US09241569B2

Furniture includes a utilizing unit, a main supporting frame, and an interchangeable arrangement which includes a plurality of reusable decorative elements interchangeably and selectively coupled at the main supporting frame to change an overall ornamental design of the furniture without disassembling the main supporting frame.
US09241566B1

An adjustable shelving assembly includes four corner members of L-shaped cross section, either half of each corner member comprising aperture members each including an upper, larger circle and a lower, smaller, vertical hole overlapping the larger circle thereof; at least one group of four interconnecting members each comprising upper and lower aperture elements and a through hole besides each of the upper and lower aperture elements for positioning the interconnecting member, each aperture element comprising an upper, smaller, vertical hole and a lower, larger circle overlapping the vertical hole thereof; retainers each for fastening the corner member and the interconnecting member; and lock pins each comprising a head including a cut, and a shaft having ridges. The lock pin is fastened in the larger circle of the aperture member and the through hole. The cut is fastened in the larger circle of the aperture member.
US09241565B2

Storage racks for coolers. Embodiments provide storage racks for coolers each of which includes a spacer and pairs of supports, standoff portions, and arms. The standoff portions couple with the supports while the arms couple with the standoff portions and are oriented along the first direction. The spacers couple with the arms; are oriented along a direction perpendicular to the first direction; and space the arms apart by the width of the coolers (or less). Some racks are continuous, curvilinear, and are made from rods or heavy gauge wire. The spacers can define straight or additional standoff portions. Further, the arms and spacers of some racks define a plane and the supports define another plane. These planes can intersect each other although they can be parallel.
US09241561B2

An attachable cup includes a container and an attachable device for a toothbrush, and the attachable device includes at least one part of the container. An attachable device is for attaching a container to a toothbrush. The attachable device uses a fastening method, a gripping method, a clamping method, a locking method or the like to attach the attachable cup to a toothbrush. Once the attachable device attaches the attachable cup to a toothbrush, the operator can use the attachable cup for oral rinsing.
US09241560B1

A flow thru telescoping handle for use with brush heads and other tools includes a telescoping handle having a tear-drop shaped cross section to increase the strength and improve its functioning capabilities. A spring loaded tension pin is mounted along the bottom of the outer section of the handle which is operated by finger pressure to engage and release it from the inner handle section. A method for adjusting the length of the telescoping handle is also described using the tension pin.
US09241553B1

A container system for an item, where the item comprises a shaft and at least one working end. The container system comprises a container, a cartridge, a slide, and a shaft projection extending from the shaft. The container defines a container chamber and a guide slot. The cartridge defines a plurality of item chambers, and an access slot is associated with each item chamber. The slide adapted extends through the guide slot. The shaft projection extends through the access opening and engages the slide such that movement of the slide causes movement of the item.
US09241547B2

An easy access tab integrated into a hook closure forming a portion of overlapping hook and loop engaging surfaces of an adjustable garment. An edge extending tab is reverse folded over and against a forward and central most subset area of the hook surface and is subsequently sonically heat bonded to create a crushed or otherwise smoothed subset surface area maintaining a low profile and without any significant weight addition. The crushed area enables a user to insert one or more digits between the opposing hook and loop configured surfaces of the closure elements to facilitate easier opening and without damaging the closure elements. A corresponding method is also disclosed for sonically heat bonding the reverse, folded tab applied against the hook surface utilizing the above structure.
US09241544B2

A belt buckle assembly, especially for a seat belt system in a motor vehicle, includes a belt buckle (10) and a plug-in tongue (12) lockable in the belt buckle (10) by means of a locking mechanism. A component of the locking mechanism of the belt buckle (10) interacting with the plug-in tongue (12) inside the belt buckle (10) and/or the plug-in tongue (12) has/have design features at a locking portion (16) interacting with the locking mechanism of the belt buckle (10) inside the belt buckle (10). The design features enable the plug-in tongue (12) to be locked in the belt buckle (10) only at one of at least two possible orientations of the plug-in tongue (12) in the belt buckle (10).
US09241542B2

A buckle includes a base that receives therein a pressing board having a front end pivotally coupled to the base and a rear end provided with a clutch portion for clutching a tooth of a head strap, and an operating member that is received in the base and corresponds to a back of the pressing board. The operating member has two buttons. When an arcuate bar pressing against the operating member is pressed inward, the arcuate bar deforms and pushes the pressing board to swing outward, making the clutch portion disengage from the tooth of the head strap, so that length adjustment of the head strap is allowed. After the adjustment, the pressing board automatically swings back due to the tension of the head strap, so that the clutch portion clutches another tooth of the head strap to position the head strap.
US09241522B2

Provided is a head covering comprising a generally triangular shaped fabric sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, the fabric sheet having a front edge and first and second opposing edges, at least one evaporative cooling fabric secured to the inner surface of the fabric sheet, and a first and second stretchable fabric panel located on or within the fabric sheet. A method of aiding thermoregulation of the human body and a kit including a head covering and instructions for use is also provided.
US09241521B2

A sweatband for use on the hand and wrist is provided. The sweatband provides a surface on the back of a user's hand which may be utilized by a person to wipe sweat or perspiration. Thus, the back of the hand (opisthenar or dorsal surface of the hand) is used when wiping perspiration. The sweatband is constructed such that a first band portion wraps around a user's wrist and a second band portion wraps around the palm and back portion of a user's hand. In one embodiment the sweatband may be constructed of an elongated piece of material that is looped to form the first and second band portions. In one embodiment, a sweatband is interchangeable for use with the left or right hand. In one embodiment the sweatband is reversible.
US09241516B2

A garment, such as a sports uniform, may provide visibility zones and/or flicker zones to enhance the ability of teammates to perceive the wearer. Different zones on a garment may have different sets of visual properties that may contrast with one another and/or a visual background. A denier differential between layers of a garment may facilitate moisture transport across the layers of the garment. Flicker zones may be discrete from or combined with visibility zones. One or more zones of a garment may also be substantially non-reflective at wavelengths associated with the visual background encountered while wearing the garment.
US09241515B2

A garment having a detachable backpack includes a first strap and a second strap; a first pouch and a second pouch wherein one end of the first strap is attached to the first pouch and one end of the second strap is attached to the second pouch; and a first backpack wherein the first backpack is constructed to be detachably attachable to the first and second pouches. The first and second pouches are constructed to be detachably attached a back of the garment. In addition, the first backpack and the first and second pouches are constructed such that the first backpack can be rolled up and received and contained in either the first or second pouch.
US09241510B2

Apparatus and Method for an intelligent, optimizing, pro-active process controller for use in all types of product processing systems are disclosed. The disclosed controller and its associated apparatus uniquely develop and dynamically optimize their process control capabilities through measuring, monitoring and analyzing product and product container attributes and performance while quantifying variability and can thus pro-actively track, trace and control overall processing performance down to an individual unit of production thereby optimizing product processing times, increasing capacity, improving product quality and reducing variability while enhancing treatment flexibility and food treatment safety in all types of food and drink processing systems, with particular reference to continuous food and drink processing systems. REFERENCES CITEDUS patents 4,067,691January 1978McGady et al 4,739,699April 1988Nelson et al 4,816,269March 1989Nelson et al 5,696,686December 1997Sanka et al 5,872,359February 1999Stewart et al 6,025,189February 2000Bolea et al 6,148,249July 1996Newman 6,416,711July 2002Weng 6,440,361August 2002Weng 6,472,008October 2002Weng patent application 11/620,238July 2007Sands patent application 11/883,740November 2007Mackay et al patent application 12/231,211August 2008Olsen et al patent application 61/079,185March 2009Newman patent application 61/182,696May 2009Newman patent application 61/478,190April 2011Newman patent application 61/488,220May 2011Newman Foreign Patents EP0362975A2October 1989Ackermann EP0808631A1November 1997Hucker GB 2285126December 1993Newman WO0221928A1March 2002Tottenham et at WO0237975A2May 2002Niles WO9807452A1February 1998Walker
US09241508B2

Disclosed are nutritional emulsions comprising fat, carbohydrate, protein, and calcium HMB, wherein the nutritional emulsion has a weight ratio of a soluble calcium binding capacity to soluble calcium of from about 2.3 to about 12.0. Also disclosed are nutritional emulsions comprising fat, carbohydrate, protein, and calcium HMB, wherein the nutritional emulsion comprises less than 900 mg/L of soluble calcium in a weight ratio of calcium HMB to soluble calcium of from 6:1 to 15:1. The nutritional emulsions are surprisingly stable and generate minimal or no bitter flavors or after taste over time.
US09241505B2

A method of preparing an oat protein and fiber product. A base formulation is mixed water to form a slurry. The base formulation has a major amount of an oat material or waxy barley hybrid. At least one enzyme is mixed into the slurry. The at least one enzyme capable of facilitating sugar formation and thinning of the slurry. The slurry is cooked to convert the slurry into a first intermediate product having a DE of between about 20 and 90. The first intermediate product is diluted with water to form a second intermediate product. The second intermediate product is heated. A first solids slurry is recovered from the second intermediate product using a clarifying centrifuge. The first solids slurry is dried to form a dried product.
US09241504B2

Processes and systems for commercial scale milling of wheat are disclosed. Processes include multiple tempering steps of controlled duration and cubing of the wheat kernel between two tempering steps. The cubing between the tempering breaks the kernels, or stresses the kernels, in a manner that enables a high degree of separation of the bran and endosperm early in the flour production process. An embodiment includes tempering for a first period between ½ hour and 2 hours, cubing in a roll crusher with longitudinal corrugations on one roll and circumferential corrugations on a second roll, removing fines from the cubed kernels, and further tempering of the cubed kernels for a period between ½ hour and 2 hours.
US09241503B2

A food additive composition for ruminants of the dispersion type and a method of continuously producing the same. This food additive composition for ruminants, which contains 40% by weight or more but less than 65% by weight of a basic amino acid and has rumen bypass properties, is formulated into granules in an arbitrary shape which are scarcely classified when added to a silage or another feed. Thus, attempts have been made to develop a method of producing granules by which the milk yield of a lactation cow can be increased. Namely, it is intended to provide a food additive composition for ruminants which contains at least one protecting agent selected from among a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50° C. but lower than 90° C., 0.05 to 6% by weight of lecithin, water and 40% by weight or more but less than 65% by weight of a basic amino acid. It is also intended to provide a method of producing a food additive composition for ruminants characterized by comprising solidifying a molten mixture, which comprises at least one protecting agent selected from among a hardened vegetable oil and a hardened animal oil having a melting point higher than 50° C. but lower than 90° C., lecithin and a basic amino acid, by dipping in water.
US09241502B2

Animal feed compositions having utility in reducing the incidence of and treating the symptoms of fescue toxicosis in mammals that consume endophyte-infected fescue are disclosed. Methods of reducing the incidence of fescue toxicosis and making animal feed compositions are further disclosed.
US09241491B2

A nebulant suitable for sterilization comprising finely divided liquid droplets suspended in a gas, said droplets including a solute, which is advantageously hydrogen peroxide and a solvent, for example water, wherein the droplets have a concentration of greater than 60 wt % of solute and an average diameter of less than 1.0 micron, preferably less than 0.8 microns. Sterilization using the nebulant may be carried out in suitably adapted apparatus by nebulizing a solution comprising a sterilizing agent in a solvent to form a nebulant of finely divided particles of the solution in a gas stream, said solution including a solvent having a lower boiling point than the sterilizing agent; subjecting the nebulant to energy of a kind and for a duration sufficient to vaporize solvent in preference to sterilizing agent, whereby to increase the concentration of the agent in the nebulant particles; removing the solvent vaporized from the gas stream at or above atmospheric pressure and, if necessary, cooling the nebulant to below 70° C.; and exposing a surface to be sterilized to the nebulant of concentrated sterilizing agent for a time sufficient to sterilize the surface.
US09241478B2

A feeder for larval and juvenile fishes is capable of delivering an adjustable dose of microparticulate feed to selected locations, via pneumatic conveyance and control. A source of low-pressure dry gas is used to blow microparticulate feed through a manifold and into a selected one of a number of tubes. In order to adjust the portion dispensed by the feeder, an adjustable portion control is provided. Instead of a fixed sized ration cup a threaded recess is provided. Within the recess is provided a mating nylon set screw with an Allen hex head socket. By screwing the set screw in, or out, a user may increase, or decrease the volume of each dose.
US09241475B2

The inventive technology generally relates to the field of animal feed distribution systems. In particular, the inventive technology includes general as well as specific methods and apparatus for the loading and/or distribution of baled animal feed. The inventive technology may provide for a hydraulically-controlled bale feeding device that may be used to load, and laterally discharge bale “flakes” through a cantilevered hydraulic armature. The system may also utilized a hydraulic slicing arm to aid in the flaking process as well as be adaptable to lifting devices, such as a pallet head on a traditional tractor and/or steer-skid.
US09241471B2

A new synthetic cultivar of prairie cordgrass designated ‘Savoy’ is described. ‘Savoy’ is well adapted to the lower Midwest environment of the United States of America, and has a higher biomass yield potential than presently available commercial prairie cordgrass cultivars, such as ‘Red River’. In particular, compared to ‘Red River’, the cultivar ‘Savoy’ has higher mass per tiller, more leaves per tiller, higher shoot height and longer, wider leaves containing more biomass per leaf.
US09241463B1

A novel maize variety designated PH269T and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH269T with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH269T through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH269T or a locus conversion of PH269T with another maize variety.
US09241460B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1KYK and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1KYK with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1KYK through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1KYK or a locus conversion of PH1KYK with another maize variety.
US09241457B1

A novel maize variety designated PH18F4 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH18F4 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH18F4 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH18F4 or a locus conversion of PH18F4 with another maize variety.
US09241446B2

Methods for detecting early stage fungal infection (and especially esca or esca-like infections) in woody plants are disclosed, using X-ray tomographic imaging. In preferred embodiments, axial X-Ray tomography is employed, with radiodense regions of the tomograms indicating the location of such infection. The methods are particularly relevant to detection of esca in grapevine and kiwi. Methods for controlling such infections using such tomographic methods and direct introduction of fungicides are also disclosed.
US09241443B2

An agricultural round baler has an electronic control unit (ECU), a bale diameter sensor, a gate position sensor, and an electro-hydraulic valve that controls the flow to the gate lift cylinder. The ECU determines the height to which the gate must be raised based on the bale diameter. When the gate reaches the desired height, the ECU closes or restricts the electro-hydraulic valve for a brief period of time thereby momentarily slowing or stopping gate the gate. Momentarily trapping the bale between the gate and ground allows the bale to come to rest before the bale is released from the baler. The gate can then be fully opened so that the tractor and baler can be moved clear of the bale before closing the gate.
US09247683B2

A method for assembling a display system includes positioning and selectively engaging a plurality of modules together to form a first tier, lifting the first tier, positioning and selectively engaging a plurality of modules together to form a second tier, and attaching the second tier to the first tier.
US09247680B1

A gasket is formed by applying an adhesive on four sides of an elastic body of a closed cell polyurethane material, wrapping a copper film around the elastic body other than a bottom bonding surface, forming a coating layer by depositing or plating nickel on a surface exposing the copper film, and forming a resin coating layer on the nickel coating layer A conductive adhesive is applied on the bottom surface.
US09247678B2

A vehicle system includes a power electronics device and a coolant circuit thermally coupled to the power electronics device. The coolant circuit includes a fluidic pump and a fluid/air heat exchanger, an air pump configured to transfer air across the fluid/air heat exchanger, and a shutter device configured to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger. A controller controls the fluidic pump to control coolant flow through the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the power electronics device to the coolant and correspondingly controls the air pump and the shutter device to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the coolant to achieve a preferred heat rejection from the power electronics device.
US09247669B2

An add-in card fixing frame includes a frame body, one or more attached locking assemblies, and one or more limit switches. The frame body includes a first side plate, a second side plate, one or more separating plates, and one or more connecting portions. The separating plate includes one or more protruding part having an opening. The attached locking assembly includes a main plate, a top plate, and one or more side plates having a through hole and a locking member. When the add-in card is fixed, the locking member passes through a first screw hole, a second screw hole for fixing, and the add-in card is sandwiched between the top plate and the connecting portion. The top plate presses the limit switch for power connection. The attached locking assembly is fixed to the frame body, so use of hand tools is unnecessary. The screw falling out can be avoided.
US09247668B2

A power converter includes a converter casing made of an assembly of a first case body and a second case body. The first case body has a bottom plate. The second case body has a top plate. Side plates are arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate. A capacitor is disposed in the converter casing and includes a capacitor casing and a capacitor device which is sealed with potting resin so as to have a potting surface through which the potting resin is exposed outside the capacitor casing. The capacitor is fixed on the bottom plate with the potting surface oriented perpendicular to a normal direction of the bottom plate. A connector is provided which mechanically connects the bottom plate and the top plate and is located away from the side plates, thereby enhancing the suppression of mechanical vibration of the capacitor on the bottom plate.
US09247666B2

An electronic device detachably coupled to an electric terminal of an apparatus, the apparatus including an engagement portion adjacent to the electric terminal, the electronic device includes a rotation piece disposed at an insertion end portion of the electronic device, the rotation piece being rotated to engage the engagement portion disposed adjacent to the electric terminal; a connection member coupled to the rotation piece and configured to slide relative to the electronic device to rotate the rotation piece; and an operation lever coupled to the connection member and disposed at a removal end portion of the electronic device, the operation lever being interlocked with the rotation piece through the connection member.
US09247664B2

An electronic device includes a substrate, a cover body which is placed on the substrate, a first cavity which is surrounded by the substrate and the cover body, and a second cavity which is surrounded by the substrate and the cover body, wherein an inner portion of the first cavity is sealed in a first air pressure atmosphere, and an inner portion of the second cavity is sealed in a second air pressure atmosphere which has a difference of air pressure with respect to the first air pressure atmosphere, a first through-hole, which communicates with the first cavity and is blocked by a seal member, is provided in at least one of the substrate and the cover body, and the first cavity and the second cavity are isolated from each other by a partition wall portion which is integrally provided to the cover body or the substrate.
US09247662B2

A cable connector is provided for coupling to and mounted within the internal cavity of an electrical box for securing an electrical cable passing through an opening in the electrical box. The cable connector includes a body having a first end positioned next to or adjacent the cable opening in the electrical box and a second end spaced from the first end and the cable opening. At least one and typically two retaining members are spring biased from the first end of the body and extend into a cable passage of the body toward the second end. A front wall is provided at the second end of the body with an opening for receiving the wires and forming a stop member to prevent the armor sheathing from passing through the front wall.
US09247656B2

A deflection or snap fit type latch system can resist separation in at least three axes. The snap fit type latch system can include a first member and a second member that when engaged are configured to form a snap fit connection, at least one of the members comprising a deflecting arm. A tee feature on the first member can include a stem and a head. A slot on the second member can slidingly receive the stem of the tee feature as the first and second members engage such that the second member is sandwiched between the first member and the head of the tee feature. The snap fit connection can resist separation in a first axis and the combined tee feature and slot resist separation in two additional axes. The snap fit type latch system can be part of an enclosure, such as a storage device.
US09247649B2

Methods for fabricating printed circuit boards, devices for use in the fabrication of printed circuit boards, and structures for a printed circuit board. A mold may be formed as a device that includes a plurality of features, such as recesses, corresponding to a layout of a plurality of conductors for the printed circuit board. A sheet comprised of an electrically-conductive material may be deformed to match the features of the mold. A substrate may then be added to support the sheet, and the sheet may be selectively removed with a mechanical process to define the conductors of the printed circuit board.
US09247637B2

Intersection structures are provided to reduce a strain in a conformable electronic system that includes multi-level arrangements of stretchable interconnect structures. Bypass regions are formed in areas of the stretchable interconnect structures that may ordinarily cross or pass each other. The bypass regions of the stretchable interconnects are disposed relative to each other such that the intersection structure encompasses at least a portion of the bypass regions of each stretchable interconnect structure. The intersection structure has elastic properties that relieve a mechanical strain on the bypass regions during stretching at least one of the stretchable interconnect structures.
US09247636B2

A method for designing structures with complimentary dynamic warp characteristics for attachment of a component to a PC board is disclosed. The method may include determining characteristics of thermally induced dynamic warp of the PC board and of the first component, analyzing and comparing differences between the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component and selecting design modifications to match PC board and the first component dynamic warp characteristics. Selecting design modifications may include determining if the first component dynamic warp characteristics can be changed, determining if matching the dynamic warp characteristics of the PC board and the first component can be achieved by modifying the design of at least one of the PC board and the first component. The result of the method may be modified dynamic warp characteristics of at least one of the PC board and the first component.
US09247611B2

There are provided systems, devices and methods for operating a light source with a light sensor to provide a desired light output. In particular, in one embodiment, there is provided a light control system. The light control system includes a light source and a light sensor that share a common light pathway. Additionally, the light control system includes a controller electrically coupled to the light source and the light sensor. The controller operates the light source and the light sensor alternatively during a periodic cycle having a frequency of approximately 60 Hz or greater to achieve a desired visual effect based on ambient lighting conditions.
US09247608B2

A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load is able to operate in a burst mode to adjust the amount of power delivered to the electrical load to low levels. The load control device comprises a control circuit that operates in a normal mode to regulate an average magnitude of a load current conducted through the load to a target load current that ranges from a maximum rated current to a minimum rated current. The control circuit operates in the burst mode to regulate the average magnitude of the load current below the minimum rated current. During the burst mode, the control circuit regulates a peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current during a first time period, and stops regulating the load current during a second time period, such that the average magnitude of the load current is below the minimum rated current.
US09247606B2

An LED illumination dimming circuit comprises a capacitor connected to the first output terminal at a first end thereof and to the second output terminal at a second end thereof; a coil connected to the second end of the capacitor at a first end thereof; a switch element connected to a second end of the coil at a first end thereof; a resistor connected to a second end of the switch element at a first end thereof and to the ground terminal at a second end thereof; a diode connected to the power supply terminal at a cathode thereof and to the second end of the coil at an anode thereof; and a controlling circuit that controls an operation of the switch element with a switch controlling signal.
US09247597B2

The purposes of the devices described herein are to provide an LED lighting device capable of efficiently and economically emitting light having a selectable color temperature or a warm-on-dim feature when driven with AC power and to provide LED lighting devices which have an improved power factor and a reduced total harmonic distortion when powered with AC power.
US09247595B2

A method and apparatus for light emitting diode (LED) lighting power conversion including a full bridge rectifier circuit coupled to a first half-bridge rectifier circuit and a resonant tank circuit supplying AC power to a LED circuit and forming a first port to the LED circuit. The apparatus further includes a second half-bridge rectifier circuit and energy storage device receiving and supplying DC power to the LED circuit as determined by a controller to form a second port of the LED circuit, wherein the LED circuit further comprises a rectifier circuit for the LED circuit, and at least one LED.
US09247591B2

A light source driving apparatus and method of driving a light source are provided. The light source driving apparatus includes a light source configured to generate light, a power source configured to generate power; an inductor which is connected in series between the power source and the light source; a switch which is connected in parallel to the light source and between the inductor and the light source; and a controller configured to turn on the switch at a point of time when a resonance voltage applied between opposite terminals of the switch is zero in a resonance circuit formed by the inductor and the switch after turning off the switch.
US09247590B2

A control unit of an induction heating unit controls AC power output to a heating coil of a transverse type induction heating unit that allows an alternating magnetic field to intersect a sheet surface of a conductive sheet that is being conveyed to inductively heat the conductive sheet. The control unit includes: a magnetic energy recovery switch that outputs AC power to the heating coil; a frequency setting unit that sets an output frequency in response to at least one of the relative permeability, resistivity, and sheet thickness of the conductive sheet; and a gate control unit that controls a switching operation of the magnetic energy recovery switch on the basis of the output frequency set by the frequency setting unit.
US09247581B2

A wireless mobile communication device includes a first processor configured to execute a software application and a second processor configured to manage wireless communication over a wireless network. The processors are located in the same communication device and configured for one of the processors to send data to the other processor under a protocol. In accordance with this protocol, if the sending processor does not receive a receipt acknowledgement for the sent data from the other processor before the end of a resend time period measured from when the data was sent, then the sending processor resends the data to the other processor after the end of the resend time period. However, the sending processor does receive the acknowledgement before the end of the resend time period, then the sending processor does not resend the data to the other processor.
US09247575B2

On suspension of an RRC connection, RRC connection information may be stored and used to re-establish the suspended RRC connection. The RRC connection information can be stored at the UE and/or the RAN node or some other network element. In order to re-establish the RRC connection, the mobile device (101) in one example sends a connection re-establishment request message to the RAN (102) to have the suspended RRC connection re-established. The RAN node may need to attempt to retrieve the RRC connection data (either from memory or if from another network element if stored elsewhere/if the RRC connection was suspended by another RAN node) and verifies whether the RRC connection is valid. When verified, the mobile device (101) receives, in response to the connection re-establishment request message, a connection re-establishment command message from the RAN (102).
US09247564B2

The present invention provides a method of user equipment transmitting aperiodic channel state information and user equipment using the method. The method includes receiving a channel state information request for a plurality of reference signals, receiving the plurality of reference signals, generating channel state information on each of the plurality of reference signals in response to the channel state information request, and transmitting the channel state information through a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), wherein the channel state information request is included in only some of subframes in which the plurality of reference signals is received.
US09247555B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a data transmission method, an apparatus, and a communications system. The method includes sending, by a macro base station, a configuration request message to an access node, where the configuration request message includes a bearer configuration parameter that carries a radio bearer (RB) identifier; receiving, by the macro base station, a configuration success message from the access node, where the configuration success message carries at least physical layer parameter configuration information that is configured by the access node for a user equipment; and sending, by the macro base station, a reconfiguration message to the user equipment. The reconfiguration message includes at least the RB identifier and/or a logical channel identifier that is reconfigured to transmit on the access node and the physical layer parameter configuration information of the access node.
US09247552B2

A method and an apparatus for resource allocation in a local wireless node of a system of a plurality of local wireless nodes is disclosed. An inner circle subgradient resource allocation iteration is performed based on information received from at least one other wireless node of the system and an iteration parameter until a convergent result. An updated iteration parameter is provided by at least one outer circle subgradient iteration based on the convergent result of the inner circle subgradient resource allocation iteration. The inner circle subgradient resource allocation iteration is then repeated at least once using the updated iteration parameter until a convergent result. Resources are then allocated based on the iterations.
US09247546B2

Allocation of resources for Device-to-Device (D2D) communication and a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal on the basis of the resource allocation are disclosed. A method for performing D2D (Device to Device) communication in a wireless communication system by a terminal includes: obtaining information related to an SA (Scheduling Assignment) resource region comprised of at least two sub scheduling assignment (SA) resource regions for the D2D communication; determining information regarding a terminal group to be operated in a reception mode in each sub SA resource region according to the information related to an SA resource region; determining a terminal group scheduled to include the terminal therein; and receiving a scheduling assignment (SA) for the D2D communication in the sub SA resource region in which the determined terminal group is scheduled to operate in the reception mode. The information related to an SA resource region includes the number (M) of sub SA resource regions included in the SA resource region and the number (NR) of sub SA resource regions to be operated in a reception mode given to one terminal group within the SA resource region.
US09247540B2

The present invention relates to assigning addresses to communication devices in a radio access network and notifying communication devices of scheduled uplink transmission time periods. Related methods, communication devices and control units are disclosed. A method of assigning an address to a communication device in a radio access network for use in notification of scheduled uplink transmission time periods for the communication device is provided. The method comprises assigning to the communication device an uplink state flag (USF) value. Furthermore, the method comprises assigning to the communication device an extended USF (eUSF) value. The address assigned to the communication device is a combination of the assigned USF value and the assigned eUSF value. By means of the eUSF value, the normal address range provided by the USF is extended, thereby facilitating use of more communication devices in the radio access network.
US09247536B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for transmitting uplink control information and to a device therefor, and relates to a method comprising the steps of: selecting one uplink control channel resource corresponding to a plurality of HARQ-ACKs, from a plurality of uplink control channel resources; and transmitting a bit value corresponding to the plurality of HARQ-ACKs, by using the selected uplink control channel resource. The present invention also relates to a device for the method.
US09247525B2

A personal hub for managing notifications across mobile devices and for separating the notification from the content. By separately managing the manner of notification provided to the user from its associated content, the personal hub may give a user more control over a number of mobile devices by allowing the user to escalate or dismiss different notifications across one or more mobile devices. Notifications may be managed based on device settings, priority settings, privilege settings, urgency flags, and/or other factors. In an embodiment, the user may receive an unobtrusive user-perceptible notification of an incoming communication from a personal hub that is less obtrusive than notifications which may be generated by the mobile device receiving the incoming communication.
US09247519B2

A method for determining a position of a user equipment includes: receiving, by a location server, time difference information for the user equipment from a base station, the time difference information including a difference between a received timing of an uplink frame from the user equipment at the base station and a transmit timing of a downlink frame to the user equipment at the base station; and identifying, by the location server, a serving remote unit among a plurality of remote units, the serving remote unit communicating with the user equipment by using the time difference information and a unique delay that corresponds to each of the remote units.
US09247517B2

In a split antenna system, a radio network node determines an association between a target wireless terminal and an antenna being used to communicate with the target wireless terminal. The radio network node provides an association information and a signal information of properties of a wireless signal used for communication between the antenna to a positioning node. The association information can include the identity of the antenna, which can be encoded in least significant bits of a position measurement included in the signal information. The positioning node determines a position of the target wireless terminal based on the association information and the signal information.
US09247509B2

A method of generating an index value associated with a primary synchronization code within a communication signal includes splitting a sampled communication signal into even and odd samples. The even and odd samples are correlated with a primary synchronization code of the communication signal and complex values of the even and odd samples are generated. Signal strength values for the even and odd samples are approximated and the approximate signal strength values within a frame of the communication signal are accumulated. A highest accumulated signal strength value is assigned as an index value.
US09247505B2

A method, including making one or more measurements at a mobile device of path loss for a transmission between said mobile device and a base station in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands in which the mobile device is configured to make transmissions to said base station; receiving at said mobile device path loss estimate information specifying an estimate of the relationship between said path loss for a transmission between said mobile device and said base station in said first frequency band, and path loss for a transmission between said mobile device and said base station in a second frequency band of said plurality of frequency bands; and determining a transmission power for at least one transmission to said base station in said second frequency band on the basis of at least said one or more measurements and said path loss estimate information.
US09247504B2

A capacitive sensor device for a handheld radio transceiver for estimating a specific absorption rate (SAR) can be coupled with at least one first electrode, wherein during the operation of the handheld radio transceiver the first electrode is at the same time a sensor electrode of the capacitive sensor device and an antenna of the handheld radio transceiver. Moreover a handheld radio transceiver with such a capacitive sensor device can be provided. Moreover, a method can be provided for adjusting a transmission power of a handheld radio transceiver, wherein an approach of an object to the handheld radio transceiver is detected and wherein depending on the detected approach the transmission power of the handheld radio transceiver is increased or reduced.
US09247502B2

