US09543994B1

The estimation and mitigation of swept-tone interferers includes receiving a composite signal comprising a signal of interest and a swept-tone interferer over an observation bandwidth. The estimation of the interfering signal may be based on modeling the interferer over the observation bandwidth as a magnitude periodic signal comprising non-overlapping, contiguous epochs, where each epoch may comprise a common pulse shape and a distinct phase rotation. The period of the magnitude-periodic signal may be initially determined, and the common pulse shape and each of the distinct phase rotations may then be estimated. These estimates may be used to reconstruct an estimate of the swept-tone interferer, which may be subtracted from the composite signal to generate an interference-mitigated signal of interest.
US09543992B2

A wireless multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) communication system includes signaling simulcasting. Base stations include a plurality of transmit antennas and terminals include a plurality of receive antennas to form MIMO channels. In one embodiment, a simulcasting MIMO wireless communication system includes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). This arrangement achieves the spectral efficiency advantages of OFDM and simulcasting.
US09543980B2

An encoder generates a compressed data sequence from an original data sequence using many-to-one mapping independently of a source model associated with the original data sequence and without extracting the source model. A decoder uses both the source model associated with the original data sequence and the mapping applied during compression that is devoid of, in substance, the source model, to regenerate, at least in part, the original uncompressed data sequence from the compressed data sequence that does not include a significant portion of the source model.
US09543977B2

A decimatorless continuous-time delta-sigma analog-to-digital receiver includes a continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CTDSM) that receives a receiving signal and is configured to encode analog signals into digital signals; and a demodulator that receives a digital output of the CTDSM and is configured to recover information content from the receiving signal.
US09543973B2

Aspects of a method and system for data converters having a transfer function with multiple operating zones. In some embodiments, an operating zone of the multiple operating zones is characterized by more stringent performance criteria than the other operating zones. Thus, such data converters may receive an input signal and generate an output signal from the input signal per the transfer function and the more stringent performance criteria in the appropriate operating zone.
US09543971B2

A spin modulator with phase tuning means which comprises, a spin array which consists of m×n matrix spin-transfer torque oscillators, a selection control means which selectively operates the spin-transfer torque oscillators according to an operation condition of the spin array, and a phase tuning array which includes m×n matrix phase tuning means, wherein the m×n matrix phase tuning means tune a phase synchronization operation of the spin-transfer torque oscillators according to the operation condition.
US09543967B2

In accordance with disclosed embodiments, a DLL circuit includes a variable frequency division circuit that uses a variable frequency division ratio to frequency-divide a first clock signal to generate first and second frequency-divided clock signals, a grain size change circuit that changes the count width in synchronization with the first frequency-divided clock signal, a counter circuit that updates the count value in accordance with the count width in synchronization with the second frequency-divided clock signal, and a variable delay circuit that delays the first clock signal on the basis of a delay amount that is in accordance with the count value, thereby generating a second clock signal. When the relationship in magnitude between the phase difference between the first and second clock signals and a predetermined value becomes inverse just after the updating of the count value, the grain size change circuit changes the count width, and the variable frequency division circuit sets the frequency division ratio of the second frequency-divided clock signal being greater than that of the first frequency-divided clock signal.
US09543964B2

A 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.
US09543963B2

An input value, where the input value is an amount which the current value of the counter is to be increased is received. The current value of the modulo binary counter and an offset value of the modulo binary counter are increased by the input value. Whether the current value of the counter is greater than or equal to the modulus value of the binary counter is determined. The current value of the counter is replaced with an updated offset value of the counter, where the updated offset value is the offset value of the counter increased by the input value. The updated offset value of the counter is returned.
US09543954B2

A driver circuit with device variation compensation function and an operation method thereof are provided. The driver circuit includes a pull-up switch unit, an isolating switch and a pull-down switch unit. A first terminal of the pull-up switch unit is coupled to a first voltage. A second terminal of the pull-up switch unit is coupled to an output terminal of the driver circuit. A first terminal of the isolating switch is coupled to the second terminal of the pull-up switch unit. A first terminal of the pull-down switch unit is coupled to a second terminal of the isolating switch. A second terminal of the pull-down switch unit is coupled to a second voltage. The pull-down switch unit has a device variation compensation function.
US09543950B2

A programmable logic is provided that uses only NMOS pass transistors to pass a true output signal to an internal true node and to pass a complement output signal to an internal complement node. The internal true and complement nodes are cross-coupled through PMOS transistors so that the discharge of one of the internal true and complement nodes switches on a corresponding one of the cross-coupled PMOS transistors to charge a remaining one of the internal true and complement nodes.
US09543947B2

A semiconductor device containing a terminal, a power supply voltage dropping circuit that generates a constant voltage, a switch circuit to periodically apply a constant voltage to a terminal in response to a first clock, a current-controlled oscillator circuit, and a counter, and in which the power supply voltage dropping circuit supplies a first current to the switch circuit, the current-controlled oscillator circuit generates a second clock whose frequency changes in response to the value of the first current, and the counter counts the number of second clocks within the counting time.
US09543943B2

A digital circuit comprises a plurality of functional circuits and a finite state machine. Each functional circuit comprises a digital macro, a resistance control device and at least one device with capacitance. The digital macro is coupled to a ground. The resistance control device is electrically connected between the digital macro and an always-on power mesh. The at least one device with capacitance is electrically connected between the resistance control device and the ground. The finite state machine is electrically connected to the resistance control device, and is configured to adjust the resistance of the resistance control device.
US09543939B2

A trigger circuit includes a high voltage protector configured to scale down a first voltage according to an internal voltage to output a second voltage having a lower level than the first voltage, a switching trigger configured to detect that the outputted second voltage falls below a certain voltage level to provide a switching trigger signal, and a switching controller configured to provide a switching control signal for turning on a driving switching element based on the switching trigger signal.
US09543930B2

Apparatuses and methods for duty cycle adjustment are disclosed herein. An example apparatus may include a node, a phase mixer, and a duty cycle adjuster circuit. The phase mixer may have a first step duty cycle response and may be configured to provide a first output signal to the node in accordance with the first step duty cycle response. The duty cycle adjuster circuit may have a second step duty cycle response complementary to the first step duty cycle response and may be configured to provide a second signal to the node in accordance with the second step duty cycle response.
US09543928B2

A gate driving circuit and method can improve the tradeoff relation between the noise and the loss caused in the turn-OFF switching of semiconductor device. The gate driving circuit includes first and second series circuits. The first series circuit includes first and second MOSFETs connected in series. The gate terminal of the semiconductor device is connected to a negative potential side of the first MOSFET and a positive potential side of the second MOSFET. The emitter of the semiconductor device is connected to the negative potential side of the second MOSFET or a DC power source. The second series circuit includes a capacitor and a third MOSFET connected in series. The second series circuit is connected in parallel with the second MOSFET. The semiconductor device is turned OFF by turning ON the second and third MOSFETs and turning OFF the first MOSFET.
US09543927B2

A device comprises a first capacitor block comprising a plurality of first capacitors connected in a first configuration, a second capacitor block comprising a plurality of second capacitors connected in the first configuration, a third capacitor block comprising a plurality of third capacitors connected in a second configuration, a fourth capacitor block comprising a plurality of fourth capacitors connected in the second configuration, a first switch connected between the first capacitor block and the second capacitor block, a second switch connected between the third capacitor block and the fourth capacitor block, a third switch connected between the first capacitor block and the fourth capacitor block and a fourth switch connected between the third capacitor block and the second capacitor block.
US09543912B2

A buffer circuit is provided. The buffer circuit includes an operational amplifier and a slew-rate compensating circuit. The operational amplifier amplifies an input voltage signal and generates an output voltage signal. The slew-rate compensating circuit generates a compensation current based on a voltage difference between the input voltage signal and the output voltage signal, and provides the compensation current to a load stage of the operational amplifier.
US09543911B2

Methods and apparatus are provided to improve the efficiency of an outphasing amplifier through modulating the phase angle of a reflected signal in the outphasing amplifier. An outphasing amplifier includes a first amplifier and a second amplifier. A circulator is provided having a first port coupled to an output of the outphasing amplifier, a second port coupled to a load and a third port coupled to a phase shifter. The phase shifter is configured to provide a different phase angle of a reflected signal from the phase shifter to the outphasing amplifier through the circulator.
US09543907B2

Provided is a current-voltage conversion amplifier circuit including: a plurality of light receiving devices generating a current signal proportional to an amount of light by receiving the light; multipliers amplifying the current signal, converting the amplified current signal into a first voltage signal, outputting the amplified current signal, or outputting the converted first voltage signal; multi input amplifiers outputting first and second output voltage pairs through a process for receiving output values of multipliers and an offset voltage and amplifying the received output values and offset voltage; a multiplexing unit selecting and outputting one first and second output voltage pair among the first and second output voltage pairs outputted from multi input amplifiers; and a signal conversion unit converting a difference value between first and second output voltages outputted from the multiplexing unit and outputting the converted digital signal.
US09543894B2

The present invention relates to using spin transfer torque underneath a nanocontact on a magnetic thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), provides generation of dissipative magnetic droplet solitons and report on their rich dynamical properties. Micromagnetic simulations identify a wide range of automodulation frequencies including droplet oscillatory motion, droplet “spinning”, and droplet “breather” states. The droplet can be controlled using both current and magnetic fields, and is expected to have applications in spintronics, magnonics, and PMA-based domain-wall devices.
US09543893B2

Methods and systems for frequency generation may comprise a circuit with a first input coupled to receive a first satellite signal at a first satellite downlink frequency, a second input coupled to receive a second satellite signal at a second satellite downlink frequency, and a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having an input coupled to receive the first satellite signal and an output. The first ADC may be configured to create a first digital output signal representing the first satellite signal. A second ADC having an input coupled to receive the second satellite signal and an output may be configured to create a second digital output representing the second satellite signal. The circuit may comprise a dielectric resonator oscillator having an output and a clock generator circuit having an input coupled to the oscillator output and configured to output one or more clocks used by the first and second ADCs.
US09543886B2

A short circuit detection circuit and a short circuit detection method for a multi-phase rectifier are provided, which are used for detecting conditions of a spectrum of a FWR signal outputted from the multi-phase rectifier in the frequency domain. Next, determining whether the detected signal indicating the amplitude of the frequency of the AC signal is greater than or equal to the reference signal, so as to determine whether the multi-phase rectifier has a short circuit condition. Therefore, the short circuit detection circuit and the short circuit detection method do not have any requirements for configuring a short circuit detection element on each current path of the multi-phase rectifier, so that the power loss and the cost can be reduced effectively.
US09543885B2

A rotary electric machine driving device that drives and controls an alternating-current rotary electric machine, the rotary electric machine driving device including: an inverter that is electrically interposed between a direct-current power supply and the rotary electric machine, and converts electric power between a direct current and an alternating current; a smoothing capacitor that is electrically interposed between the direct-current power supply and the inverter, and is connected between a positive pole and a negative pole on a direct-current side of the inverter; and an inverter control unit that controls switching of a switching element of the inverter according to a predefined switching frequency.
US09543884B2

A motor control device of an air conditioner may include: a DC/DC converter that level-changes a DC power supply supplied from the outside to output the level-charged DC power supply to a DC bus terminal; a bidirectional DC/AC converter that converts the DC power supply of the DC bus terminal into an AC power supply to transfer the converted AC power supply to a system, or that converts the AC power supply from the system into the DC/power supply to supply the converted DC power supply to the DC bus terminal; and an inverter that converts the DC power supply of the DC bus terminal into the AC power supply by a switching operation, and drives a compression motor by the converted AC power supply.
US09543879B2

Controlling a multiphase electric motor by controlling the transmission of power to a first set of phases of a multiphase electric motor in accordance with a first operating configuration; detecting the presence of a shorted phase in the first set of phases while the first set of phases are being operated in accordance with the first operating configuration; and, responsive to detection of the shorted phase, adjusting control of the transmission of power to the multiphase electric motor such that power is transmitted to a second set of phases in accordance with a second operating configuration.
US09543874B2

A dual alternator system includes a main alternator controlled by an electronic voltage regulator, a secondary alternator system having a secondary alternator controlled by a LIN controlled alternator voltage regulator and an electronic control unit (“ECU”) coupled to the LIN controller alternator voltage regulator by a LIN bus that that determines whether the secondary alternator should be off or operated to generate current. The ECU when it determines that the secondary alternator should be off sends a voltage setpoint signal to the LIN controlled alternator voltage regulator having a low value that is well below nominal system voltage. The ECU when it determines that the secondary alternator should be operated to provide current sends a voltage setpoint to the LIN controlled alternator voltage regulator having a high value that is well above a nominal system voltage and a MECL setpoint value.
US09543873B2

Techniques for controlling engine speed based on alternator duty cycle to increase overall vehicle efficiency involve increasing engine speed only after the alternator duty cycle exceeds a duty cycle threshold that is less than the maximum duty cycle of the alternator. In this manner, quantity and/or degree of engine speed increases are decreased, which increases vehicle efficiency (e.g., increased fuel economy). Moreover, by utilizing a duty cycle threshold that is less than the maximum alternator duty cycle threshold, voltage drops at an electrical system are avoided. These techniques are also applicable to both conventional alternators and smart alternators having on-board diagnostic circuitry.
US09543860B2

A generator includes a first cylindrical member and a second cylindrical member. The first cylindrical member includes a first dielectric layer including a first material that has a first rating on a triboelectric series; and a first conductive strip disposed around an exterior surfaces of the first cylindrical member. The first conductive strip includes a second material that has a second rating on the triboelectric series that is different from the first rating. The second cylindrical member is disposed about the first cylindrical member and includes a second dielectric layer that includes the first material. The second cylindrical member also includes the second material and at least one second conductive strip disposed around an interior surface of the second cylindrical member. A sliding mechanism causes lateral relative motion between the first cylindrical member against the second cylindrical member, generating an electric potential imbalance between the first and second conductive strip.
US09543855B2

