of a sample. In particular, information associated with the portion of the sample is obtained. Such portion may be associated with an interference signal that includes a first electro-magnetic radiation received from the sample and a second electro-magnetic radiation received from a reference. In addition, depth information and/or lateral information of the portion of the sample, may be obtained. At least one weight function can be applied to the depth information and/or the lateral information so as to generate resulting information. Further, a surface position, a lateral position and/or a depth position of the portion of the sample may be ascertained based on the resulting information.
US09226658B2

This disclosure relates generally to methods and devices for use in viewing and positioning an eye with a gonio lens system, such as during ocular exams and ocular surgeries. Some embodiments of the gonio lens system can include a gonio lens for viewing one or more tissues and structures of the eye. In addition, the gonio lens system can include one or more positioning features for controlling movement positioning of the eye.
US09226653B2

A method for monitoring an image of an examinee's eye includes: obtaining first image data including a first examinee's eye image captured by a first ophthalmologic photographing apparatus, and additional information including type information on the first examinee's eye image; obtaining second image data including a second examinee's eye image captured by a second ophthalmologic photographing apparatus different from the first ophthalmologic photographing apparatus, and additional information including type information on the second examinee's eye image; recognizing the first examinee's eye image and the second examinee's eye image as the same type of images, based on the additional information; and correcting a difference between the first examinee's eye image and the second examinee's eye image.
US09226651B2

A laryngoscope insertion section comprising a tube guide comprising at least an inferior tube guiding member and a superior tube guiding member, wherein the thickness of the insertion section in a first region is less than the external diameter of the largest diameter endotracheal tube in an operating range of endotracheal tube sizes plus the thickness of the inferior tube guiding member plus the thickness of the superior tube guiding member. Typically, the insertion section comprises an elongate member and the tube guide is lateral of the elongate member. Typically, an endotracheal tube is retained within the tube guide in flexural tension.
US09226641B2

A hard surface cleaning composition comprising a malodor control component, and methods of cleaning hard surfaces are provided. In some embodiments, the hard surface cleaning composition comprises at least one volatile aldehyde and an acid catalyst.
US09226637B2

The present invention relates to a cleaning implement that includes a melamine-formaldehyde foam and hollow microspheres. The hollow microspheres have a core that includes at least one benefit agent and a shell that includes at least one melamine-formaldehyde resin. Additionally the present invention encompasses a method for cleaning a hard surface with a cleaning implement according to the present invention.
US09226632B2

Disclosed are a robot cleaner, a controlling method of the same, and a robot cleaning system. The robot cleaner can perform a cleaning operation with respect to only a user's desired region, in a repeated and concentrated manner. Further, as the robot cleaner runs on a user's desired region in a manual manner, a designated region can be precisely set. Further, as the robot cleaner performs a cleaning operation by setting a user's desired region, only a simple configuration is added to a terminal device such as a remote control unit. Accordingly, additional costs can be reduced, and a malfunction can be prevented.
US09226631B2

A cyclonic separator and a vacuum cleaner which efficiently separates dust, collect the dust without re-scattering it and make low noise are provided. In a primary cyclone portion 10, a primary swirl chamber 12 swirls air containing dust sucked from a primary inlet 11, and thereby, separates a first dust and a second dust from the air containing dust to collect them respectively in a zero-order dust case 114 which is provided at a side of the primary swirl chamber 12 and communicates with a zero-order opening portion 113 provided at a side wall, and a primary dust case 14 provided at a lower side of the primary swirl chamber 12. In a secondary cyclone portion 20, a secondary inlet 21 with an opening area smaller than that of a primary outlet body 15 sucks air exhausted from the primary outlet body 15, a secondary swirl chamber 22 swirls the first air to separate the second dust which is finer than the first dust from the first air to collect the second dust in a secondary dust case 24 provided at a lower side of the secondary swirl chamber 12. With regard to the cyclonic separator with such a configuration, the zero-order dust case 114 is formed to cover at least a part of the secondary cyclone portion 20.
US09226627B2

A dispensing container for wet wipes includes a pop-up style dispensing means formed by a rigid port which surrounds a flexible, rubber-like material or sheet having one or more slits through which the wet wipes are dispensed. The configuration of the slits, in combination with the flexibility of the rubber-like material, enables the user to insert at least one finger through the slit to thread a wipe through the slit. The dispensing means has a Penetration Index of greater than 600 grams.
US09226611B2

Method for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in a receptacle by passing water through the substance using centrifugal forces comprising: driving the receptacle in centrifugal rotation while introducing water in the capsule, passing water through the substance to form a food liquid, collecting the centrifuged food liquid, wherein the receptacle is a single-use capsule and, a flow restriction means is arranged within the flow path of the centrifuged liquid.
US09226603B2

A transparent display case system that includes transparent hinges and a transparent case body. The case body is rotatable along an axis which is in alignment with the hinges.
US09226592B2

A fixing device includes an encircle element having lateral sides and two flap portions extending outwardly from the lateral sides and formed with a through hole; a positioning element fixed securely to the encircle element and having lateral sides extending parallel to the lateral sides of the encircle element so as to define restriction chambers, wherein one lateral side of the positioning element has a longitudinal length greater than the lateral sides of the encircle element and is formed with an upward notch; and a locking plate having a first end connected pivotally to the through hole in the encircle element and a second end formed with a downward notch such that the locking plate is pivotable relative to the encircle element between an unlocked position, in which the notches disengage relative to each other and a locking position, in which the notches engages relative to each other.
US09226588B2

A knockdown bed is formed of a first bed frame and a second bed frame. The first bed frame includes a top side, a bottom side, and an insertion member. The insertion member has an insertion end, a fixed end connected with the bottom side, two lateral sides, and two abutment surfaces connected with the two lateral sides. The two abutment surfaces gradually approach each other from the fixed end to the insertion end. The second bed frame includes a top side, a bottom side, and a slot member adjacent to the first bed frame. The slot member is formed of two sidewalls, two abutment walls connected with the two sidewalls, and a slot, into which the insertion member can be inserted to interconnect the first and second bed frames. In this way, the knockdown bed can be easily assembled and structurally firm.
US09226584B2

A chair with a folding book holder includes a generally horizontal seat portion with an upper surface for supporting an occupant and an opposed lower surface. The folding book holder has a bottom portion and two support portions. Each support portion has a lower edge flexibly interconnected with the bottom portion and an upper edge flexibly interconnected with the chair. The bottom portion and support portions are foldable between a use position and a storage position, wherein in the use position the support portions extend generally downwardly from the seat portion and the bottom portion is spaced from the seat portion, and in the storage position the support portions and bottom portion are folded up against the seat portion.
US09226570B2

The invention provides a hair care device for use in untangling hair. The hair care device includes a body portion (10a, 10b) and a plurality of substantially parallel flexible bristles (12a, 12b) made of soft plastics material and projecting from the body portion. The bristles are arranged such that over at least a part of the area of bristles, some of the bristles are of shorter length (12b). The bristles and the shorter length bristles are interspersed over the at least part of the area of bristles.
US09226566B2

An information processing apparatus 100 includes: a first casing 101 having an operation section 110 provided on a top surface; a second casing 102 having a display provided thereon; an opening and closing mechanism 120 configured to connect a far side portion of the first casing 101 to the second casing 102 such that the information processing apparatus 100 is openable and closable; and a belt 150 provided on a back surface side of the first casing 101. The belt 150 extends diagonally on a back surface 101a of the first casing 101 from a mounting portion provided on one side surface 101b side of the first casing 101, so as to approach the far side portion of the first casing 101 as a distance from the one side surface 101b side is increased, and reaches a mounting portion provided on a far side of the first casing 101.
US09226550B1

The instant disclosure relates to a zipper head. The zipper head includes a main structure, a flexible member, a securing member, a replaceable pull tab, a guiding member, and a shaft. The main structure has a first fixing portion and receives the flexible member. The securing member has a second fixing portion corresponding to the first fixing portion. The securing member contacts with the flexible member. The guiding member is pivotally connected to one end of the main structure and contacts with the securing member. A receiving space is cooperatively defined by the main structure, the securing member, and the guiding member. A fixing end of the replaceable pull tab is disposed in the receiving space. The shaft penetrates the main structure and is pivotally connected to the securing member. The instant disclosure also discusses a method for replacing the replaceable pull tab of the zipper head.
US09226543B2

A multi-functional transforming shoe that can be taken apart and reassembled in a high-top shoe configuration, a low-top shoe configuration, and an open-back configuration with a strap attachment. The transforming shoe comprises rotating, sliding, and pivoting panels which are configured using attachment means such as snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, and rod axles. The assembly of different shoe attachments and panels provides for multiple arrangements and designs, allowing the user to switch from one style to another.
US09226542B2

A color change system for an article with a color change portion and a method of changing color is disclosed. The article includes at least one color change portion capable of changing colors. The color change portion can change colors according to one or more performance parameters. The color change system can include a computer or a mobile device. The article can be connected to the computer or the mobile device and the color change portion can be controlled using the computer or mobile device.
US09226537B1

An eyelash measuring device having: a ruler, a substantially eye shaped opening formed by an upper arch and a lower arch, and a graticule. The ruler is on the upper arch of the substantially eye-shaped opening and allows a user to measure an eyelash, and then set the measurement via the graticule. The eye shaped opening allows a user to gaze through the device to a mirror for measuring, and the ruler is printed in reverse so that when gazing in a mirror the type appears to be correctly oriented.
US09226533B2

An article of apparel may include may include a garment portion and at least one protective element. The garment portion and the protective element have a configuration that forms a gap, separation, or pleat structure through, for example, folding or overlapping of a textile element of the garment portion. The gap, separation, or pleat structure may permit the protective element to move independent of other portions of the apparel, thereby enhancing a range of movement of the individual and the overall comfort of the apparel.
US09226529B2

A bib system includes a liquid resistant flexible body member having a bottom configured to cover a torso of a user extending a lower periphery. A closure system is configured to engage the flexible body member with the torso of the user. A collapsible support structure is integrated with the flexible body member and is coupled to the closure. The collapsible support structure is configured to support the lower periphery of the flexible body member when the closure is engaged so that the bottom of the flexible body member forms an open pouch at the bottom of the flexible body member. The collapsible support structure is also configured not to form the pouch when the flexible body member is not applied around the torso of the user.
US09226524B2

A process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) freeze-drying a solution of a biopolymer to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby prepare a filter plug for a smoking article. Another process for preparing a filter plug for a smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes: (a) extruding a mixture of a foaming agent and a biopolymer comprising a protein to form a structure; and (b) cutting the structure to a predetermined dimension, to thereby form a filter plug for a smoking article.
US09226521B2

A nutritional composition is proposed comprising a probiotic and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) wherein the MFGM and the probiotics mutually potentiate their respective effects and promote complementary beneficial protective mechanisms that reflect physiological synergy. The nutritional composition can be an infant formula, infant cereals, baby food or health care nutritional product. The synergistic effect can include promoting immune maturation and/or immune education and/or reducing inflammation and/or treating or preventing disease or infections.
US09226519B2

Shelf stable microwave dessert packaged food products for individual servings comprise a cup; a shelf-stable ready-to-heat uncooked microwave bakeable foam product disposed within the cup, and a peelably removable, low gas permeability sealing membrane. The articles provide high quality finished expanded baked dessert goods by microwave cooking and expansion of the foam.
US09226515B2

Disclosed are process for contacting a protein containing material with one or more wet-mill streams. The protein content of the protein containing material is increased.
US09226514B2

An apparatus used to arrange and display decorative items or candy. A narrow stem comprises a plurality of holes running throughout the stem. A plurality of metal rods are inserted into respective holes in the stem. Each metal rod has is attached to a plastic petal, which also comprises a clip. A piece of candy can be attached to each clip and can be supported by each respective petal. The plurality of metal rods arranged in this manner create a visually appealing arrangement of decorative items or dispenser of candy.
US09226513B2

The present disclosure provides systems, apparatuses, methods and products directed to non-contact printing of confectionery products. The confectionery products may include an edible substrate having a surface and an edible ink printed on the edible surface. The edible ink may cover at least about 5% of the surface. An apparatus of the present disclosure may include a removal device for removing at least a portion of a rolling compound from a confectionery material and a printing device for non-contact printing an edible ink-indicia on the confectionery material. An apparatus of the present disclosure may also include a detection device detecting the presence of confectionery material at a predetermined position.
US09226505B2

The invention relates to the use of 4-substituted 1-phenylpyrazole-3-carboxylic acid derivatives of the general formula (I), or salts thereof, where the radicals in the general formula (I) correspond to the definitions given in the description, for enhancing stress tolerance in plants to abiotic stress, for strengthening plant growth and/or for increasing plant yield, and to selected processes for preparing the compounds mentioned above.
US09226503B2

The invention disclosed relates to a novel composition and use thereof, for the attraction and detection of emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. The composition comprises (3Z)-dodecen-12-olide and ash foliar or cortical volatiles (green leaf volatiles) associated with a prism trap of a color in the green range of the visible light spectrum. A significant increase in the capture of male A. planipennis is achieved when traps were deployed in the upper tree canopy. This invention is the first demonstration of increased attraction with a combination of a pheromone and a green leaf volatile in a Buprestid species.
US09226498B2

Herbicidal injury that might otherwise be caused by 4-amino-3-chloro-6-(4-chloro-2-fluoro-3-methoxyphenyl)pyridine-2-carboxylic acid and agriculturally acceptable salt, ester, and amide derivatives thereof in cereal crops is reduced by concomitant application of florasulam.
US09226497B2

Described are agrochemical compositions comprising alkoxylation products according to general formula (I) R1(CO)m—O—[R2O]nR3  (I) wherein R1 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, optionally hydroxy-functionalized hydrocarbyl radical containing 8 to 30 carbon atoms, R2 is an ethylene, propylene or butylene group or mixtures thereof, R3 is hydrogen or an acyl group containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, m is 0 or 1, n is an integer between 3 and 100. When R3 is an acyl group, R2 is ethylene, propylene or mixtures thereof, and when R3 is hydrogen, R2 is ethylene, propylene, butylene or mixtures thereof provided that the terminal group represents a butylene oxide unit.
US09226495B2

Aerosols comprising droplets dispersed in a carrier gas, wherein at least some of the droplets contain an antagonist effective to inactivate a biocide are provided. The droplets may contain the biocide and the antagonist that reacts with the biocide to render it harmless. The biocide is used for disinfection or sterilization, and the nature and concentration of the antagonist is selected, or means are provided, to ensure that the time required for the antagonist to render the biocide ineffective is longer than the time required for the biocide to be effective for a desired level of disinfection or sterilization. Methods of manufacture of aerosols are also provided.
US09226491B2

The present invention relates to a method for protecting the lower regions of and structure of a building from damage or degradation by termites. The method comprising for the steps of creating a region in the ground below the building having properties hostile to termites whereby to discourage them from approaching the vicinity of the building. In one embodiment means for creating a hostile region in the ground below the building are provided by a pump which creates a superatmospheric pressure field in this region. In another embodiment, treatment agents such as ozone may be delivered to the ground region in order to provide a hostile effect to the termites by affecting their pheromone chemistry and/or their reproductive or communicative behavior. A secondary function of the present invention relates to the creation of a forced ventilation of the habitable region within which the apparatus of the present invention resides.
US09226490B2

A system and method for controlling the level of a moveable first wing in a vehicle mounted spray system. The vehicle mounted spray system comprises of the moveable first wing and a moveable second wing mounted to a common support structure to form a pair of opposed independently moveable wings extending laterally from the vehicle. The method and system comprise a first step of determining an initial control signal for the moveable first wing based on a position of the moveable first wing 210, then determining a compensating signal; and then controlling the level of the moveable first wing based on the initial control signal and the compensating signal.
US09226489B2

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of pest elimination including all life stages of bed bugs. The present disclosure includes articles, systems, and methods of heat treatment to target and kill pests.
US09226485B2

A fishing reel employs a driving mechanism having a cooperative pinion gear and a face gear. The face gear has a tooth form with a cross-section wherein the cross-section of the inner pitch portion is less than the cross-section of an outer pitch portion. The pinion gear effectively engages the inner pitch portion less than an outer pitch portion to provide a more uniform distribution of torque and to improve the wearing rate of the gear mechanism.
US09226478B1

An elevated pet feeding apparatus including an elevated base, a plurality of legs disposed on a lower surface of the base, a pair of lower support columns disposed on an upper surface of the base, a pair of upper support columns, a pair of pins configured to adjustably mount the pair of upper support columns within the pair of lower support columns, a pair of V-shaped support frames rotatably secured to a top side of the pair of upper support columns, a platform disposed atop the pair of support frames, and a pair of circular apertures disposed in the platform.
US09226476B2

Ranchers and other owners of livestock commonly have a need for a transportable means of setting up a corral for numerous purposes. Sorting must take place in a remote location or a location without a permanent corral, which are prohibitively time consuming and expensive to build. A preferred embodiment of the Portable Corral is comprised of a central chute, a left corral area, and a right corral area. The central chute is comprised of a back chute, a front chute, a left central chute panel and a right central chute panel. The front chute is comprised of a breakaway hitch that in turn is comprised of a left breakaway hitch section and a right breakaway hitch section. The left and right breakaway hitch sections are collapsed together to comprise the breakaway hitch used to connect to the towing vehicle.
US09226472B2

The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 79-51 RZ, which exhibits resistance against downy mildew races Bl:1 to Bl:28 and CA-I, CA-IIA, CA-IIB, CA-III, CA-IV, CA-V, CA-VI, CA-VII, CA-VIII (Bremia lactucae), resistance against Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV:1), resistance against Currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri) biotype 0, and leaves which are crisp, deeply-incised, nicely-frilled, and have a medium red colored apical margin. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 79-51 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 79-51 RZ.
US09226469B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH432094. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH432094, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH432094 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH432094.
US09226468B1

A novel maize variety designated X08D395 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X08D395 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08D395 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08D395, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08D395. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08D395.
US09226458B2

The invention relates to a winding apparatus for covering an opening. According to the invention transmitting means are provided for interaction between a drive unit and a winding element, having a windable pulling element which is received between a first rotatable winding body and a second rotatable winding body in such a manner that the pulling element can be wound and unwound by way of the first winding body which is driveable by the drive unit, wherein the second winding body and the winding element are rotatably coupled together and wherein the cover element can be wound by way of an unwinding operation of the pulling element from the second winding body.
US09226455B2

A planter includes a concave container and a separate rim, both formed from a thermoplastic material. The container has a brim extending radially outward from an upper portion of the container. A vertical wall extends upward from the brim. The rim has a top wall with outer and inner side walls extending downward from its edges. The upper surface of the brim of the container comprises a stop inward of the vertical wall such that when the rim is advanced onto the upper end of the container, a lower portion of the inner rim wall confronts the stop to inhibit further advancement.
US09226453B2

A tying mechanism comprising a bill hook, twine holding device for holding strands of twines, a cutting arm adapted for cutting twines between the bill hook and the twine holding device while moving between a rest position and an extended position, a drive adapted to make the bill hook perform at least a first full rotation and a second full rotation and to move the cutting arm from the rest position to the extended position and back during a full operation cycle to form respectively a first and a second consecutive knot wherein the tying mechanism further comprises a tension regulating mechanism able to provide and regulate the tension exerted to the twine holding device during the operation of the tying mechanism.
US09226437B2

An applicator for applying dry fertilizer or livestock waste in the form of a slurry beneath the soil surface with minimum soil displacement includes a leading spring-cushioned, conical-shaped, wavy coulter angularly offset from the direction of travel which displaces soil laterally in forming a furrow adapted to receive fertilizer. The coulter is trailed by a single, or a pair of, rotary blade(s) which fill the furrow created by the conical-shaped, wavy coulter, covering the deposited fertilizer. A second embodiment includes a second wavy coulter disposed between the leading coulter and the trailing rotary blades for directing soil in a laterally opposed direction from the soil displaced by the leading coulter in forming a wider furrow. The single conical coulter and dual conical coulter embodiments are interchangeable in the applicator, and can be removed and replaced with a curved shank and sweep assembly to convert to sweep fertilizer application.
US09232685B2

An exemplary power electronics module includes a first power electronics element that generates a first heat flow during operation of the power electronics module, a second power electronics element that generates a second heat flow during operation of the power electronics module. The first cooler is in thermal contact with the first power electronics element to receive at least part of the first heat flow. The second cooler is in thermal contact with the second power electronics element to receive at least part of the second heat flow. A heat exchanger is configured to transmit at least part of the first heat flow and the second heat flow to a primary cooling flow and transfer heat flow in a thermally efficient manner. A magnitude of the heat flow is less than a total magnitude that is formed from a maximum first heat flow and a maximum second heat flow.
US09232681B2

A multi-chip socket includes a first cavity having a first support surface to support a first component including a first chip, the first support surface arranged to contact and support the first chip. A second cavity has a second support surface to support a second component including a second chip, the second support surface arranged to contact and support the second chip. The first support surface is in a first plane, and the second support surface is in a second plane, where the first plane is angled with respect to the second plane.
US09232677B2

Provided herein is an apparatus, including a chassis defining a storage compartment; a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board is substantially parallel to a floor of the storage compartment; and a number of connectors mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein the number of connectors are configured to respectively connect to a number of digital data storage devices oriented substantially parallel to the printed circuit board.
US09232676B2

A cable backplane system includes a backplane having a plurality of openings therethrough and a plurality of mounting blocks. A cable rack is coupled to a rear of the backplane and includes a tray having a frame surrounding a raceway. Spacers are coupled to the tray that are secured to corresponding mounting blocks to position the spacers relative to the backplane. Cable connector assemblies are held by the tray. Each cable connector assembly has a plurality of cables extending between at least two cable connectors. The cables are routed in the raceway. Each cable connector assembly is positioned between and supported by corresponding spacers on opposite sides of the cable connector assemblies. The spacers allow limited movement of the cable connectors in at least two directions to allow alignment of the cable connectors within corresponding openings in the backplane.
US09232673B2

A ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body; a plurality of internal electrodes provided in the ceramic body and including ends exposed on a surface of the ceramic body; a coating layer covering a surface portion of the ceramic body on which the internal electrodes are exposed, the coating layer being made of a glass or resin medium in which metal powder particles are dispersed; and an electrode terminal provided directly on the coating layer and including a plating film. The metal powder particles define conduction paths electrically connecting the internal electrodes with the electrode terminal and have an elongated shape in cross section along a thickness direction of the coating layer. The metal powder particles defining the conduction paths have a maximum diameter not smaller than the thickness of the coating layer.
US09232672B2

A control mechanism for an electronic device comprises a cover glass having an aperture defined therein. The aperture extends from an interior to an exterior of the device. A control member is positioned within the aperture, coupled to an actuator. The control member comprises a ceramic insert having a contact surface exposed to the exterior of the housing, operable to actuate the actuator in response to a force on the contact surface. A bearing member is molded about the insert. The bearing member has a hardness less than that of the ceramic insert, and less than that of the cover glass.
US09232665B2

A packaging substrate includes: a dielectric layer unit having top and bottom surfaces; a positioning pad embedded in the bottom surface of the dielectric layer unit; at least a passive element having a plurality of electrode pads disposed on upper and lower surfaces thereof, the passive element being embedded in the dielectric layer unit and corresponding to the positioning pad; a first circuit layer disposed on the top surface of the dielectric layer unit, the first circuit layer having first conductive vias electrically connected to the electrode pads disposed on the upper surface of the passive element; and a second circuit layer disposed on the bottom surface of the dielectric layer unit, the second circuit layer having second conductive vias electrically connected to the electrode pads disposed on the lower surface of the passive element. Through the embedding of the passive element, the overall structure may have a reduced height.
US09232652B2

There is provided that a substrate comprising a glass substrate 2 constituted by a glass including a silicon oxide. The glass substrate has a through-hole 3 communicating with a front surface and a rear surface of the glass substrate, and filled with a metal material. The substrate is realized by forming an anchor part by selectively etching a silicon oxide on a sidewall surrounding an inside of said through-hole 3 before filling the metal material and by filling the inside of said through-hole 3 with the metal material after forming the anchor part.
US09232643B2

Provided are a ceramic wiring substrate; a multi-piece ceramic wiring substrate array for providing a plurality of the wiring substrates; and a method for reliably producing the wiring substrate array. The ceramic wiring substrate includes a substrate main body, which has a front surface, a back surface, side surfaces, a groove surface located on a side toward the front surface, and a fracture surface located on a side toward the back surface; and a notch which has a concave shape in plan view, and which is provided on at least one of the side surfaces so as to extend between the front surface and the back surface, wherein, in the side surface having the notch, the boundary between the groove surface and the fracture surface has curved portions on opposite sides of the notch, the curved portions being convex toward the front surface of the substrate main body in side view.
US09232637B2

A knitted substrate (4; 16) for electrical connection of electronic components (3; 17a-f) thereto. The knitted substrate comprises a first set of substrate portions (5a-e; 9a-f) knitted with a first stitch pattern resulting in a first tensile stiffness; and a second set of substrate portions (6a-f; 18a-f) knitted with a second stitch pattern resulting in a second tensile stiffness that is greater than the first tensile stiffness. A substrate portion of the first set of substrate portions (5a-e; 19a-f) is provided between substrate portions (6a-f; 18a-f) of the second set of substrate portions, and each substrate portion of the second set of substrate portions (6a-f; 18a-f) comprises conductive yarns (11a-b) arranged to allow electrical connection of at least one of the electronic components (3; 17a-f) thereto.
US09232636B2

The flexible printed wiring board according to the present invention includes a first flexible insulating layer, a first conductor wiring laminated on the first insulating layer, a second single-layered insulating layer laminated on the first insulating layer, as it covers the first conductor wiring, and a second conductor wiring laminated on the second insulating layer. The first conductor wiring has a thickness in the range of 10 to 30 μm, a line width in the range of 50 μm to 1 mm, and a line gap in the range of 50 μm to 1 mm. The thickness from the surface of the first conductor wiring to the surface of the second insulating layer is in the range of 5 to 30 μm. The surface waviness of the part of the second insulating layer covering the first conductor wiring is 10 μm or less.
US09232632B2

A method for detecting a registration offset is disclosed. The method includes transferring a first pattern to a metal layer on a first side of a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate. The first pattern has a reference scale. The method further includes transferring a second pattern to a metal layer on a second side opposite to the first side of the PCB substrate. The second pattern has a measurement scale. The second pattern is transferred by aligning an origin of the measurement scale with an origin of the reference scale in an apparatus such that at least a portion of the reference scale is overlapped with the measurement scale. The method includes etching the metal layers of the PCB substrate and measuring an offset in the patterns on the PCB substrate by using the reference scale and the measurement scale.
US09232631B2

A hyperfrequency interconnection device between two components is provided, each component comprising an upper face and a signal line arranged on the upper face, the planes containing the upper faces of the components being separated by a distance known as the height difference. The hyperfrequency interconnection device comprises a substrate comprising a lower face and an upper face defined by a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, a signal line arranged on the lower face of the substrate, a projection of the signal line into the plane of the upper face forming the first axis, at least two contact pads capable of electrically connecting the signal line of the device to the signal line of the components. The upper face of the substrate is corrugated along the second axis, capable of conferring on the substrate flexibility along the first axis.
US09232627B2

A starter is provided for a self-oscillating radio frequency oscillation circuit for high-power applications used for plasma generation in an ICP emission spectrometer or for other purposes. A secondary winding of a starting transformer is arranged in an LC resonance circuit including an induction coil, capacitor and other elements. A starter, e.g. a Clapp oscillator circuit, is connected to a primary winding magnetically coupled with the secondary winding. A radio-frequency current is induced in the LC resonance circuit by energizing the starter for a certain period of time in a starting phase. As a result, electric current flows through the secondary windings in a full-bridge drive circuit which are magnetically coupled with primary windings, whereby voltage is developed between the gate and source of MOSFETs, causing these MOSFETs to begin an ON/OFF operation, whereby the self-oscillation is started.
US09232625B2

An inverter device includes a switching device which performs on-off switching of an input voltage, a step-up transformer which applies an excitation current to its winding during a switching-device-on period and outputs an output voltage during a switching-device-off period, an input-voltage detector which detects the input voltage and output an input-voltage detection signal, an output voltage detector which detects the output voltage and output an output-voltage detection signal, an output-produced-period detector which detects a period when the output voltage is produced based on the output-voltage detection signal, a comparator which detects a period when the output-voltage detection signal exceeds the input-voltage detection signal and output information indicating the output-high period, and a shifting unit which shifts the information indicating the output-high period to a next period when absence of the output produced period is detected. The control unit adjusts the switching-device-on period based on information indicating the shifted output-high period.
US09232610B2