The present invention provides method and apparatus for power management of mobile devices and associated mobile devices. The method for power management of mobile devices includes acquiring a predefined battery power level variation Δn of the mobile device and its corresponding usage time t1 if the mobile device uses the power-saving functions; acquiring the same battery power level variation Δn of the mobile device and its corresponding usage time t2 if the mobile device does not use any power-saving function; and determining an extended usage time of the mobile device Δt=t1−t2, and notifying the user of the mobile device the extended usage time. By determining the extended usage time and notifying the user of the extended usage time, the user of the mobile device can have a better understanding of the usage state of the mobile device after adopting the power-saving functions and therefore an improved user experience.
US09247501B2

The invention provides a mechanism that on an opportunistic basis, enables an increased performance of network related services in a user equipment without significantly increasing the user equipment's power consumption A method in a user equipment is provided for handling a radio receiver comprised in the user equipment The radio receiver is adapted to receive signals from a first network over a radio link The user equipment further comprises a battery The method comprises the steps of: —detecting a change of power consumption of the battery in the user equipment, and —adjusting the receiver activity level based on the detected change of battery power consumption.
US09247493B2

A method, terminal, system and computer readable medium for cell reselection are disclosed. When in a cell of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the terminal receives a message from the LTE system. The message includes a dedicated priority list for the cell reselection. When the terminal camps on a cell of a non-LTE system, the terminal performs inter-system cell reselection in accordance with the dedicated priority list before a valid time of the dedicated priority list expires. With the discloses method, terminal and system, the problems of establishing a dedicated priority list causes too much increased signaling and too high costs for network update in the prior art when perform inter-system cell (re)selection are effectively resolved.
US09247490B2

Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments a mobility anchor point may operate in a distributed mobility anchor network. The mobility anchor point comprises a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured by instructions in the memory to receive a request from a mobile node to connect with a base station, store one or more connection statistics regarding the connect request in a cache, send the one or more connection statistics to a mobility manager, and receive a message from the mobility manager indicating an identity of an assigned mobility anchor assigned to the mobile node.
US09247478B1

Methods and systems for routing mobile device calls, based on a converted telephone number of a mobile device, location information of the mobile device, and trunk group identifiers. A query requesting one or more routes for a mobile device call is generated. The query includes a converted telephone number of the mobile device and location information of the mobile device. One or more responses identifying one or more routes for the mobile device call are received from a centralized routing function. The one or more responses each include an originating trunk group identifier. The originating trunk group identifier includes an egress trunk group. Upon receiving the one or more responses, the mobile device call is routed using an outbound trunk group of a response from the centralized routing function.
US09247476B2

Systems and methods are provided for coordinating power management for wireless communications devices in an independent basic service set (IBSS). An announcement traffic indication message (ATIM) coordinator receives address information for destination stations for which data is buffered for transmission at source stations. The ATIM coordinator sends an ATIM Indication frame at the end of an ATIM window, alerting any destination station to remain awake to receive buffered data. Source stations may enter power save mode during the ATIM window after transmitting the address information for the destination stations to the ATIM coordinator. Destination stations may enter power save mode after receiving a beacon at the start of the ATIM window. Source and destination stations may awaken at the end of the ATIM window to receive the ATIM Indication frame.
US09247474B2

A communication method in LIPA/SIPTO architecture is provided which, when a user equipment (UE) is to connect from a serving area to an external network, allows re-selection of an optimal gateway. The communication method allows selecting a gateway apparatus physically or topologically close to a site, where the user equipment is attached.
US09247473B2

Motion-based handoff control techniques are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may include a signal strength determination module, a motion determination module, and a handoff controller. The signal strength determination module generates signal strength information corresponding to the strength of a wireless signal received from a first wireless link. From this information, the motion determination module determines a motion characteristic of the apparatus. Based on the motion characteristic, the handoff controller performs handoff operations for a second wireless link. In this manner, handoff operations may be tailored to the operational characteristics of the apparatus. For instance, certain handoff operations may be halted when the motion characteristic indicates the apparatus having a substantially stationary position. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09247461B2

A communication system in which a primary base station or a secondary base station communicates with a mobile terminal. The primary base station sends the mobile terminal and the secondary base station an announcement signal which includes identification information for identifying a cell of the primary base station. When receiving the announcement signal, the secondary base station sends the mobile terminal a pseudo announcement signal which includes the identification information and adjacent cell information which includes information for a cell of the secondary base station. When receiving the announcement signal and the pseudo announcement signal, the mobile terminal compares a reception power of the signal received from the primary base station with that of the signal received from the secondary base station, and performs communication with one of the base stations which has higher power.
US09247455B2

Systems and methods for deploying and employing policies for wireless traffic optimization in a wireless network based on hierarchies are disclosed. One embodiment includes deploying a global policy set of the policies for wireless traffic optimization among mobile devices in the wireless network and deploying a first policy set of the policies among a first subset of mobile devices among the mobile devices. In one embodiment, the first subset of mobile devices meet a device-based criteria including one or more of, device type, device platform, or device model and any policy of the first policy set overwrites any policy of the global policy set in case of conflict when deployed on any of the first subset of mobile devices.
US09247453B2

Various methods and apparatus are directed to collision detection and/or avoidance regarding peer to peer connection identifiers. A wireless communications device broadcasts a signal indicating its acquired connection identifier in one of two alternative blocks. A base station monitors peer to peer signaling in its coverage area and tracks the usage of peer to peer connection identifiers by pairs of devices. The base station detects when multiple pairs of devices are using the same peer to peer connection identifier. The base station provides assistance to the peer to peer network to avoid a collision or facilitate rapid collision detection by the peer to peer devices. In one approach the base station sends an instruction for a connection to switch its connection identifier. In another approach the base station sends a connection a message to bias its selection as to which of the two alternative blocks to use for transmission.
US09247445B2

A wireless sensor module has a sensor that measures a measuring object to generate measured data, a wireless communication section that wirelessly transmits the measured data to an external device and receives a radio signal from the external device, a control section that controls the sensor and the wireless communication section, and an electric power storage device that serves as an electric power supply. The control section secures an idle period of time in a series of operations for processing the measured data so that the series of operations are not carried out consecutively. The series of operations includes an operation in which the sensor generates the measured data, and an operation in which the wireless communication section wirelessly transmits the measured data to the external device.
US09247437B2

The disclosure provides a quick positioning method and device for multiple cycles and multiple users, and the method includes: a processing index is created for each attribute of a user in a base station, wherein same attributes with the same transmission cycles and the same transmission offsets share one processing index; when a user accesses the base station, the user is mounted into a corresponding processing index according to an attribute of the user, a transmission cycle of the attribute, and a transmission offset of the attribute; and by inquiring a processing index corresponding to the current time point, the base station demodulates the attribute of the user mounted in said processing index. With the disclosure, a target can be hit promptly, processing time is saved, processing efficiency is improved, and the processing time delay of the whole link is reduced.
US09247435B2

A first network device can implement null beamforming functionality to generate a NULL at a receive port of a second network device. In one embodiment, the first network device can estimate beamforming parameters to be used for transmitting the data signal to a first receive port of the second network device and for generating a null signal at a second receive port of the second network device, so that the second network device does not receive the data signal at the second receive port. In another embodiment, the first network device can estimate beamforming parameters to be used for transmitting the data signal to a receive port of the second network device and for generating a null signal at a receive port of a third network device, so that the receive port of the third network device does not receive the data signal.
US09247421B2

A mobile device, a content delivery apparatus, a content providing apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The mobile device includes a communication unit that performs communication with an external environment, a signal processor that processes signals transmitted and received through the communication unit, and a display unit that displays an image based on a signal processed by the signal processor. The mobile device also includes a controller that controls the communication unit to transmit a profile corresponding to a request to a content delivery apparatus when the request for the profile is received from the content delivery apparatus located within a predetermined zone, and to receive content corresponding to the transmitted profile. Customized contents can be provided to the mobile device on the basis of a user's profile.
US09247420B2

The present invention is directed to a wireless communication system. Particularly, the present invention is directed to a method of managing a user equipment (UE) capability at a Mobility Management Entity (MME) via a base station of a network in a wireless communication system, the method comprising selectively forwarding an indication of a UE capability stored in the MME to the base station or sending a request from the MME to the base station to obtain a current UE capability from the UE in accordance with whether or not a certain condition is satisfied.
US09247412B2

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives discovery resource information from a base station, sends a discovery signal based on the discovery resource information, and receives from at least one user equipment (UE) a request for relaying with the base station based on the discovery signal. The apparatus may also receive a discovery signal from a relay, and send to the relay a request for relaying with a base station based on the discovery signal. The apparatus may further receive a discovery signal from each of a plurality of relays, determine to select one of the plurality of relays based on the discovery signal from each relay, and send to a selected relay a request for relaying with a base station based on the discovery signal when one of the plurality of relays is determined to be selected.
US09247411B2

Methods and apparatus for supporting multi-hop peer discovery in peer-to-peer wireless networks are disclosed. One method supports multi-hop peer discovery using a first peer having a first unique identification code. The method includes decoding a second peer discovery signal to obtain a second unique identification code and a second local identification code of a second peer received during a peer-to-peer discovery channel, determining whether to select the second peer based on a predetermined criterion; and transmitting a first peer discovery signal having the first unique identification code, the second local identification code and a hop count when the predetermined criterion is satisfied.
US09247388B2

A cooperative localization process for determining the absolute position of an apparatus to be localized includes a plurality of cooperator apparata able to cooperate, through the exchange of messages and data, in the localization of the apparatus to be localized. The cooperator apparata are equipped with at least one direct, apparatus-to-apparatus radio transmission and reception system for messages and data, and components for estimating the distance between apparata of the set of cooperator apparata. The cooperative localization apparata able to implement this process are also described.
US09247376B2

A method of recommending an application, which is capable of selecting and recommending an application with a high possibility of use, the method including: receiving, in a server, frequencies of use of a plurality of applications that are classified according to a time when each application is executed or a location where each application is executed; selecting an application from among the plurality of applications based on time and location information of where a mobile terminal is located and the frequency of use of the application; and transmitting application recommendation information including the selected application from the server to the mobile terminal.
US09247367B2

A system is provided and includes a plurality of acoustic devices disposed in locations arrayed throughout a defined space, each one of the plurality of acoustic devices being receptive of acoustical attributes such as sound or noise levels generated in the defined space and configured to issue signals reflective of the generated acoustical attributes and an acoustic data unit disposed in signal communication with each of the plurality of acoustic devices. The acoustic data unit is receptive of the signals issued from the plurality of acoustic devices and configured to convert the signals into digital acoustic data and to output the digital acoustic data in a serialized format compatible with a network protocol.
US09247364B2

In one aspect a system for acoustic testing comprises a plurality of acoustic sensors mounted to a plurality of vehicles, a control system to control the plurality of vehicles, and a data acquisition system to receive data generated by the plurality of acoustic sensors in response to noise from a noise source proximate the plurality of vehicles.
US09247354B2

A method and an associated configuration transmit data between a hearing device and an external unit. A first data packet is transmitted to the hearing device by the external unit. The first data packet is received by the hearing device and a second data packet is transmitted from the hearing device to the external unit. A predefinable fixed period of time elapses between the end of the receipt of the first data packet and the start of transmission of the second data packet. The external unit thereby “knows” when the first bit of the second data packet is to arrive. This offers the advantage that the reliability of a data transmission is improved. In the case of a packet-oriented data transmission fewer data packet repetitions are required, as a result of which the transmission speed increases.
US09247349B2

A loudspeaker includes a diaphragm that vibrates back and forth to emit a sound, a magnetic circuit that is provided on a rear side of the diaphragm and has a magnetic gap on a diaphragm side, and a voice coil that is directly or indirectly joined to the diaphragm and disposed within the magnetic gap. A magnetic fluid is loaded within the magnetic gap. Also, a plurality of first edge pieces are provided at different positions in an outer circumferential portion of the diaphragm for vibratably supporting the diaphragm, each of the first edge pieces having a non-linear cross-sectional shape.
US09247348B2

A speaker includes a frame, a sound radiating surface, and a suspension that couples the sound radiating surface to the frame. A horizontal former is coupled to the radiating surface. The former extends substantially horizontally outward of a peripheral portion of the radiating surface, to a peripheral portion that is separate from the suspension. A coil is coupled to the peripheral portion of the horizontal former.
US09247347B2

A noise suppression apparatus using spectral subtraction is provided. A noise estimation unit estimates noise components included in a mixed signal. A fundamental frequency of the mixed signal is detected. A subtraction factor in the spectral subtraction is set based on the detected fundamental frequency. The spectral subtraction for the mixed signal is executed using the set subtraction factor and the estimated noise components. A boundary frequency at the fundamental frequency or a frequency lower than the fundamental frequency is set, and a subtraction factor for a frequency lower than the boundary frequency is set to assume a value larger than a subtraction factor for a frequency not less than the boundary frequency.
US09247346B2

Systems, apparatuses and methods for integrating adaptive noise cancellation (ANC) with communication features in an enclosure, such as an incubator, bed, and the like. Utilizing one or more error and reference microphones, a controller for a noise cancellation portion reduces noise within a quiet area of the enclosure. Voice communications are provided to allow external voice signals to be transmitted to the enclosure with minimized interference with noise processing. Vocal communications from within the enclosure may be processed to determine certain characteristics/features of the vocal communications. Using these characteristics, certain emotive and/or physiological states may be identified.
US09247341B2

A speaker module includes a speaker unit, a main body and a speaker carrier. The main body includes a sound outlet opening and an air pressure regulating structure. The sound outlet opening is configured to expose the speaker unit. The speaker carrier is configured to carry the speaker unit. The speaker carrier is disposed in the main body together with the speaker unit, and forms a resonance space with the main body. The air pressure regulating structure is configured to regulate the air pressure of the resonance space.
US09247340B2

An impedance matched resonant circuit uses inductors coupling an audio source and a speaker array in order to reduce feedback reflection induced by an audio signal traveling from the audio source to the array of speakers. An RC circuit could also be coupled to the positive and negative terminals of the speaker array to reduce the slope differential of the audio signal at certain frequencies. The circuit can be packaged together in a single module with switches to activate and deactivate portions of the circuit to alter the effectiveness of the circuit depending upon need.
US09247337B2

A headphone or earphone is provided which includes a housing with an open end and at least one defined dominant acoustic opening, an acoustically sealing earpad arranged at the open end of the housing, and at least one microphone arranged adjacent to common ear or in the vicinity of the dominant acoustical opening for detecting noise. The dominant acoustic opening is arranged within a radius of 2 cm around a midpoint of the at least one microphone. The headphone or earphone also includes an active-noise-compensation unit for performing an active noise compensation based on the output of the microphone and for generating a compensation signal. The headphone or earphone also includes an electro-acoustical transducer inside the housing for reproducing the compensation signal.
US09247335B2

A wall separates a first volume from a second volume and has a hole allowing passage between the first volume and the second volume. A wire passes through the hole, and a gasket surrounds the wire at the hole. The gasket includes a first section including a groove between a first flange and a second flange, the groove has an outer diameter matched to the diameter of the hole and the flanges have outer diameters greater than the diameter of the hole. A second section adjacent the first flange includes a tubular portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the hole and a tapered section smoothly transitioning from the diameter of the tubular portion to the diameter of the first flange. The gasket prevents flow of fluid through the hole between the first volume and the second volume.
US09247331B2

A method and a device for eliminating or minimizing the sensitivity changes in a microphone due to temperature changes. The temperature-induced changes in the sensitivity can be caused by the changes in the sound-to-electrical signal transducer, in the microphone membrane, in the ASIC or other reasons. One or more temperature dependent components in the microphone or in a microphone module are used to offset the temperature-induced changes in the sensitivity. Sensitivity of a microphone is defined as the output voltage for a specific acoustic stimulus and load condition.
US09247325B2

A hybrid electro-optical data center system includes multiple tiers. A bottom tier has one or more bottom tier instances, with each bottom tier instance including one or more racks, an electro-optical switch corresponding to each rack, and a first bottom tier optical loop providing optical connectivity between the electro-optical switches of the respective bottom tier instance. At least one server within each rack is electrically connected to the respective electro-optical switch and at least one super-server within each rack is electrically and optically connected to the respective electro-optical switch. A top tier includes electro-optical switches, each electrically connected to an electro-optical switch in a respective bottom tier instance, a first top tier optical loop providing optical connectivity between the electro-optical switches of the top tier, and one or more optical add/drop modules providing optical connectivity between the first bottom tier optical loop and the first top tier optical loop.
US09247321B2

An apparatus for receiving information at a location and communicating at least a subset of said information to a second location comprising an energy module; a communications module; and a data module.
US09247314B1

A network device receives selected items for an electronic shopping cart as selected by a user. The electronic shopping cart is associated with a first access network platform. The network device identifies an abandonment of the electronic shopping cart and stores the selected items associated with a user account for the user to create stored cart items. The network device receives a cart inquiry indicating that the user has accessed a second access network platform and associates the stored cart items with the user on the second access network platform. The network device determines a highest priority item of the stored cart items based on the second access network platform, generates promotional instructions for presenting the highest priority item to the user on the second network platform, and sends the promotional instructions to the second access network platform.
US09247310B2

Techniques are provided for up-converting a downstream set-top box control signal to a frequency that is above a cable television system upstream communications band. The downstream set-top box control signal is down-converted to a frequency in a set-top box control band and injected into a set-top box communications pathway. The downstream set-top box control signal may be up-converted from baseband or from the set-top box control band to a frequency in cable television system downstream communications band and transmitted on a DOCSIS RF channel.
US09247309B2

Methods, systems, and media for presenting mobile content corresponding to media content are provided. In some implementations, a method for providing information relating to media content is provided, the method comprising: determining a channel that is providing the television program; causing images relating to the television program to be presented, wherein the images are selected based on the channel and a time parameter; receiving a user selection of an image; identifying an entity within the selected image using one or more image recognition techniques; generating a search query based at least in part on the identified entity; obtaining search results responsive to the generated search query; and causing at least one of the search results to be presented to the mobile device in response to receiving the user selection of the image.
US09247304B2

A content synchronization apparatus is provided. The content synchronization apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a device that the content synchronization apparatus can synchronize content with, a control unit configured to, in response to a synchronization command to share current content being played by the device being received, share the current content by acquiring the current content and state information corresponding to the current content through the communication unit, synchronize the current content with the device using the current content and the state information, and configure a display screen based on the results of the synchronization of the current content with the device, and an output unit configured to display the configured display screen.
US09247301B2

A personalized media service provides, e.g., user customization of radio channel selections, immediate availability of multiple pre-programmed and/or customized channels, the ability to intersperse different types of content including periodically refreshed information content, availability of personal radio functions on devices such as car audio systems, PDAs, smartphones, MP3 players, etc. Available channels include, e.g., pre-programmed channels selected for the user based on an interest profile, user-owned content, user-specified recorded content, etc. An audio user interface facilitates user selection of programming and user purchase of currently played audio material. An overall radio experience is thus provided that combines the customization and flexibility of digital media with the immediacy and ubiquity of radio. Video materials may also be accommodated.
US09247300B2

Disclosed are methods and systems for displaying content recommendations to a television viewer. In one aspect of the invention, when the user changes channel, the system displays content recommendations to the user before going to the next channel. The recommendations are based on user profiles and/or aggregated multi-user content. In a further aspect, the user can decide on one of the recommendations (or answer a yes/no query) to migrate to the corresponding content.
US09247294B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure include, for example, selecting a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices to analyze activities of the first communication device, presenting at a device activity information associated with the activities of the first communication device, facilitating an exchange of messages between the device and the first communication device, receiving a request from the device to transfer control of the first communication device to the device responsive to the device receiving an unsatisfactory response from the first communication device, and receiving control information from the device to adjust an operational aspect of the first communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09247291B2

A system for securely providing adaptive bit rate streaming media content on-demand may include a security sever of a program distributor that selects, based on a received authorized request, which of a differently encrypted stored versions of a “special segment” of the requested program to deliver to the receiving device during the transmission of the requested program. The selection may be based on a pseudo-random selection process per request for the program based on an identifier of the request associated with the remote control device. The selection of which of the differently encrypted stored versions of the “special segment” of the ordered program to deliver may be=based on the current session. The secure remote then sends to the receiving device the correct decryption key for the receiving device to decrypt the particular encrypted version selected of the “special segment” to be sent to the receiving device.
US09247287B2

A communal television receiving system may include a common wireless distributing apparatus performing a scanning operation for a wireless local area network (WLAN) communications module included in a preset WLAN communications network, determining transmission power with the WLAN communications module transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) signal for the scanning operation, converting a received television signal into a WLAN signal having the determined transmission power, and transmitting the WLAN signal, and first to Nth wireless residential apparatuses transmitting the ACK signal as a response to the scanning operation, receiving the WLAN signal from the common wireless distributing apparatus, and outputting the television signal.
US09247285B2

A system and method for monitoring a signal includes a monitoring display and an automation system receiving the content signal and either captures an I-frame of the content signal or encodes the content signal into an MPEG signal. The automation system communicates the I-frame or MPEG encoded signal to a display.
US09247284B1

In an embodiment, a media playback device is disclosed comprising a first interface configured to communicate with a media output device, a second interface configured to communicate with a data storage device, and control circuitry. In one embodiment, the control circuitry is configured to receive information identifying media files from a data storage device (DSD) over the second interface; generate a user interface for the media output device, the user interface identifying at least one of the media files; transmit the user interface to the media output device over the first interface; receive a play command from a user to play a selected media file; and transmit the play command over the second interface to the DSD to stream the selected media file on the media output device, wherein the media stream from the DSD bypasses the media playback device.
US09247283B1

In one embodiment, a method implemented on a computing device includes: receiving one or more video mosaic source services, each of the one or more video mosaic source services comprising a plurality of cells, each cell being associated with a content source; receiving signaling data, the signaling data comprising at least one attribute defining a current content available on a content source; receiving a request specifying an attribute to use for producing a mosaic presentation screen; and upon receiving the request, compositing cells extracted from the received one or more video mosaic source services into a mosaic presentation screen, the composited cells being associated with content sources whose current content attribute corresponds to the specified attribute.
US09247280B2

The aim of the present invention is to allow the flexible exploitation of a broadcasted and recorded content, in particular to allow both users as well as broadcasters to conciliate temporary prohibition and posterior exploitation.This aim is achieved by a storage method of a broadcasted event, by at least one receiver, this method comprising the following steps: storage of an event encrypted by at least one content key storage of a control license comprising the content key, an event identifier and the first usage conditions, after the diffusion of the event has finished, generation and storage of a release message, comprising the event identifier and the second usage conditions, during the exploitation of the event, search for a release message, and if such message exists, execution of the second usage conditions of the release message in place of the first usage conditions of the control license.
US09247276B2

A method for delivering media content includes receiving a request for media content from a client and identifying a first media file containing media content associated with the request. The first file has a first media format. The method further includes initiating creation of a second media file associated with the request and estimating one or more characteristic of the second media file. The second media file has a second media format. Additionally, the method includes generating media information for the second media file based on the estimated characteristics of the second media file and transmitting the media information to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed.
US09247275B2

A web-based video broadcast system, comprising at least one web page in communication with a host system to permit a plurality of users and a plurality of content providers to access the host system. The host system is programmed to register a plurality of channels, each associated with a unique channel identifier, and to associate each of at least a portion of the plurality of channels with at least one content provider responsive to a request by the at least one content provider. The host system is further programmed to permit the at least one content provider associated with a channel to selectively upload to the host system at least one video file and associate the at least one video file with the channel. The host system is further programmed to store the at least one video file and continuously display the at least one video file responsive to a user selecting the channel via the at least one web page.
US09247248B2

Mode searching and early termination of a video picture may include determining the cost value of a simple intra-mode prediction of the video picture; determining the cost value of an inter-mode prediction of the video picture; determining a threshold value based on a given quantization parameter (QP); comparing the cost value of the simple intra-mode prediction to the sum of the cost value of the inter-mode prediction and the threshold value; and performing a mode-prediction of the video picture in accordance with the result obtained. Fast compression of variable length symbols may include receiving a variable length symbol with one or more tokens; combining the one or more tokens in the variable length symbol to form a token combination; and determining a bit representation of the token combination in correspondence to a probability threshold associated with the token combination.
US09247246B2

A multi-layer video system has a first layer encoder that encodes a first layer of video information, at least one second layer encoder that encodes at least one second layer of video information, and an encoder side reference processing unit (RPU) that estimates one or more of an optimal filter or an optimal process that applies on a reference picture that is reconstructed from the first video information layer, and processes a current picture of the second video information layer, based on a correlation between the first layer reconstructed reference picture. The correlation relates to a complexity characteristic that scaleably corresponds to the first video information layer reconstructed reference picture and the second video information layer current picture. A scalable video bitstream is outputted, which may be decoded by a compatible decoder. A decoder side RPU and the encoder side RPU function as an RPU pair.
US09247245B2

An adaptive temporal motion filter for a video decoder system operates in an infinite impulse response (IIR), a max or a bypass mode. The adaptive temporal motion filter includes an adaptive time constant control module and a filter gain module. A gain factor of the filter gain module is varied by the adaptive time constant control module for every pixel in a current composite video signal. The adaptive time constant control module selects a variable gain for the filter gain module based on the motion magnitude, motion polarity and chroma luma status of the pixel.
US09247244B2

A video system includes a sensitive-information generator to generate a definition of sensitive information parts (SIP) areas. The video system also includes a transcoder to transcode the SIP areas at a higher bit rate than non-SIP areas in the frames based on bandwidth available for transmitting the transcoded frames. The SIP areas are generated statically or dynamically. The video system adapts to various network conditions and utilizes the bandwidth efficiently to deliver the sensitive information of high quality and to enhance the user experience.
US09247243B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method that comprises receiving a first stream of video frames at a first frame rate and generating a second stream of video frames at a second frame rate. The method also comprises interpolating between a pair of adjacent video frames of the first stream of video frames to produce a first number of interpolated intermediate video frames in a particular sequence of the intermediate video frames. The method further comprises duplicating at least one of the adjacent video frames of the pair of adjacent video frames to produce a second number of duplicated intermediate video frames in the particular sequence of the intermediate video frames. The method further comprises, in response to a change in observed interpolation quality, dynamically changing the first number of interpolated intermediate video frames and the second number of duplicated intermediate video frames.
US09247231B2

In 3D display, when double the frequency of the input clock exceeds the maximum rate of transmission to cinema display circuit 104, the multiply ratio of the clock is lowered from 2× multiplication and the output horizontal total clock number is reduced accordingly.
US09247228B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to receive two-dimensional image content comprising a plurality of images, identify an object in a first image of the plurality of images, identify the object in a second image of the plurality of images, determine a perspective angle difference between the first and second images, generate a third image using the first and second images when the perspective angle difference satisfies a three-dimensional angle threshold, generate three-dimensional image content using the first image and the third image, and provide the three-dimensional image content to a display device operably coupled with the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09247223B2

Methods and devices for automatically white balancing an image are described. In one embodiment, a method includes: capturing a first image using a first camera associated with an electronic device and capturing a second image using a second camera associated with the electronic device, the first image and the second image being temporally related; determining one or more white balance correction values for the first image by analyzing the first image and the second image, the white balance correction value representing the effect of lighting conditions on the first image and the second image; and correcting one or more images captured by the first camera based on the white balance correction value.
US09247216B2

A system having interfaces to receive images from one or more cameras and location information with respect to wireless communication terminals. A notification may be received regarding an individual observed in the images. Next, wireless communication terminals located in a vicinity of the individual may be identified. From the identified wireless communication terminals, identification information applicable to the individual may be obtained. The identification information may be, e.g., personal information related to a subscriber of the given wireless communication terminal.
US09247205B2

In a method embodiment, a method for automatically editing data recorded during a videoconference includes accessing a plurality of video data streams. Each video data stream records a view of at least one of a plurality of human participants of the videoconference. The view recorded by each video data stream is different from the view recorded by each other video data stream. The method further includes determining, using one or more processors executing logic, that one of the plurality of video data streams recorded a view of a first one of the plurality of participants while the first one of the plurality of participants made a first statement. In addition the method includes determining, using one or more processors executing logic, that one of the plurality of video data streams recorded a view of a second one of the plurality of participants while the second one of the plurality of participants made a second statement after the first one of the plurality of participants made the first statement. An edited video data stream is generated using the plurality of video data streams. The edited video data stream comprises a transition that switches from the view of the first one of the plurality of participants to the view of the second one of the plurality of participants. The transition is timed such that when the edited video data stream is played the transition occurs before the commencement of the second statement.
US09247203B2

An apparatus, a method and a system are provided, wherein the system includes an encoding engine to encode and/or compress one or more objects of interest within individual image frames with higher bit densities than the bit density employed to encode and/or compress their background. The system may further include a context engine to identify a region of interest including at least a part of the one or more objects of interest, and scale the region of interest within individual image frames to emphasize the objects of interest.
US09247202B2

A system, method, and wireless device configured for projecting displayable content. The wireless device includes display logic operable to determine that displayable content is available to the wireless device. The wireless device further includes at least two projectors in communication with the display logic, wherein the at least two projectors are operable to project the displayable content onto a surface.
US09247200B2

Video visitation systems and methods for correctional facilities include an audio/video processor element interconnecting an inmate station and a remote visitor station. The audio/video processor element adjusts audio and/or video feeds to facilitate monitoring by a plurality of officers at remote monitoring stations without experiencing network bandwidth and latency issues.
US09247197B2

Systems and methods for authenticating subscribers of video signals are disclosed. In accordance with the various embodiments, a subscriber authentication system includes an encoder coupled to a source of video signals and a source of subscriber data. The encoder generates encoded video signals having at least a portion of the subscriber data encoded in the video signals. An authentication indicating apparatus operable to receive the encoded video signals and to decode the received signals generates an authentication status for the subscriber.
US09247196B1

A method for encoding a video signal with both interlaced and progressive content using lookahead is disclosed. The method may include steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may calculate a cost of being interlaced within each of a plurality of windows in the video signal. The video signal generally has a plurality of interlaced fields and a plurality of progressive frames. Step (B) may determine a plurality of points in the video signal. Step (C) may encode the video signal with switching between a field mode and a frame mode at one or more of the points based on the costs. The encoding may be a high efficiency video coding.
US09247187B2

A panel of a plasma display apparatus includes a front substrate and a back substrate arranged in opposition to this front substrate, and an outer circumferential portion of the front substrate and an outer circumferential portion of the back substrate are adhered to each other by a sealing material. The panel is held on a front side of a chassis base portion of a chassis member. The conductive member is fixed to a back cover of a casing by a first fixing member arranged inside a portion where the conductive member is fixed to the chassis member. The conductive member is fixed to the back cover also by a second fixing member arranged outside the portion where the conductive member is fixed to the chassis member. Occurrence of a crack of the panel due to drop impact, vibration, and external force can be prevented.
US09247185B2

