US09253382B2
The zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a negative refractive power. During zooming, the second lens unit is not moved and the first, third and fifth lens units are moved. A distance between the first and second lens units at a telephoto end is larger than that at a wide-angle end, a distance between the second and third lens units at the telephoto end is smaller than that at the wide-angle end. A condition of 0.7
US09253381B2
The present invention relates to a camera module configured to prevent de-focusing during correction of hand-shake, and to prevent damages to devices during correction of hand-shake, the module including: a module part including a lens assembly formed with at least one or more lenses, an image sensor having an image pickup device for converting light concentrated through the lens to an electrical signal, and a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with the image sensor; a case supporting the module part by accommodating the module part; a driving part tilting the module part; and a rotation preventing part preventing the module part from rotating on a vertical axis.
US09253373B2
Lens flare mitigation techniques determine which pixels in images of a sequence of images are likely to be pixels affected by lens flare. Once the lens flare areas of the images are determined, unwanted lens flare effects may be mitigated by various approaches, including reducing border artifacts along a seam between successive images, discarding entire images of the sequence that contain lens flare areas, and using tone-mapping to reduce the visibility of lens flare.
US09253370B2
[Problem] To provide a technique for calculating the psychophysical value of a color corresponding to an arbitrarily defined tone by modeling a tone concept defined in the PCCS (Practical Color Co-ordinate System).[Solution] A method for, regarding multiple types of tones defined in the PCCS, generating a definitional equation for each saturation to which each of the tones belongs, wherein a computer acquires the Munsell values of colors belonging to respective multiple tones belonging to the same saturation among the multiple types of tones defined in the PCCS, the computer stores the acquired multiple Munsell values in a predetermined storage device, the computer converts each of the multiple Munsell values stored in the storage device into a value in a predetermined color space composed of two axes of values representing lightness and values representing vividness, and the computer performs a predetermined regression calculation on a point group projected to the predetermined color space to find a regression equation passing through the origin of the predetermined color space.
US09253351B2
In an original reading apparatus, a conveying mechanism and a reading device start a conveying operation and a reading operation to acquire a read image when a detecting device detects an existence of an original. The read image is acquired in a first direction and has a prescribed width in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first direction corresponds to a conveying direction of the original. A control device determines whether or not the read image includes an overall solid region with a single color. The overall solid region has: a length in the first direction longer than or equal to a prescribed length; and a width in the second direction equal to the prescribed width. When the read image includes the overall solid region, the control device outputs a signal indicative of incorrect detection of the existence of the original due to external light.
US09253347B2
When a first device and a first attribute are specified, a data processing device registers the first device in association with first attribute and transmits an instruction to perform a process relating to the first attribute to the first device. If the first device possesses the second attribute, the data processing device registers the first device in association with the second attribute. The data processing device displays, on a display unit, a first image representing identification data of the first device when the second attribute is specified and the first device is registered in association with the second attribute. When the first image is selected, the data processing device transmits an instruction to perform a process relating to the second attribute to the first device corresponding to the selected first image.
US09253341B2
An execution instructing apparatus that operates to communicate with at least one processing apparatus executing a predetermined processing includes: a determination unit determining whether, of a first communication method where the execution instructing apparatus communicates with an image processing apparatus via a server which is neither the image processing apparatus nor the execution instructing apparatus, and a second communication method where the execution instructing apparatus communicates with the image processing apparatus without the server, communication can be performed using the second communication method; and a communication control unit controlling communication with the image processing apparatus so that when a determination is not made or when communication cannot be performed using the second communication method, communication regarding the predetermined processing is performed using the first communication method, and when communication can be performed using the second communication method, communication regarding the predetermined processing is performed using the second communication method.
US09253339B2
A control system for an image processing apparatus that uses an information processing device. The image processing apparatus includes an authentication processor that authenticates users with reference to user information that associates, for multiple users, information regarding the user with starting screen information used to start operating the image processing apparatus and a screen information transmitter that transfers screen information to the information processing device independent of the image processing apparatus. The screen information is used to display the starting screen on the image processing apparatus based on the starting screen information associated with the user authenticated by the authentication processor. The information processing device includes a screen information management unit that receives the screen information and a screen display processor that displays the starling screen on a display unit of the information processing device based on the received screen information.
US09253334B1
A controller monitors resource usage in each of a plurality of sectors and identifies any sector with resource usage that exceeds a threshold value as a high usage sector. The controller evaluates the mobile stations in its area and identifies any mobile station that is using a high usage sector and at least two other sectors for a communication session as a candidate mobile station. The controller applies a predictive algorithm to determine whether any candidate mobile station is able to continue its respective communication session without using its respective high usage sector. In this determination, the signal levels that a mobile station reported for the sectors in its active set, other than the high usage sector, may be used to calculate a combined signal level. If the combined signal level exceeds a predefined value, the mobile station is instructed to drop the high usage sector.
US09253325B1
Methods and implementations of online technical support management are described herein. In some examples, techniques are described to estimate an allocation of resources (e.g., technical support agents) to consumers (e.g., technical support users), through the definition of desired scenario data inputs, the definition of resource scenario changes, and the generation of a projected scenario to model resource demand and projected queues. A regression analysis may be performed on the projected scenario to determine relationships among variables in the projected scenario. Based on the results of the regression analysis, metrics such as waiting times in the queue (including an average time to answer) may be calculated, and appropriate human and technical resources may be scheduled, re-allocated, or otherwise controlled.
US09253322B1
Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that includes collecting caller response timings to each of a plurality of dialog states conducted during a call, and estimating a plurality of parameters based on the caller response timings. The method may also include selecting a response completeness value responsive to the estimated plurality of parameters, the response completeness value is used to calculate at least one optimal timeout value. The method may also include selecting the at least one optimal timeout value, and setting the at least one optimal timeout value for each of the corresponding dialog states. The timeout value(s) may be used for subsequent calls to provide optimal user satisfaction and call success rates.
US09253320B2
An intelligent virtual service agent implemented on a computer platform is assigned a responsibility to automatically interact with different users across a communication network when a predetermined characteristic of content provided by the different users is identified. Content provided by a user over the communication network is analyzed to determine whether the content provided by the user possesses the predetermined characteristic. When the content possesses the predetermined characteristic, account data of the user for an account specific to the user is obtained, and the account data specific to the user is analyzed. The intelligent virtual service agent is assigned to automatically interact with the user based on the account data specific to the user and based on determining that the content possesses the predetermined characteristic.
US09253311B2
Agencies issue recording devices to personnel for administrating and monitoring controlled calls during the course of their duties. To provide flexible capabilities to agencies, a virtual number is provisioned and configured to enable an operator to administrate controlled calls without dedicated recording devices. Using the virtual number, the operator may setup a controlled call between a victim and a baddie. The victim is contacted via the virtual number by the operator and optionally informed about the controlled call process. In turn, the baddie is contacted using number information of the victim's phone and connected with the victim. Call audio between the victim and baddie is transmitted to the operator. When necessary, the operator may terminate the call remotely from the telephonic device the operator used to setup the call.
US09253310B2
A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, establish and maintain a pool of idle agents so that when an outbound call attempt is successful, the agent which is assigned to the successful outbound call attempt can be selected from a plurality of agents based on the agent's superior efficiency rather than being based on the fact that the agent is the next in line to be assigned to such a contact.
US09253301B2
A system and method for announcing and handling incoming telephone calls utilizes a distributed processing architecture. The distributed processing architecture makes use of local devices that can be located at various different locations where the user is often located. For instance, local devices could be at a user's home, a user's office and/or on a user's mobile device. The local devices are linked such than when there is an incoming telephone call directed to any one of multiple telephone numbers associated with the user, an announcement of the incoming call is provided at all of the user's locations. The user is also able to specify how the incoming call is to be handled on a call-by-call basis. The user may also be able to specify default call handling instructions so that an incoming telephone call directed to one of the user's telephone numbers is received by a device normally associated with a different one of the user's telephone numbers. The system allows the user to selectively forward incoming telephone calls to another specified number on a call-by-call basis.
US09253297B2
The present invention provides a sound-transmitting membrane for a microphone, to be disposed to a sound-collecting opening of the microphone so as to allow sound to transmit through the membrane while preventing a foreign matter from entering into the microphone through the opening. This membrane for a microphone prevents the entry of a foreign matter, such as fine dust and water vapor, that is difficult for conventional sound-transmitting membranes to block, and ensures the microphone performance. This membrane for a microphone is composed of a nonporous film or a multilayer membrane including a nonporous film, has a surface density of 30 g/m2 or less, and has a sound transmission loss of less than 3 dB in a frequency range of 300 to 4000 Hz.
US09253287B2
Described are a system and method for lossless message delivery between two processing devices. Each device includes a remote direct memory access (RDMA) messaging interface. The RDMA messaging interface at the first device generates one or more messages that are processed by the RDMA messaging interface of the second device. The RDMA messaging interface of the first device outputs a notification to the second device that a message of the one or more messages is available at the first device. A determination is made that the second device has resources to accommodate the message. The second device performs an operation in response to determining that the processing device has the resources to accommodate the message.
US09253267B2
A portable electronic apparatus functioning as a pen-table, includes a touch-screen module for detecting contact with an external object and creating position data of a detected region. The portable electronic apparatus, by functioning as a pen-table, eliminates the need to install or carry a mouse, a pen-table, etc. for controlling a personal computer, a laptop computer or the like. A local area communication module transmits and receives data based on a local area communication protocol, and a display module displays the detected region and information on a user interface (UI) and functions of the apparatus. A controller controls the operations of the modules in response to the user's input so as to transmit position data created by the touch-screen module to an electronic device that includes the functions of a pen-table and local area communication.
US09253259B2
A patient support apparatus includes an electronic control system with client browser software running on a general purpose operating system that connects with a remote server via a high speed network connection. The browser and operating system allows the patient support apparatus to access and run programs not designed exclusively for patient support apparatus electronics systems. A general purpose microprocessor along with network converter circuitry allows the patient support to deliver messages in frames having intended recipient addresses. The microprocessor communicates with one or more graphical user interfaces and with a control system that controls actuators of the patient support. The control system may comprise networked nodes, such as CAN nodes for example. Isolation circuitry isolates the patient support from a network of a care facility with which it communicates.
US09253256B2
A method and apparatus for establishing multiple network sessions over an arbitrary network topology comprises receiving network configuration information describing an initiator system and a target controller. The initiator system contains one or more initiator ports. The target controller contains one or more target ports. Each target port is associated with one or more target nodes. A set of pre-defined rules is identified. The set of pre-defined rules governs the establishment of network sessions between the initiator ports and the target nodes through the target ports. One or more network sessions are established based on the set of pre-defined rules and the network configuration information.
US09253248B2
Embodiments of a data handling apparatus can include a network interface controller configured to interface a processing node to a network. The network interface controller can include a network interface, a register interface, a processing node interface, and logic. The network interface can include lines coupled to the network for communicating data on the network. The register interface can include lines coupled to multiple registers. The processing node interface can include at least one line coupled to the processing node for communicating data with a local processor local to the processing node wherein the local processor can read data to and write data from the registers. The logic can receive packets including a header and a payload from the network and can insert the packets into the registers as indicated by the header.
US09253244B1
Techniques are described for updating resources provided to a user device, using subscription based polling. A user device may send initial requests for resource to a server, each initial request including a resource identifier and a subscriber identifier. In some cases, the subscriber identifier may uniquely identify the communication session. The server maintains subscription information correlated with the subscriber identifier, the subscription information listing which resources the user device has requested and which versions of the resources are currently available on the user device. Updates to the subscribed resources may then be provided to the user device in response to a request for updates that specifies the session identifier but that may not specify the particular subscribed resources.
US09253242B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for assigning separate dedicated bearers for separate audio and video streams in a test simulation environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes generating dedicated bearer information associated with each of a dedicated audio bearer and a dedicated video bearer to be used for a communication session and providing the dedicated bearer information to a simulation device. The method further includes, from the simulation device, using the dedicated bearer information to negotiate establishment of the dedicated audio bearer and the dedicated video bearer between the simulation device and a system under test (SUT) and sending simulated traffic data to the SUT over the dedicated audio bearer and the dedicated video bearer in accordance with a mapping based on the dedicated bearer information and identifiers included in the simulated traffic.
US09253238B2
A method for initiating a codec rate change during a VoIP call by a wireless communication device is disclosed. The method can include the wireless communication device establishing a first codec rate for use in the VoIP call during a call establishment phase; using the first codec rate to encode voice data for transmission during a first portion of the VoIP call; determining a channel quality while using the first codec rate; determining that the channel quality satisfies a threshold for requesting a codec rate change; requesting a codec rate change from the first codec rate to a second codec rate in response to the channel quality satisfying the threshold; and using the second codec rate to encode voice data for transmission during a second portion of the VoIP call.
US09253230B2
A transmitter for transferring a data stream to multiple receivers, the transmitter being configured to sample a first portion of the data stream to form a first sample dataset, encode the first sample set to form a first encoded dataset and transmit the first encoded dataset to a first one of the receivers; sample a second portion of the data stream to form a second sample dataset, encode the second sample set to form a second encoded dataset and transmit the second encoded dataset to a second one of the receivers; and to perform at least part of the step of sampling the second portion of the datastream while the first sample dataset is being encoded or the first encoded dataset is being transmitted.
US09253224B2
In an embodiment, communities are generated on demand. In this specification a community is a group of webpages in which users share ideas with one another by posting ideas and sending messages for one another to read. An on-demand community is a community that may be created via tools specialized for creating communities, with just a few keys strokes and/or mouse clicks and by adding information (e.g., about the members and/or the topic or set of topics that the community is focused upon), such that a community maybe established within a short amount of time, such as a few minutes or a few hours. Optionally, the communities may be initially populated with ideas related to a particular topic or set of topics. Optionally, each member may be provided with tools for establishing one or more profile page and/or one or more friend pages.
US09253221B2
The effort of changing an application in conjunction with a change in process content or change in the type or specifications of a receiver can be reduced, and a cooperative process involving a plurality of receivers without going through an application can be achieved. An integrated device control service acquires output data, information related to the address of a first receiver and a first style sheet for the first receiver, and information related to the address of a second receiver and a second style sheet for the second receiver from an application and a style sheet database that stores a plurality of style sheets describing information conversion rules. In accordance with the success or failure of first conversion data distribution, the integrated device control service sends second conversion data, which is the output data converted according to the second style sheet, to the second receiver.
US09253220B2
A method and apparatus for quickly determining the status of a network device in a network communicates status inquiry messages over the forwarding plane of one network device to at least one neighboring network device. The status inquiry messages indicate the connectivity status with at least one neighboring network device.
US09253215B2
A networking system comprising a virtual group controller in an information centric network configured to enable mobility and security for a plurality of users groups of the information centric network, a plurality of user groups coupled to the virtual group controller and associated with the users, a plurality of agents that are each associated with one of the user groups, and a database for trusted service profile coupled to the virtual group controller, wherein the virtual group controller is configured to interact with the agents to enable mobility for the user groups using a server-less domain-based naming scheme.
US09253209B2
A system is provided for securing data on a mobile device that supports both enterprise and personal applications. According to the technique, information flows and data accesses are tracked on the device at run-time to enable access control decisions to be performed based on a policy, such as an enterprise privacy policy that has been distributed to the device from an enterprise server. The policy may be updated by events at the device as well as at the enterprise server.
US09253208B1
System and method for automatically developing phishing detection rules. Based on detected phishing indicia, a quantitative score is computed for each of a plurality of predefined parameters, with each of the parameters relating to at least one of the phishing indicia. A requirement for evolving a phishing detection rule is assessed, and a new phishing detection rule is generated based on selected parameter scores meeting the rule evolution criteria and on corresponding content of the phishing indicia relating to those selected parameter scores. New phishing detection rules are applied recursively to detect phishing indicia, and more new rules can be further evolved in recursive fashion.
US09253202B2
A system for automatically managing vulnerabilities may determine vulnerability data describing vulnerabilities in an information technology environment and then assign each vulnerability to a stakeholder for remediation. The system may receive a remediation proposal from the stakeholder, obtain approval for the remediation proposal, and facilitate remediation of the vulnerability based on the proposal.
US09253201B2
Systems, methods, and media for detecting network anomalies are provided. In some embodiments, a training dataset of communication protocol messages having argument strings is received. The content and structure associated with each of the argument strings is determined and a probabilistic model is trained using the determined content and structure of each of the argument strings. A communication protocol message having an argument string that is transmitted from a first processor to a second processor across a computer network is received. The received communication protocol message is compared to the probabilistic model and then it is determined whether the communication protocol message is anomalous.
US09253199B2
A server receives a verification request sent by a client associated with a recipient of an electronic message to verify authenticity of a sender of the electronic message, where the verification request comprises message data of the electronic message and a salt hash value. The server identifies a key for the sender for generating a salt hash value and generates the salt hash value using the salt key and the message data. The server determines whether the generated salt hash value matches the salt hash value received in the verification request and sends a result to the client based on the determination of whether the salt hash values match.
US09253197B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus may store a plurality of tokens indicating a user is accessing a resource over a network. The plurality of tokens may include a risk token indicating a risk associated with access by the user to the resource. The apparatus may detect a token indicating a change associated with accessing the resource, and determine that the change triggers a risk update. The apparatus may then generate a dataset token that represents the risk token and the token indicating the change, and communicate the dataset token to a token provider to perform the risk update. The apparatus may then receive a recomputed risk token representing an updated risk. The updated risk may indicate the risk associated with continuing access to the resource with the change.
US09253187B2
A method for use in a simplified login system, involving operating a computer to identify user name, password and submit fields on a remote website. The method comprises identifying a password field on a webpage, defining a first area around the password field for a user name field and a second area around the password field for a submit field, locating a field for user text entry in the first area and locating a field for a user click entry in the second field. There is also described a computer programmed to carry out the method, a data carrier containing program data by which a computer may be programmed to carry out the method, and a secure password storage and login system comprising a central server and a number of user computers, and which operates using the method.
US09253185B2
In accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and an apparatus to perform the method of sending towards a key management device associated with an application service provider for an application, a key request for the application being booted in the cloud network; and in response to the key request, receiving an application specific key for the application, where the key is based on multiple factors associated with the application server. Further, there is at least a method and an apparatus to perform the method of receiving a key request from an application server of a cloud network for the application being booted in the cloud network; in response to the key request, authenticating the request using multiple attributes associated with the application server; and sending an application specific key for the application towards the application server.
US09253183B2
Systems and methods for authenticating an avatar are provided. This system is useful with an avatar having an identifier, virtual environments, and a user who uses the avatar in the virtual environments. Transoms are generated, each with a unique identifier configured to exist in a specific location, and registered with an identity provider. The transom initiates a request. An offer is conveyed that includes the transom identifier, the location and the avatar identifier. The avatar is then authenticated by a shared secret. The identity provider then responds to the offer with avatar identification information, including reputation information. Reputation information is for the avatar and the user, and is compiled from external avatar data sources by using a trust matrix. An avatar gallery is generated by linking each avatar owned by each user to the account and compiling avatar profiles from the account, and the reputation information. The avatar profiles are searchable, and include micro formats.
US09253176B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for securely sharing computer data content that allows for the secure un-sharing of the content. The facility to un-share content may be implemented through a secure exchange server, where the content is being shared along with a secure protection feature that when altered results in the un-sharing of the content. This secure un-sharing facility may be used to securely share content beyond the secure protective facilities of an enterprise, out to users in other companies, into the public space, to users not intended to get the content, and the like, where the sender maintains control to access of the content no matter where or to who the content has been distributed. In this way, the secure sharing of content is made to be easy across corporate boundaries at the user level and at the individual document level.
US09253171B2
Embodiments of methods and network devices for securing data within a network are generally described herein. One such method includes a key aggregation server receiving a request for an encryption key to secure the data. The server may query a plurality of network devices for a respective key from each queried network device. The server may then receive the respective key from each of the plurality of network devices and select a key element from each of the plurality of keys. An encryption key may be constructed from the key elements and transmitted to a client.
US09253163B2
The subject matter described herein includes systems, methods, and computer readable media for encrypting Diameter identification information contained in Diameter signaling messages. The system includes a Diameter agent that comprises a network interface configured to receive, from a first Diameter node, a Diameter signaling message that includes Diameter identification information associated with the first Diameter node and a Diameter encryption topology hiding module (ETHM) configured to encrypt the Diameter identification information to generate encrypted Diameter identification information and to replace the Diameter identification information in the Diameter signaling message with the encrypted Diameter identification information. The Diameter agent further includes a routing module configured to route the Diameter signaling message with the encrypted Diameter identification information to a second Diameter node.
US09253148B2
A method for logging communication includes determining when a target user is active and identifying an access device and private Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the target user when the target user is active. The method further includes causing the access device to provide traffic information associated with the target user to a logging device.
US09253142B2
Data associated with an E.164 number mapping (ENUM) request can be received from an element of a telecommunications network. Logical trunk-group information and gateway information can be associated with the ENUM request. A call is managed by the computing element through a packet-based network based at least in part on the logical trunk-group information and the gateway information.
US09253138B2
A social media mechanism processes messages for content that may require filtering of recipients of the message, and informs a user who drafted the message when the message might need to be filtered so it is not sent to all potential recipients of the message. The user may then select to send the message to all potential recipients, or to filter the recipients so the message is sent to less than all of the potential recipients. User profiles are created and maintained, and may include information that helps to determine when filtering of messages is desirable. Feedback buttons are also provided to provide feedback when a user does not like a message.
US09253133B2
Systems and methods for identifying threads of related messages. A computer can associate messages with threads by storing a thread identifier (thread ID) identifying a thread and associating the thread ID with a message identifier (message ID) of each known message that belongs to the thread. The computer can inspect a message to determine whether the message identifies a reference message. Before assigning a thread ID to the message or a reference message, the computer can determine whether a message ID for either message is stored in association with a thread ID. If a thread ID is stored for a message ID of either message, the computer can assign the thread ID to message IDs of other reference messages. If a thread ID is not stored for a message ID of either message or is different for either message, store a common thread ID in association with both messages.
US09253125B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to managing a messaging state across multiple clients and devices which use respective communications systems. In one embodiment, a plurality of users are connected to multiple messaging communications systems. The multiple messaging communications systems use a plurality of associated messaging clients on each of the users' respective devices, for messaging communications between the users. The users' messaging communications are stored from the multiple messaging communications systems and their respective messaging clients, using a proxy service. A device, of the plurality of messaging clients, being used by a messaging user of the plurality of users is tracked. A current messaging communication of the messaging user from the stored messaging communications is routed to the currently used device, using the proxy service, for maintaining a state of the messaging communications of the users.
US09253124B2
Sending and relaying of information includes: a direct receiver receives messages from a server over a broadcast communications medium, each message having associated targeter data attributes; the direct receiver selects messages from the server for storage in a message store of the first receiver device based on the targeter data attributes associated with each message from the server; the direct receiver connects with an indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium; the direct receiver receives a message request from the indirect receiver for messages in the message store of the direct receiver over a non-broadcast communications medium; and in response to the message request, the direct receiver sends messages in the message store of the direct receiver to the indirect receiver over the non-broadcast communications medium. The direct receiver receives data from the server, and the indirect receiver receives data via another receiver.
US09253123B1
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first core device configured to be disposed within a network. The network has a set of access nodes and a second core device. The first core device is configured to receive a signal designating the first core device as a master device for a virtual group identifier such that the second core device is designated as a back-up device for that virtual group identifier.
US09253122B1
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with using a preamble with at least two polarity transitions to communicate over a power line channel are described. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a transmitter configured to transmit a communication signal on a communication channel for communicating with a remote device. The communication channel is a power line channel that carries electric power transmissions. The apparatus also includes a transmission logic configured to control the transmitter to generate at least two polarity transitions in a preamble of the communication signal.
US09253116B2
A multimedia bitrate adaption method for individual users wherein only a set of predetermined bitrates may be selected as the multimedia bitrate of the user. The predetermined bitrates are quantized into exponentially distributed levels, and the users' experiences corresponding to the predetermined bitrates are with the same intervals, thereby increasing the service capacity and improving user satisfaction.
US09253112B2
To control a timing of transmitting real-time packets, it is provided a network node for transferring a packet, comprising: ports for inputting and outputting a packet to be transferred; a buffer memory for temporarily storing the input packet; a search engine for determining a port from which the input packet is output; and a timing adjusting unit for adjusting a difference in period of time needed from reception of a specific type of packet to transmission thereof.
US09253111B2
An apparatus comprises a receiver configured to receive a reported queue depth for a current granting cycle, and a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to determine accumulated bandwidth credits from at least one granting cycle prior to the current granting cycle. An apparatus comprises a transmitter configured to transmit a reported queue depth for a second granting cycle, a processor coupled to the transmitter, and a receiver coupled to the processor and configured to receive a transmission grant size that is based on the reported queue depth and accumulated bandwidth credits from a first granting cycle prior to the second granting cycle.
US09253105B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating determination of a state of a receiver buffer. A method may include receiving, at a first time, a data packet of a data stream transmitted by a sending apparatus. The method may further include generating, at a second time, a periodically generated receiver reporting message. The method may additionally include determining an interval time defining an interval between the first time and the second time. The method may also comprise causing an indication of the interval time to be sent to the sending apparatus. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.
US09253097B1
In one example, a method includes establishing a plurality of label switched paths (LSPs) having a common transit network device other than an ingress network device or an egress network device of any of the plurality of LSPs, and, by the transit network device along the plurality of LSPs, detecting a congestion condition on a link along the plurality of LSPs and coupled to the transit network device. The method also includes, responsive to detecting the congestion condition, and by the transit network device, selecting a subset of the plurality of LSPs to evict from the link, wherein the subset comprises less than all of the plurality of LSPs, and updating a forwarding plane of the transit network device to reroute network traffic received for the selected subset of the plurality of the LSPs for forwarding to a next hop on a bypass LSP that avoids the link.
US09253095B2
Application states of applications associated with a communication device can be network controlled. An application agent, associated with an application used by the communication device, controls transitioning the application between application states based on network indicators received or network events detected from a communication network. The application states include active state or doze state. An application management component associated with the communication network at least partially controls transitioning the application between application states to facilitate controlling network traffic or reducing network congestion. The application agent or application management component can map application states to various factors, including radio states, congestion level, application performance indicators, network policies, or user policies, to facilitate determining which application state to apply to an application at a given time. The application agent can be in a centralized location, or at a same or different location as the application source.
US09253091B2
A method for processing a request for content by a routing device in a communication network implementing a name-based routing. The device includes plural interfaces to receive a request for content and a data packet associated with a content, and a routing table adapted to determine, based on a content name, at least one interface to route the request. The method includes: receiving the request through a first interface; if the device is not able to provide said data packet, searching for the name of the content in a table of pending requests associated with the first interface; in case the content name does not appear in the table, storing the name of the content in the table; and transmitting the request through at least one second interface, the second interface being determined as a function of the name of the content on the basis of the routing table.