A Voltage Source Converter (VSC) (10) with Neutral-Point-Clamped (NPC) topology with one or more phases, comprises an intermediate DC circuit having at least a first and a second capacitance connected in series between a positive terminal and a negative terminal, providing a central tap terminal between both capacitances, and at least one sub-circuit for generating one phase of an alternating voltage, each sub-circuit comprising an AC terminal for supplying a pulsed voltage; a circuit arrangement of the form of a conventional NPC converter, with a first series connection of at least two switches between said AC terminal and said positive terminal, a second series connection of at least two switches between said AC terminal said negative terminal, and switchable connections from said central tap terminal to the centers of both two-switch series connections; and additional first and second auxiliary switches assigned to said two-switch series connections.
US09543834B2

There is provided a switching regulator configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. A control unit is configured to perform switching control in response to a result of comparison between a reference voltage and a complex voltage which includes a feedback voltage acquired by feeding back the output voltage, and a derived voltage derived on the basis of an input current.
US09543832B2

In one embodiment, a current detection circuit configured for a switching regulator can include: (i) a feedback controlling circuit configured to control a feedback signal to be consistent with a reference signal, and to generate a feedback control signal; and (ii) a feedback signal generator configured to receive a rise time and a fall time of inductor current of the switching regulator, and to generate the feedback signal in direct proportion with the feedback control signal.
US09543830B2

A switch mode power converter configured for operation with a plurality of outputs is disclosed. The switch mode power converter includes an inductive element and a resistance in series with the inductive element. The resistance is series with the inductive element is used for determining a current through the inductive element. The resistance is a resistance between the main terminals of a switch in an on-state. The switch have two main terminals and a control terminal and being arranged for directing current through the inductive element to a one of the plurality of outputs.
US09543826B2

An audible noise avoiding circuit and a DC-DC boost converter for a DC-DC boost converter are provided. The audible noise avoiding circuit comprises a timing controller and a linear regulator. The timing controller discharges a timing capacitor to a low voltage according to switching of the DC-DC boost converter. A sink output stage of the liner regulator is coupled to the output voltage node. When the voltage of the timing capacitor is higher than a threshold voltage, the compensation unit compensates the output of the operational amplifier for gradually turning on the sink output stage in order to gradually reduce the voltage of the output voltage node. A predetermined charging time interval is defined by the time interval of charging the timing capacitor from the low voltage to the threshold voltage, the reciprocal of the predetermined time interval is a frequency in the ultrasonic wave frequency range.
US09543825B2

A power conversion apparatus and control method thereof are provided. The power conversion apparatus includes an output capacitor, an AC-to-DC conversion circuit, a transformer-based auxiliary circuit, an inrush suppression component and a switching circuit. The AC-to-DC conversion circuit is configured to convert an AC power into a DC power. The auxiliary circuit provides a leakage inductance energy. The inrush suppression component provides a first conduction path, and the switching circuit provides a second conduction path. When the switching circuit cuts off the second conduction path in response to the leakage inductance energy, the AC-to-DC conversion circuit conducts the DC power to the output capacitor via the first conduction path. When the switching circuit turns on the second conduction path in response to the leakage inductance energy, the AC-to-DC conversion circuit conducts the DC power to the output capacitor via the second conduction path.
US09543824B2

In one embodiment, an active power factor correction (APFC) control circuit, configured to generate a pulse-width modulation (PWM) control signal to control the operation of a power converter, includes: (i) an inductor current zero crossing detection circuit coupled to a common node between a power switch of the power converter and a first switch that are coupled in series, where the inductor current zero crossing detection circuit is configured to generate a comparison signal based on a voltage signal at the common node; (ii) the comparison signal being activated when an inductor current of the power converter decreases to zero; and (iii) the APFC control circuit being configured as a source driver, wherein a control terminal of the power switch is coupled to a constant voltage supply.
US09543822B2

In one embodiment, a method of over voltage protection control can include: (i) determining whether an output voltage of a buck-boost converter is in an over voltage condition, where the buck-boost converter includes a first switch coupled to an input terminal and an inductor, a second switch coupled to ground and a common node of the first switch and the inductor, a third switch coupled to ground and a common node of a fourth switch and the inductor, where the fourth switch is coupled to an output terminal of the buck-boost converter; and (ii) simultaneously controlling the first, second, third, and fourth switches in the buck-boost converter by turning on the second and third switches, and turning off the first and fourth switches, in response to the over voltage condition.
US09543818B2

A ferrofluid electric motor and methods are presented. A magnetic field is generated by an electromagnet, a flow of a ferrofluid is induced in response to the magnetic field, and a turbine is rotated by the flow of the ferrofluid.
US09543808B2

This power generation system is provided with a medium circuit, a circulation pump, an evaporator which evaporates a medium, an expander configured to be driven using the medium evaporated by the evaporator, a condenser configured to condense the medium discharged from the expander, a generator configured to be driven by the expander to generate power, a cooling system configured to cool the generator using the medium taken out from the medium circuit at a downstream side of the condenser, and a gas-liquid separator configured to separate the medium heated as a consequence of cooling the generator by the cooling system into gas and liquid phases, wherein the gas phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at an upstream side of the condenser, and the liquid phase of the medium is flowed into the medium circuit at the downstream side of the condenser.
US09543806B2

A wheel-axle generator equipped with a rotor configured to rotate with rotation of a wheel and a stator arranged around the rotor. The rotor is fixed to a concave portion that opens toward a vehicle outside of a tire wheel of a wheel. An arm member that has one end attached to a wheel-axle housing or a steering knuckle), that extends so as to stride over a wheel, and that, on a side of an outer surface of the wheel, further extends parallel to the outer surface of the wheel up to a central portion of the wheel. The stator is annularly arranged so as to surround the rotor and is provided on the other end side of the arm member. This arrangement provides space for accommodating a generator without shortening a wheel axle etc. and attaching the generator easily.
US09543802B2

A motor drive control apparatus 30, on which a switching element 73 for performing drive control of the motor 10 is mounted, includes: a heat sink 50 placed on the front side or rear side of the motor; and a housing 40 that is coupled to the heat sink and couples the heat sink to the frame or that covers the switching element mounted on the heat sink, and wherein an abutment surface 110 between the housing and the heat sink is located on a single plane intersecting with the direction of the rotation axis of the motor, and screw holes 42 and 52 for coupling the frame, the heat sink and the housing to each other are provided such that the positions in the circumferential direction of the screw holes 42 and 52 correspond to each other.
US09543787B2

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for more efficient exergy and power usage in data centers. Denominated FRAME (standing for “Forced Recuperation, Aggregation & Movement of Exergy”), the apparatus is a power production and exergy management system (exergy being energy available to do useful work, as opposed to energy, which can be changed to a form, usually heat, rendering it unavailable). The apparatus integrates generally isothermal operation with phase-change and single-phase liquid cooling having variable operating temperatures and pressures, aided by a dynamically reconfigurable “thermal bus” comprising multi-fluid thermal fluid transport channels, virtual plumbing, and associated support devices. The apparatus minimizes exergy use through efficient operation and by recuperating and aggregating useful exergy that may then be dynamically repurposed to meet energy or power needs that would otherwise have to be met via external means.
US09543783B2

A rechargeable battery assembly for an electric vehicle is disclosed in the present invention. It includes at least one rechargeable battery module which has a number of rechargeable battery cells linked in series or in parallel for providing power to the electric vehicle, and a management unit, installed with a first program, for managing the rechargeable battery cells; and a charging module for providing power to the rechargeable battery module, including an updating unit connected to the charging module for automatically detecting version of the first program and updating the first program while a newer version is available while electrically connected to the rechargeable battery module. Battery management system of the rechargeable battery assembly can be updated by the updating unit. Therefore, the rechargeable battery module can be applied to different requirements with its best performance.
US09543781B2

An apparatus for inductively transmitting electrical energy from a stationary unit to a mobile unit which is located adjacent to the stationary unit. The apparatus has a coil and a flux guide unit for guiding a magnetic flux occurring during operation of the apparatus with at least one ferromagnetic body, which consists of a multiplicity of individual elements. The flux guide unit has the basic shape of a plate and is arranged on one side of the coil perpendicular to the winding axis thereof in such a way that it covers the cross-sectional area of the coil at least partially. The ferromagnetic body includes individual elements with anisotropic magnetic permeability and has, overall, anisotropic magnetic permeability. In a viewing plane perpendicular to the winding axis of the coil, the individual elements of the ferromagnetic body are aligned with respect to the coil in those regions in which a ferromagnetic body with anisotropic permeability covers winding sections of the coil, in such a way that the preferred direction of magnetic permeability, in which the magnetic permeability has its greatest magnitude in the viewing plane, is at least approximately perpendicular to the winding sections of the coil.
US09543780B2

A modular wireless charging assembly is presented herein. In particular, the charging assembly comprises a plurality of wireless charging pads or bases disposed in removably interconnected relation with one another to provide a collective charging surface or interface. Particularly, each of the wireless charging pads or bases include a charging surface which is structured and configured to wirelessly charge an electronic device (e.g., a cellular telephone, mp3 player, PDA, game console, etc.) disposed thereon. The various wireless charging pads or bases include attachment assemblies which are structured to dispose adjacent wireless charging pads or bases in a removably interconnected relation with one another.
US09543777B2

A power-supplying device supplies the power to a power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, without interfering with communication between the power-supplying device and power-supplied device. More specifically, the power-supplying device supplies the power to the power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, such that the error rate of wireless communication does not increase.
US09543766B2

A resonance power transmission system, and a method of controlling transmission and reception of a resonance power are provided. According to one embodiment, a method of controlling resonance power transmission in a resonance power transmitter may include: transmitting resonance power to a resonance power receiver, the resonance power having resonance frequencies which vary with respect to a plurality of time intervals; and receiving, from the resonance power receiver, information regarding the resonance frequency having the highest power transmission efficiency among the resonance frequencies used in the time intervals.
US09543760B2

A transformer (2A) outputs differential signals of a positive phase signal (Vout2Ap) having phase θ1+90° and a negative phase signal (Vout2An) having phase θ1−90°. A transformer (2B) outputs differential signals of a positive phase signal (Vout2Bp) having phase θ2+90° and a negative phase signal (Vout2Bn) having phase θ2−90°. An adding circuit (3) composes a pair of differential output signals, as signals corrected in phase error (θ1−θ2) generated in the transformers (2A, 2B), in a manner of summing up vectors of two pairs of the differential signals outputted from the transformers (2A, 2B) for the positive phase signal and the negative phase signal, respectively.
US09543756B2

A pulse generator circuit arrangement for the search for insulation faults in IT networks includes a rectifier circuit for transforming an IT network voltage into a DC intermediate circuit and switching elements having a trigger signal input for switching on and off a DC intermediate circuit voltage. A circuit device downstream of the switching elements generates a pulsed current to be supplied to the IT network. The circuit arrangement includes a control and evaluating logic for determining the insulation resistance of the IT network and also a circuit device for generating the pulsed current, which is formed as a current regulating device and allows a dynamic adjustment of the pulsed current depending on the determined insulation resistance.
US09543753B2

A protection device is provided for electric appliances suitable for selectively connecting an electric appliance to a power supply line. The protection device includes a metal plate member, a composite metal blade, an insulating block for supporting the metal plate member and the composite metal blade, and a compensating resistor made en bloc with the metal plate member.
US09543750B2

A surgical generator and related method for mitigating overcurrent conditions are provided. The surgical generator includes a power supply, a radio frequency output stage, an overcurrent detection circuit in operative communication with an interrupt circuit, and a processor. The power supply generates a power signal and supplies the power signal to the radio frequency output stage. The radio frequency output stage generates a radio frequency signal from the power signal. The overcurrent detection circuit detects an overcurrent of the power signal and/or an overcurrent of the radio frequency signal. The interrupt circuit provides an interrupt signal in response to a detected overcurrent. The processor receives the interrupt signal and supplies a pulse-width modulation signal to the power supply and incrementally decreases the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulation signal in response to the interrupt signal. The radio frequency output stage may be disabled in response to the detected overcurrent.
US09543736B1

A technique relates to assembling a multi-chip system. A first chip stack element having two major surfaces and a first solder pad, a first vertical stop, a first lateral stop and a first waveguiding element is provided. A second chip stack element having two major surfaces and including a second solder pad, a flow resistor connected to the second solder pad, a second vertical stop, a second lateral stop, a reservoir pad connected to the flow resistor, and a second waveguiding element is provided. A solder material is plated to form a plated solder pad. A technique includes pre-aligning the first chip stack element and the second chip stack element, raising the temperature to a temperature above the melting temperature of the solder material, and flowing solder through the flow resistor. Aspects include aligning the first and second waveguiding elements and cooling the connected assembly to re-solidify the solder material.
US09543728B2

A self-actuating tooling die located beneath an industrial press impact zone clamps a the tongue of an end ring side-to-side to hold it dimensionally stable during a pressing operation that clinches a nut to a hole in the tongue. The tooling die comprises a cone-shaped split collet fitted into a corresponding cone-shaped receptacle in the die housing. As the installation force of the press forces the collet into the receptacle, jaws of the collet grip the tongue a corresponding amount. At a pre-determined point of advancement, the collet bottoms out against a stop in the socket to hold the tongue in its pre-installation relaxed shape and size. A spring-loaded stepped pin, which reciprocates within an axial bore of the die, centers the nut and hole in the tongue during installation and later ejects the completed assembly.
US09543727B2

A nest die for mechanically securing an electrical connector to a conductor wire is provided. The nest die includes a conductor receipt area and a lip. The receipt area has an outer periphery and a bottom surface. The lip is at the outer periphery of the receipt area. The outer periphery is sufficient to receive a free end of the conductor wire abutting the bottom surface and a lower face of the electrical connector on the lip. In this manner, the nest die can be used to easily and reproducibly seat the electrical connector in the die at a predetermined position on the conductor wire.
US09543712B2