A coded lighting system comprises a set of light sources and a remote control unit or an arrangement. The set of light sources emits coded light. In order to do so each light source is associated with a unique identifier. The remote control unit or the arrangement comprises an image sensor which captures images comprising light emitted by at least one of the light sources in the set of light sources. By analyzing the captured images the remote control unit or the arrangement is able to associate light sources affecting a particular region and/or object. The remote control unit or the arrangement is thereby able to transmit a control signal comprising updated light settings to the set of light sources.
US09232602B2

A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp includes a number of different color LEDs that can be turned on and off in different combinations using an external switch operable by a user. A user or a controller can adjust the color temperature of light output by the lamp. The color temperature change may be a user preference and can compensate for decreased phosphor efficiency over time.
US09232596B2

Driver circuits which reduce or remove flicker of solid state lighting SSL devices, notably at relatively low dimming levels are presented. The driver circuit comprises a power converter to transfer energy from an input of the driver circuit to the SSL device. The energy at the input is derived from an AC mains voltage at a mains frequency. A controller determines a dim level for the SSL device. and operates the power converter continuously in a first operation mode for supplying energy to the SSL device at a first energy level, if the dim level is above a pre-determined dim level threshold. The controller operates the power converter in the first operation mode at a time duration of PWM pulses, and operates the power converter in a second operation mode at a time duration in-between the PWM pulses, if the dim level is below the pre-determined dim level threshold.
US09232579B2

A detection resistor is arranged on a path of an LED string. A controller generates a gate pulse signal having a duty ratio adjusted such that the voltage drop at the detection resistor matches a predetermined reference voltage. Furthermore, the controller receives a dimming control signal which indicates the duty ratio of the burst dimming operation, and generates a corresponding burst dimming pulse. According to the gate pulse signal, the first driver drives an output circuit configured to generate a driving voltage. A second driver switches a path of a driving current between connection and disconnection according to the burst dimming pulse. A duty ratio detection unit controls the frequency of the gate pulse signal according to the duty ratio indicated by the dimming control signal.
US09232572B2

An organic light-emitting display device includes: a substrate; an organic light-emitting unit that is formed on the substrate and comprises a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode; an organic film formed on the organic light-emitting unit; a first elastic layer that is formed on the organic film and comprises an elastomer; and a first inorganic film that is formed on the first elastic layer and comprises a low temperature viscosity transition (LVT) inorganic material.
US09232570B2

A method of generating an RF field reflection, including positioning a grid wall in front of a conductive wall, launching RF energy at the grid wall and the conductive wall, including first and second linearly polarized orthogonal components, and reflecting one component from the grid wall set and allowing the other component to pass through the grid wall set with little reflection to reflect from the conductive wall.
US09232567B2

A method and apparatus supporting handoff using simulcasting of multimedia information via a gateway are disclosed. A gateway supporting both a personal area network and a broadband network may receive multimedia information transmitted to an access device by a wide area network. The gateway may send the received multimedia information to the associated access device, and may communicate with the wide area network.
US09232553B2

Provided is a wireless connection device including a selection information generating unit which generates selection information with respect to each external device of a plurality of external devices that transmitted signals for wireless connection; a selecting unit which compares the selection information regarding each external device of the plurality of external devices and selects an optimal device from among the plurality of external devices based on a result of the comparison; and a connection processing unit which establishes a wireless connection to a first external device, among the plurality of external devices, that first transmitted the signal for wireless connection, and, if the first external device is different from the optimal external device, terminates the wireless connection to the first external device and establishes a wireless connection to the optimal external device.
US09232547B2

In this invention, we disclose methods directed toward integrating an ad hoc cellular network into a fixed cellular network. The methods disclosed herein automate the creation and integration of these networks. In additional embodiments, we disclose methods for establishing a stand-alone, ad hoc cellular network. In either of these implementations, we integrate or establish an ad hoc cellular network using mobile ad hoc cellular base stations configured to transmit and receive over a variety of frequencies, protocols, and duplexing schemes. The methods flexibly and dynamically choose an access or backhaul configuration and radio characteristics to optimize network performance. Additional embodiments provide for enhancing an existing network's coverage as needed, establishing a local network in the event of a loss of backhaul coverage to the core network, and providing local wireless access service within the ad hoc cellular network.
US09232544B2

A serving gateway node (SGW) and a method therefore is being provided being adapted for operating in a network in which a control-plane tunnel between a mobility manage-men! entity (MME) and a serving gateway node (SGW), a control plane tunnel between the serving gateway node (SGW) and a packet gateway node (PGW), and one or more user plane tunnels between the serving gateway node (SGW) and the packet gateway node (PGW), may be set up, the serving gateway (SGW) comprising an application layer control mechanism (APL LR CTRL), interface means, (!F) and a data base (DB). The serving gateway (SGW) is adapted for entering a state of ECM-IDLE (108) and ECM-CONNECTED (110) for a user entity (UE) in question. The serving gateway upon reception of a Modify Bearer Request message (107) may effectuate a setting up one or more user plane tunnels between the serving gateway (SGW) and a base station (eNodeB). The serving gateway (SGW) is being adapted to, upon receiving a Create Session Request message (102) from a packet gateway node, set up a timer (105), which on time-out (114) effectuates the serving gateway to put the user entity in ECM-IDLE (108) even if no Modify Bearer Request (107) is received.
US09232543B2

Wireless communication in a wireless system using a multiple user transmission opportunity is provided. The data blocks are organized in order of transmission priority based on access categories. Contention for access to the communication medium during a transmission opportunity period is based on a backoff timer of each access category and the transmission priority. Upon successful contention for a transmission opportunity period, during the transmission opportunity period, a data block of a primary access category is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless station to one or more primary destination wireless receivers. Simultaneously, a data block of a secondary access category is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless station to one or more secondary destination wireless receivers. Contending for the transmission opportunity period includes each access category contending for access to the wireless communication medium and a secondary access category selectively invoking communication medium access backoff based on one or more backoff events.
US09232541B2

A method of transmitting a random access response signal in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a random access preamble to a base station, receiving a random access response included in a data region of a specific subframe from the base station, and transmitting an uplink message to the base station based on uplink grant included in the random access response. If the data region is set to be transmitted through multiple layers based on a UE-specific reference signal and the specific subframe is a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe, the data region is demodulated based on the UE-specific reference signal on the assumption that the data region is transmitted via a predetermined antenna port using a single-antenna transmission scheme.
US09232540B2

A method of wireless communication includes a random access channel configuration for narrow bandwidth operations within a wider LTE system bandwidth. A first random access channel (RACH) configuration is broadcast for a regular device. A second RACH configuration is broadcast for a narrow bandwidth device. The narrow bandwidth device operates in a narrower bandwidth than the regular device.
US09232534B2

A method in a mobile station (120) for enabling more than eight mobile stations to share one uplink Packet Data Channel (PDCH) in a GSM network (100) is provided. A combination of Uplink State Flag values in a set of two or more downlink radio blocks is received. The received Uplink State Flag values of the combination are jointly interpreted. Packet data are only transmitted (706; 1402) when an assigned combination of Uplink State Flag values has been received. Conventionally in GSM only a maximum of 8 unique mobile stations can share one PDCH using one timeslot (of eight conventionally available). By the combination of the USF values and joint interpretation thereof, more than 8 unique mobile station can share the same PDCH. Compatibility is also enabled with legacy mobile stations supporting only a single USF value.
US09232524B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for managing wireless communications in a machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless Wide Area Network (WAN). An operating frequency band of the M2M wireless WAN is divided into at least a first frequency channel and a second frequency channel. The first and second frequency channels being used for communications on a reverse link. A first rise over thermal (RoT) threshold is set for the first frequency channel. A second RoT threshold is set for the second frequency channel. The second RoT threshold is lower than the first RoT threshold.
US09232518B2

A communication section controls the transmission directivity of a plurality of antennas, based on a known signal transmitted from a communication terminal. A radio resource allocating section allocates a downlink radio resource and allocates an uplink radio resource. A grouping processing section for classifying classifies a plurality of communication terminals with which the communication section communicates into a first terminal group executing an application with high communication quality of transfer data and a second terminal group executing an application with low communication quality of transfer data. A unit period is determined in which an uplink radio resource for a known signal usable for the transmission of the known signal by a communication terminal and a downlink radio resource appear. A correspondence between the downlink radio resource and the uplink radio resource for the known signal is defined for null steering based on the known signal in the unit period.
US09232512B2

A method for allocating uplink resources to a relay node. The method includes an access node allocating a plurality of disparate uplink resources to the relay node in a single downlink transmission to the relay node.
US09232508B2

A method for transmitting uplink response signals, base station, mobile station and communication system, includes judging whether to use a downlink secondary component carrier to transmit data to a mobile station; if the judging result is positive, allocating resources according to the number of transmission blocks for transmitting the downlink data in the secondary component carrier, accordingly the mobile station is able to use the resources corresponding to a preconfigured primary component carrier and the resources allocated to the secondary component carrier to select uplink resources for transmitting response signals.
US09232487B2

An access point generates a data packet such that the data packet has a same packet length as a data packet from at least one other access point. The access point reserves a channel for a time interval, and initiates transmission of the data packet over the channel at a same time as transmission of the data packet from the at least one other access point. As a result, the access point synchronizes its transmission interval with a transmission interval of the at least one other access point which reduces inter-access point interference.
US09232485B2

A system may include a target implantable medical device (IMD) and an external device configured to selectively communicate with the target IMD. The external device may include a communication module configured to communicate with the target IMD, a response analysis module configured to receive and analyze a target response signal from the target IMD and other response signals from other IMDS, and a power adjustment module configured to receive one or more power-adjustment request signals from the response analysis module. The power adjustment module is configured to adaptively adjust a power of a transmission request over a first frequency band based on the one or more power-adjustment request signals until the response analysis module receives only the target response signal from the target IMD.
US09232483B2

TPC is appropriately operated in response to access method switching timing, an error is prevented from occurring in communication, and influence given to another cell due to transmission of unnecessary power is reduced.A base station apparatus which performs wireless communication with a mobile station apparatus while switching a plurality of kinds of communication method, transmits control information for performing transmit power control of the mobile station apparatus to the mobile station apparatus. The mobile station apparatus receives the control information for performing the transmit power control from the base station apparatus and determines a transmitted power according to the control information when switching the communication method.
US09232480B2

A method for controlling power in a mobile network. The method includes, for each server station s, where s=1, . . . , A, belonging to a group of A server stations, where A≧2, each emitting with a power Ps(b), where b=1, . . . , B, in B sub-bands of frequencies, with B≧1, the following steps: a) receiving, from mobile terminals served by the server station s, measurements of radio parameters performed by these mobile terminals; b) calculating a predetermined value Vs,t(b), where bε[1, . . . , B] and tε[1, . . . , A], by using the measurements; c) transmitting to at least one other server station t, or an associate device, the respective value Vs,t(b), and reception, from at least the server station t or by the associated device, of the analogous value Vt,s(b); d) calculating, by using the value Vt,s(b), derivatives ∂ U ∂ P s ( b ) , where U is a predetermined utility function for the network, and e) updating transmission powers Ps(b) to reduce the value of the utility function U.
US09232476B1

Technologies related to task management across low-power wireless communications are generally described. In some examples, proximal devices in range of low-power wireless communications may cooperate to allow one or more of the proximal devices to suspend task operations, while one or more of the proximal devices manage the task operations. The task operations may be associated with an energy consumption that exceeds an energy consumption associated with the low-power wireless communications, allowing the proximal devices that suspend task operations to reduce their overall energy consumption.
US09232465B2

A method is performed in a mobile device for selecting or excluding an access point for use in wirelessly connecting to a network. The method includes collecting historical connection data for a first access point, wherein the historical connection data identifies a plurality of previous wireless connections to the network using the first access point and identifies a corresponding duration of each previous wireless connection. The method further includes: detecting that the first access point is available for a current wireless connection to the network; calculating an expected connection duration for the first access point using the historical connection data; and determining whether to select or exclude the first access point as a candidate for the current wireless connection based on the expected connection duration calculated for the first access point.
US09232464B2

A method and apparatus for automatically generating/changing Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) access information are provided. The apparatus includes an access information management database for storing pre-registered WLAN access information of a plurality of WLAN Access Points (APs). The apparatus also includes an access information collector for collecting information for WLAN APs being accessible at a current position of the apparatus, and an access information analyzer for analyzing the collected information, and creating a list of the accessible WLAN APs. The apparatus further includes a comparator for comparing the list with the WLAN access information to determine if the WLAN APs match. The apparatus additionally includes an access information automatic changer for automatically changing current WLAN access information according to matched APs. The apparatus includes an access information generator for automatically generating new WLAN access information when no WLAN access information is matched with the APs.
US09232461B2

An embodiment is directed to a method for limiting network communications. The method is implemented at a device through which communications can be routed between client devices and the internet. The method includes receiving a routable communication. A communication type for the routable communication is identified. The communication type may be owner, authorized, or anonymous. Access rules for the identified communication type are identified. The routing of the communication is limited according to the identified access rules.
US09232456B2

System and method embodiments are provided for transmitting a packet to a wireless device using a partial identifier. The embodiments enable communication using partial addresses with reduced risk of collision between two devices that share the same partial identifier. In an embodiment, a method includes determining at the first wireless station a scrambled identifier for a second wireless station according to a synchronized time and a partial identifier corresponding to one of the first wireless station and the second wireless station, wherein the synchronized time is synchronized with a time in the second wireless station, and wherein the partial identifier comprises a portion of a device identifier for at least one of the first wireless station and the second wireless station, and transmitting a packet to the second wireless station, wherein the packet comprises a payload and a header, and wherein the header comprises the scrambled identifier.
US09232448B2

An automated neighbor discovery by a base station with the assistance of an access terminal are disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving a first message from an access terminal based on detecting an identification signal by the access terminal from the first base station in a communication system. Determination whether the first base station is a known base station is then made. If the first base station is not known, a second message is transmitted to the access terminal requesting a network identification of the first base station. A third message from the access terminal is received in response to the second message including the requested network identification. A request for identification data is sent by the second base station to the first base station via a network link based on the network identification. Corresponding apparatus and other exemplary methods are also disclosed.
US09232447B2

To provide a radio base station apparatus and mobile terminal for enabling cell selection to be performed in a faster cell switching period in handover, the radio base station apparatus of the invention has a plurality of transmission/reception sections capable of being extended to remote sites, an FCS application determining section that determines whether to apply fast cell selection in handover based on information from the mobile terminal, and a multi-cell scheduling control section that controls transmission/non-transmission of the first and second transmission/reception sections when the FCS application determining section determines that FCS is applied.
US09232446B2

In order to reduce the occurrence of call loss in mobile stations while suppressing degradation of communication quality in a handover destination cell, a communication unit (11) forming an eNB (10) receives, from another eNB located adjacent to an own eNB, a first reception quality in a cell formed by the own eNB and a second reception quality in a cell formed by the another eNB. The first reception quality and the second reception quality are measured by one or more UE that are in radio communication with the another eNB. A control unit (12) accepts a call associated with UE which satisfies a first condition that the first reception quality is higher than the second reception quality in preference to a call associated with UE which does not satisfy the first condition. Alternatively, the control unit (12) accepts a call associated with UE which satisfies the first condition and a second condition that a difference between the first reception quality and the second reception quality is equal to or larger than a first threshold in preference to a call associated with UE which does not satisfy the first condition or the second condition.
US09232442B2

A method and apparatus for controlling an optimization of handover procedures between universal terrestrial radio access (UTRA) release 6 (R6) cells and UTRA release 7 (R7) cells are disclosed. When a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is moving between an R6 cell and an R7 cell, or between R7 cells, a handover is initiated from a source Node-B to a target Node-B. In the R7 cell, the enhanced medium access control (MAC) functionality including flexible radio link control (RLC) protocol data unit (PDU) size and high speed MAC (MAC-hs) segmentation and multiplexing of different priority queues are supported. After the handover, a MAC layer and/or an RLC layer are reconfigured or reset based on functionality supported by the target Node-B.
US09232441B2

Systems and methods of selecting a data rate for a wireless communication device are disclosed. Data indicative of a power constraint of a first computing device using the wireless communication device may be transmitted to a second computing device. A maximum data rate may be identified based on, at least in part, a power constraint of the first computing device.
US09232439B2

A server device may be configured to determine a first measure of throughput associated with a cellular wireless network, determine a second measure of throughput associated with a wireless local area network (“WLAN”), compare the first measure of throughput to the second measure of throughput; select, based on the comparing, a particular one of the cellular wireless network or the WLAN, and send an instruction to a user device that is in range of the cellular wireless network and the WLAN, the instruction instructing the user device to connect to the particular selected wireless network.
US09232431B2

A method includes classifying signaling messages to be transmitted from a mobile communication terminal into one or more classes, wherein each class corresponds to a respective event relating to the terminal and specifies the signaling messages that become irrelevant when the event occurs. The signaling messages are queued for transmission in a queue. In response to detecting an occurrence of a given event, the irrelevant signaling messages are removed from the queue based on the class specifying irrelevant signaling messages corresponding to the given event.
US09232424B2

A management of storage of measurement Data is provided. A method of managing storage of a set of measurement data comprises the steps of determining whether a value of at least one of said plurality of parameters has changed by more than a threshold amount from a value of the parameter in a previously stored set of measurement data and storing the set of measurement data, dependent upon the determination being affirmative.
US09232413B2

A computer-automated method is described for identifying and carrying out reconfiguration actions for a transmitter in a radio network. A computer system is configured to determine, for a first transmitter, a multitude of relative importance values for signal data points relating to the first transmitter, the signal data points being acquired by mobile wireless devices from the first transmitter. Each relative importance value is determined by: (1) calculating a relative relevance for a first signal data point for the first transmitter, acquired by a first mobile wireless device, by comparing a first value for the first signal data point to a second value for a second transmitter, (2) calculating, by a fuzzy logic engine, a quality for the first signal data point, and (3) rendering a relative importance value based upon the relative relevance and the quality for the first signal data point. The results are thereafter used to carry out a reconfiguration action upon at least one transmitter based upon the multitude of relative importance values.
US09232402B2

A system using mobile devices and a network provides access authentication, authorization and accounting to computing resources using a two-person access rule solution approach. A central access control server coordinates a rule-based authorization process in which a requesting user and one or more authorizing users are engaged in real-time communications to facilitate approved access to a sensitive resource. The technique utilizes mobile cellular interfaces and location service technologies, while also providing traditional security control measures of voice and visual verification of user identities.
US09232399B2

A network access credential can be shared among devices based on location information for a device. Location information can include timed fingerprint location information. In an aspect, location information can be associated with a location of user equipment. This location information can be correlated with network access credentials. Location information can be used to access a relevant network access credential. The relevant network access credential can be shared with other devices. In an embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between mobile devices. In another embodiment, sharing a network access credential can be between a remote computing device and a mobile device. Sharing a credential can allow for access to a network without having to generate or input new credentials.
US09232397B2

A single identity and billing relationship can be employed for multiple UE (user equipment) associated with a subscriber. Specifically, each of the multiple UEs can employ LTE (Long Term Evolution) radio technology to authenticate and register with a femto access point. Further, the transport level billing associated with the multiple UE can be facilitated by the femto access point by employing a femto id (identity) and/or credentials. Moreover, the femto access point can be employed by the multiple UEs as a network hub and can be employed by the UEs to perform authentication to connect to a core network. In addition, the femto access point can determine an authorized IP cloud associated with a registered UE and allow the registered UE to access only the authorized IP cloud.
US09232391B2

An authentication system for device-to-device (D2D) communication and an authentication method thereof are provided. The authentication system further includes first user equipment (UE) and an authentication server. The authentication server is located within a communication range of the first UE. When the first UE sends a connection request to the authentication server, the authentication server performs a routine authentication procedure on the first UE and provides key generation information to the first UE. The authentication server generates a server key according to the key generation information and a key derivation procedure. The first UE generates an equipment key according to the key generation information and the key derivation procedure to obtain authentication for D2D communication, such that the first user equipment and a second UE obtaining the authentication for D2D communication directly perform the D2D communication without performing the D2D communication through the authentication server.
US09232390B2

In a method and a system for providing secure communication in a cellular radio system radio base station key is generated by determining a set of data bits known to both the UE and the radio base station, and creating the radio base station key in response to the determined set of data.
US09232388B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for implementing wireless service for a wireless device. In a representative embodiment, a service initiation system is executed in a computing device that communicates with a service provider system over a network to activate a wireless service associated with a newly purchased wireless device. The service initiation system also generates a network page to send to a client over the network, where the network page has a component that initiates a porting of a contact designation associated with a prior wireless device to the newly purchased wireless device separate from the activation of the wireless service for the newly purchased wireless device.
US09232381B2

Mobile protocol packets, with a header field and a payload field, are communicated from a user mobile equipment to an application-aware serving gateway. The application-aware mobile protocol serving gateway detects header information in the header field and application information in the payload field to manage the mobile protocol packets based on a policy.
US09232371B2

It relates to computer communication technology. A method and system for transmitting voice messages are disclosed. The method includes: voice data collected by the first intercom terminal are received; whether the size of the voice data collected reaches a predefined threshold are circularly detected; and when the size of the voice data collected reaches the predefined threshold, or when the voice data collected doesn't reach the predefined size but contains a voice message terminator, the voice data collected are upload to the transit server via a predefined network, to realize asynchronization between voice data collection and uploading. Thus the problem of the prolongation of the intercom data transmission time associated with existing processes is solved by such an effective intercom data transmission method. In this method, the collection and uploading of the voice data can be done asynchronously, thus the delay of intercom can be reduced and the experience of the users of intercom terminal can be improved.
US09232344B2

In a zigbee network, reliable communications are provided by maintaining messages transmitted from a device in a message queue in the device. If no successful acknowledgement is received for a transmitted message, the message is re-transmitted when the message queue executes. Messages are deleted from the queue when the message is successfully transmitted or when a maximum number of re-tries has been exhausted.
US09232337B2

The invention relates to a method for visualizing a directional sound activity of a multichannel audio signal, comprising: receiving input audio channels, spatial information being associated with each one of said channel, performing a time-frequency transformation of said input audio channels, for each one of a plurality of frequency sub-bands, determining a directional sound activity vector from said transformed input audio channels, determining a contribution of each one of said directional sound activity vectors within sub-divisions of space on the basis of directivity information related to each sub-divisions of space, for each sub-division of space, determining directional sound activity level within said sub-division of space by summing said contributions within said sub-division of space, displaying a visualization of the directional sound activity of the multichannel audio signal by a graphical representation of directional sound activity level within said sub-division of space.
US09232327B2

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and computing devices for fitting bilateral hearing prostheses. An example method includes sending a signal to a first hearing prosthesis and a second hearing prosthesis. The signal causes the first hearing prosthesis to deliver a first stimulus to a body part in a left auditory pathway of a user. The signal also causes the second hearing prosthesis to deliver a second stimulus to a body part in a right auditory pathway of the user. The first stimulus and the second stimulus cause the user to perceive a sound and are delivered simultaneously. The method also includes receiving an indication of a perception of the sound by the user. The method further includes determining an adjustment to at least one of the first stimulus or the second stimulus based on the perception of the sound by the user.
US09232318B2

The present invention relates to a hearing device comprising a microphone (1) wherein the microphone (1) comprises a first opening (8), a second opening (9) and at least three compartments (2, 3, 4), a first membrane (6) being arranged between the first and the second compartment (2; 3) and a second membrane (7;) at least partly covering the third compartment (4), wherein the second and the third compartments (3, 4) are connected in communicative manner via a canal (11).
US09232315B2

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) device comprising a piezoelectric substrate having a working surface with an active zone capable of propagating an acoustic wave on said working surface; at least one interdigital transducer on the working surface, having interdigital fingers aligned in the active zone for inducing or receiving surface acoustic waves in the active zone; and a heating element on the working surface; wherein the transducer, heating element and preferably a temperature sensor are monolithically formed on the substrate.
US09232314B2

Embodiments are provided for configurations of a loudspeaker. The loudspeaker may include a frame, a magnetic structure having a magnetic gap, a voice coil suspended within the magnetic gap, a first suspension element, a diaphragm, and a second suspension element. The first suspension element may have an inner rim and an outer rim attached to the frame. The diaphragm may have an outer portion and a continuous central portion attached to the voice coil via a first coupler. The outer portion of the diaphragm may be attached to the inner rim of the first suspension element. The second suspension element may have an inner rim and an outer rim attached to the frame. The inner rime of the second suspension element may be attached to the diaphragm via a second coupler along a circumferential middle section of the diaphragm between the continuous central portion and outer portion of the diaphragm.
US09232310B2

An apparatus for providing directional audio capture may include a processor and memory storing executable computer program code that cause the apparatus to at least perform operations including assigning at least one beam direction, among a plurality of beam directions, in which to direct directionality of an output signal of one or more microphones. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to divide microphone signals of the microphones into selected frequency subbands wherein an analysis performed. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to select at least one set of microphones of the apparatus for selected frequency subbands. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to optimize the assigned at least one beam direction by adjusting a beamformer parameter(s) based on the selected set of microphones and at least one of the selected frequency subbands. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.
US09232305B2

This invention relates to acoustic drivers with stationary and moving coils. Time varying signals are applied to the moving and stationary coils to control the movement of a diaphragm, which produces audible sound. The time varying signals correspond to an input audio signal such that the sound corresponds to the input audio signal. Some of the described embodiments include multiple moving coils, multiple stationary coils or both. Some embodiments include feedback for adjusting one or more of the signals based on a characteristic of the acoustic driver. Various compensation and other features of the invention are also described in relation to various embodiments.
US09232303B2

An apparatus is disclosed for enhancing the sound level of portable devices by providing a sound reflector between the portable device and a case. The sound reflector includes a shield which functions to redirect output from rear facing speakers toward the front. The sound reflector can be extended for redirecting sound or retracted when not in use. A case incorporating a retractable sound reflector is also disclosed.
US09232301B2

Coaxial two-way or more loudspeaker system comprising a low range electro-dynamic transducer and a high range transducer with compression chamber, mounted in a coaxial and frontal with respect of the low range transducer.
US09232299B2

A three-dimensional air-adsorbing structure. The structure has a three-dimensional, unitary, skeletal, porous scaffold, air-adsorbing material particles, and one or more hydrophobic binders that couple air-adsorbing material particles to each other to form agglomerates and couples particles and agglomerates to the scaffold. The structure has structure openings in the agglomerates and structure openings between agglomerates, such structure openings being open to the outside environment. The air-adsorbing material and the agglomerates are coupled to the scaffold by creating a water-based emulsion of air-adsorbing material, agglomerates of the material, and binder, and then impregnating the scaffold with this emulsion. The emulsion is dried at least in part at a temperature below the freezing point of the emulsion.
US09232298B2

A miniaturized and portable electronic device with enhanced audio output includes a main body, an internal sound guiding pipe and a surface-mounted but internal loudspeaker. The main body defines a plurality of first sound holes and a plurality of second sound holes at respective ends of the main body. The interconnecting sound guiding pipe receives the portion of the sound waves generated by the loudspeaker which the loudspeaker does not direct to the outside of the main body, and such portion not directly output is collected by the sound guiding pipe to resonate and be transmitted to the second sound holes for outward emission.
US09232293B1

Audio components such as headsets or earbuds can include a control module that stores an identifying code. When an audio component is connected to an electronic device, the device determines the code and can set certain parameters (e.g., audio playback volume) and/or provide at least some level of access to functionality and data. The control module also includes one or more buttons that enable a user to provide an input sequence that can act as a personal code. When the electronic device receives the personal code and verifies that the code is associated with the identifying code of the audio component, the electronic device can provide access to additional and/or all functionality on the device, and any or all data stored for the user or device. The sequence can correspond to a beat pattern or musical sequence entered using the buttons.
US09232290B2

A combination cooler and audio system device is described which is configured to insulate foods and beverages while simultaneously emitting audio from at least one onboard speaker. The device is equipped with a Bluetooth radio configured to interface with an audio device such as a cell phone or Mp3 player over conventional Bluetooth wireless frequencies. The device also has a wireless remote control, storage drawer, and solar powered lighting.
US09232288B2

An article (e.g., toy, ornament, etc.) having an audio recording and playback device permits recording of a karaoke-style song to be played. A user sings along with a permanently prerecorded, karaoke-style song that is played during a recording session. The recording device is operable in either a trial mode or a use mode. In the trial mode, a user-recorded song is played back initially for the potential purchaser but is not subsequently played back to be later heard by other potential purchasers. In the use mode, which the article may be switched to after purchase, a user-recorded karaoke-style song can be played. During playback, the user-recorded song is played simultaneously with the prerecorded karaoke-style recording that was played during the recording session. Additional prerecorded messages, such as voice prompts with instructions, may also be included.
US09232287B2