A playback apparatus to play back content data including sound data includes an instruction operating portion to detect an instruction operation that instructs execution of prescribed processing, a hold operating portion to detect a hold setting operation that sets a state of not accepting the instruction operation to the instruction operating portion, a state control portion to set the state of not accepting the instruction operation to the instruction operating portion if the hold setting operation is detected by the hold operating portion, and a video processing portion to perform processing for displaying a video. If the video processing portion performs processing for displaying the video when the hold setting operation is detected, the state control portion controls the video processing portion to suspend at least a part of processing for displaying the video.
US09247183B2

A method includes receiving, at a set top box, an instruction or command from a user to view program listings associated with programs that were broadcast by a television service provider during a first period of time that is prior to a current time. The method also includes identifying at least one television program that was broadcast during the first period of time and that is available to the user, and outputting, by the set top box, a program guide identifying the at least one television program. The method further includes receiving, at the set top box, a selection corresponding to a first one of the at least one television program and outputting, by the set top box, the first television program.
US09247182B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of obtaining through a computing cloud, parameters of a digital video. The method further includes modifying by software generators of the computing cloud, one or more of the obtained parameters, such that the modification is based on information relating to segments of the users of the network. The method includes creating by rendering engines of the computing cloud a plurality of versions of the digital video. Each one of the plurality of versions comprises a digital video adapted to appeal to at least one of the segments of the users of the network. Further, the method includes determining a quality of at least one of the plurality of versions of the digital video, as well, as determining whether the at least one of the plurality of versions is viewable to the users of the network based on the determined quality.
US09247181B2

A device for displaying an electronic program guide includes a program guide display unit configured to display an electronic program guide in which a program channel including scheduled broadcast television program entries and a content channel including content entries stored in a storage device are arranged parallel to each other, a determination unit configured to determine a program entry selected by a user from the displayed electronic program guide, and a changing unit configured to change the content channel in the displayed electronic program guide based on the selected program entry.
US09247177B2

A control method of a display device includes receiving identification (ID) information of an electronic devices connected to the display device; determining whether a remote controller includes a control setting for the electronic device based on the received ID information, wherein the remote controller controls a plurality of electronic devices associated with the display device; obtaining a control key of the remote controller corresponding to the ID information when it is determined that the remote controller does not include the control setting for the electronic device; and transmitting the obtained control key to the remote controller.
US09247175B2

A remote control with a built-in miniature television screen and sound system manages settings and display of media on an associated television screen. The remote control's user interface permits media guide perusal and channel selection for display on both of the main and miniature television screens. Media guides can be downloaded per request to, or cached within, the remote control for display on the miniature screen. The remote control supports media swapping between the main and miniature television screens and associated sound systems. The sound system of the remote control includes built in speakers and external wired and wireless headphone support. Media and media guides may be located and downloaded from Internet servers via a web browser and associated search engine tailored for remote control usage. Transcoding functionality is employed at various network nodes, such as a set top box, remote control, an intranet or Internet linked device, and television.
US09247169B2

An imaging sensor device has an array of pixel sensors in rows and columns. The array comprises: a plurality of stitching blocks, each comprising a plurality of pixel sensors disposed in at least one row group; and first and second groups of addressing lines, the arrangement of pixel sensors and addressing lines in each stitching block being the same. Row addressing circuitry is disposed along an external edge of the array parallel to the rows of pixel sensors, coupled to the pixel sensors using the first group of addressing lines for performing a row addressing action and group addressing circuitry is disposed along the same edge of the array, coupled to the pixel sensors using at least some of the second group of addressing lines for performing a group addressing action. Each stitching block combines a row addressing action with a group addressing action to select only one row of one row group of one stitching block simultaneously.
US09247167B2

An image sensor has a plurality of pixels arranged in an array, a selection means for selecting individual pixels in the array, and a shutter means for transmitting a shutter signal to the pixels. The pixels are constructed and arranged to sense incident light only when both selected and in receipt of a shutter signal. The pixels in said array can thus be triggered individually to capture light at different times.
US09247165B2

A CMOS image sensor may include an active pixel sensor suitable for generating a pixel signal corresponding to incident light, a reference pixel array suitable for shielding incident light and generate a reference value, a readout circuit suitable for comparing the pixel signal and the reference value with a ramp signal and for removing a first noise of the pixel signal in a common mode, and a pixel signal processing circuit suitable for performing a linear operation on an output signal from the readout circuit and the reference value, and for removing a second noise of the pixel signal in the common mode.
US09247161B2

An imaging apparatus and a method of driving the same that can generate a digital data of a high resolution pixel signal are provided. The imaging apparatus includes: a pixel (10-1) for generating a signal by photoelectric conversion; a comparing circuit (30-1) for comparing a signal based on the pixel with a time-dependent reference signal; a counter circuit (40-1) performing a counting operating until an inversion of a magnitude relation between the signal based on the pixel and the time-dependent reference signal; and a selecting circuit (30-2) for setting a time-dependent change rate of the reference signal, according to a signal level of the signal based on the pixel.
US09247159B2

Infrared imaging systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments, provide for detecting petroleum in an infrared image. The detection involves the evaluation of local background model likelihoods in light of extracted pixel features as well as the evaluation of a global outlier model in light of extracted pixel features. Those pixels having a low likelihood for both their local background model as well as the outlier model are identified as corresponding to oil-contaminated water within the infrared image.
US09247156B2

The present invention provides a facial image display apparatus that can display moving images concentrated on the face when images of people's faces are displayed. A facial image display apparatus is provided wherein a facial area detecting unit (21) detects facial areas in which faces are displayed from within a target image for displaying a plurality of faces; a dynamic extraction area creating unit (22) creates, based on the facial areas detected by the facial area detecting means, a dynamic extraction area of which at least one of position and surface area varies over time in the target image; and a moving image output unit (27) sequentially extracts images in the dynamic extraction area and outputs the extracted images as a moving image.
US09247150B2

An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing module and a controller that controls exposure of the image capturing module by dividing a captured image by the image capturing module into a plurality of image areas, weighting brightness of a predetermined pixel in each of the image areas, and being based on the weighted brightness of the predetermined pixel in each image area. The controller performs a weighting correction process that increases weighting to the brightness of the predetermined pixel in each image area when the size of the image area after a correction process in which distortion aberration of the captured image is corrected is larger than the size of the before-corrected image area, and decreases the weighting to the brightness of the predetermined pixel in each image area when the size of the after-corrected image area is smaller than the size of the before-corrected image area.
US09247148B2

A variable-magnification image processing apparatus, comprising: a magnification setting group storing unit to store a magnification setting group; a display magnification obtaining unit to obtain a display magnification of an image displayed on a display screen at an equal pixel magnification; a magnification setting selection unit configured to select one of the magnification settings in one of decreasing order and increasing order; and a display control unit configured to display the image at the magnification setting, wherein the magnification setting selection unit is configured to execute at least one of: operation to select the obtained display magnification subsequently to a maximum one of the magnification settings smaller than the obtained display magnification when a magnifying operation is conducted; and operation to select the obtained displaying magnification subsequently to a minimum one of the magnification settings larger than the obtained display magnification when a reducing operation is conducted.
US09247143B2

An image pickup apparatus includes a display unit configured to display a setting item screen for displaying setting items and a setting value screen for displaying setting values regarding a setting item selected on the setting item screen; an operation unit configured to select one of the setting items on the setting item screen and to select one of the setting values on the setting value screen; wherein, in a case where a state of the image display apparatus is changed from a first state in which the selected setting item is active to a second state in which the selected setting item is non-active, the display unit displays an image indicating that a setting value regarding a setting item selected before changing the state of the image display apparatus from the first state to the second state cannot be selected by the operation unit.
US09247142B2

The present invention provides a method for providing the operation state of an external device and an apparatus using the method. A method for providing the operation state of an external device according to the present invention comprises displaying a preview image of a camera; identifying an external device displayed on the preview image; generating an indicator corresponding to the operation state of the external device; and displaying the indicator by matching the indicator to an area in the preview image to which a component related to the operation state belongs. According to the present invention, information about the operation state of a component disposed inside of an external device can be checked by making use of augmented reality.
US09247137B2

An image pickup apparatus including: an image pickup section acquiring a bright-time image and acquiring a dark-time image with a same exposure time period as the bright-time image; a shake detection section detecting a shake; an image cut-out section cutting out a cut-out bright-time image for which the shake is corrected, from the bright-time image, on the basis of the shake detected by the shake detection section and cutting out a cut-out dark-time image at a same cut-out position as the cut-out bright-time image, from the dark-time image; and an image processing section generating a corrected image for which dark current is corrected, by subtracting the cut-out dark-time image from the cut-out bright-time image.
US09247134B2

A wide-angle lens system is formed, sequentially from an object side, with a first group having a positive power, a second group having a negative power and a third group having a positive power, and at the time of focusing, only the second group is moved on an optical axis. The lens system satisfies conditional formulas of 0.3
US09247128B2

An imaging apparatus includes a controller configured to perform focus control by adding a set value to a result of focus detection by automatic focusing based on a phase difference detection method. In a shooting mode, in a case where an AF frame to be used in the focus control is different from an AF frame to which the set value is set, the controller notifies a user of this fact.
US09247126B2

An image pickup device includes pixels arranged in a matrix shape, vertical signal lines to which the pixels are respectively connected via normal connection lines for each column, focus detection pixels discretely arranged among the pixels, focus connection lines that set, in a range in which a total number of the focus detection pixels included in a row group including a plurality of rows is not more than a number of the vertical signal lines, the row group and respectively connect all the focus detection pixels included in the row group to the different vertical signal lines, focus readout switches respectively provided on the focus connection lines, and a vertical scanning circuit that causes the focus readout switches to simultaneously operate by a unit of the row group.
US09247122B2

A focus adjustment apparatus that displays an in-focus state in a display region in association with control of a focus lens position. The apparatus includes a signal generation unit configured to output a pair of image signals from a focus detection region having a plurality of corresponding display regions, the image signals being generated by photoelectrically converting light having passed through an imaging optical system, and a control unit configured to detect a phase difference of the pair of image signals output from the focus detection region, and to control a position of the focus lens based on the phase difference detection result. The control unit detects the phase difference corresponding to divided regions formed by dividing the focus detection region, and displays an in-focus state in the display region in accordance with the control of the focus lens position control based on the phase difference detection result.
US09247119B2

Provided is an operation apparatus including a main body section including an operation section including a first operation section for performing a record operation of an image pickup device and a display section that displays an image transmitted from the image pickup device, and a fixation section that fixes the main body section to an attachment object. The first operation section and the display section are both located on a first face of the main body section.
US09247111B2

An imaging device includes an imaging element, a phase plate to modulate the optical transmission function of the optical image of the object, and an optical system for focusing the optical image modulated via the optical plate on the imaging surface of the imaging element, a spatial filter processing unit for image restoration processing to remove modulation by an optical phase filter by implementing two-dimensional spatial filtering processing on the image focused on the imaging surface of the imaging element. Modulation characteristics applied to the optical system by the phase plate are respectively different in the horizontal and vertical directions crossing at right angles along the flat surface of the imaging surface perpendicular to the optical axis.
US09247095B2

An image sensor unit includes: a plurality of sensor substrates that are connected in a main-scan direction and that are provided with sensor chips in the main-scan direction, the sensor chips converting light from an original to electric signals; and a plurality of rod-lens arrays that are connected in the main-scan direction and that are provided with a plurality of rod lenses in the main-scan direction, the rod lenses focusing the light from the original on the sensor chips, wherein connection positions between the plurality of sensor substrates are arranged at positions not overlapping with connection positions between the plurality of rod-lens arrays. A decrease in reading accuracy of an image can be reduced even if short constituent members are connected in the main-scan direction to form an elongated image sensor unit.
US09247094B2

An information processing device including an image processing unit, a communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with a terminal device within a communicable distance from the terminal device, a display, an input unit, and a controller configured to, after the wireless communication with the terminal device, control the display to display one or more parameters of all parameters available for setting an image processing operation by the image processing unit, the one or more parameters including at least one un-selectable parameter that is not selectable on the terminal device, and in response to receiving, via the input unit, a signal corresponding to a specific parameter of the one or more parameters displayed on the display, control the image processing unit to perform the image processing operation based on the specific parameter corresponding to the received signal.
US09247093B2

An image processing apparatus includes an image processing unit performing image processing in accordance with an image processing parameter; a first control unit storing the image processing parameter, which is to be used by the image processing unit, in association with address information, which is used to store the image processing parameter in the image processing unit, into a first storage unit on a basis of the image processing performed by the image processing unit; and a memory access unit writing the image processing parameter, which is read from the first storage unit, based on the address information in association with the image processing parameter on the basis of the image processing of the image processing unit.
US09247092B2

The image processing apparatus has a timer transmission function to execute a transmission job for transmitting image data to another apparatus at a designated transmission time of day. The image processing apparatus comprises a setting unit configured to set a restraint period of time indicating a period of time that the execution of the transmission job has to be restrained based on charge information for respective periods of time including unit prices of electricity charges for respective periods of time; and a reservation unit configured to present the restraint period of time, accept the designation of the transmission time of day, and store the designated transmission time of day as reservation information in a storage unit; and a notifying unit configured to perform notification to a user in a case where the designated transmission time of day is included in the restraint period of time.
US09247088B2

An image forming apparatus is provided that includes a first casing disposed on a first side in a first direction, and a second casing disposed on a second side in the first direction, the second casing containing an image reading unit, a driver driving the image reading unit, and a driver compartment configured to accommodate the driver and disposed at an end portion of the second casing on a third side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first casing containing an image forming unit, a control board electrically connected with the driver and the image reading unit and configured to control the image reading unit, and a board compartment configured to accommodate at least a part of the control board and disposed at an end portion of the first casing on a fourth side opposite to the third side in the second direction.
US09247085B1

A wireless scanner includes an optical scanning assembly which includes a housing, a light source circuit board, a reflective member and an image capture module. The housing has a bottom wall defining a window, a high end wall, a short end wall and two side walls. Two edges of the two side walls connecting with the top wall and the short end wall are defined as slopes. The light source circuit board is mounted to one of the two side walls and inclined upward and outward. The reflective member is mounted to the slopes and receives light from the light source circuit board to reflect it uniformly on the window. The image capture module is mounted to the high end wall for receiving light which is from an original in the window and reflected by the reflective member and then transmitting it to a Printed Circuit Board assembly.
US09247082B2

A display processing apparatus comprising: a transmission portion for transmitting screen data for operations of the apparatus to a portable terminal apparatus; a receiving portion for receiving operation information indicating an operation by a user on a remote screen from the terminal apparatus and for receiving the operation information and enlargement display information indicating an enlarged display state when a user operation is performed on the screen displayed with some part thereof missing in a state in which the screen is enlarged; a determination portion for determining whether the operation is an operation of displaying a popup portion; and a screen generating portion for adjusting a display position of the popup portion to generate next screen data, so that the popup portion is displayed in an image enlarged state if the operation information and the enlargement display information are received, and the operation is the operation of displaying the popup portion.
US09247081B2

An input apparatus includes a command input unit to input a command, a key input unit having at least one key, a navigation key input unit having a rotatable navigation key, and a display panel unit to perform displaying according to manipulation of the command input unit, the key input unit, and the navigation key. In the input apparatus, the command input unit, the key input unit, the navigation key input unit, and the display panel unit are arranged in sequence according to a task flow, so a user-friendly input apparatus can be implemented.
US09247077B2

The present application discloses methods and systems for calibrating a scanning system. The scanning system comprises a light-transmissive platen defining a top surface and a bottom surface, a controller, a document handler, and a scanner bar for recording image data from documents at various document heights. In one embodiment, the calibration method proposes the use of two calibration strips in a document scanning system that has both platen scanning and Constant Velocity Transport (CVT) scanning modes. In another embodiment, a scanner is disclosed with a dual calibration target or a single calibration target that is manufactured with two (2) different heights to correct the illumination profile at the CVT scanning height or at the platen scanning height.
US09247074B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for processing a charge for a telecommunication. In use, a telecommunication from a service subscriber to a recipient is received. Additionally, it is determined whether both the service subscriber and the recipient are included within one or more billing groups. Further, a charge for the telecommunication is processed, based on the determining.
US09247070B2

Some known Contact Centers rely on a Network Level Router to determine which of a number of available Contact Centers should deal with a given contact. This decision is made by the NLR based on real time information provided by the Contact Centers. However, the format of such information is proprietary which means that the NLR must translate and collate this information. This invention seeks to use session initiation protocol (SIP) Presence for such information transfer which enables improved decision making and further enables additional functionality to be added to the Contact Center system. The invention provides a SIP enabled Contact Center (180, 190, 200) comprising a Contact Center server arranged to send SIP messages to one or more other SIP enabled nodes in a SIP communications network, said SIP messages comprising SIP presence information about the current state of the Contact Center.
US09247068B2

An apparatus, system and method for call notifications to active communication devices are provided. At an apparatus comprising a processor and a communication interface, a call for a first device is received via the communication interface. When is determined that a second device is active, a notification of the call is transmitted to the second device.
US09247067B2

Systems and methods for initiating telephony calls are presented. In one example, a phone call initiation is detected on a first communications network. The phone call initiation is redirected to a second communications network. The call is connected utilizing the second communications network.
US09247066B1

A message processing application may be configured to receive at least one inquiry message from a user device in the form or a text message, email or other communication message format. The message may be received and processed to identify the content of the inquiry message to determine whether the inquiry message should be transferred to a live agent queue or whether the inquiry message should be responded to with an automated response stored in a database. In the case of the automated message failing to address the user's inquiry or if the automated responses do not appear to be relevant based on the comparison of the message content to automated response content then transmitting the inquiry message to the live agent queue.
US09247060B2

A system may include a contact center services system configured to receive a Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) call from a WebRTC caller device, and a WebRTC device configured to provide, to a customer web server, a control action application programming interface used to perform control actions for WebRTC calls in the contact center services system. The WebRTC device may be configured to receive an instruction to perform a control action for a WebRTC call from the customer web server via a WebRTC access server and forward the instruction to the contact center services system. The contact center services system may be configured to retrieve a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) from the received instruction, identify that the WebRTC call is associated with the control action based on the retrieved URI, and execute the control action on the identified WebRTC call based on the instruction.
US09247056B2

The present invention discloses a contact center with speaker identification and verification (SIV) capabilities. In the invention, a set of contact center components can provide automated interactive communications with callers, can provide queue management for callers waiting to communicate with live agents, and can provide skills based routing for assigning live agents to callers. The SIV component can analyze speech utterances to determine a speaker identify based upon biometric characteristics of the analyzed speech utterances. Additionally, the SIV component can process speech from contact center sessions. In one embodiment, the SIV component can prevent agent substitutions from occurring of which the call center is unaware. The SIV component can also be used to distinguish whether communication session content was spoken by a contact center agent or a caller.
US09247055B2

An interactive voice response method and system is described. A computerized IVR dialer signals to an IVR system that it is capable of high speed operations. The IVR system completes the high speed operations handshake with the IVR dialer. The two IVR components then continue processing of the IVR call at speeds higher than likely obtainable in a conventional IVR call, e.g., one in which the IVR dialer is performed by a human caller. The IVR system and the IVR dialer may employ a high speed IVR script that eliminates many of the instructional messages provided to human IVR callers and also eliminates or reduces the duration of pauses between the communication of information.
US09247052B1

A communication system facilitating communication for assisting hearing-impaired users includes an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) device and a communication device. The communication device is configured to route digital voice data between the ATA device and a second communication device during a conversation involving the communication device and a second communication device through a wireless port of communication device, and communicate through the wireless port with a relay service configured to provide interpretive assistance for a hearing-impaired user of the communication device. A method includes routing digital voice data received wirelessly by a communication device to an ATA device, routing digital voice data received from the ATA device from the communication device wirelessly to a second communication device, and communicating wirelessly with a relay service configured to provide captioning services of the content of a portion of the voice data received by the communication device from the second communication device.
US09247044B2

A call management resource in a cable network environment receives an incoming phone call from a cable network subscriber. Via a call connection between the call management resource and the subscriber, the call management resource receives control input from the subscriber over the call connection. The control input can be a command specifying an operation to be performed on behalf of the subscriber in the cable network environment. In accordance with the control input, the call management resource initiates execution of the operation in the cable network environment. Thus, a cable network subscriber can perform control functions in a cable network environment using a communication device.
US09247043B1

In a communication system, a call processing system receives a first signaling message for a special service call indicating a special service number. The call processing system processes the special service number to determine a first carrier identity and an organization identity for a responsible organization that is responsible for a routing database system for the special service number. The call processing system processes the organization identity for the responsible organization to select a second carrier identity. The call processing system transfers a second signaling message that indicates the second carrier identity. In some examples, a communication node receives the second signaling message and processes the second carrier identity to route the special service call to the responsible organization.
US09247041B2

Embodiments of the invention provide an adaptor that presents information from an inherent disorder feature as an optical signal. The adaptor is configured to direct the optical signal onto an optical processing unit built into a camera of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, to generate an image usable to identify an object. The adaptor is configured to be user attachable to the mobile device.
US09247040B1

A phone vehicle event recorder mount comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive an indication of whether a phone vehicle event recorder is connected. The processor is configured to, in the event that the phone vehicle event recorder is connected, provide an indication to disable receiving and transmitting voice phone calls.
US09247039B2

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to receive a call signal from at least one other terminal, in which the call signal corresponds to at least one of a first call ID and a second call ID of the mobile terminal; and a controller configured to receive an event on the mobile terminal after the call signal is received, transmit an event signal to an external terminal wirelessly connected with the mobile terminal using the corresponding first or second call ID to respond to the received event, and control the external terminal to display information on a display unit of the external terminal based on the event signal.
US09247033B2

A method of processing client requests on a data processing apparatus. The method includes receiving control portions of client requests from respective clients. Each client request has control and payload portions, where the payload portion includes data and the control portion includes information relating to the data of the payload portion. The method also includes buffering, in non-transitory memory of the data processing apparatus, the received client request control portions, and retrieving the payload portion of a client request before processing that client request.
US09247029B1

In one general aspect, a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed cause one or more processors to perform a process that can include sending from a client device to a host device an indicator of a size of a target display area of a moving window session with respect to a host display area of an application operating at the host device where the application can be remotely controlled via the client device. The process can include analyzing a stream of images associated with the target display area of the moving window session and defining at the client device a plurality of regions within the target display area based on the analyzing. The process can also include modifying the moving window session without terminating the moving window session and without establishing a new moving window session.
US09247028B1

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the retrieval, serving, and rendering of web content provided from a web content server to a requesting client device, e.g., over a network, based on target latency. A computer-implemented method includes determining, by a web content server, a requesting client device in communication with the web content server, or both, latency-related limitations of the client device. The method also includes determining, by the web content server, the client device, or both, web content needs of the client device based on a web content request from the client device. The method further includes adjusting web content to be displayed at the client device based on the determined latency-related limitations and needs of the client device. At least a portion of the adjusting of web content can occur at the web content server, the client device, or both. Related systems are also presented.
US09247026B2

A method and system for preventing a local display device from, displaying data generated by a remote computing device is described. The system includes a local agent for facilitating a remote session; an operating system generating a request to enable a display device controlled by a display adapter; and a filter executing in a driver and in communication with the local agent, the filter intercepting the request generated by the operating system. The filter transmits the request to the local agent when a remote user is active or to the display adapter when the remote user is inactive. The filter will transmits a signal to the operating system that the display adapter has enabled the display device when the filter transmits the request to at least one of the local agent and the display adapter.
US09247003B2

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining server write activity levels to use to adjust write cache size. Server write activity information on server write activity to the cache is gathered. The server write activity information is processed to determine a server write activity level comprising one of multiple write activity levels indicating a level of write activity. The determined server write activity level is transmitted to a storage server having a write cache, wherein the storage server uses the determined server write activity level to determine whether to adjust a size of the storage server write cache.
US09247002B1

Systems and methods automatically obtain contents and display the contents on location-specific display screens, based on content attributes associated with the screens. Associating content attributes (“tags”) with the screens allows administrators to specify the types of contents desired for display on the screens. For example, an establishment that caters to customers of a particular demographic (such as 21-27 year old singles, families with children, fans of rock-and-roll music, “bikers,” sports fans or ice cream lovers) may associate one or more content attributes (such as “dating,” “Disney,” “Led Zeppelin,” or “Red Sox”) with its display screen. The system then automatically obtains contents based on the attribute(s) and displays the contents on the screen. Patrons with mobile telephones or web-based users may send text messages for display on the screen or play interactive games displayed on the screen, as described in the incorporated patent application. However, even absent such activity, the disclosed systems and methods populate the screen with potentially ever-changing contents, thereby keeping the screen “fresh” and avoiding a situation known as the “ghost town” effect. The system may obtain the contents to be displayed from a variety of sources. For example, Twitter messages (“Tweets”) that contain or are otherwise associated (such as via “hashtags”) with a content attribute of a screen may be displayed.
US09247000B2

The described embodiments distribute and synchronize objects in a network. More specifically, the described embodiments distribute copies of objects locally (i.e., store copies of objects in local address spaces). By storing a copy of a given object in a local address space, the object's methods may be executed locally, which can help to avoid excessive network traffic associated with remotely executing the object's methods. However, executing an object's methods locally can result in the state of the object (i.e., data associated with the object, etc.) becoming out of sync with other copies of the object in the network. To avoid issues associated with unsynchronized copies of the object in the network, the described embodiments use a policy that specifies conditions under which objects are to be synchronized.
US09246999B2

Communications between a central concert controller and portable interactive devices of audience members in a venue are integrated through a Wi-Fi network providing coverage of the venue. A multi-megabit traffic exchange without loss of data is achieved. Both omnidirectional and highly directional radios utilize a single frequency in order to provide a signal to areas that are not in a line of sight of a single Wi-Fi source. Each directional radio includes a backhaul transceiver. Users are sent images such as streaming videos by a video jockey, and may upload content to the central system. A server within the system controls interactions of user devices. Each user device may be assigned a unique ID number.
US09246992B2

A virtual desktop implementation method, apparatus, and system are provided. A monitor program intercepts a file access request of an application program, and obtains file operation information of the file access request, where the file operation information includes a storage location and an operation type of a to-be-accessed file; the monitor program determines a file type of the to-be-accessed file according to the storage location of the to-be-accessed file, where the file type includes a system file and a program file; sends the file access request to a to-be-accessed file in a local virtual operating system folder when the file type is a system file; and sends the file access request to a to-be-accessed file in a program folder in a local or remote device when the file type is a program file. Accordingly running speeds of a virtual desktop and an application on the virtual desktop are improved.
US09246989B1

Embodiments relate to pushing data to mobile devices more efficiently. In a first embodiment, a computer-implemented method receives pushed data on a mobile device. The method includes: (a) recording, at a memory of the mobile device, information describing activity occurring on the mobile device during a first time period; (b) sending, from the mobile device to a server, data indicating the first time period and activity data indicating whether the mobile device was active during the first time period; and (c) during a second time period occurring after the recording (a) and sending (b), receiving application data pushed to the mobile device at a first rate determined based at least in part on the activity data sent to the server in (b), wherein the second time period is determined by the server based at least in part on the data indicating the first time period.
US09246980B2

A method for validating packets in network communications includes receiving, at networking hardware of a device, a packet communicated from another device over a network; intercepting, by virtual dispersive routing (VDR) software loaded on the device, the packet as it is passed from the networking hardware; determining, by the VDR software, that a destination address of the packet corresponds to an address associated with the device; and determining, by the VDR software, using a virtual machine for a network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the device, that the packet belongs to a valid application running on the device.
US09246975B2

A communications system including one or more alert gates and an alert controller. Each alert gate is configured to detect a different type of alert feed corresponding to a particular kind of alert. The alert controller is connected to the alert gates and operable to receive detected alerts from the alert gates and to deliver the detected alerts to a user of the communications system.
US09246974B2

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a first instance of content to be uploaded to a server, generating a second instance of the content from the first instance, automatically uploading to the server the second instance of the content, and automatically uploading to the server the first instance of the content in response to occurrence of a pre-determined upload condition. The first instance has a first file size and the second instance has a second file size that is smaller than the first file size. The upload of the second instance makes the content available for access at least in part by one or more second users at an immediate point in time. The upload of the first instance of the content makes the content available for access by the second users in an original version.
US09246966B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving multimedia contents. A transmission characteristic relating to a section, from among a plurality of sections for transmitting data, where an initial transmission speed is high, is provided from a server. The multimedia contents are requested in consideration of the transmission characteristic. The multimedia contents are received from the server.
US09246963B2

Provided are methods and systems for inserting custom content. An example method can comprise receiving, at a first computing device, an insertion instruction over a first non-packet-switching protocol information stream. The method can also comprise querying, by the first computing device, a second computing device in response to receiving the insertion instruction. The method can further comprise receiving, at the first computing device, content over a packet-switching protocol information stream in response to querying the second computing device. The content can be customized for an end-user associated with the first computing device.
US09246959B2

Systems and methods are provided for location-based social network feeds. A system identifies a geolocation of a display device. The system identifies a first network feed and a second network feed associated with a user profile associated with the display device. The system identifies a first geolocation associated with the first network feed. The system identifies a second geolocation associated with the second network feed. The system calculates a first proximity between the first geolocation and the geolocation of the display device. The system calculates a second proximity between the second geolocation and the geolocation of the display device. The system outputs, to the display device, the first network feed based on the first proximity and the second network feed based on the second proximity.
US09246946B2

The invention describes a system, method and computer product to regulate user access to websites. The system receives a URL request by a user corresponding to a website that the user wishes to access. Thereafter, the system determines the associated group of the user and the associated category of the website. Subsequently, a message to be displayed to the user is determined based on the associated group of the user and the associated category of the website. The message is included in a block page and then displayed to the user.
US09246944B1

A computer-implemented method for enforcing data loss prevention policies on mobile devices may include (1) identifying a mobile device that connected to a network and that may include sensitive data and that is in a predetermined state that is designated for transferring data for data loss prevention analysis, (2) requesting, from a data loss prevention policy database via the network, a data loss prevention policy category for the sensitive data based on an analysis the sensitive data, (3) receiving the data loss prevention policy category, tagging, based on the data loss prevention policy category, the sensitive data on the mobile device with a data loss prevention policy tag and (4) enforcing on the mobile device, based on the data loss prevention policy tag, a data loss prevention rule for the data loss prevention category of the sensitive data. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09246943B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for determining security factors associated with an operating environment for a computer through a wireless network. The computer identifies one or more local computers operating within range of wireless communications to the computer through a wireless network. The computer determines a current operating environment corresponding to the one or more identified local computers. The computer determines a current security value for the current operating environment corresponding to identities and security of the identified local computers. The computer identifies data corresponding to the current operating environment, the data corresponding to a current time period of the current operating environment. The computer determines security information corresponding to the current operating environment, wherein the security information includes a familiarity of the computer to the current operating environment, and a historical security of the computer in the current operating environment.
US09246942B2