US09253087B2
A network node in an information centric network (ICN), comprising a receiver configured to receive a request for content from a user, wherein the request comprises a name, wherein the name uniquely identifies the content associated with the name, wherein the name provides persistently locatable routing to the content, wherein the name provides meaning to an application, and wherein the name comprises a security verifier, a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to determine a next hop to which to forward the request based on the name, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to forward the request to the next hop.
US09253085B2
A network-on-chip configuration includes a first plurality of cores arranged in a two-dimensional mesh; a first plurality of routers, each of the first plurality of routers associated with a corresponding local one of the first plurality of cores, each of the first plurality of routers having a plurality of directional ports configured to provide connections to other ones of the first plurality of routers; a second plurality of cores disposed around a periphery of the two-dimensional mesh arrangement; and a second plurality of routers, each of the second plurality of routers associated with a corresponding local one of the second plurality of cores, and having a directional port configured to provide a connection to a neighboring one of the first plurality of routers.
US09253081B2
In one embodiment, a machine type communication (MTC) device can receive registration associated with a new device upon the new device registration for a computer network. The MTC device can further determine a machine-to-machine (MTM) service class for the new device based on the registration data with the service class associated with at least one network route for messages destined for the new device. The MTC device can further receive a trigger message destined for the device and route the trigger message according to the network route associated with the determined MTM service class.
US09253069B2
A method for testing configuration of environments is provided. A probe for connection to a network and/or devices interacts to launch a configuration analyzer tool. The configuration analyzer tool includes a test mechanism for running a set of tests for the probe relating to connectivity and configuration of attached networks and devices before connection and suggesting solutions to test results. The tests may be externalized and dynamically loaded at run time of the configuration analyzer tool.
US09253066B2
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by processors, cause the processors to perform: at a management computer, receiving, from a gateway located in a managed network, device information about devices in the managed network; for a particular device: determining a match between the device capabilities of the particular device and features of a particular network software application configured to control the particular device, and determining a particular protocol endpoint configured to communicate control instructions from the particular network software application to the particular device; receiving, from the gateway, aggregated data that reflects network utilization by the devices located in the managed network; for the particular device: based at least in part on the aggregated data, using the particular network software application, determining control instructions for the particular device; causing the particular protocol endpoint to transmit the control instructions for the particular device to the device.
US09253060B2
A system and method for updating, monitoring, and controlling applications on a workstation. The workstation includes a workstation management module configured to detect the launch or request to access a network by an application. A workstation application server receives data associated with the application from the workstation. The application server module can determine one or more policies or categories to associate with the application by referencing an application inventory database. Once the application server module has the category or policy, it forwards a hash/policy table to the workstation management module. Upon receipt of the hash/policy table, the workstation management module applies the policy that is associated with the application to control network access by the application.
US09253057B2
A method and system for evaluating performance of software applications of different web sites. Steps in a first software application of a first web site are mapped to respective similar-function steps in a second software application of a second web site. The mapping for each step in the first software application includes associating both each step in the first software application and the respective similar-function step in the second software with a respective task. Measures of performance of each mapped step in the first software application and measures of performance of the respective similar-function steps and of other steps in the second software application are determined and included in a report. A measure of performance of the first software application and a measure of performance of the second software application are included in the report.
US09253055B2
Method, system, and computer program product to facilitate selection of data nodes configured to satisfy a set of requirements for processing client data in a distributed computing environment by providing, for each data node of a plurality of data nodes in the distributed computing environment, nodal data describing the respective data node of the plurality of data nodes, receiving a request to process the client data, the client data being identified in the request, retrieving the set of requirements for processing the client data, and analyzing the retrieved data policy and the nodal data describing at least one of the data nodes, to select a first data node of the plurality of data nodes as a delegation target, the first data node selected based on having a higher suitability level for satisfying the set of requirements than a second data node of the plurality of data nodes.
US09253051B2
A content delivery method and system based on popularity-driven pre-provisioning of content in a content delivery network (CDN). In one method, a network element may obtain trend data relative to a particular content to be distributed by the CDN. The network element may also obtain demographic data of subscribers serviced by the CDN. An expected popularity distribution of the particular content is forecasted based on a metric derived from at least one of the trend data and the demographic data. A push policy for pushing and/or pre-provisioning of the content to one or more nodes of the CDN is effectuated at the network element based on the expected popularity distribution of the content relative to the geographical region serviced by the CDN.
US09253048B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the release of computing infrastructure components (e.g., hardware, software, combinations thereof, etc.) from a networked computing environment for potential use by another networked computing environment. In a typical embodiment, a computing infrastructure component is identified from set of computing infrastructure components associated with a networked computing environment. It may then be determined whether the computing infrastructure component can be released from the networked computing environment. Then, responsive to the determination, the computing infrastructure component may be released from the networked computing environment.
US09253046B2
A coupling facility is coupled to one or more other coupling facilities via one or more peer links. The coupling of the facilities enables various functions to be supported, including the duplexing of structures of the coupling facilities. Duplexing is performed on a structure basis, and thus, a coupling facility may include duplexed structures, as well as non-duplexed or simplexed structures.
US09253043B2
Methods and apparatus to convert configuration data associated with a first router are disclosed. Example methods include receiving via a graphical user interface a user selection of a first port associated with the first router and a second port associated with a second router and detecting data flow on a subinterface associated with the first port. The method also includes converting the configuration data from a first format to a second format based on the detected data flow, the configuration data being associated with the subinterface. In some examples, the method further includes preventing conversion of the configuration data associated with the subinterface if data flow is not detected.
US09253039B2
A device management system includes an accommodation apparatus, a network device, and a device management apparatus. The accommodation apparatus includes a plurality of storage spaces. Each of the plurality of storage spaces is capable of storing an electronic device. The network device is connected to an electronic device accommodated in the accommodation apparatus. The device management apparatus includes a processor. The processor obtains connection information when a first electronic device is newly placed in the accommodation apparatus. The connection information indicates an expected connection point in the network device. The first electronic device is to be connected to the network device at the expected connection point with a cable. The processor identifies an actual connection point at which the network device has been connected to the first electronic device with the cable. The processor determines, based on the connection information, whether the actual connection point is appropriate.
US09253023B2
A network management system comprises a server connected to a plurality of probes, each probe connected to one or more managed devices. A method of operating the system comprises the steps of receiving fault events for the managed devices at the probes, detecting that the rate of received fault events has reached or is approaching an overload level for the server, identifying a managed device contributing to the reached or approached overload level, switching the probe for the identified managed device to a flood prevention mode, and operating the switched probe in the flood prevention mode thereby combining multiple fault events for the identified managed device into a single fault event for transmission to the server.
US09253021B2
In one embodiment, an aggregation device within a computer network domain receives one or more capability messages from one or more devices in the computer network domain. The aggregation device may then aggregate device capabilities from the capability messages, and provides the aggregated device capabilities to a management device located outside of the computer network domain.
US09253018B2
A machine may generate and store a correlation among multiple identifiers of the user that enable access to an application through multiple systems. For example, the user may have a first identifier for using a first social network system, and a second identifier for using a second social network system, and the machine may generate and store a correlation between the first identifier and the second identifier. The machine may identify the user based on the first identifier and access a database that stores the correlation. The machine may then access a configuration of the application based on the correlation and configure the application in accordance with the configuration. The machine may generate a visual representation of the configured application, provide the visual representation to a device of a further user, receive an indication of an opinion of the further user on the visual representation, and present the indication.
US09253006B2
A method and an apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals thereof are disclosed. The apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals comprises an encoder for encoding service data, a mapper for mapping the encoded service data into a plurality of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) symbols to build at least one signal frame, a frequency interleaver for frequency interleaving data in the at least one signal frame by using a different interleaving-seed which is used for every OFDM symbol pair comprised of two sequential OFDM symbols, a modulator for modulating the frequency interleaved data by an OFDM scheme and a transmitter for transmitting the broadcast signals having the modulated data.
US09253005B2
A base station initializes pseudo-random sequence generators on which wireless devices base generation of uplink reference signals. The base station determines a first sequence from a first subset of possible initialization sequences for a sequence generator of a first device, and determines a second sequence from a second subset of possible initialization sequences for a sequence generator of a second device. The range of this second subset spans at least the range of the first subset. The base station further encodes the first sequence as a first set of two or more parameters, and encodes the second sequence as a second set of one or more parameters. This second set includes at least one parameter not included in the first set, and comprises fewer bits than the first set. The base station initializes the sequence generators by transmitting the first and second sets of parameters to the devices.
US09253004B2
An apparatus and method to control signal phase in a radio device includes an analog phase rotator that accepts differential in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) inputs, connected in two differential pairs. The analog phase rotator is driven by a local oscillator and is configured to control a phase of the local oscillator's output. A phase error determination module is configured to determine phase error information based on received I and Q (IQ) signal values. A phase correction module is configured to derive from the received IQ signal values a correction signal and apply the correction signal to the phase rotator in a path of the local oscillator.
US09253002B2
A non-contact power supply transmitter system 100 transmitting an electric power from a transmitting device (TX) 200 to a receiving device (RX) 300 with a non-contact power supply transmitter method, the TX 200 including: a transmitting coil 202; a driver 204 causing the transmitting coil to generate a power signal of the electromagnetic field; and an FSK modulation unit 240 transmitting an FSK signal Sf through the transmitting coil, the RX 300 including: a receiving coil 302; a rectifier circuit 320 rectifying an electric current induced by the receiving coil; an FSK demodulation unit 340 demodulating the FSK signal received through the receiving coil; and a controller 312 controlling so that a rectifying mode of the rectifier circuit is switched to a diode rectifying mode during the FSK communication. The non-contact power supply transmitter system 100 and the RX 300 can execute a stable FSK communication.
US09253000B2
A digital broadcasting system and a method for transmitting and receiving digital broadcast signal are disclosed. The method of processing a digital broadcast signal comprises encoding signaling information for mobile data, forming data groups including mobile data, a plurality of long known data sequences, a plurality of segmented known data sequences and the encoded signaling information, interleaving data in the data groups, transmitting the digital broadcast signal including the data groups having the interleaved data, and wherein the signaling information includes concatenation information indicating whether the segmented known data sequences are concatenated between the data groups included in the digital broadcast signal.
US09252994B2
A network apparatus, for processing a network signal and outputting an output signal, includes an asynchronous signal processing module, a sampling rate converter and a synchronous signal processing module. The asynchronous signal processing module operates in an asynchronous domain, and is utilized for receiving and processing the network signal to generate a first processed signal. The sampling rate converter is coupled to the asynchronous signal processing module, and is utilized for performing sampling rate conversion on the first processed signal to generate the output signal. A first operating frequency of the asynchronous signal processing module is different from a second operating frequency of the synchronous signal processing module.
US09252992B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus and a system for multi-antenna transmission, wherein a third precoding matrix determined by a sending end device is a function of a first precoding matrix and a second precoding matrix. That the first precoding matrix has a block diagonal structure and that sub-matrices corresponding to two blocks are Hermitian matrices enable the above-mentioned third precoding matrix to match with a transmit spatial autocorrelation matrix of a cross-polarized antenna or a distributed antenna, thereby enhancing precoding performance and improving system throughput effectively.
US09252984B2
A semiconductor device including a bus communication transceiver configured to be adopted in an automobile, including a transmission circuit to receive an input signal from an input node and generate a transmission signal; a bus connection node to couple with an external single wire bus to transmit the transmission signal to the external single wire bus and to receive a reception signal from the external single wire bus, the external single wire bus being coupled with an on-board battery of the automobile; a reception circuit to receive the reception signal or the transmission signal from the single wire bus to generate an output signal; and a delay time measurement circuit to measure a delay time from a rising time of the input signal to a rising time of the output signal generated from the input signal, and to generate a delay time measurement result signal group.
US09252971B2
A method includes receiving a request to provision a path associated with at least a portion of a packet network and determining whether a router is associated with the path in the packet network. The method also includes provisioning a first connection between a first gateway and a second gateway when the router is not associated with the path. The method further includes provisioning a second connection between the first gateway and the router and a third connection between the router and the second gateway when the router is associated with the path. In addition, the method includes at least one of associating and disassociating a first endpoint of the first gateway and a second endpoint of the second gateway with one or more of the connections.
US09252962B1
A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a device associated with a user of a hosted computer system, entries in a template of an electronic invention disclosure form; linking the invention disclosure form to at least one portion of an inventor's notebook containing disclosure of an invention addressed by the invention disclosure form; providing invitations to a collaboration space for the invention, whereby acceptance of the invitation provides access to at least a portion of the invention disclosure form; and providing secure access to invitees into the collaboration space, wherein the invitees are determined to have been invited to the particular collaboration space.
US09252961B2
On embodiment accesses a set of information comprising one or more elements of information relating to a subject matter, wherein the one or more elements of information have been shared among one or more users of a social-networking system; for each element of information, determines a rate of sharing of the element of information among the one or more users and identifies one or more first users who cause the rate of sharing of the element of information to increase; and identifies one or more influencers associated with the subject matter from the one or more first users identified for each element of information.
US09252957B2
A method for distributing content in a content distribution system is disclosed which comprises the steps of: encrypting at a Content Packager a content using a content encryption key to generate an encrypted content; sending the content encryption key to a Licensing Authority; receiving from the Licensing Authority a distribution key containing an encryption of the content decryption key (Kc) for a given set of authorized devices; creating a secure link between the content encryption key (Kc) and the content protected by this content encryption key using a signature of the content; and distributing the encrypted content together with the signature of the content. A method for receiving content distributed according to the above-mentioned method in a device able to play back the content is also disclosed where the content signature is checked before any play back of the content.
US09252945B2
A method for data transmission between a sensor and an electronic control and/or regulating unit (ECU), the transmitted sensor data (x1, . . . , xt) and the sensor being secured against a manipulation. The system provides a particularly simple, but very secure method for manipulation protection, the sensor data (x1, . . . , xt) being transmitted via a first logical data transmission channel at a first data transmission rate, and security data (MAC; CMAC) for securing the transmitted sensor data and/or the sensor being transmitted via a second logical data transmission channel at a second data transmission rate from the sensor to the ECU. At least once at the beginning of a data transmission session, a session key is transmitted from the ECU to the sensor via a third logical data transmission channel and received by the latter, the session key being used at least for the ongoing session to generate the security data.
US09252932B2
Disclosed are a method, device, and system for reporting a channel quality indicator (CQI), applicable in solving the problem in coordinated multipoint transmission technology of the incapability of a network side to execute accurately resource distribution and scheduling due to the incapability of the network side to have accurate knowledge of the interference that a terminal is being subjected to. The method is: on the basis of measurement reference signals transmitted by each device in a measurement collection, the terminal feeding back to a network side device an initial CQI of each device in the measurement collection; on the basis of the initial CQI of each device fed back by the terminal, and of channel matrix reference information fed back by the terminal, the network side device calculating a target CQI of the terminal. This allows the network side to learn accurately the interference that the terminal is being subjected to, thus allowing for accurate execution of terminal scheduling, resource distribution, and MCS selection, for effectively improved system throughput in coordinated multipoint transmission, and for improved system performance.
US09252922B2
Systems and methods are provided to improve performance in backup data storage systems by improving response to errors. The system and method provide for transferring data from a primary storage controller to a secondary storage controller, where the secondary storage controller is linked to the primary storage controller by a plurality of links. The system and method includes transmitting a first transaction from the primary storage controller to the secondary storage controller using a first of a plurality of links. Then, in response to the first transaction crossing a first timeout boundary without completing, the system and method includes transmitting a second transaction from the primary storage controller to the secondary storage controller using a second of the plurality of links, the second of the plurality of links preferentially selected to be on a different network failure boundary from the first of the plurality of links.
US09252918B2
A communication system is provided wherein a user equipment (UE) receives control information from a wireless network. The UE monitors control channel candidates using common reference signals (CRS) and monitors enhanced control channel candidates using demodulation reference signals (DMRS) when the UE is configured in a first transmission mode, such as transmission mode 9, for receiving a downlink shared traffic channel based on DMRS. The UE monitors control channel candidates only using CRS when the UE is configured in a second transmission mode, such as any of transmission modes 1-6, for receiving a downlink shared traffic channel based on CRS. The UE then receives downlink control information (DCI) in a subframe in one of the monitored control channel candidates or enhanced control channel candidates in the subframe.
US09252916B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for mobile video delivery. A method includes, in a mobile network comprising at least a core element and one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs), receiving a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object, splitting the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments, transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates, and delivering a segment from a rate bucket that matches a current network condition determined by bandwidth estimation.
US09252913B2
Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to optical dark section conditioning. An embodiment generates at least one of a broadband noise or signal at the head end of a section for a first module of the section; and operates all other modules of the section in gain control mode.
US09252910B2
A scalable multicast M×N optical switch (MCS) includes a non-scalable MCS having a plurality of (L+1)×1 selector switches east coupled at one of its L entrance ports to egress ports of the non-scalable MCS, the remaining L−1 entrance ports being coupled to an L*N upgrade ports, where M and N are integers ≧2, and L is an integer ≧1. This allows the scalable MCS to be cascaded in a daisy-chain fashion, providing scalability from the M common ports to L*M common ports. In another embodiment, the selector switches are integrated into the MCS, providing scalability of common MCS ports.
US09252909B2
A single rotator successively connects a set of access ports to a set of memory devices and a multi-port controller and connects the set of memory devices and the multi-port controller to the set of access ports. The rotator has a set of inlets and a set of outlets and cyclically connects each inlet to each outlet during a rotation cycle. A set of inlet selectors connecting to the inlets of the rotator and a set of outlet selectors connecting to the outlets of the rotator are coordinated to concurrently connect the access ports to the memory devices and to the master controller through the rotator, and concurrently connect the memory devices and the master controller to the access ports. Each memory device connects to an inlet selector and a corresponding transposed outlet selector.
US09252905B2
A radio network node antenna management system dynamically manages a multi-antenna structure (200). The multi-antenna structure (200) includes a set of n antennas with beamforming capability. The antenna management system monitors a condition in a radio network cell served by the radio network node. If the monitored condition is less than or equal to a predetermined criteria, a beamforming operation is disabled and a subset, less than n, of the set of n antennas is managed according to a predetermined antenna hopping pattern.
US09252887B2
An optical receiver includes a light receiving element configured to convert an input light signal into an electric current, a current mirror circuit including a reference current side transistor and a mirror current side transistor, the transistor being connected to the light receiving element, a current-voltage conversion circuit configured to convert an output current from the transistor into a voltage and output the voltage as a light reception level monitor voltage of the light receiving element, and a current sink circuit connected to the transistor and configured to feed an electric current to the transistor.
US09252881B2
A method for regenerating optical signals includes determining an input including a source amplitude-modulated optical signal, regenerating the source amplitude-modulated optical signal by using successive saturation modes of amplification, and producing an output optical signal from the regeneration. The source amplitude-modulated optical signal includes input power modulation levels that each indicate information carried on the source amplitude-modulated optical signal. The output optical signal includes output power modulation levels that include information equivalent to information of the input power modulation levels.
US09252876B2
The invention relates to a hybrid communication apparatus for high-rate data transmission between moving and/or stationary platforms, comprising at least one transmission and reception device, wherein the transmission engineering used is radio-frequency engineering. The invention provides for light waves to be used for the data transmission either as an alternative or in addition. The transmission and reception devices (2) comprise a radio-frequency transmitter/receiver (9) and a multiplicity of optical transmitters/receivers (10) which are arranged in annular fashion around the radio-frequency transmitter/receiver (9).
US09252875B2
A method for aligning among visible light communication devices comprises the following steps: generating a visible light signal and transmitting same to a corresponding device; determining whether the visible light signal that is output via the screen of the device is identifiable; correcting the color of the visible light signal that is output on the screen if the visible light signal is not identifiable; and using the visible light signal that is corrected to perform alignment for visible light communicating with the corresponding device.
US09252871B2
The invention relates to an AIS ship transceiver which, after reception of an AIS base station message, validates the transmitting AIS base station and activates or deactivates the emitting of AIS radio signals in dependence on the validation.
US09252866B2
A relay node for aggregating data transfers in a wireless telecommunications network includes a receiver configured to receive uplink signals from multiple terminals, each uplink signal including respective uplink data, a decoder operatively connected to the receiver and configured to decode the uplink signals to obtain the uplink data, a machine-readable storage medium operatively connected to the decoder and configured to store the uplink data, an encoder operatively connected to the machine-readable medium and configured to encode an aggregate uplink signal including the uplink data obtained from the uplink signals, and a transmitter configured to transmit an uplink transmission of the aggregate uplink signal to the base station.
US09252857B2
Enhancement of wireless Channel Order and rank (ECHO) systems and ECHO repeater devices for enhancement of a wireless propagation channel for point to point or point to multipoint radio configurations are disclosed. The enhancement may be used for MIMO communications channels. Aspects support a richer multipath environment to increase the rank of the channel propagation matrix and/or to increase the magnitude of the coefficients of the propagation matrix between two or more radios. Such enhancement is applicable to backhaul radios in terms of increased range or in the number of supportable information streams. The installation provisioning optimization control monitoring and adaptation of such devices within a network of backhaul radios is also disclosed. Wireless links and control between IBR and ECHO devices and between ECHO devices and other ECHO devices are also disclosed.
US09252856B2
Methods and apparatuses for use in a MIMO transmission is provided. The method comprises: receiving a rank reported by a user equipment; determining a rank at least partly based on a transmission block size, TBS, index generated from link adaptation decision; and overriding the reported rank with the determined rank. By utilizing downlink link adaption decision, such as TBSidx and rank to quantify PDSCH radio channel quality, improper RI value can be combated, so that transmission of multiple layers only occurs at high SINR region and single layer transmission happens at low SINR region.
US09252852B2
The present invention relates to a method for a transmission end transmitting a feedback by using a codebook in a wireless communication system, which supports a multiple antennas, comprising the steps of: determining a first codeword for a first horizontal antenna group from a first codebook, which comprises at least one precoding matrix and is selected for a plurality of horizontal antenna groups from a predetermined codebook; determining a second codeword for a second horizontal antenna group; determining a third codeword for each of the antenna groups other than the first and second horizontal antenna groups, from the plurality of horizontal antenna groups; and providing a feedback of at least one of first, second and third codewords to a receiving end, wherein the third codeword is determined according to a phase increase value, which is determined in accordance with the first and second codewords.
US09252850B2
A method, a system, and a server provide context aware multiple-input-multiple-output MIMO antenna systems and methods. Specifically, the systems and methods provide, in a multiple MIMO antenna or node system, techniques of antenna/beam selection, calibration, and periodic refresh, based on environmental and mission context. The systems and methods can define a context vector as built by cooperative use of the nodes on the backhaul to direct antennas for the best user experience as well as mechanisms using the context vector in a 3D employment to point the antennas in a cooperative basis therebetween. The systems and methods utilize sensors in the nodes to provide tailored context sensing versus motion sensing, in conjunction with BER (Bit Error Rate) measurements on test signals to position an antenna beam from a selection of several “independent” antenna subsystems operating within a single node, as well as, that of its optically connected neighbor.
US09252847B2
A communication apparatus (image forming apparatus) according to an aspect of the present invention is capable of communication with an external apparatus via short-range wireless communication (NFC) and while in a powered-on state (first state), registers a piece of data being held by the communication apparatus as NFC transmission data that is to be transmitted by the communication apparatus in a powered-off state (second state). Furthermore, when shifting from the powered-on state to the powered-off state, the communication apparatus sets the registered NFC transmission data in an NFC controller as data that is to be transmitted to an external apparatus such as a mobile terminal via NFC communication.
US09252842B2
An image communication system includes a coaxial cable having first and second ends. A monitor station is coupled to the first end and a camera is coupled to the second end. The monitor station provides power to the camera through the cable, while the cable is also used to carry communication signals transmitted by the camera to the monitor station. The image communication system includes a first active inductor coupled to the first end and a second active inductor coupled to the second end. A current-compensation circuit may also be provided.
US09252827B2
A wireless communication device configured for receiving a multiple carrier signal is described. The wireless communication device includes a primary signal splitting carrier aggregation architecture. The primary signal splitting carrier aggregation architecture includes a primary antenna and a transceiver chip. The primary signal splitting carrier aggregation architecture reuses a first diversity/simultaneous hybrid dual receiver path. The wireless communication device also includes a secondary signal splitting carrier aggregation architecture. The secondary signal splitting carrier aggregation architecture includes a secondary antenna and a receiver chip. The secondary signal splitting carrier aggregation architecture reuses a second diversity/simultaneous hybrid dual receiver path.
US09252804B2
Some embodiments include an apparatus and a computer program product configured to re-align two-dimensional compressed data sets while preserving compression of the data. A set of one or more shifts and a corresponding set of one or more first dimension indices into a two-dimensional compressed data set for re-aligning the two-dimensional compressed data set are determined. Impact of re-aligning upon each vector in the second dimension of the two-dimensional compressed data set is determined while the two-dimensional compressed data set remains compressed. New compressed vectors are created in the second dimension resulting from re-aligning. Compression information is modified for each of the original vectors of the two-dimensional compressed data set that remain after re-aligning based, at least in part, on the new compressed vectors. A re-aligned version of the two-dimensional compressed data set is created with the new compressed vectors, and the remaining original vectors with their modified compression information.
US09252801B2
A sigma-delta converter may include a filter coupled to a first summation circuit and a second summation circuit. A multi bit quantizer may be coupled to the second summation circuit. A single bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) may be included that defines a feedback path between the multi-bit quantizer and the first summation circuit. A feed-forward coefficient circuit defining a feed forward path between the first summation circuit and the second summation circuit may be included.
US09252800B1
An enhanced resolution successive-approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is provided that includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a comparator and enhanced resolution SAR control logic. The DAC includes analog circuitry that is configured to convert an M-bit digital input to an analog output. The comparator includes a plurality of coupling capacitors. The enhanced resolution SAR control logic is configured to generate an M-bit approximation of an input voltage and to store a residue voltage in at least one of the coupling capacitors. The residue voltage represents a difference between the input voltage and the M-bit approximation of the input voltage. The enhanced resolution SAR control logic is further configured to generate an N-bit approximation of the input voltage based on the stored residue voltage, where N>M.
US09252798B2
Methods and systems are provided for generating correction estimates. Training signals may be injected into one or more particular spectral regions, and one or more correction estimation parameters may be determined based on the injecting of the training signals, where the one or more correction estimation parameters reduce distortion in at least the one or more particular spectral regions. The particular spectral regions may comprise originally-unoccupied spectral regions. The one or more correction estimation parameters may be applied during correcting of digital signals generated based on processing of received analog signals. The training signals may be generated, such as based on one or more pre-defined characteristics. The one or more correction estimation parameters may then be determined based on the one or more pre-defined characteristics of the training signals and/or changes thereto.