A wireless dongle for use in the potentially explosive area for an automation field device to connect to an electrical interface of the field device, having a wireless circuit for sending and receiving wireless signals and a connector element. The wireless dongle can be detachably fitted to the electrical interface by means of the connector element. The connector element has several contact elements, wherein the contact elements are attached to a printed circuit board in the wireless dongle, that a first contact element is used to supply the wireless dongle with energy, that an energy buffer on the printed circuit board is provided which is downstream of the first contact element. The connector element has a second contact element which is used to transmit data between the field device and the wireless dongle, that in each case there is at least one limiting resistor is downstream of the first contact element and the second contact element, and that the resistors and the energy buffer of the wireless dongle are encapsulated by means of a potting compound.
US09543710B2

A connector module includes a housing and a gasket. The housing is defined by a first shell and a second shell that mate at a seam. The housing includes a cable exit region extending along a cable axis. A passage through the cable exit region has an elliptical cross-section along a plane perpendicular to the cable axis. The gasket is within the passage of the cable exit region. An outer perimeter of the gasket in an uncompressed state has a non-elliptical cross section along a plane perpendicular to the cable axis. The gasket has an outer side engaging the inner surface of the cable exit region and an inner side configured to engage at least one cable received within the cable exit region. As the shells are mated, the gasket is sandwiched in a compressed state between the at least one cable and the cable exit region.
US09543697B2

A connector has a slider (60) with a base (61) extending along a width direction and to be inserted below a lock arm (17). Two arms (62) project from opposite widthwise ends of the base (61). A coupling (63) couples projecting end parts of the arms (62) and faces an upper surface side of the lock arm (17). A deflectable initial position holding portion (76) is provided on the base (61) and is configured to regulate a movement of the slider (60) to a connection position by resiliently locking an initial position holding receiving portion (25) of a housing main body (11) at an initial position. A connection position holding portion (64) is provided on the coupling (63) and is configured to regulate a detachment of the slider (60) by contacting a connection position holding receiving portion (23) of the lock arm (17) at the connection position.
US09543696B2

Implementations described and claimed herein provide apparatuses, systems, and methods for a quick maintenance of an electrical connector, such as a SAE J560 compliant connector. In one implementation, a connector includes a cable bundling wires extending into a housing having a body extending between a proximal end and a distal end. A distal terminal holder is disposed within an opening of the body at the proximal end. The distal terminal holder has a surface oriented in a direction away from the body. Terminals extend from the surface of the distal terminal holder, and each of the terminals is in electrical communication with one of the wires. Terminal assemblies each have a distal opening into which one of the terminals extends. A proximal terminal holder has terminal openings extending from a distal surface to a proximal surface, and each of the terminal assemblies extends through one of the terminal openings.
US09543690B2

An electrical connector assembly for the electrical connection of one or more minerally insulated cables (11), the assembly comprising a pot seal arrangement (10) arranged in use to connect the minerally insulated cable (11) to a connector (22); at least one cable alignment plate (21, 31); and, a backshell (20) shaped so as to contain the pot seal (10) and cable alignment plate (21); the cable alignment plate (21) and pot seal (10) being arranged so as to locate within the backshell (20) such that in use, connecting the backshell (20) to the connector (22) forces the backshell (20), cable alignment plate (21) and pot seal (10) into a cooperative engagement.
US09543683B2

A connector housing for an electrical connector has a housing body having one or more contact receiving passageways and one or more contact-securing members. Each contact-securing member is pivotably mounted on the housing body about a pivot axis, spaced apart from the pivot axis and extending parallel to the pivot axis, and pivotable about the pivot axis into the contact receiving passageway. The contact-securing member has a latching lug, a securing arm extending towards the contact receiving passageway, and a recess positioned on a side of the securing are opposite the latching lug.
US09543682B2

The Present Disclosure relates to a poke-in connector configured so that a wire can be contacted at the same time it is locked to a terminal, solely by the action of pushing the wire into the terminal. More specifically, it relates to a poke-in connector that facilitates locking and unlocking of a wire. The poke-in connector of the Present Disclosure comprises a terminal where a wire is inserted and locked while making contact, and a housing that covers the terminal and is formed as one piece with a locking release lever that releases the wire from the locked state. The locking release lever comprises a flexible extension part that has elasticity and extends from the housing, and a pressing part that is formed on the terminus of the flexible extension part and enables the removal of the wire by spreading the locking part of the terminal to either side when pressed.
US09543669B2

The present invention relates to an assembly for the improved connection or termination of one or more minerally insulated cables, the assembly comprising an electrically insulating plate comprising one or more channels to accommodate and support one or more inward cables; one or more channels to accommodate and support one or more outward cables; one or more recesses to accommodate one or more electrical components; one or more terminal studs arranged to connect said at least one inward and outward cable; and a protective cover comprising one or more protective plates locatable over the electrically insulating plate and cables and further comprising one or more recesses located so as to provide access to each of the one or more terminal studs.
US09543663B2

A terminal structure include an internal conductor connection portion, a removal portion and an external conductor connection portion. The internal conductor connection portion is connected to a internal conductor via a conducting portion and an external conductor. The removal portion is provided at a rear side relative to the internal conductor connection portion. The external conductor connection portion is provided at a rear side relative to the removal portion, is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the external conductor, is shut off from the internal conductor connection portion by the removal portion, and is connected to the external conductor.
US09543662B2

Embodiments are directed to operating an analog signal processing circuit to emulate a Rotman lens. The analog signal processing circuit applies a plurality of time delays to a plurality of signals associated with a plurality of beam ports. The analog signal processing circuit forms a plurality of output beams for transmission by a plurality of array ports included in an array based on the time delayed signals by summing the time delayed signals. The time delays are based on a direction of transmission of the output beams.
US09543658B2

A satellite antenna is provided, including a dish, a bracket, an extension rod and a receiver. The dish includes a reflective surface and a back surface. The bracket is connected to the back surface, wherein the bracket includes a pivot portion. The extension rod includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end pivots on the pivot portion of the bracket, the extension rod is adapted to be rotated between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivoting axis. The receiver is disposed on the second end of the extension rod and corresponds to the reflective surface, wherein the pivoting axis is located between the reflective surface and the receiver.
US09543652B2

A loop antenna is provided, which includes a first loop section, a second loop section and a third loop section. The first loop section surrounds and defines an empty area. The second loop section surrounds and connects the first loop section, and an annular groove is formed between the first loop section and the second loop section. The third loop section surrounds and connects the second loop section. The width of a gap between the third loop section and the second loop section is smaller than the width of the annular groove.
US09543650B2

There is disclosed an antenna system for mobile handsets and other devices. The antenna system comprises a dielectric substrate having first and second opposed surfaces, a conductive track on the substrate, and a separate, directly driven antenna to drive the parasitic loop antenna formed by the conductive track. Two grounding points are provided adjacent to each other on the first surface of the substrate, with the arms of the conductive track extending in generally opposite directions from the grounding points. The conductive tracks then extend towards an edge of the dielectric substrate, before passing to the second surface of the dielectric substrate and then passing across the second surface of the dielectric substrate following a path generally following the path taken on the first surface of the dielectric substrate. The conductive tracks then connect to respective sides of a conductive arrangement formed on the second surface of the dielectric substrate that extends into a central part of a loop formed by the conductive track on the second surface of the dielectric substrate.
US09543647B2

According to one embodiment, a wireless apparatus includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna is positioned on a first imaginary plane orthogonal to a rotation axis and includes a first main radiating element. The second antenna is positioned on a second imaginary plane orthogonal to the rotation axis and opposite to the first imaginary plane at a first space from the first imaginary plane and includes a second main radiating element. The second antenna is rotatable around the rotation axis and performs at least one of transmission and reception of electromagnetic wave to and from the first antenna, and at least one of the first main radiating element and the second main radiating element is displaced from the rotation axis.
US09543643B2

An antenna device according to an embodiment includes a dielectric substrate, a housing, and an interference prevention unit. On the top surface side of the dielectric substrate, a plurality of antennas is formed, and on the bottom surface side, a ground is formed, each as a conductive thin film pattern, respectively. The housing is formed of a conductive material, and formed to have a shape configured to function as a waveguide, and the top surface side of the housing is bonded to the bottom surface side of the dielectric substrate. The interference prevention unit is formed between the neighboring antennas to include at least a groove provided on the top surface side of the housing and a slit provided on the ground in the portion corresponding to the groove.
US09543633B2

An antenna system having a dish, a heating element and a shaped plate. The dish has a concave shape on one side and a generally convex shape on the opposite side. The shaped plate has the heating element applied to a first side. The shaped plate has a second opposite side. The shaped plate is coupled to the opposite side of the dish. The shaped plate being formed from a flat plate having at least one slot cut therein, each slot having edges that are overlapped to thereby cause the flat plate to become the shaped plate.
US09543626B2

A vehicular battery system includes a vehicular battery system stack including at least one negative electrode including a form of lithium, an oxygen reservoir having a first outlet operably connected to the vehicular battery system stack, a multistage compressor having a first inlet operably connected to the vehicular battery system stack, and a second outlet operably connected to a second inlet of the oxygen reservoir, and a cooling system operably connected to the multistage compressor and configured to provide a coolant to the multistage compressor to cool a compressed fluid within the multistage compressor.
US09543625B2

A vehicular battery system includes an oxygen reservoir having a first outlet and a first inlet, a multistage compressor supported by the vehicle and having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second outlet operably connected to the first inlet, a cooling system operably connected to the multistage compressor and configured to provide a coolant to the multistage compressor to cool a compressed fluid within the multistage compressor, and a vehicular battery system stack including at least one negative electrode including a form of lithium, the vehicular battery system stack having a third inlet removably operably connected to the first outlet, and a third outlet operably connected to the second inlet.
US09543621B2

An electrode assembly includes a structure including a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate that are wound together, and a separator between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, a first electrode tab that is electrically connected to the first electrode plate, and a second electrode tab that is electrically connected to the second electrode plate. The structure includes a pair of grooves at opposite sides of the structure, the grooves being formed by compression of the structure at the opposite sides in a direction perpendicular to a winding surface. The structure including a first part and a second part that are oppositely located with respect to a reference line connecting the pair of grooves, and the second part is shifted in a first direction such that the second part is partially misaligned with the first part.
US09543591B2

Electrocatalysts having non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles are provided as well as the method of making the electrocatalysts and the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles. Embodiments of the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particle consists essentially of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide. The electrocatalyst can be used in fuel cells, for example.
US09543587B2

Provided is a thin film battery, including: a base substrate; a cathode current collector pattern and an anode current collector pattern being formed on the base substrate to be electrically separated from each other; a cathode pattern being formed on the cathode current collector pattern; an electrolyte pattern being formed on the cathode pattern; and an anode pattern being formed on the electrolyte pattern. At least one pattern of the cathode current collector pattern and the anode current collector pattern may include a non-noble metal based alloy.
US09543584B2

Provided is a binder for secondary battery electrodes wherein the content of a gel comprising a polymer particle obtained by copolymerizing three or more types of monomers is 50 to 100% by weight and a swelling index of the binder to an electrolyte is 1.1 to 5.0. The binder fundamentally improves electrode stability due to the gel content defined above and increases ionic conductivity due to the swelling index, thus providing secondary batteries with superior cycle properties.
US09543583B2

Particles (A) including an element capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions, carbon particles (B) capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (C), carbon nanofibers (D) and optionally electrically conductive carbon particles (E) are mixed in the presence of shear force to obtain a composite electrode material. A lithium ion secondary battery is obtained using the above composite electrode material.
US09543582B2

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a lithium iron phosphate nanopowder, including the steps of (a) preparing a mixture solution by adding a lithium precursor, an iron precursor and a phosphorus precursor in a triethanolamine solvent, and (b) putting the mixture solution into a reactor and heating to prepare the lithium iron phosphate nanopowder under pressure conditions of 1 bar to 10 bar, and a lithium iron phosphate nanopowder prepared by the method. When compared to a common hydrothermal synthesis method, a supercritical hydrothermal synthesis method and a glycothermal synthesis method, a reaction may be performed under a relatively lower pressure. Thus, a high temperature/high pressure reactor is not necessary and process safety and economic feasibility may be secured. In addition, a lithium iron phosphate nanopowder having uniform particle size and effectively controlled particle size distribution may be easily prepared.
US09543580B2

Process for manufacturing nickel-cobalt composite represented by Ni1-x-yCoxMnyMz(OH)2 (where, 0.05≦x≦0.95, 0≦y≦0.55, 0≦z≦0.1, x+y+z<1, and M is at least one metal element selected from Al, Mg, and the like), includes: forming seed particle, while reaction solution having mixed solution containing metal compounds and ammonia solution containing ammonium ion supply source at discharge head of an impeller from 50-100 m2/s2, the concentration of nickel ions is maintained within range 0.1-5 ppm by mass, whereby seed particles are formed; and growing seed particle wherein solution is obtained by supplying mixed and ammonium solutions to reaction solution is agitated with a concentration of nickel ions being maintained within range 5-300 ppm by mass and higher than the concentration of nickel ions in seed particle formation, whereby seed particles are grown up.
US09543577B2

An electrode in which a silicon layer is provided over a current collector, a thin film layer having a thickness within a certain range is provided on a surface of the silicon layer, and the thin film layer contains fluorine, is used for a power storage device. The thickness of the thin film layer containing fluorine is greater than 0 nm and less than or equal to 10 nm, preferably greater than or equal to 4 nm and less than or equal to 9 nm. The fluorine concentration of the thin film layer containing fluorine is preferably as high as possible, and the nitrogen concentration, the oxygen concentration, and the hydrogen concentration thereof are preferably as low as possible.
US09543570B2

According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. A negative electrode current collector comprises a coated portion on which the negative electrode active material layer is provided and a noncoated portion which is adjacent to the coated portion, in which the negative electrode active material layer is not present. A density of the negative electrode active material layer is within a range of 2.1 g/cc to 2.4 g/cc. A ratio W1/W2 of a mass of the coated portion per unit area (W1) to a mass of the noncoated portion per unit area (W2) is from 0.997 to 1.
US09543563B2

An electric storage device comprises the current interruption device which includes a deformable plate electrically connected to a first conductive member and a second conductive member to constitute part of a conductive path. The deformable plate deforms to interrupt the conductive path, when a pressure inside the casing rises. The first conductive member, the second conductive member, and the current interruption device are disposed between the terminal attachment wall and the electrode assembly. The first conductive member extends along the terminal attachment wall to connect the tab and the current interruption device. The second conductive member is connected to the current interruption device at a location that is farther from the terminal attachment wall than a connection between the first conductive member and the current interruption device, and extends along the terminal attachment wall to connect the current interruption device and the electrode terminal.
US09543562B2