Provided are a platform authentication strategy management method for trusted connection architecture (TCA), and the trusted network connection (TNC) client, TNC access point and evaluation strategy service provider for implementing the method in the TCA. In the embodiments of the present invention, the platform authentication strategy for the access requester can be configured in the TNC access point or the evaluation strategy service provider, and the platform authentication strategy for the access requester configured in the evaluation strategy service provider can be delivered to the TNC access point. Moreover, a component-type-level convergence platform evaluation strategy can be executed in the TNC access point or the evaluation strategy service provider, to ensure that the realization of the TCA platform authentication has good application extensibility.
US09246937B2

The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling a network access of a network packet on the basis of a thread which is inserted into a process through code injection. The network access control system according to the present invention comprises: a process inspecting unit for detecting a code injection-based thread included in a process; and a network monitoring unit for performing network filtering so as to detect a network packet having access to a network, and, if a communication subject of the detected network packet is the code injection-based thread, blocking the traffic of the detected network packet.
US09246935B2

One or more relevant scanners used to identify asset vulnerabilities are identified, obtained, and logically arranged for deployment on an asset in accordance with a vulnerability management policy and a scanner deployment policy such that the relevant scanners are deployed at, or before, a determined ideal time to minimize the resources necessary to correct the vulnerabilities, if found. The relevant scanners are then automatically deployed in accordance with the scanner deployment policy and, if a vulnerability is identified, one or more associated remedies or remedy procedures are applied to the asset. At least one of the one or more relevant scanners are then re-deployed on the asset to determine if the identified vulnerability has been corrected and, if the vulnerability is not corrected at, or before, a defined time, protective measures are automatically taken.
US09246934B2

The invention comprises a method of using sensor agents to collect information in a central location to determine the entire attack surface of all certificate based resources, which includes vulnerable, insecure, or unknown resources but also includes where all the secure resources are located and the attack surface for each certificate resource. If a vulnerable resource is detected, the system may initiated additional sensor agents to determine the threat caused by the vulnerability. The system can also assign a rating to the overall security of the network based on vulnerabilities and display the attack surface as a topographic format for easy review by administrators.
US09246933B1

A computer-implemented method for detecting malicious email attachments may include (1) identifying a shortcut file received as an attachment to an email, wherein the shortcut file is configured to open a target file, (2) analyzing the shortcut file to identify at least one attribute of the shortcut file, wherein the attribute comprises information about the shortcut file useful for determining whether text accurately characterizes the shortcut file, (3) identifying accompanying text in the email that characterizes the attachment, and (4) determining that the attachment is malicious by comparing the attribute of the shortcut file with the accompanying text in the email that characterizes the attachment and, based on the comparison, determining that the accompanying text does not accurately characterize the shortcut file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09246928B2

A technique for determining scan lanes is provided. For a set of patterns, a number of scan lanes is estimated to be utilized on an accelerator. The number of the scan lanes estimated for the set of patterns is iteratively incremented to optimize a throughput of the accelerator. The set of patterns is distributed to the number of the scan lanes as a distribution, and each one of the scan lanes has a predetermined number of engines. A size of a memory space is evaluated that is needed for the distribution to distribute the set of patterns onto the number of scan lanes.
US09246926B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for providing secure transmissions across a network comprising a transmitting device and a receiving device. At the transmitting device, a stream of watermark bits is generated. Next, a plurality of watermarks is generated, each of the plurality of watermarks comprising an index number and a portion of the stream of watermark bits. The watermarks are inserted, into each header of a plurality of outgoing packets. At the receiving device, the plurality of outgoing packets are received and it is determined if a received packet is valid based on the watermark in the header of the received packet. The stream of watermark bits may be generated using a stream cipher such as RC4, a block cipher such as 3DES in CBC mode, or other equivalent pseudo-random stream generating techniques.
US09246923B1

Systems and techniques are provided for the classification of risks associated with developers in an application ecosystem. Signals associated with a developer account for an application ecosystem may be received. Each of the signals may include one of an account signal, an application signal, and a financial signal, and each of the signals may be associated with a weight and a score. The signals may be combined using the weights and the scores associated with the signals to obtain a risk probability for the developer account. The risk probability may be scored.
US09246917B2

The present disclosure relates to representation of users within online systems, such as social networks, online services, and platforms. A method for representing a user within an online system is provided, comprising receiving by the online system a live recording of a first user of the online system, the first user defining permissions to access the live recording; requesting a representation of the first user by a second user of the online system; determining if the second user is authorized to access the live recording based on the permissions; and if the second user is authorized, providing the live recording to the second user as the representation of the first user. Furthermore, an online system and a data structure representing a user of an online system are defined.
US09246912B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for generating a short term password that may be used to access a data warehouse. According to aspects of the disclosure, a user may request a password after inputting a data warehouse environment, an ID name, and a reason for the password reset. A server may receive the request and determine whether the difference in time of the present request and a previous request for the same ID name and data warehouse environment is greater than a time limit. Additionally, the server may determine whether a previous user has logged in using a password for the same ID name and data warehouse environment. Thereafter, the server may generate and output a short term password that expires after the time limit.
US09246911B2

It is determined whether a login button is pressed or not. If the login button being pressed is sensed, a user authentication window appears. After the user authentication window appears, it is determined whether an authentication code is input or not. If an authentication code is input, then it is determined whether a prescribed period of time has passed or not since the last logout. If it is determined that a prescribed period of time has not passed since the last logout, authentication is performed in MFP. It is then determined whether the authentication is “OK” or not. If the authentication is “OK,” the authentication is successful. A login process is then executed.
US09246882B2

An approach is provided for generating a structured and partially regenerable identifier. An identification generation platform receives a request to generate at least one regenerable that includes, at least in part, a plurality of fields. The identification generation platform determines to separately hash and/or encrypt the respective ones of the plurality of fields. A generation of the at least one identifier is caused, based at least in part, on the hashed and/or encrypted respective ones of the plurality of fields.
US09246881B2

A method for securing the exchange of data between a client module and a server module includes steps where: the token module initializes a token and the client module sends the data, which includes a unique identifier and the initialized token to a first security module of the server module; the first security module and the second security module exchange security data bilaterally with one another; the server module transforms the received token; the client module receives the server data, verifies the token and transforms the latter; the client module sends the data, which includes the transformed token to the second security module of the server module, which receives the data, and verifies the identifier and the transformed token; and the second security module communicates with the destination module.
US09246880B2

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and network device that generates a network communication including a destination address associated with a second network device and a destination port number, wherein the destination port number corresponds to a service operating on the second network device. An initial SSL handshake protocol message is generated and at least the destination port number is inserted into a server name indicator (SNI) extension of the initial SSL handshake protocol message. An SSL connection is established with the second network device using a predetermined port number and the initial SSL handshake protocol message is sent to the second network device. Information included in the network communication is sent to the second network device using the SSL connection.
US09246874B2

Methods, devices, and storage mediums resolve uniform resource identifiers to Internet protocol addresses based on various criteria. Additionally, uniform resource identifiers are resolved to Internet protocol addresses based on Application-Layer Traffic Optimization information and domain name system policies.
US09246863B2

A method is provided for transferring a session between multiple devices by a target device, in which the target device selects a particular session of a source device and sends a request for session transfer for the selected session to a call server, the target device acquires from the call server data that has been transmitted from the remote party's device of the particular session and temporarily stored in the call server after the session transfer request, and the target device sends a message indicating completed acquisition of the temporarily stored data to the call server, and receives the particular session transferred in response thereto.
US09246860B2

A system, method and computer program product are provided. In use, a checksum associated with electronic content is calculated. Further, a domain name service (DNS) server is queried utilizing the checksum. In response to the query, information is received from the DNS server which relates to the electronic content.
US09246856B1

A system, method and various user interfaces enable visually browsing multiple groups of video recommendations. A video stream includes a group of videos to be viewed and commented by users who join the stream. Users who join a stream form a stream community. In a stream community, community members can add videos to the stream and interact collaboratively with others community members, such as chatting in real time with each other while viewing a video. With streams, a user can create a virtual room in an online video content distribution environment to watch videos of the streams and interact with others while sharing videos simultaneously. Consequently, users have an enhanced video viewing and sharing experience.
US09246853B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for determining a profile for an external network user. In use, a plurality of communications between each of a plurality of home users located in a home network and an external user located in an external network is identified. Additionally, a profile is determined for the external user, utilizing the plurality of communications. Further, one or more actions are performed, utilizing the profile for the external user.
US09246838B1

A label switched path (LSP) is established within a network using an MPLS fast reroute bypass tunnel when a resource along a primary path of the LSP has failed but is protected by the MPLS fast reroute bypass tunnel. While establishing the LSP, a network device identifies a failed resource along a primary path of the LSP. In response to identifying the failed resource, the network device determines whether a bypass tunnel exists from the network device to a node along the primary path, wherein the bypass tunnel avoids the failed resource. Upon determining that the bypass tunnel exists, the network device tunnels a message for establishing the LSP to the node over the bypass tunnel.
US09246837B2

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes creating at a network element an entry designating an out of order (“OOO”) sequence number range associated with a flow and receiving at the network element a packet associated with the flow, wherein the packet corresponds to a first sequence number range, wherein the first sequence number range falls within the OOO sequence number range designated in the entry. The method may further include updating the entry to remove sequence numbers comprising the first sequence number range from the OOO sequence number range and forwarding the packet without awaiting receipt of any other packets associated with the flow.
US09246833B2

For a controller that manages managed forwarding elements that forward data in a network, a method for configuring the managed forwarding elements is described. The method computes forwarding state and pushes the computed forwarding state to the managed switching elements. The forwarding state defines forwarding behaviors of the managed switching elements. The method configures the managed switching elements to exchange forwarding state with each other. The method configures the managed switching elements by configuring a first managed forwarding element to send a forwarding state information request to a second managed forwarding element and by configuring the second managed forwarding element to (1) respond to the forwarding state information request by looking up a forwarding state information repository and (2) update the forwarding state information repository with forwarding states information received from a third managed forwarding element.
US09246809B2

In one embodiment, an edge router of a local computer network snoops client-server protocol configuration information of a customer-premises equipment (CPE) device. From the snooping, the edge router may identify an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) transition option in place at the CPE device along with associated configuration parameters for the IPv6 transition option. As such, the edge router may then advertise the IPv6 transition option along with associated configuration parameters to one or more border/relay routers of the local computer network to cause the one or more border/relay routers to provision themselves with the IPv6 transition option and associated configuration parameters.
US09246807B2

A method and apparatus for enabling a call originated in the VoIP network to be routed from the egress of the VoIP network to the terminating PSTN network using an egress route, such as an appropriate egress access trunk, that is in the same Local Calling Area (LCA) of the called party number are disclosed. This allows the call to be completed to the called party without paying access charge. For example, the method assigns a Billing Telephone Number (BTN) or a Charge Number (CgN) to an egress route between a communication network and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) network. The method then routes a call originating from the communication network and terminating to the PSTN network using the egress route without incurring an access charge.
US09246795B2

The present invention relates to a protection method based on preplanning duality of paths for a unicast and/or a multicast traffic, by extending a network into hierarchy of connected rings to form a hierarchical ring based tree (HRBT) structure. The present method enables a deterministic method to route a frame (or packet) when a primary path to destination is unavailable due to node/link failure, bandwidth crunch, mis-configuration, etc. If both primary and secondary (or alternate) path are pre-provisioned before traffic is allowed, the switch-over time from primary (P) path to secondary (S) path will be minimized, thus enabling 50 ms protection switching in packet network.
US09246790B2

In various embodiments, methods and systems are disclosed for the real time detection of network conditions in conjunction with a remote presentation protocol. The link quality may represent the quality of the end-to-end connection between client and server with upper and lower bounds on the injection of additional traffic used for measurement. In some embodiments, the measurement technique may be selected based on the type of measurement that is desired. Accuracy may be maintained by selecting the type of measurement used based on current and previous network conditions. In one embodiment, a state model is used to determine the frequency of measurement and to determine when the measurements have produced a stable estimate of the link quality.
US09246789B2

A testing apparatus includes a scenario processing unit that executes a test scenario for operating the testing apparatus to imitate the operation of a base station, a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving a message to and from a mobile communication terminal, a layer processing unit for processing a message for each layer, a log data storing unit for storing log data indicating transmission of messages between the layers, and a display controller for creating a transmission schedule based on the extracted data associated with system information and causing a display unit to display the transmission schedule. The transmission schedule is written in a tabular form in which a block type of the system information is displayed at a position to which a frame for transmitting the system information is allocated.
US09246784B2

An information notification apparatus includes a first reception unit that receives a first state change notification indicating that the operating state of an electrical appliance has changed to a first state, a transmission unit that transmits a state notification indicating that the operating state of the electrical appliance is the first state to an information terminal, and a second reception unit that receives an acknowledgement notification. The first reception unit further receives a second state change notification indicating that the electrical appliance has been changed to a second state from the electrical apparatus. The transmission unit calculates a correlation value for each of information terminals and transmits the state notification to an information terminal having a calculated correlation value higher than a threshold value, the correlation value indicating a degree of likelihood that the owner of the information terminal has performed an operation corresponding to the second operating state.
US09246782B1

In systems and methods of reducing wireless communication signaling overhead, it is determined that communication resource request traffic from a plurality of wireless devices in communication with an access node to communicate with a communication network meets a first threshold. One of the plurality of wireless devices is selected to operate as a router wireless device based on a power storage level and an assigned modulation and coding scheme of each of the plurality of wireless devices. At least one of the unselected wireless devices is instructed to communicate with the communication network via the selected router wireless device.
US09246781B2

A method, a terminal, an apparatus, and a system for device management (DM) are provided. Specifically, a DM terminal, a DM apparatus, method for managing the terminal device are provided. The method for managing the terminal device includes the following steps: adding, by a DM terminal device, management nodes in a DM tree of the DM terminal device; and recording, by the DM terminal device, MOs types supported by the DM terminal device in the management nodes added in the DM tree of the DM terminal device. Therefore, the problem that the server does not know the DM applications supported by the terminal, and in the method, a specific management operation is delivered to make the management of the server more flexible and effective.
US09246780B2

A system and method can support port multiplexing in a server environment, e.g. in a distributed data grid. The server environment can comprise a port to receive one or more request, wherein the port is adapted to be associated with different port address values and the port operates to receive one or more connection requests. Additionally, the server environment allows a plurality of sockets to utilize the different port address values to support multiplexing of sockets over the port, and a multiplexed socket provider can be used to provide the plurality of sockets.
US09246776B2

A resource delivery network and method for distributing content in the network is disclosed herein. The network comprises a plurality of servers arranged in tiers and partitioned. Each server includes a resource store with a set of resources for distribution to a successive tier. Updates to each successive tier are provided by a pull-forward client on servers in the tier. This forward propagation mechanism maximizes resource availability at edge servers in the network. Resources transmitted to the edge tier servers may be transformed, combined, and rendered without taxing lower tier servers. Transformation and pre-rendering of data can be performed by low priority CPU tasks at each layer of the system.
US09246768B2

A system is disclosed that generates a network attack within a simulated network environment. The system includes a module that creates one or more attack events against network devices within the simulated network environment wherein the attack events include exploitations of published and unpublished vulnerabilities and failures of hardware and software network systems, devices, or applications within the simulated network environment. Additionally, the module executes the created attack event on the simulated network environment. In addition, the system has an interface configured for receiving metadata regarding each attack event and adding the received attack event metadata to each associated attack event.
US09246765B2

A system, method, and medium are disclosed for auto discovery and migration of virtual cloud infrastructure. The system includes a configuration database that stores managed entity attributes. The system includes a services console that is configured to retrieve entity attributes from one or more cloud providers. The services console is further configured to compare the managed entity attributes and the retrieved entity attributes. The comparison includes determining if the managed entity attributes correspond to the retrieved entity attributes. The services console is further configured to store, based on the comparison, updated entity attributes in the configuration database. The system also includes a management console configured to generate an architectural view of the updated entity attributes.
US09246757B2

Remote commissioning for an automation system enables a retailer to sell a new device to a customer pre-configured to work together with devices that are already a part of the user's automation system. Knowledge of how the devices are likely to be used at the automation system's location, a list of existing devices already installed and how they are configured, possible input from the customer, and the end user's current usage patterns are optionally used to configure the devices before they leave the store. Assisted local commissioning for an automation device enables an end user to commission devices themselves by simplifying the installation and commissioning process. The system uses a reference database of devices that includes information on how to commission the devices along with user-manual information and pictures for physical installation, and setup instructions so the system can walk a user through the process step by step.
US09246744B2

First, second, and third sets of addresses are created. The first set includes addresses registered in a name server; both the second and third sets include addresses not registered in the name server and that are disjoint. A first address of a first server that has failed and to which access is to be prohibited is moved from the first to the third set, is removed from the first server, assigned to a second server, and removed from the name server. Usage parameter values of the first address are monitored to determine whether at least one is below a value. If so, the first address is removed from the second server and moved from the third to the second set. Upon access to the first server no longer being prohibited, a second address of the second set is assigned to the first server and added to the name server.
US09246732B2

An apparatus for receiving signals includes a receiver for receiving a time domain signal from a transmitter, wherein at least one first information bit is mapped, resulting in at least one first mapped symbol; at least one second information bit is mapped, resulting in at least one second mapped symbol; the at least one second mapped symbol is multiplied by at least one third information bit; and the time domain signal is generated from the at least one first mapped symbol and the at least one second mapped symbol.
US09246731B2

An efficient baseband predistortion linearization method for reducing the spectral regrowth and compensating memory effects in wideband communication systems using effective multiplexing modulation technique such as wideband code division multiple access and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is disclosed. The present invention is based on the method of piecewise pre-equalized lookup table based predistortion, which is a cascade of a lookup table predistortion and piecewise pre-equalizers.
US09246729B2

In a method for generating an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) physical layer (PHY) data unit, a signal field of the data unit is generated. The signal field includes a first subfield to indicate a configuration used for transmission of the data unit and a second subfield to indicate information regarding one of a plurality of modes for the data unit. When the configuration is a first configuration, the second subfield indicates information regarding a first mode of the plurality of modes. When the configuration is a second configuration, the second subfield indicates information regarding a second mode of the plurality of modes. The data unit is generated to include a preamble and a data portion. The signal field is included in the preamble. The data portion is generated according to one of i) the information regarding the first mode or ii) the information regarding the second mode.
US09246728B2

A system and method for frequency diversity uses interleaving in a wireless communication system utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with various FFT sizes. Subcarriers of one or more interlaces are interleaved in a bit reversal fashion and the one or more interlaces are interleaved in the bit reversal fashion.
US09246724B2

A soft demapping apparatus and method thereof includes a pre-processing unit to pre-process a reception signal obtained from a symbol representing bits. A candidate selection unit selects two candidates from among constellation points included in a constellation for each of the bits. A distance calculation unit calculates a Euclidean distance between the reception signal and the two candidates. A log-likelihood ratio (LLR) calculation unit calculates an LLR with respect to the bits based on the Euclidean distance between the reception signal and the two candidates.
US09246721B1

A digital up-converter (DUC) circuit for performing digital channel filtering of an incoming baseband digital signal. The proposed circuit reduces the complexity of the channel module filter of the DUC. This is achieved by taking advantage of the structure of the underlying symbol waveforms carried by the incoming baseband digital signal which have one or more known discontinuities comprising random amplitude and/or phase. Namely, the channel filter module is activated only for the digital samples located around the known discontinuities and is deactivated for the remaining digital samples. Further, the switching of the channel filter module from one state to another can be performed according to a smooth function so that further discontinuities are not introduced in the incoming baseband digital signal. A method and a computer program are also disclosed.
US09246719B2

A circuit for down-converting an RF signal to a baseband signal includes a trans-admittance amplifier adapted to receive the RF signal and generate in response a pair of differential current signals. The circuit further includes a trans-impedance amplifier having at least four mixers and at least four linear amplifiers. The four mixers frequency down-convert the pair of differential current signals to generate four pairs of differential baseband current signals, wherein each pair of the differential baseband current signals has a different phase and is associated with each of the linear amplifiers. Additionally, the circuit includes a summing block that generates an in-phase signal using a first weighted sum of the four different baseband current signals and a quadrature signal using a second weighted sum of the four different baseband current signals. The circuit further includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the in-phase and quadrature signals to respective digital representations.
US09246718B2

An electronic receiver may generate a differential detection sequence based on a received symbol sequence and based on a m-symbol delayed version of the received symbol sequence, where m is an integer greater than 1. The particular differential detection sequence may be a result of an element-by-element multiplication of the particular received symbol sequence and the conjugate of an m-symbol delayed version of the particular received symbol sequence. The receiver may calculate differential decision metrics based on the differential detection sequence and based on a set of differential symbol sequences generated from the set of possible transmitted symbol sequences. The receiver may generate a decision as to which of a set of possible transmitted symbol sequences resulted in the received symbol sequence, where the decision is based on the differential decision metrics and the set of possible transmitted symbols sequences.
US09246711B2

A wireless mesh network enables multiple devices near each other to transmit simultaneously, thus allowing increased network bandwidth. Prior to transmitting, a device may determine various parameters of the wireless medium on which it desires to transmit. For example, the device may determine whether the intended recipient device is close enough, and verify that any other transmitting and receiving devices are far enough away. If these or any other suitable criteria are met, the device can transmit simultaneously with other devices in the vicinity.
US09246710B2

A method and apparatus for managing Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in a primary mobile device are provided. The method includes establishing a device management session with a service provider; receiving an Internet connection-sharing criterion from the service provider; and checking the Internet connection-sharing criterion upon receiving an Internet connection sharing request from a peer mobile device.
US09246701B2

Techniques are provided for controlling downstream Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) access points. At the CCAP access point having a network interface and a coaxial interface, control plane information is received from a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) via the network interface, where the control plane information is designed to configure the CCAP access point to enable communication over the network interface and the coaxial interface. At the CCAP access point, data plane and control plane information is received from the CMTS, and the data plane information transmitted via the coaxial interface to one or more customer termination devices.
US09246693B2

The architecture facilitates the association of resources (e.g., hardware software) with a meeting location such as a conference room or conference space. Additionally, the room and resources can be associated with a realtime conference or meeting at the meeting location. Still further, the resources can be automatically joined to the meeting being held in the room, for both the organizer of the meeting and the remote participants of the meeting. The resources are network addressable and register to a communications infrastructure for online availability. The architecture automatically joins the conference room resources to any conference or call that is being held in the locale (e.g., room) of the conference, and which the user has joined using a realtime conferencing application. The resources distributed across multiple meeting locations can be utilized for a single session, as well.
US09246692B2

Disclosed is a method for synchronizing video in a system including a host CPU and a plurality of transcoder instances, the method comprising: receiving, by two or more transcoder instances in the plurality of transcoder instances, a synchronization Internet Protocol (“IP”) packet from the host CPU, wherein the synchronization IP packet is received as one packet in a multicast stream of IP packets; detecting, by the two or more transcoder instances in the plurality of transcoder instances, the synchronization IP packet at the same point in the multicast stream; and transcoding, by the two or more transcoder instances in the plurality of transcoder instances, the multicast stream of IP packets immediately after detecting the synchronization IP packet.
US09246691B2

A secure communications and location authorization system using a power line or a potion thereof as a side-channel that mitigates man-in-the-middle attacks on communications networks and devices connected to those networks. The system includes a power grid server associated with a substation, or curb-side distribution structure such as a transformer, an electric meter associated with a structure having electric service and able to communicate with the power grid server, a human authorization detector input device connected to the electric meter and the power grid server. The human authorization detector is able to receive an input from a user physically located at the structure and capable of communicating with the power grid server via the electric meter. The user's physical input into the device causing a request to be sent to the power grid server that then generates a location certificate for the user. Without the location certificate, access to the communications network and devices connected to those networks can be denied.
US09246680B2

Systems and methods for encoding a message are disclosed. A message may be passed from a first node to a second node via a communication link using a multi-stage cryptography algorithm distributed between the first node and the second node and applied by circuitry within the first node and the second node in which the multi-stage cryptography algorithm includes instructions for transmitting at least two optical signal transmissions across the communication path and using a number of independent transformations of polarization state of the optical signal transmission by a combination of the first node and the second node at least equal to the number of optical signal transmissions across the communication link.
US09246678B2

An embodiment of the invention allows a user to back-up/store data to a cloud-based storage system and synchronize that data on the user's devices coupled to the storage system. The devices have secure out-of-band cryptoprocessors that conceal a private key. The private key corresponds to a public key that is used to encrypt a session key and information, both of which are passed to and through cloud based storage, all while remaining encrypted. The encrypted material is communicated from the cloud to another of the user's devices where the encrypted material is decrypted within a secure out-of-band cryptoprocessor (using the private key that corresponds to the aforementioned public key) located within the device. The embodiment allows for secure provisioning of the private key to the devices. The private key is only decrypted within the cryptoprocessor so the private key is not “in the open”. Other embodiments are described herein.
US09246674B2

A method is provided of generating and distributing secret random data. The method requires a plurality of participating parties each to own an identical private-key generation device and to request a random signal over a shared publication communication network. At each iteration of the method, the parties process the public random signal with the internal states of their secret-key generation devices using two functions, the output of the first function being generated secret random data and the output of the second function being a new internal state.
US09246668B1

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with unified control of timing recovery and packet processing are described. According to one embodiment, a method for performing unified control of timing recovery and packet processing is provided. The method includes sampling a received signal according to an ADC timing signal to produce a sequence of samples. The received signal corresponds to a packet and was transmitted according to a transmit timing signal. The method includes determining a phase offset between the ADC timing signal and the transmit timing signal and identifying, based, at least in part, on the phase offset, a data portion of the sequence of samples that contains data encoded in the received signal. A re-generated sample sequence that adjusts the data portion based on the phase offset is calculated.
US09246663B2

A User Equipment (UE) is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE receives signaling to configure the UE with multiple serving cells wherein each of the multiple serving cells is configured with a first uplink/downlink (UL/DL) configuration. The UE also determines a downlink (DL)-reference UL/DL configuration for a serving cell. The UE further sends Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information based on the DL-reference UL/DL configuration. In a case that the serving cell is a secondary cell and is configured with additional information enabling dynamic UL/DL reconfiguration, then the DL-reference UL/DL configuration is determined based on a pair formed by a primary cell UL/DL configuration and a secondary cell UL/DL configuration, wherein the secondary cell UL/DL configuration is determined based on at least a UL/DL configuration included in the additional information for the serving cell.
US09246659B2

Systems and methods of scheduling sub-carriers in an OFDMA system in which a scheduler takes into account channel conditions experienced by the communication devices to optimize channel conditions. The scheduler can partition a set of sub-carriers spanning an operating bandwidth into a plurality of segments. The segments can include a plurality of global segments that each includes a distinct non-contiguous subset of the sub-carriers spanning substantially the entire operating bandwidth. One or more of the global segments can be further partitioned into a plurality of local segments that each has a bandwidth that is less than a channel coherence bandwidth. The scheduler determines channel characteristics experienced by each communication device via reporting or channel estimation, and allocates one or more segments to communication links for each device according to the channel characteristics.
US09246658B2

A method for transmitting Acknowledgement/Negative-Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) state information to a base station (BS) at a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. The method according to one embodiment includes receiving two or more transmission blocks through two or more downlink component carriers from the BS; and transmitting information on a number of ACK responses among ACK/NACK responses corresponding to each of the two or more transmission blocks through a single uplink component carrier to the BS.
US09246657B2

Disclosed is wireless communication base station equipment in which CCE allocation can be flexibly performed without collision of ACK/NACK signals between a plurality of unit bands, even when wideband transmission is performed exclusively on a downlink circuit. In this equipment, an allocation unit (105) sets up mutually different search spaces for each of a plurality of downlink unit bands, with respect to wireless communication terminal devices that communicate using a plurality of downlink unit bands, and allocates resource allocation information of downlink circuit data destined for the wireless communication terminal devices to CCEs in mutually different search spaces for each of the plurality of downlink unit bands, and an ACK/NACK reception unit (119); extracts a response signal in respect of the downlink circuit data from the uplink control channel associated with the CCE to which the resource allocation information of this downlink circuit data was allocated.
US09246649B2

A communication device for transmitting a Very High Throughput Signal Field B (VHT-SIG-B) is described. The communication device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The communication device allocates bits for the VHT-SIG-B in a backwards compatible preamble. The communication device additionally applies a pilot mapping for the VHT-SIG-B that is the same as a pilot mapping for the DATA field. The communication device further transmits the VHT-SIG-B.
US09246646B2

Method and apparatus for transmitting pilot on multiple antennas are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may transmit a primary dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH) and at least one secondary DPCCH via multiple antennas using different channelization codes. The first eight pilot symbols of the secondary DPCCH may be same as pilot symbols of length eight of the primary DPCCH. The secondary DPCCH may include a same number of pilot bits as the primary DPCCH in a normal mode and in a compressed mode, respectively. The transmit power of the secondary DPCCH may be adjusted based on a ratio of a number of pilot symbols in the primary DPCCH and the secondary DPCCH. When a required transmit power exceeds a maximum allowed transmit power of the WTRU, power scaling may be applied equally to the primary DPCCH and the secondary DPCCH.
US09246645B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting reception acknowledgment for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in a wireless communication system are provided. A user equipment receives a plurality of downlink resource allocations on a plurality of downlink control channels by using a plurality of downlink carriers, and receives a plurality of downlink transfer blocks on a plurality of downlink shared channels indicated by the plurality of downlink resource allocations. The user equipment determines a plurality of acknowledgment (ACK)/negative acknowledgment (NACK) resource indices based on a plurality of resource indices obtained from downlink resources which use the plurality of downlink control channels. The user equipment transmits ACK/NACK for the plurality of downlink transfer blocks by using ACK/NACK resources indicated by the plurality of ACK/NACK resource indices.
US09246642B2

The invention relates to a method of communication adapted to the transmission of data packets that can be transmitted according to various physical modes.In order to optimize transmission, the method comprises the following steps: reception of packets, each packet being sent in at least one radio burst associated with a physical mode chosen from a set of at least two physical modes; estimation of the packet error rate for each physical mode of the set.
US09246637B2

According to an aspect of this disclosure a communication terminal device is provided, comprising: a transceiver configured to communicate with a communication device according to a retransmission protocol; a controller configured, for a message transmitted from the communication device to the communication terminal device, to at least one of decide, upon a successful receipt of the message from the communication device, if the controller controls the transceiver not to transmit an acknowledgement message which is to be transmitted according to the retransmission protocol; and decide, upon an unsuccessful receipt of the message from the communication device, if the controller controls the transceiver not to transmit a negative acknowledgement message which is to be transmitted according to the retransmission protocol.
US09246633B2