US09252783B2
An oscillator includes an oscillation element; an oscillation circuit which causes the oscillation element to oscillate; a heat generation element which heats the oscillation element; a temperature control circuit which controls the heat generation element; and a temperature correction circuit which corrects frequency-temperature characteristics of an output signal of the oscillation circuit.
US09252780B2
To determine the level of frequency drift of a crystal oscillator as a result of a change in the its temperature, the temperature of the crystal oscillator is sensed and used together with previously stored data that includes a multitude of drift values of the frequency of the crystal oscillator each associated with a temperature of the crystal oscillator. Optionally, upon initialization of a GPS receiver in which the crystal oscillator is disposed, an initial temperature of the crystal oscillator is measured and a PLL is set to an initial frequency in association with the initial temperature. When acquisition fails in a region, the ppm region is changed. The temperature of the crystal oscillator is periodically measured and compared with the initial temperature, and the acquisition process is reset if there is a significant change in temperature. The GPS processor enters the tracking phase when acquisition is successful.
US09252779B2
A semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: an oscillator; a semiconductor chip that includes an oscillation circuit connected to the oscillator, a timer circuit that generates a timing signal of a frequency according to a oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit, and a frequency correction section that corrects a frequency of the timing signal based on temperature data; and a discrete device that includes at least one of a temperature sensing device that detects a peripheral temperature, that supplies the detected temperature as temperature data to the frequency correction section, and that is provided as a separate body to the semiconductor chip, or a capacitor that is electrically connected to both the oscillator and the oscillation circuit and that is provided as a separate body to the semiconductor chip, wherein the oscillator, the semiconductor chip and the discrete device are contained within a single package.
US09252768B2
A touch position sensing panel including first and second electrode layers shaped with repeating patterns. Each electrode pattern is interpolated with adjacent electrode patterns.
US09252762B2
A pulse generation circuit (12) includes a PWM waveform outputting part (20) which outputs a PWM waveform having a duty ratio in which one linear PWM pulse is defined with a first number of bits, an input connector (22) which receives as an input a control signal indicating a duty ratio defined with a second number of bits larger than the first number of bits, and a setting part (24) which sets a PWM waveform to be output from the PWM waveform outputting part (20) based on the control signal input to the input connector (22) with one cycle being made up of a set comprised of a plurality of consecutive linear PWM pulses according to the second number of bits.
US09252759B1
An adjustable delay line includes a series of delay elements for adjusting the accumulative delay. Each element has a plurality of registers indicating to various devices within the delay element to be ‘on’ or ‘off’, thereby changing the time delay through the element. A master control indicates to the delay line whether to go faster (increment) or go slower (decrement). When one of these control signals is applied to the delay line, it is applied to half the elements, either the odd or the even numbered elements. Only one element will have its state changed by the increment or decrement control signal, and it will be the element for which the previous delay's corresponding element is already set or un-set depending upon the applicable case.
US09252748B2
A multi-stage passive capture adapter (PCA) circuit is configured to sense and recover digital signals present on a high-speed serial bus for capture and analysis in external test equipment. A first stage of the PCA circuit includes a differentiator that functions as a high impedance probe that contacts the serial bus to capture an original input signal waveform of the high-speed digital signals. The signal waveform is fed to a dual-slope comparator/driver that includes a plurality of high-speed comparators and drivers. The second stage includes a differential receiver/shaper that converts logic levels of differential receiver outputs to input signals that set and reset a signal restorer whose output signals are fed to a driver of a driver/shaper. The output of the driver is then fed to a shaper network configured to substantially match an output signal of driver/shaper to the input signal waveform sensed from the high-speed serial bus.
US09252741B2
A resonator element includes: at least one resonating arm which performs flexural vibration; a base portion connected to an end of the resonating arm; and a tapered portion which is axisymmetrical with respect to a centerline which bisects the width of the resonating arm, and which has a width increasing toward a portion of the tapered portion connected to the base portion from a portion of the tapered portion connected to the resonating arm, wherein assuming that the length and width of the resonating arm are L and W and the length and width of the tapered portion are Lt and Wt, the shape of the tapered portion is controlled to satisfy a taper length occupancy η=Lt/L and a taper width occupancy ξ=2 Wt/W.
US09252738B1
Multi-segment RF probes for automatic slide screw impedance tuners include a multitude of slugs, which are individually adjustable towards the center conductor of the slabline and spaced against each-other in order to create the required capacitance and transmission line space values needed for synthesizing resonant networks to match arbitrary reflection factor patterns over a given frequency range. The multi-segment probes are optimized using network synthesis software within the limits of the capacitance and inductance values allowed by the hardware. The probes allow constant phase testing for 100 MHz bandwidths or more.
US09252736B2
A network signal coupling and EMI protection circuit assembly includes a processing circuit installed in a circuit board and coupled between a voltage-mode network-on-chip at the circuit board and a network connector and drivable by a driving voltage from the voltage-mode network-on-chip to process network signals. The processing circuit includes opposing first connection end and second connection end, two-wire channels electrically connected between the first connection end and the second connection end, a coupling module and an EMI protection module installed in each two-wire channel for coupling network signals and removing noises. Each EMI protection module includes two capacitors having respective first ends thereof respectively connected to the two wires of the respective two-wire channel and respective opposite second ends thereof connected in series and grounded for filtering lower frequency part of resonant waves in the band during signal transmission to prevent electromagnetic interference and to enhance signal transmission stability.
US09252729B2
An amplifier circuit, comprising: an input, for receiving an input signal to be amplified; a power amplifier, for amplifying the input signal; a switched power supply, having a switching frequency, for providing at least one supply voltage to the power amplifier; and a dither block, for dithering the switching frequency of the switched power supply. The dither block is controlled based on the input signal. Another aspect of the invention involves using first and second switches, each having different capacitances and resistances, and using the first or second switch depending on the input signal or volume signal. Another aspect of the invention involves controlling a bias signal provided to one or more components in the signal path based on the input signal or volume signal.
US09252728B2
A method and device for modifying a synthesis of a time-domain excitation decoded by a time-domain decoder, wherein the synthesis of the decoded time-domain excitation is classified into one of a number of categories. The decoded time-domain excitation is converted into a frequency-domain excitation, and the frequency-domain excitation is modified as a function of the category in which the synthesis of the decoded time-domain excitation is classified. The modified frequency-domain excitation is converted into a modified time-domain excitation, and a synthesis filter is supplied with the modified time-domain excitation to produce a modified synthesis of the decoded time-domain excitation.
US09252727B2
A peripheral apparatus, for connecting to a first or a second transmission port of an electronic device, includes a signal transmission interface, a triggering unit, an amplifying unit and an adjusting unit. The signal transmission interface, coupled to the first or the second transmission port, includes a first and a second group of pins. The triggering unit is coupled to the signal transmission interface. When the signal transmission interface is coupled to the first or the second transmission port, the triggering unit outputs a first or a second voltage level signal, respectively. The amplifying unit is coupled to the signal transmission interface and a functional unit. The adjusting unit, coupled to the signal transmission interface, the triggering unit, the amplifying unit and the functional unit, changes an output power transmitted from the amplifying unit to the functional unit according to the first or the second voltage level signal.
US09252723B2
A system includes a differential circuit, multiple cross-coupled transconductance circuits. In some implementations, the differential circuit may include an inductor coil in a balun or transformer. The cross-coupled transconductance circuits may act to reduce the internal resistance of the differential circuit to increase the quality factor of the differential circuit. The cross-coupled transconductance circuit may be connected at differential points along the differential circuit and be engaged and disengaged to linearize the quality factor of the differential circuit.
US09252722B2
The output of a carrier amplifier circuit in a Doherty amplifier is coupled to the summing node so that the impedance observed by the carrier amplifier's output is approximately equal to the load impedance at the combining node when the load impedance is not modulated. In an example non-inverting configuration, a power amplifier circuit is configured to provide an amplified signal to a load at a summing node, where the load has a first impedance when not load-modulated. The power amplifier circuit includes a splitter network arranged to receive the input signal and to split the input signal to provide a carrier input signal and a peaking input signal, a carrier amplifier path configured to amplify the carrier input signal in a full-power mode and in a first backoff mode, and a peaking amplifier path configured to amplify the peaking input signal in at least the full-power mode.
US09252720B2
An amplifier circuit whose frequency response has almost no soft knee characteristic or no peak when inverting input capacitance Csin varies and when feedback capacitance Cf is a fixed value of small capacitance, and a feedback circuit is provided. The amplifier circuit includes a plurality of amplifiers each of which negative feedback is provided to and which are connected in series, and a feedback means (feedback circuit) which is connected to an output side of an amplifier near output of the amplifier circuit and an input side of an amplifier near input of the amplifier circuit. These amplifiers are ones in the plurality of amplifiers. One or odd numbers of amplifiers in the plurality of amplifiers are inverting amplifiers.
US09252716B2
A high-frequency amplifier circuit includes a balanced-unbalanced converter converting a single-ended signal into differential signals. The output of a first amplifier amplifying the single-ended signal is connected to the signal terminal on the unbalanced side of the balanced-unbalanced converter. The input of a second amplifier amplifying one of the differential signals is connected to one signal terminal on the balanced side of the balanced-unbalanced converter. The input of a third amplifier amplifying another of the differential signals is connected to another signal terminal on the balanced side of the balanced-unbalanced converter. An impedance element is inserted between an element on the balanced side of the balanced-unbalanced converter and a ground.
US09252713B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a bias circuit for generating bias voltages to stacked transistors. In one embodiment, stacked transistors are coupled between an input transistor and an output node. A modulated power supply voltage and an input signal produce a voltage at the output node. The modulated power supply voltage is provided as an input to the bias circuit. Bias voltages are generated that change with the power supply voltage. In one embodiment, particular transistors in the stack are biased so that their control terminals are effectively short circuited when the power supply voltage is reduced.
US09252711B2
Provided is an oscillator (100) including a piezoelectric body (70) that has a plurality of protrusions (72) on one surface thereof, a plurality of electrodes (80) that are respectively provided on the plurality of protrusions (72) so as to be separated from each other, and a plurality of electrodes (82) that are provided on the other surface opposite to the one surface of the piezoelectric body (70) so that each of the electrodes faces only one electrode (80). Thus, it is possible to prevent variation in acoustic characteristics from occurring. Therefore, the oscillator capable of improving the acoustic characteristics of an electronic device is provided.
US09252708B1
A resonant element driver circuit includes a NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor that are configured to drive a resonant element. The resonant element driver circuit includes biasing circuitry that is configured to bias the PMOS transistor. The biasing circuitry receives a reference signal that is used to set the biasing on the PMOS transistor. The resonant element driver further includes mirror circuitry that tracks current flowing through the NMOS and PMOS transistors.
US09252698B2
An inverter device includes a power supply unit and a switch controller. The power supply unit supplies AC power to an AC motor whose electric characteristics in response to a rotation speed are switchable between low speed characteristics and high speed characteristics. The switch controller switches the electric characteristics of the AC motor. The switch controller executes switching control that alternately switches the electric characteristics of the AC motor between the low speed characteristics and the high speed characteristics on the basis of the rotation speed of the AC motor.
US09252692B2
An electric-motor furniture drive includes a power supply device, a manual control for moving movable furniture components relative to each other, and an electric motor with reversible rotation direction. A speed-reducing transmission is connected downstream of the electric motor and an additional transmission is connected downstream of the speed-reducing transmission. The power supply device has a mains connection, transforms the mains-side input voltage into at least one output-side low voltage and is configured for galvanic isolation between the mains-connected input side and the output side for operating the electric-motor furniture drive. The power supply device is designed as a switched-mode power supply and has an intermediate circuit, a control device for controlling the switched-mode power supply, and a secondary unit. The power supply device provides an output-side operating voltage at the output thereof in an operating state and provides an output-side idle voltage at the output in an idle state.
US09252688B2
An electrokinetic actuator for a propulsion system is described. The actuator includes an array of channels, with each channel having an inlet and an outlet. A reservoir is included that contains an ionic solution of particles. A first electrode proximate to (or deposited at) the inlet and a second electrode proximate to (or deposited at) the outlet are connected to a voltage source. The voltage source and electrodes apply a voltage across the length of the channels to generate an electric field parallel to each channel. The electric field causes an electro-osmotic flow of ions from the reservoir to the outlet producing electrokinetic thrust at the outlet. By varying the concentration of the ionic solution and the magnitude of the electric field, the electro-osmotic flow of ions is controlled.
US09252687B2
A power generation unit includes a deforming member adapted to repeatedly deform a piezoelectric element, a pair of electrodes provided to the piezoelectric element, an inductor disposed between the pair of electrodes, and constituting a resonant circuit together with a capacitive component of the piezoelectric element, a first switch connected in series to the inductor, a member adapted to detect a timing at which a deformation direction of the deforming member is switched, a full bridge rectifier adapted to rectify a current output from the pair of electrodes, a capacitor connected to the full bridge rectifier, and adapted to store a current supplied from the full bridge rectifier, a second switch connected between either one of the pair of electrodes and the capacitor, and a control circuit adapted to operate the first switch and the second switch.
US09252685B2
Provided is a dust removing device that can be designed and controlled appropriately and has high dust removal performance even at low temperature, and an imaging device using the dust removing device. In a dust removing device to be set on a base, including a piezoelectric element formed of a piezoelectric material and a pair of opposing electrodes, a vibration member, and a fixation member containing at least a high molecular compound component, a phase transition temperature T from a first ferroelectric crystal phase to a second ferroelectric crystal phase of the piezoelectric material is set to −60° C.≦T≦−5° C., and whereby, the dust removing device can be designed and controlled appropriately and high dust removal performance can be obtained even at low temperature.
US09252684B2
A power conversion apparatus including a three-phase transformer having at least four three-phase windings, and three converter arms each configured by connecting one or plural unit converters each including a switching device and an energy storage element in series. A power source or a load is connected to a first three-phase winding of the transformer, three series circuits which connects second and third three-phase windings of the transformer, and the converter arms in series with each other are connected in parallel, the parallel connection point is a DC terminal, and a magnitude relationship between a coupling coefficient of the first and second three-phase windings, and a coupling coefficient of the first three- and third three-phase windings is equal to a magnitude relationship between a coupling coefficient of the fourth and second three-phase windings, and a coupling coefficient of the fourth and the third three-phase windings.
US09252679B2
A reverse recovery current prevention device includes a full wave rectifier having a plurality of diodes, first and second diodes, a switch part and a switch control unit. The full wave rectifier rectifies a power source voltage from an alternating current power source inputted into first and second input terminals. The first and second diodes have anode terminals connected to the first and second input terminals, respectively. The switch part opens or shorts an electrical circuit between a negative-side output terminal of the full wave rectifier and each cathode terminal of the first and second diodes. The switch control unit prohibits the switch part from shorting the electrical circuit between the negative-side output terminal and each of the cathode terminals when a voltage between the negative-side output terminal and each of the cathode terminals is at or above a threshold.
US09252674B2
A controller of the power converter according to the present invention comprises a gate driver. The gate driver generates a gate-drive signal. The gate-drive signal is coupled to drive a power transistor to switch a transformer of the power converter for regulating an output of the power converter. The gate driver has a charge-pump circuit for charging pump a voltage level of the gate-drive signal. Therefore, the gate-drive signal can fully turn on the power transistor.
US09252656B2
A bridgeless interleaved power factor correction (PFC) circuit using a single PFC choke having four windings formed on a single core to form the four input inductors of the PFC circuit. An AC-to-DC converter constructed using the bridgeless interleaved PFC circuit achieves high conversion efficiency with high power factor and low total harmonic distortion. Furthermore, the size of the PFC circuit is reduced by using a single PFC choke with quad-winding.
US09252653B2
A power factor correction converter and a control method are disclosed. A power factor correction converter includes a power conversion module, a capacitor, a third switch unit, and a fourth switch capacitor. The power conversion module includes a first switch, a second switch, a first switch unit, a second switch unit, and an inductor. The first switch is coupled to a first input terminal. The second switch is coupled to a second input terminal. The first switch is coupled between an output terminal and the first switch. The second switch is coupled between the output terminal and the second switch. The inductor is coupled between the first and the second switch unit. The capacitor is coupled to the output terminal. The third switch unit is coupled between the second input terminal and the capacitor. The fourth switch unit is coupled between the first input terminal and the capacitor.
US09252643B2
A monitoring apparatus configured for monitoring a carbon brush of a brush holder assembly of an electrical machine. The monitoring apparatus may include a flexible sensor and a signal processing circuit for processing a signal received from the flexible sensor. The flexible sensor may have an electrical resistance that varies based on a radius of curvature of the flexible sensor, wherein the radius of curvature of the flexible sensor may be associated with a deflection of a spring providing a force to engage the carbon brush with a rotating component of the electrical machine. The signal processing circuit may be coupled to the sensor and may be configured to determine a measure of a wear state of the carbon brush using information about the variable resistance of the flexible sensor.
US09252636B2
A plurality of teeth of an armature core arranged in a circumferential direction each include an inner winding portion in its proximal region and first and second branch portions that extend radially and branch off in a bifurcated manner from a distal end of the inner winding portion in the circumferential direction. After winding the first to ninth coils around the inner winding portions of all of the teeth, the tenth to eighteenth coils are wound sequentially around outer winding portions of adjacent ones of the teeth each including the first branch portion of one of the two adjacent teeth and the second branch portion of the other one of the adjacent teeth.
US09252635B2
A rotor for an electric machine includes a pole core having a coolable magnetisable rotor section which is made of a super-conducting material. The rotor section has a rotationally symmetric geometry. The pole core is formed as a cylinder and the rotor section is arranged on an outer surface of the cylinder so as to be encircling.
US09252622B2
A charging apparatus comprises an estimator unit for estimating the habitual usage start time of a secondary cell on the basis of the usage history of the secondary cell, an allowable charging time calculator unit for calculating the period of time from the charging start time of the secondary cell to the imminent usage start time as allowable charging time, a necessary charge time calculator unit for calculating the charging time necessary to fully charge the secondary cell as necessary charging time, and a charger unit for charging the secondary cell under degradation-suppression charging conditions when the allowable charging time exceeds the necessary charge time. Under the degradation-suppression charging conditions, the charging apparatus performs temporary charging suspension during charging, and charges the secondary cell so that full charge is reached within the allowable charging time.
US09252618B2
Terminals, terminal systems, charging/discharging methods for the terminals, charging/discharging methods for the terminal systems, and discharging methods are disclosed. The terminal is coupled to a second terminal including a second switching unit, a second charging unit and a second battery unit. The second charging unit is coupled to the second battery unit. The terminal includes a first switching unit and a first battery unit. The first switching unit is coupled to each of the second switching unit and the first battery unit. The first switching unit is configured to receive a control instruction or a control signal, and to switch to the second switching unit based on the control instruction or the control signal so as to supply power to the second terminal with the first battery unit, or switch to the second charging unit based on the control instruction or the control signal so as to charge the second battery unit with the first battery unit. Thus, the battery of the terminal can be used to charge the battery of the second terminal or used directly as a second battery for supplying power to the second terminal. This improves user convenience and usability of the terminals.
US09252613B2
A system includes an energy storage device, a power generator, and a controller. The energy storage device is operable to power a load. The power generator is operable to charge the energy storage device. The controller is operable to generate an energy storage metric representing a quantity of energy stored in the energy storage device over a first time interval and adjust at least one power consumption characteristic of the load for a second time interval based on the energy storage metric.
US09252612B2
An improved personal mobile charging device for providing back up electrical charging or standby power for personal electronic devices comprising an elongate rectangular body having a top, a bottom, two elongate sides and two short sides typically made of leather and having thin flexible lengths of material representing an outside surface (2) and an inside surface (4) creating a space for the permanent placement of at least one battery (8) protected by a circuit (12) with integrated plug (14) that regulates over and under charging and discharge of power to connected personal electronic device wherein the embodiment can be perceived as ones primary fashion belt or strap.
US09252608B2
A first electrical storage stack is connected in series with a second electrical storage stack. A current interrupter is configured to interrupt a current path by being removed from the current path. First and second detection line are respectively connected to first and second terminals of the first electrical storage stack. The second electrical storage stack is connected to the second terminal of the first electrical storage stack via the current interrupter. A third detection line is connected to a portion of the current path, located on the second electrical storage stack side of the current interrupter. A controller is configured to control charging and discharging operations of each of the first and second electrical storage stacks on the basis of the voltage of the first electrical storage stack, the voltage being detected via the first detection line and the third detection line.
US09252601B2
A method for controlling a power converter in a wind turbine generator, the power converter being connected to a power grid, the method comprising obtaining an alternating current (AC) line voltage at a connection point between the power converter and the power grid, obtaining a frequency of the power grid based on the AC line voltage, dynamically adapting the AC line voltage to the frequency of the power grid, generating a reference signal based on at least the frequency-adapted AC line voltage, and determining a converter control signal to be provided to the power converter based on the reference signal and the grid frequency in order to generate a power at the frequency of the power grid. Further, a wind turbine generator implementing the method is provided.
US09252596B2
A reactive power compensation method includes generating a variable power factor curve for at least one power generator based on information regarding network parameters; obtaining a value of an active output power parameter from the at least one generator; computing a reactive power based on the variable power factor curve and the value of the active power output parameter of the at least one generator; generating a reactive power compensation command based on the computed reactive power; and transmitting the reactive power compensation command to the at least one power generator for controlling operation of the at least one power generator.
US09252593B2
The present disclosure provides a system and method for providing electrostatic discharge protection. A probe card assembly is provided which is electrically connected to a plurality of input/output channels. The probe card assembly can be contacted with a secondary assembly having an interposer electrically connected to one or more wafers each wafer having a device under test. Voltage can be forced on ones of the plural input/output channels of the probe card assembly to slowly dissipate charges resident on the wafer to thereby provide electrostatic discharge protection. A socket assembly adaptable to accept a 3DIC package is also provided, the assembly having a loadboard assembly electrically connected to a plurality of input/output channels. Once the 3DIC package is placed within the socket assembly, voltage is forced on ones of the input/output channels to slowly dissipate charges resident on the 3DIC package to thereby provide electrostatic discharge protection.
US09252588B2
An arrangement for controllably disconnecting a utility power service from a load includes a utility meter housing, a switch and a processing circuit. The utility meter housing includes metrology circuitry configured to generate metering information regarding electrical power provided to the load. The switch is configured to controllably interrupt a connection between the utility power service and the load. The switch has an open state and a closed state. The processing circuit is configured to determine whether a line voltage varies from an expected value by more than a predetermined amount over a predetermined amount of time. The processing circuit is further configured to cause a change in state of the switch based on the determination.
US09252577B1
An electrical transition fitting for enabling electrical wires contained in multiple cables to be extended through an electrical conduit, or into a panel box. The fitting has a lower body member having a first member dimensioned for receipt of an electrical conduit or passage through a knockout hole of a panel box, and a second member with a slot at a second end, an upper body member having at least three bores formed therein, the bores for receipt of the cables, the upper body member having a plate at a first end, the plate dimensioned for contact with a perimeter of the second member and having a tab for receipt in the slot, and a hole for receipt of a fastener to secure the upper body member to the lower body member and plastic insulators and inner locking devices for installation in the bores.
US09252573B2
A draw-in wire tip and a respective draw-in wire body each having optimized flexural strength in such a way that insertion of a draw-in wire which is composed of these two components is easily possible, even in complex tube systems.
US09252572B2
A media appliance and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a housing is adapted to be mounted within a wall. A panel forms a front portion of the housing and the panel includes vents and the panel may be mounted substantially flush with the wall. A media player, which includes a set-top box, is disposed within the housing. A pair of ports, disposed within openings defined by the housing, are configured to receive respective optio-electric connectors. Each port includes optio-electrically conductive elements. The pair of ports are coupled to the media player and one port is configured for providing a connection to a television and the other port is configured for providing a connection to an external source of signal for the television.
US09252567B2
A disclosed surface-emitting laser element includes a lower DBR formed on a substrate, an active layer formed on the lower DBR, an upper DBR formed on the active layer, a wavelength-adjusting layer formed above the active layer, and a plurality of surface-emitting lasers configured to emit respective laser beams having different wavelengths by changing a thickness of the wavelength-adjusting layer. In the surface-emitting laser element, the wavelength-adjusting layer includes one of a first film having alternately layered GaInP and GaAsP and a second film having alternately layered GaInP and GaAs, the thickness of the wavelength-adjusting layer being changed by partially removing each of the alternating layers of a corresponding one of the first and second films.
US09252563B1
A method and apparatus for powering up and powering down a laser diode and its driver are disclosed. The disclosed method and apparatus enable the use of deep sub-micron CMOS technology to build a laser diode driver (LDD), while ensuring the low voltage limits prescribed by such technology are not exceeded. Building an LDD with deep sub-micron CMOS technology pushes circuit integration further ahead, bringing cost of LDDs and required board circuits down.
US09252558B2
There is provided an optical amplifier, which includes: an optical amplification medium; a pump light generator configured to generate pump light with a power corresponding to a set control value and supply the generated pump light to the optical amplification medium; a first controller including a level control circuit configured to generate the control value such that an output power of the optical amplification medium approaches a target power, and a limiter configured to limit a range of the control value in variable; and a latch circuit configured to set a specific control value to the pump light generator during a period in which the first controller is in a stop state.
US09252557B2
A single-cavity dual-electrode discharge cavity and an excimer laser including such a discharge cavity are disclosed. The discharge cavity may comprise a cavity body and two sets of main discharge electrodes. The cavity body may comprise a left chamber and a right chamber arranged to form a symmetric dual-chamber cavity. The left and right chambers can interface and communicate with each other at a plane of symmetry of the entire discharge cavity. The two sets of main discharge electrodes can be disposed in the left and right chambers on the upper side, respectively. According to the present disclosure, the single-cavity configuration can be used to achieve functions of dual-cavity configurations, such as MOPA, MOPO, and MOPRA. Thus, it is possible to reduce system complexities and also ensure synchronization of discharging in the discharge cavity.
US09252553B2
A laser includes an optical fiber having two ends of which a first end is configured to receive light therethrough, and a doped section configured to absorb at least part of the light received by the first end and for emitting light. The laser further includes a heat-conducting material which coats at least the doped section of the optical fiber.
US09252546B2
The invention relates to a distribution connection module (1) for telecommunications and data technology, with the distribution connection module (1) comprising a first submodule (2) and a second submodule (3), with the first and second submodule (2, 3) each having contact elements (7, 13), with the contact elements (7, 13) each having an electrical connecting contact (8, 14) and an interface contact (9, 15), with the interface contacts (9) of the first submodule (2) being electrically connected to one another by the interface contacts (15) of the second submodule (3), or with the interface contacts (9) of the first submodule (2) being connected to interface contacts (61) of a further submodule (60) and the interface contacts (15) of the second submodule (3) being connected to interface contacts (62) of a further submodule (60), with the further submodules (60) being arranged between the first and the second submodules (2, 3).