A secondary battery comprises: a plurality of cylindrical electrode assemblies, wherein each electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate rolled together with a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate; a can housing the plurality of electrode assemblies; a cap assembly sealing the can; a positive electrode tab coupled to the positive electrode plate in each electrode assembly; and a negative electrode tab coupled to the negative electrode plate in each electrode assembly, wherein a first plurality of positive electrode tabs is aligned along a first line when viewed in one direction, and wherein a first plurality of negative electrode tabs is aligned along a second line when viewed in the one direction.
US09543553B2

A sealing member and a battery comprising the sealing member are provided. The sealing member comprises a sealing part, an operation part having a supporting portion, an operation protrusion disposed on an upper surface of the supporting portion, and a deformable leg depending from a bottom surface of the supporting portion. The sealing member also comprises a connecting part connecting the sealing part and operation part. The sealing part has a maximum diameter greater than that of the connecting part.
US09543544B2

Disclosed is an organic light emitting display apparatus in which an anode electrode, an organic emission layer, a cathode electrode, and an auxiliary electrode connected to the cathode electrode and disposed on the same layer as that of the anode electrode are disposed in an active area of the substrate, a signal pad and a pad electrode connected to the signal pad and covering a top of the signal pad are disposed in a pad area of the substrate, and a top of the pad electrode has lower oxidation rate than the top of the signal pad.
US09543534B1

A carbon nanotube semiconductor device includes at least one carbon nanotube disposed on an insulator portion of a substrate. The at least one carbon nanotube includes a non-doped channel portion interposed between a first doped source/drain portion and a second doped source/drain portion. A first source/drain contact stack is disposed on the first doped source/drain portion and an opposing second source/drain contact stack is disposed on the second doped source/drain portion. A replacement metal gate stack is interposed between the first and second source/drain contact stacks, and on the at least one carbon nanotube. The first and second doped source/drain portions are each vertically aligned with an inner edge of the first and second contact stacks, respectively.
US09543525B2

An organic light emitting device includes an anode, a hole auxiliary layer on the anode, the hole auxiliary layer including an arylamine derivative, an emission layer on the hole auxiliary layer, an electron auxiliary layer on the emission layer, the electron auxiliary layer including a 9,10-diarylanthracene derivative and a bifluorene derivative, and a cathode on the electron auxiliary layer.
US09543521B2

An organic semiconductor device selected from organic diodes, organic field effect transistors, and devices comprising an organic diode and/or organic field effect transistor and a method of producing such a device are provided. The organic semiconductor device comprises at least one semiconducting layer based on a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) polymer. The semiconducting layer may effectively be protected against degradation by radiation and/or oxidation by adding at least one stabilizing agent selected from hydroxybenzophenones, hydroxyphenyl benzotriazoles, oxalic acid anilides, hydroxyphenyl triazines, hindered phenols and/or merocyanines to the DPP polymer layer. The stabilization is effective both during production and during usage of the device, while the device's electronic properties are retained. The stabilizing agent is preferably a UV absorbing agent or an antioxidant or anti-radical agent known from the field of organic polymer technology.
US09543520B1

A manufacturing method of a mask for deposition including forming a second layer on a side of a first layer, coating a photoresist layer on a side of the second layer, forming a plurality of photoresist patterns which penetrate the photoresist layer according to an exposing and developing process, forming a plurality of pattern grooves in the second layer by etching portions of the second layer, which are exposed through the plurality of photoresist patterns, forming an electro-forming mold by removing the photoresist layer from the second layer, disposing an electrode plate to contact the second layer of the electro-forming mold, performing an electro-forming process of growing a metal layer from the electrode plate in spaces in the corresponding pattern grooves of the second layer of the electro-forming mold, to form a deposition mask, and separating the deposition mask from the electrode plate.
US09543518B2

A vapor deposition apparatus for forming a deposition layer on a substrate includes a supply unit that is supplied with a first raw gas to form the deposition layer and an auxiliary gas, wherein the auxiliary gas does not constitute a raw material to form the deposition layer, a reaction space that is connected to the supply unit to be supplied with the first raw gas and the auxiliary gas, a plasma generator in the reaction space to convert at least a portion of the first raw gas into a radical form, and a first injection portion that is connected to the reaction space and that supplies at least a radical material of the first raw gas toward the substrate.
US09543508B2

A magnetic miniaturized memory element with improved thermal stability of magnetization includes a first magnetic layer, an insulating layer that is formed on the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer that is formed on the insulating layer, and an expanded interlayer insulating film that comes into contact with side surfaces of the first and second magnetic layers, where at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer is strained and deformed so as to be elongated in an easy magnetization axis direction of the first magnetic layer or the second magnetic layer or compressive strain remains in any direction in the plane of at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.
US09543505B2

A memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction comprising a first free layer, a pinned layer, and a tunnel barrier layer disposed between the first free layer and the pinned layer, wherein the first free layer comprises a first free magnetic pattern adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer, and a second free magnetic pattern spaced apart from the tunnel barrier layer with the first free magnetic pattern interposed therebetween, wherein the second free magnetic pattern contacts the first free magnetic pattern, wherein the first and second free magnetic patterns include boron (B), wherein a boron content of the first free magnetic pattern is higher than a boron content of the second free magnetic pattern, and wherein the boron content of the first free magnetic pattern is in a range of about 25 at % to about 50 at %.
US09543504B2

A semiconductor chip for measuring a magnetic field based on the Hall effect. The semiconductor chip comprises an electrically conductive well having a first conductivity type, in a substrate having a second conductivity type. The semiconductor chip comprises at least four well contacts arranged at the surface of the well, and having the first conductivity type. The semiconductor chip comprises a plurality of buffer regions interleaved with the well contacts and having the first conductivity type. The buffer regions are highly conductive and the buffer region dimensions are such that at least part of the current from a well contact transits through one of its neighboring buffer regions.
US09543502B2

A method of forming high density contact array is disclosed. The method includes providing a first dielectric layer and forming a hard mask stack over the first dielectric layer. The hard mask stack includes first, second and third hard mask layers. The first and second hard mask layers are processed to form high density array of hard mask stack structures using a double patterning process. The hard mask stack structures include patterned first and second hard mask layers having a first width F1. The width of the patterned second hard mask layers is reduced to a second width F2 to form high density array of hard mask posts. A fourth hard mask layer is formed over the third hard mask layer and surrounding the hard mask posts. The hard mask posts and portions of the third hard mask layer and first dielectric layer underlying the hard mask posts are removed to form high density contact hole array.
US09543497B2

A piezoelectric device includes an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a piezoelectric resonator element, a part of the piezoelectric resonator element being disposed so as to overlap with a part of the IC chip when viewed in plan. The IC chip includes: an inner pad disposed on an active face and in an area where is overlapped with the piezoelectric resonator when viewed in plan; an insulating layer formed on the active face; a relocation pad disposed on the insulating layer and in an area other than a part where is overlapped with the piezoelectric resonator element, the relocation pad being coupled to an end part of a first wire; and a second wire electrically coupling the inner pad and the relocation pad, the second wire having a relocation wire and a connector that penetrates the insulating layer, the relocation wire being disposed between the insulating layer and the active face.
US09543496B2

A method comprising irradiating a polycrystalline rare earth metal-alkaline earth metal-transition metal-oxide superconductor layer with protons having an energy of 1 to 6 MeV. The irradiating process produces an irradiated layer that comprises randomly dispersed defects with an average diameter in the range of 1-10 nm.
US09543490B2

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer-level light emitting diode (LED) package and a method of fabricating the same. The LED package includes a semiconductor stack including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer; a plurality of contact holes arranged in the second conductive type semiconductor layer and the active layer, the contact holes exposing the first conductive type semiconductor layer; a first bump arranged on a first side of the semiconductor stack, the first bump being electrically connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer via the plurality of contact holes; a second bump arranged on the first side of the semiconductor stack, the second bump being electrically connected to the second conductive type semiconductor layer; and a protective insulation layer covering a sidewall of the semiconductor stack.
US09543485B2

A light emitting device includes a semiconductor structure layer including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer. A plurality of lower refractive layers is provided on an outer surface of the semiconductor structure layer. The lower refractive layers includes a first lower refractive layer having a first refractive index lower than a refractive index of the semiconductor structure layer on a surface of the semiconductor structure layer, and a second lower refractive layer having a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index on an outer surface of the first lower refractive layer. The second refractive index of the second lower refractive layer is 1.5 or less, and the second lower refractive layer is provided on an outer surface thereof with a plurality of protrusions. The second lower refractive layer includes a plurality of metallic oxide powders.
US09543479B2

A semiconductor chip without a substrate is provided on an electrically insulating carrier. The carrier has electrically conductive contact metallizations. Furthermore, an electrically conductive carrier substrate and a covering substrate are provided. The covering substrate has electrically conductive contact structures. The carrier is attached to the carrier substrate. Subsequently, the covering substrate is attached to the semiconductor chip and/or to the carrier. The electrically conductive contact structures are connected in an electrically conductive manner to the electrically conductive contact metallizations and the electrically conductive carrier substrate.
US09543470B2

A semiconductor light emitting device includes a substrate, a reflective layer and a light emitting structure. The reflective layer includes at least two porous layers alternately disposed on the substrate and having different porosities. The light emitting structure is disposed on the reflective layer and includes a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer.
US09543460B2

The invention relates to curable polyorganosiloxane compositions for the use as an encapsulant for a solar cell module, in particular, for the encapsulation of photovoltaic modules, cured polyorganosiloxane composition made therefrom and photovoltaic modules comprising the same as encapsulant.
US09543456B1

Material and antireflection structure designs and methods of manufacturing are provided that produce efficient photovoltaic power conversion from single- and multi-junction devices. Materials of different energy gap are combined in the depletion region of at least one of the semiconductor junctions. Higher energy gap layers are positioned to reduce the diode dark current and enhance the operating voltage by suppressing both carrier injections across the junction and recombination rates within the junction. Step-graded antireflection structures are placed above the active region of the device in order to increase the photocurrent.
US09543450B2

Semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. In one embodiment, the method may include: forming a first shielding layer on a substrate, and forming one of source and drain regions with the first shielding layer as a mask; forming a second shielding layer on the substrate, and forming the other of the source and drain regions with the second shielding layer as a mask; removing a portion of the second shielding layer which is next to the other of the source and drain regions; forming a first gate dielectric layer and floating gate layer; forming a mask layer as a spacer on a sidewall of a remaining portion of the second shielding layer, and patterning the floating gate layer with the mask layer as a mask, and then removing the mask layer; and forming a second gate dielectric layer, and forming a gate conductor as a spacer on the sidewall of the remaining portion of the second shielding layer.
US09543449B2

As source and drain wiring, a base layer and a cap layer are each formed of a MoNiNb alloy film, and a low-resistance layer is formed of Cu. The resultant laminated metal film is patterned through one-time wet etching to form a drain electrode and a source electrode. Cu serving as a main wiring layer does not corrode because of being covered with a MoNiNb alloy having good corrosion resistance. Further, even when a protective insulating film including an oxide is formed by plasma CVD in an oxidizing atmosphere, Cu is not oxidized. With the wet etching, the sidewall taper angle of the laminated metal film can be controlled to 20 degrees or more and less than 70 degrees.
US09543448B1

The present invention provides a semiconductor structure, including a base, a patterned oxide semiconductor (OS) layer, two source/drain regions, a protective layer, a gate layer and a gate dielectric layer. The patterned OS layer is disposed on the base. Two source/drain regions are disposed on the patterned OS layer and are separated by a recess. Each source/drain region includes an inner sidewall facing the recess and an outer sidewall opposite to the inner sidewall. The protective layer is disposed on a sidewall of the patterned OS layer but is not on the inner sidewall of the source/drain region. The gate layer is disposed on the patterned OS layer, and the gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate layer and the patterned OS layer. The present invention further provides a method of forming the same.
US09543431B2

A radio frequency LDMOS device, wherein the drift region includes a first injection region and a second injection region; the first injection region situated between a second lateral surface of a polysilicon gate and a second lateral surface of a first Faraday shielding layer; the second injection region situated between the second lateral surface of the first Faraday shielding layer and the drain region and encloses the drain region; the second lateral surface of the second Faraday shielding layer is a surface of a side near the drain region, the maximum electric field strength of the drift region on the bottom of the second lateral surface of the second Faraday shielding layer is regulated via regulation of the doping concentration of the second injection region; the doping concentration of the first injection region is higher than the second injection region.
US09543430B2

A power transistor includes multiple substantially parallel transistor fingers, where each finger includes a conductive source stripe and a conductive drain stripe. The power transistor also includes multiple substantially parallel conductive connection lines, where each conductive connection line connects at least one source stripe to a common source connection or at least one drain stripe to a common drain connection. The conductive connection lines are disposed substantially perpendicular to the transistor fingers. At least one of the source or drain stripes is segmented into multiple portions, where adjacent portions are separated by a cut location having a higher electrical resistance than remaining portions of the at least one segmented source or drain stripe.
US09543427B2

A semiconductor device includes: semiconductor layer having an impurity region of a first conductivity type; a gate insulating layer, at least a part of the gate insulating layer positioned on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode positioned on the gate insulating layer and having a first surface in contact with the part of the gate insulating film and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an interlayer insulating layer covering the gate electrode; and an electrode in contact with the impurity region. The gate electrode has a recess at a corner in contact with the second surface, in a cross section of the gate electrode perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer. A cavity surrounded by the gate electrode and the interlayer insulating layer is positioned in a region including at least a part of the recess.
US09543417B2