An encoder uses an input file of data and a key to produce an output symbol. An output symbol with key I is generated by determining a weight, W(I), for the output symbol to be generated, selecting W(I) of the input symbols associated with the output symbol according to a function of I, and generating the output symbol's value B(I) from a predetermined value function F(I) of the selected W(I) input symbols. An encoder can be called repeatedly to generate multiple output symbols. The output symbols are generally independent of each other, and an unbounded number (subject to the resolution of I) can be generated, if needed. A decoder receives some or all of the output symbols generated. The number of output symbols needed to decode an input file is equal to, or slightly greater than, the number of input symbols comprising the file, assuming that input symbols and output symbols represent the same number of bits of data.
US09246632B2

According to one embodiment, a reception processing device receives and stores a data packet and a quality enhancement packet. The device includes a third storage unit that stores association between the quality enhancement packet stored in a second storage unit and the data packet stored in a first storage unit, and a fourth storage unit that stores, at each quality enhancement processing, a processing state representing at least one of an interim result and a final result in the quality enhancement processing. The device performs the quality enhancement processing using redundant data included in the quality enhancement packet and the data packet identified by the association and associated with the quality enhancement packet, stores, in the fourth storage unit, the processing state representing the interim result of the operation when interrupting the quality enhancement processing, and resumes the quality enhancement processing by using the processing state.
US09246629B2

A dynamically-reconfigurable multiband multiprotocol communications jamming system and method is provided that are particularly suited for the generation of effective radio-frequency waveforms/noise output that successively translates up and down the RF spectrum. The system and method are particularly suited for strategically targeting specific frequencies in order to disrupt a communications network or networks, and can be rapidly deployed via delivery platforms, such as artillery and other projectile mechanisms, remote operated vehicles (unmanned aerial, sea or land systems) or targeted air or land delivery via manned assets or automated or robotic support means, or manual delivery by personnel.
US09246624B1

A method and system for amplifying optical signals includes generating idler signals for input signals using a pump signal at a first non-linear element (NLE). Phase and amplitude regulation is performed using the output from the first NLE. Optical power monitoring of the input signals may be used for power equalization. The phase regulation may use input from a feed forward phase-power monitoring of the output phase-sensitive amplified signal. After phase regulation the phase-sensitive amplified signal is generated at a second NLE using the pump signal. Optical power monitoring of the input signals may be used for power equalization and other control functions to achieve low-noise operation.
US09246612B2

The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus to collect and provide viewer feedback to broadcasts. According to one aspect of the present invention, a rating is generated for a broadcast by a server system. The rating is based at least in part on viewer feedback to the broadcast, and the rating indicates a likelihood of interest in the broadcast for potential subsequent viewers. According to another aspect of the present invention, the rating is provided from the server system to an entertainment system, and the broadcast can be selected for viewing at an entertainment system. In one embodiment, the viewer feedback is received at the entertainment system in response to a feedback questionnaire.
US09246610B2

A method, system, and device provide alert information using weather prediction data. The method includes: converting weather prediction data to a tile based tile set, the tiles each representative of a unique geographic projection of a rendered geographical area of defined size; determining for each time period of the forecast whether any of the one or more weather variables associated with each prediction geographical tile violates a weather variable threshold for the location associated with the prediction geographical tile, the determining performed by comparing for each time period of the forecast each weather variable of the one or more weather variables associated with the prediction geographical tile to the weather variable threshold for the location associated with the prediction geographical tile; and generating and communicating one or more alerts corresponding to one or more violations of the weather variable thresholds for the locations associated with the prediction geographical tiles.
US09246608B2

A measurement circuit including: a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to measure a first signal strength of a received signal within a first frequency band, the received signal including a signal transmitted from a first transmitting apparatus within the first frequency band and a signal transmitted from a second transmitting apparatus within a second frequency band that constitutes a part of the first frequency band, to generate a second signal strength of the signal transmitted from the second transmitting apparatus within the second frequency band, and to generate a third signal strength of the received signal within the second frequency band based on the first signal strength and the second signal strength.
US09246595B2

A tunable laser transmitter configured in a small package subassembly coupled to a printed circuit board. The tunable laser transmitter includes a housing with a volume formed by exterior walls. An electrical input interface is positioned at the first end of the housing. A first and a second optical output interface is positioned at the second end of the housing, the first output being configured to transmit a modulated optical beam, and the second output configured to transmit a cw beam to the local oscillator of an external receiver.
US09246593B2

An optical communication device includes a light emitting element including a light emitting surface, a processor, a first controller electrically connected to the light emitting element and electrically connected to the processor, a light receiving element including a light receiving surface, a storing element, a second controller electrically connected to the light receiving element and electrically connected to the storing element, a first coating element coating the light emitting element, the first controller, the processor, the light receiving element, the second controller, and the storing element, a planar optical waveguide, and two reflecting elements. The first coating element includes a supporting surface. The supporting surface defines two light guiding holes. The planar optical waveguide is positioned on the supporting surface, and defines two through holes. Each through hole spatially corresponds to and communicates with a light guiding hole. Each reflecting element is received in a through hole.
US09246586B2

Described are a system and method for use by a computing device to transmit information over a communication medium. The computing device communicates over the medium according to a protocol stack having a plurality of protocol layers. Information having an identifier is received at a first protocol layer from a higher protocol layer in the protocol stack. The computing device determines whether to present the information to the network communication medium based on at least one term of a contract associated with the identifier. Upon determining to present the information to the communication medium, the computing device incorporates the identifier in the information before placing the information on the network communication medium.
US09246585B2

A transmitter in a visible light communication system is provided, in which a plurality of light sources emit light in different colors, a data converter converts data to predetermined chromaticity coordinates, a data transmitter emits light having a chromaticity corresponding to the chromaticity coordinates by controlling light intensity of each of the light sources, and a pre-light emitter emits light having chromaticities corresponding to all chromaticity coordinates by controlling the light intensity of each of the light sources, before the light intensity control of the data transmitter.
US09246567B2

Of any one of a transmission method X of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B including the same data from a plurality of antennas and a transmission method Y of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B having different data from the plurality of antennas, a base station apparatus does not change the transmission method during data transmission and changes only the modulation scheme. The base station apparatus transmits modulated signal A and modulated signal B to a communication terminal apparatus using the determined transmission method and modulation scheme. In this way, it is possible to improve data transmission efficiency when transmitting data using the plurality of antennas.
US09246552B2

A digital shunt regulator receives a radio frequency (RF) signal at an antenna which generates a differential output signal over a differential path. A peak detector is coupled to the antenna and receives the differential output signal over the differential path. A first comparator receives a voltage output of the peak detector and a first voltage. A second comparator receives the voltage output of the peak detector and a second voltage. A digital state machine receives an output of the first comparator and an output of the second comparator. A plurality of shunt NMOS transistors receives an output of the digital state machine. The digital state machine is configured to control the number of shunt NMOS transistors that are activated to maintain the voltage output of the peak detector between the first voltage and the second voltage.
US09246544B2

Discloses are a transmission line having variable characteristic impedance and a combiner configured to combine a plurality of filter by use of the transmission line. The transmission line in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first filter junction being connected with a first RF filter and configured to obtain an output signal of the first RF filter; a second filter junction being connected with a second RF filter and configured to obtain an output signal of the second RF filter; a first variable impedance section in which a phase of the output signal of the first RF filter is matched with a preset phase; and a second variable impedance section in which a phase of the output signal of the second RF filter is matched with the preset phase.
US09246541B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate providing uplink inter-cell interference cancellation. A radio network controller can receive measurement reports in order to identify non-serving nodes that are receiving interference from user equipment. Based on evaluation of such measurement reports, an interference message can be communicated to a Node B, wherein such measurement report can include information that allows the Node B to cancel or terminate the interference caused by such identified user equipment.
US09246537B2

A method for determining arrival time of a UWB pulse at a receiver. When a pulse is modulated at an RF frequency, the receiver includes a quadrature demodulator, a first correlating stage for correlating the in-phase signal with the first and second signals of an orthogonal base on a time window and a second correlating stage for correlating the quadrature signal with the first and second signals of the orthogonal base on the same window, a phase estimator estimating the phase of the signal received in the orthogonal base from the correlation results of the first and/or second correlating stage(s), and a computing device determining the arrival time from the phase thus estimated.
US09246536B2

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to programmable duplexers. The frequency pass band of the programmable duplexer is changed according to a selection of a channel-pair to control or maximize the transition band between the receiver path and the transmitter path. The programmable duplexer permits selections of desired pass bands without the need for multiple duplexer filters.Embodiments disclosed herein also relate to temperature compensating a programmable duplexer based upon one or more temperature indications. The one or more temperature indications may be based upon a temperature of a semiconductor circuit, a temperature of a substrate of a one-port resonator of the programmable duplexer, and/or a temperature of the one-port resonator. The resulting programmable duplexer has an added additional advantage of lessening the temperature variations of the programmable duplexer.
US09246533B2

An electronic device includes a main circuit connected between an input terminal and an output terminal, and an auxiliary circuit connected in parallel to the main circuit between the input terminal and the output terminal. The main circuit includes a filter having a first passband and a stopband. The auxiliary circuit has a passing characteristic that allows a signal having a frequency in a certain frequency band inside the stopband to pass through the auxiliary circuit. The main circuit is configured to output a main signal in response to an input signal. The auxiliary circuit is configured to output an auxiliary signal in response to the input signal. The main signal and the auxiliary signal contain phase components opposite to each other in the certain frequency band inside the stopband. This electronic device has an attenuation amount in the stopband.
US09246524B2

An Outdoor Coupler Unit (OCU) is described to combine or split, transmit and receive microwave signals from multiple Outdoor Units (ODUs). The OCU has low signal loss by utilizing circulators. The OCU concept allows for system expansion beyond two ODUs if desired, and can be placed outdoors in close proximity to an antenna or antennas.
US09246520B2

Disclosed is a wideband and multi-band frequency up converter used in a satellite earth station. The converter includes a first mixer configured to mix an intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a first local signal, and generate an IF′ signal; a narrow band filter configured to filter the IF signal; a first local oscillator configured to generate a first local signal so that the IF′ signal passes the narrow band filter; a second local oscillator configured to generate a second local signal needed to convert the IF′ signal into a desired frequency (RF) band; a second mixer configured to mix the IF′ signal filtered in the narrow band filter and the second local signal, and generate an RF signal; a wideband filter configured to filter the generated RF signal; and a control unit configured to vary a frequency of the first local signal.
US09246516B2

Techniques for error correction of encoded data are described. In some examples, error correction code (ECC) information for the ECC encoded data is received that indicates the ECC encoded data includes one or more errors. A determination is then made as to whether the ECC encoded data includes a single error, two errors or more than two errors. If the ECC encoded data includes a single error, an error location of the error is identified. If the ECC encoded data includes two errors, first and second error locations are identified. If the ECC encoded data includes more than two errors, separate error locations are identified for the more than two errors. The single error, the two errors or the more than two errors is/are corrected and the ECC encoded data is then be decoded.
US09246515B2

An error correction code block including dual-syndrome generators, which may process a plurality of successive code word without latency, is configured to calculate syndrome values of a corresponding even numbered codeword among the plurality of code words by using one of the dual-syndrome generators, and is configured to calculate syndrome values of a corresponding odd numbered codeword among the plurality of code words by using the other of the dual-syndrome generators.
US09246514B2

Forward Error Correction (FEC) techniques that generate independently decodable resource blocks are beneficial for Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) demodulation. One FEC technique for generating independently decodable resource blocks includes mapping locally decodable FEC codeblocks into unique resource blocks such that substantially all of the bits of the FEC codeblock are carried within a single resource block. The locally decodable FEC codeblocks can be generated from different FEC encoding modules or from a common FEC encoding module. Another technique for generating independently decodable resource blocks includes encoding a stream of information bits into low-density parity-check (LDPC) codeblocks having high ratios of inward peering parity bits. These high ratios of inward peering parity bits allow substantial portions of each LDPC codeblock to be decoded independently from information carried by other LDPC codeblocks.
US09246512B2

An error correcting device is provided that has an input connectable to receive one or more data units, an error detection module arranged to identify a presence of one or more errors in a received data unit of the one or more data units and to provide an error detection signal for the received data unit, an error correction module arranged to perform an error correction processing on the received data unit and provide a corrected data unit, and a correction evaluation module arranged to perform a comparison of the received data unit with the corrected data unit and to generate a correction error signal depending on a result of the comparison and the error detection signal.
US09246508B2

A novel noise injection technique is presented to improve dynamic range with low resolution and low speed analog to digital converters. This technique combines incoming signal and noise signal with wave front de-multiplexer and split into several channels. Then low resolution and low speed analog to digital converters are used to sample each channels. All signals are recovered using wave front multiplexer. For advanced design, ground diagnostic signals with optimizing processor can be added to guarantee recovery quality.
US09246495B2

A method for exciting a resonator having a resonance frequency, the resonator is excited in a first period with a first frequency that differs from the resonance frequency by a first frequency difference is provided. During a second period, the resonator is excited with a second frequency that differs from the resonance frequency by a second frequency difference. The first frequency difference and the second frequency difference have different signs. Additionally, the amounts of the first frequency difference and of the second frequency difference differ from one another by less than 10% of the greater amount.
US09246490B1

A one-shot circuit that includes a fixed-voltage generating module, a clock-shifting module and a logic operation module is provided. The fixed-voltage generating module is operated according to a system voltage to generate a fixed voltage smaller than the system voltage and not varied accordingly. The clock-shifting module includes a delay circuit and at least one first inverter. The delay circuit receives and delays a clock signal to generate a first delayed clock signal. The first inverter is electrically connected to the delay circuit to be operated according to the fixed voltage to receive the first delayed clock signal and generate a second delayed clock signal that is delayed for a predetermined time period relative to the clock signal. The logic operation module receives the clock signal and the second delayed clock signal to perform a logic operation to generate a one-shot signal.
US09246476B2

An object is to prevent malfunction of a power device. In a semiconductor device for driving a power device for power supply, a buffer circuit and a level-shift circuit are configured by transistors having the same conductivity type. Furthermore, a capacitor is provided in the level-shift circuit, and a signal to be boosted is supplied to the capacitor and is boosted using capacitive coupling of the capacitor. Furthermore, a structure can be employed in which the signal is boosted in such a manner that, in the level-shift circuit, a capacitor is provided between a wiring for supplying a low power source potential and a wiring for supplying a potential to boost the signal so that a power transistor can be driven.
US09246473B2

An acoustic resonator includes a bottom electrode disposed over a substrate, a piezoelectric layer disposed over the bottom electrode, a top electrode disposed over the piezoelectric layer, and a cavity disposed beneath the bottom electrode. An overlap of the bottom electrode, the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode defines a main membrane region of the acoustic resonator structure. The acoustic resonator further includes an acoustic reflector disposed over the substrate adjacent to the cavity, the acoustic reflector including a layer of low acoustic impedance material stacked on a layer of high acoustic impedance material.
US09246471B2

A resonator element includes a base, a quartz crystal resonator blank which is integrally disposed with the base, and has a pair of vibrating arms which are disposed in parallel in an X axial direction, and extend from the base in a Y′ axial direction, the vibrating arms include arms, hammerheads which are positioned on tip end sides of the arms, and are longer than the arms in the X axial direction, a relationship of 0.033×T [μm]
US09246465B2

A mixer comprising a ladder having at least two resistances arranged in series and an input configured to receive an input signal and apply it across the ladder, said ladder including an output arrangement comprising at least three branches, a first branch branching from a first end of the ladder, a second branch branching from between the at least two resistances and a third branch branching from a second end of the ladder, opposite the first end, each branch including a switch for controlling a connection between its branch and an output.
US09246464B2

A magnetic interface circuit for interfacing between a cable side and a circuit side of a networking communication channel. The magnetic interface circuit includes a transformer and a 3-wire common mode choke (CMC). The transformer has a first winding connected to the cable side of the channel and a second winding connected to the circuit side of the channel. Each of the first and second windings has two output ports. The 3-wire CMC has a center winding and two outer windings respectively connected to the output ports of the first or second winding. The center winding has two opposite ends both used for connecting to ground.
US09246461B2

A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric thin film including an aluminum nitride thin film containing scandium on a substrate, the method includes: sputtering step for sputtering aluminum and scandium under an atmosphere containing at least a nitrogen gas. In the sputtering step in the method according to the present invention, a scandium content rate falls within the range from 0.5% by atom to 50% by atom when a temperature of the substrate falls within the range from 5° C. to 450° C. during the sputtering step.
US09246446B2

A chopper amplifier includes a chopper modulator to modulate a certain detection signal and a bias voltage by a certain control signal and output a chopper modulation signal, a first differential amplifier to differentially amplify the chopper modulation signal from the chopper modulator and output a differential modulation signal, a chopper demodulator to demodulate the differential modulation signal from the first differential amplifier by the control signal and output a demodulation signal, a second differential amplifier to extract a detection signal component from the demodulation signal, and a plurality of filters connected at an input terminal of the second differential amplifier and having different cutoff frequencies from each other relative to the demodulation signal.
US09246442B2

Techniques for controlling one or more audio amplifiers in or associated with a device coupled on a local area network are disclosed. An example playback device includes a processor, an amplifier, a network interface, and a memory. The memory includes a software module that, when executed by the processor, causes the playback device to: operate in a first power mode in which the amplifier consumes a first amount of power; while operating in the first power mode, detect that the playback device received, via the network interface, a specified type of data packet; and based on determining that the playback device received the specified type of data packet, transition from operating in the first power mode to operate in a second power mode in which the amplifier consumes a second amount of power, wherein the first amount of power is less than the second amount of power.
US09246435B1

A method and apparatus for charging a crystal oscillator are provided. A voltage generating module outputs a ramp voltage signal to a ring oscillator. The ring oscillator generates and outputs a waveform based on the ramp voltage signal. The ramp voltage signal facilitates the ring oscillator to output the waveform at a frequency that varies with time, wherein the varying frequency is within a frequency range of the crystal oscillator. An inverter generates a digital input signal based on the waveform. The digital input signal is sent to an input of the crystal oscillator for charging the crystal oscillator. A feedback module outputs a feedback signal based on the digital input signal, wherein the feedback signal controls the voltage generating module to generate a fixed voltage signal that facilitates the ring oscillator to output the waveform at a frequency that is equal to a resonance frequency of the crystal oscillator.
US09246434B2

Described herein is a method and system for determining a short-circuit current of a solar device before the solar device is tested in a solar simulator. A solar device includes a substrate layer, a front contact layer, a window/emitter layer, an absorber layer and a back contact. A thickness of the window/emitter layer and an absorption wavelength of the absorber layer are determined. The window/emitter layer thickness and absorber layer absorption wavelength are used with a fitting parameter that corresponds to transmission properties of the substrate and first contact layers in order to determine the solar device's short-circuit current.
US09246431B2

A method of controlling a current flowing through a component of a drive comprising the steps of: estimating the current flowing through a component; estimating the temperature of the component; comparing the estimated temperature with a desired maximum temperature for the component; and adjusting the current flowing through the component based on the result of the comparing step.
US09246430B2

Provided is a method for controlling an inverter, the method comprising calculating an optimal speed, determining a final speed as the optimal speed when a command speed is higher than a rated speed level of a motor, and determining the final speed as the command speed when the command speed is lower than or equal to the rated speed level, or higher than a predetermined optimal speed level.
US09246426B2

The method according to the invention involves limiting the charging of a vehicle alternator by only authorizing progressive augmentation of a current duty cycle (DC) of an excitation signal (7) of the alternator from an initial duty cycle to an expected duty cycle (EpsU) calculated by a control loop (1, 5, 6) of the alternator. According to the invention, a complementary limitation of the charging of the alternator involves limiting the increase of the current duty cycle (DC) according to at least one parameter of the heat engine involving an angular acceleration (mot) and/or a rotation speed (Nmot) of the heat motor. In particular, this complementary limitation can additionally involve limiting the increase of the current duty cycle (DC) according to a negative value of the angular acceleration (mot).
US09246411B2

Single and multiphase regenerative voltage doubler rectifiers, sag/swell corrector apparatus, and operating methods are presented in which rectifier switching devices are selectively pulse width modulated for regenerative load conditions and for regenerating power during input voltage swell circumstances.
US09246409B2

A method and apparatus for LCL resonant converter control utilizing Asymmetric Voltage Cancellation is described. The methods to determine the optimal trajectory of the control variables are discussed. Practical implementations of sensing load parameters are included. Simple PI, PID and fuzzy logic controllers are included with AVC for achieving good transient response characteristics with output current regulation.
US09246406B2

An energy efficient apparatus includes a switching device, a frequency dependent reactive device, and a control element is provided. The switching device is coupled to a source of electrical power and includes a pair of transistors and is adapted to receive a control signal and to produce an alternating current power signal. The frequency of the alternating current power signal is responsive to the control signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is electrically coupled to the pair of transistors for receiving the alternating current power signal and producing an output power signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is chosen to achieve a desired voltage of the output power signal relative to the frequency of the alternating current power signal. The control element senses an actual voltage of the direct current power signal and modifies the control signal delivered to achieve the desired voltage of the direct current power signal.
US09246405B2

An electrical energy transmission system has a three-phase electric current power source which generates a three-phase electric current having three electric currents, a converting device which converts the three-phase electric current to obtain a common electric current signal formed by summation of three electric currents having the same phases, and a single-line electrical transmission line which transmits further the thusly produced common electric current signal.
US09246404B2

The present disclosure discloses a power converter providing a low output voltage from an offline AC. The power converter defines a voltage window for the input AC signal. Inside the voltage window, the rectified DC waveform is passed through to the output and the storage capacitor; outside the voltage window, the power converter is idle (or the output is blocked from input) and let the output storage capacitor alone supply the load.
US09246397B2

The present invention relates to a power conditioning unit for delivering power from a dc power source to an ac output, particularly ac voltages greater than 50 volts, either for connecting directly to a grid utility supply, or for powering mains devices independent from the mains utility supply. We describe a power conditioning unit for delivering power from a dc power source to an ac mains output, the power conditioning unit comprising an input for receiving power from said dc power source, an output for delivering ac power, an energy storage capacitor, a dc-to-dc converter having an input connection coupled to said input and an output connection coupled to the energy storage capacitor, and a dc-to-ac converter having an input connection coupled to said energy storage capacitor and an output connection coupled to said output, wherein said energy storage capacitor has a capacitance of less than twenty microfarads.
US09246396B2

A power supplying device is electrically connected to an alternating current (AC) power supplier and an electronic system. The power supplying device includes a rectifier, a power converter, a controller, a power manager, and a switch component. The power converter is electrically connected to the rectifier and includes a first electric power outputting terminal and a standby electric power outputting terminal. The standby electric power outputting terminal is electrically connected to the electronic system. The controller is electrically connected to the power converter. The power manager is electrically connected to the controller and the electronic system. The switch component is electrically connected to the first electric power outputting terminal, the power manager, and the electronic system. The switch component conducts or cuts-off an electric power outputted form the first electric power outputting terminal and transmitting to the electronic system according to controls of the power manager.
US09246395B1

Embodiments include circuits and methods to determine peak current for current regulation. A control signal circuit monitors a current on the primary side of a transformer based a turn on time of a switch coupled to the primary side. The control signal circuit determines whether the monitored current exceeds an over-current protection threshold, and determines a duration that the monitored current exceeds the over-current protection threshold. The control signal circuit determines a peak primary current in the primary side based on the over-current protection threshold, the duration that the monitored current exceeds the over-current protection threshold, and the turn on time of the switch. The control signal circuit controls the turn on time for the switch based on the determined peak primary current.
US09246389B2

A high precision DC/DC resonant converter with a wide load range includes a first switch leg having one end connected to an anode terminal of a DC power source and the other connected to a cathode terminal of the DC power source to independently operate at a switching frequency used in an application of an output voltage for no load or a light load equal to or less than a rated load; and one or more second switch legs having one end connected to the anode terminal of the DC power source and the other end connected to the cathode terminal of the DC power source to operate at a switching frequency for the rated load or a frequency equal to or less than the switching frequency used in the application of the output voltage for no load or the light load that the first switch leg takes charge of.
US09246385B2

A switching power control circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert an analog direct current (DC) voltage into a digital voltage; a digital compensator configured to set a gain and phase characteristics of the digital voltage output from the ADC and output a digital compensation value; and a pulse generating circuit configured to generate at least one driving signal based on the digital compensation value, wherein the pulse generating circuit is switched by an ON/OFF signal for turning on or off an output of the driving signal from the pulse generating circuit and a control scheme selection signal for selecting a predetermined driving signal from the driving signal.
US09246377B2

Disclosed is an apparatus for transferring substrates capable of stably transferring substrates by using magnetic levitation. The apparatus includes a substrate stage including a substrate loading unit, a first guide block disposed at a first end of the substrate stage and including a first magnet generator, a second guide block disposed at a second end of the substrate stage and including a second magnet generator, a first guide rail accommodating the first magnet generator and including a third magnet generator, and a second guide rail accommodating the second magnet generator and including a fourth magnet generator. The first magnet generator and the third magnet generator exert repulsive force on each other, and the second magnet generator and the fourth magnet generator exert repulsive force on each other.
US09246376B2

Disclosed herein is a linear, curved or rotary electric machine. The electric machine includes first and second movers which are adjacent to each other and have a phase angle difference of 60° therebetween. The first mover includes phases U, V and W and the second mover includes phases /U, /V and /W. The electric machine of the present invention can reduce pulsations of thrust caused by end effect. In particular, in the case where the stator includes permanent magnets having the same poles and salient poles which alternate with the permanent magnets, the number of permanent magnets used can be reduced to half of that of a conventional linear electric machine.
US09246375B2

The invention relates to a vibration generator which is used in devices, such as mobile phones, requiring a vibration mode. More specifically, the invention relates to a horizontal vibration type vibration generator which includes a casing that is open on one surface thereof, a vibration part having a weight provided inside the casing, and a spring mounted inside the casing, and which produces horizontal vibration by using the phenomenon of resonance which occurs by causing oscillation in an electromagnetic force having the same frequency as the intrinsic vibration frequency of the spring, and which solves the problem of a reduction in the life span of the vibration generator due to mechanical friction as seen in existing mechanical vibration generators, and generates a large vibration force despite having a thin construction unachievable in a vertical moving type vibration generator. The invention also relates to a production method of the vibration generator.
US09246367B2

The present invention provides an automotive rotary electric machine that can suppress unnecessary disengagement of a protective cover by increasing supporting strength for the protective cover. The automotive rotary electric machine according to the present invention includes: a rectifier and a voltage regulator that are disposed outside a first axial end of a casing; and a resin protective cover that is formed so as to have a cup shape that is constituted by a bottom portion and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion, and that is mounted onto a casing so as to cover the rectifier and the voltage regulator. The protective cover is held by a circuit board of the rectifier by coupling by snap-fitting a plurality of projections that are disposed so as to protrude from an inner circumferential wall surface of the peripheral wall portion to a plurality of projection-engaging portions that are formed on an outer peripheral wall surface of the circuit board so as to be separated circumferentially.
US09246361B2

A segmented magneto-conductive structure applied in rotating machines comprises a rotor assembly and a stator assembly. The rotor assembly includes a rotor yoke component and a plurality of rotor teeth components. The rotor yoke component is made of non-oriented silicon steel. The rotor teeth components are made of grain-oriented silicon steel. The stator assembly includes a plurality of stator yoke components and a plurality of stator teeth components. The stator yoke components and the stator teeth components are made of grain-oriented silicon steel. Thereby, an operational efficiency of a motor applying the segmented magneto-conductive structure is enhanced.
US09246357B2

A contactless power feeding system includes a power transmitting device and a power receiving device. The power transmitting device includes a first AC power source configured to generate an AC power with a first frequency, a second AC power source configured to generate an AC power with a second frequency which is different from the first frequency, a first electromagnetic induction coil, and a first resonant coil. The power receiving device includes a second resonant coil, a second electromagnetic induction coil, and a power storage unit. Power is wirelessly supplied to the power storage unit at the second frequency by a magnetic resonance phenomenon which occurs between the first resonant coil and the second resonant coil.
US09246349B2

An ultrasound power transmitter comprising a transmit ultrasonic transducer array has a plurality of transmit ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasound power transmitter activates a set of transmit ultrasonic transducers in close proximity of an electronic device to be arranged to beam ultrasound energy to the electronic device. Alignment magnets of the ultrasound power transmitter are aligned with corresponding alignment magnets of the electronic device to manage the ultrasound beaming. The ultrasound energy may be converted into electric power to charge the battery of the electronic device. Feedbacks may be provided by the electronic device to the ultrasound power transmitter to increase power transmission efficiency. The ultrasound power transmitter may pair the electronic device with other different electronic devices utilizing ultrasonic signals. A spacer with good ultrasound power transmission properties may be located between the ultrasound power transmitter and an ultrasound power receiver of an intended electronic device to enhance power transmission.
US09246347B2

A semiconductor die with integrated MOSFET and diode-connected enhancement mode JFET is disclosed. The MOSFET-JFET die includes common semiconductor substrate region (CSSR) of type-1 conductivity. A MOSFET device and a diode-connected enhancement mode JFET (DCE-JFET) device are located upon CSSR. The DCE-JFET device has the CSSR as its DCE-JFET drain. At least two DCE-JFET gate regions of type-2 conductivity located upon the DCE-JFET drain and laterally separated from each other with a DCE-JFET gate spacing. At least a DCE-JFET source of type-1 conductivity located upon the CSSR and between the DCE-JFET gates. A top DCE-JFET electrode, located atop and in contact with the DCE-JFET gate regions and DCE-JFET source regions. When properly configured, the DCE-JFET simultaneously exhibits a forward voltage Vf substantially lower than that of a PN junction diode while the reverse leakage current can be made comparable to that of a PN junction diode.
US09246344B2

Disclosed is a charging method for one or more non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries by n steps of constant-current charging processes, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2. The n steps include: (1) charging the secondary batteries at a current Ic(k) until a charge voltage per one battery reaches a voltage Ec(k), where k is an integer equal to or greater than 1 and equal to or smaller than n−1; and (2) when the charge voltage per one battery reaches the voltage Ec(k), charging the secondary batteries at a current Ic(k+1) smaller than the current Ic(k) until the charge voltage per one battery reaches a voltage Ec(k+1) higher than the voltage Ec(k), in which (3) the currents Ic(k) and Ic(k+1) are set according to frequency of use or number of charge and discharge cycles of the secondary batteries.
US09246343B2

An example of a charging apparatus includes a housing, a first movable member, and a second movable member. The first movable member is configured to be pressed down. The second movable member accommodates a charging terminal in the housing in a reference state, and when the first movable member has been pressed down, causes the charging terminal to protrude through an opening portion provided in the housing, so as to enter a terminal contact state. The first movable member and the second movable member are configured such that an amount of movement of the charging terminal during a period from the reference state to a predetermined intermediate state is smaller than the amount of movement during the same period in a case where the charging terminal moves from the reference state to the terminal contact state by an amount proportional to an amount of pressing down the first movable member.
US09246338B2