US09252542B2
An electrical connector includes a metallic shell defining a mating cavity opening forwards, a terminal module assembly received in the metallic shell, and a shielding plate being located between an upper surface and a lower surface of the terminal module assembly. The terminal module assembly defines a front region exposed in the mating cavity to function as a mating tongue. The terminal module assembly defines an insulator associated with a plurality of contacts with corresponding contacting sections exposed upon opposite upper and lower faces of the mating tongue, the contacts are categorized with differential pairs and grounding contacts. The shielding plate defines a main plate and grounding fingers split from the main plate to directly touch with corresponding grounding contacts. The shielding plate is embedded with the terminal module assembly and the grounding fingers of the shielding plate are fixed with the insulator of the terminal assembly.
US09252540B2
In an electrical plug connector having multiple metal contacts situated in parallel to each other for electrically contacting metal contact pins of a mating plug, a separate contact terminal is situated upstream from at least one of the contacts according to the invention, which electrically conductively contacts the at least one contact and is designed for being penetrated by a contact pin.
US09252538B2
Receptacle assembly including a receptacle housing having a front end, a back end, and an elongated module cavity that extends between the front and back ends. The receptacle assembly also includes a communication connector that is positioned to mate with a pluggable module when the pluggable module is inserted into the module cavity. The receptacle assembly also includes a light source that is positioned proximate to the port opening and supported by the receptacle housing. The light source generates light signals that are viewable at the front end. The receptacle assembly also includes a flexible cable coupled to the light source. The light source generates the light signals based on electrical current received through the flexible cable.
US09252535B2
A terminal connecting structure is provided with a male terminal having a tab portion and a female terminal having a contact portion. The tab portion and the contact portion mutually slide. A sliding surface of the tab portion extends in a direction inclined with respect to a sliding direction of the tab portion and the contact portion and has a projecting wall and a recess portion provided alternately along the sliding direction. A sliding surface of the contact portion extends in a direction crossing the projecting wall and the recess portion and has a projecting wall and a recess portion provided alternately along the sliding portion.
US09252530B2
An electrical connector includes a port (102, 103) for insertion of a mating connector along an insertion direction, a mating module (50) having a set of contacts (540, 542) received in the port, a transferring module (53) located behind the mating module and having a number of conductive components mounted thereon, and a shielding component (51, 52) disposed between the set of contacts and the transferring module. The shielding component is located between the set of contacts and the transferring module. The shielding component is simple and easily assembled to the transferring module.
US09252523B2
An interlock mechanism of a motor, includes a terminal box configured to store a terminal used to connect a power supply cable to the motor; a lid configured to close the terminal box; a fixing member configured to fix the lid to the terminal box; a first connector attached to the lid; a second connector capable of being coupled with the first connector and configured to cover the fixing member in a state that the second connector is coupled with the first connector.
US09252517B2
A connector is mateable with a mating connector comprising a mating contact. The connector comprises a contact which is brought into contact with the mating contact at two points under a mated state. The contact has a first spring portion, a protruding portion protruding from the first spring portion, a slide portion extending flat and a second spring portion. The protruding portion has a first contact portion while the slide portion has a second contact portion. The first contact portion is movable by first resilient deformation of the first spring portion while the second contact portion is movable by second resilient deformation of the second spring portion. One of the first contact portion and the second contact portion is moved because of both the first resilient deformation and the second resilient deformation when the connector is transited from a mating start state to the mated state.
US09252516B2
A connector includes a housing having an insertion section into which a connection end of a sheet-shaped connection target is inserted, and a plurality of contacts held by the housing so as to extend in an insertion direction of the connection target and be aligned along a direction across the insertion direction of the connection target, wherein each contact to be mounted by soldering on the top surface of the mounting board on a side of insertion of the connection target has at its end on the side of insertion of the connection target a surface of flat shape to be mounted on the top surface of the mounting board, and a sloping surface which is inclined at a predetermined angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to the surface to be mounted for guiding the connection end of the connection target to the insertion section.
US09252507B2
A terminal block is disclosed having a leaf spring, a contact, a cam member, and a spring member. The contact is positioned adjacent to the leaf spring and has a contact seat. The contact seat has a projection extending towards the leaf spring and is positionable in a hole of a ring terminal inserted into the terminal block. The cam member is in rotatable contact with the leaf spring, has a rotational axis extending in a direction of insertion of the ring terminal, and when in contact with the leaf spring, presses the leaf spring against the contact. The spring member is located closer to the leaf spring than the contact seat and biased against the inserted ring terminal.
US09252497B2
In an exemplary embodiment, an antenna architecture comprises a single aperture having both receive elements and transmit elements, where the single aperture has the performance of a dual-aperture but in about half the size. Moreover, in the case of an array with inclined elements, there is the need to interconnect a planar substrate with an inclined substrate at an angle. An exemplary single aperture comprises a metal core having a thick pass-through slot from a first side to a second side; connecting the inclined substrate to the first side of the metal core, and connecting a second substrate to the second side of the metal core. Furthermore, an RF signal is communicated between the first substrate and the second substrate in a contactless manner through the thick pass-through slot.
US09252495B1
An antenna is adapted for operation over a broadband frequency. The antenna includes a conical portion and a tapered portion. The conical portion may have a bicone structure, where each cone has a tapered portion. The tapered portion tapers asymptotically with an exponential.
US09252493B2
The invention relates to a radio frequency device including an antenna connected to a capacitor. Said capacitor includes first and second conductive plates that are opposite each other and separated by an insulator. At least one of said first and second plates is formed of a plurality of wire capacitor portions. Said radio frequency device is different in that the antenna and at least one capacitor plate are formed with wire portions placed on a substrate in a guided manner.
US09252488B2
The present invention provides an antenna apparatus which can realize favorable communication properties while achieving downsizing of a casing of an electronic device when incorporated in an electronic device. An antenna module (1a) which is incorporated in a mobile phone (130) and which is enabled to perform communication by receiving a magnetic field transmitted from a reader/writer (120) comprises an antenna coil (11a) which is wound in a clearance (132) between an end portion (133b) of a metallic plate (133a) opposing the reader/writer (120) within a casing (131) of the mobile phone (130) and an inner peripheral wall (131a) of the casing (131) so as not to surround an outer peripheral portion of the metallic plate (133a) and which is inductively coupled with the reader/writer (120).
US09252480B2
A two-shaft hinge antenna comprises a major conductor, a first rotating element and a second rotating element. The stretching arms on both sides of the major conductor are assembled to the first rotating element and the second rotating element, respectively. The first rotating element further comprises a torque device and a first vice conductor, and the second rotating element further comprises a signal feeding line, a connection device, and a second vice conductor. The signal feeding line is electrically connected to the connection device and the second vice conductor, by which a high frequency signal can be passed to the major conductor, and then passed to the torque device on the other side and the first vice conductor. The aforementioned configuration is utilized to form an antenna loop. In addition, the configuration of this antenna can be applied to a foldable electronic device.
US09252477B1
A multimode directional coupler is provided. In some embodiments, the multimode directional coupler is configured to receive a primary signal and a secondary signal at a first port of a primary waveguide. The primary signal is configured to propagate through the primary waveguide and be outputted at a second port of the primary waveguide. The multimode directional coupler also includes a secondary waveguide configured to couple the secondary signal from the primary waveguide with no coupling of the primary signal into the secondary waveguide. The secondary signal is configured to propagate through the secondary waveguide and be outputted from a port of the secondary waveguide.
US09252472B1
A load for traveling microwave energy has an absorptive volume defined by cylindrical body enclosed by a first end cap and a second end cap. The first end cap has an aperture for the passage of an input waveguide with a rotating part that is coupled to a reflective mirror. The inner surfaces of the absorptive volume consist of a resistive material or are coated with a coating which absorbs a fraction of incident RF energy, and the remainder of the RF energy reflects. The angle of the reflector and end caps is selected such that reflected RF energy dissipates an increasing percentage of the remaining RF energy at each reflection, and the reflected RF energy which returns to the rotating mirror is directed to the back surface of the rotating reflector, and is not coupled to the input waveguide. Additionally, the reflector may have a surface which generates a more uniform power distribution function axially and laterally, to increase the power handling capability of the RF load. The input waveguide may be corrugated for HE11 mode input energy.
US09252462B2
A battery management system (BMS) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the BMS includes i) a first switching circuit electrically connected to a battery cell or a battery pack and configured to provide a voltage of the battery cell or the battery pack, ii) a capacitor electrically connected to the first switching circuit and configured to store the voltage provided from the first switching circuit and iii) a second switching circuit electrically connected to the capacitor and configured to provide the voltage stored in the capacitor, wherein the second switching circuit has first and second output terminals. The BMS may further include a pull-down circuit electrically connected to the second switching circuit, and configured to reduce impedance at the first output terminal of the second switching circuit.
US09252456B2
A flexible polymer solid electrolyte material useful in battery technology is described. The flexible solid electrolyte comprises a first block that has the ability to solvate alkali metal salts. The flexible solid electrolyte comprises a second block that has the ability to incorporate lithium ions within microphase separated spherical domains, wherein the lithium ions are from a secondary lithium source. The flexible solid electrolyte further comprises a second lithium salt.
US09252448B2
Provided are a ceria-based composition having an undoped or metal-doped ceria and an undoped or metal-doped bismuth oxide, wherein the undoped or metal-doped bismuth oxide is present in an amount equal to or more than about 10 wt % and less than about 50 wt % based on the total weight of the ceria-based composition, and at least one selected from the ceria and the bismuth oxide is metal-doped. The ceria-based composition may ensure high sintering density even at a temperature significantly lower than the known sintering temperature of about 1400° C., i.e., for example at a temperature of about 1000° C. or lower, and increase ion conductivity as well.
US09252445B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) has an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. At least one of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode and the membrane is formed of electrospun nanofibers.
US09252444B2
A fuel cell system calculates amount of fluid discharged from a fuel gas circulation path with water and fuel gas in accordance with an ordinary process map if inside an anode is not scavenged when a fuel cell stops electrochemical reaction; measures amount of water remaining in a fuel gas circulation path in accordance with cumulative electricity output, temperature, or elapsed time after starting the electrochemical reaction if the inside the anode is scavenged previously; and determines whether the inside the fuel gas circulation path is in dry condition or humid condition. The fuel cell system calculates amount of fluid discharged from the fuel gas circulation path with water or the fuel gas in accordance with a map predetermined for the dry condition if the fuel cell system determines that the inside the fuel gas circulation path is in the dry condition. The fuel cell system calculates the amount of the fluid to be discharged with the water or the fuel gas in accordance with the ordinary map if the fuel cell system determines that the inside the fuel gas circulation path is in the humid condition. Accordingly, wasteful discharge of fuel gas can be prevented in a purging operation after starting up the fuel cell system.
US09252442B2
Disclosed is a system and method for controlling a fuel cell system. More specifically, a fuel cell demand current is calculated based on a driver demand current calculated from a driver demand torque. Then a target flow rate-1 of air to be supplied to a fuel cell stack is calculated based on the fuel cell demand current and a target stoichiometric ratio (SR) of air. The target flow rate-1 is then compensated for using the target SR, an RPM command value of an air blower is calculated based on a compensated target flow rate-2 and the amount of air currently measured. The operation of the air blower is subsequently controlled based on the calculated RPM command value.
US09252440B2
A gas supply system that supplies a gas after making confluence of the gas flows from gas containers includes: a supply pressure detector that detects supply pressure of the gas following the confluence; and a controller that permits a gas supply-destination apparatus to be activated if the supply pressure detected after an elapse of a determination time from a start of the gas supply is greater than or equal to a threshold pressure, and that prohibits the apparatus from being activated if the supply pressure is less than the threshold pressure. The controller uses a first determination time as the determination time if it is determined that internal pressures that are the gas pressures in the containers are not imbalanced between the containers, and uses a second determination time that is longer than the first as the determination time if it is determined that the internal pressures are imbalanced.
US09252435B2
In a fuel cell unit 16 that constitutes a fuel cell module 2 of an SOFC device 1, a collector cap 86a is connected to an inner electrode layer 90 via a seal material 96 as an Ag seal portion. A glass coating 30 (dense body) is filled up between the inner electrode layer 90 and an electrolyte layer 94 and the collector cap 86a to cover an upper end surface 96a of the seal material 96. As such, the fuel cell unit 16 includes the seal material 96 constituting as an Ag seal portion that separates a fuel gas from an oxidant gas, and a glass coating 30 at least partially formed to over at least either the fuel gas side surface of the seal material 96 or an the oxidant gas side surface of the seal material 96.
US09252428B2
Disclosed is a negative electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery that includes a current collector and a negative active material layer on the current collector, the negative active material layer having an active mass density in a range of about 1.6 g/cc to about 2.1 g/cc and including graphite and a pore-forming agent.
US09252427B2
Provided are a negative active material, a method of preparing the same, and a lithium battery including the negative active material, wherein the negative active material includes a carbonaceous material that has a peak with respect to a surface (002) at a Bragg angle 2θ of 26.4°±0.1° in an X-ray diffraction spectrum, has a full width at half maximum of the peak with respect to the surface (002) of about 0.2° to about 0.6°, has an interlayer spacing (d002) of the surface (002) measured by X-ray diffraction of about 3.36 Å to about 3.37 Å, and has a crystallite size measured from the full width at half maximum of the peak with respect to the surface (002) of about 10 nm to about 45 nm, wherein the carbonaceous material includes a core; and an amorphous carbon layer disposed on a non-cracked surface portion of the core.
US09252408B2
The heater module wire connection structure for a battery pack includes a battery pack (11), and first and second heater modules (22L, 23L) which warm the inside of the battery pack and have lead wires (44L, 45L) connected thereto. Further, the heater module wire connection structure includes a power supply cable (42) to which the lead wires of the first and second heater modules are crimped and connected, and a temperature sensor (43C) which is placed inside of the battery pack and detects the temperature of the first heater module (23L). The lead wire (45L) of the first heater module, the temperature of which is detectable by the temperature sensor, and the lead wire (44L) of the second heater module (22L), the temperature of which is not detectable by the temperature sensor, are simultaneously crimped and connected to the same position on the power supply cable.
US09252399B2
A battery includes a cell casing that has recessed portion on a major surface of the casing, the recessed portion being substantially planar and bordering a remainder of the major surface at a ridge portion on each of one or two sides of the recessed portion, whereby the recessed portion, the ridge portions, and the remainder of the major surface cooperate under an increase of gauge pressure to cause a plane defined by a boundary between the ridge portions and the remainder of the major surface to move.
US09252397B2
An emissive layer deposited in graded manner using a plurality of nozzles is disclosed. A mixtures ejected from the plurality of nozzles may contain varying concentrations of host-to-dopant material. The nozzles, as disclosed, may be arranged in a sequential manner such that the order of the sequence is based on varying concentration of the host-to-dopant material. The nozzles may be configured to translate relative to an area of a substrate to allow sequential deposition.
US09252391B2
A method for protecting an electronic device comprising an organic device body. The method involves the use of a hybrid layer deposited by chemical vapor deposition. The hybrid layer comprises a mixture of a polymeric material and a non-polymeric material, wherein the weight ratio of polymeric to non-polymeric material is in the range of 95:5 to 5:95, and wherein the polymeric material and the non-polymeric material are created from the same source of precursor material. Also disclosed are techniques for impeding the lateral diffusion of environmental contaminants.
US09252388B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the display includes a substrate having a light emission area and a non-emission area outside the light emission area, an organic light emitting unit formed on the light emission area and a blocking unit that is disposed on the non-emission area to surround the organic light emitting unit. The OLED display further includes a coating unit formed to coat an external surface of the blocking unit and an encapsulation unit formed by alternately stacking at least one first thin film and at least one second thin film on an area surrounded by the blocking unit so as to encapsulate the organic light emitting unit.
US09252384B2
An organic light emitting device includes a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, a first organic layer pattern disposed on the first electrode, an auxiliary electrode pattern alternately disposed with the first organic layer pattern, and including an upper insulation layer, a lower insulation layer, and an auxiliary electrode disposed therebetween, a light emitting layer disposed on the first organic layer pattern and the auxiliary electrode pattern, a second organic layer disposed on the light emitting layer and a second electrode disposed on the second organic layer.
US09252383B2
Electroluminescent devices are disclosed comprising a transparent anode; a layer of a hole transporting material; a layer of an electroluminescent material; a layer of an electron transporting material; a layer of a substituted lithium quinolate; and a metal cathode. The electroluminescent device may be an organic light-emitting diode having a cathode, an electron injection layer in contact with the cathode and an electron transport layer in contact with the electron injection layer and comprising aluminum, zirconium or hafnium quinolate or a mixture thereof or a mixture of any of them with a quinolate of a metal of group 1, 2, 3, 13 or 14 of the periodic table. Such devices may be made by the steps of forming a substituted lithium quinolate having one or more substituents and depositing the substituted lithium quinolate on a cathode of the device to provide an electron injection layer.
US09252376B2
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a composition containing a polymer or oligomer (A) having a repeating unit with hole transport properties and also having a thienyl group which may have a substituent, and an initiator (B), wherein the solubility of the composition is capable of being changed by applying heat, light, or both heat and light.
US09252370B2
Provided are heterocyclic compounds represented by general Formula 1 below and organic light-emitting devices including the same: Such N-substituted diarylamino derivatives of 4,5-iminophenanthrene, when included in color fluorescent or phosphorescent organic light emitting devices in a hole transporting or hole injecting charge transport role, impart high efficiency, low driving voltages, high luminances and long lifetimes to these devices.
US09252362B2
Three dimension memory arrays and methods of forming the same are provided. An example three dimension memory array can include a stack comprising a plurality of first conductive lines separated from one another by at least an insulation material, and at least one conductive extension arranged to extend substantially perpendicular to the plurality of first conductive lines, such that the at least one conductive extension intersects a portion of at least one of the plurality of first conductive lines. Storage element material is formed around the at least one conductive extension. Cell select material is formed around the at least one conductive extension.
US09252361B2
Provided is an electronic device including a semiconductor memory. The semiconductor memory may include: an interlayer dielectric layer formed over a substrate including first and second areas; a first contact plug contacted with the substrate through the interlayer dielectric layer of the second area; an anti-peeling layer formed over the interlayer dielectric layer including the first contact plug; a second contact plug contacted with the substrate through the anti-peeling layer and the interlayer dielectric layer in the first area; and a variable resistance pattern contacted with the second contact plug.
US09252352B2
An ultrasonic transducer device includes an ultrasonic transducer element array, a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal. The ultrasonic transducer element array has a 1st element group to a kth element group (where k is a natural number such that k≧2). The first signal terminal is connected with a control section configured to perform at least one of receiving and transmitting of signals. The second signal terminal is connected with the first signal terminal via the ultrasonic transducer element array. Each of the 1st element group to the kth element group includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements electrically connected in parallel. The 1st element group to the kth element group are electrically connected in series between the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal.
US09252347B2
Disclosed is a light emitting device package. The light emitting device package includes a package body having a first cavity and a second cavity; a plurality of reflective frames comprising a first reflective frame and a second reflective frame on the first cavity and the second cavity, respectively, and each of the first reflective frame and the second reflective frame comprises a bottom frame and at least two side wall frames extending from the bottom frame; and a light emitting device on the first reflective frame, wherein the first reflective frame and the second reflective frame are electrically separated from each other.
US09252346B2
A semiconductor device includes an electrode including a plurality of pillars, a semiconductor element configured to be electrically-connected with the electrode, a substrate having electrode patterns, and a conductive adhesive layer located between the substrate and the electrode, the conductive adhesive layer including conductive substances configured to electrically-connect the pillars and the electrode patterns to each other, and including a body which encloses the conductive substances.
US09252342B2
An LED module includes a printed circuit board (PCB) or a surface mounted device (SMD) carrier, an LED chip mounted directly or indirectly on the PCB or SMD carrier, an optical element arranged on top of the LED chip, and a white reflective layer covering a surface of the PCB or SMD carrier on which the optical element is arranged and/or partially covering the optical element.
US09252341B2
A method is provided for coating an optoelectronic chip-on-board module, including a flat substrate populated with one or more optoelectronic components, having a transparent, UV-resistant, and temperature-resistant coating made of one or more silicones. A corresponding optoelectronic chip-on-board module and a system having multiple optoelectronic chip-on-board modules are also provided. The method includes the following steps: a) preheating the substrate to be coated to a first temperature; b) applying on the preheated substrate a dam that encloses a surface area or partial area of the substrate to be coated, the dam being made of a first, heat-curable, highly reactive silicone that cures at the first temperature; c) filling the surface area or partial area of the substrate enclosed by the dam with a liquid second silicone; and d) curing the second silicone.
US09252337B1
A low-cost device for packaging LED dies provides superior reflectivity and thermal conductivity without covering entire surfaces of an LED luminaire with an expensive reflective aluminum substrate. The LED packaging device includes a highly reflective substrate disposed in a hole in a printed circuit board. The substrate has a reflectivity greater than 97% and includes an insulating layer and a reflective layer disposed above a thicker aluminum layer. An LED die is disposed on the top surface of the substrate. The PCB has a layer of glass fiber in resin and a metal layer. The lower surface of the PCB and the bottom surface of the substrate are substantially coplanar. The metal layer of the PCB is electrically coupled to the LED die only through bond wires. Electronic circuitry is disposed on the upper surface of the PCB and is used to control light emitted from the LED die.
US09252331B2
A thin-film LED comprising a barrier layer (3), a first mirror layer (2) succeeding the barrier layer (3), a layer stack (5) succeeding the first mirror layer (2), and at least one contact structure (6) succeeding the layer stack (5). The layer stack (5) has at least one active layer (5a) which emits electromagnetic radiation. The contact structure (6) is arranged on a radiation exit area (4) and has a contact area (7). The first mirror layer (2) has, in a region lying opposite the contact area of the contact structure (6), a cutout which is larger than the contact area (7) of the contact structure (6). The efficiency of the thin-film LED is increased as a result.
US09252329B2
Light emitting devices having an enhanced degree of polarization, PD, and methods for fabricating such devices are described. A light emitting device may include a light emitting region that is configured to emit light having a central wavelength, λ, and a degree of polarization, PD, where PD>0.006λ−b for 200 nm≦λ≦400 nm, wherein b≦1.5.
US09252327B1
A semiconductor light emitting device may include: a first conductivity type semiconductor layer; an active layer disposed on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; an electron-blocking layer disposed on the active layer; a second conductivity type semiconductor layer disposed on the electron-blocking layer; and a hole-diffusion layer disposed between the electron-blocking layer and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer. The hole-diffusion layer may include three layers having different energy band gaps and different resistance levels and at least one of the three layers may contain Al. A composition of the Al may be lower in the at least one layer than in the electron-blocking layer.
US09252326B2
The present invention relates to a light emitting device including at least three pairs of half-wave light emitting units, each pair including a terminal of a first half-wave light emitting unit connected to a terminal of a second half-wave light emitting unit, the terminals having the same polarity, a polarity of the connected terminals of one half-wave light emitting unit pair being opposite to the polarity of the connected terminals of an adjacent half-wave light emitting unit. The light emitting device also includes at least two full-wave light emitting units each connected to adjacent pairs of half-wave light emitting units. The half-wave light emitting units and the full-wave light emitting units each have at least one light emitting cell, the half-wave light emitting units each have a first terminal and a second terminal, the full-wave light emitting units each have a third terminal having the same polarity as the first terminal and a fourth terminal having the same polarity as the second terminal, and the third terminal of each full-wave light emitting unit being connected to the second terminal of adjacent half-wave light emitting units and the fourth terminal of each half-wave light emitting unit being connected to the first terminal of adjacent half-wave light emitting units.
US09252319B2
Methods of fabricating solar cell emitter regions using silicon nano-particles and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a method of fabricating an emitter region of a solar cell includes forming a region of doped silicon nano-particles above a dielectric layer disposed above a surface of a substrate of the solar cell. A layer of silicon is formed on the region of doped silicon nano-particles. At least a portion of the layer of silicon is mixed with at least a portion of the region of doped silicon nano-particles to form a doped polycrystalline silicon layer disposed on the dielectric layer.
US09252307B2
A support system for a solar panel includes a triangular truss with connection points for mounting a photovoltaic module, and a cradle structure that supports the triangular truss and is connected to at least two side supports of the triangular truss. The cradle structure may be driven for rotation about an axis for tracking the sun and several cradle structures can be linked together for tracking movement using a buried linkage system. The truss may also be foldable for ease of transportation and storage.
US09252304B2
Methods for depositing a kesterite film comprising a compound of the formula: Cu2−xZn1+ySn(S1−zSez)4+q, wherein 0≦x≦1; 0≦y≦1; 0≦z≦1; −1≦q≦1, generally include contacting a hydrazine-based solvent, a source of Cu, a source of Sn, a source of Zn carboxylate, a source of at least one of S and Se, under conditions sufficient to form a solution substantially free of solid particles; applying the solution onto a substrate to form a thin layer; and annealing the thin layer at a temperature, pressure, and length of time sufficient to form the kesterite film. Also disclosed are hydrazine-based precursor solutions for forming a kesterite film and a photovoltaic device including the kesterite film formed by the above method.
US09252300B2
For contacting a silicon solar cell a pre-processed silicon substrate with a frontside and a backside is provided. Then, aluminum is deposited on the backside of the pre-processed silicon substrate, wherein aluminum-free regions remain on the backside. Then, a silver-free layer suitable for soldering on the backside of the silicon substrate is deposited so that the silver-free layer suitable for soldering covers at least the aluminum-free regions on the backside.
US09252292B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first doping region arranged at a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, an emitter layer arranged at a back side surface of the semiconductor substrate, at least one first conductivity type area separated from the first doping region by a second doping region of the semiconductor substrate and at least one temperature-stabilizing resistance area. The first doping region has a first conductivity type and the emitter layer has at least mainly a second conductivity type. The second doping region has the second conductivity type and the at least one first conductivity type area has the first conductivity type. The at least one temperature-stabilizing resistance area is located within the second doping region and adjacent to the at least one first conductivity type area. Further, the at least one temperature-stabilizing resistance area has a lower variation of a resistance over a range of an operating temperature of the semiconductor device than at least a part of the second doping region located adjacent to the at least one temperature-stabilizing resistance area.
US09252289B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device has a semiconductor substrate, an element isolation region disposed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate, a well region disposed along one principal surface of the semiconductor substrate, source and drain regions arranged in the well region, a gate oxide film arranged on the surface of the semiconductor substrate between the source region and the drain region, a floating gate disposed on the gate oxide film, and an insulating film disposed on a surface of the floating gate. A control gate is capacitively coupled to the floating gate disposed through intermediation of the insulating film. A resistive element is serially connected to the control gate. Write characteristics of the non-volatile semiconductor memory device are improved as a result of a delay effect of the resistive element serially connected to the control gate.