An embodiment method includes forming a first fin and a second fin over a semiconductor substrate. The first fin includes a first semiconductor strip of a first type, and the second fin includes a second semiconductor strip of the first type. The method further includes replacing the second semiconductor strip with a third semiconductor strip of a second type different than the first type. Replacing the second semiconductor strip includes masking the first fin using a barrier layer while replacing the second semiconductor strip and performing a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) on the third semiconductor strip using a slurry that planarizes the third semiconductor strip at a faster rate than the barrier layer. In some embodiments, the method may further include depositing a sacrificial layer over a wafer containing the first and second fins and performing a non-selective CMP to substantially level a top surface of the wafer.
US09543411B2

A lateral double diffusion metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor is provided. The LDMOS transistor includes a semiconductor substrate having a well region and a drain region in the well region. The LDMOS transistor also includes at least one drifting region in the well region and an annular source region in the drifting region surrounding the drain region. Further, the LDMOS transistor includes at least one annular isolation structure surrounding the drain region in the drifting region. Further, the LDMOS transistor also includes an annular gate dielectric layer on the well region and an annular gate on the annular gate dielectric layer.
US09543394B2

A quantum rod includes a core of ZnS semiconductor particle having a rod shape; and a transition metal with which the core is doped and which is biased at one side of a length direction of the core.
US09543376B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer including Ge; and a metal Ge compound region provided in a surface portion of the semiconductor layer. Sn is included in an interface portion between the semiconductor layer and the metal Ge compound region. A lattice plane of the semiconductor layer matches with a lattice plane of the metal Ge compound region.
US09543371B2

A transparent organic light-emitting display device is described herein. The transparent substrate includes a display area and non-display area adjacent to the display area. An organic light-emitting element is disposed on the display area of the transparent substrate. A first power line is disposed on the display area of the transparent substrate. The first power line supplies power to the organic light-emitting element. A first circuit board comprises a first power supply provided on a first side of the transparent substrate and a second circuit board comprises a second power supply provided on a second side of the transparent substrate. The first power supply is configured to receive power from the second power supply via the first power line. An additional interconnection film to supply power to the first power supply is not required, and thus the width of the bezel can be reduced.
US09543366B2

The embodiments of the present invention provide a display panel and a display apparatus having the display panel. The display panel includes: an array substrate, a printed circuit board, a chip on film. One end of the chip on film is attached to a connection region of the array substrate, and the other end of the chip on film is attached to the printed circuit board, and the surface of the chip on film disposed with a chip faces the array substrate, and the connection region is disposed at a side of the array substrate away from a light-emitting surface.
US09543365B2

The present invention provides a touch panel, including a lower substrate, an organic light-emitting component, disposed on the lower substrate, a nano silver sensing layer, disposed on the organic light emitting component, and an upper substrate, disposed on the nano silver sensing layer.
US09543364B2

An electronic device may have a display. The display may have an active region in which display pixels are used to display images. The display may have one or more openings and may be mounted in a housing associated with the electronic device. An electronic component may be mounted in alignment with the openings in the display. The electronic component may include a camera, a light sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, status indicator lights, a light-based touch sensor array, a secondary display that has display pixels that may be viewed through the openings, antenna structures, a speaker, a microphone, or other acoustic, electromagnetic, or light-based component. One or more openings in the display may form a window through which a user of the device may view an external object. Display pixels in the window region may be used in forming a heads-up display.
US09543362B2

The present disclosure relates to an organic image sensor and an associated method. By inserting an inorganic protective layer between an electrode and an organic photo active region of the image sensor, the organic photo active region is protected from moisture, oxygen or following process damage. The inorganic protective layers also help to suppress the leakage in the dark. In some embodiments, the organic image sensor comprises a first electrode, an organic photoelectrical conversion structure disposed over the first electrode and a second electrode disposed over the organic photoelectrical conversion structure. The organic image sensor further comprises a first protective structure covering a top surface and a sidewall of the organic photoelectrical conversion structure.
US09543359B2

A switching device includes a substrate; a first electrode formed over the substrate; a second electrode formed over the first electrode; a switching medium disposed between the first and second electrode; and a nonlinear element disposed between the first and second electrodes and electrically coupled in series to the first electrode and the switching medium. The nonlinear element is configured to change from a first resistance state to a second resistance state on application of a voltage greater than a threshold.
US09543352B2

A backside illuminated CMOS image sensor and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. Embedded micro-lenses disposed respectively on concave surfaces of a buffer oxide layer, wherein the concave surfaces are positioned to respectively align with photodiodes of pixel array of the CMOS image sensor. The embedded micro-lenses can confine incident light to the photodiodes to reduce optical crosstalk between adjacent pixels.
US09543349B2

Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors are provided. A CMOS image sensor includes a substrate including a pixel array and a peripheral circuit region, a photodiode and a floating diffusion region in the pixel array of the substrate, a transfer gate insulating layer and a transfer gate electrode on the substrate between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region, and a peripheral gate insulating layer and a peripheral gate electrode on the peripheral circuit region. The transfer gate electrode includes a first edge that is rounded to have a first radius of curvature, and the peripheral gate electrode includes a second edge that is rounded to have a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature.
US09543340B2

A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel including a transfer transistor transferring signal charges generated in a photoelectric conversion portion from a charge accumulation region to a floating diffusion region, and a peripheral transistor forming a peripheral circuit for controlling a read-out operation of a pixel signal based on the signal charges from the pixel. A gate electrode of the transfer transistor and the floating diffusion region are separated from each other by a first distance in a plan view. A gate electrode and a drain region of the peripheral transistor are separated from each other by a second distance smaller than the first distance in a plan view.
US09543335B2

An element substrate is provided, including a substrate, a metal layer and a planarization layer. The metal layer is located on the substrate. The metal layer has a first edge in a first direction. The planarization layer is located on the metal layer. The planarization layer includes a contact hole. The contact hole has a contiguous wall and a bottom side. The metal layer is exposed in the bottom side. A contour line of the contiguous wall on a vertical plane is a curved line. The first edge corresponds vertically with a critical point on the contour line. The slope of a tangent line on the critical point of the contour line is between 0.087 to 0.364.
US09543328B2

A method for manufacturing a metal oxide TFT device is provided. The method includes: selecting a substrate and forming a gate electrode on a first side of the substrate; sequentially depositing an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and a photoresist layer on the gate electrode; using the gate electrode as a photomask, exposing from a second side of the substrate and reserving the photoresist layer aligning to the gate electrode; depositing an electrode layer on the semiconductor layer and the reserved photoresist layer; stripping the reserved photoresist layer and lifting off the electrode layer stacked on the reserved photoresist layer; etching a part of the reserved electrode layer and the semiconductor layer, and forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a semiconductor island. The method realizes a self-alignment using the gate electrode as the photomask when forming the source, drain electrodes and the channel. Therefore, the manufacturing processes become simple and more accurate.
US09543327B2

A first insulation layer includes a concave portion. A semiconductor layer includes a source area and a drain area, and a channel area disposed at the concave portion of the first insulation layer. A gate insulation layer covers the channel area. A gate electrode is disposed to be opposed to the channel area via the gate insulation layer. A first electrode is one of a source electrode and a drain electrode. A second electrode is the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09543321B1

A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment comprises a stacked body, a semiconductor layer, a charge accumulation layer, and a slit portion. The stacked body includes a plurality of control gate electrodes stacked above a substrate. The semiconductor layer has one end thereof connected to the substrate, and faces the plurality of control gate electrodes. The charge accumulation layer is positioned between the control gate electrode and the semiconductor layer. The slit portion extends in a direction of the substrate from a surface of the stacked body, wherein the slit portion has its longitudinal direction in a direction intersecting the first direction.
US09543315B1

The memory cell includes a gate insulating film, a control gate electrode, a cap insulating film, a cap layer, another gate insulating film, and a memory gate electrode. A laminated capacitive element includes a capacitive electrode which is constituted by a sub-electrode and another sub-electrode formed of mesa portions (protruding portions) disposed on the sub-electrode at a predetermined interval and each having an upper surface and side surfaces, a capacitive insulating film which is formed along an upper surface of the sub-electrode and the upper surface and the side surfaces of the another sub-electrode, and another capacitive electrode which is formed on the capacitive insulating film. Further, the control gate electrode and the sub-electrode are made of a conductor film, the cap layer and the another sub-electrode are made of other conductor film, and the memory gate electrode and the another capacitive electrode are made of another conductor film.
US09543314B2

A semiconductor device including a memory cell having a control gate electrode and a memory gate electrode formed via a charge accumulation layer with respect to the control gate electrode is provided which improves its performance. A control gate electrode which configures a memory cell, and a metallic film which configures part of the memory gate electrode are formed by a so-called gate last process. Thus, the memory gate electrode is configured by a silicon film corresponding to a p-type semiconductor film being in contact with an ONO film, and the metallic film. Further, a contact plug is coupled to both of the silicon film and the metallic film which configure the memory gate electrode.
US09543313B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes: a channel layer protruding perpendicular to a surface of a substrate; a tunnel insulation layer formed on a surface of the channel layer; a stack structure, in which a plurality of floating gate electrodes and a plurality of control gate electrodes are alternately formed along the channel layer; and a charge blocking layer interposed between each floating gate electrode, of the plurality of floating gate electrodes, and each control gate electrode of the plurality of control gate electrodes, wherein the floating gate electrode includes a first floating gate electrode between two control gate electrodes and a second floating gate electrode positioned in the lowermost and uppermost parts of the stack structure and having a smaller width in a direction parallel to the substrate than the first floating gate electrode.
US09543308B2

A semiconductor device includes a bit line structure on a substrate, the bit line structure having a polysilicon layer pattern doped with impurities, and a metal layer pattern on the polysilicon layer pattern, a first spacer surrounding and contacting a sidewall of the bit line structure, the first spacer having a constant thickness, and a capacitor contact structure on the substrate, an air gap being defined between the capacitor contact structure and the first spacer.
US09543306B1

A sub word line driver of a semiconductor memory device including a sub word line driver is disclosed. The sub word line driver of a semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor substrate including an active region extended in a first direction; a plurality of gate electrodes extended in a second direction perpendicular to the active region; first and second metal contacts formed over the active region between the gate electrodes; a plurality of metal pads coupled to the first metal contacts; and a plurality of metal signal lines coupled to the second metal contacts, extended in the second direction, and bent at specific parts adjacent to the metal pads.
US09543299B1

RESURF-based dual-gate p-n bimodal conduction laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductors (LDMOS). In an illustrative embodiment, a p-type source is electrically coupled to an n-type drain. A p-type drain is electrically coupled to an n-type source. An n-type layer serves as an n-type conduction channel between the n-type drain and the n-type source. A p-type top layer is disposed at the surface of the substrate of said semiconductor device and is disposed above and adjacent to the n-type layer. The p-type top layer serves as a p-type conduction channel between the p-type source and the p-type drain. An n-gate controls current flow in the n-type conduction channel, and a p-gate controls current flow in the p-type conduction channel.
US09543293B2

Switching loss is reduced. A first surface of a semiconductor substrate has a portion included in an IGBT region and a portion included in a diode region. Trenches formed in the first surface include a gate trench and a boundary trench disposed between the gate trench and the diode region. A fourth layer of the semiconductor substrate is provided on the first surface and has a portion included in the diode region. The fourth layer includes a trench-covering well region that covers the deepest part of the boundary trench, a plurality of isolated well regions, and a diffusion region that connects the trench-covering well region and the isolated well regions. The diffusion region has a lower impurity concentration than that of the isolated well regions. A first electrode is in contact with the isolated well regions and away from the diffusion region.
US09543288B2

The invention relates to a semiconductor isolation structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor isolation structure suitable for providing high voltage isolation. Embodiments disclosed include a semiconductor structure (10) comprising: a first semiconductor region (R1), a second semiconductor region (R2) within the first semiconductor region (R1), and a voltage isolator (11) separating the first and second semiconductor regions (R1, R2), the voltage isolator (11) comprising: a nested series of insulating regions (T1, T2) around the perimeter of the second semiconductor region (R2), an intermediate semiconductor region (I1, I2) between each adjacent pair of nested insulating regions (T1, T2), and a voltage control device (12) comprising a conducting element (D1-D3) connected to at least one intermediate semiconductor region (I1, I2) in parallel with the at least one insulating region (T1, T2), so as to control a voltage across the at least one insulating region (T1, T2).
US09543287B2

This integrated circuit comprises: a substrate, a first electrical conductor comprising a first end, the first electrical conductor being electrically insulated from the substrate, a second electrical conductor comprising a second end, the second electrical conductor being electrically insulated from the substrate and electrically insulated from the first electrical conductor except at the second end which is mechanically and electrically directly in contact with the first end to form an electrical junction. The first and second ends are entirely buried to at least 5 μm depth inside the substrate and produced, respectively, in different first and second materials chosen for the absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient of the junction to be greater than 1 μV/K at 20° C. such that the combination of these first and second conductors forms a temperature probe.
US09543282B2

One or more embodiments are directed to system in package (SiP) for optical devices, including proximity sensor packaging. One embodiment is directed to an optical package that includes a stacked arrangement with a plurality of optical devices arranged over an image sensor processor die that is coupled to a first substrate. Between the two optical devices and the image sensor processor die there is provided at least a second substrate. In one embodiment, the optical package is a proximity sensor package and the optical devices include a light-emitting diode die and a light-receiving diode die. In one embodiment, the light-emitting diode die is secured to a surface of the second substrate and the light-receiving diode die is secured to a surface of a third substrate. The second and the third substrate may be secured to a surface of the image sensor processor die or to a surface of encapsulation material.
US09543281B2

A plurality of arm elements is arrayed along a first direction of a substrate. Each arm element includes a plurality of semiconductor elements connected in parallel. Each arm element is configured such that a plurality of semiconductor elements is arrayed along a second direction of the substrate which is perpendicular to the first direction and separated into a first element group and a second element group. The substrate includes a first region where the semiconductor element included in the first element group is arranged and a second region where the semiconductor element included in the second element group is arranged, and the first region and the second region are separated along the second direction. An input electrode unit and an output electrode unit are arranged along the first direction in a region provided between the first region and the second region on the substrate.
US09543280B2