Disclosed in the present invention are a method and apparatus for processing downlink frame synchronization in a Gigabit-capable passive optical network (GPON) system, wherein the method comprises: carrying out forward error correction (FEC) encoding on data in a synchronization domain of a downlink frame of the GPON system, wherein the synchronization domain includes a physical synchronization (Psync) domain and an identifier (Ident) domain; filling the FEC encoded data into an FEC check domain provided in the downlink frame; and sending the downlink frame. By virtue of the present invention, the effect of improving the reliability of GPON downlink frame synchronization is achieved.
US09232281B2

A communication management apparatus is provided which includes: a start request acceptance unit configured to accept a request to start a program from a terminal; a query unit configured to query the program whether communication with the terminal is available upon acceptance of the start request; and a response transmission unit configured to transmit to the terminal, in response to the start request therefrom, a message indicating whether communication is available between the program and the terminal as a result of the query about the availability of communication therebetween.
US09232262B2

Methods and systems for multi-path video and network channels may comprise a communication device comprising a wideband path (WB) and a narrowband path (NB). A video channel and a network channel may be received in the WB when the device is operating in a first stage. A video channel and a network channel may be received in the WB and the network channel may also be received in the NB when the device is operating in a second stage. The network channel may be received in the NB when the device is operating in a third stage. The reception of the network channel from both the WB and NB may enable a continuous reception of the network channel in a transition between the first and third stages. The WB may be operable to receive a plurality of channels and the NB may be operable to receive a single channel.
US09232259B2

Functionality of a multimedia presentation device is enhanced by establishing a communication path through an electrical connector that is selectively separable from the multimedia presentation device. Output streaming media are conveyed to the multimedia presentation device over the established communication path. A wireless communication channel is established over which input streaming media are received from a multimedia source device. Multimedia data of the input streaming media are stored in a memory that is selectively separable from the multimedia presentation device at the electrical connector. A processor, which is also selectively separable from the multimedia presentation device at the electrical connector, retrieves the multimedia data stored in the memory and the retrieved multimedia data are conveyed to the multimedia presentation device as the output streaming media on the communication path to the multimedia presentation device through the electrical connector.
US09232258B2

An extended connectivity apparatus provides multimedia data from a multimedia source device to a multimedia presentation device. An electrical connector mechanically couples to a connector of the multimedia presentation device to provide a communication path to the multimedia presentation device. A wireless communication interface, which is selectively separable from the multimedia presentation device at the electrical connector, receives multimedia data over a wireless communication channel. A processor, which is also selectively separable from the multimedia presentation device at the electrical connector, encodes the received multimedia data into a format compatible with presentation capabilities of the multimedia presentation device and conveys the encoded multimedia data to the multimedia presentation device through the electrical connector.
US09232256B2

A system and method for playing Flash-based media are disclosed in the present invention. The method comprises that: when a Flash conversion server receives a Flash play request sent from a media server, it parsing the request, if the Flash play request is a dynamic Flash request or a real-time Flash request, the Flash conversion server converting the Flash file that is requested to be played into code stream data, and pushing the code stream data to the media server; and the media server playing the received code stream data to the terminal. With the technical solution in the present invention, the Flash animation can be converted and played to a terminal in real time.
US09232253B1

In one aspect, the invention provides an interactive, multi-platform video network. In another aspect, the invention provides a dynamic scheduling method.
US09232239B2

Methods and systems for providing fluid real-time camera control of at least one camera to at least one network user via a network including the internet. A control pad or area can be provided to camera users via an application or applet that can be calibrated to provide fluid camera control. Compressed or uncompressed analog, digital, or streaming video and audio data can also be provided to the users to allow real-time low latency continuous audio/visual feedback. Multiple camera users can obtain control of a camera using a dynamic queuing technique that can allow single user camera control for certain time intervals. An administrator can establish user camera control parameters including camera control intervals for subscriber users versus non-subscriber users, camera usurping by an administrator, elimination of camera control privileges for a user, and denial of camera control requests by a user.
US09232238B2

A system for, and method of, pixel data compression and a smartphone incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a differential pulse code modulation encoder operable differentially to compress the two pixel values losslessly to yield two losslessly compressed pixel values and (2) an entropy encoder coupled to the differential pulse code modulation encoder and configured to receive and entropy-encode the losslessly compressed pixel values using a tiered technique to yield entropy-encoded, losslessly compressed pixel values. values using a tiered technique to yield Huffman-encoded, losslessly compressed pixel values.
US09232234B2

The present disclosure provides a video encoding apparatus and method and a video decoding apparatus and method. The video encoding apparatus, includes: a block mode determiner for determining a block mode of a current block; an NCI block intra encoder responsive if the block mode of the current block determined by the block mode determiner is an intra mode and neighboring blocks of the current block include an NCI block, for encoding the NCI block through an intra prediction of the NCI block; and a current block intra encoder responsive if the block mode of the current block determined by the block mode determiner is the intra mode and the neighboring blocks of the current block include the NCI block, for encoding the current block through an intra prediction of the current block.
US09232221B2

A system, medium, and method compressing and/or restoring images. Such a data compression method may include selecting a mode from among a plurality of modes for compressing current data, according to predetermined criteria, and calculating a difference between the current data and reference data, according to the selected mode, and compressing the current data, or truncating a part of the current data and compressing the current data. Accordingly, it is possible to significantly lower the complexity of an image encoder/decoder system and exactly meet a picture-based CBR required by LCD DCC devices/systems.
US09232212B2

A stereoscopic display method includes generating a left-eye crosstalk parameter according to left-eye image data and right-eye image data; generating a right-eye crosstalk parameter according to the left-eye image data and the right-eye image data; generating calibrated left-eye image data according to the left-eye image data, the right-eye image data, the left-eye crosstalk parameter, and the right-eye crosstalk parameter; generating calibrated right-eye image data according to the left-eye image data, the right-eye image data, the left-eye crosstalk parameter, and the right-eye crosstalk parameter; and displaying the calibrated left-eye image data and the calibrated right-eye image data on a display apparatus.
US09232210B2

A method includes receiving, through a processor of a data processing device communicatively coupled to a memory, data related to a dimensional parameter of a display unit and/or a distance between a user and the display unit, and determining, through the processor, a comfortable range of perception of a sub-portion of three -dimensional (3D) video data on the display unit based on the dimensional parameter of the display unit and/or the distance between the user and the display unit. The method also includes adjusting, through the processor, a disparity between one or more sub -portion(s) of the 3D video data corresponding to perception of the sub-portion by a left eye of the user and one or more sub-portion(s) of the 3D video data corresponding to perception of the sub-portion by a right eye of the user such that the sub-portion is mapped within the determined comfortable range of perception.
US09232203B2

An image processing device including a synchronization unit (25) for generating a luminance (Y′) from the sum of pixel signals R, Gr, Gb, B, for subtracting the R pixel signal and the B pixel signal from the sum of the Gr pixel signal and Gb pixel signal so as to generate a first color difference (C1), and for calculating a difference between the R pixel signal and the B pixel signal to generate a second color difference (C2), a pseudo-color suppression unit (31) for performing pseudo-color suppression of the first color difference (C1) and/or the second color difference (C2), a color space conversion unit (37) for converting the luminance Y′, the first color difference (C1), the second color difference (C2), into a predetermined color space to generate YUV color information.
US09232196B2

An image-capturing apparatus includes: an image-capturing section including a first image-capturing system and a second image-capturing system having an image-capturing optical axis on a different position from that of the first image-capturing system and a different image-capturing characteristic from the first image-capturing system; a positional-relation specifying section specifying a first positional-relation between the first image-capturing system and a subject at a first timing at which the first image-capturing system has performed image-capturing; a judging section judging whether a second positional-relation between the second image-capturing system and the subject matches more the first positional-relation at a second timing, based on a displacement of the image-capturing apparatus with respect to the subject by the first image-capturing system, positions of image-capturing optical axes respectively of the first image-capturing system and the second image-capturing system, and the first positional-relation; and an image combining section combining the first image with the second image.
US09232193B2

A broadcast receiver includes a mode determination unit to determine a current operation mode among a plurality of operation modes, a communication interface to transmit the determined current operation mode to a mobile device through interactive communication, and to receive a control command from the mobile device, and a controller to provide a service of the determined current operation mode according to the control command received from the mobile device. Accordingly, a user controls the broadcast receiver through the mobile device according to the operation mode so that user's convenience is improved.
US09232186B2

A video terminal device includes a capture module, a detection module, a transmitting module, and a displaying module. The capture module takes images of the eyes of a user when the user is gazing at a display device to obtain three points of focus of the eyes, and confirms a circle bounding the three points of focus. The detection module detects whether an area of the applied circle is less than a first threshold. The transmitting module outputs coordinates of the center of the applied circle as an eyes direction when the area of the circle is less than the first threshold, enabling the participants in a conference to see the eyes direction of the presenter and the presenter to see the eyes directions of each of his audience.
US09232178B2

An exemplary embodiment provides for a computer-implemented method that generates a time-based multivariable secure facility alarm. The method includes selecting a person for alert monitoring, alert monitor criteria pertaining to the person and alarm notification rules. When an occurrence that satisfies the alert monitor criteria are detected, an alarm notification, based upon the alarm notification rules, is generated. The method's alert monitor criteria include at least two events and a time period such that the alert monitor criteria is satisfied when the at least two events occur within the time period. Additionally, at least one event of the at least two events is a non-telephonic event.
US09232175B2

Storyboard processing in a movie during production, including: creating a proxy shot for an imported shot; displaying the proxy shot; receiving a completion signal for the imported shot; reloading related metadata for the imported shot; and displaying the newly imported shot. Keywords include proxy shot and imported shot.
US09232174B1

A method for receiving and sending a television program according to one embodiment includes receiving a request to record a television program and receiving the television program. Further, the method includes storing a representation of the television program on a computer readable medium. Also, the method includes receiving a request to send the representation of the television program to a handheld device. Additionally, the method includes reducing a size of the representation of the television program and sending the reduced-size representation of the television program to the handheld device. Other systems and methods are also included.
US09232166B2

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel array configured to include a first analog-to-digital conversion unit and a second analog-to-digital conversion unit, a first electrical signal supply unit configured to supply an electrical signal to the first analog-to-digital conversion unit, and a second electrical signal supply unit configured to supply an electrical signal to the second analog-to-digital conversion unit.
US09232161B2

An image sensor includes a pixel array and a plurality of pairs of column lines. The pixel array includes a plurality of unit pixel areas arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. Each of the unit pixel areas includes a readout circuit connected to a corresponding pair of column lines, and first and second photo-electric conversion devices sharing the readout circuit. Each of the unit pixel areas is configured to output a first pixel signal corresponding to a photoelectron generated by the first photo-electric conversion device through the first column line, and to output a second pixel signal corresponding to a photoelectron generated by the second photo-electric conversion device through the second column line.
US09232145B2

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a hand-held electronic device and a display method, the hand-held electronic device comprising an image processor configured to provide image data; a first display configured to display the first image based on the image data; a first optical system configured to receive light emitted from the first display and change the light path of the light emitted from the first display to form a first magnified virtual image, wherein the length of the light path between the first optical system and the first display is shorter than the focus of the first optical system; a first window configured to allow a viewer to see the first magnified virtual image through the first optical system when the viewer comes close to the first window.
US09232141B2

The invention disclosed herein provides a small-format image-shake correction apparatus and an imaging apparatus incorporating the same. The moving member control apparatus is comprising a base part 10, a moving part 30 that is movable relatively to the base part 10, a first driving part 71 that applies an driving force to the moving part 30, a second driving part 72 that applies an driving force to the moving part 30, a third driving part 73 that applies an driving force to the moving part 30 from a position different from the first 71 and the second driving part 72, a control part 2 that gains control of the driving forces of the first 71, the second 72 and the third driving part 73, and a correction part 3 that makes correction of a first output value Ix1 produced from the control part 2 to the first driving part 71 and a second output value Ix2 produced from the control part 2 to the second driving part 72, depending on a third output value Iy produced from the control part 2 to the third driving part 73, as shown in FIG. 12.
US09232134B2

An imaging device comprises a lens barrel including an optical system that collects light from a predetermined viewing area and that defines an optical axis; an imaging unit that receives the light collected by the optical system and generates image data, the image data defining a main image that includes a determined sub area; a ring-shaped operation ring that is provided on an outer circumference of the lens barrel and that is manually rotatable about the optical axis of the optical system; and an area change unit that changes at least one of (A) a size of the determined sub area, or (B) a position of the determined sub area, responsive to a manual operation of the operation ring.
US09232130B2

A multispectral imaging system and method in which the zero-mode channel is used to provide imaging of any of a variety of optical properties. In one example an imaging method includes spectrally dispersing received electromagnetic radiation into its spectral components with a dispersive element to produce spectrally dispersed electromagnetic radiation, transmitting the electromagnetic radiation through the dispersive element to produce non-dispersed electromagnetic radiation corresponding to a zero order diffraction mode of the dispersive element, imaging the non-dispersed electromagnetic radiation to produce a zero-mode image, and simultaneously imaging the spectrally dispersed electromagnetic radiation to produce a spectral image.
US09232120B2

Disclosed is an image processor that reduces or eliminates the effects of a flash band regardless of performing a shutter operation or not. An imaging device includes a flash band detector configured to determine whether each image of the consecutive images shown by image signals output from an imager is a flash band image a part of which is affected by a flash, and a flash band compensator configured to, if a first image is determined as the flash band image, generate a third image which is supposed where the third image is fully affected by a flash by using a second image which is not determined as the flash band image, and output the third image instead of the first image.
US09232116B2

A digital broadcast receiving apparatus includes a digital data demodulator 1 that demodulates digital data from a received signal of a digital broadcast; a content reproduction unit 2 that reproduces contents of the digital broadcast from the demodulated digital data; a clock difference detector 3 that detects information about the difference between a first clock to which the digital data demodulator 1 synchronizes and a second clock to which the content reproduction unit 2 synchronizes; and an output sample controller 6 that performs control in such a manner that the contents of the digital broadcast reproduced are output at a prescribed rate in accordance with the information about the difference between the first clock and the second clock.
US09232110B2

A determining unit determines for each of pages which one of a color output or a monochrome output to perform, based on a color intensity of determination image data containing generated color pixel data and monochrome pixel data on each of pixels generated by a determination image data generating unit based on print job data. An image generating unit generates color image data by extracting the color pixel data on each of the pixels for each of color components upon determination that the color output is to be performed, and generates monochrome image data by extracting the monochrome pixel data on each of the pixels upon determination that the monochrome output is to be performed.
US09232108B2

A method for managing reproduction of a print generation of a document, where a machine-readable pattern of the original print has been previously generated and printed on the original print and containing document registration and management information of the original print. The method includes the steps of receiving a print-on-demand (POD) job order for producing a reprint of the original print, retrieving document registration information and print management information from the machine-readable pattern, authenticating the original print based on the document registration information, verifying reprint permission based on the print management information, generating a new machine-readable pattern for the reprint, maintaining a master machine-readable pattern on a digital form of the document or a data file for the document with updated information of the reprint, and completing the POD job order by producing the reprint with the new machine-readable pattern.
US09232107B2

An image processing apparatus capable of preventing erroneous transmission due to a change in destination information in a shared address book. A CPU acquires destination information including at least an identifier and a destination, and a destination of the image data is designated from the acquired destination information. Information on the designated destination of the image data is stored in a destination usage history table. The CPU determines whether or not the acquired destination information has been changed by comparing the designated destination information and the destination information stored in the destination usage history table. If it is determined that the destination information has been changed, a screen for confirming the destination information is displayed. The destination information is designated from the acquired destination information according to a user's confirming operation on the displayed screen.
US09232101B2

When a data processing apparatus according to this invention detects generation of an event to shift from the standby state to the suspended state, it saves the contents of a memory in the standby state in a non-volatile storage device in response to detection of generation of the event, and shifts to the suspended state. When power-off is instructed in the suspended state, the data processing apparatus shifts from the suspended state to the power-off state without the mediacy of the standby state.
US09232100B2

A first service in a system in which a plurality of services cooperatively perform processing, comprises: a generation unit which generates authorization information to use a function provided by the first service and link information to call an input window of the authorization information; a holding unit which holds the link information and the authorization information in association with each other; a providing unit which provides the link information to a second service; a notification unit which notifies a user of the authorization information; a displaying unit which displays the input window corresponding to the link information when the user has designated the link information obtained from the second service; and a permission unit which permits use of the function provided by the first service when the user has input the notified authorization information to the displayed input window.
US09232087B2

Disclosed is an image processing apparatus composed in a hierarchical architecture of a hardware resource, a first control program over the hardware resource, a second control program and an application program over the first control program. The first control program includes a first API for receiving a first request relating to image processing from the second control program and a second request relating to image processing from the application program, and controls, on receiving either of the first and second requests, the hardware resource to perform image processing based on the received request. The second control program includes a second API publicly released in advance for receiving a third request relating to image processing from an external source, converts the received third request to a command supported by the first API, and passes the command as the first request to the first control program.
US09232086B2

There is provided an information processing apparatus. A reception unit receives user identification information for identifying a user of the information processing apparatus which outputs display information to a display device which displays the display information, and the display information which is output to the display device. A transmission unit, in a case where it is authorized that the user is permitted to use the information processing apparatus based on an authorized result of the user identification information received by the reception unit, transmits the user identification information and the display information to the display device when it is unclear whether or not the user is authorized to output the display information received by the reception unit to the display device and a predetermined condition about the user for outputting the display information to the display device is satisfied.
US09232076B2

In an embodiment, a method of providing a status message may include receiving, from a mobile device one or more status messages, wherein each status message corresponds to one or more contacts in an address book, storing the status messages and corresponding one or more contacts, transmitting one of the status messages to a mobile device associated with one of the one or more contacts, wherein the status message is displayed on the associated mobile device and integrating the status message into an address book associated with the contact.
US09232072B2

Methods and systems are provided for speaker separated spatial acoustic echo cancellation (AEC). A new approach is provided to combat the non-identifiability issue in multiple loudspeaker arrangements with shared echo cancellation processing. By associating echo channels with actual speakers (e.g., participants, talkers, users, individuals, etc.) rather than loudspeakers, the methods and techniques provided allow for continued use of mono AEC. Also provided is a straightforward speaker detection scheme for identifying different speakers in a stereo loudspeaker environment.
US09232070B2

A communication system includes logic to detect a second communication device in proximity to a first communication device engaged in a call, and to provide a substantially uninterrupted transfer of selected parties to the call to the second communication device. A proximate device may be identified as one capable of rendering a particular data type, and a substantially uninterrupted transfer may be performed to the proximate device of data of the communications having the data type. An application associated with communication data may be identified, as well as a proximate device capable of providing the application, and a substantially uninterrupted transfer may be performed to the proximate device of data associated with the application.
US09232066B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for queue routing. The method includes: obtaining history behavior information of a user accessing a call center system; analyzing the history behavior information, and performing queue routing on a call of the user based on an analysis result of the history behavior information. The embodiments of the present invention further disclose an apparatus for queue routing, including: an information obtaining module and a call processing module. By using the technical solutions according to the embodiments of the present invention, a dynamic queue routing mechanism is provided according to the history behavior information of the user, and thus, a more refined service manner is provided for the user and user experience is improved.
US09232064B1

Contact center strived to provide needed skills in close proximity to an anticipated demand for the skills. Skills may be needed to replace agents that are reassigned or that are no longer agents of the contact center. Training and recruitment of agents represents a significant investment in time money and other agents for a contact center. Determining a trajectory for a particular candidate to acquire the needed skill, at a point before the contact center fully invests in training, allows the agent to be excluded from future training should the agent not perform as expected were in the performance is measured at least one midpoint towards acquisition of the needed skill. As a benefit, agents can be directed towards acquiring the needed skills from other sources.
US09232061B2

A method of providing 911 service to a private branch exchange, includes grouping a plurality of private telephone numbers into a set. An outgoing telephone line for a 911 call is assigned to the set. A location information for the outgoing telephone line is input into a location database.
US09232060B2

During communications sessions between an agent in a call center and a customer, it is often desirable that a secondary agent is consulted, the secondary agent perhaps more suited to the particular needs of the customer. It is preferred that the original agent is presented with a list of the best-suited agents with which to consult, if needs be. Accordingly, a system and method for managing a list of contacts for presentation to a user of a computer system (e.g. a call center agent) is disclosed. The system provides for the monitoring of live communications between an agent and a customer, and further provides for the detecting of a pattern of data in the monitored live communications interaction (e.g. utilising speech recognition to recognise use of a particular keyword). The system is then operable to present a list of suggested contacts to the agent, the suggested contacts chosen based on a match between selection criteria for that contact and on the particular data pattern detected.
US09232058B1

A system, method, and computer readable medium for confirmation and verification of address data associated with a data communication. The invention provides a method of obtaining at least one of the first address information and the second address information, converting by a processor one of the first address information and the second address information to a format compatible for comparison with the other of the first address information and the second address information, and quantifying a difference between the converted one of the first address information and the second address information and the other of the first address information and the second address information.
US09232056B2

An apparatus for blocking unwanted calls is disclosed. The apparatus incorporates a whitelist which the user can program so that known friendly callers are not interrupted by the apparatus. The apparatus also incorporates a blacklist which automatically rejects known unwanted callers so that the user is not interrupted by these calls. Additionally, the apparatus allows the user to easily add new numbers to either the blacklist or white list and also to delete numbers from the white list, blacklist or master list of caller IDs. For new numbers, callers are presented with a simple but yet effective message that states that the caller should hang up if the caller is a solicitor or telemarketer, or otherwise press zero so that the apparatus can allow the call to go through to the telephone.
US09232052B1

A system and method for monitoring telephone calls to detect fraudulent activity and take corrective action is described. The system receives a first group of telephone calls having associated voice characteristics and analyzes the first group of telephone calls to identify and store a first set of distributions of voice characteristics that are indicative of normal activity, fraudulent activity, or indeterminate activity. The system receives a second group of telephone calls to be analyzed. The system analyzes the second group of telephone calls to identify a second set of distributions of voice characteristics associated with the second group of telephone calls. The system then compares the second set of distributions of voice characteristics to the stored first set of distributions of voice characteristics to assess a probability that one or more telephone calls in the second group of telephone calls represents normal, fraudulent, or indeterminate activity. If the assessed probability of fraudulent activity exceeds a threshold, the system takes appropriate corrective action, such a flagging the fraudulent call or withholding a financial incentive associated with the fraudulent call.
US09232051B2

A method for controlling a call in a first controlled facility includes connecting an inmate in the first controlled facility to the call when each party of the call is verified, testing incoming audio on the call to detect a controlled facility tone from a second controlled facility, and transmitting a notification of a violation by the inmate when the controlled facility tone is detected in the incoming audio.
US09232042B2

A Wireless mobile communication (WMC) device may be utilized to generate and/or maintain multimedia data files. Context data tags may be utilized to tag the generated multimedia data files to enable convenient identification of multimedia data files. Context data tags may comprise time/date stamps, subject, and/or location attribute. User preference information that is unique to the WMC device and/or a specific device user may be utilized to create context data tags for multimedia data files. The user preference information may be modified and/or updated. Modifications and/or updates of user preference information may be based on post-processing operations, biometric information, and/or self-learning techniques that may comprise operations performed on the multimedia data files. Post-processing operations may be performed on multimedia data files in the WMC device and/or a remote device. Tagged multimedia data files may be re-tagged based on modification to user preference information and/or post-processing operations.
US09232037B2

A sensory prompted protocol for the manipulation of complex devices such as consumer electronic devices without the necessity of the visual feedback via textual or graphic data on a graphical user interface, wherein the binary state sensor functions change with time rather than placement, so that a user action biases a binary state input, which is correlated to a timed data stream, the correlation indicating the desired action selected by the user.
US09232035B2

An electronic device for preventing leakage of a received sound is provided. The electronic device includes a receiver which outputs the received sound; a receiving portion which receives the receiver; and a hole which communicates with the receiving portion.
US09232022B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing bandwidth during the transmission of data between first and second devices over a network. One method includes: receiving a first data request from the first device; generating a first request identifier associated with the first data request; transmitting to the first device a response to the first data request and the first request identifier associated with the first data request; receiving, from the first device, a partial second data request, the partial second data request including the first request identifier associated with the first data request, and a differential between the first data request and the second data request; and constructing, at the second device, a full second data request, based on a comparison between the first data request, fetched using the first request identifier, and the received differential between the first data request and the second data request.
US09232021B2

Dynamically rehosting at least one or more elements of a first resource originally hosted at an origin server. A dynamic web content transformation server receives a first HTTP request from an Internet client for the first resource that includes a value in a host header field that refers to the dynamic web content transformation server. The content transformation server transforms the first HTTP request including changing the value in the host header field to refer to the origin server, and transmits the transformed HTTP request to the origin server. The content transformation server receives an HTTP response from the origin server that includes the first resource that includes a client-side script that, when executed by the Internet client, makes a second HTTP request for a second resource hosted at the origin server. The content transformation server automatically transforms the HTTP response such that the client-side script, when executed by the Internet client, makes the second HTTP request for the second resource at the dynamic web content transformation server, and the content transformation server transmits the transformed HTTP response to the Internet client.
US09232020B2

Deployment of a plurality of services to a plurality of nodes in a communication network during fulfillment of a service request may be facilitated. A request for the services may be received from the service consumer via a first node of the plurality of nodes. The first node is associated with the service consumer. One or more second nodes of the plurality of nodes are identified in the communication network. Each of the one or more second nodes is associated with one or more service providers. It is determined whether the first node and the one or more second nodes are capable of providing the requested services. The provision of the requested services is assigned to the first node, one or more of the second nodes, or a combination thereof, based on the determination.
US09232018B2

A system and method for providing items to users and, more particularly, a system and method for rating items and placing such items into a queued list. The method includes providing an item from a web browser to a recipient on a preferred list and placing the item into a queued list with respect to other items based on a rating. The system includes a computer infrastructure being operable to provide a rated item from a web browser to a recipient on a preferred list and place the rated item in a queued list with respect to other items.
US09232012B1

A method and system for data usage accounting are described herein. As an example, the method can be practiced in a setting that includes both secure applications and unsecure applications. Via one of the secure applications, a request to access data can be received in which the request is intended for a content provider via a system service. The request that is intended for the content provider via the system service can be intercepted and modified, which can cause the system service to direct the request back to the secure application instead of the content provider. In addition, a connection can be established with the content provider for the request through the secure application to enable data usage accounting of data that is returned by the content provider.
US09232011B2

Various embodiments enable navigation flows that occur within a single tab to be tracked through the use of identifiers that are created and passed between client-side and server-side software. The client-side and server-side software work in concert to utilize these identifiers to track navigation within a particular tab. In at least some embodiments, a client can request a web page from within a tab and, responsive to that request, a server can create an identifier and associate the identifier with the web page. The web page and identifier can then be returned to the client. Subsequent web page requests from within the tab include the identifier so that the server knows that the request came from the same tab.
US09232009B2

A data integration apparatus for use in a sensor network system is provided. The sensor network system includes a sensor network and an application server. The data integration apparatus receives text commands associated with access of the sensor network from the application server, and accomplishes the operations of the tabled data provided by the network node of the sensor network by using the text commands and the hardware configurations of the sensor network cooperatively.
US09232005B1

An adapter for processing requests from a computing device is provided. The adapter includes a processor executing: a storage protocol driver for interfacing with a storage protocol controller that communicates with a storage device of a storage area network (SAN) via a port for providing SAN connectivity to the adapter; and a storage driver for interfacing with a solid state storage device managed by the adapter and available to the computing device as a local caching device.
US09231992B2

A method of data streaming from an encoder to a decoder is provided. The method includes establishing a connection from said encoder to said decoder; acquiring measurements characterizing said connection; estimating transmittance variation of said connection according to said measurements; determining a permissible encoding rate of said encoder compatible with the transmittance variation; determining a set of metrics characterizing said connection; receiving, at said encoder, a signal from a source; instructing said encoder to encode said signal according to said permissible encoding rate; selecting a set of notification-display intervals each corresponding to a respective metric among said set of metrics; and superimposing on said signal, during said notification-display intervals, corresponding indications of said metrics. A corresponding system is also provided.
US09231988B2