US09252288B2
It is an object to provide an oxide semiconductor which is suitable for use in a semiconductor device. Alternatively, it is another object to provide a semiconductor device using the oxide semiconductor. Provided is a semiconductor device including an In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region of a transistor. In the semiconductor device, the In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer has a structure in which crystal grains represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m=1) are included in an amorphous structure represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m>0).
US09252282B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can achieve a sufficiently-high-speed response and has a sufficiently excellent transmittance and a thin film transistor array substrate preferably used in the liquid crystal display device. The thin film transistor array substrate according to the present invention is a thin film transistor array substrate that includes, as electrodes, one pair of comb electrodes and a sheet electrode, and at least one electrode selected from the group consisting of the pair of comb electrodes and the sheet electrode being electrically connected along a pixel line.
US09252275B2
A non-planar gate all-around device and method of fabrication thereby are described. In one embodiment, the device includes a substrate having a top surface with a first lattice constant. Embedded epi source and drain regions are formed on the top surface of the substrate. The embedded epi source and drain regions have a second lattice constant that is different from the first lattice constant. Channel nanowires having a third lattice are formed between and are coupled to the embedded epi source and drain regions. In an embodiment, the second lattice constant and the third lattice constant are different from the first lattice constant. The channel nanowires include a bottom-most channel nanowire and a bottom gate isolation is formed on the top surface of the substrate under the bottom-most channel nanowire. A gate dielectric layer is formed on and all-around each channel nanowire. A gate electrode is formed on the gate dielectric layer and surrounding each channel nanowire.
US09252274B2
A Field Effect Transistor (FET) structure may include a fin on a substrate having a first lattice constant and at least two different lattice constant layers on respective different axially oriented surfaces of the fin, wherein the at least two different lattice constant layers each comprise lattice constants that are different than the first lattice constant and each other.
US09252271B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a channel region disposed between a source region and a drain region, a gate structure over the channel region, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer proximate the gate structure, an ILD stress layer proximate the top portion of gate structure and over the ILD layer. The gate structure includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a top portion. A first stress memorization region is also provided. The first stress memorization region is proximate the top portion of the gate structure. A method of making a semiconductor device is also provided.
US09252262B2
The reliability of a semiconductor device including a power semiconductor element is improved. The basic idea in embodiments is to make the band gap of a cell region smaller than the band gap of a peripheral region. Specifically, a lower band gap region having a smaller band gap than the band gap of an epitaxial layer is formed in the cell region. In addition, a higher band gap region having a larger band gap than the band gap of the epitaxial layer is formed in the peripheral region.
US09252251B2
A semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment includes a semiconductor body including a first semiconductor layer having at least one active component zone, a cell array with a plurality of trenches, and at least one cell array edge zone. The cell array edge zone is only arranged in an edge region of the cell array, adjoining at least one trench of the cell array, and being at least partially arranged below the at least one trench in the cell array.
US09252248B2
An object is to provide a technique by which a semiconductor device including a high-performance and high-reliable transistor is manufactured. A protective conductive film which protects an oxide semiconductor layer when a wiring layer is formed from a conductive layer is formed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the conductive layer, and an etching process having two steps is performed. In a first etching step, an etching is performed under conditions that the protective conductive film is less etched than the conductive layer and the etching selectivity of the conductive layer to the protective conductive film is high. In a second etching step, etching is performed under conditions that the protective conductive film is more easily etched than the oxide semiconductor layer and the etching selectivity of the protective conductive film to the oxide semiconductor layer is high.
US09252240B2
A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device with a discrete field oxide structure is provided, the method includes: growing a first PAD oxide layer on the surface of a wafer; forming a first silicon nitride layer (302) on the first PAD oxide layer through deposition; defining a field region by photolithography and etching same to remove the first silicon nitride layer (302) located on the field region; performing an ion implantation process to the field region; performing field region oxidation to grow a field oxide layer (304); peeling off the first silicon nitride layer (302); wet-dipping the wafer to remove the first PAD oxide layer and a part of field oxide layer (304); growing a second PAD oxide layer on the surface of the wafer, and forming a second silicon nitride layer (312) on the second PAD oxide layer through deposition; defining a drift region by photolithography and etching same to remove the second silicon nitride layer (312) on the drift region; performing an ion implantation process to the drift region; and performing drift region oxidation to grow a drift region oxide layer (314). The above-mentioned method peels off the silicon nitride layer (302) after the growth of the field oxide layer (304) is finished, at this time, the length of a bird beak of field-oxide (304) can be optimized by adjusting a wet-dipping amount to solve the problem that the bird beak of field-oxide (304) is too long.
US09252238B1
Semiconductor structures and fabrication methods are provided which includes, for instance, providing a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure including multiple conformal gate layers and a gate material disposed within the multiple conformal gate layers; recessing a portion of the multiple conformal gate layers below an upper surface of the gate structure, where upper surfaces of recessed, multiple conformal gate layers are coplanar; and removing a portion of the gate material to facilitate an upper surface of a remaining portion of the gate material to be coplanar with an upper surface of the recessed, multiple conformal gate layers.
US09252237B2
Transistors, semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a transistor over a workpiece. The transistor includes a sacrificial gate material comprising a group III-V material. The method includes combining a metal (Me) with the group III-V material of the sacrificial gate material to form a gate of the transistor comprising a Me-III-V compound material.
US09252232B2
A gate dielectric can be formed by depositing a first silicon oxide material by a first atomic layer deposition process. The thickness of the first silicon oxide material is selected to correspond to at least 10 deposition cycles of the first atomic layer deposition process. The first silicon oxide material is converted into a first silicon oxynitride material by a first plasma nitridation process. A second silicon oxide material is subsequently deposited by a second atomic layer deposition process. The second silicon oxide material is converted into a second silicon oxynitride material by a second plasma nitridation process. Multiple repetitions of the atomic layer deposition process and the plasma nitridation process provides a silicon oxynitride material having a ratio of nitrogen atoms to oxygen atoms greater than 1/3, which can be advantageously employed to reduce the leakage current through a gate dielectric.
US09252231B2
A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method of the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a conductive layer, a conductive architecture and a dielectric layer. The conductive layer defines adjacent first openings. The conductive architecture surrounds a portion of the conductive layer between the first openings. The dielectric layer separates the conductive layer and the conductive architecture.
US09252223B2
A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, in which a buried gate region is formed, a nitride film spacer is formed at sidewalls of the buried gate region, and the spacer is etched in an active region in such a manner that the spacer remains in a device isolation region. Thus, if a void occurs in the device isolation region, the spacer can prevent a short-circuit from occurring between the device isolation region and its neighboring gates.
US09252213B2
Integrated circuits with a buried N layer and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. The method includes forming a buried N layer overlying a substrate, and forming a monocrystalline layer overlying the buried N layer. After forming the monocrystalline layer, a well tap trench is formed, where the well tap trench penetrates the electronics area and the buried N layer and extends into the substrate. A well tap is formed in the well tap trench.
US09252211B2
A semiconductor device includes a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer of a first conductive type that is positioned on a front surface of a substrate of the first conductive type, a transistor region that includes transistor cells, a Schottky region, and a boundary region. The boundary region includes a second body region and a gate connector that is arranged on the second body region via an insulating film and electrically connected with a gate electrode. The Schottky region includes a Schottky electrode that is arranged on the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer.
US09252208B1
Methods and structures for forming uniaxially-strained, nanoscale, semiconductor bars from a biaxially-strained semiconductor layer are described. A spatially-doubled mandrel process may be used to form a mask for patterning dense, narrow trenches through the biaxially-strained semiconductor layer. The resulting slicing of the biaxially-strained layer enhances carrier mobility and can increase device performance.
US09252207B2
An epitaxial-deposition composite substrate, of more than about 50 mm diameter, in which a nitride-compound semiconductor first substrate is bonded together with a second substrate of either identical or different material. The first substrate is ion-implanted, and on its nitrogen-face side is coated with a special film of thickness within a predetermined range. On a bonding side of the second substrate a special coating of thickness within the predetermined range is formed. The join created by the coated nitrogen-face side of the first substrate being bonded to the coated bonding side of the second substrate occupies at least 90% of the surface area where the two substrates meet.
US09252206B2
The cost of liquid phase epitaxial growth of a monocrystalline silicon carbide is reduced. A feed material 11 is such that when a surface layer thereof containing a polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph is subjected to X-ray diffraction, a diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal plane and a diffraction peak other than the diffraction peak corresponding to the (111) crystal plane are observed as diffraction peaks corresponding to the polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph. A seed material 12 is such that when a surface layer thereof containing a polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph is subjected to X-ray diffraction, a first-order diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal plane is observed as a diffraction peak corresponding to the polycrystalline silicon carbide with a 3C crystal polymorph but no other first-order diffraction peak having a diffraction intensity of 10% or more of the diffraction intensity of the first-order diffraction peak corresponding to the (111) crystal plane is observed.
US09252205B2
A high capacitance embedded capacitor and associated fabrication processes are disclosed for fabricating a capacitor stack in a multi-layer stack to include a first capacitor plate conductor formed with a cylinder-shaped storage node electrode formed in the multi-layer stack, a capacitor dielectric layer surrounding the cylinder-shaped storage node electrode, and a second capacitor plate conductor formed from a conductive layer in the multi-layer stack that is sandwiched between a bottom and top dielectric layer, where the cylinder-shaped storage node electrode is surrounded by and extends through the conductive layer.
US09252202B2
Provided is a test pattern structure for determining overlay accuracy in a semiconductor device. The test pattern structure includes one or more resistor structures formed by patterning a lower silicon layer. Each includes a zigzag portion with leads at different spatial locations. An upper pattern is formed and includes at least one pattern feature formed over the resistor or resistors. The portions of the resistor or resistors not covered by the upper pattern feature will become silicided during a subsequent silicidation process. Resistance is measured to determine overlay accuracy as the resistor structures are configured such that the resistance of the resistor structure is determined by the degree of silicidation of the resistor structure which is determined by the overlay accuracy between the upper and lower patterns.
US09252184B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel array in which pixels are arranged in a matrix. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element, a transfer transistor, an amplifier transistor, and a reset transistor. The pixel array an effective pixel part in which light enters the photoelectric conversion element and which is configured to output a video signal, an optical black pixel part in which the photoelectric conversion element is shielded from light and which is configured to output a reference signal, and a dummy pixel part. Of pixels connected to the same signal output line, effective pixels of the effective pixel part are configured such that a first potential is supplied from the reset transistor to a floating diffusion part, and clipping pixels of the dummy pixel part are configured such that a second potential is supplied from the reset transistor to the floating diffusion part.
US09252178B2
Provided is a pixel of a multi-stacked complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and a method of manufacturing the image sensor including a light-receiving unit that may include first through third photodiode layers that are sequentially stacked, an integrated circuit (IC) that is formed below the light-receiving unit, electrode layers that are formed on and below each of the first through third photodiode layers, and a contact plug that connects the electrode layer formed below each of the first through third photodiode layers with a transistor of the IC.
US09252176B2
A solid state imaging device includes an array of active pixels and an infrared cut filter formed over the sensor. Optionally, a slot in the infrared cut filter allows infrared illumination to reach the sensor to be detected by pixels covered by a visually opaque filter and surrounded by pixels of special types that limit charge leakage and enable high dynamic range sensing of infrared illumination. A ratio of average infrared signal to average brightness indicates an amount of infrared illumination reaching the imaging device.
US09252168B2
A photoelectric conversion device according to one or more embodiments includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units. A readout portion is configured to output current signals to an output line. Each of the current signals is based on an amount of charges generated by a corresponding one of the photoelectric conversion units. The readout portion includes a plurality of transistors including at least a plurality of first input transistors and a plurality of second input transistors. Each of the first input transistors and a corresponding one of the second input transistor form a differential pair. Of the plurality of the transistors, any transistors repeatedly arranged correspondingly to every one or more of the photoelectric conversion units have the same conductivity type.
US09252166B2
The present invention discloses a capacitor for a TFT array substrate and a method of manufacturing the same, and the present invention further discloses a shift register, a gate driver, an array substrate and a display device using the capacitor. The TFT array substrate comprises a TFT gate layer, a gate insulation layer, a first ITO layer, a TFT active layer, a TFT source-drain layer, a passivation layer and a second ITO layer formed sequentially on a glass substrate, and the capacitor is consisted of the first ITO layer, the passivation layer and the second ITO layer. In addition, the second ITO layer is connected with the TFT gate layer in a region where the capacitor is located, thereby forming two capacitors connected in parallel; or, the first ITO layer is connected with the TFT gate layer in the region where the capacitor is located, thereby also forming two capacitors connected in parallel. With the present invention, a space occupied by the capacitor for the TFT array substrate is reduced, and a size of the shift register is reduced, so as to be suitable for a narrow frame design.
US09252146B2
A device including a p-type semiconductor device and an n-type semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate. The n-type semiconductor device includes a gate structure having a high-k gate dielectric. A carbon dopant in a concentration ranging from 1×1016 atoms/cm3 to 1×1021 atoms/cm3 is present at an interface between the high-k gate dielectric of the gate structure for the n-type semiconductor device and the semiconductor substrate. Methods of forming the aforementioned device are also disclosed.
US09252143B2
Radio frequency and microwave devices and methods of use are provided herein. According to some embodiments, the present technology may comprise an ohmic layer for use in a field effect transistor that includes a plurality of strips disposed on a substrate, the plurality of strips comprising alternating source strips and drain strips, with adjacent strips being spaced apart from one another to form a series of channels, a gate finger segment disposed in each of the series of channels, and a plurality of gate finger pads disposed in an alternating pattern around a periphery of the plurality of strips such that each gate finger segment is associated with two gate finger pads.
US09252134B2
An Integrated Circuit device, including: a base wafer including single crystal, the base wafer including a plurality of first transistors; at least one metal layer providing interconnection between the plurality of first transistors; a second layer including a plurality of second transistors, the second layer overlying the at least one metal layer, where the plurality of second transistors include single crystal, and where the second layer includes a through layer via with a diameter of less than 250 nm; a plurality of conductive pads, where at least one of the conductive pads overlays at least one of the second transistors; and at least one I/O circuit, where the at least one I/O circuit is adapted to interface with external devices through at least one of the plurality of conductive pads, where the at least one I/O circuit includes at least one of the first transistors.
US09252133B2
The formation of TSVs (through substrate vias) for 3D applications has proven to be defect dependent upon the type of starting semiconductor substrate employed. In addition to the initial formation of TSVs via Bosch processing, backside 3D wafer processing has also shown a defect dependency on substrate type. High yield of TSV formation can be achieved by utilizing a substrate that embodies bulk micro defects (BMD) at a density between 1e4/cc (particles per cubic centimeter) and 1e7/cc and having equivalent diameter less than 55 nm (nanometers).
US09252130B2
Methods of producing a semiconductor package using dual-sided thermal compression bonding includes providing a substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface. A first device having a first surface and a second surface can be provided along with a second device having a third surface and a fourth surface. The first surface of the first device can be coupled to the upper surface of the substrate while the third surface of the second device can be coupled to the lower surface of the substrate, the coupling occurring simultaneously to produce the semiconductor package.
US09252125B2
A stacked semiconductor device is constructed by stacking in two levels: a lower semiconductor device having a wiring board, at least one semiconductor chip mounted on a first surface of the wiring board and having electrodes electrically connected to wiring by way of a connection means, an encapsulant composed of insulating plastic that covers the semiconductor chip and the connection means, a plurality of electrodes formed overlying the wiring of a second surface of the wiring board, and a plurality of linking interconnects each having a portion connected to the wiring of the first surface of the wiring board and another portion exposed on the surface of the encapsulant; and an upper semiconductor device in which each electrode overlies and is electrically connected to the exposed portions of each of the linking interconnects of the lower semiconductor device.
US09252116B2
A conformal coating on a semiconductor die provides adhesion between the die and a support. No additional adhesive is necessary to affix the die on the support. The conformal coating protects the die during assembly, and serves to electrically insulate the die from electrically conductive parts that the die may contact. The conformal coating may be an organic polymer, such as a parylene, for example. Also, a method for adhering a die onto a support, which may optionally be another die, includes providing a coating of a conformal between the die and the support, and heating the coating between the die and the support. The conformal coating may be provided on a die attach area of a surface of the die, or on a die mount region of a surface of the support, or on both a die attach area of a surface of the die and on a die mount region of a surface of the support; and the conformal coating may be provided following placement of the die on the support.
US09252114B2
A grid array assembly is formed from an electrical insulating material with embedded solder deposits. A first portion of each of the solder deposits is exposed on a first surface of the insulating material and a second portion of each of the solder deposits is exposed on an opposite surface of the insulating material. A semiconductor die is mounted to the first surface of the insulating material and electrodes of the die are connected to the solder deposits with bond wires. The die, bond wires, and the first surface of the insulating material then are covered with a protective encapsulating material.
US09252102B2
A semiconductor structure and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a conductive layer, a via, and a barrier layer disposed between the conductive layer and the via. The barrier layer is stuffed with oxygen.
US09252101B2
Packages for a three-dimensional die stack, methods for fabricating a package for a three-dimensional die stack, and methods for distributing power in a package for a three-dimensional die stack. The package may include a first lid, a second lid, a die stack located between the first lid and the second lid, a first thermal interface material layer between the first lid and a first die of the die stack, and a second thermal interface material layer between the second lid and the second die of the die stack. The second thermal interface material layer is comprised of a thermal interface material having a high electrical conductivity and a high thermal conductivity.
US09252097B2
The semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of first wiring lines extending in a first direction, a plurality of second wiring lines extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a memory cell array comprising memory cells, the memory cells being connected to the first wiring lines and second wiring lines in the crossing portions of the first and second wiring lines. A plurality of first dummy-wiring-line regions are formed in the peripheral area around the memory cell array. A contact is formed in the peripheral area, the contact extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. A plurality of second dummy-wiring-line regions are formed in the periphery of the contact. The mean value of the areas of the second dummy-wiring-line regions is less than the mean value of the areas of the first dummy-wiring-line regions.
US09252093B2
A semiconductor wafer has a contact pad. A first insulating layer is formed over the wafer. A second insulating layer is formed over the first insulating layer and contact pad. A portion of the second insulating layer is removed to expose the contact pad. A first UBM layer is formed over and follows a contour of the second insulating layer and contact pad to create a well over the contact pad. A first buffer layer is formed in the well over the first UBM layer and the contact pad. A second UBM layer is formed over the first UBM layer and first buffer layer. A third UBM layer is formed over the second UBM layer. A bump is formed over the third UBM layer. The first buffer layer reduces stress on the bump and contact pad. A second buffer layer can be formed between the second and third UBM layers.
US09252091B2
Disclosed herein is a device that includes: a semiconductor substrate; plurality of first through-substrate vias each penetrating through the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of second through-substrate vias each penetrating through the semiconductor substrate, an insulating film formed over the semiconductor substrate, the insulating film including a first opening and a plurality of second openings, the first opening being located over the first through-substrate vias, and each of the second openings being located over a corresponding one of the second through-substrate vias.
US09252090B2
A resin package includes: a die pad having a main surface on which a semiconductor substrate and a matching circuit substrate is mounted; at least one lead terminal electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate and the matching circuit substrate; a thin plate fixed to at least one of the main surface of the die pad and a main surface of the at least one lead terminal; and molding resin which covers the semiconductor substrate, the matching circuit substrate, and the thin plate.
US09252087B2
An electronic circuit according to this invention includes a printed circuit board and an electronic component that is soldered onto the printed circuit board. The electronic component is a flat package including a die pad exposed to outside and external electrode terminals. A gap is provided between the printed circuit board and the electronic component. The printed circuit board is provided with a hole between the die pad and the external electrode terminals in planar view. The gap is filled with insulating resin at least partially between the die pad and the external electrode terminals. The insulating resin is injected through the hole.
US09252085B2
The invention refers to method for packaging an integrated circuit (IC) comprising steps of: attaching at least one die on a substrate; attaching bond-wires from the die(s) to package terminal pads; mold or dispense a thermo-degradable material on the substrate, die(s) and bond-wires; mold an encapsulant material; decompose the thermo-degradable materials by temperature treatment.
US09252082B2
A semiconductor device has a through electrode formed in a through hole which penetrates a Si substrate from one surface to the other surface of the Si substrate, wherein a rectangular electrode pad is provided on the other surface with an insulation film laid between the electrode pad and the other surface, an opening of the through hole on the one surface side is circular, an opening of the through hole on the other surface side is rectangular, and the area of the opening on the other surface side is made smaller than the area of the opening on the one surface side.
US09252081B2
A semiconductor device includes a stacked plurality of memory chips. The memory chips each include a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of read/write buses that are assigned to the respective memory banks, and a plurality of penetration electrodes that are assigned to the respective read/write buses and arranged through the memory chip. Penetration electrodes arranged in the same positions as seen in a stacking direction are connected in common between the chips. In response to an access request, the memory chips activate the memory banks that are arranged in respective different positions as seen in the stacking direction, whereby data is simultaneously input/output via the penetration electrodes that lie in different planar positions.
US09252077B2
Via are described for radio frequency antenna connections related to a package. In one example, a package has a package substrate, a die attached to the package substrate, and a conductive via from the package substrate to an external surface of the package to make a radio frequency connection between the antenna and the package substrate.
US09252060B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the substrate. The interconnect structure includes a plurality of interconnect layers. One of the interconnect layers contains: a plurality of metal via slots and a bulk metal component disposed over the plurality of metal via slots. The present disclosure also provides a method. The method includes providing a wafer, and forming a first layer over the wafer. The method includes forming an interconnect structure over the first layer. The forming the interconnect structure includes forming a second interconnect layer over the first layer, and forming a third interconnect layer over the second interconnect layer. The second interconnect layer is formed to contain a plurality of metal via slots and a bulk metal component formed over the plurality of metal via slots. The third interconnect layer contains one or more metal trenches.
US09252059B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that comprises two opposite types of MOSFETs formed on one semiconductor substrate, comprising: defining an active region for each of the MOSFETs on the semiconductor substrate; forming an interfacial oxide layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; forming a high-K gate dielectric layer on the interfacial oxide layer; forming a metal gate layer on the high-K gate dielectric layer; implanting dopant ions in the metal gate layer; forming a Poly-Si layer on the metal gate layer; patterning the Poly-Si layer, the metal gate layer, the high-K gate dielectric layer and the interfacial oxide layer to form a plurality of gate stack structures; forming a plurality of gate spacer surrounding each of the plurality of gate stack structures; and forming a plurality of S/D regions. During activation annealing for forming the S/D regions, the dopant ions implanted in the metal gate layer diffuse and accumulate at an upper interface of the high-K gate dielectric layer to change the characteristics of the metal gates, and at a lower interface of the high-K gate dielectric layer to form electric dipoles with appropriate polarities by interfacial reaction, so as to realize adjusting of the effective work functions of the metal gates of the opposite types of MOSFETs, respectively.
US09252052B2
A shallow trench is formed to extend into a handle substrate of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer. A dielectric liner stack of a dielectric metal oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer is formed in the shallow trench, followed by deposition of a shallow trench isolation fill portion. The dielectric liner stack is removed from above a top surface of a top semiconductor portion, followed by removal of a silicon nitride pad layer and an upper vertical portion of the dielectric metal oxide layer. A divot laterally surrounding a stack of a top semiconductor portion and a buried insulator portion is filled with a silicon nitride portion. Gate structures and source/drain structures are subsequently formed. The silicon nitride portion or the dielectric metal oxide layer functions as a stopping layer during formation of source/drain contact via holes, thereby preventing electrical shorts between source/drain contact via structures and the handle substrate.
US09252048B2
A method includes defining a photoresist layer over a first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is disposed over an etch stop layer and the etch stop layer is disposed over a second dielectric layer. A spacer layer is formed over the photoresist and the first dielectric layer. The spacer layer has an opening that has a via width. The opening is disposed directly above a via location. A metal trench with a metal width is formed in the first dielectric layer. The metal width at the via location is greater than the via width. A via hole with the via width is formed at the via location in the second dielectric layer.
US09252045B2
A composite wafer including a carrier substrate having a graphite core and a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate or layer attached to the carrier substrate and a corresponding method for manufacturing such a composite wafer is provided.
US09252043B2
A film deposition method is provided. A first metal compound film is deposited by performing a first cycle of exposing a substrate to a first source gas containing a first metal, and of exposing the substrate to a reaction gas reactive with the first source gas. Next, the first source gas is adsorbed on the first metal compound film by exposing the substrate having the first metal compound film deposited thereon to the first source gas. Then, a second metal compound film is deposited on the substrate by performing a second cycle of exposing the substrate having the first source gas adsorbed thereon to a second source gas containing a second metal, and of exposing the substrate to the reaction gas reactive with the second source gas.
US09252038B2
To provide a drive device rigid enough to endure a stress due to a reaction during driving of an arm unit, and to provide a conveyance device including the same.A drive device includes a frame and an actuator installed in the frame. The frame is formed by integral molding by casting. The frame includes a connecting portion connectable to a division wall of a conveyance chamber, a bottom plate portion serving as an opposed portion provided to be opposed to the connecting portion, and a plurality of coupling portions that couple the connecting portion and the bottom plate portion to each other. The actuator includes three coaxial shafts (two rotating shafts and single turning shaft), three motors, and a transmission mechanism that transmits a rotational driving force by the three motors to the three shafts. The frame is formed by the integral molding, and hence it is possible to realize a drive device having a high rigidity.
US09252017B2
A method of fabricating stacked nanowire for a transistor gate and a stacked nanowire device are described. The method includes etching a fin as a vertical structure from a substrate and forming two or more pairs of spacers at vertically separated positions of the fin. The method also includes oxidizing to form the nanowires at the vertically separated positions of the fin.
US09252009B2
A liquid processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a substrate holding unit configured to horizontally hold a substrate; a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the substrate holding unit about a vertical axis; a processing liquid supply unit configured to supply a processing liquid to the substrate while the substrate is being rotated; an upper guide ring and a lower guide ring which are configured to be rotated together with the substrate holding unit, to surround the substrate, to be arranged vertically to overlap each other with a gap therebetween, and to guide the processing liquid scattered from the substrate; and a rotating cup configured to be rotated together with the substrate holding unit, and to receive and downwardly guide the guided processing liquid.
US09251986B2
A rechargeable battery includes a case, an electrode assembly in the case, a current collecting member electrically connected to the electrode assembly, a fuse part in the current collecting member, and an elastic member adjacent to the fuse part. The elastic member is configured to provide an elastic force to the fuse part.