Energy storage arrangement for safely discharging an energy accumulator with electric poles via which the energy accumulator can be at least discharged, an electrically conductive conductor medium in the form of a fluid or fine-grained bulk material or a mixture of both, a reservoir container which is filled with the conductor medium, a collecting container which is provided for accommodating the conductor medium and which encloses the electric poles of the energy accumulator, and a triggerable discharging device, by means of which, in the case of triggering, conductor medium is discharged from the reservoir container into the collecting container such that the electric poles of the energy accumulator are connected to one another in an electrically conductive fashion via the conductor medium.
US09246330B2

A method and system for operating a photovoltaic module includes providing a reversed electrical bias to the photovoltaic module.
US09246327B2

An arrangement for controlling the electric power transmission in a high voltage direct current, HVDC, power transmission system includes at least one HVDC transmission or distribution line for carrying direct current, DC, and the arrangement includes an apparatus connectable to the HVDC transmission or distribution line, the apparatus being arranged to control the direct current of the HVDC transmission or distribution line by introducing a DC voltage in series with the HVDC transmission or distribution line. The arrangement includes a protection device for protecting the apparatus against over-current or overvoltage occurrences. The protection device includes a bypass device connectable to the HVDC transmission or distribution line and connected in parallel with the apparatus. The bypass device is arranged to be in a non-conducting mode and arranged to be set to a conducting mode. When being in the conducting mode, the bypass device is arranged to conduct direct current of the HVDC transmission or distribution line to electrically bypass the apparatus. A HVDC power transmission system includes at least one arrangement of the above-mentioned sort. A method for protecting an apparatus against over-current or overvoltage occurrences, the apparatus being included in an arrangement of the above-mentioned sort.
US09246326B2

The invention concerns a method and a system for online ferroresonance detection in a high voltage electrical distribution network. The method includes: Overflux detection (23), which acts as the start element, overflux being set if the flux is greater than a threshold for specified time duration, mode verification (26) which is to recognize the modes of the ferroresonance, a fuzzy logic method being used to discriminate the ferroresonance modes.
US09246324B2

A circuit breaker is disclosed which includes a plurality of stacked breaker modules arranged in series. Each breaker module can include, in parallel, a mechanical switching assembly, a semiconductor switching assembly and an arrester assembly. The circuit breaker can easily be adapted to a larger number of applications and voltage ranges by varying the number of breaker modules.
US09246320B2

A motor-driven compressor includes a shell, an electric motor, a first conductor electrically connected to an external power source, a second conductor electrically connected to the electric motor, a connector connecting the first conductor and the second conductor and a connector case. The connector case has a first case member, a second case member, a first and a second seal members interposed between the first and the second case members, a hole through which the first conductor is inserted and a third seal member sealing between the first conductor and the connector case. A first main seal of the first seal member and a second main seal of the second seal member cooperate to form a cylindrical seal portion for sealing the second conductor that is inserted through the cylindrical seal portion when the first and the second seal members are joined.
US09246317B2

An electrical receptacle assembly is reconfigurable to provide any number of different styles or configurations of high or low voltage electrical receptacles and/or data outlets. The receptacle assembly includes a main body with an outlet receptacle portion, a flange portion extending outwardly from the main body, an upper frame member positioned generally above the flange portion, and a lower frame member positioned generally below the flange portion. A plurality of electrical contacts are positioned in the main body, and are configured to make electrical contact when the outlet receptacle portion receives an electrical or data plug associated with an electrical device. The upper and lower frame members are configured to interchangeably receive different main bodies with different outlet portions, and enable the different outlet portions to be mounted at a power center along a work surface or the like.
US09246305B1

A light-emitting device having one or more diamond layers integrated therein and methods for forming a light-emitting device with integrated diamond layers. The diamond is grown either directly on the semiconductor material comprising the light-emitting structure, on a nucleation layer deposited on the semiconductor material, or on a dielectric layer deposited on the semiconductor material before growth of the diamond layer. The device can include a trench or thermal shunt formed in the substrate on the backside of the device, or can include a heat sink to provide additional thermal management.
US09246298B2

Corrosion resistant electrodes are formed of brass that has been doped with phosphorus. The electrodes are formed of brass that contains about 100 ppm to about 1,000 ppm of phosphorus, and the brass has no visible microporosity at a magnification of 400×. The brass may be cartridge brass that contains about 30 weight percent of zinc and the balance copper. Corrosion resistant electrodes also may be formed by subjecting brass to severe plastic deformation to increase the resistance of the brass to plasma corrosion. The corrosion resistant electrodes can be used in laser systems to generate laser light.
US09246297B2

A gas laser oscillator including discharge tubes, main discharge electrodes, auxiliary electrodes, an output mirror which outputs a laser, and a mechanical shutter which cuts off the laser output from the output mirror. To maintain the auxiliary discharge in the state where the laser output is zero, the base discharge command is set to a first command value when the mechanical shutter is closed, and is set to a second command value smaller than the first command value when the mechanical shutter is opened.
US09246296B2

An optical apparatus comprising an optical source for providing output light for providing input signal light can comprise a pump source for pumping a four wave mixing (FWM) process with light pulses (“FWM pump light”); a FWM element in optical communication with said pump source, said FWM element configured for hosting the FWM process to generate, responsive to the FWM pump light, pulses of FWM signal light and FWM idler light having different wavelengths; and a laser or amplifier optical device comprising a gain material for providing optical gain at a gain wavelength via a process of stimulated emission responsive to optical pumping with pump light, said laser or amplifier optical device in optical communication with said optical source and receiving one of the FWM signal light and the FWM idler light as input signal light having the gain wavelength for optically seeding with input signal light the laser or amplifier optical device.
US09246295B2

A high power ultrashort chirped pulse amplifier laser system, with a chirped pulse amplifier laser module including an optical pulse stretcher, at least one optical power amplifier, and an optical pulse compressor, and a beam interferometer module in the optical path. The beam interferometer receives splits the pulse into at least two pulses, adds a time delay to at least one of the pulses and recombines the pulses to produce a temporally modulated pulse. The resulting modulated output pulse from the CPA laser module can have enhanced laser contrast due to greatly reduced subpicosecond pedestal in the immediate region of the peak pulse, or can have other desirable characteristics.
US09246293B2

A leadframe for a contact module includes signal contacts arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. Each pair of signal contacts includes a first signal contact and a second signal contact. Each signal contact has a mating beam at an end thereof configured to be electrically connected to a corresponding header contact of a header assembly. Each mating beam includes a stem and a branch extending from the stem. A first paddle extends from the stem and a second paddle extends from the branch. In an initial, stamped orientation, the mating beams are stamped such that the mating beams of the first and second signal contacts within the same pair of signal contacts are angled non-parallel to one another.
US09246284B2

An electrical connector includes a first insulative housing (21), a number of first contacts (22) retained in the first insulative housing, and a metallic shell shielding on the first insulative housing. Each first contact comprises a main portion, a contacting section (2211) in front of the base portion, and a soldering section (2201) behind the base portion. Each first contact has a first sub-contact (220) and a second sub-contact (221) stacked with each other. The first sub-contact (220) comprises a first main section (2202) and the soldering section, the second sub-contact (221) comprises a second main section (2210) and the contacting section, the first main section is superimposed on the second main section to form the main portion, and the main portion of the first contact has a larger thickness than the contacting section and the soldering section.
US09246280B2

A cage can include a thermal plate positioned so as to be aligned with a bottom of a channel. An adjustable biasing system is provided to urge a module toward the thermal plate. The adjustable biasing system may be a riding heat sink. The thermal plate may include a fin to help increase its surface area. A housing with a card slot aligned with the channel can be provided in the cage to provide a receptacle that has a card slot aligned with the channel. A receptacle so configured allows for greater thermal energy to be removed from a module.
US09246274B2

The present invention generally relates to the field of network communications, and more specifically to networks for crosstalk reduction/compensation and communication connectors which employ such networks. In an embodiment, the present invention is an RJ45 jack with an orthogonal compensation network to meet CAT6A or higher performance standard. For the 3:6-4:5 wire-pair combination, the orthogonal compensation network begins in the jack nose (plug interface contact (PIC)) section, and utilizes a flexible printed circuit board in the nose section, split PIC contacts in the rear nose, and circuitry in the rigid printed circuit board to create the orthogonal compensation network.
US09246272B2

A latching connector receptacle includes a receptacle body configured to receive a plug, a biased release ring coupled to the receptacle body, and a latch dog assembly coupled to the receptacle body. The latch dog assembly includes a moveable latch dog configured to matingly engage the plug and matingly engage the release ring, and a moveable latch indicator configured to move in response to movement of the latch dog.
US09246270B2

In a power supply connector, when defect is detected at the locking part by the defect detection means, sliding of the connector body and the grasping member with respect to the case is locked by the case lock mechanism; when defect is not detected at the locking part, the case lock mechanism is released and the connector body and the grasping member become slidable in a direction of nearly the same axis line with respect to the case. When the grasping member is slid forward with respect to the case in a state in which the case lock mechanism is released, the connector body becomes movable to the front with respect to the case. As a result, in the power supply connector, the connector in the power supply side is not connectable to the connector of the power reception side when there is a defect in the locking part.
US09246268B1

The present arrangement provides for a protection device having a deflector element with a receiving slot on its underside and a CPA assist coupled to the deflector element. The CPA assist is configured to be moved from the first pre-staged position to the second active position by pressing the CPA assist to engage a CPA positioned within the CPA slot. The protection device is configured to be placed onto a connector with the receiving slot configured to be placed over a CPA slot on the connector.
US09246265B2

A metallic contact for insertion into a modular telecommunications plug includes a generally planar body defining a top end, a bottom end, a front end, a rear end, and a length extending from the front end to the rear end. The bottom end is at least partially defined by a blade for piercing an insulation of a wire positioned within the plug. At least a portion of the top end is configured to electrically contact a conductor of a jack that receives the plug. The top end is defined at least in part by a first engagement surface that is separated from a second engagement surface by a notch. An uppermost portion of the first engagement surface defines a first push surface that is generally at the same height as a second push surface defined by an uppermost portion of the second engagement surface. The notch is defined by a front vertical wall spaced from a rear vertical wall, wherein the front vertical wall is positioned at a distance of at least half the length of the contact from the front end of the contact.
US09246260B2

An electrical connector includes a base including a base housing, and a socket including a socket housing. Each of two socket side walls of the socket housing is provided with a first protrusion, and a distance L4 between two base side walls is equal to or larger than a distance L2 between the respective leading ends of the first protrusions. Each of two base side walls is provided with a first engagement projection on its inner surface, and a distance L1 between the respective leading ends of the first engagement projections is smaller than the distance L2 between the respective leading ends of the first protrusions, and the distance L1 is equal to or larger than a distance L3 between the two socket side walls. While the socket is completely accommodated in a socket accommodation chamber, each first protrusion is positioned below the corresponding first engagement projection.
US09246258B2

A modular electrical receptacle wherein more than one of the modular electrical receptacles can be connected to form a larger receptacle connected to a single source of power. The modular electrical receptacle includes a housing having a front surface with a first and a second electrical outlet. The housing further includes a first tab extending from a first end and a second end extending from a second end for securing the modular receptacle to an in-wall electrical box. The housing further includes a power link, such as a conductive extension, for connecting directly to another module and providing the other module with access to the single source of power. The power link can be three links for connecting a positive line, a neutral line and a ground line to another module. The housing also includes a coupler for connecting the housing to a power link of another module.
US09246257B2

An electrical connector housing is disclosed having a first housing member, and a second housing member mated with the first housing member. A front wall is disposed on an outer surface of at least one of the housing members and extends perpendicular to an insertion direction. A first sidewall is disposed on the outer surface of the first housing member and extends along the insertion direction, perpendicular to the front wall. A second sidewall is disposed on the outer surface of the second housing member and extends along the insertion direction, parallel with the first sidewall and perpendicular to the front wall. A cantilevered first lock arm extends along an insertion direction and is positioned between the first sidewall and second sidewall. The lock arm includes a fixed end, a free end, and a hook.
US09246250B2

Provided is an electrical connector without making the manufacturing process complicated and without increasing the size and the manufacturing cost, wherein, an electrical connector includes a holddown attached to a body part of a second insulating housing and fixed to a circuit board P. The holddown is formed of a single metal sheet, and includes a held part held by body part, leg parts extending from the held part, protruding from opposed faces facing the circuit board of the body part placed on the circuit board, and being fixed to the circuit board, and an extension part extending from the held part in a direction parallel to a direction in which a counterpart connector is engaged.
US09246245B2

For providing a shield wire, in which efficiency of processing terminal treatment of braid can be improved, and an apparatus for processing terminal treatment of braid, an apparatus for processing terminal treatment of braid of a shield wire includes a first hold unit holding a top of the braid covering the electric wire, a second hold unit holding a far-side of the braid, a push unit pushing the top toward the far-side so as to fold a part of braid from the top to form an overlap portion, and a forming unit forming the overlap portion into a cone shape, in which the top is located. The formed overlap portion is clamped by a set of inner and outer ring brackets.
US09246235B2

Controllable directional antenna apparatus and method preferably includes structure and/or steps whereby a Yagi antenna array has a first driven element, a first reflector, and plurality of first directors disposed on a common substrate. The first reflector is bent such that (i) an unbent length thereof is longer than a length of the first driven element, but (ii) a bent length thereof is shorter than the length of the first driven element. A second driven element is also disposed on the common substrate but is angled with respect to the first driven element. A second reflector and a plurality of second directors are also disposed on the common substrate. The second reflector is bent like the first reflector, to reduce the footprint of the array on the substrate. Preferably, the Yagi antenna elements are printed on a printed circuit board.
US09246221B2

Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. A parallel-fed loop antenna may be formed from portions of a conductive bezel and a ground plane. The antenna may operate in multiple communications bands. The bezel may surround a peripheral portion of a display that is mounted to the front of an electronic device. The bezel may contain a gap. Antenna feed terminals for the antenna may be located on opposing sides of the gap. A variable capacitor may bridge the gap. An inductive element may bridge the gap and the antenna feed terminals. A switchable inductor may be coupled in parallel with the inductive element. Tunable matching circuitry may be coupled between one of the antenna feed terminals and a conductor in a coaxial cable connecting the transceiver circuitry to the antenna.
US09246220B2

A full-band antenna includes a dielectric layer, and a first and a second patterned conductive layer provided on the dielectric layer. The first patterned conductive layer includes a feed portion and a loop portion outwardly extended from the feed portion. The loop portion defines a plurality of radiation sections, between which a multi-coupling effect is created to form at least one variable frequency. The second patterned conductive layer includes a conductive portion and a short-circuit portion. The conductive portion forms at least one fixed frequency. The at least one variable frequency of the loop portion can be adjusted in its frequency distribution and frequency range by changing a width of the radiation sections and a spacing distance between the radiation sections.
US09246206B2

Provided is a transmission line transformer having increased signal efficiency. The transmission line transformer is formed on an integrated circuit (IC), wherein a first transmission line disposed in one direction. Second and third transmission lines have same length direction as the first transmission line and are spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction above or below the first transmission line. Accordingly, an area of the first transmission line and areas of the second and third transmission lines, which face each other, are increased, thereby improving a coupling factor. Also, since a secondary transmission line is divided into two regions and uses the second and third transmission lines that have narrower widths than the first transmission line, parasitic capacitance components generated between the first through third transmission lines and a semiconductor substrate may be decreased.
US09246204B1

An artificial impedance surface for rotating a surface wave on the artificial surface about a point along a circumferential path relative to said point in a phase preserving manner along said circumferential path. A method of guiding a transverse electric or transverse magnetic surface wave bound to an artificial impedance surface along a non-linear path comprising: smoothly rotating a principal axis of a surface tensor impedance matrix of the artificial impedance surface as a function of space, so the a propagation wavevector of the transverse electric or transverse magnetic surface wave rotates along with it, remaining aligned with the direction of the principal axis; and tailoring a surface wavenumber in a propagation direction of the non-linear path in such a way as to maintain a constant-phase for a wavefront of the transverse electric or transverse magnetic surface wave.
US09246202B1

A circulator may include a first port having a first port impedance matching circuit defining an impedance of the first port, a second port having a second port impedance matching circuit defining an impedance of the second port, and a third port having a third port impedance matching circuit defining an impedance of the third port. In an example embodiment, the impedance of the first port may be provided to match an impedance of a first external circuit, the impedance of the second port may be provided to match an impedance of a second external circuit, and the impedance of the third port may be provided to match an impedance of a third external circuit. The impedance of the third port may be different than the impedance of the first port.
US09246196B2

A battery unit may include a main accommodation casing that includes a power output terminal, at least one sub-module that is accommodated in the main accommodation casing and a control unit that is accommodated in the main accommodation casing and controls at least one of charging and discharging of a unit battery, wherein in the sub-module, two or more battery blocks are accommodated inside a sub-accommodation casing so that the terminals of the battery blocks each including a plurality of unit batteries are not exposed and the battery blocks are connected to each other through an electric connection member.
US09246193B2

An all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary battery has an anode, a cathode, a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, and at least one of a first intermediate layer disposed between the anode and the solid electrolyte layer, and a second intermediate layer disposed between the cathode and the solid electrolyte layer.
US09246188B2

Solid electrolyte antiperovskite compositions for batteries, capacitors, and other electrochemical devices have chemical formula Li3OA, Li(3-x)Mx/2OA, Li(3-x)Nx/3OA, or LiCOXzY(1-z), wherein M and N are divalent and trivalent metals respectively and wherein A is a halide or mixture of halides, and X and Y are halides.
US09246186B2

A fabricating method of a unit structure for accomplishing an electrode assembly formed by a stacking method, and an electrochemical cell including the same are disclosed. The fabricating method of the electrode assembly is characterized with fabricating the unit structure by conducting a first process of laminating and forming a bicell having a first electrode/separator/second electrode/separator/first electrode structure, and conducting a second process of laminating first separator/second electrode/second separator one by one on one of the first electrode among two of the first electrodes.
US09246182B2

A power generation control device 3 for a fuel cell 1 of the present invention comprises: a target generated power calculating unit 31 configured to calculate target generated power of the fuel cell 1, based on a load condition of an electrical load device connected to the fuel cell 1; a target generated current calculating unit 34 configured to calculate a target generated current to be taken out of the fuel cell 1, based on the target generated power; a current change rate limit value calculating unit 35 configured to calculate a limit value for a rate of change in the target generated current, based on an operating condition parameter correlated with an operating temperature of the fuel cell 1; and a current limiting unit 37 configured to limit the target generated current so that the rate of change in the target generated current does not exceed the limit value calculated by the current change rate limit value calculating unit 35.
US09246178B2

A fuel cell includes a first valve metal flow field plate. The first valve metal flow field plate has a first cooling channel adapted to receive an aqueous coolant and to contact the aqueous coolant at a position that inhibits the formation of shunt currents when the fuel cell is incorporated in a fuel cell stack. A field assembly includes a first metal flow field plate having a first cooling channel adapted to receive an aqueous coolant is also provided. A valve metal plate is disposed over the first metal flow field plate in the flow field assembly. Fuel cell stacks using the valve metal-containing flow field plates are also provided.
US09246173B2

A hybrid siloxy derived resin and a method of making them and a method of applying them as a benign passivant on electrochemical electrodes is provided. These resins are made by the process of reacting a silane and an alkaline, transition metal or metalloid alkoxide, in the presence of a lewis acid. The methods described do not require further purification steps; heat; or strong acid/base catalysis to initiate hydrolysis.
US09246172B2

A cathode material for a lithium ion secondary battery includes an oxide represented by a composition formula Li2-xMIIyM(Si,MB)O4, wherein MII represents a divalent element; M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Co and Ni; and MB represents, as an optional component, an element substituted for Si to compensate for a difference between an electric charge of [Li2]2+ and an electric change of [Li2-xMIIy]n+ as needed. In the composition formula representing the oxide, x and y are −0.25
US09246163B2

Provided is a metal oxygen battery 1 including a positive electrode 2 having oxygen as an active material, a negative electrode 3 having metallic lithium as an active material, and an electrolyte layer 4 interposed between the positive electrode 2 and negative electrode 3. The positive electrode 2 contains oxygen storage material including mixed crystal of hexagonal composite metal oxide expressed by the general formula AxByOz (in which, A is one type of metal selected from a group of Y, Sc, La, Sr, Ba, Zr, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, B is one type of metal selected from a group of Mn, Ti, Ru, Zr, Ni, Cr, and x=1, 1≦y≦2, 1≦z≦7, provided that a case where both A and B are Zr is excluded) and one or more non-hexagonal composite metal oxide expressed by the general formula AxByOz.
US09246156B2

A battery pack for an electric bicycle is disclosed. In one embodiment, the battery pack includes i) a lower case having a top, a bottom and an interior space formed between the top and bottom and ii) a battery cell placed in the interior space of the lower case, wherein the battery cell has first and second surfaces opposing each other, and wherein the first surface of the battery cell is closer to the bottom of the lower case than the second surface of the battery cell. The battery pack may further include i) a protection circuit board mounted on the second surface of the battery cell and placed in the interior space of the lower case, ii) an upper case formed over the top of the lower case and iii) a separator case formed between the protection circuit board and the upper case.
US09246155B2

Disclosed is a secondary battery having improved safety against puncture and collapse. The secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, a case receiving the electrode assembly, a cap plate coupled to the case, and a support plate electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes of the electrode assembly, the support plate being disposed between the electrode assembly and the case.
US09246153B2

A secondary battery is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery includes a bare cell having a substantially prismatic shape, a first terminal located in a first region of a first surface of the bare cell and a second terminal located in a second region of the first surface of the bare cell. The battery also includes a first insulation tape located between the bare cell and the first terminal, wherein the first insulation tape covers the first surface of the bare cell, and second and third surfaces of the bare cell extending in a direction that crosses the first surface of the bare cell. The battery also includes a second insulation tape located between the first insulation tape and the first terminal.
US09246152B2

Disclosed herein is a middle or large-sized battery pack having a plurality of electrically connected battery modules, the middle or large-sized battery pack including an electrode terminal connecting device, wherein the electrode terminal connecting device includes a conductive connecting member coupled to electrode terminals of the battery modules to electrically connect the electrode terminals of the battery modules to each other and a shut-off cutter mounted to the conductive connecting member to shut off the circuit of the conductive connecting member when impact is applied to the battery pack in the longitudinal direction of the battery pack.
US09246151B2

An electrical connection assembly is provided to electrically connect with at least one electrical contact of an electronic apparatus. The electrical connection assembly includes an insulating casing, a circuit board and a resilient conductive element. An inner space is defined in the insulating casing, and at least one opening is defined on the insulating casing for communicating the inner space and the exterior of the insulating casing. The circuit board is disposed in the inner space of the insulating casing. The resilient conductive element includes a connecting side for fixing on and electrically connecting with the circuit board. The resilient conductive element further includes a compressible side for facing the opening and being exposed therethrough. The thickness of the resilient conductive element is reduced when an external force is applied thereon and recovers when the external force is removed.
US09246144B2

A battery pack and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, which can protect a plurality battery cells from external shock or vibration by preventing the plurality battery cells from moving within a case. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells, a case accommodating the battery cells and including a plurality of injection holes, and a shock absorbing member integrally formed at the outside and inside of the case so as to penetrate the injection holes and supporting the battery cells.
US09246138B2

A light-emitting panel includes: a substrate and a light-emitting functional multilayer formed on the substrate, wherein the light-emitting functional multilayer including a first functional layer and a second functional layer, a thickness of part of the first functional layer positioned in a first light-emitting region is smaller than a thickness of part of the first functional layer positioned in a second light-emitting region, a thickness of part of the second functional layer positioned in the first light-emitting region is greater than a thickness of part of the second functional layer positioned in the second light-emitting region, and when the light-emitting functional multilayer is viewed in a layering direction, the first light-emitting region and the second light-emitting region are adjacent or distant from each other in a direction perpendicular to the layering direction, and each include a plurality of pixels that are each composed of a plurality of adjacent sub-pixels.
US09246130B2

An organic electroluminescence display device includes a thin film transistor substrate and a counter substrate, in which the thin film transistor substrate includes: a moisture blocking area that surrounds an outside of the display area and is made of only an inorganic material between the first substrate and the sealing film, and an auxiliary area between the display area and the moisture blocking area, and a thickness of areas of the counter substrate opposite to the auxiliary area and the moisture blocking area is thinner than a thickness of an area of the counter substrate opposite to the display area.
US09246127B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes a first substrate, an organic light emitting element, a sealant, and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a first groove disposed in a display area of the organic light emitting diode display and a second groove disposed outside the display area. The organic light emitting element is at least partially disposed in the first groove. The sealant is at least partially disposed in the second groove. The second substrate is disposed on the first substrate. The organic light emitting element is sealed between the first substrate and the second substrate via at least the sealant.
US09246126B2

An OLED display is disclosed. The display includes a rear substrate, a front substrate facing the rear substrate, a cell seal provided between the rear and front substrates to adhere the two substrates to each other, and a reinforcement member provided between the rear and front substrates adjacent to the cell seal to adhere the two substrates to each other.
US09246117B2

Described is an (organic) light-emitting diode ((O)LED) wherein the light-emitting layer comprises a blend of an electroluminescent semiconducting material with a ferro-electric material. Either of the electrodes forms a modulatable injection barrier with the ferro-electric material, the modulation requiring a voltage Vm serving to polarize or repolarize the ferro-electric material. With Vm being larger than the voltage Ve required for light emission, the (O)LED can be turned “on” or “off” by applying a pulse voltage to (re)polarize the ferro-electric material.
US09246115B2

An organic solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same.
US09246113B2

A dense binary memory switch device combines the function of a pass transistor and a memory cell and has low programming and operation voltages. The device includes a charge storage region coupled to a gate electrode through a gate dielectric layer and directly contacting a channel region. The charge storage region contains quantum structures, deep traps or combinations thereof and is charged by carriers injected from injection regions that are in direct contact with the charge storage region. Fabrication of the device at low temperatures compatible with back-end-of-line processing is further disclosed.
US09246095B2

An electronic device includes a semiconductor memory unit that includes a vertical electrode formed over a substrate and receiving a voltage through one end of the vertical electrode, a resistance variable layer formed along a side of the vertical electrode to be thinner going from one end to the other end, and a plurality of horizontal electrodes formed adjacent to the vertical electrode with the resistance variable layer disposed between the horizontal electrodes and the vertical electrode, and stacked over the substrate with a space from each other.
US09246094B2

Provided are resistive random access memory (ReRAM) cells and methods of fabricating thereof. The resistive switching nonvolatile memory cells may include a first layer disposed. The first layer may be operable as a bottom electrode. The resistive switching nonvolatile memory cells may also include a second layer disposed over the first layer. The second layer may be operable as a resistive switching layer that is configured to switch between a first resistive state and a second resistive state. The resistive switching nonvolatile memory cells may include a third layer disposed over the second layer. The third layer may be operable as a resistive layer that is configured to determine, at least in part, an electrical resistivity of the resistive switching nonvolatile memory element. The third layer may include a semi-metallic material. The resistive switching nonvolatile memory cells may include a fourth layer that may be operable as a top electrode.
US09246091B1

A metal silicon oxide barrier layer between a nitride electrode containing the same metal and an oxide variable-resistance layer in a ReRAM cell prevents the metal from diffusing into the variable-resistance layer and prevents oxygen from diffusing into and oxidizing the electrode. Compound oxides of the same metal and silicon with varying stoichiometries and metal/silicon ratios may optionally replace part or all of the variable-resistance layer, a defect-reservoir layer, or both. The metal nitride electrode may include a metal silicon nitride current-limiting portion. Optionally, all the layers sharing the common metal may be formed in-situ as part of a single unit process, such as atomic layer deposition.
US09246080B2

In order to obtain a ferroelectric thin film having good crystallinity and realizing high piezoelectric properties, and a production method therefor, provided is a ferroelectric thin film constituting a dielectric material having a perovskite structure that comprises Zr and Ti formed on a substrate, wherein a layer having a Zr ratio that is smaller than a predetermined ratio and having good crystallinity and a layer that realizes good piezoelectric properties and has a Zr ratio that is about as great as the predetermined ratio are combined. A production method is also provided.
US09246078B2

Various aspects as described herein are directed to piezoelectric materials. As consistent with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes a nanomaterial and structures coupled to the nanomaterial. This nanomaterial-structure combination manifests piezoelectric characteristics, via the combination. In certain implementations, neither the nanomaterial nor the coupled structures independently exhibit piezoelectric characteristics, yet do so in combination.
US09246076B2

A production method for a thermoelectric conversion module having a thermoelectric conversion element and an electrode, which are metallurgically bonded together via a porous metal layer. The porous metal layer is made of nickel or silver and has a density ratio of 50 to 90%.
US09246070B2

In accordance with certain embodiments, a phosphor element at least partially surrounding a light-emitting die is shaped to influence color-temperature divergence.
US09246067B2

A semiconductor light emitting device which produces mixed light of a desired emission color by a combination of a semiconductor light emitting element and a wavelength converting layer containing a fluorescent substance, and a vehicle lamp including the semiconductor light emitting device. The wavelength converting layer has different wavelength conversion characteristics respectively at its portion covering an area of relatively high current density at light emission operation of the semiconductor light emitting element and at its portion covering an area of relatively low current density so as to reduce chromaticity difference over the light extraction surface of the mixed light due to non-uniformity of current density in the light emitting layer at light emission operation.
US09246066B1

A fluorescent composite resin substrate white light LED includes a fluorescent composite resin substrate, two conductive brackets, a light emitting unit, two conductive lines and a package material. The fluorescent composite resin substrate is formed from a mixture through a curing reaction. Each of the conductive brackets is partially connected to the substrate. The light emitting unit is disposed on the substrate. The conductive lines are connected to the light emitting unit and respectively connected to the conductive brackets. The package material is formed from a mixture through a curing reaction. By fixing the light emitting unit at the fluorescent composite resin substrate, when applied to white light LED operations, the present invention achieves effects of emitting light through six planes, having high light flux and good heat dissipation, and significantly increasing production yield rate and speed without incurring different color temperatures at front and reverse sides.
US09246062B2

Transparent ohmic contacts to p-GaN and other high-work-function (≧4.2 eV) semiconductors are fabricated from zinc stannate (e.g., ZnSnO3). ZnO and SnO2 may be sputtered from separate targets and annealed to form the zinc stannate. The Zn:Sn ratio may be tuned over the range between 1:2 and 2:1 to optimize bandgap, work function, conductivity, and transparency for the particular semiconductor and wavelength of interest. Conductivity may be improved by crystallizing the zinc stannate, by doping with up to 5 wt % Al or In, or both.
US09246057B2

Semiconductor structures include an active region between a plurality of layers of InGaN. The active region may be at least substantially comprised by InGaN. The plurality of layers of InGaN include at least one well layer comprising InwGa1-wN, and at least one barrier layer comprising InbGa1-bN proximate the at least one well layer. In some embodiments, the value of w in the InwGa1-wN of the well layer may be greater than or equal to about 0.10 and less than or equal to about 0.40 in some embodiments, and the value of b in the InbGa1-bN of the at least one barrier layer may be greater than or equal to about 0.01 and less than or equal to about 0.10. Methods of forming semiconductor structures include growing such layers of InGaN to form an active region of a light emitting device, such as an LED. Luminary devices include such LEDs.
US09246048B2