An intercluster repository synchronizer and method for synchronizing objects are disclosed. An example intercluster repository synchronizer includes an information processing system, including a processor, computer-readable medium, and network device. The intercluster repository synchronizer includes a structured information repository on the computer-readable medium. The structured information repository contains a plurality of records corresponding to a selected group of stored information objects. The intercluster repository synchronizer further includes a synchronization indicator that stores an address associated with a remote replication target. The intercluster repository synchronizer also includes a replicator, operable to send a message using the network device to the replication target responsive to changes in the structured information repository, and further operable to receive a message that a plurality of stored information objects have been duplicated at the remote replication target. The duplicated stored information objects are selected based on a shared metadata indicator stored in the structured information repository.
US09231966B2

A content delivery network includes a plurality of cache servers. Each cache server is configured to receive a request for content from a client system and receive content and security data from a content server. Each cache server is further configured to provide the content to the client system and provide the security data to a monitoring system.
US09231942B1

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for selecting an authentication process are disclosed. A system is configured to determine whether a user account on a client device is to be authenticated. If the user account is to be authenticated, the system is configured to transmit a request for a path indicator to an authentication path server. The request includes a user account identifier corresponding to the user account. The authentication path server is configured to select the path indicator based on the user account identifier. The system is further configured to receive the path indicator from the authentication path server, select an authentication process based on the path indicator, and initiate the selected authentication process.
US09231941B1

In some embodiments, techniques for secure data entry comprise presenting a data field in a spoof-resistant manner, receiving field data, and securing field data.
US09231937B2

Embodiments of the present application relate to a method for authenticating user identity, a system for authenticating user identity, and a computer program product for authenticating user identity. A method for authenticating user identity is provided. The method includes generating a first verification code by a server, displaying the first verification code to a user in an application scenario of a service requiring user identity authentication, receiving a second verification code sent by the user via another application that is other than the application scenario, comparing the second verification code sent by the user and the first verification code generated by the server, and determining whether the user has passed identity authentication based on a result of the comparison.
US09231932B2

The remote configuration of a telephony device is managed by transmitting configuration data to the device. The data is transmitted via a data communication network. One of more service credentials are received. The credentials are authenticated. A configuration time period is activated in response to authentication of the credentials. A request for configuration data is received via the network, which includes identification data indicative that the request is from a telephony device associated with the credentials. It is determined how to proceed with processing of the request dependent on whether the request is received during the time period. If so, configuration data is transmitted via the network in response to the request. If the request is received after the time period, transmission of configuration data via the network in response to the request is inhibited.
US09231930B1

Customers can utilize resources of a multi-tenant environment to provide one or more services available to various users. In order to simplify the process for these customers, the multi-tenant environment can include an infrastructure wherein a portion of the resources provide an authentication and/or authorization service that can be leveraged by the customer services. These resources can logically sit in front of the resources used to provide the customer services, such that a user request must pass through the authorization and authentication service before being directed to the customer service. Such resources can provide other functionality as well, such as load balancing and metering.
US09231925B1

In a network authentication method, a client device stores a certificate reference mapped uniquely to a certificate, which is assigned to an end user, and a reference private key obtained by encrypting a private key with a PIN code determined by the end user. The client device generates a digital signature for transaction data associated with the certification reference using a current key that is obtained by decrypting the reference private key with a user input code obtained through an input operation. A verification server verifies, based on a public key of a stored certificate, whether a received digital signature is signed with the private key, and obtains from the digital signature the transaction data when verification result is affirmative.
US09231924B2

Methods and systems for providing gesture-based security are disclosed. For example, a method for establishing secure communications can include receiving one or more human gestures using a sensor on a first device, quantizing the one or more human gestures so as to create a metric of the one or more human gestures, performing an error correction operation on the metric using error correction information derived from a template of the metric to create a corrected metric, performing a hashing operation on the corrected metric to create a metric hash, and comparing the metric hash to a hash of the template to verify that the one or more human gestures sufficiently conform to the template.
US09231918B2

Techniques are provided herein for enabling a virtual private network (VPN) using a bidirectional, full duplex transport channel configured to send and receive application layer data packets. At a source network device that hosts a VPN client, the VPN client is configured with a bidirectional, full duplex transport channel that is configured to send and receive Open Systems Interconnection application layer data packets. The VPN client is also configured with a virtual network interface that operates to virtually link the VPN client with the transport channel.
US09231914B2

A method for managing the security of a client device in a mobile device management system (MDMS) comprises receiving a security policy at a client device, applying the security policy on the client device, determining an occurrence of a security policy event, determining a violation based on the occurrence of the security policy event and applying different security controls based on predefined elapsed times on the client device.
US09231909B2

The disclosed communication system may employ a first protocol for communication over a network connection. The communication system may use subnet information or prefix information to determine if the network connection qualifies for using a second protocol. If the communication system determines that the network connection qualifies, the communication system employs the second protocol for communication over the network connection.
US09231902B2

Methods and apparatus for enabling content interaction at a connected electronic device re described. An example method includes establishing a web protocol session between a web server executing on a first electronic user device and a client executing on a second electronic user device via a direct radio frequency connection between the first electronic user device and the second electronic user device, wherein the first electronic user device and the second electronic user device are associated with a same user, the establishing including sending an open request from the client to the web server; and transmitting a response to the open request from the web server to the client, the response including a universal resource identifier identifying a location of content for presenting, on the second electronic device, the application executing on the first electronic device.
US09231894B1

This innovation relates to a method as well as server and client devices to allow a single user to swap between devices in real-time within the same instant message session.
US09231893B2

An embodiment of the invention provides a processing circuit of a telecommunications device. The processing circuit includes a pre-buffer, a de-shuffler, and a processing module. The pre-buffer is configured to receive and buffer a plurality of sets of data of a transport block in a shuffled order. The sets of data correspond to a plurality of code blocks, respectively. The de-shuffler is coupled to the pre-buffer and is configured to retrieve the sets of data from the pre-buffer in a de-shuffled order. The de-shuffled order is different from the shuffled order. The processing module is coupled to the de-shuffler and is configured to receive the sets of data from the de-shuffler in the de-shuffled order to recover the code blocks.
US09231892B2

Techniques are disclosed for pushing configuration changes of a distributed virtual switch from a management server to a plurality of host servers underlying the distributed virtual switch. The approach includes sending, in parallel, by the management server, a message to each of the plurality of host servers. The message specifies a final configuration state for one or more virtual ports emulated via virtualization layers of the host servers. The approach further includes determining, by each of the plurality of host servers, port state configuration changes to make to the virtual ports to achieve the final configuration state, and reconfiguring, by each of the plurality of host servers, their respective virtual ports, to match the final configuration state.
US09231888B2

A system and method can rout traffic between distinct subnets in a network environment. A router that connects the distinct subnets, such as InfiniBand (IB) subnets, can receive a list of destinations that the router is responsible for routing one or more packets to. Then, the router can generate a random number based on a source local identifier (LID) and a destination LID associated with the one or more packets, and use a modulo based hash to select one router port from a plurality of output router ports of the router.
US09231883B2

An in-band signaling model media control (MC) terminal for an HPNA network includes a frame classification entity (FCE) and a frame scheduling entity (FSE) and provides end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) by passing the QoS requirements from higher layers to the lower layers of the HPNA network. The FCE is located at an LLC sublayer of the MC terminal, and receives a data frame from a higher layer of the MC terminal that is part of a QoS stream. The FCE classifies the received data frame for a MAC sublayer of the MC terminal based on QoS information contained in the received data frame, and associates the classified data frame with a QoS stream queue corresponding to a classification of the data frame. The FSE is located at the MAC sublayer of the MC terminal, and schedules transmission of the data frame to a destination for the data frame based on a QoS requirement associated with the QoS stream.
US09231881B2

Middlebox systems that can enter a connection include a monitoring module to monitor information in a connection between a client and a server, a processor to determine that the connection is idle, a table configured to create a first entry for the client and a second entry for the server, where the entries are initialized using information gathered by the monitoring module, and a control module to redirect the connection between the client and server to the middlebox. Middlebox systems that can exit a connection include a processor to determine a mismatch between sequence numbers in a first connection to a client device and in a second connection to a server device. A network control module delays acknowledgment signals from the middlebox on a connection to decrease the degree of mismatch and establishes a direct connection between the client device and the server device when mismatch is zero.
US09231880B2

A timer for processing data blocks is proposed for a receiver of a mobile communications system. If the timer is not running, the timer is started based a data block. The data block has a sequence number higher than a sequence number of another data block that was first expected to be received. If the timer is stopped or expires, the timer is based on a highest sequence number of a data block among data blocks that cannot be delivered to a higher entity. The timer can be used to prevent a stall condition in mobile communications.
US09231876B2

A method of policing network traffic based on congestion on a flow-based programmable switch, such as an OpenFlow switch is provided. The method polices congestion-causing flows in a network by detecting congestion at a flow-based programmable switch on the network. Once congestion has been detected, the method identifies one or more flows that are causing the congestion at the flow-based programmable switch, and penalizes the flows that were identified as causing congestion. A flow-based programmable switch including a data plane having input ports, output ports, and forwarding rules that map packets received on an input port to an output port based on a packet matching a rule in the forwarding rules is also described.
US09231873B1

Systems and methods are provided whereby latency between a sending device and a receiving device during network communications is reduced by adaptively and dynamically acknowledging the reception of each of a determined number of packets that are transmitted by the sending device to the receiving device over the network. In one aspect, the receiving device adaptively and dynamically acknowledges the reception of each data packet as it is received from the sending device. In another aspect, the receiving device adaptively and dynamically acknowledges the reception of a group of at least two packets as the remaining data packets are received from the sending device.
US09231869B2

The ensuring of predictable and quantifiable networking performance. Embodiments of the invention combine a congestion free network core with a hypervisor based (i.e., edge-based) throttling design to help insure quantitative and invariable subscription bandwidth rates. A lightweight shim layer in a hypervisor can adaptively throttle the rate of VM-to-VM traffic flow. A receiving hypervisor can detect congestion and communicate back to sending hypervisors that rates are to be regulated. In response, sending hypervisors can reduce transmission rate to mitigate congestion at the receiving hypervisor. In some embodiments, the principles are extended to any message processors communicating over a congestion free network.
US09231857B1

A first request is received from a device over a network. It is determined that the first request should be redirected, based at least in part on information included in the first request. A redirect message is sent to the device over the network. A second request is received that includes the address and the port number. Responsive to determining that the port number is on the predetermined list of port numbers, modifying the second request by removing the port number. The modified second request is sent to the address.
US09231854B2

An information processing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a multi-core processor including plural cores; a virtual network connecting the plural cores to each other; a network interface; a router function unit configured, in a core of the plural cores, to act as a router between the virtual network and a local network to which the network interface is connected; and a forward processing unit configured, in the core that the router function unit exists, to forward either a multicast packet or a broadcast packet on the virtual network to the local network.
US09231853B2

A method and network device for managing a multi-homed network are provided. The method comprises receiving a request from a client within a client computer network directed to a remote server computer within a remote computer network, wherein the client and the remote server computer are connected through a plurality of data routes, each of the plurality of data routes is connected to a router; selecting a data route from the plurality of data routes to route the received request, wherein the selection of the data route is based on a decision function; translating a source IP address of the client to an IP address corresponding to the selected data route; and routing the received request from the client to the remote server computer over the selected data route.
US09231843B2

Systems and methods for estimating bandwidth. A first probe flow is sent into cellular traffic, and a first bandwidth quantity achieved by the first probe flow is measured. A second probe flow is sent into the cellular traffic, and a second bandwidth quantity achieved by the first probe flow while the second probe flow is in the cellular traffic is measured. The first bandwidth quantity and the second bandwidth quantity are compared, and at least one result from the comparing is determined.
US09231841B2

For maintaining a certain quality of service for a certain type of data traffic, the data traffic may be directed to a corresponding bearer established with respect to a user equipment. By sending probe packets on the bearer and/or on a further bearer and receiving a response packets returned in response to the probe packets, a parameter corresponding to a time period between sending a probe packet and receiving the corresponding response packet can be measured. On the basis of the measured parameter, a bearer control procedure with respect to the user equipment is initiated. This bearer control procedure may for example include directing data packets of selected data traffic from one bearer to another bearer, modification of at least one quality of service parameter of a bearer, and/or establishing or releasing a bearer.
US09231835B2

The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more specifically, but not exclusively to a method and apparatus for quality of service control for a user equipment in a communication system comprising a home network with respect to the user equipment and a visited network. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of quality of service control for a user equipment in a communication system comprising a first network and a second network, the first network being a home network with respect to said user equipment and the second network being a visited network with respect to said user equipment, the method comprising: receiving authorization information at said user equipment from the first network, said authorization information having data related to an entitlement to quality of service for said user equipment; holding said authorization information at said user equipment; performing a comparison of said entitlement to quality of service with a quality of service provided by the second network; and in dependence on said comparison, sending a message from said user equipment to the second network requesting an upgrade of quality of service.
US09231834B2

A configuration management system bundles configuration items representing corresponding information technology components into composite configuration items, where each of the composite configuration items has plural associated configuration items. The configuration management system presents the composite configuration items for visualization, where the visualization specifies relations among the composite configuration items based on relations among the configuration items.
US09231832B2

A communication system includes multiple communication nodes and a processor. The communication nodes are configured to communicate over a tropospheric scattering channel. The processor is configured to communicate with the communication nodes over a secondary communication network, different from the tropospheric scattering channel, so as to control communication of the communication nodes over the tropospheric scattering channel.
US09231830B2

A system and method include obtaining a landscape description document identifying resource elements and their connections in a computing infrastructure. The resource elements are converted into landscape user interface graphical representations of the elements. An interconnected landscape interface is generated using the graphical representations and connection information from the landscape description document.
US09231825B2

Configuration information representing the configuration elements of a client PC or the like on a network is compared with initial configuration information. When the configuration information changes, it is determined whether the configuration is proper. If the configuration is improper, the function of a corresponding configuration element to the network is inhibited. This can prevent an unstable state of the system, leakage of information, and a decrease in reliability of the network system upon a change in network configuration.
US09231824B2

An illustrative method manages configuration information of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and maintains server configuration information at a server that supports EGMs in a server-client relationship. The server configuration information contains stored information about the configuration of each EGM. EGM configuration information transmitted from the EMGs is received at the server. The server and EGM configuration information each contains corresponding fields with values representing information about predetermined factors. The values in the fields of the server configuration information are compared with the values in corresponding fields of the EGM configuration information. A report is generated based on the comparison.
US09231819B2

A computer system identifies metadata components that are associated with uniform resource identifiers (URIs) in service description language metadata for a RESTful (Representational State Transfer) web service The computer system identifies a programming language for a template pertaining to a method of a software development kit (SDK) client. The computer system creates the template. The template includes programming code placeholders for the metadata components based on the identified programming language.
US09231810B2

A carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration method for calibrating a CFO of a receiver is proposed. The CFO calibration method includes: receiving at least one CFO estimation value generated by digital CFO estimation; generating a CFO adjustment value according to the at least one CFO estimation value; and adjusting an oscillation frequency of an oscillator of the receiver according to the CFO adjustment value.
US09231805B2

A transmitter comprising a baseband modulator arranged to modulate a complex baseband signal and to output a complex modulated signal xin(n) with amplitude g and phase q, i.e. xin(n)=g(n)ejq(n), to the input port of a filter, the filter in turn having its output coupled to a transmit unit, said filter being arranged to output a filtered complex output signal xout(n) with amplitude g but phase m, i.e. xout(n)=g(n)ejm(n), so that the filter is arranged to affect the phase but not the amplitude of its input signal. The filter is arranged to have as its transfer function for the phase of its input signal the z-transform F(z)=1+wz−1, where w is a weighting function whose value is determined by means of the additive noise autocorrelation, the phase noise autocorrelation and the signal amplitude of xin.
US09231791B2

A differential transmission circuit comprises a sending unit that generates a pair of differential signals from an input signal, and sends the differential signals; a receiver that receives the differential signals sent by the sending unit; and a transmission path that transmits the differential signals from the sending unit to the receiver, wherein the sending unit has a selector that selects one of the input signal and a signal obtained by inverting a polarity of the input signal, and generates the differential signals from the signal selected by the selector.
US09231782B2

A communication information registering unit (11) acquires communication information that contains a sender, a receiver, and a sending time of information communicated between users that are communicating, and stores the communication information in a storage unit (12). A response time calculation unit (13) finds response time of the users from the communication information. A threshold value setting unit (14) finds a threshold value for determining the statuses of the users from distribution of frequencies of the response time. A current status determination unit (15) determines the status of a counterpart user from the response time by using the threshold value. A notification unit (16) notifies a user of the current status of its counterpart user.
US09231779B2

A method for redundantly operating an automation system comprising one or more user computers, at least two gateway computers and a plurality of programmable logic controllers, the user computers and the gateway computers being connected to a first bus system of a first type and the gateway computers and the programmable logic controllers being connected to a second bus system of a second type, as a result of which the programmable logic controllers can be controlled and/or monitored by the user computers via one of the gateway computers, wherein to set up a communication link between one of the user computers and one or more of the programmable logic controllers, the user computer contacts a virtual gateway computer having a virtual identifier for all gateway computers of the automation system, which virtual gateway computer establishes a physical communication link to a selected one of the gateway computers.
US09231778B2

Provided is a remote user interface (RUI). An RUI server inserts a newly defined object to a user interface (UI) page so as to manage control ownership of an application, and a RUI client controls an application of the RUI server after obtaining control ownership of the corresponding application by using the newly defined object. Accordingly, RUI clients can control the application of the RUI server without conflict, even when a separate plug-in program is not installed in the RUI clients.
US09231770B2

A system can comprise a memory to store computer readable instructions and a processing unit to access the memory and to execute the computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions can comprise a certificate manager configured to request generation of N number of random values, where N is an integer greater than or equal to one. The certificate manager can also be configured to request a digital certificate from at least one certificate authority of at least two different certificate authorities. The request can include a given one of the N number of random values. The certificate manager can also be configured to generate a private key of a public-private key pair, wherein the private key is generated based on a private key of each of the least two certificate authorities.
US09231768B2

A method begins by a processing module generating a deterministic key from data and encrypting the data using the deterministic key to produce encrypted data. The method continues with the processing module generating transformed data from the encrypted data and generating a masked key from the deterministic key and the transformed data. The method continues with the processing module combining the masked key and the encrypted data to produce a secure package.
US09231764B2

Mechanisms and methods are provided for managing OAuth access in a database network system, and extending the OAuth flow of authentication to securely store the OAuth encrypted refresh token in the storage available with current browsers or any other non-secure storage on user system.
US09231763B2

A system and method for providing secure communications between remote computing devices and servers. A network device sends characteristics of a client computing device over the network. A network device receives characteristics of a client computing device over the network. A plurality of credentials are generated where at least one of the plurality of credentials based on both the received characteristics of the client computing device and a unique client key, and at least one of the plurality of credentials based on both the received characteristics of the client computing device and a generic key. A network device sends the plurality of credentials over the network. A network device receives the plurality of credentials via the network.
US09231755B2

On the basis of single-ended signals based on logic levels, and of differential, in particular common-mode-based, signals, a circuit arrangement and a corresponding method are proposed, in which a full duplex data transmission is possible.
US09231733B2

Disclosed are a method and a system for updating a multi-frequency band pre-distortion coefficient lookup table, in order to solve the problems that the calculation complexity is high. Wherein, the method comprises: collecting a first frequency band reference signal and a first frequency band feedback signal, a second frequency band reference signal and a second frequency band feedback signal; calculating a first frequency band pre-distortion coefficient and a second frequency band pre-distortion coefficient; performing phase calibration on the first frequency band pre-distortion coefficient and the second frequency band pre-distortion coefficient, respectively; and updating a first lookup table according to the first frequency band pre-distortion coefficient performed the phase calibration, and updating a second lookup table according to the second frequency band pre-distortion coefficient performed the phase calibration.
US09231727B2

A polarization multiplexed receiver includes a polarization separator and optical mixing, detecting and analog-to-digital components. The polarization separator receives polarization multiplexed optical signals containing a first data stream and a second data stream, and operate upon the polarization multiplexed optical signals to separate, in an optical domain, the first data stream and the second data stream to generate a first optical output having the first data stream and a second optical output having the second data stream. The optical mixing, detecting and analog-to-digital converting components receive the first and second optical outputs from the polarization separator, extract, in a digital domain, the first data stream from the first optical output of the polarization separator, and extract, in the digital domain, the second data stream from the second optical output of the polarization separator.
US09231723B2

Technology for mitigating edge effect interference in a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system having multiple CoMP clusters is disclosed. In an example, a method can include a macro node transmitting a cell range expansion request to user equipments (UEs) within a cell. A CoMP cluster for nodes within the cell that includes UEs operating with the cell range expansion can be generated. Blanked resources between a plurality of macro nodes for the CoMP clusters in the CoMP system can be coordinated using a muting preference including a blanked resource.
US09231717B2

A semiconductor device includes a one-segment tuner I/F that is connected to a one-segment tuner, a tuner I/F that is connected to a digital terrestrial tuner, a decoder that selectively decodes a first broadcast signal supplied from the one-segment tuner I/F and a second broadcast signal supplied from the tuner I/F, a general purpose processor that is provided separately from the decoder and decodes the first broadcast signal, and a switch unit that, based on signal intensity of the second broadcast wave, switches the decoding by the decoder between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal while the general purpose processor is decoding the first broadcast signal. The one-segment tuner I/F, the tuner I/F, the decoder, the general purpose processor, and the switch unit are integrated on one chip.
US09231716B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for generating a two-tone signal for performing linearity calibration of a radio frequency (RF) circuit. One example apparatus generally includes a tone generating circuit configured to generate a first single-tone signal from a digital clock signal and a mixer connected with the tone generating circuit and configured to mix the first single-tone signal with a second single-tone signal to provide a two-tone signal having frequencies at a sum and a difference of frequencies of the first and second single-tone signals.
US09231714B2

In an embodiment, a radio transmitter may be provided. The radio transmitter may include a radio transmitter control loop; and a controller configured in such a way that it operates the radio transmitter control loop as a closed control loop in a first operating mode, and that it operates the radio transmitter control loop as an open control loop in a second operating mode.
US09231707B2

The subject matter relates to multiple parallel ensembles of early stage spherical pulses radiated through engineered arrays forming the foundation for quantized computer processors taking advantage of integer thermodynamics. The materials, architecture and methods for constructing micro- and/or nano-scale three-dimensional cellular arrays, cellular series logic gates, and signature logic form the basis of small- and large-scale apparatuses used to execute logic, data bases, memory, mathematics, artificial intelligence, prime factorization, optical routing and artificial thought tasks not otherwise replicated in electron-based circuits. Unlike prior art electric-current based computational devices—that by definition dissipate heat and consume significant power to achieve computational output—the types of logic gates described do not shed waste heat and minimally consume power, which is desirable for embedded computers, ultra high-throughput computation, low-power consumption data centers and extended battery life devices.
US09231703B2

A segmented optical node exploits a configuration module having arrayed all elements to go from a 1×4 to a 4×4 configuration, save optional redundant switches. A jumper board in the 1×, 2× path configures the node for 1×4 in one orientation and for 2×4 when flipped around 180 degrees. The 4×4 configuration is achieved by rotating the configuration module 90 degrees. In this orientation power to the module is also off, since the 4× configuration is passive.
US09231701B2

Attenuation systems have cooling components that produce power in response to heat generated by the attenuator. The cooling components can be used to power cooling fans if a primary power source of the fans fails.
US09231700B2

The disclosure has application for use in establishing a communication link between a first location and a second location, the first location having an electrical driver circuit that receives input data to be communicated, and the second location having an electrical receiver circuit for producing output data representative of the input data. The method includes the following steps: providing a tilted charge light emitting device at the first location and coupled with the driver circuit such that the light produced by the tilted charge light-emitting device is a function of the input data; providing an optical fiber between the first and second locations; coupling light from the tilted charge light emitting device into the optical fiber; and providing, at the second location, a photodetector coupled with the optical fiber and with the receiver circuit; whereby electrical signals representative of the input data are output from the receiver circuit.
US09231693B2

A method for enabling full duplex individual calls in repeater mode between two subscriber units (SUs) in a N:1 slotting ratio time division multiple access (TDMA) radio system includes receiving a request for a full duplex individual call from a first SU identifying a second SU as a target of the call. Determining to grant the request and subsequently assigning a first time slot of the N time slots on a first single frequency for one of inbound and outbound transmissions for the call between an assigned second repeater and the first SU and a second time slot on the first single frequency for the other of inbound and outbound transmissions for the call between the assigned second repeater and the first SU. Further, a grant message is transmitted to the first SU indicating the assigned first single frequency and assigned first and second time slots.
US09231691B2

A secondary payload interface for payload communications using a primary payload communications channel is provided. The secondary payload interface may include a plurality of input/output couplers which may connect the primary payload communications channel to a secondary payload. The plurality of input/output couplers may establish an isolated secondary payload communications channel within the primary payload communications channel. The secondary payload interface may be designed such that control and telemetry interactions with the operators of the communications satellite are limited.
US09231689B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus capable of flexibly regulating coverage of a repeater in a long term evolution system (hereinafter referred to as an LTE system). The present invention provides an apparatus for regulating transmission power of a repeater in an LTE (LONG TERM EVOLUTION) system, the apparatus including a sink signal detector that detects a sink signal of a reception signal received through an IF/RF receiver of the repeater, a sink signal power measurer that measures a size of power of the sink signal detected through the sink signal detector, and an amplification controller that calculates a gain of an amplifier of the repeater for maintaining coverage of the repeater based on the size of the power of the sink signal measured through the sink signal power measurer, and controls the amplifier of the repeater according to the calculated gain. In the present invention, in a wired or wireless repeater, it is possible to efficiently regulate the coverage of the repeater and to implement the apparatus with low complexity in the LTE system. Further, the present invention is flexibly applicable to an LTE system supporting a scalable bandwidth and it is possible to effectively regulate the coverage of multiple LTE signals using signal amplification for multiple LTE signals.
US09231688B2

An apparatus for wireless relaying comprises: a transmission unit for generating a wireless signal; an amplification unit for amplifying and outputting the wireless signal; a conversion unit for converting the wireless signal into a digital signal; and an adjustment unit for adjusting the amplification ratio of the amplifying unit so that the difference between an output level value of the digital signal and a predetermined target power is lower than a predetermined numerical value.
US09231684B2

According to certain embodiments, a method performed by a transmitter to provide a precoder subset to a receiver in a multi-antenna wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes determining the precoder subset comprising one or more precoder elements, each precoder element being a precoder element of a codebook, and the precoder subset including less than all precoder elements of the codebook. The method further includes providing the precoder subset to the receiver, wherein the codebook is defined for a plurality of ranks. For each rank, the codebook comprises a plurality of precoder elements corresponding to that rank.
US09231683B2

The present invention relates to a control method for a communication network that has a transmitter with an array of transmit antennas and that has at least one receiver communicating with the transmitter. The receiver performs a channel measurement for a receive antenna of the receiver using a signal transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver. The receiver further determines channel coefficients for each of an array of transmit antennas at the transmitter from an output of the channel measurement, and then applies a linear, reversible and orthogonal transform to the channel coefficients, thus ascertaining channel component coefficients indicative of the individual weight of respective channel components in a transform domain. The receiver then selects one or more channel components in the transform domain and communicates to the transmitter a control signal indicative of one or more preferred channel components or a magnitude of one or more channel component coefficients, or both, in quantized form. The transmitter receives the control signal and constructs a beam pattern in the transform domain using the information received from the receiver.
US09231681B2

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of wireless backhaul and access communication via a common antenna array. For example, an apparatus may include a wireless communication unit to control an antenna array to form one or more first beams for communicating over one or more access links and to form one or more second beams for communicating over one or more backhaul links, the access links including wireless communication links between a wireless communication node and one or more mobile devices, and the backhaul links including wireless communication links between the wireless node and one or more other wireless communication nodes.
US09231679B1

A multiple input multiple output wireless communication system and a channel decomposition method thereof are provided. The wireless communication system includes a precoding unit, a channel estimation unit, a channel decomposition unit and a quantization unit. The precoding unit receives a plurality of transmission data streams and wireless channel information to provide a plurality of transmission symbols to a wireless channel. The channel estimation unit estimates the wireless channel to provide a channel matrix. The channel decomposition unit makes a plurality of elements on a diagonal and adjacent to a side of the diagonal as real numbered elements through an element ration and correspondingly rotates a first unit matrix and a second unit matrix to obtain channel state information. The quantization unit provides the wireless channel information according to the channel state information.
US09231677B2