Disclosed herein are a light emitting module and a lighting device that may be used for a display application or a lighting application. The light emitting module includes an electrode layer including a plurality of blocks that are insulated from each other by an electrode separating line; and one or more light emitting elements mounted on the electrode layer so as to be electrically connected to any one block of the blocks of the electrode layer and a neighboring block, respectively, wherein the blocks have another neighboring block disposed in a first direction and still another neighboring block disposed in a second direction, based on any one block of the blocks while having the electrode separating line formed to be bent more than once at a predetermined interval therebetween so that heat generated from the light emitting elements is emitted through the blocks.
US09543278B2

A semiconductor device and a method of manufacture are provided. In particular, a semiconductor device using blocks, e.g., discrete connection blocks, having through vias and/or integrated passive devices formed therein are provided. Embodiments such as those disclosed herein may be utilized in PoP applications. In an embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a die and a connection block encased in a molding compound. Interconnection layers may be formed on surfaces of the die, the connection block and the molding compound. One or more dies and/or packages may be attached to the interconnection layers.
US09543277B1

A fan-out microelectronic package is provided in which bond wires electrically couple bond pads on a microelectronic element, e.g., a semiconductor chip which may have additional traces thereon, with contacts at a fan-out area of a dielectric element adjacent an edge surface of the chip. The bond wires mechanically decouple the microelectronic element from the fan-out area, which can make the electrical interconnections less prone to reliability issues due to effects of differential thermal expansion, such as caused by temperature excursions during initial package fabrication, bonding operations or thermal cycling. In addition, mechanical decoupling provided by the bond wires may also remedy other mechanical issues such as shock and possible delamination of package elements.
US09543272B2

A method for making a semiconductor device includes forming rims on first and second dice. The rims extend laterally away from the first and second dice. The second die is stacked over the first die, and one or more vias are drilled through the rims after stacking. The semiconductor device includes redistribution layers extending over at least one of the respective first and second dice and the corresponding rims. The one or more vias extend through the corresponding rims, and the one or more vias are in communication with the first and second dice through the rims.
US09543270B1

A multi-device package includes a substrate, at least two device regions, a first redistribution layer, an external chip, a plurality of first connectors and a conductive contact. The two device regions are formed from the substrate, and the substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first redistribution layer is disposed on the first surface and electrically connected to the two device regions, and the external chip is disposed on the first redistribution layer. The first connectors are interposed between the first redistribution layer and the external chip to interconnect the first redistribution layer and the external chip, and the conductive contact is extended from the second surface to the first surface of the substrate to electrically connect the device region.
US09543265B2

Disclosed is a jointed body wherein multiple base members are jointed to each other through a jointing layer, and at least one of the base members is a base member of a ceramic material, semiconductor or glass. The joint material layer contains a metal and an oxide. The oxide contains V and Te, and is present between the metal and the base members. Disclosed is also a joint material in the form of a paste containing an oxide glass containing V and Te, metal particles, and a solvent; in the form of a foil piece or plate in which particles of an oxide glass containing V and Te are embedded; or in the form of a foil piece or plate containing a layer of an oxide glass containing V and Te, and a layer of a metal.
US09543257B2

An interconnect device and a method of forming the interconnect device are provided. Two integrated circuits are bonded together. A first opening is formed through one of the substrates. One or more dielectric films are formed along sidewalls of the first opening. A second opening is formed extending from the first opening to pads in the integrated circuits, while using some of the pads as hard masks. The first opening and the second opening are filled with a conductive material to form a conductive plug.
US09543255B2

A laminate structure includes a conductive layer and a dielectric layer in contact with the conductive layer, the dielectric layer comprises a selectively patterned high-modulus dielectric material that balances a differential stress between the conductive layer and the dielectric layer to mechanically stiffen the laminate structure and reduce warpage.
US09543245B2

The semiconductor device comprises a substrate (1) of semiconductor material with a front side (4) and an opposite rear side (7), a wiring layer (5) at the front side (4), a further wiring layer (8) at the rear side (7), and a through-substrate via (3) connecting the wiring layer (5) and the further wiring layer (8). A hot plate (24) is arranged on or in the substrate, and a sensor layer (21) is arranged in the vicinity of the hot plate. A mold compound (14) is arranged on the rear side (7) above the substrate (1), a cavity (17) is formed in the mold compound (14) to accommodate the sensor layer (21), and the cavity (17) is covered with a membrane (15).
US09543244B2

“Hybrid” transmission line circuits employing multiple interconnect levels for the propagation, or return, of a single signal line across a package length are described. In package transmission line circuit embodiments, a signal line employs co-located traces in two different interconnect levels that are electrically coupled together. In further embodiments, a reference plane is provided above, below or co-planar with at least one of the co-locate traces. In embodiments, a balanced signal line pair includes first and second co-located traces in two adjacent interconnect levels as a propagation signal line and third and fourth co-located traces in the two adjacent interconnect levels as a return signal line with a ground plane co-planar with, and/or above and/or below the two adjacent interconnect levels.
US09543236B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic package assembly comprising a solder mask layer, the solder mask layer having at least one opening, and a plurality of pads coupled to the solder mask layer, wherein at least one pad of the plurality of pads includes (i) a first side, (ii) a second side, the first side being disposed opposite to the second side, (iii) a terminal portion and (iv) an extended portion, wherein the first side at the terminal portion is configured to receive a package interconnect structure through the at least one opening in the solder mask layer, the package interconnect structure to route electrical signals between a die and another electronic device that is external to the electronic package assembly, and wherein the second side at the extended portion is configured to receive one or more electrical connections from the die.
US09543235B2

In one embodiment, an electronic package structure includes a lead having a first width. An electronic chip having a conductive bump on a major surface, the conductive bump has a second width greater than the first width. The conductive bump is attached to the lead such that a portion of the conductive bump extends to at least partially surround a side surface of the lead. A molding compound resin encapsulates the electronic chip, the conductive bump, and at least a portion of the lead. The lead is configured so strengthen the joining force between the lead and conductive bump.
US09543233B2

A chip package includes a chip, a laser stopper, an isolation layer, a redistribution layer, an insulating layer, and a conductive structure. The chip has a conductive pad, a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The conductive pad is located on the first surface. The second surface has a first though hole to expose the conductive pad. The laser stopper is located on the conductive pad. The isolation layer is located on the second surface and in the first though hole. The isolation layer has a third surface opposite to the second surface. The isolation layer and the conductive pad have a second though hole together, such that the laser stopper is exposed through the second though hole. The redistribution layer is located on the third surface, the sidewall of the second though hole, and the laser stopper.
US09543228B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; an active element configured to be formed on the semiconductor substrate; and a multi-layer wiring structure configured to be formed on the semiconductor substrate. A heat dissipation structure is provided in the multi-layer wiring structure. The upper end of the heat dissipation structure forms an external connection pad to be connected with an external wiring board, and the lower end of the heat dissipation structure makes contact with a surface of the semiconductor substrate outside of an element forming region for the active element.
US09543219B2

A method of monitoring a temperature of a plurality of regions in a substrate during a deposition process, the monitoring of the temperature including: forming, in the monitored plurality of regions, a plurality of metal structures each with a different metal pattern density, where each metal pattern density corresponds to a threshold temperature at or above which metal voids and surface roughness are formed in the plurality of metal structures, and detecting metal voids and surface roughness in the plurality of metal structures to determine the temperature of the monitored plurality of regions.
US09543217B2

One embodiment includes a vertical n-channel power MOSFET for an output stage and a horizontal p-channel MOSFET for controlling the vertical n-channel power MOSFET are disposed on a single semiconductor substrate. The horizontal p-channel MOSFET has Psd (a p+-type source region and a p+-type drain region) formed in a self-aligning manner at a gate electrode. The Psd has p+-type diffusion regions disposed therein causing the Psd to partially have a high impurity concentration. The p+-type diffusion regions are connected to respective metal wiring layers through contact holes that are formed by ion implantation concurrently with a p+-type diffusion region of the vertical n-channel power MOSFET and that have a width narrower than conventional contact holes. In this way, contact properties can be improved between the metal wiring layer and a semiconductor portion and size reductions can be achieved.
US09543211B1

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor structure includes the following steps. Gate structures are formed on a semiconductor substrate. A source/drain contact is formed between two adjacent gate structures. The source/drain contact is recessed by a recessing process. A top surface of the source/drain contact is lower than a top surface of the gate structure after the recessing process. A stop layer is formed on the gate structures and the source/drain contact after the recessing process. A top surface of the stop layer on the source/drain contact is lower than the top surface of the gate structure. A semiconductor structure includes the semiconductor substrate, the gate structures, a gate contact structure, and the source/drain contact. The source/drain contact is disposed between two adjacent gate structures, and the top surface of the source/drain contact is lower than the top surface of the gate structure.
US09543202B2

Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method including forming interconnection structures extending parallel to each other on a substrate; performing a coating process and forming a liquid state silicon source material layer filling an area between the interconnection structures; performing a first annealing process, curing the liquid state silicon source material layer, and forming an amorphous silicon layer; and crystallizing the amorphous silicon layer and forming contact plugs.
US09543200B2

Methods for fabricating semiconductor devices having through electrodes are provided. The method may comprise forming a via hole which opens towards an upper surface of a substrate and disconnects with a lower surface of the substrate; forming a via isolation layer which extends along an inner surface of the via hole and covers the upper surface of the substrate; forming a seed layer on the via isolation layer which extends along the via isolation layer; annealing the seed layer in-situ after forming the seed layer; forming a conductive layer, filling the via hole, by an electroplating using the seed layer; and planarizing the upper surface of the substrate to form a through electrode surrounded by the via isolation layer in the via hole.
US09543186B2

Embodiments of substrate supports are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support may include a support plate having a support surface to support a substrate, a support ring to support a substrate at a perimeter of the support surface; and a plurality of first support elements disposed in the support ring, wherein an end portion of each of the first support elements is raised above an upper surface of the support ring to define a gap between the upper surface of the support ring and an imaginary plane disposed on the end portions of the plurality of first support elements.
US09543179B2

A load port module includes a plate to support at least one substrate, a sensor to detect foreign matter at a predetermined location, and a cleaner to remove the foreign matter at the predetermined location when the foreign matter is detected by the sensor. The cleaner removes the foreign matter at the predetermined location in synchronism with movement of the plate. A mover to move the plate continues to operate after detection of the foreign matter by the sensor and removal of the foreign matter by the cleaner.
US09543178B2

A semiconductor wafer stocker apparatus includes a body frame, an inlet port to load a wafer shipping box into the body frame, an outlet port to unload the wafer shipping box from the body frame, an automated transfer robot operable to convey the wafer shipping box between the inlet port and the outlet port, and a shelf module within the body frame. The shelf module includes a shelf plate configured to support the wafer shipping box. The shelf plate includes first, second, and third protruding support pins arranged to align with respective grooves in an underside of the wafer shipping box and orient the wafer shipping box with a door thereof facing away from the body frame. The first and second support pins may be closer to the body frame than the third support pin. Related apparatus and methods of operation are also discussed.
US09543171B2

A method for auto-correction of at least one malfunctioning thermal control element among an array of thermal control elements that are independently controllable and located in a temperature control plate of a substrate support assembly which supports a semiconductor substrate during processing thereof, the method including: detecting, by a control unit including a processor, that at least one thermal control element of the array of thermal control elements is malfunctioning; deactivating, by the control unit, the at least one malfunctioning thermal control element; and modifying, by the control unit, a power level of at least one functioning thermal control element in the temperature control plate to minimize impact of the malfunctioning thermal control element on the desired temperature output at the location of the at least one malfunctioning thermal control element.
US09543169B2

A lead frame includes a die pad and a plurality of lead portions each including an internal terminal and an external terminal. The external terminals of the plurality of lead portions are arranged in an alternately staggered form such that the respective external terminals of a pair of lead portions adjacent to each other are alternatively located on an inside or an outside. A lead portion has an inside region located on the inside of a first external terminal, an outside region located on the outside of the first external terminal, and an external terminal region having the first external terminal. The inside region and the outside region are each formed thin by means of half etching. A maximum thickness of the outside region is larger than a maximum thickness of the inside region.
US09543167B2

A method includes conducting a laser-based anneal treatment on a metal layer positioned above and in direct contact with a first diamond shaped epitaxial layer surrounding a first fin and a second diamond shaped epitaxial layer surrounding a second fin, the metal layer extends from the first diamond shaped epitaxial layer to the second diamond shaped epitaxial layer, the laser-based anneal treatment forms a silicide layer, a portion of the silicide layer between the first and the second diamond shaped epitaxial layers is substantially thicker than a portion of the silicide layer in contact with the first and the second diamond shaped epitaxial layers, and the silicide layer takes on a crystal orientation of the first and the second epitaxial layers.
US09543162B2

A substrate processing method includes a phosphoric acid processing step of supplying a phosphoric acid aqueous solution, which contains silicon and has a silicon concentration lower than a saturation concentration, to a front surface of a substrate, a liquid volume reducing step of reducing a volume of the phosphoric acid aqueous solution on the substrate, after the phosphoric acid processing step, and a rinse replacing step of supplying a rinse liquid having a temperature lower than that of the phosphoric acid aqueous solution supplied to the front surface of the substrate in the phosphoric acid processing step to the front surface of the substrate covered with the phosphoric acid aqueous solution at least partially, after the liquid volume reducing step.
US09543142B2

In one embodiment, a method for forming a coating comprising a semiconductor material on at least a portion of a population of semiconductor nanocrystals comprises providing a first mixture including semiconductor nanocrystals and an aromatic solvent, introducing one or more cation precursors and one or more anion precursors into the first mixture to form a reaction mixture for forming the semiconductor material, reacting the precursors in the reaction mixture, without the addition of an acid compound, under conditions sufficient to grow a coating comprising the semiconductor material on at least a portion of an outer surface of at least a portion of the semiconductor nanocrystals, and wherein an amide compound is formed in situ in the reaction mixture prior to isolating the coated semiconductor nanocrystals. In another embodiment, method for forming a coating comprising a semiconductor material on at least a portion of a population of semiconductor nanocrystals comprises providing a first mixture including semiconductor nanocrystals and a solvent, introducing an amide compound, one or more cation precursors and one or more anion precursors into the first mixture to form a reaction mixture for forming the semiconductor material, and reacting the precursors in the reaction mixture in the presence of the amide compound, under conditions sufficient to grow a coating comprising the semiconductor material on at least a portion of an outer surface of at least a portion of the semiconductor nanocrystals. Semiconductor nanocrystals including coatings grown in accordance with the above methods are also disclosed.
US09543136B2