Example embodiments are directed to light-emitting devices (LEDs) and methods of manufacturing the same. The LED includes a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer; an active layer formed between the first and second semiconductor layers; and an emission pattern layer including a plurality of layers on the first semiconductor layer, the emission pattern including an emission pattern for externally emitting light generated from the active layer.
US09246040B2

A thin film solar cell module according to an embodiment of the invention includes a substrate, a plurality of solar cells each including a first electrode on the substrate, a second electrode on the first electrode, and a photoelectric conversion unit between the first electrode and the second electrode, a ribbon positioned on each of first and second outermost solar cells among the solar cells, and a conductive adhesive part positioned between the first outermost solar cell and the ribbon and between the second outermost solar cell and the ribbon. The conductive adhesive part positioned between the second electrode of the first outermost solar cell and the ribbon includes a first connector, which is electrically connected to the first electrode, the photoelectric conversion unit, and the second electrode of the first outermost solar cell.
US09246035B2

An apparatus and method for portable solar panel assemblies configured to enable the unit to be transported by multiple means in order to provide both grid tied and off grid power as needed. Solar panel assemblies are configured to have a range of rotation of approximately 0 to 25 degrees in two directions to allow efficient sunlight capture. The solar panel assembly in the closed position will allow for more compact and aerodynamic profile when being transported.
US09246028B2

A silicon solar cell is manufactured by providing a carrier plate, and by applying a first contact pattern to the carrier plate. The first contact pattern includes a set of first laminar contacts. The silicon solar cell is further manufactured by applying a multitude of silicon slices to the first contact pattern, and by applying a second contact pattern to the multitude of silicon slices. Each first laminar contact of the set of first laminar contacts is in spatial laminar contact with maximally two silicon slices. The second contact pattern includes a set of second laminar contacts. Each second laminar contact of the set of second laminar contacts is in spatial laminar contact with maximally two silicon slices.
US09246017B2

An integrated MEMS inertial sensor device includes one or more three-axis MEMS inertial sensor devices, such as accelerometers, with dual or single proof mass configurations. These designs can be compact and can decouple the motion of each axis to minimize the measurement errors due to cross-axis sensitivity. Some embodiments include a frame to decouple the motion of two axes and to provide geometric symmetry. Some embodiments also include double-folded springs. In a specific embodiment, the three axes of an integrated MEMS accelerometer device are entirely decoupled. Thus, the actuation of each axis, through a force due to acceleration, has little or substantially no effect on the other axes.
US09246000B2

In an insulated-gate type semiconductor device in which a gate-purpose conductive layer is embedded into a trench which is formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a source-purpose conductive layer is provided on a major surface of the semiconductor substrate, a portion of a gate pillar which is constituted by both the gate-purpose conductive layer and a cap insulating film for capping an upper surface of the gate-purpose conductive layer is projected from the major surface of the semiconductor substrate; a side wall spacer is provided on a side wall of the projected portion of the gate pillar; and the source-purpose conductive layer is connected to a contact region of the major surface of the semiconductor substrate, which is defined by the side wall spacer.
US09245995B2

A semiconductor device includes a power metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor including a semiconductor substrate, an impurity region on the semiconductor substrate, the impurity region having a first conductivity, a drift region in the impurity region, the drift region having the first conductivity, a body region in the impurity region adjacent to the drift region, the body region having a second conductivity different from the first conductivity, a drain extension insulating layer on the drift region, a gate insulating layer and a gate electrode sequentially stacked across a portion of the body region and a portion of the drift region, a drain extension electrode on the drain extension insulating layer, a drain region contacting a side of the drift region opposite to the body region, the drain region having the first conductivity, and a source region in the body region, the source region having the second conductivity.
US09245990B2

The present invention provides a silicon-compatible germanium-based high-hole-mobility transistor with high-hole-mobility germanium channel comprising a semiconductor material having a valence band offset instead of the conventional gate insulating film, a germanium channel region, and a quantum well formed by heterojunctions of the upper and lower portions of the germanium channel on a silicon substrate. Thus, the present invention enables to gain maximum hole mobility of the germanium channel by using the two-dimensional hole gas gathered into the quantum well for high-speed and low-power operations and device reliability improvement.
US09245989B2

Transistors suitable for high voltage and high frequency operation. A nanowire is disposed vertically or horizontally on a substrate. A longitudinal length of the nanowire is defined into a channel region of a first semiconductor material, a source region electrically coupled with a first end of the channel region, a drain region electrically coupled with a second end of the channel region, and an extrinsic drain region disposed between the channel region and drain region. The extrinsic drain region has a wider bandgap than that of the first semiconductor. A gate stack including a gate conductor and a gate insulator coaxially wraps completely around the channel region, and drain and source contacts similarly coaxially wrap completely around the drain and source regions.
US09245988B2

An electrostatic discharge protection device has a substrate, a P-well, a N-well, and an isolation portion. The P-well and N-well formed in the substrate are neighboring to each other. Along a specific direction, the P-well has a first N-type, a first P-type, a second N-type, a second P-type, and a third N-type high doping regions sequentially located thereon, and the N-well has a third P-type, a fourth N-type, a fourth P-type, a fifth N-type, and a fifth P-type high doping regions sequentially located thereon. The first N-type, the third N-type, the first P-type, and the second P-type high doping regions are coupled to a ground end, the third P-type, the fifth P-type, the fourth N-type, and the fifth N-type high doping regions are coupled to a voltage supply end, and the second N-type and the fourth P type high doping regions are coupled to an input/output end.
US09245983B2

An embodiment of the disclosed invention is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which includes the steps of: forming a first insulating film; performing oxygen doping treatment on the first insulating film to supply oxygen to the first insulating film; forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an oxide semiconductor film electrically connected to the source electrode and the drain electrode, over the first insulating film; performing heat treatment on the oxide semiconductor film to remove a hydrogen atom in the oxide semiconductor film; forming a second insulating film over the oxide semiconductor film; and forming a gate electrode in a region overlapping with the oxide semiconductor film, over the second insulating film. The manufacturing method allows the formation of a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, which has stable electrical characteristics and high reliability.
US09245978B2

Disclosed are a self-aligned thin film transistor controlling a diffusion length of a doping material using a doping barrier in a thin film transistor having a self-aligned structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The self-aligned thin film transistor with a doping barrier includes: an active layer formed on a substrate and having a first doping region, a second doping region, and a channel region; a gate insulating film formed on the channel region; a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film; a doping source film formed on the first doping region and the second doping region; and a doping barrier formed between the doping source film and the first doping region and between the doping source film and the second doping region.
US09245975B2

A metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor (MOS) and method of fabricating the same, in which the effective channel length is increased relative to the width of the gate electrode. A dummy gate electrode overlying dummy gate dielectric material is formed at the surface of the structure, with self-aligned source/drain regions, and dielectric spacers on the sidewalls of the dummy gate structure. The dummy gate dielectric underlies the sidewall spacers. Following removal of the dummy gate electrode and the underlying dummy gate dielectric material, including from under the spacers, a silicon etch is performed to form a recess in the underlying substrate. This etch is self-limiting on the undercut sides, due to the crystal orientation, relative to the etch of the bottom of the recess. The gate dielectric and gate electrode material are then deposited into the remaining void, for example to form a high-k metal gate MOS transistor.
US09245973B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a field-effect transistor, including forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate, forming a first insulating film in the trench, forming an intrinsic polycrystalline silicon film over the first insulating film, and introducing first conductive type impurities into the intrinsic polycrystalline silicon film to form a first conductive film. The first conductive film is etched to form a first gate electrode in the trench. Next, a second insulating film is formed in the trench above the first insulating film and the first gate electrode, and a first conductivity type doped polycrystalline silicon film, having higher impurity concentration than the first gate electrode is formed over the second insulating film. The doped polycrystalline silicon film, upper part of the trench ton form a second gate electrode.
US09245970B2

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes an interfacial layer over the semiconductor substrate, the interfacial layer having a capacitive effective thickness of less than 1.37 nanometers (nm). The semiconductor structure further includes a high-k dielectric layer over the interfacial layer.
US09245964B2

An integrated circuit has a nonvolatile memory cell that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an ion conductive material there-between. At least one of the first and second electrodes has an electrochemically active surface received directly against the ion conductive material. The second electrode is elevationally outward of the first electrode. The first electrode extends laterally in a first direction and the ion conductive material extends in a second direction different from and intersecting the first direction. The first electrode is received directly against the ion conductive material only where the first and second directions intersect. Other embodiments, including method embodiments, are disclosed.
US09245955B2

An integrated circuit die includes a silicon substrate. PMOS and NMOS transistors are formed on the silicon substrate. The carrier mobilities of the PMOS and NMOS transistors are increased by introducing tensile stress to the channel region of the NMOS transistors and compressive stress to the channel regions of the PMOS transistors. Tensile stress is introduced by including a region of SiGe below the channel region of the NMOS transistors. Compressive stress is introduced by including regions of SiGe in the source and drain regions of the PMOS transistors.
US09245951B1

Device structures and fabrication methods for a bipolar junction transistor. A layer is formed on a top surface of a substrate. A trench is formed in the layer and has a plurality of sidewalls with a width between an opposite pair of the sidewalls that varies with increasing distance from the top surface of the substrate. A collector pedestal of the bipolar junction transistor is formed in the trench.
US09245933B2

An electroluminescent (EL) device and a display device are disclosed. The OLED device comprises a base substrate; a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array are disposed on the base substrate; each pixel unit comprises sub-pixel units provided with EL structures; the EL structures each comprise a transparent anode, an emission layer (EML) and a transparent cathode disposed on the base substrate in sequence; the EL structure of each sub-pixel unit is divided into a transmissive area and a reflective area; and the reflective area of the EL structure is provided with a reflective layer. The EL device can achieve transparent display with the transmissive area of each sub-pixel unit, and meanwhile, the transmissive area for achieving transparent display can also realize normal display.
US09245931B2

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a plurality of pixels and each pixel includes a first area configured to emit light and a second area configured to transmit external light therethrough. Each pixel also includes a first electrode formed in the first area and an organic layer formed in the first area and the second area, wherein the organic layer covers the first electrode. Each pixel further includes a second electrode covering at least the organic layer formed in the first area and having a first opening exposing at least a portion of the organic layer formed in the second area. A reflection prevention layer is formed substantially covering the organic layer formed in the second area. The reflection prevention layer has a refractive index lower than that of the organic layer.
US09245930B2

A method of manufacturing a display panel includes: a first step of forming a partition wall layer above a substrate; a second step of exposing the partition wall layer using a first photomask that has a mask pattern corresponding to a blue opening; a third step of exposing the partition wall layer using a second photomask that has a mask pattern corresponding to a red opening and a green opening; a fourth step of forming a partition wall by removing the partition wall layer to form the red opening, the green opening , and the blue opening in the partition wall layer; and a fifth step of forming a light emitting layer in each opening.
US09245917B2

A vertically stacked image sensor having a photodiode chip and a transistor array chip. The photodiode chip includes at least one photodiode and a transfer gate extends vertically from a top surface of the photodiode chip. The image sensor further includes a transistor array chip stacked on top of the photodiode chip. The transistor array chip includes the control circuitry and storage nodes. The image sensor further includes a logic chip vertically stacked on the transistor array chip. The transfer gate communicates data from the at least one photodiode to the transistor array chip and the logic chip selectively activates the vertical transfer gate, the reset gate, the source follower gate, and the row select gate.
US09245911B2

A semiconductor device used for a semiconductor relay includes: a first diode; a second diode; an electric field shield film for covering the second semiconductor island region, where the second diode is formed; and a wiring for electrically connecting the first diode to the second diode. The wiring is arranged so as to cross above a silicon oxide film surrounding the second semiconductor island region. The electric field shield film is positioned below the wiring, and has a cutout portion in an overlapping region which overlaps the wiring. By forming the cutout portion, end portions of the electric field shield film is arranged to be shifted. Therefore, formation of a deep concave portion which is based on a concave portion on the silicon oxide film and a step of the electric field shield film over the entire width of the wiring can be prevented, and the disconnection of the wiring can be prevented.
US09245907B2

A novel display device capable of excellent reflective display is provided. The display device includes a transistor including a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode layer, a semiconductor layer over the gate insulating layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer over the gate insulating layer and the semiconductor layer; a reflective electrode layer on the same plane as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer; a coloring layer overlapping with the reflective electrode layer; a pixel electrode layer overlapping with the coloring layer; and an anti-oxidation conductive layer connected to one of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer. The pixel electrode layer is connected to the transistor through the anti-oxidation conductive layer.
US09245897B2

A method for manufacturing a memory device may include obtaining a substrate structure that includes a substrate, an oxide material layer positioned on the substrate, a polysilicon material layer positioned on the oxide material layer, a first control gate and a second control gate positioned on the polysilicon material layer, and an offset oxide layer positioned between the first control gate and the second control gate. The method may further include the following steps: removing, using the offset oxide layer as a first mask, a portion of the polysilicon material layer for forming a polysilicon structure that includes a first step structure; forming a masking oxide layer on the offset oxide layer; removing, using the masking oxide layer as a second mask, a portion of the polysilicon structure for forming a floating gate polysilicon member that includes the first step structure and a second step structure.
US09245894B2

An integrated circuit and method includes self-aligned contacts. A gapfill dielectric layer fills spaces between sidewalls of adjacent MOS gates. The gapfill dielectric layer is planarized down to tops of gate structures. A contact pattern is formed that exposes an area for multiple self-aligned contacts. The area overlaps adjacent instances of the gate structures. The gapfill dielectric layer is removed from the area. A contact metal layer is formed in the areas where the gapfill dielectric material has been removed. The contact metal abuts the sidewalls along the height of the sidewalls. The contact metal is planarized down to the tops of the gate structures, forming the self-aligned contacts.
US09245863B2

According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, a semiconductor package apparatus includes a first semiconductor package including a first substrate, a first solder resist layer on the first substrate, and a first sealing member that covers and protects the first solder resist layer, and a plurality of solder balls on the first substrate. The plurality of solder balls includes a first solder ball having a first height and a second solder ball having a second height that is different from the first height. The first sealing member includes holes that expose the solder balls.
US09245862B1

An electronic component structure includes a primary redistribution structure having a primary redistribution structure terminal. A secondary redistribution structure is formed on the primary redistribution structure terminal. A buildup dielectric layer encloses the primary redistribution structure, where a cushion pad of the secondary redistribution structure is supported by the buildup dielectric layer. An interconnection ball is mounted to the secondary redistribution structure. Stress imparted upon the interconnection ball is transferred through the secondary redistribution structure and dissipated to the buildup dielectric layer through the cushion pad. The buildup dielectric layer is readily able to absorb this stress thus minimizing the probability of failure of the secondary redistribution structure including the interconnection ball formed thereon.
US09245861B2

A wafer process for MCSP comprises: depositing a metal bump on bonding pads of chips; forming a first packaging layer at front surface of wafer covering metal bumps while forming an un-covered ring at the edge of wafer to expose the ends of each scribe line located between two adjacent chips; thinning first packaging layer to expose metal bumps; grinding back surface of wafer to form a recessed space and a support ring at the edge of the wafer; depositing a metal seed layer and a thick metal layer at bottom surface of wafer in recessed space in a sequence; cutting off the edge portion of wafer; and separating individual chips from wafer by cutting through first packaging layer, the wafer and the metal seed and metal layers along the scribe line.
US09245856B2

A semiconductor device includes a wiring substrate. The wiring substrate includes a first surface, a second surface located at an opposite side of the first surface, a cavity formed in the first surface, an electrode pad formed on the first surface surrounding the cavity, and a high frequency wire exposed on the first surface. A semiconductor element is accommodated in the cavity. A bonding wire connects the semiconductor element and the electrode pad. A first protection film is arranged on the first surface of the wiring substrate to cover the first surface, the semiconductor element, the electrode pad, the bonding wire, and the high frequency wire.
US09245822B2

A semiconductor layout pattern includes a device layout pattern, a plurality of rectangular first dummy patterns having a first size, a plurality of rectangular second dummy patterns having varied second sizes, and a plurality of first via dummy patterns smaller than the second dummy patterns and arranged in a spatial range within the second dummy patterns.
US09245819B2

An electrical component package is disclosed comprising: an electrical component having an embedded surface, a structure attached to the electrical component opposite the embedded surface, a conductive adhesive directly attached to the embedded surface, where the conductive adhesive is shaped to taper away from the embedded surface, and an encapsulation material covering the conductive adhesive and the electrical component. In various embodiments, the tapered conductive adhesive facilitates the securing of the conductive adhesive to the electrical component by the encapsulation material. Also disclosed are various methods of forming an electrical component package having a single interface conductive interconnection on the embedded surface. The conductive interconnection is configured to maintain an interconnection while under stress forces. Further disclosed in a method of applied a conductive adhesive that enables design flexibility regarding the shape and depth of the conductive interconnection.
US09245812B2

Timely testing of die on wafer reduces the cost to manufacture ICs. This disclosure describes a die test structure and process to reduce test time by adding test pads on the top surface of the die. The added test pads allow a tester to probe and test more circuits within the die simultaneously. Also, the added test pads contribute to a reduction in the amount of test wiring overhead traditionally required to access and test circuits within a die, thus reducing die size.
US09245803B1

Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is then patterned with a Bessel beam shaper laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.
US09245798B2

A method for at least partially filling a feature on a workpiece includes obtaining a workpiece including a feature having a high aspect ratio in the range of about 10 to about 80, depositing a first conformal conductive layer in the feature, and thermally treating the workpiece to reflow the first conformal conductive layer in the feature.
US09245796B1

A method of fabricating an interconnection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, includes patterning a dielectric layer to form a first recession region, including a first nest-shaped recession region having a first width and a first line-shaped recession region having a second width, which is less than the first width. A guide spacer layer is formed on sidewalls of the first recession region to provide a second recession region including a second nest-shaped recession region in the first nest-shaped recession region. A self-assembling block copolymer material is formed to fill the second nest-shaped recession region. The self-assembling block copolymer material is annealed to form a polymer block domain and a polymer block matrix, surrounding the polymer block domain. The polymer block domain is removed to expose a portion of the dielectric layer. The exposed portion of the dielectric layer is etched to form a via cavity.
US09245794B2

An interconnect structure including an alloy liner positioned directly between a diffusion barrier and a Cu alloy seed layer as well as methods for forming such an interconnect structure are provided. The alloy liner of the present invention is formed by thermally reacting a previously deposited diffusion barrier metal alloy layer with an overlying Cu alloy seed layer. During the thermal reaction, the metal alloys from the both the diffusion barrier and the Cu alloys seed layer react forming a metal alloy reaction product between the diffusion barrier and the Cu seed layer.
US09245789B2

The present invention addresses the problem of inhibiting the evolution of a poisoning gas to eliminate wiring-pattern resolution failures and thereby forming a desired wiring layer structure to provide functional elements having an improved property yield. This method for forming multi-layered copper interconnect on a semiconductor substrate comprises: forming a multilayer resist structure to form a given resist pattern on a substrate including an interlayer dielectric film that has via holes which have been formed in part thereof and filled with an SOC layer, the multilayer resist structure comprising an SOC layer, an SOG layer, an SiO2 layer, and a chemical amplification type resist superposed in this order from the substrate side; conducting etching using the resist pattern as a mask to form a pattern for a wiring layer and via plugs; and forming the wiring layer and the via plugs in the pattern.
US09245774B2

The present invention provides a semiconductor device with an improved yield ratio and reduced height and manufacturing cost; and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device including a substrate, a semiconductor element that is flip-chip connected to the substrate, and a molding portion that seals the semiconductor element. The side surfaces of the semiconductor element are enclosed by the molding portion. An upper surface of the semiconductor element is not enclosed by the molding portion. Damage to the side surfaces of the semiconductor element caused by an external impact when the semiconductor device is stored is minimized, because the molding portion protects the side surfaces of the semiconductor element. Accordingly, the yield ratio of the semiconductor device is improved. The height of the semiconductor device can also be reduced since the upper surface of the semiconductor element is not enclosed with the molding portion.
US09245771B2

Semiconductor packages having through electrodes and methods for fabricating the same are provided. The method may comprise providing a first substrate including a first circuit layer, forming a front mold layer on a front surface of the first substrate, grinding a back surface of the first substrate, forming a first through electrode that penetrates the first substrate to be electrically connected to the first circuit layer, providing a second substrate on the back surface of the first substrate, the second substrate including a second circuit layer that is electrically connected to the first through electrode, forming a back mold layer on the back surface of the first substrate, the back mold layer encapsulating the second substrate, and removing the front mold layer.
US09245769B2

Methods for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods can include positioning a substrate with an exposed surface comprising a silicon oxide layer in a processing chamber, biasing the substrate, treating the substrate to roughen a portion of the silicon oxide layer, heating the substrate to a first temperature, exposing the exposed surface of the substrate to ammonium fluoride to form one or more volatile products while maintaining the first temperature, and heating the substrate to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, to sublimate the volatile products.
US09245768B2

Methods for controlling substrate uniformity in a thermal processing chamber include a measuring process to provide temperature-related quantities across a radius of a substrate, correlating substrate properties with processing parameters to simulate deformation of the substrate at various radial distances over a temperature range, a thermal process so that temperature of at least one reference region within the substrate matches a target set point temperature, measuring a temperature of at least one reference region as the substrate rotates, measuring deformation of the substrate as the substrate rotates, correlating measured temperatures of at least one reference region with simulated deformation of the substrate and measured temperature-related quantities of the substrate to calculate a simulated shape change of the substrate over a temperature range, tuning substrate flatness by adjusting lamp temperature profile across the substrate based on simulated shape change of the substrate and actual shape of the substrate.
US09245765B2

Implementations and techniques for applying a film to a semiconductor wafer and for processing a semiconductor wafer are generally disclosed.
US09245755B2

An integrated circuit and method having a deep collector vertical bipolar transistor with a first base tuning diffusion. A MOS transistor has a second base tuning diffusion. The first base tuning diffusion and the second base tuning diffusion are formed using the same implant.
US09245749B2

A method of forming a Ga2O3-based crystal film includes epitaxially growing a Ga2O3-based crystal film on a (001)-oriented principal surface of a Ga2O3-based substrate at a growth temperature of not less than 750° C. A crystal multilayer structure includes a Ga2O3-based substrate with a (001)-oriented principal surface, and a Ga2O3-based crystal film formed on the principal surface of the Ga2O3-based substrate by epitaxial growth. The principal surface has a flatness of not more than 1 nm in an RMS value.
US09245746B2

The present invention discloses a semiconductor composite film with a heterojunction and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor composite film includes: a semiconductor substrate; and a semiconductor epitaxial layer, which is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and it has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, wherein the heterojunction is formed between the first surface and the semiconductor substrate, and wherein the semiconductor epitaxial layer further includes at least one recess, which is formed by etching the semiconductor epitaxial layer from the second surface toward the first surface. The recess is for mitigating a strain in the semiconductor composite film.
US09245735B2

An upper electrode device applied to the film coating process has a splitter chamber and at least three gas diversion plates; a gas inlet is set on the splitter chamber; the at least three gas diversion plates were fixed on the inside walls of the splitter chamber and used for diverting and outputting the gas introduced into the splitter chamber through the gas inlet. By using the upper electrode device provided by the present disclosure can uniformize the gas used for coating in the film coating process, especially uniformize the gas in the perimeter area and the center area. Consequently, the uniformity of the thickness of the whole film coated is improved.
US09245733B2

A plasma lighting system includes a magnetron configured to generate microwaves, and a bulb filled with a main dose and an additive dose. The main dose and the additive dose generate light under the influence of microwaves and have maximum intensities of respective intrinsic wavelengths at different wavelengths. A motor is configured to rotate the bulb. A controller is connected to the motor. The controller adjusts the Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) of the bulb to thereby adjust a color temperature of light emitted from the bulb.
US09245732B2

A lighting apparatus is provided that includes a magnetron configured to generate microwaves having a predetermined frequency, a waveguide including a first wave guide space configured to introduce and guide the microwaves and a second wave guide space expanded from the first wave guide space, a resonator to which the microwaves are transmitted from the waveguide and a bulb located in the resonator, the bulb encapsulating a light emitting material and being configured to emit light in response to the transmitted microwaves. The second wave guide space is located in a transmission path of the microwaves transmitted from the magnetron to the resonator.
US09245728B2

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a RF confinement device, a beam expander and a Time of Flight mass analyzer. The beam expander is arranged to expand an ion beam emerging from the RF confinement device so that the ion beam is expanded to a diameter of at least 3 mm in the orthogonal acceleration extraction region of the Time of Flight mass analyzer.
US09245727B2

The invention relates to the voltage supply of mass spectrometers, particularly electrostatic Kingdon ion analyzers, requiring extremely noise-free operating voltages. The invention proposes the use of passive charge storage devices, which operate without any feedback control and display no measurable noise or ripple if they are well shielded, instead of the usual actively operating high-voltage generators. Chemical charge storage devices or capacitors with good insulation can be used for this purpose. These may display slight voltage decreases due to continuous discharge, depending on their quality, but these decreases can be mathematically compensated.
US09245725B2

An ion trap device is disclosed. The device includes a series of electrodes that define an ion flow path. A radio frequency (RF) field is applied to the series of electrodes such that each electrode is phase shifted approximately 180 degrees from an adjacent electrode. A DC voltage is superimposed with the RF field to create a DC gradient to drive ions in the direction of the gradient. A second RF field or DC voltage is applied to selectively trap and release the ions from the device. Further, the device may be gridless and utilized at high pressure.
US09245724B2

An ion guide system includes an ion guide with pole rods, a device for laterally introducing an ion species, and a mass spectrometer for analyzing product ions of reactions between different ion species. The device is configured and positioned such that an RF field with at least two-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the axis is generated. The device includes shortened pole rods and/or further electrodes. The pole rods and the further electrodes have at least two-fold rotational symmetry. The symmetry of the RF field allows ions to travel straight ahead through the ion guide with no hindrance. Such arrangements are particularly suitable for bringing together largely loss-free positive and negative ion species for reacting them. The reactions may be used to fragment multiply charged biopolymer ions by electron transfer or to remove excess charges of multiply charged biopolymer ions.
US09245723B2

A method of operating a gas-filled collision cell in a mass spectrometer is provided. The collision cell has a longitudinal axis. Ions are caused to enter the collision cell. A trapping field is generated within the collision cell so as to trap the ions within a trapping volume of the collision cell, the trapping volume being defined by the trapping field and extending along the longitudinal axis. Trapped ions are processed in the collision cell and a DC potential gradient is provided, using an electrode arrangement, resulting in a non-zero electric field at all points along the axial length of the trapping volume so as to cause processed ions to exit the collision cell. The electric field along the axial length of the trapping volume has a standard deviation that is no greater than its mean value.
US09245721B2

The invention relates to the characterization of samples which are located in their many hundreds up to tens or hundreds of thousands on a sample support plate in a regular pattern, a so-called array, by ionization with matrix-assisted laser desorption and mass spectrometric measurement, for example. The invention proposes that the position of the sample pattern, and thus the position of each sample in the measuring instrument, for example a mass spectrometer, should be determined by measuring at least two finely structured internal position recognition patterns, such as fine crosses. The position recognition patterns are preferably applied as the samples are generated, with the same apparatus which also generates the sample pattern. A mass spectrometer in which laser spots with diameters of only four to five micrometers can be generated, which can preferably be positioned with an accuracy of one micrometer or better, is particularly suitable for the characterization.
US09245715B2

The present invention provides a drawing apparatus for performing drawing on a substrate with a plurality of charged particle beams, comprising a blanker array including first and second groups, each of which includes at least one blanker, a deflector configured to deflect the plurality of charged particle beams to scan the plurality of charged particle beams on the substrate, and a controller configured to respectively supply first and second control signals to the first and second groups at first and second timings, wherein the first and second groups are respectively arranged at such relative positions that a positional difference between respective drawing regions thereof, due to a difference between the first and second timings, in a scanning direction of the deflector is compensated for.
US09245714B2

Compression, transmission and decompression of gray-tone imagery data includes receiving a gray-tone image suitable for printing at least a portion of a pattern onto a substrate by operation of an electron beam lithography system, aggregating sets of lines of the gray-tone image into trilines, sequentially encoding each of the trilines of the gray-tone image by operation of one or more encoders, the one or more encoders equipped with a codebook configured to store a plurality of triline fragments and a write location and transmitting the encoded trilines of the gray-tone image to a set of decoders of the digital pattern generator via a set of data pathways established between the one or more encoders and each of the decoders.
US09245709B1

A charged particle beam specimen inspection system is described. The system includes an emitter for emitting at least one charged particle beam, a specimen support table configured for supporting the specimen, an objective lens for focusing the at least one charged particle beam, a charge control electrode provided between the objective lens and the specimen support table, wherein the charge control electrode has at least one aperture opening for the at least one charged particle beam, and a flood gun configured to emit further charged particles for charging of the specimen, wherein the charge control electrode has a flood gun aperture opening at which a conductive membrane is provided which is positioned between the flood gun and the specimen support table.
US09245700B2

A circuit breaker including a first and a second contact movable relative each other between an open position, in which the contacts are at a distance from each other, and a closed position, in which the contacts are in electrical contact with each other. The first contact includes one or more contact elements adapted to be in electrical contact with the second contact when the contacts are in the closed position, and a mesh made of metal arranged in thermal contact with the contact elements. The mesh is arranged to at least partly surround the contact elements to allow heat to conduct from the contact elements to the mesh.
US09245675B2

An apparatus for generating a pulsed magnetic field includes an insulating body, an electrical conductor positioned on the insulating body, and a ferromagnetic body having a hollow portion, wherein the insulating body and the electrical conductor are positioned in the hollow portion. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrical conductor has at least one gap separating the electrical conductor into at least two parts, thereby allowing a current to flow through the at least two parts in parallel to generate a magnetic field in the insulating body.
US09245674B2

A rare-earth permanent magnetic powder, a bonded magnet, and a device comprising the bonded magnet are provided. The rare-earth permanent magnetic powder is mainly composed of 7-12 at % of Sm, 0.1-1.5 at % of M, 10-15 at % of N, 0.1-1.5 at % of Si, and Fe as the balance, wherein M is at least one element selected from the group of Be, Cr, Al, Ti, Ga, Nb, Zr, Ta, Mo, and V, and the main phase of the rare-earth permanent magnetic powder is of TbCu7 structure. Element Si is added into the rare-earth permanent magnetic powder for increasing the ability of SmFe alloy to from amorphous structure, and for increasing the wettability of the alloy liquid together with the addition of element M in a certain content, which enables the alloy liquid prone to be injected out of a melting device. The average diameter of the rare-earth permanent magnetic powder is in the range of 10-100 μm, and the rare-earth permanent magnetic powder is composed of nanometer crystals with average grain size of 10-120 nm or amorphous structure.
US09245672B2