Embodiments are disclosed for improved systems and methods for encoding and decoding information transmitted using multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) communication devices. Structurally sparse codes are implemented based on principles of compressive sampling. Improved detectors are also disclosed for implementing basis pursuit and basis pursuit with runner-up detection techniques.
US09231675B2

A multi-user MIMO receiver of a UE in question for detecting a pre-coded signal includes a unit configured to blindly estimate information concerning a pre-coding vector for a paired UE, which is operated on the same resource as the multi-user MIMO receiver, based on received data. Further, the multi-user MIMO receiver comprises an equalizer configured to equalize the pre-coded signal based on the estimated information concerning the pre-coding vector for the paired UE.
US09231674B1

A method for constrained power allocation in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system, including: executing a singular value decomposition (SVD) operation upon a channel matrix; obtaining a diagonal matrix, wherein the diagonal matrix is composed of a plurality of local matrixes; and transforming diagonal elements of the diagonal matrix into diagonal elements of a specific diagonal vector from an upper-left corner local matrix and a lower-right corner local matrix, in parallel, simultaneously, and according to a sequence, by using a generalized triangular decomposition.
US09231667B2

A system and method for a LTE network device is provided. The system includes a first signal processing center configured to obtain a plurality of metrics from an LTE network device. The first signal processing center includes a plurality of processors configured to calculate interference based on the plurality of metrics. The signal processing system further includes a second signal processing center configured to receive the calculated interference from the first signal processing center.
US09231661B2

A method for controlling the flow of data in a near field communication appliance having a plurality of secure elements is provided. The method includes receiving a first communication, sent by an external appliance, which is intended for an application located in one of a plurality of secure elements of the near field communication appliance. The method further includes determining which of the secure elements contains the application, and taking measures in order to ensure that a further communication exclusively between the external appliance and the secure element contains the addressed application. In addition, appropriate mobile terminals for NFC communication are disclosed.
US09231656B2

A computer implemented method includes determining crosstalk characteristics of a plurality of digital subscriber lines. The computer implemented method includes identifying pairs of digital subscriber lines, each of the pairs including a first digital subscriber line and a second digital subscriber line, where the first digital subscriber line has a crosstalk characteristic that is correlated to the second digital subscriber line. The computer implemented method also includes rearranging terminations at an access node to assign at least one of the identified pairs of digital subscriber lines to a common vectoring group.
US09231654B2

A transmission system of an embodiment is provided with an active transmitter, a backup transmitter, and a system controller to integrally control the active transmitter and the backup transmitter. The backup transmitter is provided with a setting table which stores a setting value relating to a frequency and a level of a signal outputted from the active transmitter, a power amplifier to amplify an input signal and output an amplified signal, and a modulator/exciter which converts, based on the setting table, the input signal into a modulation signal of a prescribed broadcast type in which nonlinear distortion by the power amplifier has been compensated. The system controller, at the time of adjusting the output level of the active transmitter, controls the backup transmitter so that content of the setting table of the backup transmitter becomes a setting value corresponding to the adjusted output level.
US09231652B2

A method for searching a signal to capture a target signal. Integrated correlation values are acquired with all code phases by setting a plurality of frequencies at intervals of 1,000 Hz into a single group. A peak correlation value that is a highest integrated correlation value with each frequency forming the group is acquired. The peak correlation values of the respective frequencies are compared to each other, a highest value thereof is set to be a highest peak value, and a second highest value thereof is set to be a highest noise value. If a ratio between the highest peak value and the highest noise value is lower than a threshold, it is determined that cross-correlation occurred, and if the ratio is higher than the threshold, the highest peak value is determined to be from the target signal, and the signal is captured.
US09231644B2

An apparatus may include a microprocessor and a wireless communication interface configured to perform at least one of receiving a first radio signal or transmitting a second radio signal. The microprocessor may be configured to execute at least one of a base-band encoder software program or a base-band decoder software program. The apparatus may be further configured to execute a wireless communication protocol selector software program that may be configured to optimize a value of a user-defined criterion in order to dynamically select at least one of a wireless communication network, a wireless communication protocol, and a parameter of a wireless communication protocol.
US09231641B2

A portable communication system (100) comprises a portable radio (102) and a radio accessory (106) coupled through an interface cable (108). The interface cable (108) provides an electronic interface for remote access to radio functions at the radio accessory (106). The interface cable (108) further provides a temperature sensor (110) integrated therein for monitoring environmental conditions external to the portable communication system. The portable communication system (100) generates user notifications indicating extreme temperature conditions. Notifications of extreme temperature conditions may also transmitted from the portable communication system (100) to other radios, such as a land mobile radio (120), dispatch center (130), or other radio (140) operating within a communications network.
US09231639B2

There is provided a high frequency transceiver appropriate for ultra low power and high frequency characteristics. The high frequency transmitting device includes a voltage controlled oscillator configured to provide an oscillation signal; and a power amplifier configured to multiply the oscillation signal by an integer to generate a carrier signal, mix the carrier signal and a baseband signal to generate a mixed signal, and amplify power of the mixed signal.
US09231619B2

A first message, associated with going from one of a plurality of variable nodes to one of a plurality of check nodes is computed, wherein: (1) one or more connections between the plurality of variable nodes and the plurality of check nodes are specified by an LDPC parity check matrix and (2) a scaling constant is used to compute the first message. A second message, associated with going from one of the plurality of check nodes to one of a plurality of variable nodes, is computed, wherein the scaling constant is not used to compute the second message.
US09231618B2

A bypass mechanism allows a memory controller to transmit requested data to an interconnect before the data's error code has been decoded, e.g., a cyclical redundancy check (CRC). The tag, tag CRC, data, and data CRC are pipelined from DRAM in four frames, each having multiple clock cycles. The tag includes a bypass bit indicating whether data transmission to the interconnect should begin before CRC decoding. After receiving the tag CRC, the controller decodes it and reserves a request machine which sends a transmit request signal to inform the interconnect that data is available. Once the transmit request is granted by the interconnect, the controller can immediately start sending the data, before decoding the data CRC. So long as no error is found, the controller completes transmission of the data to the interconnect, including providing an indication that the data as transmitted is error-free.
US09231617B2

A device for delivering fluid to a user includes a housing, a drive motor assembly in the housing, other internal components in the housing, and a keypad external to the housing. The device includes a number of features and elements that enhance its operation, manufacturability, reliability, and user-friendliness. These features and elements include a shock absorbing element for a battery of the device, a keypad actuator layer that overlies a keypad assembly and forms a water resistant seal with the housing, and an offset element for a piezoelectric speaker that is located inside the housing.
US09231610B2

A Successive Approximation Register (SAR) analog-to-digital converting apparatus includes a reference voltage supply unit suitable for supplying different reference voltages depending on bits of a pixel output signal to be converted, an N bit SAR analog-to-digital conversion unit suitable for sequentially converting upper N−1 bits and lower N bits of the pixel output signal by selectively using the reference voltages supplied from the reference voltage supply unit, where N is a natural number, and an error correction unit suitable for calculating an error correction value based on a difference between conversion results of the lower N bits, and outputting a 2N−2 bit analog-to-digital conversion result by combining converted upper N−1 bits and converted lower N bits and correcting an error of the reference voltages using the error correction value in the combining.
US09231604B2

Embodiments provide a multi-phase clock generator. The clock generator includes a loop oscillator, a RC filter, a bias current source and a frequency injection source. The loop oscillator includes N levels of CMOS phase inverters which are connected in series and form a loop, N represents an odd number greater than 1. The N levels of CMOS phase inverters have the same structures, each of which includes a CMOS phase inverter main body and a tail current source which is a current mirror of the bias current source. As an effect of RC filter, a clock input signal inputted by the frequency injection source is applied to the first level tail current source, while other tail current sources are not influenced. Injection locking is induced, such that phase noise and frequency stray can be reduced.
US09231598B2

An integrated circuit device for use in an automobile. The integrated circuit device includes a first oscillator configured to generate a first clock signal, a second oscillator configured to generate a second clock signal, a comparator circuit configured to compare a frequency of the first clock signal with a frequency of the second clock signal, and configured to generate a selection signal for selecting either of the first clock signal or the second clock signal, and a selector configured to output an output clock signal that is selected from among a plurality of outputs including the first clock signal and the second clock signal in response to the select signal.
US09231577B2

A comparator includes a first comparison unit configured to compare an input signal with a first signal and a second comparison unit configured to compare the input signal with a second signal having a voltage value lower than a voltage value of the first signal in a case where a voltage value of the input signal is lower than the voltage value of the first signal and compare the input signal with a third signal having a voltage value higher than a voltage value of the first signal in a case where a voltage value of the input signal is higher than the voltage value of the first signal.
US09231576B1

A device, comprises a first counter and a second counter, a control unit and a comparing unit. The first counter and the second counter are configured to alternately count a cycle number of a monitoring clock signal. The control unit is configured to generate, based on an input clock, both a first counter enable signal and a second counter enable signal that enable or disable the first and the second counters respective, and the first counter enable signal and the second counter enable signal are inverted. The comparing unit is coupled to both the first counter and the second counter and configured to detect a loss fault of the input clock if the cycle number of the monitoring signal counted by one of the first and the second counters exceed a predetermined threshold.
US09231574B2

A power converter and a clock module employed for providing a clock signal to the power converter. The power converter converts an input voltage to an output voltage based on at least the switching on and off of a main switch. The clock module monitors a deviation of the output voltage from its desired value and compares the deviation with a predetermined threshold window to provide a clock control signal. The clock module further regulates the clock signal in response to the clock control signal.
US09231570B2

A voltage level shifting circuit with an input terminal and an output terminal. The level shifting circuit has a field-effect transistor (FET) switch with a gate attached to the input terminal, a drain attached to the output terminal and a source attached to a current changing mechanism. The current changing mechanism includes a current mirror circuit having an output connected between the source and an electrical earth. The output of the current mirror circuit is preferably adapted to change a current flowing between the drain and the source based on an input voltage applied to the gate.
US09231549B2

A phase shifter and related load device are provided. The phase shifter includes a phase shifter core and load devices. The phase shifter core has an input port for receiving an input signal, an output port for outputting an output signal, and connection ports. The load devices are coupled to the connection ports, respectively. At least one of the load devices includes first varactor units each having a first node and a second node, where first nodes of the first varactor units are coupled to a first voltage, second nodes of the first varactor units are respectively coupled to a plurality of second voltages, and the second voltages include at least two voltages different from each other. The phase shifter and related load device are capable of mitigating effects resulted from varactor's non-linear C-V curve.
US09231548B2

Aspects of the disclosure provide a circuit package. The circuit package includes a first signal terminal electrically coupled with a serializer/deserializer (SERDES), a second signal terminal electrically coupled with an external electronic component, and a trace disposed on an insulating layer. The trace is configured to transfer an electrical signal between the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal. The trace is patterned to provide a specific filtering characteristic to filter the electrical signal.
US09231546B2

Circuitry formed of a two-dimensional regular array of capacitive elements 2 is coupled to decoding circuitry in the form of column decoder 8 and a row decoder 6. The decoders 8, 6 are used to select a start point and an end point within a sequence of selected capacitive elements to be connected in parallel following a horizontal raster scan arrangement. The selected capacitive elements may be used to generate an output voltage with a magnitude corresponding to the number of selected capacitive elements.
US09231545B2

Embodiments are described herein that provide numerous volume enhancements to a media playback system, especially for use by a system that contains two or more zone players that are capable of being grouped to form a synchronous audio playback group.
US09231541B2

Circuits are disclosed that may include a plurality of transistors having controllable current paths coupled between at least a first and second node, the transistors configured to generate an analog electrical output signal in response to an analog input value; wherein at least one of the transistors has a deeply depleted channel formed below its gate that includes a substantially undoped channel region formed over a relatively highly doped screen layer formed over a doped body region.
US09231536B2

A power amplifier (PA) system is provided for multi-mode multi-band operations. The PA system includes one or more amplifying modules, each amplifying module including one or more banks, each bank comprising one or more transistors; and a plurality of matching modules, each matching module being configured to be adjusted to provide impedances corresponding to frequency bands and conditions. A controller dynamically controls an input terminal of each bank and adjusts the matching modules to provide a signal path to meet specifications on properties associated with signals during each time interval.
US09231533B2

Apparatus and methods for power amplifiers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power amplifier circuit assembly includes a power amplifier and an impedance matching network. The impedance matching network is operatively associated with the power amplifier and is configured to provide a load line impedance to the power amplifier between about 6Ω and about 10Ω. The impedance matching network includes a fundamental matching circuit and one or more termination circuits, and the fundamental matching circuit and each of the of the one or more termination circuits include separate input terminals for coupling to an output of the power amplifier so as to allow the fundamental matching circuit and each of the one or more termination circuits to be separately tuned.
US09231520B2

An oscillator circuit includes a Wien-bridge oscillator. A non-detuned oscillating signal and a detuned oscillating signal are tapped from the Wien-bridge oscillator. A sum of a weighted detuned signal and a weighted non-detuned signal is coupled as feedback signal to the Wien-bridge to control the oscillation amplitude.
US09231512B2

A method and apparatus to dynamically and adaptively demodulate induction motor instantaneous rotor slot harmonic frequency for line-connected squirrel-cage polyphase induction motors. The instantaneous rotor slot harmonic frequency carries essential information on the instantaneous rotor speed. Based on a correlation between the motor's input power and its rotor slot harmonic frequency, a dynamically varying carrier frequency is computed and used in a rotor slot harmonic frequency detector. The rotor slot harmonic frequency detector is based on a superheterodyne principle. It contains a generalized linear-phase low-pass filter, whose bandwidth is estimated dynamically by a filter bandwidth estimator. The rotor slot harmonic frequency detector also includes a latency compensator, which receives the dynamically varying carrier frequency signal and synchronizes it with the output of a frequency demodulator.
US09231503B2

Methods and systems for building arbitrary motor controllers are described. An example motor controller may include multiple motor power boards connected in a stacked configuration and coupled in parallel. Each motor power board may include one or more power transistors and one or more gate drivers having an input terminal coupled to a control signal connector and an output terminal coupled to a gate terminal of the one or more power transistors. The example motor controller may also include a power bus connector coupled, in parallel, to a respective output terminal of each of the multiple motor power boards. Further, the example motor controller may include a control system coupled to the control signal connector and configured to selectively enable a set that includes one or more of the multiple motor power boards based on an output power requirement.
US09231499B2

There is provided a control device for an internal combustion engine. An electricity generator is configured to be driven by the internal combustion engine. A battery is configured to store electricity generated by the electricity generator. A discharge amount detection section is configured to detect a discharge amount of the battery. An automatic stop control section is configured to automatically stop the internal combustion engine when the discharge amount is a first setting value or less. A continuous discharge amount detection section is configured to detect a continuous discharge amount of the battery based on the discharge amount. An automatic stop prohibition section is configured to prohibit an automatic stop when the continuous discharge amount is a second setting value or more, which is lower than the first setting value.
US09231482B2

The present invention provides compensation of rapid fluctuations in voltage in a DC-to-DC converter. For this, the primary side of the DC-to-DC converter is monitored by means of capacitive voltage dividers. A voltage fluctuation occurring in the process can be identified early and thereupon the DC-to-DC converter can be controlled correspondingly to counteract this.
US09231481B2

A power converter having reduced switching transients includes a conversion inductance, a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, a conversion inductance, and a switch transistor. A low pass filter is connected between the PWM controller and the switch transistor to filter a PWM signal produced by the PWM controller and produce a filtered PWM signal. The switching transistor switches current through the conversion inductance responsive to the filtered PWM signal. The low pass filter filters out harmonic content of the PWM signal that is above the fundamental frequency in a way that maintains most of the harmonic content of the PWM signal to substantially eliminate higher harmonic elements which are conventionally responsible for transients across the conversion inductance.
US09231462B2

An electric motor including: a first and second linear actuator, each linear actuator including a first and second coil respectively, a rotational shaft, a cam assembly mounted on the rotational shaft for translating linear movement of the two linear actuators to rotational movement of the rotational shaft, a controller programmed to generate during operation a first and second drive signal for first coil and second coil respectively, wherein the first drive signal causes the first linear actuator to generate a first torque on the rotational shaft that varies periodically over a complete rotation of the shaft and the second drive signal causes the second linear actuator to generate a second torque on the rotational shaft that varies periodically over a complete rotation of the shaft, and wherein the sum of the first and second torques produces a total torque that is substantially constant throughout the complete rotation of the shaft.
US09231451B2

A dual earth starter motor for a vehicle. The starter motor includes a housing, an armature within the housing, a brush plate within the housing arranged to deliver electric current, by means of conductive brushes, to the armature, and two separate earth terminals electrically connected to the brush plate with each terminal extending through a wall of the housing. In a preferred form, the two earth terminals are electrically isolated from the housing, and at least one of the terminals is mechanically and electrically coupled to the brush plate my means of an interference fit between a portion of the terminal and a hole formed in the brush plate. A method of retrofitting a second earth terminal to an existing starter motor is also disclosed.
US09231449B2

A rotating electric machine for driving a drive object is provided. The rotating electric machine includes a motor case, a stator, a winding, a rotor, a shaft, a base cap, an end cap, an output rod, base cap holes, end cap holes, and through bolts. The base cap has base cap flanges formed on a circumferential edge and extending radially-outward beyond an outer wall of the motor case. The end cap has end cap flanges formed on a circumferential edge and extending radially-outward beyond the outer wall of the motor case. Base cap holes are formed on the base cap flanges and end cap holes in axial alignment with the base cap holes are formed on the end cap flanges. Through bolts fasten the base cap flanges to the end cap flanges.
US09231445B2

A rotor (10) for a rotary electric machine has a plurality of magnetic poles (24) provided at intervals, in a circumferential direction, at the outer periphery of a rotor core (12). Each of the magnetic poles (24) has a first permanent magnet (26) buried in the center of the magnetic pole, and a pair of second permanent magnets (28) that are buried on both sides of the first permanent magnet (26) in the circumferential direction, and that are disposed such that a mutual spacing between the pair of the second permanent magnets (28) becomes narrower inward in the radial direction. A narrowest spacing between the pair of second permanent magnets (28) is set to be wider than a longitudinal-direction width of the first permanent magnet (26) in a magnetic path region (30) that is defined by the first permanent magnet (26) and the pair of second permanent magnets (28).
US09231443B2

A terminal device includes a housing, a communication antenna installed in a first region in the housing and configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves, an agglomerative meta-structure installed in a second region spaced from the first region in the housing and configured to agglomerate the electromagnetic waves received from the communication antenna, and a recycling unit configured to convert the electromagnetic waves agglomerated by the agglomerative meta-structure to effective power.
US09231440B2

A power supply including: a power supply circuit for receiving an external power and a battery power, and for outputting a power including at least one of the external power or the battery power to a load; and a battery pack coupled to the power supply circuit, the battery pack including a plurality of batteries, which are arranged into a plurality of battery groups including a first battery group and a second battery group, and configured to provide the battery power. Where, the battery pack is configured to selectively supply a power of the first battery group or a power of the second battery group as the battery power to the power supply circuit according to at least one of a status of the external power, a status of the load, a status of the first battery group, or a status of the second battery group.
US09231438B2

An system and method to automatically disconnect a retrofit electrical unit from an electrical system in the event of an emergency situation and maintain power to the retrofit electrical unit.
US09231437B2

Provided is an alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power supply device in which normal power and power of a solar cell is used to supply not only AC power but also DC power, particularly, power of a solar cell is first supplied as DC power or is charged in a battery, and after battery charging, residual power is converted to AC power via an inverter so as to replace normal AC power or to transmit AC power to the outside. Accordingly, an SMPS power supply method in which AC and DC power are supplied at the same time may be provided, and moreover, power of a solar cell may be effectively used.
US09231434B2

A method and system for applying a multi-rate charge to a battery are included herein. The method includes detecting a plurality of predetermined electrical measurements and a plurality of predetermined charge currents. The method also includes detecting an electrical measurement of the battery. Additionally, the method includes selecting a charge current from the plurality of predetermined charge currents to be applied to the battery based on the electrical measurement of the battery and the plurality of predetermined electrical measurements. Furthermore, the method includes applying the charge current to the battery. The method also includes detecting a plurality of subsequent electrical measurements of the battery. In addition, the method includes applying a plurality of subsequent charge currents to the battery based on the plurality of subsequent electrical measurements of the battery and the plurality of predetermined charge currents.
US09231430B2

There is provided a charging system including at least one battery device that includes a secondary cell therein, a charging device that performs contactless power transmission to transmit power to the battery device, and a charging control device that controls the contactless power transmission between the charging device and the battery device, wherein the battery device is a hexagonal cylinder having a bottom surface with a substantially regular hexagonal shape and having a predetermined height, wherein the charging device is a hexagonal cylinder having a bottom surface with a substantially regular hexagonal shape and having a predetermined height, and wherein the contactless power transmission is performed between the charging device and the battery device under control of the charging control device by stacking the battery device on the charging device.
US09231427B2

A delayed power-on function for an electronic device is disclosed. A charging unit charges a rechargeable battery with a pre-charge current when a voltage of the rechargeable battery is less than a voltage threshold value and with a current larger than the pre-charge current when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is greater than the voltage threshold value. A disabling unit can disable power-on when the voltage of the rechargeable battery is less than the voltage threshold value. A user may also be notified when power-on is disabled.
US09231422B2

Portable stackable solar batteries are disclosed, in which the solar batteries can be connected in a planar arrangement for solar recharging and connected in a vertically stacked arrangement for powering an electrically powered device and/or for charging another rechargeable battery.
US09231421B2

An electromagnetic induction device of coil type for charging and supplying power, the device comprises a split type electrical body (1) and a charging body (2); wherein the electrical body (1) comprises a first casing (11), a first charging circuit board (12) fixed inside the first casing (11), a chargeable battery (13), a load (14) and a first coil (15) connected with the first charging circuit board (12); the charging body (2) comprises a second casing (21), a second charging circuit board (22) fixed inside the second casing (21), a second coil (23) connected with the first charging circuit board (22), a charging plug (24) installed in the second casing (21); the said second casing (21) with a annular sleeve-joint portion (211) sleeved outside of the first casing (11), and the second coil (23) is arranged in the annular sleeve-joint portion (211), and when the electrical body (1) is connected with the charging body (2) in sleeve mode, the first coil (15) is arranged right inside the second coil (23). The device can supply power to a battery of an electrical apparatus by means of non-contact manner.
US09231420B2

To provide a cell balance circuit and a cell balance apparatus with a low cost and with a compact size, and configured to equalize the charge voltages of rechargeable batteries when the rechargeable batteries are charged or discharged, while suppressing deterioration of the rechargeable batteries. A cell balance circuit AA includes a transformer T, a switch SW1 arranged so as to form a set with a rechargeable battery BT1, and a switch SW2 arranged so as to form a set with a rechargeable battery BT2. The transformer T includes a primary winding Wa arranged so as to form a set with the rechargeable battery BT1, and a secondary winding Wb arranged so as to form a set with the rechargeable battery BT2. When the rechargeable batteries BT1 and BT2 are charged or discharged, the cell balance circuit AA synchronously controls the switches SW1 and SW2.
US09231419B2

In a battery monitoring system included in a secondary battery, high-accuracy charge control is enabled at low cost. A semiconductor device includes: a drive unit which drives a transistor for controlling the charge current of a secondary battery and which is configured to be capable of selecting one of plural different voltages as a drive voltage (VGC) for turning on the transistor; and a data processing control unit which performs program processing. The data processing control unit generates condition information including information about the battery level of the secondary battery based on measured values of the secondary battery voltage and current and adjusts the charge current of the secondary battery by changing the drive voltage selection.
US09231417B2

The charging current value in the first trickle charge after the rapid charge is differentiated from the charging current value in the second and subsequent trickle charge. Thus, for example, in the first trickle charge, charging can be performed with the charging current value required to simultaneously activate and charge an inactive battery. In the second and subsequent trickle charge, charging can be performed with the charging current value required to compensate for self-discharge of a rechargeable battery. By charging the battery with the charging current value required to compensate for self-discharge of the battery in the second and subsequent trickle charge, power consumption required to charge the battery can be reduced, compared to the case where the trickle charge is continued with a constant charging current value required to simultaneously activate and charge the inactive battery, as the conventional device.
US09231409B2

This invention is a System On a Chip (SOC) requiring two tamper resistant externally generated power supplies. A first, higher power supply powers I/O and analog circuits. A second, lower power supply powers digital circuits and memory. A first voltage monitor circuit powered by said first power supply generates a first output signal when the first power supply is below an operational limit high level. A second voltage monitor circuit powered by said first power supply indicates when the second power supply is above an operational high limit level. A power switch is controlled by the first voltage monitor circuit. This power switch connects the second power supply and second load when closed and isolates them when open. Thus the memory cannot be accessed when the I/O and analog power supply is out of specification.
US09231407B2

A battery management system used to monitor a number of batteries. This battery management system includes a number of isolation circuits electrically connected to the batteries. The battery management system includes a measuring unit electrically connected to the isolation circuits to turn on or off the isolation circuits and measure voltages simultaneously of the batteries when the isolation circuits are turned on by the measuring unit.
US09231401B2

A wireless communication system base station (20) includes a base station transceiver (26) that has at least one operative component (32) for facilitating wireless communications. A current limiting device (36) includes at least one field effect transistor for selectively controlling current flow to a capacitive stability device (34) associated with at least one of the operative components (32). In the disclosed example, the current limiting device (36) is in series with the capacitive stability device (34) but in parallel with the operative component (32).
US09231399B2

A circuit protection device includes an overvoltage monitor circuit that is operable to monitor a power supply circuit to detect an overvoltage condition on the power supply circuit and to change a state of an overvoltage output responsive to the overvoltage condition on the power supply circuit. A bi-directional switch is operable to interrupt or limit current flow though the power supply circuit responsive to the change in the state of the overvoltage output. A bi-directional voltage limiter is connected across output terminals of the circuit protection device and is operable to limit an overvoltage to a predefined voltage limit.
US09231395B2

A system and method are provided for a terminal assembly of a subsea motor-compressor. The terminal assembly may include a plurality of terminal ports extending through a hollow spherical body to a cavity defined therein. The terminal assembly may also include a penetrator detachably coupled with the spherical body about each of the plurality of terminal ports. The terminal assembly may further include a mounting port extending through the spherical body to the cavity defined therein. The mounting port may be configured to couple the terminal assembly with a housing of the motor-compressor.
US09231393B2

Electrical assemblies including various complementary electrical components and plurality of cables are provided. Components of the electrical assemblies are configured such that respective signal conductor ends of the plurality of electrical cables can be isolated from one another and placed in electrical communication with the complementary electrical components using a conductive material. In accordance with some embodiments, the electrical assemblies include organizers that define respective pluralities of cavities and are configured to be attached to the complementary electrical components. In accordance with another embodiment, a leadframe assembly can define a plurality of cavities. The cavities of each of the pluralities of cavities are isolated from each other such that respective signal conductor ends of the plurality of electrical cables can be inserted into respective ones of the pluralities of cavities and placed into electrical communication with the respective complementary electrical components by filling the cavities with conductive material.
US09231389B2

A “no profile” electrical box, integrated flange/protective assembly and interchangeable cover that obscures standard electrical outlets such that a wall surface appears nearly continuous, uninterrupted by the outlet or cover when in use or not in use. The profile of the combined unit equals only the thickness of the material from which it is constructed; no hinges, screws or fasteners of any kind are visible and no part of the assembly requires detachment or storage when the outlet is in use, as the hinged cover is undetectably stored in the electrical box, or may be used to cover the electrical cords when engaged in the outlet. Exemplary embodiments of the cover obscure the electrical outlet. Together, the electrical box and flange assembly allow the electrical outlet to be flush mounted or recessed interchangeably, even after installation.
US09231384B2

The invention relates to a method for coating spark plug threads with a polytetrafluoroethylene mixture comprising the steps of (a) bringing the spark plug to room temperature of 21° C. to 26° C. (70° F. to 79° F.); (b) mixing the polytetrafluoroethylene mixture thoroughly and filtering the material through a 100-mesh stainless steel screen (0.146 mm openings); (c) applying a minimum dry film thickness of 20 microns to 30 microns (0.8 mil to 1.2 mil) to the spark plug thread; and (d) baking the spark plug for 15 minutes at a metal temperature of 232° C. to 260° C. (450° F. to 500° F.).
US09231382B2