A method of making an ion optics component includes providing an electrically isolating substrate and machining away material of the substrate from at least one major surface thereof to form features of a first electrode sub-assembly. The formed features include a first surface for supporting integration of a first electrode body and a second surface for supporting integration of a second electrode body. Subsequent plating and masking steps result in the formation of a first electrode body on the first surface and a second electrode body on the second surface. A bridge is integrally formed in the electrically isolating material, so as to electrically isolate the first electrode body from the second electrode body.
US09543132B2

A method of analyzing ions is disclosed comprising performing an initial multi-dimensional survey scan comprising separating parent ions according to a first physico-chemical property (e.g. ion mobility) and then separating the parent ions according to a second physico-chemical property (e.g. mass to charge ratio). A plurality of parent ions of interest are then determined from the initial multi-dimensional survey scan. Once parent ions of interest have been determined, the plurality of parent ions of interest are sequentially selected based upon the first and second physico-chemical properties during a single cycle of separation. The parent ions of interest may then be fragmented and corresponding fragment ions may then be mass analyzed.
US09543131B2

Disclosed herein is a mass spectrometry method having steps of: transmitting ions from an ion source through a mass filter; processing ions received from the mass filter in a discontinuous ion optical device downstream of the mass filter; operating the mass filter for a plurality of periods in a mass/charge ratio (m/z) filtering mode to transmit ions in one or more selected ranges of m/z to the discontinuous ion optical device; and operating the mass filter in a broad mass range mode transmitting ions of a mass range substantially wider than any mass range transmitted in the m/z filtering mode during one or more periods in which the discontinuous ion optical device is not processing ions from the mass filter. Utilization of this method assists to reduce contamination in the mass filter.
US09543126B2

Embodiments of collimators for use in substrate processing chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a collimator includes: a body having a central region, a peripheral region, and a transitional region disposed between the central and peripheral regions; a first plurality of apertures in the central region having a first aspect ratio; a second plurality of apertures in the peripheral region having a second aspect ratio less than the first aspect ratio; and a third plurality of apertures in the transitional region, wherein the third plurality of apertures are cut so the transitional region forms a conical shape surrounding the central region.
US09543125B2

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) devices enable the generation of a plasma in a plasma zone of a deposition chamber, which reacts with a surface of a substrate to form a deposited film in the fabrication of a semiconductor component. The plasma generator is often positioned over the center of the substrate, and the generated plasma often remains in the vicinity of the plasma generator, resulting in a thicker deposition near the center than at the edges of the substrate. Tighter process control is achievable by positioning one or more electromagnets in a periphery of the plasma zone and supplying power to generate a magnetic field, thereby inducing the charged plasma to achieve a more consistent distribution within the plasma zone and more uniform deposition on the substrate. Variations in the number, configuration, and powering of the electromagnets enable various redistributive effects on the plasma within the plasma zone.
US09543119B2

A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus of the present invention includes an aperture member to form multiple beams, a plurality of first deflectors to respectively perform blanking deflection of a corresponding beam, a second deflector to collectively deflect the multiple beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member so that the multiple beams do not reach the target object, a blanking aperture member to block each beam that has been deflected to be in the off state by the plurality of first deflectors, and a current detector, arranged at the blanking aperture member, to detect a current value of all beams in the on state in the multiple beams that have been deflected by the second deflector.
US09543115B2

An electron microscope includes an electron beam source, a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet and a detector. The field generated by the first electromagnet has an effect of three lenses subsequently arranged along the beam path. A first lens of these lenses is arranged upstream of the object plane and focuses the beam at the object plane. The second lens of these three lenses is arranged downstream of the object plane. The third lens of these three lenses generates an image of a diffraction plane of the second lens at the detector. The magnetic field generated by the second electromagnet has an effect of a fourth lens and can be changed in order to change a size of the image of the diffraction plane of the second lens on the detector.
US09543100B2

A relay is provided having a contact set that is disposed in a cover and in a spring bracket, wherein the rows of contacts are isolated by an isolation configuration comprising at least one fixed partition provided on the cover and at least one oppositely oriented fixed partition provided on the spring bracket, and additionally at least one movable actuator is disposed in the space between the cover and the spring bracket, wherein the isolation configuration comprises two mutually parallel and mutually spaced-apart partitions provided on the cover and one partition provided on the spring bracket engaging between the partitions provided on the cover.
US09543086B2

The invention relates to a power circuit breaker that is suitable for switching electrical voltages. The power circuit breaker according to the invention comprises two main electrodes, to each of which a respective pole of the voltage to be switched can be connected. During the switching process, at least one of said main electrodes follows a switching path. The power circuit breaker is characterized in that secondary electrodes are additionally provided, which protrude into the vicinity of the switching path and are designed and arranged in such a way that arcs can be produced (a) between the main electrodes and the secondary electrodes and (b) between the individual secondary electrodes during the switching process. The power circuit breaker according to the invention can be advantageously used in vehicles and in ultra-high-voltage AC and HVDC (high-voltage direct current) transmission systems and causes arcs to be extinguished as early as possible during the switching process.
US09543084B2

A switch state detection circuit according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of switch connection portions to each of which a switch is connected, a connection line to which any one of the switch connection portions is connected in a switchable manner, a detection portion that detects a state of the switch connected to the connection line based on a state of the connection line, and a connection control portion that switches successively each of the switch connection portions and connects it to the connection line, wherein the state of each switch is detected.
US09543081B2

The invention provides electric power line switchgear (10) comprising a main movable contact (14) and a secondary movable contact (16), capable of moving along a main axis A of the switchgear (10), in which the main movable contact (14) is connected to the secondary movable contact (16) by means of a crank mechanism (20) that transforms the movement of the main movable contact (14) in one direction into a movement of the secondary movable contact (16) in an opposite direction; the switchgear being characterized in that the crank mechanism (20) comprises two levers (22, 24) mounted to pivot relative to the stationary housing (12) about respective parallel pivot axes (B, C), each lever (22, 24) being connected firstly to a respective one of the main movable contact (14) and the secondary movable contact (16), and secondly to the other lever (24, 22).
US09543075B2

A valve metal powder having a particle shape factor mean value f, as determined by SEM image analysis, of 0.65≦f≦1, said powder has an average agglomerate particle size D50 value, as determined with a MasterSizer in accordance with ASTM B 822, of 40 to 200 μm and wherein the valve metal powder is niobium.
US09543064B2

An electric machine includes a first magnetic pole with an arrangement of interposed magnetically active layers and magnetically inactive layers, and a second magnetic pole movable relative to the first magnetic pole and spaced from the first magnetic pole by a gap. An electrical conductor operates as a coupling element between an electrical circuit and a magnetic circuit. At an operating time, a common useful magnetic flux for electromechanical energy conversion flows through the magnetic circuit composed of the first magnetic pole, the gap and the second magnetic pole. The magnetically inactive layers have a lower average density than the magnetically active layers. A ratio (k) of the total volume of the magnetically active layers to the combined total volume of the magnetically active and inactive layers fulfills the condition 0.5≦k≦0.8 A method for producing an electric machine are also disclosed.
US09543046B2

Detecting diversion of spent fuel from Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) by determining possible diversion including the steps of providing a detector cluster containing gamma ray and neutron detectors, inserting the detector cluster containing the gamma ray and neutron detectors into the spent fuel assembly through the guide tube holes in the spent fuel assembly, measuring gamma ray and neutron radiation responses of the gamma ray and neutron detectors in the guide tube holes, processing the gamma ray and neutron radiation responses at the guide tube locations by normalizing them to the maximum value among each set of responses and taking the ratio of the gamma ray and neutron responses at the guide tube locations and normalizing the ratios to the maximum value among them and producing three signatures, gamma, neutron, and gamma-neutron ratio, based on these normalized values, and producing an output that consists of these signatures that can indicate possible diversion of the pins from the spent fuel assembly.
US09543035B2

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a storage device for accounting for transmission errors to improve a usable life span of memory blocks. In some embodiments, the storage device includes: a memory array including a plurality of memory blocks; and a memory controller in communication with the memory array via an interface, wherein the memory controller is configured to detect an error event associated with data from one of the plurality of memory blocks; determine an origin of the error event; increment an error count if the origin of the error event indicates a data error in the one of the plurality of memory blocks and not if the origin of the error event indicates a transmission error; compare the error count to a threshold value; and mark the one of the plurality of memory blocks as bad when the error count exceeds the threshold value.
US09543025B2

A storage control system, and a method of operation thereof, including: a power-down module for powering off a memory sub-system; a decay estimation module, coupled to the power-down module, for estimating a power-off decay rate upon the memory sub-system powered up, the power-off decay rate is for indicating how much data in the memory sub-system has decayed while the memory sub-system has been powered down; and a recycle module, coupled to the decay estimation module, for recycling an erase block for data retention based on the power-off decay rate.
US09543022B2

A semiconductor memory device includes first and second plugs formed on a semiconductor substrate, a word line between the first and second plugs and above the semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor pillar extending above the semiconductor substrate through the word line, a second semiconductor pillar extending above the semiconductor substrate through the word line, a first bit line electrically connected to the first semiconductor pillar, and a second bit line electrically connected to the second semiconductor pillar. When writing same data in a first memory cell, which is electrically connected to the first bit line, and a second memory cell, which is electrically connected to the second bit line, a first voltage is applied to the first bit line and a second voltage that is different from the first voltage is applied to the second bit line.
US09543013B1

A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MJT) Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) employing six transistors and exhibiting reduced standby leakage and improved area-efficiency. In the proposed TCAM, data can be written to the MJT devices by conventional current induced magnetization techniques and by controlling the source line, thereby eliminating the need for external writing circuitry.
US09543012B2

A system including: a first memory including several portions of one or more pages each, said memory including first and second ports that can simultaneously access, for reading and writing respectively, two distinct pages of portions of the memory; and a control circuit capable of performing write operations to the pages of the memory, each write operation to a page of the memory requiring a reading step of a former datum on said page via the first port, and including a writing step of a new datum to the page via the second port, taking account of the former datum.
US09543005B2

A multistage read can dynamically change wordline capacitance as a function of threshold voltage of a memory cell being read. The multistage read can reduce current spikes and reduce the heating up of a memory cell during a read. A memory device includes a global wordline driver to connect a wordline of a selected memory cell to the sensing circuit, and a local wordline driver local to the memory cell. After the wordline is charged to a read voltage, control logic can selectively enable and disable a portion or all of the global wordline driver and the local wordline driver in conjunction with applying different discrete voltage levels to the bitline to perform a multistage read.
US09543002B2

The transistor layer is disposed above or below the memory layer and includes a transistor. The wiring line layer connects the memory layer and the transistor layer. The memory cell array comprises a plurality of select gate lines connected to gates of a plurality of the select transistors aligned in a third direction. The wiring line layer comprises: a first connecting wiring line connected to a first select gate line of the plurality of select gate lines and extending in the third direction; and a second connecting wiring line connected to a second select gate line adjacent in a second direction to the first select gate line. This second connecting wiring line at least comprises: a first portion extending in the third direction; and a second portion extending from the first portion to a layer below the first connecting wiring line.
US09542997B2

A system includes a memory block. The memory block includes a local control circuit that is operable to control a memory operation of the memory block. The local control circuit includes a local sense amplifier. The system also includes a global memory control circuit separate from the memory block, and the global memory control circuit is operable to communicate with the local control circuit. The global memory control circuit includes a global data latch operable to receive a sensed data state from the local sense amplifier.
US09542996B2

A memory device includes a matrix of several columns of SRAM memory cells each including transistors forming a memory point, a read port and a write port, and such that the transistors of the read port and/or the P-type transistors include a second well with a conductivity type opposite that of a first well of the other transistors. The memory device also includes a polarization unit for the second wells, able to select and apply polarization potentials on the second wells, including a memory circuit of the polarization states of the second wells for each column or group of columns and a selection circuit applying a polarization potential on the second wells according to one of the values received as input, as a function of the stored polarization state associated with the column or group of columns.
US09542989B2

A cell bias control circuit maximizes the performance of devices in the read/write path of memory cells (magnetic tunnel junction device+transistor) without exceeding leakage current or reliability limits by automatically adjusting multiple control inputs of the read/write path at the memory array according to predefined profiles over supply voltage, temperature, and process corner variations by applying any specific reference parameter profiles to the memory array.
US09542984B2

A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a command processing block configured to generate a voltage generation start signal, a first write control signal, a second write control signal, a read signal, and an operation signal in response to a first control signal and a second control signal in a write operation, and a memory control block configured to electrically couple a memory block, which stores data, to a sense amplifier or apply a predetermined voltage to the memory block in response to the voltage generation start signal, the first write control signal, the second write control signal, the read signal, and the operation signal.
US09542980B1

A memory array structure includes: a plurality of array sections and a plurality of mini-gaps, wherein each mini-gap is disposed between two array sections of the plurality of array sections. Each mini-gap includes: a local write device, for providing a data signal in response to a write enable signal and a write data signal, the data signal for performing a write operation on a memory cell of an array section; and a local sensor, for outputting a data signal in response to an activation command and a read enable signal. The memory array further includes a control logic for providing the write enable and read enable signals, and at least one main sense amplifier, for providing the write data signal to the local write device, receiving the data signal from the local sensor, and amplifying the received data signal for providing a read data signal to output data lines.
US09542976B2

A transformed video and a source video may be synchronized according to implementations disclosed herein to provide tag information to the device receiving the transformed version of the video. A synchronization signal may be computed on the source video and the transformed video using a statistic such as mean pixel intensity. The synchronization signals computed for the transformed video and source video may be compared to determine a transformed video reference point location for the requested tag information. The requested tag information may be provided to the device receiving the transformed version of the video.
US09542970B2