US09251978B2
Electromechanical sensors that employ Janus micro/nano-components and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating an electromechanical sensor includes the following steps. A back gate is formed on a substrate. A gate dielectric is deposited over the back gate. An intermediate layer is formed on the back gate having a micro-fluidic channel formed therein. Top electrodes are formed above the micro-fluidic channel. One or more Janus components are placed in the micro-fluidic channel, wherein each of the Janus components has a first portion having an electrically conductive material and a second portion having an electrically insulating material. The micro-fluidic channel is filled with a fluid. The electrically insulating material has a negative surface charge at a pH of the fluid and an isoelectric point at a pH less than the pH of the fluid.
US09251972B2
An electric switching device for an electric circuit, including at least one electric phase having at least one circuit breaking unit associated with a disconnector unit. The circuit breaker unit including a circuit breaker movable contact configured to be actuated between a closed position and an open position with respect to a corresponding circuit breaker fixed contact. The disconnector unit includes at least one disconnector movable contact configured to be actuated between a connection position and a disconnection position with respect to a corresponding disconnector fixed contact. A casing that includes an insulating shell coupled to a metal shell. The casing houses at least the circuit breaker unit and the associated disconnector unit of said at least one electric phase.
US09251971B2
An on-load tap changer for uninterrupted changeover between winding taps of a tapped transformer has a separate selector for power-free preselection of the winding tap to be switched to, a separate load changeover switch for the actual load changeover from the previous to the preselected new winding tap, a rotatable drive shaft, and a force accumulator with at least one force-accumulator spring that for each load changeover is initially stressed by the drive shaft and after triggering thereof abruptly actuates the load changeover switch. A gear operatively connected with the drive shaft can load the force accumulator. A first mechanical freewheel between the gear and the force accumulator temporarily decouples the force accumulator from rotation with the drive shaft in such a manner that the force accumulator can be stressed with a delay in time after the start of actuation of the drive shaft.
US09251970B2
A switch has a base having a recess, and a plurality of fixed contacts mounted in an inner side face of the recess, an electrically conductive actuator disposed within the recess of the base, the electrically conductive actuator having a pair of movable contact portions and an elastically deformable elastic portion, the movable contact portions having movable contacts capable of being connected to respective fixed contacts, at least one engagement convex portion disposed on one of the base and the electrically conductive actuator, and at least one engagement concave portion disposed on the other of the base and the electrically conductive actuator and engageable with the at least one engagement convex portion. The elastic portion of the electrically conductive actuator is elastically deformed to break an engagement between the engagement convex and concave portions when the actuator moves between a first position and a second position.
US09251966B2
An apparatus, the apparatus including first and second circuit boards, and an electrolyte, the first and second circuit boards each including a capacitive element, wherein the apparatus is configured such that a chamber is defined between the first and second circuit boards with the capacitive elements contained therein and facing one another, the chamber including the electrolyte, and wherein the apparatus is configured to store electrical charge when a potential difference is applied between the capacitive elements.
US09251959B2
A multilayer ceramic condenser includes a multilayer main body, a first outer electrode, a second outer electrode, a first side part and a second side part. The multilayer main body has a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side. The multilayer main body includes a plurality of inner electrodes and a dielectric layer between the inner electrodes. The dielectric layer is formed by a first ceramic dielectric powder. The first side part and the second side part are formed on the second side and the fourth side of the multilayer main body, and formed by a second ceramic dielectric powder having a smaller particle diameter than the first ceramic dielectric powder. A mean grain size of the first side part or the second side part is similar to or smaller than that of the dielectric layer of the multilayer main body.
US09251957B2
A multilayer ceramic condenser includes a multilayer main body, a first outer electrode, a second outer electrode, a first side part and a second side part. The multilayer main body has a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side. The multilayer main body includes a plurality of inner electrodes and a dielectric layer between the inner electrodes. The dielectric layer is formed by a first ceramic dielectric powder. The first side part and the second side part are formed on the second side and the fourth side of the multilayer main body, and formed by a second ceramic dielectric powder having a smaller particle diameter than the first ceramic dielectric powder. A mean grain size of the first side part or the second side part is similar to or smaller than that of the dielectric layer of the multilayer main body.
US09251954B2
A jig for manufacturing a capacitor element is provided in which the productive efficiency is excellent due to a larger number of anode bodies that can be processed, and an immersion position (height) of the anode body with respect to the processing liquid can be controlled with high accuracy. A jig 10 according to the invention includes a substrate 11, a plurality of beam members 8 arranged on at least one surface of the substrate in parallel to each other, and a plurality of conductive sockets 1 mounted on the beam member 8. The plurality of sockets 1 are capable of electrically connecting to a power source supplying an electric current to a capacitor anode body. The socket 1 is provided with an insertion port 37 for electrically connecting a lead wire of a capacitor anode body, and the insertion port 37 is opened in a downward direction of the substrate 11.
US09251952B2
A method of manufacturing a laminated coil device includes conductors for forming coils and insulation stacking for forming laminated bodies, and further includes the steps of: (A) manufacturing ceramic insulating thin sheets; (B) forming ceramic insulating thin sheets with conductive through-holes; (C) manufacturing coil thin sheets with coil conductors so as to embed the coil conductors inside the ceramic insulating thin sheets; (D) orderly stacking and cutting ceramic insulating thin sheets and coil thin sheets with coil conductors into unit sizes in order to obtain laminated bodies; (E) heating the laminated bodies in order to remove the binder, and then sintering the laminated bodies; (F) coating the conductive paste on the two ends of the laminated bodies so as to form external electrodes. Thus, the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method of producing a laminated coil power device with low direct current resistance, no delamination, no air space, and no lamination cracking.
US09251951B2
A method of manufacturing a magnet segment of a field pole magnet body includes cleaving a magnet material at a plurality of cleavage target regions arranged with an interval in a longitudinal direction of the magnet material. The cleavage process includes cleaving the magnet material sequentially from the cleavage target region closer to one side edge of the longitudinal direction of the magnet material, wherein a notch is formed in each of the plurality of cleavage target regions of the magnet material such that a depth of the notch closer to the one side edge becomes deeper.
US09251941B2
There is provided a transformer including an E shaped and two I shaped magnetic cores and a first, second and third windings, wherein: one I shaped magnetic core is located between one side and a middle legs of the E shaped magnetic core, another is located between another side and the middle legs; there is an air gap on each of the two I shaped magnetic cores or two side or bottom legs of the E shaped magnetic core, the first winding is wound on a part of the magnetic cores where the air gap exists; the second and third windings are wound on the middle leg; and the first winding is connected in parallel with the second winding to constitute a primary winding; the third winding is a secondary winding. With the transformer provided by the invention, transformer winding loss can be reduced, and transformer efficiency can be improved.
US09251940B2
An inductor includes a first core, a conducting wire, a second core and a first lead frame. There is an accommodating space formed on a first side of the first core and there is a recess portion formed on a second side of the first core, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side. The first core has a first height. The conducting wire is disposed in the accommodating space. The second core is disposed on the first side of the first core and covers the accommodating space. The first lead frame has an embedded portion embedded in the recess portion. The embedded portion has a second height. After embedding the embedded portion in the recess portion of the first core, a total height of the embedded portion and the first core is smaller than the sum of the first height and the second height.
US09251925B2
There are provided a conductive paste for external electrodes and a multilayer ceramic electronic component using the same. The conductive paste includes a conductive metal powder including conductive metal particles; and a conductive amorphous metal powder including amorphous metal particles having a(Si, B)-b(Li, K)-c(V, Mn) in which a+b+c=100, 20≦a≦60, 10≦b≦40, and 2≦c≦25 are satisfied.
US09251924B2
Processes for the preparation of elastomeric conductive material, involving combining at least one conductive polymer with rubber latex, at least one organic acid, at least one oxidant, a pH stabilizer, optionally an organic solvent, and optionally at least one surfactant. Also disclosed are elastomeric conductive materials produced by such processes, which exhibit excellent strength, elasticity, and conductivity.
US09251923B2
A varnish comprising a ground substance consisting of a polymer or oligomer of 200 to 50′104 molecular weight or organic compound of 200 to 1000 molecular weight and a solvent containing a good solvent and a poor solvent whose boiling point (under 760 mmHg) is at least 20° C. lower than that of the good solvent, wherein the ground substance is dissolved in the solvent. Any thin film prepared from this varnish is substantially from generation of foreign matter, so that it can appropriately be used as thin films for electronic devices and those for use in other technical fields.
US09251919B2
The pressurized water reactor according an embodiment comprises: a cylindrical reactor pressure vessel (1) to which inlet nozzles are connected; fuel assemblies which are contained within the reactor pressure vessel (1); a cylindrical reactor core barrel (3) which surrounds the fuel assemblies and forms an annular downcomer (6) between the reactor core barrel (3) and the inner surface of the reactor pressure vessel (1); and radial supports. The radial supports are supports which are arranged below the downcomer (6) at intervals in the circumferential direction, each has vertical flow path formed therein, and position the reactor core barrel (3) and the reactor pressure vessel (1). The radial supports each has, for example, a flow path-equipped radial keys (21) and a key groove member (40).
US09251903B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array including a memory string having plural series-connected memory transistors; plural word lines disposed to be connected to the memory transistor in the memory string; plural bit lines electrically connected to an end of the memory string; and a control circuit. When performing a write operation on the memory cell array, the control circuit applies a first voltage to a selected word line selected from the plural word lines, applies a second voltage smaller than the first voltage to an unselected word line rendered unselected from the word lines. Before lowering a voltage applied to the unselected word line from the second voltage to a third voltage smaller than the second voltage, it lowers a voltage applied to the selected word line from the first voltage to a fourth voltage smaller than the first voltage.
US09251900B2
A method of storing data includes receiving data to be written to a memory device. The method includes selecting a scrambling operation from at least a first scrambling operation and a second scrambling operation. The scrambling operation is selected based on a transition characteristic associated with the data. The method includes scrambling the data according to the selected scrambling operation and storing the scrambled data in the memory device. Additionally, the method may include descrambling the scrambled data to produce descrambled data.
US09251893B2
A method and system for multiple-bit programmable resistive cells having a multiple-bit programmable resistive element and using diode as program selector are disclosed. The first and second terminals of the diode having a first and second types of dopants can be fabricated from source/drain of MOS in a well for MOS devices or fabricated on the same polysilicon structure. If a multiple-bit programmable resistive cell has 2n (n>1) distinct resistance levels to store n-bit data, at least 2n−1 reference resistance levels can be designated to differential resistances between two adjacent states. Programming multiple-bit programmable resistive elements can start by applying a program pulse with initial program voltage (or current) and duration. A read verification cycle can follow to determine if the desirable resistance level is reached. If the desired resistance level has not been reached, additional program pulses can be applied.
US09251892B1
According to an embodiment, a controller specifies a first voltage range that has a first distribution quantity, a second voltage range that is adjacent to a lower voltage side of the first voltage range, and a third voltage range that is adjacent to a higher voltage side of the first voltage range. The first distribution quantity is a minimum value of the memory cells. The controller determines a read voltage by using the first voltage range, a first representative voltage value in the first voltage range, the first distribution quantity, a second distribution quantity corresponding to the second voltage range, and a third distribution quantity corresponding to the third voltage range.
US09251889B2
In one embodiment, a self-timed, dual-rail SRAM includes a self-timing circuit having a logic gate that is powered by voltage VDD and configured to receive a fire-sense-amplifier timing signal and to produce a VDD-domain sense-amplifier-enable signal SOELV. The self-timing circuit includes an inverting level-shifter having complementary N-type and P-type transistors connected in series between voltage VDDA and ground. The N-type transistor's gate is connected to signal SOELV, and both transistors' drain terminals are connected together to produce output signal SOEHVB. The inverting level-shifter also includes two series-connected P-type transistors connected (i) between supply voltage VDDA and the output and (ii) in parallel with the first P-type (pull-up) transistor. An inverter is connected between the output node and the control terminal of one of the series transistors, and the other series-transistor's gate is connected to signal SOELV. Thus, the series transistors provide a rapid latching and latch-breaking function.
US09251887B2
A static random access memory system includes a static random access memory, a multiplexer, an input buffer, an output buffer, and a shifter. The input buffer writes write data stored in the input buffer to addresses of the static random access memory corresponding to a write address signal according to a write command. The output buffer reads read data of addresses of the static random access memory corresponding to a read address signal according to a read command. The multiplexer transmits the write address signal and the read address signal to the static random access memory, and generates the write command and the read command. The shifter shifts the write command to an operation clock behind the read command when the write command and the read command exist simultaneously.
US09251886B2
A semiconductor storage device 1 according to an aspect includes a first memory area 11—1 and a second memory area 11—2. Memory cells MC_m_n and bit lines BL1, BL2_, . . . , BLm— are disposed in a boundary area 18 between the first and second memory areas 11—1 and 11—2. The memory cells MC_m_n disposed in the boundary area 18 includes memory cells into which no data is written, and a line 56 is formed in a place that overlaps memory cells disposed in the boundary area 18 when the boundary area 18 is viewed from the top. As a result, it is possible to increase the integration density of a memory cell array and provide a line in the memory cell array.
US09251884B2
A nonvolatile memory storage device includes a ferroelectric (FE) material coupled with a piezoresistive (PR) material through an inherent piezoelectric response of the FE material, wherein an electrical resistance of the PR material is dependent on a compressive stress applied thereto, the compressive stress caused by a remanent strain of the FE material resulting from a polarization of the FE material, such that a polarized state of the FE material results in a first resistance value of the PR material, and a depolarized state of the FE material results in a second resistance value of the PR material.
US09251879B2
A method of initializing a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) element that is configured to store a state when electric current flows therethrough is disclosed. The MRAM element includes a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for storing a data bit and a second MTJ for storing a reference bit. Each MTJ further includes a magnetic reference layer (RL) having a magnetization with a direction that is perpendicular to the film plane, and a magnetic pinned layer (PL) having a magnetization with a direction that is perpendicular to the film plane. The direction of magnetization of the RL and the PL are anti-parallel relative to each other in the first MTJ. The direction of magnetization of the FL, the RL and the PL are parallel relative to each other in the second MTJ for storing reference bit.
US09251852B2
Systems and methods for generating a composite video based on a plurality of input streams are provided. A first video stream is received from a first device. A second video stream and coordination information are received from a second device. The coordination information includes instructions for combining the first video stream and the second video stream in a composite video. The first video stream and the second video stream are time aligned, and the instructions of the coordination information and the time-aligned first video stream and second video stream are used to generate the composite video.
US09251835B2
A patterned magnetic media having offset servo and data regions. The media can be constructed by a method that allows both a data region and a servo region to be patterned without the patterning of one region adversely affecting the patterning of the other region. The method results in a patterned data region a patterned servo region and intermediate regions between the servo and data regions. The intermediate regions, which are most likely, but not necessarily, asymmetrical with one another indicate that the method has been used to pattern the media.
US09251834B2
A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a magnetic layer including an alloy having an L10 type crystal structure as a main component thereof, and a plurality of underlayers arranged between the substrate and the magnetic layer. The plurality of underlayers include at least one crystalline underlayer which has a (100) orientation, and includes W as a main component thereof and one or more kinds of elements selected from a group consisting of Fe, Ni, Co, Hf, Zr, Y, Be, Ce, La, and Sc.
US09251832B2
An aspect of the present invention relates to hexagonal ferrite magnetic powder, which has an activation volume ranging from 900 nm3 to 1,600 nm3, and a ratio of a coefficient of plate thickness variation to a coefficient of particle diameter variation, coefficient of plate thickness variation/coefficient of particle diameter coefficient, ranging from 0.20 to 0.60.
US09251829B2
Dynamic fly height (DFH) controlled read/write heads using multiple heaters have their heater powers set within a range of ratios that allows minimum clearances to be set between the read-gap and the write-gap and the surface of a disk, thereby providing improved touch-down detection. Determining the correct range of power ratios requires varying the ratio to create an adjustable protrusion profile for the read and write elements in the head and measuring values of the ratio and corresponding values of read gap and write gap clearances that create points of minimum clearance. By adjusting the ratio of power supplied to the heaters, different protrusion profiles can be produced, clearance control for sigma reduction can be obtained and read/write readiness and operation consistency and reliability can be improved.
US09251825B2
The present invention, in some embodiments, relates to magnetic heads having modules with arrays of transducers able to read and/or write while the arrays are positioned at different angles relative to a magnetic medium, thereby enabling reading and/or writing in more than one data storage format. An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a first module having a first array of N+1 transducers, and a second module having a second array of N+1 transducers. Axes of the arrays are oriented about parallel to each other. N of the N+1 transducers of a first array of a first of the modules are about aligned with N of the N+1 transducers of a second array of a second of the modules when the axes of the arrays are tilted at a first angle greater than about 0.1° relative to a line oriented perpendicular to an intended direction of tape travel thereacross.
US09251823B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, wherein at least two of the tracks comprise a thermal asperity. Prior to seeking the head from a first track to a second track, for each of at least two of the thermal asperities a minimum seek delay and a maximum seek delay that will cause the head to miss the thermal asperity are computed, and an allowed seek delay range that will cause the head to miss the thermal asperity is computed. When the undelayed seek will cause the head to hit at least one thermal asperity, the seek is delayed by a seek delay determined based on the minimum seek delays, the maximum seek delays, and the allowed seek delay ranges.
US09251820B2
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed related to heat assisted magnetic recording. According to one embodiment, an apparatus that includes a heat sink region and a near field transducer region is disclosed. The near field transducer region is thermally coupled to the heat sink region. At least one of the heat sink region and the near field transducer region includes both an inner core and an outer shell. The inner core can be comprised of a non-plasmonic material and the outer shell can be comprised of a plasmonic material. In further embodiments, the inner core is comprised of a material having a relatively higher electron-phonon coupling constant and the outer shell is comprised of a material having a relatively lower electron-phonon coupling constant.
US09251811B1
A method for symbol timing recovery is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a plurality of timing-error estimates for a plurality of read channels, where each of the timing-error estimates corresponds to one of the read channels. The method further comprises calculating a common phase based on the plurality of timing-error estimates, and calculating a skew of a transducer array based on the plurality of timing-error estimates. Finally, the method comprises calculating a different total phase estimate for each read channel based on the calculated common phase and the calculated skew of the transducer array.
US09251810B2
Methods and systems for detecting a damaged magnetoresistive sensor are disclosed. In one embodiment, resistances of a plurality of sensors are measured at at least a first bias current level. Further, it is determined whether one of the sensors has a resistance that is at least a predetermined amount higher or lower than the resistances of the other sensors. Moreover, output indicates that the one of the sensors has a resistance that is at least a predetermined amount higher than the resistances of the other sensors.
US09251809B2
The present invention utilizes speech analysis to provide real-time measurement of end-user stress, fatigue, and uncertainty in decision-making. The present invention monitors “technology-induced” stressors by increasing the inherent functionality of individual monitoring technologies, so as to perform multiple applications in a single setting. In addition to the continued use of speech recognition technology for computerized report transcription, the present invention simultaneously measures and analyzes occupational stress and fatigue in real-time, specific to the unique profile of each individual end-user and context of the task being performed. The derived user-specific stress/fatigue analytics may be used in the creation of a number of workflow and quality enhancing deliverables, including customizable intervention strategies for stress/fatigue reduction, creation of automated workflow templates, and targeted quality assurance and peer review.
US09251807B2
An acoustic communication method and device are provided that filter an audio signal to attenuate a high frequency section of the audio signal; generate a residual signal which corresponds to a difference between the audio signal and the filtered signal; generate a psychoacoustic mask for the audio signal based on a predetermined psychoacoustic model; generate a psychoacoustic spectrum mask by combining the residual signal with the psychoacoustic mask; generate an acoustic communication signal by modulating digital data according to the acoustic signal spectrum mask; and combine the acoustic communication signal with the filtered signal.
US09251798B2
Example embodiments described herein generally provide for adaptive audio signal coding of low-frequency and high-frequency audio signals. More specifically, audio signals are categorized into high-frequency audio signals and low-frequency audio signals. Then, based on a set coding and/or characteristics of the low-frequency audio signals, the low-frequency coding manner is selected. Similarly, but in addition to, a bandwidth extension mode to code the high-frequency audio signals is selected according to the low-frequency coding manner and/or characteristics of the audio signals.
US09251796B2
Systems and methods of synchronizing media are provided. A client device may be used to capture a sample of a media stream being rendered by a media rendering source. The client device sends the sample to a position identification module to determine a time offset indicating a position in the media stream corresponding to the sampling time of the sample, and optionally a timescale ratio indicating a speed at which the media stream is being rendered by the media rendering source based on a reference speed of the media stream. The client device calculates a real-time offset using a present time, a timestamp of the media sample, the time offset, and optionally the timescale ratio. The client device then renders a second media stream at a position corresponding to the real-time offset to be in synchrony to the media stream being rendered by the media rendering source.
US09251790B2
A system and method for placing and displaying advertising into a document including transcribing text in real-time in a recording device; communicating the transcribed text to a computer configured to embed an advertisement into the transcribed text; receiving a request from a user to access the transcribed text with the embedded advertisement; and communicating the transcribed text with the embedded advertisement to a user's peripheral device.
US09251780B2
A sound output device for masking an operation sound generated by equipment, having: an operation determining unit that determines an operation mode to be executed by the equipment; and a sound output unit that outputs a masking sound on the basis of the operation mode determined by the operation determining unit, the masking sound changing at least in sound pressure level over time.
US09251778B2
A method of manufacturing a metal foil with microcracks includes placing a metal foil between a first material sheet and a second material sheet and then rolling them to form a plurality of microcracks in the metal foil. The microcracks are penetrating, and a sidewall of each of the microcracks is an irregular rough surface. Two ends of each of the microcracks are acute angles. A sound-absorbing structure includes at least one metal foil and a base plate kept at a distance from the metal foil, wherein at least one resonant cavity air layer is formed between the metal foil and the base plate by the distance, and the metal foil has microcracks.
US09251776B2
A system and method of creating harmonizing tracks for an audio input. Audio input is received and a plurality of harmonizing tracks are created based on the received audio input. Each of the plurality of harmonizing tracks are transposed based on a transposition value for each respective track. Individual notes of the harmonizing tracks are manipulated based on a chord strictness threshold and an audio output is provided based on the audio input and the manipulated plurality of harmonizing tracks.
US09251773B2
Embodiments of the invention are related to a computer-implemented method that includes receiving musical data, identifying a succession of accentuated events in the musical data, determining a pattern in the succession of accentuated events, comparing the pattern to a plurality of reference patterns, and determining a match for the pattern using the plurality of reference patterns. The method further includes selecting one of the matching reference patterns, and generating a rhythmic musical accompaniment for the musical data based on the selected matching reference pattern. In some cases, the musical data is MIDI data or analog audio data. Analog audio data analysis includes detecting transients in the analog audio data by identifying the succession of accentuated event in the musical data. This may include identifying a plurality of events in the musical data, and determining whether each of the plurality of events is an accent.
US09251771B1
Disclosed is a clamping seat for mounting to a music instrument stand, including a stand bar and an elbow joint coupled to the stand bar. The elbow joint has two ends each forming a clamping seat that is coupled to a support bar to complete elbow jointing of a music instrument. The elbow joint includes an elongate body having a middle section that is sloped at an angle and two ends on which the clamping seats are formed in such a way as to be parallel to each other so as to form a clamping arrangement having two ends at different planes. The clamping seat is centrally recessed to form a spherical trough of which upper and lower edge portions forming V-shaped trough-edge openings opposing each other to cooperate with a retention plate opposite thereto to achieve clamping for both a spherical member and a straight member.
US09251765B2
An image processing device includes a composite processing unit that generates a composite image for display by including a through image generated based on a captured image signal obtained by performing photoelectric conversion for light incident from a subject in an image for a compositing process and composites a captured image of a recording time point in the image for a compositing process in accordance with a compositing arrangement state of the through image in the composite image for display, and a display control unit that performs display control for the composite image for display.
US09251759B2
An electronic display includes a display panel. The display panel includes a pixel array and receives a supply voltage. The display panel also includes a panel driver configured to generate a gate line voltage. The panel driver also supplies the gate line voltage to the display panel based on a comparison between the gate line voltage and the supply voltage.
US09251757B2
A driving circuit according to the present invention for driving a display apparatus based on display data and a control signal includes: a delay circuit for delaying the input control signal; and a data load section for loading the input display data to the display apparatus at a timing generated by the delayed control signal, where the delay circuit delays the control signal in such a manner that load timing at which the display data is loaded to the display apparatus varies according to fixed timing determined by a constant cycle.
US09251756B2
A display device includes: a display panel configured to display an image; and a signal controller configured to control signals to drive the display panel. The signal controller includes: an image data converter configured to convert image data of “m” bits into image data of “n” bits; a gray voltage generator configured to generate a gray voltage corresponding to the image data of “n” bits; a control signal generator configured to generate a gate control signal; and a luminance change controller configured to control a luminance change period of an image displayed via the display panel to be greater than or equal to one second.
US09251753B2
A level shifter circuit has a plurality of channels for providing signals to a capacitive load and has circuits for sharing charge stored in the capacitive load between the channels. A first pair of channel clock generating circuits are coupled respectively to a first pair of channels. A second pair of channel clock generating circuits are coupled respectively to a second pair of channels. A pair of switches couple the first pair of channels together and the second pair of channels together, respectively, for sharing charge between the channels. A single resistor is coupled in circuit with all of the channels for controlling a slope of charge sharing between channels.
US09251752B2
A gamma compensation method and a display device using the same are disclosed. The gamma compensation method includes: sensing a level of external illuminance; determining whether the sensed level of external illuminance is equal to or lower than a predetermined illuminance, wherein when the sensed level is equal to or lower than the predetermined illuminance, the luminance of the display device is reduced to an optimum luminance; and modulating gray levels of input data of the display device based on a first gamma curve when the sensed level of external illuminance is equal to or lower than the predetermined illuminance, and modulating based on a second gamma curve when the sensed level of external illuminance is greater than the predetermined illuminance, wherein the first gamma curve includes a concave curve set in a low gray level area and a convex curve set in a high gray level area, and the concave curve and the convex curve are connected via an inflection point.
US09251750B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) module is disclosed, which comprises: a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate and a color filter (CF) substrate disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate. The TFT substrate comprises a plurality of wires including at least a first group of wires and a second group of wires, and the second group of wires comprises at least two wires. The CF substrate comprises first curing test units and second curing test units insulated from each other. The first curing test units are electrically connected with the first group of wires, and the second curing test units are electrically connected with all the wires of the second group of wires. A manufacturing method of an LCD module is further disclosed. The LCD module and the manufacturing method thereof of the present disclosure can avoid occurrence of arcing in the TFT substrate during the CVD process, thereby improving the product yield and reducing the manufacturing cost.
US09251748B2
The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate provided with a terminal portion, a switching transistor, a driver circuit portion, and a pixel circuit portion including a pixel transistor and a plurality of pixels, a second substrate provided with a common electrode electrically connected to the terminal portion through the switching transistor, and liquid crystal between a pixel electrode and the common electrode. In a period during which a still image is switched to a moving image, the following steps are sequentially performed: a first step of supplying the common potential to the common electrode; a second step of supplying a power supply voltage to the driver circuit portion; a third step of supplying a clock signal to the driver circuit portion; and a fourth step of supplying a start pulse signal to the driver circuit portion.