A technique of improving the life of a spark plug which generates spark discharge and AC plasma. A plasma ignition device includes a power control section which reduces AC power P after generation of AC plasma in an AC power supply period Sa during which the AC power P is continuously supplied to a spark plug within a maintainable power range Rp within which the AC plasma can be maintained.
US09231374B2

Provided is a multi-beam semiconductor laser device in which deterioration of element characteristics is suppressed even when a beam pitch is reduced. The multi-beam semiconductor laser device includes: a first semiconductor multilayer in which a plurality of semiconductor layers are laminated; a plurality of light emitting ridge portions that are formed on the first semiconductor multilayer; a support electrode portion formed in a region between a pair of neighboring light emitting ridge portions; and a front ridge portion formed on the front side of the support electrode portion. The support electrode portion is electrically connected to one of the pair of neighboring light emitting ridge portions. The support electrode portion is higher than the one light emitting ridge portion. An end of the front ridge portion on the front end surface side is higher than the one light emitting ridge portion at the front end surface.
US09231368B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor optical emitter having an optical mode and a gain section, the emitter comprising a low loss waveguide structure made of two alternating layers of semiconductor materials A and B, having refractive indexes of Na and Nb, respectively, with an effective index No of the optical mode in the low loss waveguide between Na and Nb, wherein No is within a 5% error margin of identical to a refractive index of the gain section and wherein the gain section is butt-jointed with the low loss waveguide, and wherein the size and shape of the optical mode(s) in the low loss waveguide and gain section are within a 10% error margin of equal. Desirably, at least one of the semiconductor materials A and B has a sufficiently large band gap that the passive waveguide structure blocks current under a voltage bias of 15 V.
US09231354B1

Cable interconnection terminated by a pin or socket includes a housing, an inner conductor arranged in the housing and having a first end adapted to couple to the pin or socket, and an outer sheath adapted to couple to an outer sheath of a cable including at least one conductor, e.g., a coaxial cable, twin-axial cable or tri-axial cable. The interconnection also includes first and second pins. The first pin is arranged at a second end of the inner conductor while the second pin is electrically connected to the outer sheath. The first and second pins each have a mating portion, and both mating portions terminate at a common plane a set distance from the housing. This termination in a common plane, substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the pins, enables the cable to mate with a wide range of electronic componentry.
US09231347B2

A connector includes: a housing; a plurality of terminal chambers formed in the housing along a longitudinal direction thereof to accommodate terminals therein; a spacer insertion hole formed in the housing along a height direction thereof perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to communicate with the terminal chambers through communication holes and allow an insertion of a spacer for engaging with the terminals, each of the communication holes formed so as to communicate each of the terminal chambers with an outside of the housing, and forming a depression on an underside of each terminal chamber; and a guide protrusion formed about an upstream-side edge of each of the communication holes in an inserting direction of the terminal to lead a front end of the terminal inserted into the terminal chamber toward an upside of a downstream-side edge of each communication hole in the inserting direction.
US09231332B2

A built-up plug includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first shell, a first metal foot and at least one fixing mass on the first shell. The second portion includes a second shell, a second metal foot and at least one fixing groove on the second shell. The first metal foot protrudes from a top portion of the first shell. The second metal foot protrudes from a top portion of the second shell. The fixing mass is placed in the fixing groove to combine the first portion and the second portion.
US09231328B2

An interconnect assembly including a resilient material with a plurality of through holes extending from a first surface to a second surface. A plurality of discrete, free-flowing conductive particles is located in the through holes. The conductive particles are preferably substantially free of non-conductive materials. A plurality of first contact tips are located in the through holes adjacent the first surface and a plurality of second contact tips are located in the through holes adjacent the second surface. The resilient material provides the required resilience, while the conductive particles provide a conductive path substantially free of non-conductive materials.
US09231314B2

A connector assembly for providing electrical connection to an insulated conductive wire, the connector assembly including: a housing defining a channel for receiving the insulated conductive wire; a cover hinged to the housing and configured to close over the channel to cover the insulated conductive wire; and an electrically conductive pin having a first end in the channel and a second end in the housing beneath the channel.
US09231308B2

A feeding apparatus includes a substrate, an annular grounded metal sheet having a first opening and a second opening, a rectangular grounded metal sheet extending from the annular grounded metal sheet toward an interior according to a configuration of a septum polarizer of a waveguide, a first parasitic grounded metal sheet extending from a side of the rectangular grounded metal sheet along a first direction, a second parasitic grounded metal sheet extending from another side of the rectangular grounded metal sheet along a second direction, a first feeding metal sheet extending from the first opening toward the interior and including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion and a second feeding metal sheet extending from the second opening toward the interior and including a fourth portion, a fifth portion and a sixth portion.
US09231306B2

A patch antenna includes a dielectric body, radiation element, earth conductor and feed member. The dielectric body increases in cross-sectional area from a first end toward a second end thereof. The radiation element is disposed on a surface of the dielectric body, and each side of the radiation element has a length adjusted based on the frequency of a radio wave to be received and the effective permittivity of the dielectric body. The earth conductor is disposed on the bottom surface of the dielectric body. The feed member is electrically connected to the radiation element.
US09231302B2

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for antenna switching for simultaneous communication. An can include a plurality of antennas including a first antenna and a second antenna. The apparatus can further includes a plurality of receive circuits including a first receive circuit. The apparatus can further include a controller configured to determine one or more performance characteristics of the first antenna at a first time. The controller is further configured to determine a difference between the one or more performance characteristics of the first antenna at the first time and one or more performance characteristics of the first antenna at an earlier time. The controller is further configured to selectively switch the first receive circuit from receiving wireless communications via the first antenna to receive wireless communications via the second antenna if the difference is larger than a threshold. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09231292B2

A multi-antenna signaling scheme, system and method for passive or low-powered RF devices, such as a radio frequency identification tag, are herein described. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed subject matter discloses a Retrodirective Array Phase Modulator which is configured to allow RFID tags to return higher-powered signals with higher data rates back to an RFID interrogator or reader unit. In some configurations, pattern strobing is used which is an array-based transmission technique for stepping or sweeping an RF waveform through space so that passive radio devices may more efficiently harvest energy without increasing transmit power. In some configurations, the presently disclosed subject matter may also use a Staggered Pattern Charge Collector to boost the collection of microwave power.
US09231289B2

A compact resonator is provided which includes a coupling that is connected to the resonator in between a resonator body and pedestal. The coupling may be keyed or otherwise fixed to prevent it from moving. Both deep drawn and solid resonator designs are provided.
US09231288B2

A high-frequency signal combiner comprises at least one first bridge coupler for the transformation of two input-end, first high-frequency signals into at least two output-end, first high-frequency signals in each case with identical power, and a second bridge coupler for the transformation of four input-end, second high-frequency signals, in each case with identical power, into an output-end, second high-frequency signal, of which the power corresponds to the summated power of the four input-end, second high-frequency signals. In this context, the four input-end, second high-frequency signals are each supplied from one output-end, first high-frequency signal. In order to add an integer multiple of four high-frequency signals, a cascade of second bridge couplers is realized with a number of cascade stages corresponding to the integer multiple. In every cascade stage, every second bridge coupler of the preceding cascade stage is replaced respectively by four second bridge couplers.
US09231286B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor package includes a band stop filter, which includes: a transmission line pattern arranged on a package substrate; and a conductive stub pattern arranged along the transmission line pattern in a state of being separated from the transmission line pattern.
US09231283B2

A protection monitoring circuit 101 includes a secondary battery monitoring circuit 120 which detects a state of a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery 110, and a protection circuit 130 which performs an ON/OFF control of a charge control transistor or a discharge control transistor disposed between the secondary battery 110 and a load or a charger device, and protects the secondary battery 110. The secondary battery monitoring circuit outputs a control signal that compulsively turns on/off the charge control transistor or the discharge control transistor, to the protection circuit. The protection circuit 130 performs the ON/OFF control of the charge control transistor or the discharge control transistor upon receipt of the control signal.
US09231274B2

A non-aqueous electrolyte solution containing a lithium salt, a non-aqueous solvent, a cyclic carbonate compound having an unsaturated bond and a compound of the following formula (Ic): CFnH(3-n)CH2X3  (Ic) where n represents an integer of 1-3 and X3 represents a group selected from the group consisting of formulas (Ic-1), (Ic-2) and (Ic-4): —O—R31  (Ic-1) —O—Y3—O—R32  (Ic-2) and wherein R31, R32 and R34 represent, independently of each other, an alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms that may be substituted by a halogen atom, and Y3 represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1-10 carbon atoms that may be substituted by a halogen atom.
US09231270B2

The present invention provides a cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery. The lithium-ion battery of the present invention has a structure in which the value of B/A is optimized, where the distance between an electrode pole to which strip-form lead pieces are welded, the lead pieces being formed intermittently in the winding direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the belt-like electrodes, and the inner wall of the battery can is represented by A, and the distance between the electrode pole and the wound electrode group is represented by B, in order to secure an exhaust passage for the gas generated upon occurrence of an abnormality in the battery.
US09231267B2

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing an energy supply using a renewable energy source is provided comprising: providing a first source of renewable energy, wherein the first source of renewable energy is intermittent or does not provide a sufficient amount of energy; providing energy from the first source of renewable energy to an electrolyzer to produce an energy carrier through electrolysis; selectably reversing the electrolyzer for use as a fuel cell; and providing the energy carrier to the electrolyzer for the production of energy.
US09231264B2

A hydrogen generator and a fuel cell system including a fuel cell battery and the hydrogen generator. The hydrogen generator includes a cartridge, a housing with a cavity to removably contain the cartridge, and an initiation system. The cartridge includes a casing; a plurality of pellets including a hydrogen containing material; a plurality of solid heat transfer members in contact with but not penetrating the casing; a hydrogen outlet in the casing; and a hydrogen flow path from each pellet to the hydrogen outlet. A plurality of heating elements is disposed inside the housing. When the cartridge is in the cavity, each heating element is disposed so heat can be conducted from the heating element and through the casing and corresponding heat transfer member to initiate the release of hydrogen gas. The initiation system can selectively heat one or more pellets to release hydrogen gas as needed.
US09231257B2

A bipolar plate for fuel cell has an electrochemical reaction region and a non-electrochemical reaction region connected together. The electrochemical reaction region is at the center position of the bipolar plate. The non-electrochemical reaction region is made of non-conductive material and is located around the electrochemical reaction region. The bipolar plate reduces loss, raises work efficiency, and is easy to produce. The material cost of the bipolar plate is effectively reduced.
US09231253B2

In an aspect, a binder for a lithium battery electrode, a binder composition including the binder, and a lithium battery including the binder are provided. The binder may include a water-soluble electroconductive polymer having a carboxylate functional group.
US09231244B2

Provided is a positive electrode active material for lithium ion batteries, which is capable of realizing stability and safety at a high voltage, a high energy density, high load characteristics, and long-term cycle characteristics by controlling a crystal shape of LiMnPO4 particles having a crystal structure very suitable for Li diffusion or controlling an average primary particle size, a production method thereof, an electrode for lithium ion batteries, and a lithium ion battery. The positive electrode active material for lithium ion batteries of the invention is a positive electrode active material for lithium ion batteries, which is formed from LiMnPO4. Values of lattice constants a, b, and c, which are calculated from an X-ray diffraction pattern, satisfy 10.41 Å
US09231243B2

Provided are electrode layers for use in rechargeable batteries, such as lithium ion batteries, and related fabrication techniques. These electrode layers have interconnected hollow nanostructures that contain high capacity electrochemically active materials, such as silicon, tin, and germanium. In certain embodiments, a fabrication technique involves forming a nanoscale coating around multiple template structures and at least partially removing and/or shrinking these structures to form hollow cavities. These cavities provide space for the active materials of the nanostructures to swell into during battery cycling. This design helps to reduce the risk of pulverization and to maintain electrical contacts among the nanostructures. It also provides a very high surface area available ionic communication with the electrolyte. The nanostructures have nanoscale shells but may be substantially larger in other dimensions. Nanostructures can be interconnected during forming the nanoscale coating, when the coating formed around two nearby template structures overlap.
US09231230B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes a display substrate including a display region having an organic light emitting diode; an encapsulation substrate facing the display substrate and covering the display region; a first sealing material between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate, the first sealing material sealing the display region; a second sealing material in contact with an external exposed surface of the first sealing material and sealing the first sealing material; and a molding portion surrounding a lateral surface and an external corner of each of the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate and surrounding an external exposed surface of the second sealing material.
US09231221B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes: a flexible substrate configured to be bent at least once; a first display part on the flexible substrate and including a plurality of first light emitting elements; and a second display part on the flexible substrate and including a plurality of second light emitting elements. Each of a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element among the plurality of first and second light emitting elements includes a first electrode, an emission layer and a second electrode, the first electrode of the first light emitting element includes a transparent layer or a semi-transparent layer, the first electrode of the second light emitting element includes a reflective layer, and the second electrode of the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element, includes the transparent layer or the semi-transparent layer.
US09231218B2

A dibenzo[1,4]azaborine comprising compound, and devices and formulations including the same are described. The compound includes a ligand L1 including wherein E1 is N; E2 is B; and R3 and R4 represent mono, di, tri, tetra substitutions or no substitution; wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof; wherein any two adjacent R1, R2, R3, and R4 are optionally joined to form a ring, which may be further substituted; wherein L1 is coordinated to a metal M, provided that the metal M does not form bond with E1 and E2; and wherein L1 may be linked with other ligands to comprise a bidentate, tridentate, tetradentate, pentadentate or hexadentate ligand.
US09231203B1

Provided are memory cells, such as resistive random access memory (ReRAM) cells, and methods of fabricating such cells. A cell includes an embedded resistor and resistive switching layer connected in series within the embedded resistor. The embedded resistor prevents excessive electrical currents through the resistive switching layer, especially when the resistive switching layer is switched into its low resistive state. The embedded resistor includes a stoichiometric nitride that has a bandgap of less than 2 eV. The embedded resistor is configured to maintain a substantially constant resistance throughout fabrication and operation of the cell, such as annealing the cell and subjecting the cell to forming and switching signals. The stoichiometric nitride may be one of hafnium nitride, zirconium nitride, or titanium nitride. The embedded resistor may also include a dopant, such as tantalum, niobium, vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, or chromium.
US09231200B2

A memory element includes: a memory layer disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The memory layer includes: an ion source layer containing one or more metallic elements, and one or more chalcogen elements of tellurium (Te), sulfur (S), and selenium (Se); and a resistance change layer disposed between the ion source layer and the first electrode, the resistance change layer including a layer which includes tellurium and nitrogen (N) and is in contact with the ion source layer.
US09231198B2

Disclosed are a resistance-variable memory device including a carbide-based solid electrolyte membrane that has stable memory at a high temperature and a manufacturing method thereof. The resistance-variable memory device includes: a lower electrode, the carbide-based solid electrolyte membrane arranged on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode arranged on the solid electrolyte membrane. In addition, the method for manufacturing the resistance-variable memory device comprises: a step for forming the lower electrode on a substrate, a step for forming the carbide-based solid electrolyte membrane on the lower electrode, and a step for forming the upper electrode on the solid electrolyte membrane.
US09231196B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element is disclosed. The element includes a lower electrode, a stacked body provided on the lower electrode and including a first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a second magnetic layer. The first magnetic layer is under the tunnel barrier layer, the second magnetic layer is on the tunnel barrier layer. The first magnetic layer includes a first region and a second region outside the first region to surround the first region. The second region includes an element in the first region and other element being different from the element.
US09231195B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory comprises an electrode, a memory layer which is formed on the electrode and has magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to a film plane, and in which a magnetization direction is variable, a tunnel barrier layer formed on the memory layer, and a reference layer which is formed on the tunnel barrier layer and has magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the film plane, and in which a magnetization direction is invariable. The memory layer has a positive magnetostriction constant on a side of the electrode, and a negative magnetostriction constant on a side of the tunnel barrier layer.
US09231182B2

In a piezoelectric element, a piezoelectric film, a first electrode film provided on one surface of the piezoelectric film, and a second electrode film provided on the other surface of the piezoelectric film form a layered structure, an outer contour of the first electrode film and an outer contour of the second electrode film are positioned outside an outer contour of the piezoelectric film as viewed in a layering direction, an organic resin film is in contact with the piezoelectric film, and generation of noise is suppressed.
US09231181B2

Systems and devices for providing differential input/output communication with a superconducting device are described. Each differential I/O communication is electrically filtered using a respective tubular filter structure incorporating superconducting lumped element devices and high frequency dissipation by metal powder epoxy. A plurality of such tubular filter structures is arranged in a cryogenic, multi-tiered assembly further including structural/thermalization supports and a device sample holder assembly for securing a device sample, for example a superconducting quantum processor. The interface between the cryogenic tubular filter assembly and room temperature electronics is achieved using hermetically sealed vacuum feed-through structures designed to receive flexible printed circuit board cable.
US09231174B2

An light emitting diode (LED) module includes a circuit board, a set of LED chips formed on and electrically connected to the circuit board, and an encapsulant arranged on the circuit board and covering the LED chips, a set of first recesses defined in a top surface of the encapsulant.
US09231168B2

A light-emitting diode package structure including a chip carrier portion, a light-emitting diode chip, and a package material is provided. The light-emitting diode chip is disposed on the chip carrier portion of the package. The package material is filled in the chip carrier portion and covers the light-emitting diode chip. The package material includes a matrix material, a plurality of first powder particles, and a plurality of second powder particles. The first powder particles and the second powder particles are distributed in the matrix material. Each first powder particle is a wavelength conversion material. Each second powder particle has a shell-like structure.
US09231152B2

The present invention provides a light emitting diode, which comprises a first LED die, a second LED die, and a dummy LED die, wherein the second LED die is disposed between the first LED die and the dummy LED die, and each die comprises a first semi-conductive layer, a second semi-conductive layer, and a multiple quantum well layer disposed between the first and the second semi-conductive layers. The first semi-conductive layer of the first LED die is coupled to the second semi-conductive layer of the second LED die, and the first semi-conductive layer of the second LED die is coupled to the first and second semi-conductive layers of the dummy LED die.
US09231149B2

An electrode for electrically connecting two photovoltaic cells is provided. Each photovoltaic cell may include a plurality of lamellar electrically conductive surface regions. The electrode may include a plurality of electrically conductive wires extending adjacent to one other; and a stabilizing structure coupled to the plurality of electrically conductive wires such that the space between the electrically conductive wires to one another is defined until the plurality of electrically conductive wires has been fixed on the plurality of lamellar electrically conductive surface regions of a photovoltaic cell.
US09231148B2

A method for chemically cleaning and passivating a chalcogenide layer is provided, wherein the method comprises bringing the chalcogenide layer into contact with an ammonium sulfide containing ambient, such as an ammonium sulfide liquid solution or an ammonium sulfide containing vapor. Further, a method for fabricating photovoltaic cells with a chalcogenide absorber layer is provided, wherein the method comprises: providing a chalcogenide semiconductor layer on a substrate; bringing the chalcogenide semiconductor layer into contact with an ammonium sulfide containing ambient, thereby removing impurities and passivating the chalcogenide semiconductor layer; and afterwards providing a buffer layer on the chalcogenide semiconductor layer.
US09231142B2

A solar conversion system with a solar collector that is shaped to focus reflected sunlight along an area with a substantially constant flux density. The area shape can be resemble a rectangular, square, circular, or other shape. Included with the system is a solar conversion module having a photovoltaic cell that is alignable with the area. The cell converts the focused reflected sunlight into electrical energy when aligned with the area.
US09231139B2

A substrate has a top side and a bottom side. A solar cell is secured to the top side of the substrate and has an anode and a cathode. A heat transfer element is secured to the bottom side of the substrate. An anode pad is formed on the top side of the substrate and is coupled to the anode of the solar cell; similarly, a cathode pad is formed on the top side of the substrate and is coupled to the cathode of the solar cell. The substrate coefficient of thermal expansion and the solar cell coefficient of thermal expansion match within plus or minus ten parts per million per degree C.
US09231128B2

A solar cell module is discussed. The solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells, each solar cell including a substrate and an electrode part positioned at a surface of the substrate, an interconnector electrically connecting at least one of the solar cells to another of the solar cells; and a first conductive adhesive film including a first resin and a plurality of first conductive particles dispersed in the first resin. The first conductive adhesive film is positioned between the electrode part of the at least one solar cell and the interconnector to electrically connect the electrode part of the at least one solar cell to the interconnector. A contact surface between the first conductive particles and the interconnector is an uneven surface.
US09231123B1

Provided are novel building integrable photovoltaic (BIP) modules having flexible connectors and methods of fabricating thereof. According to various embodiments, a BIP module includes a photovoltaic insert having one or more photovoltaic cells and a flexible connector having a flexible member and a connector member. The flexible member provides flexible mechanical support to the connector member with respect to the insert. The flexible member may include a flat conductive strip, a portion of which is shaped to provide additional flexibility to the flexible member along its width. The connector member encloses one or more conductive elements, such as louvered sockets, which are electrically connected to the photovoltaic insert by the flexible member. In certain embodiments, the same flat conductive strip is used to form a shaped portion as well as conductive element and/or a portion of a bus bar extending into the photovoltaic insert.
US09231105B2

To realize a transistor of normally-off type having a high mobility and a high breakdown voltage. A compound semiconductor layer is formed over a substrate, has both a concentration of p-type impurities and a concentration of n-type impurities less than 1×1016/cm3, and includes a group III nitride compound. A well is a p-type impurity layer and formed in the compound semiconductor layer. A source region is formed within the well and is an n-type impurity layer. A low-concentration n-type region is formed in the compound semiconductor layer and is linked to the well. A drain region is formed in the compound semiconductor layer and is located on a side opposite to the well via the low-concentration n-type region. The drain region is an n-type impurity layer.
US09231099B2

A semiconductor device includes: a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of second conductivity type semiconductor regions, the respective second conductivity type semiconductor regions being embedded in a plurality of stripe shaped trenches formed in the semiconductor substrate so that the respective second conductivity type semiconductor regions are extended in the row direction or the column direction in parallel with a first principal surface of the semiconductor substrate and are spaced in a fixed gap mutually. The semiconductor substrate and the plurality of the semiconductor regions are depleted by a depletion layer extended in the direction in parallel to the first principal surface from a plurality of pn junction interfaces, and the respective pn junction interfaces are formed between the semiconductor substrate and the plurality of the semiconductor regions.
US09231097B2

An HVMOS transistor structure includes: a first ion well of a first conductivity type and a second ion well of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type formed over a substrate, wherein the first ion well and the second ion well have a junction at their interface; a gate overlying the first ion well and the second ion well; a drain region of the first conductivity type, in the first ion well, spaced apart from a first sidewall of the gate by an offset distance; and a source region of the first conductivity type in the second ion well. In addition, a method for fabricating the HVMOS transistor structure described above is also provided.
US09231096B2

A field effect transistor includes a substrate and a semiconductor layer provided on the substrate, wherein the semiconductor layer includes a lower barrier layer provided on the substrate, Ga-face grown, lattice relaxed, and having a composition In1−zAlzN (0≦z≦1), a channel layer having a composition of: AlxGa1−xN (0≦x≦1) or InyGa1−yN (0≦y≦1). Or GaN provided on and lattice-matched to the lower barrier layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode having ohmic contact to an upper part of the semiconductor layers, disposed spaced to each other, and a gate electrode arranged via a gate insulating film in a region lying between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09231091B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor mesa with at least one body zone forming first pn junctions with source zones and a second pn junction with a drift zone. A pedestal layer at a side of the drift zone opposite to the at least one body zone includes first zones of a conductivity type of the at least one body zone and second zones of the conductivity type of the drift zone. Electrode structures are on opposite sides of the semiconductor mesa. At least one of the electrode structures includes a gate electrode controlling a charge carrier flow through the at least one body zone. In a separation region between two of the source zones (i) a capacitive coupling between the gate electrode and the semiconductor mesa or (ii) a conductivity of majority charge carriers of the drift zone is lower than outside of the separation region.
US09231083B2

A multi-region (81, 83) lateral-diffused-metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) device (40) has a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) support structure (21) on or over which are formed a substantially symmetrical, laterally internal, first LDMOS region (81) and a substantially asymmetric, laterally edge-proximate, second LDMOS region (83). A deep-trench isolation (DTI) wall (60) substantially laterally terminates the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83). Electric field enhancement and lower source-drain breakdown voltages (BVDSS) exhibited by the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83) associated with the DTI wall (60) are avoided by providing a doped SC buried layer region (86) in the SOI support structure (21) proximate the DTI wall (60), underlying a portion of the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83) and of opposite conductivity type than a drain region (31) of the laterally edge-proximate second LDMOS region (83).
US09231081B2

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a body region is formed in an epitaxial layer provided on a semiconductor substrate. A part of a semiconductor material forming the body region surface is removed to form a convex-type contact region protruding from the body region surface and to form a shallow trench surrounding the convex-type contact region. A deep trench region is formed so as to extend from the shallow trench surface to inside of the epitaxial layer. A gate insulating film is formed on an inner wall of the deep trench region which is filled with polycrystalline silicon that is held in contact with the gate insulating film. A source region and a body contact region are formed in the shallow trench and the convex-type contact region, respectively, and a silicide layer is formed to connect the source region and the body contact region to each other.
US09231078B2

A semiconductor element and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor element includes a base, an epitaxy layer, a first well, a second well, a third well, a first heavily doping region, a second heavily doping region, a implanting region and a conductive layer. The epitaxy layer is disposed on the base. The first well, the second well and the third well are disposed in the epitaxy layer. The third well is located between the first well and the second well. A surface channel is formed between the first heavily doping region and the second heavily doping region. The implanting region is fully disposed between the surface channel and the base and disposed at a projection region of the first well, the second well and the third well.
US09231075B2

A semiconductor device includes a nitride semiconductor stacked structure including a carrier transit layer and a carrier supply layer; a p-type nitride semiconductor layer provided over the nitride semiconductor stacked structure and including an active region and an inactive region; an n-type nitride semiconductor layer provided on the inactive region in the p-type nitride semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode provided over the active region in the p-type nitride semiconductor layer.
US09231061B2

The invention relates to a new method of texturing silicon surfaces suited for antireflection based on ion implantation of hydrogen and heavy ions or heavy elements combined with thermal annealing or thermal annealing and oxidation. The addition of the heavy ions or heavy elements allows for a more effective anti-reflective surface than is found when only hydrogen implantation is utilized. The methods used are also time- and cost-effective, as they can utilize already existing semiconductor ion implantation fabrication equipment and reduce the number of necessary steps. The antireflective surfaces are useful for silicon-based solar cells.
US09231053B2

Semiconductor devices useful as light emitting diodes or power transistors are provided. The devices produced by depositing a Zn—O-based layer comprising nanostructures on a Si-based substrate, with or without a metal catalyst layer deposited therebetween. Furthermore, a pair of adjacent p-n junction forming layers is deposited on the ZnO-based layer, where one of the pair is an n-type epitaxial layer, and the other is a p-type epitaxial layer. One or more epitaxial layers may, optionally, be deposited between the ZnO-based layer and the pair of adjacent p-n junction forming layers.
US09231051B2

Disclosed herein are various methods of forming spacers on FinFETs and other semiconductor devices. In one example, the method includes forming a plurality of spaced-apart trenches in a semiconducting substrate that defines a fin, forming a first layer of insulating material in the trenches that covers a lower portion of the fin but exposes an upper portion of the fin, and forming a second layer of insulating material on the exposed upper portion of the fin. The method further comprises selectively forming a dielectric material above an upper surface of the fin and in a bottom of the trench, depositing a layer of spacer material above a gate structure of the device and above the dielectric material above the fin and in the trench, and performing an etching process on the layer of spacer material to define sidewall spacers positioned adjacent the gate structure.
US09231036B2

Provided is an organic electroluminescence display device. The organic electroluminescence display device includes a bank that is provided so as to surround a central portion of a pixel electrode, an organic electroluminescence layer that is provided on the pixel electrode, a common electrode that is formed so as to extend from the organic electroluminescence layer to the bank, a color filter layer that overlaps the organic electroluminescence layer, a black matrix layer that overlaps the bank, a spacer that is provided on the black matrix layer, and a wiring that is provided on the black matrix layer so as to be placed on the spacer. The black matrix layer is disposed on the bank through the spacer. A convex portion is formed by the wiring being placed on the spacer, and the convex portion is electrically connected to the common electrode above the bank.
US09231011B2