An object of the disclosure is to provide a chip resistor without causing the disconnection in atmosphere of sulfidizing gas and without precipitating silver sulfide on its surface. The chip resistor of the present disclosure includes a resistor layer disposed on a top surface of a substrate; a first upper electrode layer disposed at both sides of the resistor layer and being electrically connected to the resistor layer; and a second upper electrode layer disposed on the first upper electrode layer and including between 75% by weight and 85% by weight (inclusive) of silver particles with an average particle diameter ranging from 0.3 um to 2 um, between 1% by weight and 10% by weight (inclusive) of carbon, and a resin.
US09245670B2

A wire structure, which may be configured for a semiconductor device, is disclosed. The wire may include an elongate flexible core formed of a conductor material and a cladding layer covering an outer surface of the core. The cladding layer may be a conductor. In various aspects the cladding layer and core have different grain sizes. An average grain size of the core material may be several orders of magnitude greater than an average grain size of the cladding layer material. The cladding layer may be an alloy having a varying concentration of a minor component across its thickness. Methods of forming a wire structure are also disclosed.
US09245664B2

A conductive metal composition comprising 50 to 94 wt % of silver particles having an average particle size in the range of 40 to 450 nm and having an aspect ratio of 3 to 1:1, 1 to 4 wt % of a thermoplastic polyester resin having a weight-average molar mass of 10000 to 150000, and 4 to 49 wt % of a diluent for the thermoplastic polyester resin.
US09245656B2

A system and method for reducing energetic proton flux trapped in the inner radiation belt by injecting Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) electromagnetic waves is disclosed. The ULF electromagnetic waves is generated by space or ground based transmitters and the frequency range is selected such that the injected waves are in gyrofrequency resonance with trapped 10 to 100 Mev protons. Pitch angle scattering of the trapped protons in gyro-resonance with the injected waves increases their precipitation rate by forcing their orbits into pitch angles inside the atmospheric loss-cone where they are lost by intaracting with the dense neutral atmosphere at altitudes below 100 km. The reduction of energetic proton flux trapped in the inner radiation belt allows use of commercial electronics with submicron feature size on Low Earth Orbit satellites and microsatellites without the operational constraints imposed by the presence of energetic proton fluxes trapped at the inner radiation belts.
US09245653B2

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for reduced level cell solid-state storage. A method includes determining that an erase block of a non-volatile storage device is to operate in a reduced level cell (RLC) mode. The non-volatile storage device may be configured to store at least three bits of data per storage cell. A method includes instructing the non-volatile storage device to program first and second pages of the erase block with data. A method includes instructing the non-volatile storage device to program a third page of the erase block with a predefined data pattern. Programming of a predefined data pattern may be configured to adjust which abodes of the erase block are available to represent stored user data values.
US09245647B2

An OTP memory cell and an OTP memory circuit. The OTP memory cell having a memory module, a write module, a read module, and a load module. Data may be written into the memory module once the write module is active; and data may be read out of the memory module once the read module is active. The OTP memory cell may also have a first latch module and a second latch module.
US09245628B2

A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, and a plurality of wells of a second conductivity type formed on the first semiconductor layer, the wells being arranged in a first direction. A memory block is arranged in each well. A plurality of word lines are provided, each word line being commonly connected to a plurality of NAND cell units in one memory block. A plurality of bit lines extend in a first direction, the bit lines being connected to first ends of the NAND cell units present in the memory blocks. A source line is connected to second ends of the NAND cell units. A well driver performs a control of selectively providing a first voltage or a second voltage higher than the first voltage to each well.
US09245627B2

A memory device includes a memory cell with an elementary SRAM-type cell and an elementary module coupled between a supply terminal and the elementary SRAM-type cell. The elementary module has a single nonvolatile EEPROM elementary memory cell that includes a floating gate transistor. The elementary module also has a controllable interconnection stage that can be controlled by a control signal external to the memory cell. The nonvolatile elementary memory cell and the controllable interconnection stage are connected to one another. The floating gate transistor of the nonvolatile memory cell is controllable to be turned off when a data item stored in the elementary SRAM-type cell is programmed into the nonvolatile elementary cell.
US09245618B2

A method for read measurement of resistive memory cells having s≧2 programmable cell-states includes applying to each cell at least one initial voltage and making a measurement indicative of cell current due to the initial voltage; determining a read voltage for the cell in dependence on the measurement; applying the read voltage to the cell; making a read measurement indicative of cell current due to the read voltage; and outputting a cell-state metric dependent on the read measurement; wherein the read voltages for cells are determined in such a manner that the cell-state metric exhibits a desired property.
US09245617B2

A nonvolatile memory comprising at least one ferromagnetic region having permittivity which changes from a first state to a second state of lower permittivity upon heating; at least one heater operatively associated with the at least one ferromagnetic region which selectively provides heat to the ferromagnetic region to change its permittivity; and a plurality of connectors operatively connected to the at least one heater and adapted to be connected to a current source that provides a current which causes the heater to change the at least one ferromagnetic region from a first state to a second state. Optionally, the memory is arranged as an array of memory cells. Optionally, each cell has a magnetic field sensor operatively associated therewith. Optionally, the nonvolatile memory is radiation hard. Also, a method of recording data by heating at least one ferromagnetic region to change its permittivity.
US09245615B2

A boost system for dual-port SRAM includes a comparator and a boost circuit. The comparator is configured to compare a first row address of a first port and a second row address of a second port, and output a first enable signal. The boost circuit is configured to boost a voltage difference between a first voltage source and a second voltage source according to the first enable signal.
US09245608B2

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) type magnetic random access memory cells are constructed with a composite PMA layer to provide a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with an acceptable thermal barrier. A PMA coupling layer is deposited between a first PMA layer and a second PMA layer to form the composite PMA layer. The composite PMA layer may be incorporated in PMA type MRAM cells or in-plane type MRAM cells.
US09245605B2

A clock synchronization circuit includes a delay-locked loop (DLL) and a delay-locked control unit. The DLL is configured to generate an output clock signal by delaying an input clock signal by a delay time, and to execute a delay-locking operation in which the delay time is adjusted to a locked state according to a comparison between the output clock signal and the input clock signal. The delay-locked control unit configured to detect the locked state of the DLL, and to control the DLL based on the determined locked state.
US09245599B1

Methods for determining memory cell states during a read operation using a detection scheme that reduces the area of detection circuitry for detecting the states of the memory cells by time multiplexing the use of portions of the detection circuitry are described. The read operation may include a precharge phase, a sensing phase, and a detection phase. In some embodiments, a first bit line and a second bit line may be precharged to a read voltage in parallel, and then sensing and/or detection of selected memory cells corresponding with the first bit line and the second bit line may be performed serially using the same detection circuitry by time multiplexing the use of the detection circuitry. In some cases, the time multiplexed detection circuitry may be used for detecting two or more states corresponding with two or more memory cells being sensed during a read operation.
US09245587B2

A server device has a case, a backplane board mounted inside the case, a plurality of data storage device replacement mechanisms inserted inside the case, a plurality of first data storage devices and a plurality of second data storage devices. The data storage device replacement mechanism includes a tray, a connector assembly and a circuit board. The connector assembly is disposed inside an accommodation space of the tray and includes a first connector and a second connector. The circuit board is installed inside a second arrangement area of the tray and electrically connected to the first connector, the second connector and the backplane board. The first data storage device is arranged inside a first arrangement area of the tray and electrically connected to the first connector. The second data storage device is arranged inside the second arrangement area of the tray and electrically connected to the second connector.
US09245584B2

In an information processing apparatus, a cue playback decision unit 610 determines, based on recording information acquired from a recording information storage unit in which a recorded content having a program recorded and the recording information of the recorded content are associated with each other, whether or not a recorded content of a playback target is a recorded content whose recording is started prior to starting time of the program and which is to be played back by cue playback. A time confirmation unit 612 acquires, when it is determined that the recorded content is a recorded content to be played back by cue playback, recording starting time included in the recording information of the recorded content of the playback target from the recording information storage unit. A skip time acquisition unit 614 determines, based on the number of seconds of the recording starting time acquired by the time confirmation unit 612, a period of time to be skipped upon cue playback of the recorded content of the playback target.
US09245583B2

Group management of video device playback provides a mechanism for shared playback of recorded video content. Digital video playback devices are linked to a central management system through network connections which manages the shared playback, or a peer-to-peer network connection is used without the central management system. One user may be responsible for all actions affecting content playback, or all users may be permitted to affect content playback, with certain actions of those users limited in type or quantity. Group membership and group member permissions can be accomplished using the digital playback device through interactive interfaces implemented by the digital video playback device, or can be accomplished using a personal computer coupled to the device or central management system. Users may comment on shared playback using interactive video-based commentary functionality that may provide a text channel or graphical images that may be selected from a set of pre-configured commentary items.
US09245573B2

A method including depositing a plasmonic material at a temperature of at least 150° C.; and forming at least a peg of a near field transducer (NFT) from the deposited plasmonic material.
US09245570B2

Provided is a reproducing apparatus including: an optical system that obtains a signal light by radiating light emitted from a light source and generates a reference light from the light emitted from the light source, with respect to a recording medium, and that generates first to fourth groups of the signal light beams and the reference light beams, with respect to the superposed light in which the signal light and the reference light are superposed onto each other; a light receiving unit that receives light beams of the first to fourth groups of the signal light beams and the reference light beams respectively through first to fourth light receiving elements; and a reproduction signal generation circuit that calculates a first differential signal and a second differential signal, and that generates a reproduction signal by performing an arithmetic operation using the first and second differential signals.
US09245560B1

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a spiral track, and a head actuated over the disk, wherein the head comprises a read element offset radially from a write element by a reader/writer offset. The spiral track is first read to write a plurality of concentric servo sectors on the disk that define at least one concentric servo track on the disk. The spiral track is second read and the concentric servo sectors are read to measure the reader/writer offset.
US09245555B2

Stable, low resistance conductive adhesive ground connections between motor contacts and a gold-plated contact area on a stainless steel component of a dual stage actuated suspension. The stainless steel component can be a baseplate, load beam, hinge, motor plate, add-on feature or flexure.
US09245547B1

Method and apparatus for a magnetic sensor device having a magnetic field sensing element to generate an output signal and a signal processing module coupled to the magnetic field sensing element, the signal processing module including a linearization module to apply a third order Taylor expansion term to the output signal generated by the magnetic field sensing element. An output module can receive the linearized signal from the linearization module and provide a device output signal.
US09245545B1

A method of forming a single layer inductive coil structure includes forming a first conductive coil on a substrate, forming an insulating layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD) over the first coil and the substrate, and forming one or more additional conductive coils on each of adjacent sides of the first coil insulated from the first coil and the substrate by the insulating layer. A method of forming a stacked layer inductive coil includes forming a cavity in a substrate, forming a first coil in the cavity wherein the cavity has an atomic layer deposition (ALD) layer, forming a second coil in the cavity adjacent to the first coil and separated by the ALD layer from the first coil, forming an insulating layer over the first and second coil, and forming a third coil on the insulating layer.
US09245540B1

An electrical circuit includes: a controlled switch; one or more temperature sensors in thermal contact with the controlled switch; and a control unit configured to: receive a temperature signal from the one or more temperature sensors; compare the received temperature signal to a predetermined threshold; and in response to the received temperature signal exceeding the predetermined threshold, render the controlled switch inoperative.
US09245538B1

The present technology provides robust, high quality expansion of the speech within a narrow bandwidth acoustic signal which can overcome or substantially alleviate problems associated with expanding the bandwidth of the noise within the acoustic signal. The present technology carries out a multi-faceted analysis to accurately identify noise within the narrow bandwidth acoustic signal. Noise classification information regarding the noise within the narrow bandwidth acoustic signal is used to determine whether to expand the bandwidth of the narrow bandwidth acoustic signal. By expanding the bandwidth based on the noise classification information, the present technology can expand the speech bandwidth of the narrow bandwidth acoustic signal and prevent or limit the bandwidth expansion of the noise.
US09245533B2

The present proposes new methods and an apparatus for enhancement of source coding systems utilizing high frequency reconstruction (HFR). It addresses the problem of insufficient noise contents in a reconstructed highband, by Adaptive Noise-floor Addition. It also introduces new methods for enhanced performance by means of limiting unwanted noise, interpolation and smoothing of envelope adjustment amplification factors. The present invention is applicable to both speech coding and natural audio coding systems.
US09245524B2

The present invention can increase the types of noises that can be dealt with enough to enable speech recognition with a speech recognition rate of high accuracy.A speech recognition device of the present invention performs processes of: storing, in a manner to relate them to each other, a suppression coefficient representing a noise suppression amount and an adaptation coefficient representing an adaptation amount of a noise model, where the noise model is generated on the basis of a predetermined noise and is to be compounded (synthesized) to a clean acoustic model generated on the basis of a voice including no noise; estimating noise from an input signal; suppressing from the input signal a portion of the estimated noise of an amount specified by a suppression amount specified on the basis of the suppression coefficient; generating an adapted acoustic model which is noise-adapted, by compounding (synthesizing) the clean acoustic model with a noise model generated on the basis of the estimated noise in accordance with an adaptation amount specified on the basis of the adaptation coefficient; and recognizing voice on the basis of the noise-suppressed input signal and the generated adapted acoustic model.
US09245523B2

The subject matter discloses a method for expansion of search queries on large vocabulary continuous speech recognition transcripts comprising: obtaining a textual transcript of audio interaction generated by the large vocabulary continuous speech recognition; generating a topic model from the textual transcripts; said topic model comprises a plurality of topics wherein each topic of the plurality of topics comprises a list of keywords; obtaining a search term; associating a topic from the topic model with the search term; and generating a list of candidate term expansion words by selecting keywords from the list of keywords of the associated topic; said candidate term expansion words are of high probability to be substitution errors of the search term that are generated by the large vocabulary continuous speech recognition.
US09245514B2

The various embodiments relate generally to systems, devices, apparatuses, and methods for providing audio streams to multiple listeners, and more specifically, to a system, a device, and a method for providing independent listener-specific audio streams to multiple listeners using a common audio source, such as a set of loudspeakers, and, optionally, a shared audio stream. In some embodiments, a method includes identifying a first audio stream for reception at a first region to be canceled at a second region, and generating a cancellation signal that is projected in another audio stream destined for the second region. The cancellation signal and the first audio steam are combined at the second region. Further, a compensation signal to reduce the cancellation signal at the first region can be generated.
US09245512B2

An acoustic antenna element for receiving and/or emitting low-frequency underwater waves comprises an acoustic panel formed by at least one acoustic pick-up enclosed in a flexible jacket, the acoustic panel being generally rectangular and being mounted against a curved support by a mounting device including a clamping device comprising at least two flanges the ends of which are mounted on the support, the respective flanges comprising at least one tie between the two ends thereof, and the clamping device capable of adjusting the tension in the ties between the two respective ends thereof, the flanges being arranged so that the support is bent between the two respective ends of the ties and so that the panel is clamped against the support by the ties when they are under tension.
US09245506B2

A resonance tone generation apparatus 20 is applied to an electronic musical instrument DM having a tone generator for generating, in accordance with a tone generation instruction signal having a key number n, a musical tone signal indicative of a piano sound having a key tone pitch specified by the key number. In the resonance tone generation apparatus 20, the key numbers n are assigned. The resonance tone generation apparatus 20 has a plurality of resonance tone generation circuits 30(n) each being configured to have a plurality of resonance frequencies and each retrieving a musical tone signal indicative of a musical sound of the piano and generating a musical tone signal indicative of a resonance tone which imitates a sound of strings of the piano, the sound being resonated by the piano sound indicated by the retrieved musical tone signal. The resonance tone generation apparatus 20 also has a resonance circuit setting portion 60 which allows respective resonance frequencies of the resonance tone generation circuit 30(n) to coincide with frequencies of a fundamental tone and overtones of a musical sound PS(n) generated by the tone generator in accordance with tone generation instruction information including the key number n.
US09245500B1

The present invention is directed to a non-transitory machine readable storage medium containing program instructions for displaying digital content while preventing image capture, the non-transitory machine readable storage medium configured to generating a mask to superimpose upon a display object with the mask including one or more transparent portions and one or more opaque portions that blocks the display object therebeneath from viewing; and moving the one or more transparent portions of the mask incrementally to expose various portions of the display object in sequence. The display object may be image, text, video, or any combination thereof. The one or more transparent portions of the mask may have a linear shape extending along a first direction and may move in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Alternatively, the one or more transparent portions of the mask may have a sector-shaped opening that rotates to expose the display object.
US09245499B1

Processing a set of images is disclosed, including: receiving a set of images; and searching for a representation of a user's face associated with the set of images and a plurality of sets of extrinsic information corresponding to respective ones of at least a subset of the set of images. Rendering a glasses frame is disclosed, including: receiving a selection associated with the glasses frame; rendering the glasses frame using at least a representation of a user's face and a set of extrinsic information corresponding to an image in a recorded set of images; and overlaying the rendered glasses frame on the image.
US09245498B2

The general field of the invention is that of display systems comprising means for generating graphic symbols and an associated semitransparent display device. The display device according to the invention has two overlaid semitransparent flat display screens, one passive and the other active, each symbol displayed on the semitransparent display device comprising a first representation and a second representation. The first representation is displayed on the first display screen with a low transmission rate for the light and with a predetermined first size. The second representation is displayed on the second display screen in the same place as the first representation, with a luminance and a predetermined second size that is smaller than the first size so that the second representation is overlaid on the first representation and the displayed symbol appears bright with a dark border.
US09245494B2

A method and apparatus that are capable of identifying corresponding screen displays that convey color coded information and identifying whether color coded information found in corresponding screen displays is likely to be accessible or inaccessible to a colorblind individual. The method and apparatus are capable of receiving data corresponding to a plurality of screen displays including information encoded in color. The method and apparatus are capable of identifying corresponding screen displays from the plurality of screen displays. The method and apparatus are further capable of detecting text and color encoded information that are different in the first and second corresponding screen displays at first and second locations, respectively. The method and apparatus are further capable of determining a proximity of the first and the second locations when there is text that is different in the first and second corresponding screens at the first location, and generating a colorblindness accessibility indicator based on whether text that is different was detected/and or the determined proximity.
US09245485B1

Techniques for generating dithered images for display on electronic paper displays set to one-bit display modes are described herein. An electronic device having an electronic paper display sets a display mode parameter associated with the electronic paper display to a one-bit display mode. The electronic device or a remote service further generates a dithered image from a monochrome image based at least in part on a one-bit dithering algorithm. While the display mode parameter is set to the one-bit display mode, the electronic device then displays the dithered image on the electronic paper display.
US09245457B2

Golf performance and equipment characteristics may be determined by analyzing the impact between a golf ball and an impacting surface. In some examples, the impacting surface may be a golf club face. The impact between the golf ball and the surface may be measured based on sound and/or motion sensors (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.). Based on motion and/or sound data, various equipment-related information including golf ball compression, club head speed and impact location may be derived. Such information and/or other types of data may be conveyed to a user to help improve performance, aid in selecting golf equipment and/or to insure quality of golfing products.
US09245449B1

Methods and apparatus for providing trajectory planning for an aircraft based on constraint processing are disclosed. The method may take into consideration the dynamic or real-time operational and environmental factors, and utilizes constraint processing to provide trajectory optimizations between the end points of the flight. The trajectory planning method may be performed utilizing a computer or processor onboard the aircraft. The method may include receiving a starting location and an ending location for a phase of flight of the aircraft; receiving a set of constraints from multiple systems and sensors for the phase of flight of the aircraft, wherein operations of the aircraft during the phase of flight are subject to the set of constraints; and analyzing the set of constraints to determine an optimal trajectory between the starting location and the ending location, the optimal trajectory is determined based on compliance with the set of constraints.
US09245445B2

An optically-based target detection system includes a holographic detection filter designed to produce a concentrated spot when a target is present.
US09245439B2

A method, system, and apparatus for temporarily disarming a barrier alarm in a security system is described. In one embodiment, a method for temporarily disarming a barrier alarm is described, comprising receiving an indication to disarm the barrier alarm, the indication generated at the barrier alarm by a user, disarming the barrier alarm in response to receiving the indication, re-arming the barrier alarm upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition.
US09245438B2

A water leak detector including a housing defining a retention reservoir, and a coupler connected to the housing and configured to secure the housing to a water pipe. A switch is supported by the housing and is configured to detect water at a predetermined level within the reservoir. An indicator may be an electrical communication with the switch to provide an indication to a user when water has reached the predetermined level within the reservoir.
US09245430B1

A beverage koozie having a wireless locator that emits sounds under the control of a key fob. The koozie has an interior switch that causes a sound generator to emit sound when a beverage is placed in the koozie. The sound generator can also be activated by a key fob. In response to RF from the key fob the sound generator emits an audible signal to enable a user to find the koozie. The sound generator can also emit entertaining sounds when directed by the key fob.
US09245428B2

Systems and methods for haptic remote control gaming are disclosed. In one embodiment a portable multifunction device receives information from a remotely controllable device. The portable multifunction device can be operable as a remote control for the remotely controllable device. The portable multifunction device may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, or another suitable electronic device. The portable multifunction device can determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the information received from the remotely controllable device. The portable multifunction device may generate a signal configured to cause an actuator to output the determined haptic effect. The portable multifunction device can output the signal.
US09245427B2

A system and method for synchronizing a plurality of networked fire alarm panels is disclosed. A plurality of fire panels (i.e., nodes) are arranged on a peer-to-peer network, such as a token ring network. One node is designated as a SyncHost, and the remaining nodes are periodically reset to the clock time associated with the SyncHost to ensure all nodes remain substantially synchronized to a single time. As such, when an alarm condition is signaled, the visual notification devices (i.e., strobe lights) of all the fire panels (nodes) will flash at substantially the same time, in accordance with government guidelines. To accomplish the synchronization, the SyncHost sends periodic attendance polls around the network, noting the transit times of the polls. The individual nodes on the network also note times associated with the polls. The SyncHost sends a sync message to the nodes, and each of the individual nodes resets its internal clock according to the sync message and internal compensations calculated that are based on the attendance poll transit times. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09245418B2

A gaming machine comprises a display and a game controller arranged to control images of symbols displayed on the display. The game controller is arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display and, if a predefined winning event occurs, a prize is awarded. A plurality of sub-games constitute the game displayed on the display. As an initial display, fewer than a full set of images of each of the sub-games are displayed to show a partial outcome of the game, the fewer than the full set of images being representative of a determination of an expected value for each of the sub-games.
US09245416B2

A game token having a counter system including a denomination value, a housing, and a token identification element at least partially contained within the housing is disclosed. The token identification element includes an antenna configured to receive and transmit a signal, a memory configured to store a plurality of different types of token data, a counter configured to modify and maintain a read attempt value, and a processor or control logic. The processor or logic control configured to, upon a read attempt of the memory by a reader, compare a signature of the reader against the one or more authorized reader signatures, and generate an alert when the signature does not match any one of the one or more authorized reader signatures.
US09245415B2

When the player identifies herself to a gaming machine at a casino, for example by inserting a player tracking card into the card reader, she is, at generally the same time, logging onto a game provider's backend system (the game provider being different from the casino operator). This concurrent sign-on to the game provider's system is done in a non-intrusive, transparent, and passive manner. The player is not distracted from the normal steps leading to game play on the machine until she is ready to redeem points with the game provider or for some reason additional authentication is needed from the player. By virtue of this single sign-on to the game provider network, in addition to continuing game play across different casinos, the player can publish events to the Internet, such as on social networking sites, take advantage of offers targeted specifically for her, or facilitate responsible gaming programs.
US09245414B2

A gaming system and method of rewarding players of electronic gaming machines connected by a network to a host computer, including storing player-useable points at a network-accessible location, enabling a player to convert at least some of the points into monetary units at a conversion rate, wherein the monetary units are convertible into credits for wagering on at least one of the electronic gaming machines, awarding a personal points conversion rate multiplier to a player, and applying the points conversion rate multiplier to the conversion rate.
US09245405B2

A cabinet system for securely storing items includes a cabinet housing, a controller, and at least one drawer unit. The cabinet housing has a locking mechanism, and the controller is in communication with the cabinet housing and configured to operate the locking mechanism. The drawer unit is designed to be releasably locked at least partially within the cabinet housing by the locking mechanism, and slidable within a portion of the cabinet housing when released by the locking mechanism. The drawer unit includes at least one storage compartment, a cover, memory, and a power source. The storage compartment is configured to store at least one item therein. The cover is movable to an open configuration and a closed configuration. When the cover is in the closed configuration, the cover limits access to the item of the storage compartment. The memory is powered by the power source and is configured to store data associated with a movement of the cover.
US09245395B2

A rider characteristic determining apparatus capable of determining characteristics of a rider controlling a saddle riding type vehicle, and a saddle riding type vehicle including the same, are configured such that the rider's characteristics are determined from a turning movement of the saddle riding type vehicle which reflects results of the rider controlling the saddle riding type vehicle. This enables a stable characteristic determination regardless of individual operation or control by the rider. Further, a turning performance score of the vehicle is calculated based on at least one of vehicle state amounts of a roll direction, a pitch direction and a caster angle which influence the steering angle of the saddle riding type vehicle. This enables a proper evaluation of the turning characteristic of the saddle riding type vehicle.
US09245387B2

Methods for positioning virtual objects within an augmented reality environment using snap grid spaces associated with real-world environments, real-world objects, and/or virtual objects within the augmented reality environment are described. A snap grid space may comprise a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual space within an augmented reality environment in which one or more virtual objects may be positioned. In some embodiments, a head-mounted display device (HMD) may identify one or more grid spaces within an augmented reality environment, detect a positioning of a virtual object within the augmented reality environment, determine a target grid space of the one or more grid spaces in which to position the virtual object, determine a position of the virtual object within the target grid space, and display the virtual object within the augmented reality environment based on the position of the virtual object within the target grid space.
US09245374B2

Three-dimensional scanning is improved with the use of space carving to exclude certain scan results from processing and display. Using space carving techniques, a spatial matrix is maintained to store data on volumetric regions (or voxels) known to be empty. By excluding or modifying processing of outlier data from within these unoccupied voxels, a three-dimensional reconstruction process can achieve concurrent improvements in accuracy and speed. In addition, a real time display of scan results can be improved by modifying how such outliers are rendered.
US09245351B2

Provided are a color evaluation apparatus and the like capable of evaluating the appropriateness of a color scheme in an image to be evaluated. A color evaluation apparatus 101 includes a division unit 102 that identifies a partial region of an input image, an acquisition unit 103 that acquires color information for identifying a color contained in the partial region and a first character string contained in the partial region, an extraction unit 104 that extracts a second character string which is associated in advance with the color information, and an evaluation unit 105 that evaluates appropriateness of the color information according to a result of comparing the first character string and the second character string.
US09245346B2

A method for optically scanning and measuring a scene by a three-dimensional (3D) measurement device in which multiple scans are generated to then be registered in a joint coordinate system of the scene. At first at least one cluster is generated from at least one scan, further scans are registered for test purposes in the coordinate system of the cluster, and registering is then confirmed if specified quality criteria are fulfilled and the generated clusters are then joined, for which purpose pairs are formed of selected scans and/or clusters to form pairs, the pairs are registered for test purposes and registering is confirmed if appropriate.
US09245336B2

A method includes obtaining first volumetric image data, which is acquired at a first time, including a region of interest with a structural feature located at a first position. The method further includes obtaining second volumetric image data, which is acquired at a second different time, including the region of interest with the structural feature located at a second different position. The method further includes determining a registration transformation that registers the first and second volumetric image data such that the at least one structural feature in the first volumetric image data aligns with the at least one structural feature in the second volumetric image data. The registration transformation is based at least on a contour guided deformation registration. The method further includes generating a signal indicative of the registration transformation.
US09245333B1

An imaging system may include an image sensor and a transparent protective layer formed within the field-of-view of the image sensor. The imaging system may include a light source that emits light in a predetermined pattern. The imaging system may include circuitry that may detect a reflected version of the predetermined pattern of light in image data captured by image sensor. In response, the imaging system may determine an obstruction is present within the field-of-view of the image sensor. The obstruction may be located on the transparent protective layer and may be within 10 centimeters of the image sensor. The light source and image sensor may be located in the interior of a vehicle and oriented to face the exterior of the vehicle. The imaging system may use the image data captured by the image sensor to perform vehicle assist functions for the vehicle.
US09245321B2

A method for a parallel image reconstruction is disclosed. The method includes (a) acquiring image information by channel via parallel coils in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner; (b) extracting low-frequency signals from the image information; (c) reconstructing low-frequency images from the low-frequency signals; (d) generating filter banks by using the low-frequency images; and (f) reconstructing a final image by using the filter banks. The generating of the filter banks includes separately generating low-frequency image information for reconstruction of magnitude information and low-frequency image information for reconstruction of phase information, and then separately generating a filter for reconstruction of the magnitude information and a filter for reconstruction of the phase information.
US09245318B2

Some embodiments are directed to a method of automatically modifying a scanned image of a page from an input document comprising a plurality of pages. First, scanned images of the plurality of pages are obtained. Next, a user selection for an output orientation of an output document and optionally value of N for an N-Up operation is received. Thereafter, input orientation of each scanned image is detected. Then, the scanned image is rotated, based on the detected input orientation, the output orientation and the value of ‘N’ if provided by the user. Next, the rotated scanned image content is resized so that it fits on a page. Finally, the output document is prepared that includes pages in the output orientation.
US09245315B2

In an example embodiment a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of a light-field image, determining one or more depth levels in the light-field image and generating a plurality of images from the light-field image. The method includes determining one or more registration matrices corresponding to the one or more depth levels between an image and one or more remaining images of the plurality of images. The method includes performing a super-resolution of the image and the one or more remaining images based on the one or more registration matrices to generate a super-resolved image of the image.
US09245309B2

Providing feedback regarding potential detectability by a decoder of a watermark message produced by a watermarking encoder includes receiving a watermark detectability indication that does not directly correspond to detectability of the watermark message by the decoder but is only a proxy for detectability of the watermark message by the decoder, transforming the watermark detectability indication into an enhancement indication corresponding to a prescribed enhancement to a watermark signal in which the watermark message is embedded based on the watermark detectability indication, and transmitting the enhancement indication to enhance the watermark signal thereby enhancing detectability of the watermark message.
US09245307B2

Technologies are generally described for projecting structured light patterns onto an Augmented Reality (AR) scene in order to track AR camera motion in AR systems. In some examples, structured light patterns may be projected onto the AR scene from a light source in the same plane as the AR camera in order to preserve a consistent reference point for detecting the structured light pattern. The AR camera may detect the structured light patterns and determine the location of the AR camera based on a distance analysis of the detected structured light patterns. Based on the changing locations of the AR camera, the system may track the movement of the AR camera as its location relative to the AR scene changes.
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