US09251747B2
According to an aspect, a display device includes: a plurality of pixels aligned in row and column directions, each of the pixels including a drive element; a plurality of scan lines each coupled with the drive elements included in the pixels aligned in the row direction to transmit thereto a scan signal for selecting the pixels row by row; a plurality of signal lines each coupled with the drive elements included in the pixels aligned in the column direction to write display data; and a display control unit. The display control unit alternately repeats a display period and a stop period. In a latter term of the stop period, display control unit provides the display data written in the respective pixels in a row that has been selected during the display period immediately before the stop period, to the signal lines corresponding to the respective pixels.
US09251743B2
Embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to compact optical systems for incorporation into head-up and near-to-eye display devices. One disclosed embodiment provides a head-up display system comprising a light source, a flat panel display including multiple copies of an image, and a lens array structure with a separate lens element for each copy of the image.
US09251735B2
A display device and a method of controlling a gate driving circuit thereof are discussed. The display device includes a display panel, first and second gate driving circuits which are respectively disposed on both sides of the display panel, and a timing controller. The timing controller controls the first and second gate driving circuits in conformity with a first shift mode, compares carry signals received from the first and second gate driving circuits, and controls the first and second gate driving circuits in conformity with a second shift mode when a time interval between the carry signals is greater than a previously determined reference value.
US09251721B2
An interactive mixed reality simulator is provided that includes a virtual 3D model of internal or hidden features of an object; a physical model or object being interacted with; and a tracked instrument used to interact with the physical object. The tracked instrument can be used to simulate or visualize interactions with internal features of the physical object represented by the physical model. In certain embodiments, one or more of the internal features can be present in the physical model. In another embodiment, some internal features do not have a physical presence within the physical model.
US09251719B2
We have disclosed systems and methods for monitoring an individual's performance during a physical activity. The portable performance monitoring devices may include a satellite positioning system receiver adapted to obtain position data during the physical activity, an accelerometer module adapted to obtain acceleration data during the physical activity, and a processor adapted to determine performance information for the individual based on the position data and the acceleration data. The portable performance monitoring devices may be worn or carried by an individual during a physical activity.
US09251718B2
The training apparatus includes a training machine, a detection means, and an arithmetic means. The training machine has a displacement unit displaced according to a training action and a load generation unit that imparts a load to a trainee. The detection means detects displacement of the displacement unit. The arithmetic means acquires at least one characteristic value possessed by a waveform corresponding to one unit of a training action which waveform is included in the displacement detected in the detection unit on a time axis, for each waveform, and to evaluate the acquired characteristic values for at least one of variation, transition tendency, and deviation from a predetermined value. The arithmetic means executes, based on the evaluation, at least one of control of the load generation unit, calculation of a load value set in the load generation unit, and notification of a result of the evaluation.
US09251715B2
A driver training system includes a training controller, a heads-up display device, and a driving cue adherence controller. The training controller is configured to receive inputs related to an operational state of a vehicle and an environment surrounding the vehicle, and to determine a driving cue based on the received inputs. The heads-up display device is configured to present the driving cue as an augmented reality graphic element in view of a driver by projecting graphic elements on a windshield of the vehicle. The driving cue adherence controller is configured to continuously determine a current level of adherence to the driving cue, and an aggregate level of adherence to the driving cue based on the continuously determined current level of adherence to the driving cue over a predetermined time period. The heads-up display device is configured to present the continuously determined aggregate level of adherence in view of the driver.
US09251714B2
Provided is a method and device for learning in an electronic book reader. A method for learning in an electronic book reader includes displaying a mask region covering an object of electronic book contents displayed on a screen, and releasing the displayed mask region to again display the covered object of the electronic book contents.
US09251713B1
There is disclosed a system and process for diagnosing or determining a condition of a user. In particular the system and process can be used to provide a series of questions based upon personalized information of the user. This personalized information can be uploaded to a database. A series of questions can be automatically generated or a user can be assisted in creating a series of questions for a patient based upon this uploaded media. In addition, the system and process can use this personalized media to treat the patient and to assist the patient in their daily tasks.
US09251711B2
A method and a device for the filtering of alerts originating from a collision detection system of an aircraft makes it possible, by proposing a novel condition for alert disabling, to avoid an abnormal drop of an aircraft in the case of a CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) by authorizing the output of the alert when this novel condition is not complied with. This novel condition relies on a method for thresholding the angle of approach of the aircraft (FPA for flight path angle) as a function of the altitude of the aircraft with respect to the runway and of the angle of approach specified for each runway and which is recovered via the terrain database.
US09251700B2
Disconnected from the powerline, a battery-powered receiver is configured to conserve power. The receiver communicates information between a local controller and a communication network that uses the powerline and a radio frequency (RF) band to propagate messages. An antenna wirelessly detects the presence of the powerline carrier signal that radiates into free space, which indicates a first message encoded onto the powerline. A computer processor wakes up from an inactive state based on the presence of the carrier signal and receives a second message via a second RF signal having a different frequency than the powerline carrier signal, and determines whether the device address in the second message is the assigned address of the receiver. If the message is not addressed to the receiver, the receiver returns to an inactive state.
US09251690B2
A user provides relevant information about the operating parameters of a machine to be monitored to a diagnostic instrument. The user also specifies a location of the machine to be monitored, an alarm level to be set, and the type of alert to be sent. The instrument then automatically generates appropriate an alarm threshold using a set of rules applied to the inputs. The instrument then transmits the alarm threshold to a removable stand-alone monitor. The stand-alone monitor acquires data about the machine, compares the date to the alarm threshold, and sends a user-specified alert when the alarm threshold has been reached. Using the diagnostic instrument and monitor, machines can be monitored for vibration, temperature, or a power parameter.
US09251682B2
A system for fire prevention in electrical installations having one or more temperature sensors arranged in or close to positions in the electrical installation that are to be monitored. One or more electromagnetic signal transmitters are connected to the temperature sensors, one or more electromagnetic signal readers are adapted to communicate with and receive signals from the signal transmitters, and a processing unit is connected to the signal reader for processing the signals and providing an indication signal.
US09251677B1
A powered entrance barrier door alarm device and system is configured to alert someone of an unauthorized breach of a powered entrance barrier, such as a garage door, whereby the powered entrance barrier is opened without the use of the powered entrance barrier opener. The powered entrance barrier alarm system includes a powered entrance barrier position sensor, and a detector circuit coupled with a powered entrance barrier opener power supply. The detector circuit measures an electrical power parameter to a powered entrance barrier opener. A detector module having a controller monitors the inputs from the detector circuit and the powered entrance barrier positioning sensor to determine if an alarm should be initiated. A detector module may have an electrical plug and an electrical outlet for a powered entrance barrier opener.
US09251669B2
On the slot machine, a slot game including a base game and free games is caused to proceed on a display. On the base game reel strips, on all of a plurality of reels, symbols whose each kind is the same, other than feature symbols and wild symbols, are arranged in succession. On the free game reel strips, on all of a plurality of reels, symbols whose each kind is the same, other than the feature symbols and the wild symbols, are arranged in succession and in addition thereto, only in a case of top symbols whose payout multiplying factor is the highest, the top symbols whose number is larger than a number of top symbols displayed on the base game reel strips are arranged in succession.
US09251666B2
A gaming device including an interface unit configured to accept game play data from a player and a controller coupled to the interface unit. The controller includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores payback data. The processor is configured to receive, via the interface unit, the game play data for the player playing a game, evaluate the received game play data based on predefined criteria, determine a level of skill of the player based at least on the evaluated game play data, and adjust the payback data based on the determined level of skill of the player.
US09251660B2
Techniques involving awarding subsequent plays using results of previous plays. One representative technique includes dealing a first poker hand to a player, and enabling cards of the first poker hand to be held. Replacement cards are presented for any of the cards that were not held in the first poker hand, thereby creating a first resulting poker hand. All of the cards of the first resulting poker hand are duplicated into a second poker hand, where cards in the second poker hand may again be held/discarded. Replacement cards are presented for any of the cards that were not held in the second poker hand, thereby creating a second resulting poker hand. Duplication into additional hands may also be provided.
US09251653B2
In various embodiments, the gaming system is configured to operate a slot game including a plurality of reels, one of which includes a plurality of designated symbols adjacent to one another on the reel forming a group of designated symbols. For a play of the game, if at least a first quantity of the designated symbols of the group of designated symbols but less than a second greater quantity of the designated symbols of the group of designated symbols is displayed, the gaming system displays one or more other designated symbols of the group of designated symbols in addition to the displayed designated symbols of the group of designated symbols such that the second greater quantity of the designated symbols is displayed. The gaming system determines and provides any awards based on the displayed symbols including any displayed designated symbols of the second greater quantity of the designated symbols.
US09251652B2
The present invention relates to gaming apparatus (100) and methods (300) applicable to gaming apparatuses and systems. In particular a password entry method (300) and system (600) for authenticating a player's identity is disclosed in which a user's password can be defined using a set of elements (402) including a plurality of images (404) such as symbols or pictures.
US09251651B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for associating a player identifier with a stored value account. The stored value account can holds funds that are accessible through the player's use of a stored value payment vehicle. Information associated with transactions using the stored value payment vehicle can be used for player relationship purposes.
US09251637B2
Method and apparatus for using at least a portion of a one-time password as a dynamic card verification value (CVV) are disclosed. A credit/debit card is able to generate a dynamic card verification value (CVV). Such a card may also include an indication that the dynamic CVV is to be used as a security code for purchasing or other transactions. A card-based financial transaction can be authorized in accordance with the use of a dynamic CVV by receiving a transaction authorization request for a specific credit/debit card, wherein the transaction authorization request includes a dynamic CVV. The dynamic CVV can be compared to at least a portion of a one-time password generated for the specific credit/debit card, and a transaction authorization can be sent to the merchant or vendor when the dynamic CVV matches all or a portion of the one-time password.
US09251636B2
A document validating/stacking device is provided that has a validator 1 provided with a swingable rocker 10 formed with a head 16 and a stacker 2 detachably attached to validator 1. Stacker 2 comprises an X-linkage 20 having a driver arm 41 that is separably pushed by head 16 in the same rotational direction as head 16 swings to expand X-linkage 20, to thereby move pusher plate 18 from the initial position to the extended position and to stow the document within interim chamber 24 into storage 7.
US09251634B1
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for providing a dynamically reconfigurable watermark, and the use of the watermark to encode a stochastically variable property of the carrier medium for self-authentication purposes.
US09251630B2
A method, computer-readable storage device and apparatus for exchanging vehicle information are disclosed. For example, the method receives the vehicle information from a second vehicle, wherein the vehicle information is received via a direct vehicle to vehicle communication, calculates an operating parameter of the second vehicle, determines an alert condition based on the operating parameter of the second vehicle, and provides a notification of the alert condition to a driver of the first vehicle.
US09251628B2
An apparatus includes a processor and a plurality of on-board diagnostic (OBD) interfaces, in communication with the processor. The exemplary apparatus also includes a configurable housing, adapted to flexibly present an orientation of an OBD interface. The apparatus further includes persistent and non-persistent memory, in communication with the processor and a non-OBD I/O interface, in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to detect external device communication through a first OBD interface and function as a pass-through to a second OBD interface.
US09251622B2
A system and method for generating a three-dimensional image is provided. An embodiment of the present invention includes calculating the ambient occlusion at a vertex in multiple, independent stages. Determining the global AO at the vertex may be performed using a first technique. Determining the local AO at the vertex may be performed using a second technique. The total AO can be found as a function of the local AO and global AO.
US09251621B2
A method and apparatus for providing optimal correction to depth mapping between captured and displayed stereoscopic content. The solution is derived in a continuous form that can be implemented through CGI scaling techniques compatible with image rendering techniques. Similar correction can be implemented with variable depth-dependent camera separation and disparity re-mapping. The latter is applicable to correcting existing stereoscopic content.
US09251620B2
There is provided a method and system for fast pattern interpolation with parallel coherent random walk searching. The system includes a system processor and a system memory, and an image processing application stored in the system memory. The image processing application, under control of the system processor, is configured to receive first and second pattern exemplars and a blend map for merging the first and second pattern exemplars, and to utilize a correspondence search process to determine first and second target images for use in producing a composite image. The first and second target images correspond respectively to the first and second pattern exemplars. In addition, a constraint imposed on the correspondence search process by the image processing application is based on the blend map for merging the first and second pattern exemplars.
US09251609B1
Various embodiments illustrated and described herein include at least one of systems, methods, and computer program product to manage data having multiple groups that vary over time. Some embodiments use a spider diagram, in conjunction with a timeline, to allow a user to visualize the data. Such embodiments can include controls that allow a user to indicate a time along the timeline for which data should be plotted on the spider diagram. Some embodiments provide controls that allow a user to select a time range for which characteristics of data should be plotted on the spider diagram such as minimum, maximum and average for each data group over the time interval. Some embodiments visually indicate values that fall within certain criteria, such as a marginal criteria or an unacceptable criteria.
US09251598B2
A human monitoring system includes a plurality of cameras and a visual processor. The plurality of cameras are disposed about a workspace area, where each camera is configured to capture a video feed that includes a plurality of image frames, and the plurality of image frames are time-synchronized between the respective cameras. The visual processor is configured to receive the plurality of image frames from the plurality of vision-based imaging devices and determine an integrity score for each respective image frame. The processor may then isolate a foreground section from two or more of the views, determine a principle body axis for each respective foreground section, and determine a location point according to a weighted least squares function amongst the various principle body axes.
US09251584B2
A dual magnetic resonance imaging method simultaneously acquires a first and a second time series of MR images wherein the temporal resolution of the first time series of images is larger than that of the second time series while the spatial resolution of the first time series of images is smaller than that of the second time series. Accordingly, in the context of DCE-MRI, the first time series can be used to determine the arterial input function (AIF) while the second time series can be used to determine the concentration time course in the tissue of interest, e.g. in a vessel wall. Therefore, both the AIF and the tissue time course can be acquired with their optimal dynamic signal range.
US09251581B1
A method for promoting semiconductor manufacturing yield comprising the following steps and a computer readable medium encoded with a computer program implementing the method is provided. First, a processed layer is inspected to generate an inspected image with defects thereon. Next, the inspected image is aligned to an original design layout information of the processed layer. In addition, the defects are classified according to geometric features of the original design layout information of the processed layer and at least previous one layer and/or at least next one layer.
US09251578B2
Systems and methods are provided for managing depths in stereo images. In one implementation, systems and methods are provided for using a procedural shader and automated rendering to match depths of computer-generated images with that of native stereo images, i.e., images recorded using two cameras for stereo imaging. The system and method may employ a checkerboard and a tri-planar shader, and may further employ a texture reference object to make more convenient and intuitive the depth matching.
US09251577B2
The present invention provides a method for providing information and an apparatus for providing information with which information can be secretly displayed, and further, a display technique with a lot of sense of fun can attract keen interest from people around a display such as digital signage.A method for providing information using an apparatus for providing information that displays information using a light array includes: switching and displaying an information array and a concealment array in a display cycle in which a person cannot sense an information display array of the information array using the apparatus for providing information. The information array includes the information display array concerning information to be provided, and the concealment array is generated so that the information display array becomes invisible when the concealment array overlaps with the information array. The information to be transmitted can be secretly included in a normally displayed array (such as an image or a panel) for display. Since appropriately and intermittently blocking light entering a person's eye is only required, the person can acquire the information to be transmitted without a special instrument.
US09251575B2
An image processing apparatus 1 includes an image region dividing portion 105 configured to divide a shot image into a plurality of image regions so that an amount of change of an image quality is within a predetermined range when the shot image is blurred using a blur kernel depending on an object distance and an angle of view of the shot image, a blur kernel generating portion 106 configured to calculate the blur kernel for each image region divided by the image region dividing portion 105, and an image processing calculating portion 107 configured to generate a blur-added image by performing a convolution calculation for the shot image using the blur kernel calculated by the blur kernel generating portion 106.
US09251561B2
When there is a shooting location of another panoramic image in a shooting direction of a panoramic image to be displayed, a marker setting unit associates a marker, indicating the presence of the another panoramic image in the shooting direction, with the panoramic image to be displayed. A mapping processing unit maps the panoramic image to be displayed, which has been associated with markers for the other panoramic images, into a three-dimensional (3D) panoramic space as textures. A 3D image generator generates a 3D panoramic image when the 3D panoramic space is viewed in a specified line of sight, with the shooting location of the panoramic image to be displayed being set as a viewpoint position. An interface receives an instruction from a user concerning the displayed 3D panoramic image.
US09251556B2
The present invention provides a display control method and system, and a display device. The method includes acquiring a status value of a display buffer; comparing the status value of the display buffer with a preset warning value of the display buffer; and adjusting a value of a depth of outstanding bus commands according to a comparison result. In the embodiments of the present invention, a status value of the display buffer is compared with a preset warning value of the display buffer, where the status value of the display buffer reflects a change to a current load; it may be determined whether a status value of the display buffer corresponding to the current load is normal according to a comparison result; and a value of a depth of outstanding bus commands is adjusted accordingly, effectively resolve a data real-timeness issue, and ensure that an entire system efficiently runs.
US09251551B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets for a method for accessing data objects stored in a memory that is accessible by a graphics processing unit (GPU). The method comprises the steps of creating a data object in the memory based on a command received from an application program, transmitting a first handle associated with the data object to the application program such that data associated with different graphics commands can be accessed by the GPU, wherein the first handle includes a memory address that provides access to only a particular portion of the data object, receiving a first graphics command as well as the first handle from the application program, wherein the first graphics command includes a draw command or a compute grid launch, and transmitting the first graphics command and the first handle to the GPU for processing.
US09251547B2
A method and system is provided to permit placing a wager on a pari-mutuel event in which expert handicapper's prognoses are displayed to a player to permit them to formulate either simple or complicated exotic wagers, and to be able to aggregate a wager with those of other players to satisfy wagering minimums.
US09251530B1
A model based social analytic system collects social signals from social network accounts for different companies and constituents. The social signals can be used to benchmark social network performance for different contextual dimensions, such as industries, companies, brands, etc. Conversations may be identified in the signals and the types of constituents participating in the conversations may be identified. Analytics can then be determined for the contextual dimensions based on the related conversations and the types of constituents participating in the conversations.
US09251529B2
Provided are an advertisement providing system and method. The advertisement providing method acquires information on a user interaction, acquires a second advertisement schedule which is generated by rescheduling a first advertisement schedule on the basis of the information on the user interaction, and provides an advertisement according to the second advertisement schedule.
US09251527B2
A system and method for providing a personalized recommendation from a series of partial preferences is presented. A preference distribution of a population including a plurality of weighted ranked lists is identified. A revealed preference of a user is compared to the plurality of ranked lists. An affinity weight between the user and each of the plurality of ranked lists is assigned, and a weighted average of each of the affinity weights is taken.
US09251524B2
The present invention provides an improved recommender system. In some embodiments, the recommender system automatically builds a user profile for a user based solely on the action or actions the user takes with respect to certain documents and the contents of the documents. That is, the profile is based on implicit ratings. In addition to maintaining a user profile for each user, each document in a set of documents will have its own document profile, which is also referred to as a document vector. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the user profile will consist of the same attributes as the document vectors. This advantageous feature enables the recommender system to compare users and documents in order to generate recommendations.
US09251522B2
Detecting click fraud that includes a client device capable of accessing a server hosting a web page containing an advertisement. The client device includes a network interface allowing access to the server and code on the client device. The code accesses and displays a web page containing an advertisement, provides mechanisms (e.g., an applet, an ActiveX control, a plugin, a JavaScript, a browser scripting language, browser extensions, or code native to the browser) associated with each pixel cluster where each mechanism captures information regarding the transit of the pixel cluster by a cursor on the web page, and collects information based on the capturing by each associated mechanism regarding the transit of the pixel cluster by a cursor on the web page.
US09251520B2
A method of generating relevant promotional materials for transmission to a mobile device includes receiving a query from the mobile device, identifying a plurality of advertisements associated with an advertiser-directed delivery parameter that match parameters for the mobile device, and generating a response to the query comprising search results and the plurality of advertisements.
US09251519B1
A news aggregation server aggregates and monetizes restricted news content. The news aggregation server fetches the restricted news content from multiple news source servers that are remote from the news aggregation server. The news aggregation server aggregates the fetched restricted news content and searches the aggregated news content based on input received from a client. The news aggregation server provides access to selected news content from the aggregated news content that is relevant to the client input and charges the user a price for accessing the selected restricted news content.
US09251513B2
A method of conducting secure electronic payments to a payment acquirer using a credit card payment unit, comprising of a smart card, a portable card reader device, a mobile phone, a stand-alone PIN entry device and a payment server. The method is based on eliminating the unsecure keyboard in a mobile phone used for entering personal identification information, and instead use a separate secure PIN entry device which fulfills the EMV Level specification. Since all sensitive payment information, communicated to the payment server from the card reader and the PIN entry device, is encrypted using unique encryption keys an unsecure mobile phone may be used for relaying the communication between the card reader device and the PIN entry device to and from the payment server.
US09251504B2
A system and method are provided. A virtual reality environment rendering module provides a virtual reality environment representative of one or more of a contact center, a predictive dialer, and a media collaboration session. The virtual reality environment is configured based on collected information of various types.
US09251503B2
Systems and methods are provided to view, manipulate, and share videos within a gaming platform implemented as an advisory services network. Within the context of a serious game designed around a complex business problem of an organization, players can review videos conveying ethnographic information, mark segments of the videos, tag the videos or segments for categorization, create discussions around the videos or segments, add the videos or segments as evidence to a dossier, embed the videos or segments into existing discussions, or the like.
US09251502B2
A maintenance system for a fleet of aircraft and a method of planning maintenance for a fleet of aircraft that includes identifying a maintenance schedule having at least one routine maintenance action for an aircraft to be maintained, generating a non-routine maintenance task schedule comprising non-routine maintenance tasks, and generating a combined schedule comprising a combination of the maintenance schedule and the non-routine maintenance task schedule.
US09251496B2
A method of identification of at least one asset having a LED using a camera with a display coupled to a computer. The camera records a series of frames over a period of time showing at least one asset and associated LED. The series of frames are analyzed to identify LEDs in each of the frames by detecting bright spots within the image exceeding a set threshold and/or within a set color range. For each of the LEDs identified in the frames, the changes of the LEDs in the frames over time are converted into a code. The code is looked up in a repository in a management system, where each code is associated with metadata of the managed asset. If the lookup was successful, displaying the associated metadata over at least one frame of an image on a display to a user, identifying the managed asset for the user.
US09251491B2
Techniques for generating and executing a performance-aware enterprise component (PAEC) are provided. The techniques include creating a performance-aware enterprise component definition, wherein an enterprise component is a component with defined behavior and data models that represent an enterprise capability and provide a service to a client through a defined interface, and wherein the definition comprises an extensible markup language file comprising process component lifecycle information, one or more data items to be used in the component lifecycle, and one or more performance metrics, and executing the performance-aware enterprise component, wherein executing the performance-aware enterprise component comprises reading the performance-aware enterprise component definition and one or more relationships with the one or more data items, and operating the component lifecycle, wherein operating the component lifecycle comprises using the one or more performance metrics within the component lifecycle to enable one or more localized changes to be made within the enterprise component.
US09251490B2
A computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product are provided for designing an architectural solution. Functional requirements and nonfunctional requirements of the architectural solution are received. Responsive to receiving the functional requirements and nonfunctional requirements, first level outputs are produced. Further input is received through a guided questionnaire based on the first level outputs. Responsive to receiving the further input, a list of client specific components and subcomponents, a client specific solution reference architecture, and a set of reference links is produced.
US09251469B2
Mechanisms are provided for performing load balancing of question processing in a Question and Answer (QA) system, implemented by the data processing system, having a plurality of QA system pipelines. The mechanisms receive an input question for processing by the QA system and determine a predicted question difficulty of the input question. The mechanisms select a QA system pipeline from the plurality of QA system pipelines based on the predicted question difficulty and route the input question to the selected QA system pipeline for processing. In addition, the mechanisms process the input question with the selected QA system pipeline to generate an answer for the input question.
US09251467B2
Probabilistic parsing is described for calculating information about the structure of text and other ordered sequences of items to enable downstream systems such as machine translation systems, information retrieval systems, document classification systems and others to use the structure information. In various embodiments, a parsing inference component comprises inference algorithm(s) compiled from a probabilistic program which defines a stochastic process for generating text or other ordered sequences of items. In examples, the parsing inference component receives one or more observations or examples of text that are compatible with the stochastic process defined by the probabilistic program. The parsing inference component may apply the inference algorithms to the text to update one or more probability distributions over strings or other values relevant to the parse. In some examples, the parsing inference component uses the inference results to complete partial examples to assist a user with information retrieval tasks.
US09251466B2
Disclosed techniques include generating a plurality of questions, each question based upon one or more conditions of a plurality of conditions, wherein the plurality of conditions are generated a plurality of business rules associated with a forward changing rule engine; identifying, as a side effect of evaluating the plurality of business rules for outcome data, missing information corresponding to the plurality of questions; and selecting, for presentation to a user, a first question of the plurality of questions to elicit the missing information from the user.
US09251464B1
Apparatus and methods are described for detecting sharing of electronic or online accounts based on grouping of data samples that include keyboard input timing factors and optionally secondary factors. The data samples can be received from various computers having various keyboards of a certain type and may be input by more than one user. The data samples are grouped based on distances and ratios of mathematical combinations of distances between input timing of key events such as dwell and flight time, as well as optionally based on at least one secondary factor related to the keyboard input timing factors. Example secondary factors include a time of day of the input; and/or a machine identification, location, and IP address of the computer used to input the sample.
US09251460B2
Figures of merit by actual design parameters are tracked over iterations for candidate solutions that include both actual design parameters and actual context parameters. Instead of returning a current iteration figure of merit, a worst observed figure of merit for a set of actual design parameters is returned as the figure of merit for a candidate solution. Since the candidate solution includes both actual design parameters and actual context parameters and the worst observed figures of merit are tracked by actual design parameters, the figure of merit for a set of design parameters will be the worst of the observed worst case scenarios as defined by the actual context parameters over a run of a metaheuristic optimizer.
US09251452B2
A system for encoding energy peaks of an identifier comprises an encoder. The encoder is configured to define a readable spectral range of an identifier. The identifier comprises a rugate microtag. The encoder is configured to divide the readable spectral range into a plurality of bins. The encoder is configured to encode in a center of a bin near one end of the readable spectral range a reference peak. The encoder is configured to encode in a center of each of a set of bins a set of peaks of a data pattern within the readable spectral range.