Imaging systems may be provided with stacked-chip image sensors. A stacked-chip image sensor may include a vertical chip stack that includes an array of image pixels, analog control circuitry and storage and processing circuitry. The array of image pixels, the analog control circuitry, and the storage and processing circuitry may be formed on separate, stacked semiconductor substrates or may be formed in a vertical stack on a common semiconductor substrate. The image pixel array may be coupled to the control circuitry using vertical metal interconnects. The control circuitry may route pixel control signals and readout image data signals over the vertical metal interconnects. The control circuitry may provide digital image data to the storage and processing circuitry over additional vertical conductive interconnects coupled between the control circuitry and the storage and processing circuitry. The storage and processing circuitry may be configured to store and/or process the digital image data.
US09231000B2

A thin film transistor array substrate includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including a capacitor comprising a first electrode, and a second electrode located above the first electrode, a data line extending in a first direction, configured to provide a data signal, located above the capacitor, and overlapping a part of the capacitor, and a driving voltage line configured to supply a driving voltage, located between the capacitor and the data line, and comprising a first line extending in the first direction, and a second line extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
US09230997B2

The present invention provides a display panel including a novel structure that is suitable for preventing a short circuit between terminals. The present invention relates to a display panel including: an active matrix substrate; a counter substrate; and a sealing material, the active matrix substrate including a plurality of terminals outside the display region; and a plurality of insulating films respectively formed from inside to outside the display region, wherein lower portions of the plurality of terminals are formed of a same material as the gate wiring or the source wiring, upper portions of the plurality of terminals are formed of a same material as the pixel electrode, and the plurality of insulating films includes an inorganic insulating film and an organic insulating film thicker than the inorganic insulating film, the inorganic insulating film and the organic insulating film being arranged between the gate wiring or the source wiring and the pixel electrode, the organic insulating film including an end portion arranged on an outer side of a region where the sealing material is provided and at a position distant from a region where the terminals are provided, the inorganic insulating film including an end portion arranged on a boundary between the plurality of wirings and the plurality of terminals.
US09230986B2

Three-dimensional memory cells and methods of making and using the memory cells are discussed generally herein. In one or more embodiments, a three-dimensional vertical memory can include a memory stack. Such a memory stack can include memory cells and a dielectric between adjacent memory cells, each memory cell including a control gate and a charge storage structure. The memory cell can further include a barrier material between the charge storage structure and the control gate, the charge storage structure and the barrier material having a substantially equal dimension.
US09230983B1

A method of making a monolithic three dimensional NAND string includes forming a stack of alternating layers of a first material and a second material different from the first material over a substrate, etching the stack to form at least one opening in the stack and forming at least one charge storage region over a sidewall of the at least one opening. The method also includes forming a tunnel dielectric layer over the at least one charge storage region in the at least one opening, forming a semiconductor channel material over the tunnel dielectric layer in the at least one opening, selectively removing at least portions of the second material layers to form recesses between adjacent first material layers and forming ruthenium control gate electrodes in the recesses.
US09230976B2

Monolithic, three dimensional NAND strings include a semiconductor channel, at least one end portion of the semiconductor channel extending substantially perpendicular to a major surface of a substrate, a plurality of control gate electrodes having a strip shape extending substantially parallel to the major surface of the substrate, the blocking dielectric comprising a plurality of blocking dielectric segments, a plurality of discrete charge storage segments, and a tunnel dielectric located between each one of the plurality of the discrete charge storage segments and the semiconductor channel.
US09230967B2

The instant disclosure relates to a method for forming self-aligned isolation trenches in semiconductor substrate, comprising the following steps. The first step is providing a semiconductor substrate defined a plurality of active areas thereon. The next step is forming at least two buried bit lines in each of the active areas and an insulating structure disposed above and opposite to the at least two buried bit lines. The next step is forming a self-aligned spacer on the sidewalls of each of the insulating structures. The last step is selectively removing the semiconductor substrate with the self-aligned spacers as masks to form a plurality of isolation trenches.
US09230957B2

Aspects of the present disclosure describe MOSFET devices that have snubber circuits. The snubber circuits comprise one or more resistors with a dynamically controllable resistance that is controlled by changes to a gate and/or drain potentials of the one or more MOSFET structures during switching events.
US09230955B2

An element can be prevented from being damaged even when a high level signal is input to an integrated circuit having a variable capacitance element whose capacitance is variable by digital signal control. There is provided an integrated circuit including b sub-circuits (b is an integer equal to or greater than 1) that are connected in series between a first terminal and a second terminal and have capacitance 2b-1 times larger than predetermined unit capacitance. The b-th sub-circuit includes 2b-1 configurations, which are connected in parallel, each including at least two capacitors connected in series and at least two stacked switch elements. At least the two stacked switch elements are operated to all switched for each sub-circuit, and at least one switch element of at least the two stacked switch elements is provided between at least the two capacitors.
US09230943B2

A solid state illumination device includes a semiconductor light emitter mounted on a base and surrounded by sidewalls, e.g., in a circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular or other appropriate arrangement, to define a chamber. A top element, which may be reflective, may be coupled to the sidewalls to further define the chamber. The light produced by the semiconductor light emitter is emitted through the sidewalls of the chamber. The sidewalls and/or top element may include wavelength converting material, for example, as a plurality of dots on the surfaces. An adjustable wavelength converting element may be used within the chamber, with the adjustable wavelength converting element being configured to adjust the surface area that is exposed to the light emitted by the semiconductor light emitter in the chamber to alter an optical property of the chamber.
US09230942B2

A semiconductor device including alternating stepped semiconductor die stacks to allow for large numbers of semiconductor die to be provided within a semiconductor device using short wire bonds.
US09230933B2

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die mounted to a substrate. A plurality of conductive pillars is formed over a semiconductor die. A plurality of conductive protrusions is formed over the conductive pillars. Bumps are formed over the conductive protrusions and conductive pillars. Alternatively, the conductive protrusions are formed over the substrate. A conductive layer is formed over the substrate. The semiconductor die is mounted to the substrate by reflowing the bumps at a temperature that is less than a melting point of the conductive pillars and conductive protrusions to metallurgically and electrically connect the bumps to the conductive layer while maintaining a fixed offset between the semiconductor die and substrate. The fixed offset between the semiconductor die and substrate is determined by a height of the conductive pillars and a height of the conductive protrusions. A mold underfill material is deposited between the semiconductor die and substrate.
US09230930B2

Technique capable of achieving reliability improvement of a semiconductor device even if temperature rising of an operation guarantee temperature of the semiconductor device is performed is provided. Gap portions are provided among a plurality of pads, and a glass coat composed of, for example, a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film is embedded in the gap portions. The glass coat is provided in order to secure electrical insulation among the pads, and coats outer edge portions of the pads. Trenches are formed so as to be adjacent to regions, which are coated with the glass coat, of the outer edge portions of the pads.
US09230928B2

There is provided a system and method for a spot plated leadframe and an IC bond pad via array design for copper wire. There is provided a semiconductor package comprising a leadframe having a pre-plated finish and a spot plating on said pre-plated finish, a semiconductor die including a bond pad on a top surface thereof, and a copper wire bonded to said spot plating and to said bond pad. Optionally, a novel corner via array design may be provided under the bond pad for improved package performance while maintaining the integrity of the copper wire bond. The semiconductor package may provide several advantages including high MSL ratings, simplified assembly cycles, avoidance of tin whisker issues, and low cost compared to conventional packages using gold wire bonds.
US09230922B2

A precursor composition for forming a silicon dioxide film on a substrate, the precursor composition including at least one precursor compound represented by the following chemical formulas (1), (2), and (3): HxSiAy(NR1R2)4-x-y  (1) HxSi(NAR3)4-x  (2) HxSi(R4)z(R5)4-x-z  (3) wherein, independently in the chemical formulas (1), (2), and (3), H is hydrogen, x is 0 to 3, Si is silicon, A is a halogen, y is 1 to 4, N is nitrogen, and R1, R2, R3, and R5 are each independently selected from the group of H, aryl, perhaloaryl, C1-8 alkyl, and C1-8 perhaloalkyl, and R4 is aryl in which at least one hydrogen is replaced with a halogen or C1-8 alkyl in which at least one hydrogen is replaced with a halogen.
US09230913B1

Structures and methods to minimize parasitic capacitance in a circuit structure are provided. The structure may include a substrate supporting one or more circuits and one or more metallization layers above the substrate. The metallization layer includes a conductive pattern defined by an array of conductive fill elements, where the conductive fill elements of the array are discrete, electrically isolated elements sized to satisfy, at least in part, a pre-defined minimum area-occupation ratio for a chemical-mechanical polishing of the metallization layer, and to minimize parasitic capacitance within the metallization layer, as well as minimize parasitic capacitance between the metallization layer and the circuit, and if multiple metallization layers are present, between the layers.
US09230909B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor device whose reliability can be improved. The semiconductor device includes: first wiring formed over a semiconductor substrate via a first insulating film; a second insulating film that includes an inorganic film covering the first wiring and that has a flat surface on which CMP processing has been performed; a third insulating film that is formed over the second insulating film and includes an inorganic film having moisture resistance higher than that of the second insulating film; and second wiring formed over the third insulating film. The thickness of the second wiring is 10 times or more larger than that of the first wiring, and the second wiring is located over the third insulating film without an organic insulating film being interposed between itself and the third insulating film.
US09230904B2

Provided are methods of forming a stack of electrodes and three-dimensional semiconductor devices fabricated thereby. The device may include electrodes sequentially stacked on a substrate to constitute an electrode structure. each of the electrodes may include a connection portion protruding horizontally and outward from a sidewall of one of the electrodes located thereon and an aligned portion having a sidewall coplanar with that of one of the electrodes located thereon or thereunder. Here, at least two of the electrodes provided vertically adjacent to each other may be provided in such a way that the aligned portions thereof have sidewalls that are substantially aligned to be coplanar with each other.
US09230901B2

A method of making a semiconductor device is characterized by the step of attaching a chip-on-interposer subassembly to a heat spreader with the chip inserted into a cavity of the heat spreader and the interposer laterally extending beyond the cavity. The interposer backside process is executed after the chip-on-interposer attachment and encapsulation to form the finished interposer. The heat spreader provides thermal dissipation, and the finished interposer provides primary fan-out routing for the chip. In the method, a buildup circuitry is electrically coupled to the interposer to provide further fan-out routing.
US09230900B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for ground via clustering for crosstalk mitigation in integrated circuit (IC) assemblies. In some embodiments, an IC package assembly may include a first package substrate configured to route input/output (I/O) signals and ground between a die and a second package substrate. The first package substrate may include a plurality of contacts disposed on one side of the first package substrate and at least two ground vias of a same layer of vias, and the at least two ground vias may form a cluster of ground vias electrically coupled with an individual contact. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09230892B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element that is mounted on a substrate, an electrode pad that contains aluminum as a main component and is provided in the semiconductor element, a copper wire that contains copper as a main component and connects a connection terminal provided on the substrate and the electrode pad, and an encapsulant resin that encapsulates the semiconductor element and the copper wire. When the semiconductor device is heated at 200° C. for 16 hours in the atmosphere, a barrier layer containing any metal selected from palladium and platinum is farmed at a junction between the copper wire and the electrode pad.
US09230887B2

An integrated circuit with vias with different depths stopping on etch stop layers with different thicknesses. A method of simultaneously etching vias with different depths without causing etch damage to the material being contacted by the vias.
US09230883B1

A substrate includes a stacked trace formed from a trace and a first buildup trace stacked on the trace. The first buildup trace contacts and is electrically connected to the trace along the entire length of the trace. The current carrying cross-sectional area of the stacked trace is greater than the current carrying cross-sectional area of the trace. Accordingly, a plurality of the stacked traces can be formed with a small width and thus small pitch yet with a large current carrying cross-sectional area.
US09230865B2

A semiconductor device is provided which includes an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer coexisting in the same wiring layer without influences on the properties of a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device includes a first wiring layer with a first wiring, a second wiring layer with a second wiring, and first and second transistors provided in the first and second wiring layers. The first transistor includes a first gate electrode, a first gate insulating film, a first oxide semiconductor layer, a first hard mask layer, and first insulating sidewall films covering the sides of the first oxide semiconductor layer. The second transistor includes a second gate electrode, a second gate insulating film, a second oxide semiconductor layer, and a second hard mask layer.
US09230862B2

A method of separating dice of a singulated wafer that is supported on a dicing tape sheet is disclosed. The method may include attaching the dicing tape sheet to a ring frame; relatively raising a portion of the dicing tape sheet supporting the wafer with respect to the ring frame; and attaching support tape to the ring frame and the dicing tape sheet.
US09230860B2

A semiconductor substrate includes a vertical conductor and an insulating layer. The vertical conductor includes a metal/alloy component of a nanocomposite crystal structure and is filled in a vertical hole formed in the semiconductor substrate along its thickness direction. The insulating layer is formed around the vertical conductor in a ring shape and includes nm-sized silica particles and a nanocrystal or nanoamorphous silica filling up a space between the silica particles to provide a nanocomposite structure along with the silica particles.
US09230859B2

Redistribution layers for microfeature workpieces, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. One method for processing a microfeature workpiece system includes positioning a pre-formed redistribution layer as a unit proximate to and spaced apart from a microfeature workpiece having an operable microfeature device. The method can further include attaching the redistribution layer to the microfeature workpiece and electrically coupling the redistribution layer to the operable microfeature device.
US09230846B2

Wafer carriers and methods for moving wafers in a reactor. The wafer carrier may include a platen with a plurality of compartments and a plurality of wafer platforms. The platen is configured to rotate about a first axis. Each of the wafer platforms is associated with one of the compartments and is configured to rotate about a respective second axis relative to the respective compartment. The platen and the wafer platforms rotate with different angular velocities to create planetary motion therebetween. The method may include rotating a platen about a first axis of rotation. The method further includes rotating each of a plurality of wafer platforms carried on the platen and carrying the wafers about a respective second axis of rotation and with a different angular velocity than the platen to create planetary motion therebetween.
US09230845B2

An article storage facility comprises a plurality of storage units for storing transporting containers for substrates and inactive gas feed passages for supplying inactive gas to each of the plurality of said storage units. The plurality of storage units are divided into a plurality of sections. The inactive gas feed passages include section feeding portions which supply the inactive gas to the sections, and storage unit feeding portions which divert and supply the inactive gas, that is supplied to a respective section by an associated one of the section feeding portions, to the plurality of storage units in the respective section. The article storage facility includes a bypass portion which allows communication between two or more storage unit feeding portions, and a bypass switching valve that can be switched between an open state in which the inactive gas can be communicated through the bypass portion and a closed state in which the inactive gas cannot be communicated through the bypass portion.
US09230842B2

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including: a housing section configured to house a substrate; a transfer chamber that includes a plurality of airtight chambers connected to the periphery thereof, and a transfer mechanism provided therewithin, each of the plurality of airtight chambers being configured to process the substrate under an airtight state, and the transfer mechanism being configured to transfer the substrate to and from the airtight chambers; a carry-in section configured to carry the substrate into the transfer chamber via a first opening provided in the transfer chamber; and a carry-out section configured to carry out the substrate discharged from a second opening provided at a different position from that of the first opening of the transfer chamber, to the housing section, without returning the substrate to the transfer chamber.
US09230841B2

A substrate processing apparatus including a frame, a first SCARA arm connected to the frame, including an end effector, configured to extend and retract along a first radial axis; a second SCARA arm connected to the frame, including an end effector, configured to extend and retract along a second radial axis, the SCARA arms having a common shoulder axis of rotation; and a drive section coupled to the SCARA arms is configured to independently extend each SCARA arm along a respective radial axis and rotate each SCARA arm about the common shoulder axis of rotation where the first radial axis is angled relative to the second radial axis and the end effector of a respective arm is aligned with a respective radial axis, wherein each end effector is configured to hold at least one substrate and the end effectors are located on a common transfer plane.
US09230836B2

A substrate treatment method that includes circulating a treatment liquid from a treatment vessel through a circulation path extending through a filter and a temperature controller, spouting the treatment liquid toward a substrate accommodated in the treatment vessel to recover the treatment liquid in the treatment vessel, and controlling the liquid surface level of the treatment liquid retained in the treatment vessel below the substrate held at a substrate treatment position.
US09230834B2

A substrate treating method for treating substrates with a substrate treating apparatus having an indexer section, a treating section and an interface section includes performing resist film forming treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section and performing developing treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section.
US09230831B2

There is provided a technology enabling the improvement of the reliability of a semiconductor device manufactured by physically fixing separately formed chip mounting portion and lead frame. A feature of an embodiment resides in that, a second junction portion formed in a suspension lead is fitted into a first junction portion formed in a chip mounting portion, thereby to physically fix the chip mounting portion and the suspension lead. Specifically, the first junction portion is formed of a concave part disposed in the surface of the chip mounting portion. The second junction portion forms a part of the suspension lead.
US09230829B2

The invention relates to a method for encapsulating an electronic arrangement against permeants, wherein an electronic arrangement is made available on a substrate, wherein, in a vacuum, that area of the substrate which embraces that region of the electronic arrangement which is to be encapsulated, preferably said area and that region of the electronic arrangement which is to be encapsulated, is brought into contact with a sheet material comprising at least one adhesive compound and a composite is produced therefrom. The invention also relates to an apparatus for implementing the method and to an encapsulated electronic arrangement produced thereby.
US09230824B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes providing an object to be processed including a multilayer film formed by alternately laminating a first film and a second film having different dielectric coefficients within a processing container of a plasma processing apparatus; and repeatedly performing a sequence including: supplying a first gas including O2 gas or N2 gas, and a rare gas into the processing container and exciting the first gas, supplying a second gas including a fluorocarbon gas or a fluorohydrocarbon gas into the processing container and exciting the second gas, and supplying a third gas including HBr gas, a fluorine-containing gas, and a fluorocarbon gas or a fluorohydrocarbon gas into the processing container and exciting the third gas, so that the multilayer film is etched through a mask.
US09230815B2

Provided are atomic layer deposition methods to deposit a tungsten film or tungsten-containing film using a tungsten-containing reactive gas comprising one or more of tungsten pentachloride, a compound with the empirical formula WCl5 or WCl6.
US09230803B2

Disclosed are methods of growing III-V epitaxial layers on a substrate, semiconductor structures thus obtained, and devices comprising such semiconductor structures. An example semiconductor substrate includes a substrate and a buffer layer on top of the substrate, where a conductive path is present between the substrate and buffer layer. A conductive path may be present in the conductive interface, and the conductive path may be interrupted by one or more local electrical isolations. The local electrical isolation(s) may be positioned with the device such that at least one of the local electrical isolation(s) is located between a high voltage terminal and a low voltage terminal of the device.
US09230802B2

Field-effect transistors (FETs) and methods of fabricating field-effect transistors are provided, with one or both of a source cavity or a drain cavity having different channel junction characteristics. The methods include, for instance, recessing a semiconductor material to form a cavity adjacent to a channel region of the transistor, the recessing defining a bottom channel interface surface and a sidewall channel interface surface within the cavity; providing a protective liner over the sidewall channel interface surface, with the bottom channel interface surface being exposed within the cavity; processing the bottom channel interface surface to facilitate forming a first channel junction of the transistor; and removing the protective liner from over the sidewall channel interface surface, and subsequently processing the sidewall channel interface surface to form a second channel junction of the transistor, where the first and second channel junctions have different channel junction characteristics.
US09230801B2

A graphene structure and a method of forming the same may include a graphene formed in a three-dimensional (3D) shape, e.g., a column shape, a stacking structure, and a three-dimensionally connected structure. The graphene structure can be formed by using Ge.
US09230800B2

Methods of depositing a film on a substrate surface include surface mediated reactions in which a film is grown over one or more cycles of reactant adsorption and reaction. In one aspect, the method is characterized by the following operations: (a) exposing the substrate surface to a first reactant in vapor phase under conditions allowing the first reactant to adsorb onto the substrate surface; (b) exposing the substrate surface to a second reactant in vapor phase while the first reactant is adsorbed on the substrate surface; and (c) exposing the substrate surface to plasma to drive a reaction between the first and second reactants adsorbed on the substrate surface to form the film.
US09230797B2

Technologies are generally described for a component, a method to form a component and/or a system configured to form a component. In an example, the method to form a component may include placing a first layer including a conductive material on a support. The method may include placing a second layer, including the conductive material and oxygen, on the first layer. The method may include placing a third layer, including tellurium and oxygen, on the second layer. The method may include placing a fourth layer, including tin and tellurium, on the third layer. In an example, placing of the fourth layer on the third layer may include placing a fifth layer including tellurium on the fourth layer, placing a sixth layer including tin on the fifth layer, placing a seventh layer including tellurium on the sixth layer and annealing the fifth, sixth, and seventh layers to form the fourth layer.
US09230790B2

Systems and related methods are disclosed herein that generally involve focusing dispersed ions using one or more DC ion funnels. In some embodiments, a DC ion funnel is provided that includes a plurality of ring-shaped electrodes, each having an aperture formed therein such that the funnel defines an interior volume extending between an ion inlet and an ion outlet. A controller applies a DC potential to each of the electrodes without applying an RF potential to any of the electrodes, such that ions entering the funnel are substantially confined within said volume. The interior volume can have any of a variety of shapes, such as cylindrical, frusto-conical, and curved frusto-conical. In addition, any of a variety of DC potentials can be applied to the plurality of electrodes.
US09230780B2

Embodiments disclosed herein include a plasma source for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. The plasma source has a first plate and a second plate parallel to the first plate. An electrode is disposed between the first and second plates and an outer wall is disposed between the first and second plates surrounding the cylindrical electrode. The plasma source has a first plurality of magnets disposed on the first plate and a second plurality of magnets disposed on the second plate. The magnetic field created by the first and second plurality of magnets is substantially perpendicular to the electric field created between the electrode and the outer wall. In this configuration, a dense plasma is created.
US09230779B2

A plasma processing system having a plasma processing chamber comprising at least one of a chamber wall and a chamber liner is disclosed. The plasma processing system includes a plurality of ground straps disposed around a circumference of a chamber surface, the chamber surface being one of the chamber walls and the chamber liner of the plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing system further includes at least a first impedance device coupled to at least a first ground strap of the plurality of ground straps, wherein a second ground strap of the plurality of ground straps is not provided with a second impedance device having the same impedance value as the first impedance device.
US09230774B2

Provided is an X-ray generating tube with improved withstand voltage property by a simple structure, the X-ray generating tube including a cathode connected to one opening of an insulating tube and an anode connected to the other opening, in which a resistive film having a lower sheet resistance value than that of the insulating tube is disposed on an outer periphery of the insulating tube, and the cathode and the anode are electrically connected to each other via the resistive film.
US09230770B2

The present invention relates to a conductive nanostructure, a method for molding the same, and a method for manufacturing a field emitter using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a field-emitting nanostructure comprising a conductive substrate, a conductive nanostructure arranged on the conductive substrate, and a conductive interfacial compound disposed in the interface between the conductive substrate and the conductive nanostructure, as well as to a method for molding the same, and a method for manufacturing a field emitter using the same.
US09230766B2

The disclosed concept pertains generally to secondary terminal blocks and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for isolating the secondary terminal blocks and associated wiring in electrical switching assembly enclosures. The apparatus includes a housing having an outer surface structured to form a cavity therein. The apparatus is positioned in an enclosure which includes an electrical switching apparatus and one or more secondary terminal blocks. The one or more secondary terminal blocks are positioned in the cavity such that the apparatus at least substantially isolates the one or more secondary terminal blocks from the electrical switching apparatus. Further, the apparatus is effective to substantially isolate the secondary terminal blocks from temperature and pressure effects resulting from an arcing fault occurring in the enclosure.
US09230761B2

An emergency stop system for a hybrid excavator is provided, which includes an emergency switch and an emergency stop unit. In a normal operation state, a power supply that is applied from a power supply unit is provided to a hybrid controller and an engine controller, while when the emergency switch is pressed, the input power supply is intercepted to effectively stop the operation of the hybrid system in the case where equipment abnormality or an emergency situation occurs. Also, when the emergency switch is pressed, the power supply is applied to an emergency alarm unit and an energy discharge unit to notify an operator and neighboring persons of the equipment abnormality and emergency situation occurrence, and a hybrid power source vanishes completely.
US09230760B2

A vacuum interrupter has a housing with at least a first metal flange through which a first connection pin extends into the vacuum interrupter in a vacuum-tight manner to a first contact. The housing has at least one insulating-material housing region formed by a disc-like insulator. A second connection pin extends into the vacuum interrupter in a vacuum-tight manner to a second contact. The vacuum interrupter can be produced in a cost-effective manner with a compact construction. There is also described a switch pole for a switching device having a vacuum interrupter.
US09230759B2

A gas circuit breaker includes: a pair of electrodes provided so as to be able to come in contact with and separate from each other; and an insulating material that is placed so as to generate a decomposition gas in response to a direct or indirect action from an arc occurring between the pair of electrodes when a current is broken, wherein the decomposition gas generated from the insulating material when the current is broken is configured to be utilized for extinguishing the arc, and wherein an ablative material that does not include hydrogen atoms but has a carbon-oxygen bond in a main chain or ring part is used as the insulating material.
US09230746B2

The object of the present invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolytic solution that can improve the electrochemical properties in a broad temperature range and an electrochemical device using the same. A nonaqueous electrolytic solution prepared by dissolving an electrolyte salt in a nonaqueous solvent, wherein the nonaqueous solvent includes 0.1 to 30% by volume of a fluorine atom-containing cyclic carbonate, and further the nonaqueous electrolytic solution includes 0.001 to 5% by mass of a branched dinitrile compound in which the main chain of an alkylene chain linking the two nitrile groups has 2 or more and 4 or less of the carbon number.
US09230740B2

There is provided a multilayer ceramic electronic part to be embedded in a board, including: a ceramic body including dielectric layers and having first and second main surfaces facing each other, first and second side surfaces facing each other, and first and second end surfaces facing each other; first and second internal electrodes; and first and second external electrodes formed on both end portions of the ceramic body, wherein the first external electrode includes a first base electrode and a first terminal electrode formed on a portion of the first base electrode formed on at least one of the first and second main surfaces of the ceramic body, the second external electrode includes a second base electrode and a second terminal electrode formed on a portion of the second base electrode formed on at least one of the first and second main surfaces of the ceramic body.
US09230733B2

Provided is a manufacturing method of a rare-earth magnet with high coercive force, including a first step of pressing-forming powder as a rare-earth magnet material to form a compact S, the powder including a RE-Fe—B main phase MP (RE: at least one type of Nd and Pr) and a RE-X alloy (X: metal element) grain boundary phase surrounding the main phase; and second step of bringing a modifier alloy M into contact with the compact S or a rare-earth magnet precursor C obtained by hot deformation processing of the compact S, followed by heat treatment to penetrant diffuse melt of the modifier alloy M into the compact S or the rare-earth magnet precursor C to manufacture the rare-earth magnet RM, the modifier alloy including a RE-Y (Y: metal element and not including a heavy rare-earth element) alloy having a eutectic or a RE-rich hyper-eutectic composition.
US09230732B2

A wireless power transmitter can include a transmitting coil configured to wirelessly transmit power to a receiving coil. The wireless power transmitter can include a shield residing on a given side of a substrate spaced apart from the transmitting coil. The shield can be configured to filter an electric field induced by the transmitting coil.
US09230720B2

An integrated circuit has a circuit part and a trimmable resistor, the resistance whereof may be modified by Joule effect. The trimmable resistor has first and second connection terminals coupled to the circuit part, and an intermediate terminal that divides the trimmable resistor into two portions. The first and the second connection terminals and the intermediate terminal are coupled to respective pads configured to receive electrical quantities designed to cause, in use, a respective trimming current flow in each portion. In this way, a substantially zero voltage drop is maintained between the first and second connection terminals while current is flowing in the resistor to change an electrical characteristic of the resistor, such as resistance or thermal coefficient.
US09230716B2

A coaxial cable includes a central conductor, a fluororesin insulation, and outer conductor and a jacket covering the outer conductor. The central conductor has three single element twisted wires. The central conductor has an outer diameter and the three single element twisted wires having a predetermined twist pitch. The fluororesin insulation covers the central conductor such that all of the twisted single element wires of the central conductor contact the fluororesin insulation. The fluororesin insulation is a non-foam insulation material. A series of voids are defined between portions of the central conductor and an inner surface of the fluororesin insulation. The outer conductor is disposed on the external periphery of the insulation. The adhesive force between the central conductor and the insulation, and a breaking strength of the central conductor have the following relationship: adhesive force≦⅓ breaking strength.
US09230712B2

Flexible plastic hose comprising a flexible wall made out of a plurality of laterally connected windings of a helically wound profile, wherein the windings of the profile are attached to each other by means of a weld, wherein the profile comprises a web part with predetermined properties for providing flexibility to the hose, and wherein the profile ends on both sides in an upright part. The weld is located between the upright part of the adjacent windings and together with these upright parts forms a helical reinforcement rib on the flexible wall of the hose with predetermined properties for providing hub strength to the hose.
US09230708B2

The present disclosure is in relation to nanotechnology/nanobiotechnology, in particular to nano, meso and micro structures of Naphthalene diimide derivatives. The disclosure provides a method for supramolecular self-assembling of Naphthalene diimide derivatives, its characteristics and its applications. The present disclosure also relates to self assembled nano, meso or micro-structures of the Naphthalene diimide derivatives.
US09230705B2

Disclosed is a portable latent fingerprint developing apparatus capable of visibly checking out an external shape of a finger print by using an UV LED lamp, after a fine spray of a fingerprint developing liquid is conducted by using a vibrator and providing the corresponding fingerprint image to an external terminal, after it is photographed by a camera.
US09230703B2

Gratings for analyzing the interference image in interferometers for phase contrast X-ray tomography, comprising a carrier and grating webs produced from at least two different materials, method for producing the same and use thereof.
US09230698B2

There is disclosed a radiation stable shield for use in space or high altitude applications. The shield comprises a plurality of overlapping planar glass flakes which are held in a lamellar matrix of flexible polymeric material. The flakes are each formed of a radiation stable glass which is suitable for use in space or high altitude applications. The flakes are arranged in alignment with the lamellar direction of the matrix.
US09230696B2

The invention concerns a control rod configured for a nuclear power light water reactor of the BWR or PWR kind. The control rod contains absorber material. At least 50%, with respect to weight, of the absorber material that is in the control rod is in the form of hafnium hydride. The invention also concerns the use of such a control rod during operation in a nuclear power light water reactor of the BWR or PWR kind.
US09230695B2

Illustrative embodiments provide nuclear fission igniters for nuclear fission reactors and methods for their operation. Illustrative embodiments and aspects include, without limitation, a nuclear fission igniter configured to ignite a nuclear fission deflagration wave in nuclear fission fuel material, a nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor with a nuclear fission igniter, a method of igniting a nuclear fission deflagration wave, and the like.
US09230690B2

Embodiments of a register file test circuit are disclosed that may allow for determining write performance at low power supply voltages. The register file test circuit may include a decoder, a multiplexer, a frequency divider, and a control circuit. The decoder may be operable to select a register cell within a register file, and the control circuit may be operable to controllably activate the read and write paths through the selected register cell, allowing data read to be inverted and re-written back into the selected register cell.
US09230686B2

Disclosed herein is an apparatus that includes: a plurality of memory banks each including a plurality of memory cells; a plurality of redundant circuits each allocated to an associated one of the plurality of memory banks to replace a defective memory cell among the plurality of memory cells included in the associated memory bank; a plurality of roll call circuits allocated to an associated one of the plurality of memory banks to generate a roll call data when an address corresponding to the defective memory cell is supplied; and a plurality of data buses commonly allocated to the plurality of memory banks. The roll call circuits output the roll call data to the plurality of data buses in parallel.
US09230684B2

According to one embodiment, a memory controller controlling a NAND memory having D bits/cell, includes: a code encoder which generates a code word having correction capability of t symbols; a write control unit which controls writing of the code word to the NAND memory; and a code decoder which decodes the code word read from the NAND memory, wherein the write control unit dispersedly allocates 2×D pages stored in adjacent two word lines in a block of the NAND memory to 2×D/t or more code words.
US09230681B2

A method for data storage includes defining a first programming scheme that programs a group of analog memory cells while reducing interference caused by at least one memory cell that neighbors the group, and a second programming scheme that programs the group of the analog memory cells and does not reduce all of the interference reduced by the first programming scheme. One of the first and second programming schemes is selected based on a criterion defined with respect to the analog memory cells. Data is stored in the group of the analog memory cells using the selected programming scheme.
US09230678B2

An enhanced fuseless fuse structure is provided herein. Additionally, an IC with an enhanced fuseless fuse structure, a data structure that can be used with this structure and a method of manufacturing an IC are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the IC includes: (1) a fuse wrapper configured to decode fuseless fuse data for controlling the fuses, (2) JTAG registers configured to store fuse register values in designated blocks, wherein the fuse register values and the designated blocks are determined from the fuseless fuse data and (3) options registers configurable by software to store fuse override data for modifying the fuse register values.
US09230677B2

Several 2D and 3D HiNAND flash memory arrays with 1-level or 2-level broken BL-hierarchical structures are provided for Multiple Whole-WL and All-BL simultaneous operations in Dispersed Blocks. The global bit line (GBL) is divided to multiple 1(top)-level broken metal2 GBLs plus optional lower-level broken metal1 local bit lines (LBLs). A preferred Vinhibit supply higher than Vdd can be selectively supplied via horizontal metal0 power line LBLps to charge selected broken GBLs/LBLs which can also be selectively discharged via a String source line. Charge-sharing technique for precharging and discharging of broken GBL/LBL capacitors for NAND cell data sensing is used in Read and Verify operations with reduced power consumption and latency. Recall technique to restore the desired Program Data stored in the broken GBL/LBL capacitors is used for Multiple-WL and All-BL Program and Program-Verify operation with reduced program current for highest program yield superior P/E cycles.
US09230670B2

There are a semiconductor device including: a plurality of memory blocks including a plurality of pages; peripheral circuits configured to perform a least significant bit read operation and a most significant bit read operation of a selected page included in a selected block; and a control circuit including a least significant bit read-retry table and a most significant bit read-retry table which have a plurality of indexes, and configured to control the peripheral circuits to store an index used when error correction is possible among the least significant bit read-retry table in the least significant bit read operation and perform the most significant bit read operation by first selecting the stored index among the most significant bit read-retry table.
US09230664B2

According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile memory includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells configured to store 3-bit data corresponding to first to third pages. Data coding, in which first page data values have one boundary, and second and three page data values each have three boundaries, is used to perform a first stage program based on data written into first page d, a second stage program based on data written into the first, second, and third pages, and a third stage program based on data written into the first, second, and third pages.
US09230654B2

An apparatus, system, and computer-implemented method for controlling data transfer between a plurality of serial data link interfaces and a plurality of memory banks in a semiconductor memory is disclosed. In one example, a flash memory device with multiple links and memory banks, where the links are independent of the banks, is disclosed. The flash memory devices may be cascaded in a daisy-chain configuration using echo signal lines to serially communicate between memory devices. In addition, a virtual multiple link configuration is described wherein a single link is used to emulate multiple links.
US09230651B2

A semiconductor memory cell includes a floating body region configured to be charged to a level indicative of a state of the memory cell selected from at least first and second states. A first region of the memory cell is in electrical contact with the floating body region. A second region of the memory cell is spaced apart from the first region and is also in electrical contact with the floating body region. A gate is positioned between the first and second regions. A back-bias region is configured to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in one of the first and second states, and the back-bias region is configured so as not to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in the other of the first and second states.
US09230636B2

Described is an apparatus which comprises: a first power supply node to provide a first power supply, a second power supply node, and a third power supply node; a first transistor which is operable to couple the first and second power supply nodes; and a charge pump circuit to provide a boosted voltage to the third power supply node in one mode, and to recover charge from the second power node in another mode. Described is a memory unit which comprises: a DRAM which is operable to be refreshed; a gated power supply node coupled to the DRAM to provide a gated power supply to the DRAM; and a charge recycling circuit to recover charge from the gated power supply node after the DRAM is refreshed.
US09230632B1

A word line driver circuit allows for dynamic selection of different word line voltages for selection and deselection of memory cells included in a resistive memory array in a manner that reduces circuit complexity, device count, and leakage currents.
US09230631B2

A circuit includes a cell segment, first and second reference cells, and a current sense amplifier. The first and second reference cells are configured to store opposite logic values, respectively. The current sense amplifier is configured with a first node and a second node for currents therethrough to be compared with each other. The current sense amplifier includes a multiplexer configured to couple the first reference cell or the second reference cell to the first node of the current sense amplifier, and couple the second reference cell or the first reference cell to the second node of the current sense amplifier in a first mode, and couple a cell of the cell segment to the first node of the current sense amplifier, and couple the first and second reference cells to the second node of the current sense amplifier in a second mode.
US09230629B2

A semiconductor storage device includes a first bit line and a second bit line. A nonvolatile memory element and a first cell transistor are connected in series between the first bit line and the second bit line. A sense transistor has a gate connected to a sense node which is provided between the first bit line and the memory element. A read bit line is connected to a source or a drain of the sense transistor. The read bit line is configured to transmit data of the memory element. A sense amplifier is configured to detect the logic of data transmitted from the read bit line.
US09230626B2

3-terminal magnetic circuits and devices based on the spin-transfer torque (STT) effect via a combination of injection of spin-polarized electrons or charged particles by using a charge current in a spin Hall effect metal layer coupled to a free magnetic layer and application of a gate voltage to the free magnetic layer to manipulate the magnetization of the free magnetic layer for various applications, including non-volatile memory functions, logic functions and others. The charge current is applied to the spin Hall effect metal layer via first and second electrical terminals and the gate voltage is applied between a third electrical terminal and either of the first and second electrical terminals. The spin Hall effect metal layer can be adjacent to the free magnetic layer or in direct contact with the free magnetic layer to allow a spin-polarized current generated via a spin Hall effect under the charge current to enter the free magnetic layer. The disclosed 3-terminal magnetic circuits can also be applied to signal oscillator circuits and other applications.
US09230625B2

A magnetic memory according to an embodiment includes: a multilayer structure including a semiconductor layer and a first ferromagnetic layer; a first wiring line electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second wiring line electrically connected to the first ferromagnetic layer; and a voltage applying unit electrically connected between the first wiring line and the second wiring line to apply a first voltage between the semiconductor layer and the first ferromagnetic layer during a write operation, a magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer being switchable by applying the first voltage.
US09230610B2

Provides is a multi-chip package including a plurality of semiconductor memory devices. Each of semiconductor memory devices includes a register and a control circuit. The register is configured to store start sequence information representing start of execution of a refresh operation in the multi-chip package. The control circuit is configured to control start of the execution of the refresh operation in response to the start sequence information stored in the register. Since the start of the execution of the refresh operation is performed in sequence of respective semiconductor memory devices according to the start sequence information stored in the register, consumption of peak current may be reduced in a power saving mode.
US09230609B2

A packaged semiconductor device includes a data pin, a first memory die, and a second memory die stacked with the first memory die. The first memory die includes a first data interface coupled to the data pin and a first memory core having a plurality of banks. The second memory die includes a second memory core having a plurality of banks. A respective bank of the first memory core and a respective bank of the second memory core perform parallel row access operations in response to a first command signal and parallel column access operations in response to a second command signal. The first data interface of the first die provides aggregated data from the parallel column access operations in the first and second die to the data pin.
US09230608B2

A recirculation filter element for a disc drive enclosure. The filter element has a body having a surface area to volume ratio of at least 100/m and a self-assembled monolayer. The self-assembled monolayer may adsorb volatile contaminants from the enclosure or may have a chemical affinity to particulates, to accumulate and sequester particles on the body.
US09230594B2

A temperature sensor of a head transducer measures temperature near or at the close point. The measured temperature varies in response to changes in spacing between the head transducer and a magnetic recording medium. A detector is coupled to the temperature sensor and is configured to detect a change in a DC component of the measured temperature indicative of onset of contact between the head transducer and the medium. Another head transducer configuration includes a sensor having a sensing element with a high temperature coefficient of resistance to interact with asperities of the medium. Electrically conductive leads are connected to the sensing element and have a low temperature coefficient of resistance relative to that of the sensing element, such thermally induced resistance changes in the leads have a negligible effect on a response of the sensing element to contact with the asperities.
US09230593B1

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a spindle motor configured to rotate a disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a plurality of windings. The windings are commutated based on a commutation sequence while applying a driving voltage to each winding, wherein the driving voltage comprises an operating amplitude during normal operation. When a supply voltage falls below a threshold, the spindle motor is configured into a power generator by at least reducing the amplitude of the driving voltage to substantially zero and then incrementally increasing the amplitude of the driving voltage by at least two steps toward the operating amplitude.
US09230587B1

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a head slider within disk drive data storage devices. A head slider comprises a head body having a leading portion on a leading edge and a trailing portion on a trailing edge. The leading portion includes a first leading pad disposed at the MFS and a second leading pad disposed between the first leading pad and the leading edge. The second leading pad is recessed a first vertical distance from the MFS. One or more particle trapping holes are disposed between the first leading pad and the second leading pad. The one or more particle trapping holes are recessed a second vertical distance from the MFS, the second vertical distance being greater than the first vertical distance. Particles encountered by the leading portion may be suctioned into the one or more particle trapping holes, preventing the particles from building-up onto the MFS.
US09230581B2

A positioning method positions a flexure whose front end side is joined to an outside frame with respect to a load beam, keeps the positioned state of the flexure and load beam, plastically deforms the outside frame to bend the front end side of the flexure so that the position of a tongue of the flexure is adjusted to the position of a dimple of the load beam, and joins the flexure and load beam to each other to keep the position adjusted state of the tongue.
US09230573B1

A magnetic write head having a write pole with a tapered trailing edge and a magnetic oscillator formed on the trailing edge of the write pole. The magnetic oscillator is sandwiched between the magnetic write pole and a trailing magnetic shield. The write head also includes a non-magnetic, electrically conductive bump structure located over a back portion of the magnetic oscillator between the magnetic oscillator and the trailing magnetic shield. The presence of the non-magnetic, electrically conductive bump structure causes electrons to properly flow through the magnetic oscillator in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the magnetic oscillator, even when the magnetic oscillator is formed on an inclined plane on the tapered trailing edge of the write pole. This thereby ensures optimal performance of the magnetic oscillator.
US09230572B2

The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a magnetic head having a magnetic lip. The vertical sides and the bottom of the magnetic lip are covered by one or more conductive layers. In one embodiment, the bottom of the magnetic lip is covered by a first conductive layer and the vertical sides of the magnetic lip are covered by a second conductive layer. The conductive layers are made of a material that would not react with oxygen, thus no oxide films are formed on the vertical sides and the bottom of the magnetic lip during the manufacturing of the magnetic head.
US09230568B1

A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a trailing shield, a gap section, a return path section, and a coil underlayer. The main pole has a top surface including a first inclined portion and a flat portion. The coil includes a specific coil element. The specific coil element has a bottom surface facing toward the top surface of the main pole, and a front end face inclined with respect to a medium facing surface. The coil underlayer lies under the specific coil element, and has a front end face. The trailing shield includes a portion interposed between the front end face of the coil underlayer and the medium facing surface. The bottom surface of the specific coil element includes a second inclined portion.
US09230556B2

A method of providing navigation on an electronic device when the display screen is locked. The method receives a verbal request to start navigation while the display is locked. The method identifies a route from a current location to a destination based on the received verbal request. While the display screen is locked, the method provides navigational directions on the electronic device from the current location of the electronic device to the destination. Some embodiments provide a method for processing a verbal search request. The method receives a navigation-related verbal search request and prepares a sequential list of the search results based on the received request. The method then provides audible information to present a search result from the sequential list. The method presents the search results in a batch form until the user selects a search result, the user terminates the search, or the search items are exhausted.
US09230548B2

Embodiments of the present invention include a data storage device and a method for storing data in a hash table. The data storage device can include a first memory device, a second memory device, and a processing device. The first memory device is configured to store one or more data elements. The second memory device is configured to store one or more status bits at one or more respective table indices. In addition, each of the table indices is mapped to a corresponding table index in the first memory device. The processing device is configured to calculate one or more hash values based on the one or more data elements.
US09230541B2

This application discloses a method implemented of recognizing a keyword in a speech that includes a sequence of audio frames further including a current frame and a subsequent frame. A candidate keyword is determined for the current frame using a decoding network that includes keywords and filler words of multiple languages, and used to determine a confidence score for the audio frame sequence. A word option is also determined for the subsequent frame based on the decoding network, and when the candidate keyword and the word option are associated with two distinct types of languages, the confidence score of the audio frame sequence is updated at least based on a penalty factor associated with the two distinct types of languages. The audio frame sequence is then determined to include both the candidate keyword and the word option by evaluating the updated confidence score according to a keyword determination criterion.
US09230539B2

Techniques are described for automatically measuring fluency of a patient's speech based on prosodic characteristics thereof. The prosodic characteristics may include statistics regarding silent pauses, filled pauses, repetitions, or fundamental frequency of the patient's speech. The statistics may include a count, average number of occurrences, duration, average duration, frequency of occurrence, standard deviation, or other statistics. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an audio sample that includes speech of a patient, analyzing the audio sample to identify prosodic characteristics of the speech of the patient, and automatically measuring fluency of the speech of the patient based on the prosodic characteristics. These techniques may present several advantages, such as objectively measuring fluency of a patient's speech without requiring a manual transcription or other manual intervention in the analysis process.
US09230531B2

Road noise masking for a vehicle includes determining, by a computer processor, an expected interior sound associated with the vehicle. The expected interior sound is defined by a design of the vehicle in conjunction with road conditions encountered by the vehicle. The road noise masking also includes monitoring, via the computer processor, information sources of the vehicle during a driving event. Upon determining a current road surface from the monitoring, the road noise masking includes calculating a masking noise shape commensurate with the expected interior sound, and transmitting instructions including the masking noise shape to an audio system in the vehicle. The audio system produces masking noise from a tuner of the audio system that approximates the masking noise shape.
US09230529B2

In a music reproducing apparatus for converting audio data into audio data of different data format so as to reproduce it, gapless reproduction and cross-fade reproduction are performed in a switching manner, and generation of a noise at time of the gapless reproduction is repressed. When a reproducing section performs the gapless reproduction, a converting section performs conversion into PCM data to be reproduced latterly using a buffer used for conversion into the PCM data to be reproduced formerly. Further, when the reproducing section performs the cross-fade reproduction, the converting section generates a buffer different from the buffer used for the conversion into the PCM data to be reproduced formerly in a storage section, and performs the conversion into the PCM data to be reproduced latterly using the generated buffer.
US09230527B2

The invention generally pertains to a hand-held computing device. More particularly, the invention pertains to a computing device that is capable of controlling the speed of the music so as to affect the mood and behavior of the user during an activity such as exercise. By way of example, the speed of the music can be controlled to match the pace of the activity (synching the speed of the music to the activity of the user) or alternatively it can be controlled to drive the pace of the activity (increasing or decreasing the speed of the music to encourage a greater or lower pace). One aspect of the invention relates to adjusting the tempo (or some other attribute) of the music being outputted from the computing device. By way of example, a songs tempo may be increased or decreased before or during playing.
US09230518B2

This disclosure presents techniques and structures for preemption at arbitrary control points in graphics processing. A method of graphics processing may comprise executing commands in a command buffer, the commands operating on data in a read-modify-write memory resource, double buffering the data in the read-modify-write memory resource, such that a first buffer stores original data of the read-modify-write memory resource and a second buffer stores any modified data produced by executing the commands in the command buffer, receiving a request to preempt execution of the commands in the command buffer before completing all commands in the command buffer, and restarting execution of the commands at the start of the command buffer using the original data in the first buffer.
US09230515B2

A hand-held electronic device and a display method are described. The hand-held electronic device of the invention includes an image processing unit configured to provide a first image; a first display unit configured to display the first image; a first optical system configured to receive light emitted from the first display unit and conduct a light path conversion on it to form a first magnified virtual image, wherein a length of a light path between the first optical system and the first display unit is less than a focal distance of first optical system; and a first window disposed on a first external surface of the hand-held electronic device to allow a viewer to watch the first magnified virtual image through the first optical system when the viewer is close to the first external surface.
US09230504B2

A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a signal processor which processes a plurality of contents and forms image frames, a display unit which outputs a plurality of content views using the image frames, and a controller which controls the display to display an object which indicates a control authority in one of the plurality of content views.
US09230501B1

A computing device includes an interface configured to receive image data that is indicative of a field-of-view (FOV) that is associated with a head-mountable display (HMD). The computing device also includes a computing system configured to determine optical flow from the image data and to determine, based on the optical flow, whether or not the HMD is associated with operation of a vehicle. Further, the computing device is configured to control the HMD to display information in a first mode, if the HMD is associated with the operation of the vehicle, and to control the HMD to display information in a second mode, if the HMD is not associated with the operation of the vehicle.
US09230497B2

In a liquid crystal display device having a configuration in which one pixel is divided into a plurality of sub pixels, low power consumption is realized by reducing an amplitude of a video signal. In each pixel formation portion, an amplification circuit unit including a second-capacitor is provided between a dark display pixel electrode and a bright display pixel electrode. A selection period consists of a precharge period and an amplification period. In the precharge period, a potential of a control wiring is applied to the dark display pixel electrode, and a potential of a video signal line is applied to the bright display pixel electrode. In the amplification period, a potential of the video signal line is applied to the dark display pixel electrode in the state where the bright display pixel electrode is placed in a floating state.
US09230494B2

A multi-primary-color liquid crystal panel driver (100) according to the present invention includes: a multi-primary-color converter (110) which performs a multi-primary-color conversion to convert the grayscale levels of an input video signal in each of a plurality of vertical scanning periods into grayscale levels of four or more primary colors; and an overdrive circuit (120) which sets, based on the grayscale levels that have been subjected to the multi-primary-color conversion in one vertical scanning period and on the grayscale levels that have been subjected to the multi-primary-color conversion in another vertical scanning period that is earlier than the one vertical scanning period by at least one period, the grayscale levels of the four or more primary colors in that one vertical scanning period. The present invention provides a multi-primary-color liquid crystal panel that can improve the display quality even when the input video signal has varying grayscale levels.
US09230491B2

A frame image is divided into a plurality of divided areas, and it is determined whether each of the divided areas is a first region including a predetermined object or a second region not including the object. A brightness of each light emitting block is decided based on a result of the determination of each divided area. In cases where a divided area determined as the second region in a target frame has been determined as the first region in frames, which satisfy a predetermined condition, among past frames, the brightness of a light emitting block corresponding to the divided area is decided to a brightness closer to the brightness of a light emitting block corresponding to a divided area determined as the first region as compared to the brightnesses of light emitting blocks corresponding to the other divided areas determined as the second region.
US09230488B2

A method of driving a display device includes displaying an image corresponding to a left eye image signal during a first frame set including one or more frames and displaying an image corresponding to a right eye image signal during a second frame set including one or more successive frames, in which the first frame set and the second frame set include at least one frame displaying a first image according to a first gamma curve and at least one frame displaying a second image according to a second gamma curve, and the first frame set and the second frame set include two successive frames displaying the second image.
US09230483B2

A pixel circuit includes an OLED, a driving transistor, first and second transistors, a storage capacitor and a coupling capacitor. The OLED includes an anode and a cathode connected to a first voltage source. The driving transistor includes a first node connected to a second voltage source, a second node, and a third node connected to the anode. The first transistor includes first, second and third terminals connected to a data driving line, a first control signal source, and the second node, respectively. The second transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal connected to a second control signal source, and a third terminal connected to the anode and the third node. The storage capacitor includes first and second terminals connected to a third voltage source and the second transistor, respectively. The coupling capacitor includes first and second terminals connected to the second transistor and the second node, respectively.
US09230482B2

A shift register for flat panel display devices includes a start signal unit configured to control a start of an output signal, an end signal unit configured to control an end of the output signal, and a plurality of stages configured to increase the output signal to a high-level driving voltage according to a signal supplied from a first node connected to the start signal unit, and decrease the output signal to a low-level driving voltage according to a signal supplied from a second node connected to the end signal unit. Each of the plurality of stages generates multi signals for diving a pixel circuit of a display device.
US09230480B2

An organic light emitting diode (“OLED) display comprises a plurality of pixels which receives a first data signal, which is a data signal of a frame, through a plurality of data lines connected thereto, and stores the first data signal during a frame period of the frame, where the pixels simultaneously emit light based on a driving current corresponding to a second data signal, which is a data signal of a previous frame, where the frame period includes a scan period, during which the first data signal is stored, and a light emission period, during which the light is emitted based on the second data signal, the scan period and the light emission period overlap each other in the frame period.
US09230479B2

The present invention provides a pixel driving circuit, a display device and a pixel driving method. In the pixel driving circuit, the control unit is connected with the data line, a first control line, a second control line, a first gate line and a second gate line; the first charging unit and the second charging unit are both connected with the control unit; a first electrode of the light emitting device is connected with the control unit and the second charging unit, and a second electrode of the light emitting device is connected with the second power supply terminal. According to the present invention, by providing two storage capacitors and improving the pre-charging manner, the gate of the driving transistor is provided with the data voltage lower than the operating voltage. The threshold voltage is stored into the first capacitor, thus the threshold voltage compensation is implemented.
US09230475B2

There is provided a display device including pixel circuits which are arranged and each of which includes a driving transistor to drive an electro-optical element and a capacitor connected between a gate electrode and one source/drain electrode of the driving transistor. The driving transistor is configured by stacking the gate electrode and the source/drain electrode and a peripheral portion of the gate electrode is covered by the source/drain electrode.
US09230469B2

A display device and a driving method is disclosed. The driving method includes receiving an image signal for one frame for one pixel, converting the image signal into at least two data voltages according to at least two gamma curves, applying a first gate signal and a second gate signal to a plurality of gate lines respectively connected to a plurality of subpixels included in one pixel during the frame. The method further includes applying the at least two data voltages to the plurality of subpixels during the frame. A gamma curve for the data voltage applied to one subpixel among the plurality of subpixels includes the at least two different gamma curves and is changed with a period of a first time.
US09230462B2

To provide an image display device in which reflection of an image on one display surface onto another display surface is suppressed. In an image display device where an image is displayed on a screen combining the display surfaces of two or more image display elements, a polarizing plate is arranged on the display surface on conditions that extinction takes place between the display surfaces of the image display elements. The extinction conditions are set such that the light entering from a display surface to which the polarizing plate is fixed is passed through and the light entering from other than the above display surface is absorbed by intersecting the polarization directions of the polarizing plates perpendicularly.
US09230455B2

A method for digital immunity includes identifying a call graph of an executable entity, and mapping nodes of the call graph to a cipher table of obscured information, such that each node based on invariants in the executable entity. A cipher table maintains associations between the invariants and the obscured information. Construction of an obscured information item, such as a executable set of instructions or a program, involves extracting, from the cipher table, ordered portions of the obscured information, in which the ordered portions have a sequence based on the ordering of the invariants, and ensuring that the obscured information matches a predetermined ordering corresponding to acceptable operation, such as by execution of the instructions represented by the obscured information, or steganographic target program (to distinguish from the executable entity being evaluated). The unmodified nature of the executable entity is assured by successful execution of the steganographic target program.
US09230448B2

The invention concerns a flight simulator device (1, 51) for simulating the flight behavior of an aircraft. The flight simulator device (1, 51) comprises a passenger compartment (6) with an input means to accommodate at least one person (P), an omnidirectionally movable carrier vehicle (2) with several wheels (4) and with drive units for driving the wheels (4), and a control device (5) connected to the input means and the drive units of the carrier vehicle (2), which is designed to actuate the drive units of the carrier device (2) on the basis of signals coming from the input means.
US09230443B2

A predictive enhanced maneuverability system providing enhanced timely delivery of vehicle performance selection of chassis, and steering modes for potential predicted safety collisions is disclosed. The primary inputs of the disclosed invention include a determination of the proximity to a preceding vehicle, the density of the surrounding traffic, a forward collision warning alert, and the predictive enhanced maneuverability decision sub-system for vehicle mode selection. The system of the disclosed invention provides a customized vehicle dynamics chassis and steering dynamic mode output, based on a predicted decision about vehicle potential for collision, for improved driver maneuverability and safety. In addition, the disclosed invention provides an improved system and method for incorporating the time dependent headway, forward collision warning alert, and the traffic density for chassis collision-mode embedded decision-making. The predictive enhanced maneuverability decision-module allows vehicle dynamics mode selection to be tailored based on proximity to a potential collision.
US09230442B2

An adaptive sensing system is configured to acquire sensor data pertaining to objects in the vicinity of a land vehicle. The adaptive sensing system may be configured to identify objects that are at least partially obscured by other objects and, in response, the adaptive sensing system may be configured to modify the configuration of one or more sensors to obtain additional information pertaining to the obscured objects. The adaptive sensing system may comprise and/or be communicatively coupled to a collision detection module, which may use the sensor data acquired by the adaptive sensing system to detect potential collisions.
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