US09251451B2
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a rack having a plurality of rack-mounted devices and a strip coupled to a portion of the rack and including a plurality of segments, each with a light source. The rack-mounted devices may each include or be associated with a photosensor to be in communication with the light source.
US09251445B2
An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a first detection unit, a first determination unit, a second detection unit, a second determination unit, a correction unit, and a transmitting unit. The acquisition unit acquires image information having multiple pixels. The first detection unit detects sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in accordance with the image information. The first determination unit determines whether or not a development-related defect occurs in a preset number of pixels downstream of the sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels in the sub-scanning direction. The second detection unit detects an end pixel in the main scanning direction. The second determination unit determines whether or not each of sub-scanning-direction boundary pixels arranged in the main scanning direction is close to the end pixel in the main scanning direction. The correction unit corrects the image information. The transmitting unit transmits the image information corrected by the correction unit to an image forming apparatus.
US09251441B2
An apparatus includes a presenting unit and a control unit. The presenting unit presents a plurality of options for interrupt printing along with an amount of incompletely printed sheet to be discharged while images are being printed on both surfaces of a continuous sheet in accordance with a prior job. The control unit interrupts, when one of the plurality of options presented by the presenting unit is designated, the prior job in timing according to the designated option to execute an interrupt job.
US09251439B2
A method for predicting whether a test image (318) is sharp or blurred includes the steps of: training a sharpness classifier (316) to discriminate between sharp and blurred images, the sharpness classifier (316) being trained based on a set of training sharpness features (314) computed from a plurality of training images (306), the set of training sharpness features (314) for each training image (306) being computed by (i) resizing each training image (306) by a first resizing factor; (ii) identifying texture regions (408, 410) in the resized training image; and (iii) computing the set of sharpness features in the training image (412) from the identified texture regions; and applying the trained sharpness classifier (316) to the test image (318) to determine if the test image (318) is sharp or blurred based on a set of test sharpness features (322) computed from the test image (318), the set of test sharpness features (322) for each test image (318) being computed by (i) resizing the test image (318) by a second resizing factor that is different than the first resizing factor; (ii) identifying texture regions (408, 410) in the resized test image; and (iii) computing the set of sharpness features in the test image (412) from the identified texture regions.
US09251438B2
A convex minimization is formulated to robustly recover a subspace from a contaminated data set, partially sampled around it, and propose a fast iterative algorithm to achieve the corresponding minimum. This disclosure establishes exact recovery by this minimizer, quantifies the effect of noise and regularization, and explains how to take advantage of a known intrinsic dimension and establish linear convergence of the iterative algorithm. The minimizer is an M-estimator. The disclosure demonstrates its significance by adapting it to formulate a convex minimization equivalent to the non-convex total least squares (which is solved by PCA). The technique is compared with many other algorithms for robust PCA on synthetic and real data sets and state-of-the-art speed and accuracy is demonstrated.
US09251431B2
Differing embodiments of this disclosure may employ one or all of the several techniques described herein to utilize a “split” image processing pipeline, wherein one part of the “split” image processing pipeline runs an object-of-interest recognition algorithm on scaled down (also referred to herein as “low-resolution”) frames received from a camera of a computing device, while the second part of the “split” image processing pipeline concurrently runs an object-of-interest detector in the background on full resolution (also referred to herein as “high-resolution”) image frames received from the camera. If the object-of-interest detector detects an object-of-interest that can be read, it then crops the object-of-interest out of the “high-resolution” camera buffer, optionally performs a perspective correction, and/or scaling on the object-of-interest to make it the desired size needed by the object-of-interest recognition algorithm, and then sends the scaled, high-resolution representation of the object-of-interest to the object-of-interest recognition algorithm for further processing.
US09251425B2
Automatic object retrieval from input video is based on learned, complementary detectors created for each of a plurality of different motionlet clusters. The motionlet clusters are partitioned from a dataset of training vehicle images as a function of determining that vehicles within each of the scenes of the images in each cluster share similar two-dimensional motion direction attributes within their scenes. To train the complementary detectors, a first detector is trained on motion blobs of vehicle objects detected and collected within each of the training dataset vehicle images within the motionlet cluster via a background modeling process; a second detector is trained on each of the training dataset vehicle images within the motionlet cluster that have motion blobs of the vehicle objects but are misclassified by the first detector; and the training repeats until all of the training dataset vehicle images have been eliminated as false positives or correctly classified.
US09251419B2
A Metric Information Network (MIN) with a plurality of Ground Control Points (GCPs) that are selected in an automated fashion. The GCP selection includes clustering algorithms as compared to prior art pair-wise matching algorithms. Further, the image processing that takes place in identifying interest points, clustering, and selecting tie points to be GCPs is all performed before the MIN is updated. By arranging for the processing to happen in this manner, the processing that is embarrassingly parallel (identifying interest points, clustering, and selecting tie points) can be performed in a distributed fashion across many computers and then the MIN can be updated.
US09251417B1
Described is a system for open doorway detection for autonomous robot exploration, the system includes an onboard range sensor that is operable for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of a scene. One or more processors that receive the 3D point cloud from the range sensor. The 3D point cloud is then filtered and downsampled to remove cloud points outside of a predefined range and reduce a size of the point cloud and, in doing so, generate a filtered and downsampled 3D point cloud. Vertical planes are extracted from the filtered and downsampled 3D point cloud. Finally, open doorways are identified from each extracted vertical plane.
US09251412B2
Methods and systems for recognizing Devanagari script handwriting are provided. A method may include receiving a handwritten input and determining that the handwritten input comprises a shirorekha stroke based on one or more shirorekha detection criteria. Shirorekha detection criteria may be at least one criterion such as a length of the shirorekha stroke, a horizontality of the shirorekha stroke, a straightness of the shirorekha stroke, a position in time at which the shirorekha stroke is made in relation to one or more other strokes in the handwritten input, and the like. Next, one or more recognized characters may be provided corresponding to the handwritten input.
US09251411B2
A method for acquiring a person's signature includes handwriting a signature by projecting movements of light. Signature information with respect to the projected light movements is concurrently acquired. The signature information is compiled to create a signature image.
US09251409B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are herein provided for enabling hand gesture recognition using an example infrared (IR) enabled mobile terminal. One example method may include determining a hand region in at least one captured frame using an adaptive omnidirectional edge operator (AOEO). The method may further include determining a threshold for hand region extraction using a recursive binarization scheme. The method may also include determining a hand location using the determined threshold for the extracted hand region in the at least one captured frame. The method may also include determining a fingertip location based on the determined hand location. Similar and related example apparatuses and example computer program products are also provided.
US09251399B2
A method of separating an object in a three dimension point cloud including acquiring a three dimension point cloud image on an object using an image acquirer, eliminating an outlier from the three dimension point cloud image using a controller, eliminating a plane surface area from the three dimension point cloud image, of which the outlier has been eliminated using the controller, and clustering points of an individual object from the three dimension point cloud image, of which the plane surface area has been eliminated using the controller.
US09251398B2
A method of matching fingerprints is disclosed. The method comprises, for a first minutia point, being assigned as a planet minutia point a) determining pairs including the planet minutia point and a satellite minutia point, respectively, such that a cluster is formed; b) comparing the clusters of the respective sets and excluding nonmatching satellites; c) counting links in the cluster formed by remaining pairs; and d) for remaining satellite minutia points, performing steps a) to c) with respective satellite minutia point assigned as planet minutia point to form a supercluster by iterating steps a) to d) and superadding the clusters; calculating a score of the supercluster based on the aggregate counted links; and comparing the score with a threshold. A biometric matching apparatus, a portable data carrier, a data processing unit comprising a matching apparatus and a computer program for implementing the invention are also disclosed.
US09251394B2
Undated photos are organized by estimating the date of each photo. The date is estimated by building a model based on a set of reference photos having established dates, and comparing image characteristics of the undated photo to the image characteristics of the reference photos. The photo characteristics can include hues, saturation, intensity, contrast, sharpness and graininess as represented by image pixel data. Once the date of a photo is estimated, it can be tagged with identifying information, such as by using the estimated date to associate the photo with a node in a family tree.
US09251386B2
A transceiver locking assembly includes at least one processor device, a network device, in a network environment, in communication with the least one processor device, a transceiver in communication with the network device; a transceiver port, coupled to the network device, defining a first slot opening in at least one of a variety of positions of the transceiver port and configured for selectively receiving the transceiver, and a dynamically controlled locking mechanism coupled to the transceiver port. The dynamically controlled locking mechanism is selectively positioned into the first slot opening to lock the transceiver into the network device or selectively removed away from the first slot opening to unlock the transceiver from the network device.
US09251382B2
A data processing system having a host computer including a key manager, a control unit connected to the host computer, a data storage unit (such as a tape drive) controlled by the control unit, and data storage medium for storing data thereon to be written to or read from by the data storage unit. The key manager stores a data structure having at least one record having a volume serial number, as start location, a length entry, and a key for encrypting and decrypting data on the data storage medium. A data storage medium (such as data tape) is mounted on the data storage unit, and a volume recorded on the tape is retrieved. The control unit retrieves the data structure from the key manager and matches the volume serial number recorded in the retrieved data structure with the volume serial number retrieved from the data storage medium. It they match, the control unit passes to the data storage unit, commands to turn on or turn off encryption dependent upon the location where data is written by the data storage unit onto the data storage medium, or to turn on or turn off decryption dependent upon the location where data is read by the data storage unit from the data storage medium.
US09251377B2
A method of an aspect includes receiving an instruction. The instruction indicates a first source of a first packed data including state data elements ai, bi, ei, and fi for a current round (i) of a secure hash algorithm 2 (SHA2) hash algorithm. The instruction indicates a second source of a second packed data. The first packed data has a width in bits that is less than a combined width in bits of eight state data elements ai, bi, ci, di, ei, fi, gi, hi of the SHA2 hash algorithm. The method also includes storing a result in a destination indicated by the instruction in response to the instruction. The result includes updated state data elements ai+, bi+, ei+, and fi+ that have been updated from the corresponding state data elements ai, bi, ei, and fi by at least one round of the SHA2 hash algorithm.
US09251371B2
Systems and methods for a multitenant computing platform. Original data is generated through operation of a computing platform system on behalf of an account of the computing platform system, and the original data is moderated according to a data retention policy set for the account. The moderated data is stored at the computing platform system. The computing platform system moderates the generated data by securing sensitive information of the generated data from access by the computing platform system, and providing operational information from the generated data. The operational information is accessible by the computing platform system during performance of system operations.
US09251367B2
Provided is a device for preventing information leakage including: a storage unit that stores message time, request source information, and request destination information in relation to each information requesting message; a unit that suspends a response message containing personal information in response messages in response to the information requesting messages, for a predetermined suspended time from a message time of the corresponding information requesting message; a unit that counts the number of information requesting messages transmitted from the same request source to the same destination and corresponding to the suspended response message on the basis of information stored in the storage unit; and a unit that, in the case where the counted number of the information requesting messages exceeds a predetermined threshold value, applies a protection process to the suspended response message so that the personal information contained in the suspended response message is not received by the request source.
US09251365B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a trusted database system that leverages a small amount of trusted storage to secure a larger amount of untrusted storage. Data are encrypted and validated to prevent unauthorized modification or access. Encryption and hashing are integrated with a low-level data model in which data and meta-data are secured uniformly. Synergies between data validation and log-structured storage are exploited.
US09251363B2
A method for controlling access to a file system having data elements, including the steps of maintaining a record of respective actual accesses by users of the file system to the data elements, defining a proposed removal of a set of the users from a superset of the users, wherein members of the superset have common access privileges to a portion of the data elements, and wherein following an implementation of the proposed removal, members of the set retain respective proposed residual access permissions, ascertaining, prior to the implementation of the proposed removal, that at least one of the respective actual accesses are disallowed to the members of the set, or to non-members of the set having actual access profiles which are similar to the actual access profiles of the members of the set, by the respective proposed residual access permissions, and generating an error indication, responsively to the ascertaining.
US09251356B2
Even for encrypted programs, when all modules are decrypted all at once at the time of execution, it is possible to analyze codes stored within a storage area. Therefore, a program execution and decryption method that prevents easy analysis via reverse-engineering is required. In order to solve the aforementioned problem, this invention provides a program complex that allows execution of modules while modules are being decrypted upon execution, even if a program has been started. Thereby, modules cannot be easily analyzed and program tamper resistance can be improved.
US09251352B2
A method includes recording, during execution of a program and by a computing system, concrete values exhibited at source and sink statements in the program. The source statements read confidential information and the sink statements release the confidential information to an outside environment. The method includes determining, by the computing system, using at least the recorded concrete values and source-sink pairs whether information leakage meeting one or more quantitative criteria occurs by the program. Apparatus and program products are also disclosed.
US09251348B2
In one embodiment, a processor includes at least one execution unit and Return Oriented Programming (ROP) detection logic. The ROP detection logic may determine a ROP metric based on a plurality of control transfer events. The ROP detection logic may also determine whether the ROP metric exceeds a threshold. The ROP detection logic may also, in response to a determination that the ROP metric exceeds the threshold, provide a ROP attack notification.
US09251345B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for identifying malware is disclosed. The method identifies processes in a running process list on a host computer system. The method identifies ports assigned to the processes in the running process list on the host computer system. The method determines whether any one of ports that is currently in use in the host computer system is not assigned to any of the processes in the running process list. The method then makes a record that a hidden, running process is present as a characteristic of an attack in response to a determination that one of the ports is currently in use but is not assigned to any of the processes in the running process list in the host computer system.
US09251344B2
The present disclosure relates to a method, a device and a storage medium for processing virus which can automatically distinguish which of processing mode is best for the current status of the electronic apparatus. The method includes: detecting a virus scan operation; in response to the virus scan operation, determining whether conditions (i) and (ii) are true, wherein the condition (i) is true when a time interval between a last time of processing virus using a first virus processing mode and the current time is larger than a preset interval, the condition (ii) is true when at least one of risk situations exist during a time period between the last time of processing virus using the first virus processing mode and the current time; if one of conditions (i) and (ii) being true, calling the first virus processing mode to scan files in the electronic apparatus.
US09251343B1
Techniques detect bootkits resident on a computer by detecting a change or attempted change to contents of boot locations (e.g., the master boot record) of persistent storage, which may evidence a resident bootkit. Some embodiments may monitor computer operations seeking to change the content of boot locations of persistent storage, where the monitored operations may include API calls performing, for example, WRITE, READ or APPEND operations with respect to the contents of the boot locations. Other embodiments may generate a baseline hash of the contents of the boot locations at a first point of time and a hash snapshot of the boot locations at a second point of time, and compare the baseline hash and hash snapshot where any difference between the two hash values constitutes evidence of a resident bootkit.
US09251342B2
Techniques for evaluating detectablity of confidential information stored in authorization policies are described. In an example, an authorization policy has a confidential property. The confidential property is defined by whether application of a test probe to the authorization policy results in the grant of access to a resource. A processor automatically determines whether at least one witness policy can be generated that is observationally equivalent to the authorization policy from the perspective of a potential attacker, but the application of the test probe to the witness policy generates an access denial result. In the case that such a witness policy can be generated, an indication that the confidential property cannot be detected using the test probe is output. In the case that such a witness policy cannot be generated, an indication that the confidential property can be detected using the test probe is output.
US09251341B1
Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method includes executing a plurality of virtual machines on a physical machine, wherein a first virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines executes an encryption process. Execution of a hostile process that is configured to compromise the encryption process is detected, wherein the hostile process executes in a second virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines. Migrating at least the second virtual machine to a different second physical machine based on the detection of the execution of the hostile process.
US09251337B2
A system for remapping subsets of host-centric application programming interfaces to commodity service providers includes a processor configured to receive a commodity service providers object, embed the commodity service providers object with a handle, transform the handle into a serialized object readable by a hardware security module, generate a virtualized handle from the transformed handle, select a target hardware security module based on characteristics of the serialized object and map the virtualized handle to the target hardware security module.
US09251335B2
Methods and systems for evaluating customer security preferences are presented. In some embodiments, a computer system may receive, from a customer portal computing platform, a request for a security dashboard user interface for a customer. In response to receiving the request for the security dashboard user interface, the computer system may request, from a security score computing platform, a security score for the customer. Subsequently, the computer system may receive, from the security score computing platform, the security score for the customer. The computer system then may generate, based on the security score for the customer, the security dashboard user interface for the customer. Thereafter, the computer system may provide, to the customer portal computing platform, the generated security dashboard user interface for the customer.
US09251333B2
Systems and methods for authenticating a user include a wearable user device receiving a first request to access a secure system. A plurality of authentication elements are then displayed on a display device to a user eye in a first authentication orientation about a perimeter of an authentication element input area. A user hand located opposite the display device from the user eye is then detected selecting a sequence of the plurality of authentication elements. For each selected authentication element in the sequence, the wearable user device moves the selected authentication element based on a detected movement of the user hand and records the selected authentication element as a portion of an authentication input in response to the user hand moving the selected authentication element to the authentication element input area. The user is authenticated for the secure system if the authentication input matches stored user authentication information.
US09251328B2
A method for identifying an unknown user according to a plurality of facets of user activity in a plurality of contexts includes receiving a plurality of priors for the facets with respect to the contexts, receiving a plurality of footprints of known users, aggregating the footprints of the users to determine an ensemble prior, receiving a plurality of network traces relevant to an unknown user in a computer environment, matching the network traces against each of the footprints to determine a plurality of matches, aggregating the matches using the ensemble prior according to the facets and the contexts, and outputting a probable user identity for the unknown user.
US09251323B2
mechanisms are provided to securely access systems of a distributed computer system by entering passwords. Some systems are accessible by equal, and some systems are accessible by different passwords. The mechanisms store information, which systems (I, II) are accessible by equal, and which are accessible by different passwords and ask to enter a proper password when opening a session by accessing a system of the distributed computer system. The mechanisms cache the password and use the stored information to verify, if another system to be accessed during the current session is accessible by an equal password like a system already accessed during said session. If the result of the verification is true, the mechanisms re-use the adequate cached password. If the result of the verification is false, the mechanism ask to enter a proper password to access the other system and cache the password required to access the other system in a way that during the current session, it can be re-used when accessing other systems accessible by the same password.
US09251321B2
Methods and nodes (300a, 300b, 302) for handling a usage policy (P1.P2) pertaining to source data (D1,D2) generated by a source node (300a, 300b). The usage policy dictates permission to access and use the source data. The source node calculates a signature (Sig) based on an identification (id_D) of the source data and the usage policy (P) of the source data, and provides the source data, its usage policy and the calculated signature to a data processing node (302). The data processing node then generates new data (D3) based on the source data, and calculates a new signature (Sig3) based on an identification (ldj_)3) of the new data and at least one of: a new usage policy (P3) pertaining to the generated new data, and the usage policy (P1, P2) of the source data. The data processing node finally provides the new data, the usage policies (P1, P2, P3) and the signatures (Sig1, Sig2, Sig3) to a data receiving node (304) which is thereby enabled to verify and comply with the provided usage policies based on the respective associated signatures.
US09251295B2
Techniques are described for filtering a list of data objects based on a user selection of one or more filter icons. Embodiments provide an interface including a plurality of filter icons in a graphical user interface, with each of the filter icons associated with at least one respective class of data objects. A selection of at least one of the filter icons is received. In response to the received selection, embodiments output a portion of the list of data objects that contains only data objects from the classes of data objects that are associated with the selected at least one filter icon.
US09251294B2
Approximate string matching of a target string to a trie data structure in which the trie data structure has a root node and generations of child nodes, each node representing at least one character in an alphabet to provide a lexicon of words and word fragments. Traversing the trie data structure includes starting from the root node by comparing each node of a branch of the trie data structure to characters in the target string and adding characters traversed in a branch of the trie data structure to a gathered string to provide suggestions of approximate matches. If a node is reached that is flagged as a node for a word or a word fragment and, and if the target string is longer than the gathered string, the method loops back to the root node, and continues the traverse from the root node. At each node, the system determines if there is a correction rule for one or more characters in the remainder of the target string from the current node, and if so, applies the correction rule to the target string to obtain a modified target string.
US09251290B2
A method for selectively eliminating nondeterministic elements of NFA is disclosed. The method includes steps of: (a) determining a specific state calculated to have a highest arrival probability through a transition from a current state among all states in the NFA as a current highest probability state; (b) determining whether there exists at least one common transition between a first set of transitions including at least one transition moving the current highest probability state to a state i and a second set of transitions including at least one transition moving the current highest probability state to a state j in the NFA; and (c) excluding the at least one common transition between the first and the second sets of transitions and creating a state k which is arrived as a result of moving from the current highest probability state through the at least one common transition.
US09251289B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for matching a target string to a known string. A target string is broken into one or more target terms, and the one or more target terms are matched to known terms in an index tree. The index tree comprises one or more known terms from a plurality of known strings, where the respective known terms in the index tree are associated with one or more known string IDs. A known term that is associated with a known string ID (in the index tree, and to which a target term is matched), is comprised in a known string, which corresponds to the known string ID. The target string can be matched to the known string using the known string's corresponding known string ID that is associated with a desired number of occurrences in the matching of the one or more target terms.
US09251286B2
Illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product for form attachment metadata generation. In one illustrative embodiment, the computer implemented method receives a request to attach an attachment to a document, and calls an attachment metadata generator to extract metadata from the attachment to form extracted data. The computer implemented method further generates an extensible markup language fragment from the extracted data, and inserts the extensible markup language fragment into the document.
US09251277B2
A method is provided to generate a heat map to show traffic congestion based on transit points. The method includes generating, by a processing device, a trajectory database from time-stamped global positioning system (GPS) sample points, and computing transit points for each trajectory in the trajectory database. The method further includes constructing a temporal transit graph. The transit graph captures the shortest paths among the transit points. The method further includes indexing and storing the transit graph in a spatial-temporal database for online analytic processing.
US09251263B2
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a graphical user interface as a means of inputting search parameters to database search engines. In some embodiments, two or three dimensional projections spatially represent relationships between search parameters, located along the periphery of the projections and search hits whose significance are represented by position relative to the center of the projection and comparative distance from each of the search parameters. As the user manipulates the overall shape of the search projection, the weighting of search parameters adjusts, reconfiguring the search. The present disclosure also provides, in some embodiments, an intuitive means of assimilating search parameter weightings based on peer or social network preferences with global search results.
US09251246B2
A processor-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product defines multiple context-based conformed dimensional data gravity wells on a context-based conformed dimensional data gravity wells membrane. Conformed dimensional objects and synthetic context-based objects are parsed into n-tuples. A virtual mass of each parsed object is calculated, in order to define a shape of the multiple context-based conformed dimensional data gravity wells that are created when data objects that are pulled into each of the context-based conformed dimensional data gravity well frameworks on a context-based conformed dimensional gravity wells membrane.
US09251232B2
A database controller controls a database for storing graph data encoded as triples, each triple having a subject, a predicate, and an object, and each stored within a data item among a set of data items ordered according to the triple stored within. Each data item is stored on a storage node from among a plurality of storage nodes distributed in a network. The database controller includes a storage request receiver configured to receive a request to store a triple in the database, and a data item generation module configured to generate two or more data items each having a different version of the triple.
US09251230B2
A first data structure stores indications of storage locations that need to be copied for forming a consistency group. A second data structure stores indications of new host writes, subsequent to starting a point in time copy operation to form the consistency group. Locations of the first data structure and the second data structure are exchanged, subsequent to the consistency group being formed successfully.
US09251226B2
Approaches for data integration between multiple IT sources using automated data processing based on target metadata are provided. Specifically, an integration component is configured to load a mapped data set into a table with delta processing based on a configuration object containing, e.g., the source data location, target table name, and source to target mapping. The integration component uses the target metadata to validate data, identify changes, generate the necessary database programming language (e.g., structured query language (SQL)), and run the database programming language with data binding to perform the actual data updates. The integration component leverages the data target metadata to automate the processing of source data, thus providing a way to validate the data, and identify delta changes at the field level between the source and target. This significantly reduces the overall development effort, while providing consistency in record handling and error reporting.
US09251225B2
Mapping information that specifies attributes of destination entities in terms of attributes of source entities is received. At least some source entities correspond to respective sets of records in one or more data storage systems. The mapping information is processed to generate a procedural specification for computing values corresponding to attributes of destination entities. Collections of nodes are generated, each including a first node representing a first relational expression associated with a specified attribute. At least some collections form a directed acyclic graph that includes links to one or more other nodes representing respective relational expressions associated with at least one attribute of at least one source entity referenced by a relational expression of a node in the graph. At least two of the collections are merged with each other to form a third collection based on comparing relational expressions of nodes being merged.
US09251223B2
Many websites publish variants of their web pages based on language and region. However, when a user is directed toward the incorrect web page for the user's language preference, it there is not a simple way for the user to select the appropriate localized or region specific version of the web page. According to an embodiment, a language preference from a user may be received. A first language for a first web page may be identified and the first web page may be received by a computing device of the user. A second language for a second web page may be identified. The second web page may comprise an alternate version of the first web page. The first web page or the second web page may be selected according to the language preference of the user and the selected web page may be presented to the user.
US09251221B1
Systems and methods for assigning scores to objects based on evaluating triggering conditions applied to datasets produced by search queries in data aggregation and analysis systems. An example method may comprise: executing, by one or more processing devices, a search query to produce a dataset comprising one or more data items derived from source data; and responsive to determining that at least a portion of the dataset satisfies a triggering condition, modifying a score assigned to an object to which the portion of the dataset pertains.
US09251216B2
The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for publishing data. A data summary summarizing the data can be generated and published according to several publishing schemes. In some embodiments, non-zero entries are selected and modified and zero entries are sampled according to one or more distribution functions. The sampled and modified values are added to a data summary, or a sample of the sampled and modified values are added to the data summary. The data summary is published, released, used, or otherwise output. In other embodiments, priority values are assigned to each value associated with the data, and a number of entries with the highest values are selected and added to the data summary.
US09251211B2
A method of generating a query plan for accessing a database, comprising: receiving (S10) one or more electronic queries from a database client; and determining (S20) whether the received one or more queries form a part of a query pattern comprising a repeating sequence of a plurality of queries by determining whether the received one or more queries match a part of the sequence of queries. If the received one or more queries are determined to form a part of the query pattern, the method further comprises generating (S30) a query plan for executing one or more queries in the sequence that match the received one or more queries, and a query that is subsequent to the matching one or more queries in the sequence.
US09251210B2
Techniques are provided for caching external data sources for SQL processing. According to an embodiment, a database system receives a query that requires foreign data from an external data source. In response to receiving the query, the database system determines whether the foreign data currently resides in a cache of the database system. In response to determining that the foreign does not currently reside in the cache, the database system retrieves the foreign data from the external data source, maps the foreign data to a column granule of a table, and stores the column granule in the cache. In another embodiment, the database system receives a second query that requires the foreign data. In response to determining that the foreign data is cached with the stored column granule, the database system retrieves the column granule from the cache.