A light interference module includes an object lens, a first light-guiding element, and a second light-guiding element. The object lens is configured to project a signal light beam to an optical storage media. The first light-guiding element is configured to project a first reference light beam to the optical storage media, in which the first reference light beam and the signal light beam produce a first interference pattern on the optical storage media. The second light-guiding element is configured to project a second reference light beam to the optical storage media, in which the second reference light beam and the signal light beam produce a second interference pattern on the optical storage media, and the first interference pattern is different from the second interference pattern.
US09542967B2

There is provided a magnetic recording medium including a surface having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. An arithmetic average roughness Ra, a ratio PSDMD,short/PSDTD,short, and a ratio PSDMD,long/PSDTD,long on the surface satisfy Ra≦3.0 nm, PSDMD,short/PSDTD,short≦0.65, and 1.3≦PSDMD,long/PSDTD,long≦2.3, in which PSDMD,short is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.15 μm to 0.4 μm in the longitudinal direction of the surface, PSDTD,short is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.15 μm to 0.4 μm in the lateral direction of the surface, PSDMD,long is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.4 μm to 5.0 μm in the longitudinal direction of the surface, and PSDTD,long is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.4 μm to 5.0 μm in the lateral direction of the surface.
US09542966B1

A data storage device includes a disk, a head, a microactuator, a coarse actuator, and a servo controller. The microactuator is configured to position the head relative to the disk. The coarse actuator is configured to position the microactuator relative to the disk. The servo controller is configured to generate an adjusted position error signal based on a position error signal and an estimated microactuator position signal. The servo controller is also configured to filter the adjusted position error signal with a shaping filter to generate a filtered position error signal, and to provide sliding mode control of the coarse actuator based at least partially on the filtered position error signal.
US09542959B2

A data storage device can include a recording medium; a controller unit to generate control signals in response to write information and write commands; and a transducer section coupled to receive the controls signals, and in response, write the write information into the recording medium and form a data protection pattern in the recording medium adjacent to the write information.
US09542955B2

A method includes receiving, at a vocoder, an audio signal sampled at a first sample rate. The method also includes generating, at a low-band encoder of the vocoder, a low-band excitation signal based on a low-band portion of the audio signal. The method further includes generating a first baseband signal at a high-band encoder of the vocoder. Generating the first baseband signal includes performing a spectral flip operation on a nonlinearly transformed version of the low-band excitation signal. The first baseband signal corresponds to a first sub-band of a high-band portion of the audio signal. The method also includes generating a second baseband signal corresponding to a second sub-band of the high-band portion of the audio signal. The first sub-band is distinct from the second sub-band.
US09542954B2

Audio watermarking is the process of embedding watermark information items into an audio signal in an in-audible manner. In a first embodiment, in case the original audio signal has parts of low signal energy, an alternative signal having a level or strength given by the psycho-acoustic model is combined with the original audio signal. The combined signal is watermarked with watermark data to be embedded. In a second embodiment, in case the original audio signal has parts of low signal energy, an alternative signal having a level or strength given by the psycho-acoustic model is watermarked with watermark data to be embedded, and the audio signal is watermarked with the watermark data to be embedded. The watermarked alternative signal is combined with the watermarked audio signal.
US09542953B2

Methods and systems for managing and transmitting content are disclosed. A sample method can comprise determining signal-to-noise ratio information relating to one or more data blocks and determining a threshold signal-to-noise ratio. At least one of the one or more data blocks can be requested based upon respective signal-to-noise ratio information and the threshold signal-to-noise ratio.
US09542947B2

A method and apparatus for voice recognition performed in a voice recognition block comprising a plurality of voice recognition stages. The method includes receiving a first plurality of voice inputs, corresponding to a first phrase, into a first voice recognition stage of the plurality of voice recognition stages, wherein multiple ones of the voice recognition stages includes a plurality of voice recognition modules and multiples ones of the voice recognition stages perform a different type of voice recognition processing, wherein the first voice recognition stage processes the first plurality of voice inputs to generate a first plurality of outputs for receipt by a subsequent voice recognition stage. The method further includes, receiving by each subsequent voice recognition stage a plurality of outputs from a preceding voice recognition stage, wherein a plurality of final outputs is generated by a final voice recognition stage from which to approximate the first phrase.
US09542946B2

A method and system for converting voice data to text data between users is provided. The method includes receiving voice data from at least one user and determining phoneme data items corresponding to the voice data. Conversion candidate string representations of the phoneme data items are identified by referencing a conversion dictionary defining the conversion candidate string representations for each phoneme data item. The plurality of conversion candidate string representations are scored and a specified conversion candidate string representation is selected as text data based on the scores. The text data is transmitted to a terminal device accessed by the at least one user.
US09542942B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for designating certain voice commands as hotwords. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of receiving a hotword followed by a voice command. Additional actions include determining that the voice command satisfies one or more predetermined criteria associated with designating the voice command as a hotword, where a voice command that is designated as a hotword is treated as a voice input regardless of whether the voice command is preceded by another hotword. Further actions include, in response to determining that the voice command satisfies one or more predetermined criteria associated with designating the voice command as a hotword, designating the voice command as a hotword.
US09542938B2

The present document provides a scene recognition method and device based on ambient sound and a mobile terminal. The device includes: a sound collection module, a preprocessing module, a feature extraction module, a scene recognition module and a database. The method includes: collecting a sound signal; processing the sound signal into a frequency domain signal; extracting sound feature information from the frequency domain signal; inputting the sound feature information under a preset model, matching a model output result with weight values of sound sample models of scenes, and determining a scene corresponding to the sound feature information. The present document implements locating based on background sound information as the feature of the scene, so that the mobile terminal quickly and correctly recognizes the current scene under the maintaining low-consumption state.
US09542926B2

The techniques disclosed herein allow a user to synchronize the playing and displaying of digital content on an electronic device. The device may render a first portion of digital content so it may be displayed. The device may also play a segment of the digital content as audio using text to speech software. The device may also render a second portion of digital content for display depending on whether the position of the last word read is greater than the last position in the first portion of digital content.
US09542923B1

A music synthesizer is provided. The synthesizer divides an input sound into a plurality of musical bands, and, for each divided band, generates a waveform having a predetermined shape with a period corresponding to a detected pitch and with a level corresponding to a detected level. The synthesizer then adds up the waveforms generated for each band and outputs a result thereof.
US09542921B2

An improved method of manually advancing through Steps in a Sequence using an electromechanical momentary switch, an electronic device capable of detecting changes in the state of said electromechanical momentary switch, and a Sequencer, whereby said electronic device will, upon detecting each change of state in said electromechanical momentary switch, trigger said Sequencer to advance to a next Step in a Sequence and recall a Data Set associated with said Step.
US09542916B2

A user designates any one of a plurality of types of key ranges via a key range designating switch and designates, for example via a keyboard, a desired key position to be set as a boundary of the designated key range. In response to such user's operations, an actual key range of the designated key range is determined in accordance with the designated boundary key position, and the keyboard is set in a divided usage state, where the keyboard is usable divided in a plurality of key ranges, on the basis of the determined actual key range. For example, once a left (low-pitch-side) key range is designated, the designated boundary key position defines the upper limit of the left key range, while, once a right (high-pitch-side) key range is designated, the designated boundary key position defines the lower limit of the right key range.
US09542903B2

A display device includes a plurality of pixel units. Each of the pixel units at least includes three sub-pixels for displaying different colors. The three sub-pixels are electrically connected to three different gate lines, and at least two of the three sub-pixels are electrically connected to the same data line.
US09542900B2

A circuit for detecting a touch point location on a touch panel, a touch panel and a display device for improving the precision of touch point location on the touch panel are disclosed. The circuit for detecting a touch point location on a touch panel comprises: a sensing sub-circuit, an amplification sub-circuit connected to the sensing sub-circuit, an output sub-circuit connected to the amplification sub-circuit, a detection sub-circuit connected to the output sub-circuit, and a first touch drive electrode line. The sensing sub-circuit comprising a fixed capacitor, a variable capacitor, and a first switch transistor, wherein a gate terminal and a source terminal of the first switch transistor are connected to the first touch drive electrode line, a drain terminal of the first switch transistor is connected to a terminal of the fixed capacitor, a terminal of the variable capacitor is connected to the other terminal of the fixed capacitor, the other terminal of the variable capacitor is connected to a reference voltage, and the amplification sub-circuit is connected to the terminal of the fixed capacitor that is connected to the variable capacitor.
US09542896B2

A control method of a display apparatus including a panel configured to include red (R), green (G), and white (W) subpixels, and a backlight configured to provide the panel with backlight using at least one of a white light source and a blue light source, including: converting image data into R, G, and blue (B) subframe data; turning on the R, G, and W subpixels according to the R, G, and B subframe data; and turning on the W subpixel, setting a brightness of the white light source to a brightness value of the R, G, and B subframe data, providing the panel with white light at the set brightness, turning on subpixels corresponding to remaining subframe data, setting at least one of the brightness of the white light source and a brightness of the blue light source, and providing the panel with light at the set brightnesses, is provided.
US09542895B2

An electro-optic display includes an electro-optic medium, a pixel electrode for applying an electric field to the medium and a column electrode associated with the pixel electrode. To reduce power consumption, when it is necessary to change the voltage on the column electrode from a first value to a second value to change the optical state of the electro-optic medium, the column electrode voltage is first changed to a third value intermediate the first and second values to permit charge to flow to or from the column electrode, and thereafter the column electrode voltage is changed from the third voltage to the second voltage.
US09542882B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes: a panel; a data driver connected to a data line formed on the panel; a gate driver crossing the data line in an insulated manner and connected to gate lines formed on the panel; an input line for receiving clock signals from the outside; a first connecting line electrically connected to the input line to supply the clock signal to the gate driver; a second connecting line electrically connected to the input line; and a third connecting line extended from the second connecting line to electrically connect the second connecting line and the first connecting line.
US09542878B2

A shift register unit includes a latch circuit and a transmission circuit. The latch circuit is configured to process a clock signal received by its first clock signal end and a low level signal by a NOR operation to obtain a signal and output the obtained signal when a selection signal is of a high level; during a first time period where the selection signal is of a low level, process a signal outputted by the latch circuit when the selection signal is of a high level by a NOT operation, then process the resultant signal with a feedback signal by a NOR operation to obtain a signal and output the obtained signal; output a low level signal during a time period where the selection signal is of a low level other than the first time period. The transmission circuit is configured to output a signal related to the clock signal received by its first clock signal end when the signal outputted by the latch circuit is of a high level; and output a corresponding signal when the signal outputted by the latch circuit is of a low level.
US09542877B2

An electroluminescent display and a method of driving the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the display includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels configured to operate based on a first power supply voltage having a negative voltage level. The display panel is configured to generate at least one feedback voltage corresponding to an ohmic drop of the first power supply voltage. An analog-to-digital converter is configured to generate at least one digital feedback signal based on the at least one feedback voltage. An adaptive voltage controller is configured to generate a voltage control signal based on input image data, the at least one digital feedback signal, a distribution of the input image data and the ohmic drop of the first power supply voltage. A voltage converter is configured to generate the first power supply voltage based on an input voltage and the voltage control signal.
US09542871B1

A sign post assembly including a ground stake, vertical post, a horizontal arm, and a cap, wherein the vertical post is pin join connected with the horizontal arm by means of a fastener allowing the horizontal arm and the vertical post to be arranged in parallel arrangement during disassembly and storage, or in perpendicular arrangement during assembly and fully extended status. The vertical post having a cut-out along its top portion to allow the arrangement of the horizontal arm within the vertical post's inner cavity and the vertical post having a cut-out along at least one of its vertical sides to allow alignment of the horizontal arm within its internal cavity wherein the horizontal arm collapses downward into the vertical post. Disassembly includes inserting the stake (along with other assembly components (i.e. sign clips, removable fasteners, etc.) within the inner cavity of the lower portion of the vertical post.
US09542867B2

A parking space sign system that is mountable to existing parking bumpers or includes a flexible support structure for placement in parking spaces with parking bumpers, a frame mount having at least one transparent frame sleeve formed by sleeve flanges, at least one panel with indicia on its face and at least one mounting aperture for mounting the frame to a parking bumper with hardware or slotted end caps instead of mounting apertures in the frame mount for sealing the ends of the frame mount and securing it to a parking bumper.
US09542853B1

An intelligent tutoring system can be implemented using filters, predictive modeling, and a knowledge warehouse, which allows content to be dynamically selected for individualized presentation to a learner. Such an intelligent tutoring system can be implemented using a variety of techniques, including polynomial vector equations in modeling, extensible markup language storage formats for presentation data, and a knowledge warehouse with information stored in data cubes.
US09542852B2

A system and device that will notify roadway maintenance workers of an approaching mass transit vehicle and, conversely, will notify the operators and administrators of mass transit vehicles of roadway maintenance workers within the vicinity of an approaching section of track.
US09542851B1

A flight management system is modified so that it can deal with an unpredicted current event happening to an airplane based on non-standard maneuvers that have been carried out previously by other airplanes in similar circumstances. This allows the flight management system to adaptively or dynamically respond to a variety of flight path changes rather than rely solely on a set of fixed responses to predictable events during a flight. Specifically, the flight management system is configured to provide procedural recommendations to a flight crew in real time based on collaboratively filtered historical data such that the flight crew can make smarter choices while operating airplanes.
US09542848B2

An apparatus and system for alerting a driver within an automotive vehicle is provided. An alerting device is disposed within the vehicle, which is configured to alert a driver. A controller is operable to activate the alerting device to produce an alert. A hazard detecting device is configured to detect a hazard. The controller is configured to activate the alerting device to produce the alert if the hazard detecting device detects a hazard. The alert is produced a predetermined reaction time period before a desired driver response. The controller is configured to determine a driver response time. The driver response time includes the time from the alert to an actual driver response. The controller is configured to alter the predetermined reaction time period based on the driver response time. A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle and a non-transitory machine-readable medium that provides instructions are also provided.
US09542847B2

A method/system for lane departure warning/assistance that warns the driver that the vehicle is about to leave a current lane and enter an adjacent lane. The driver is identified, and a corresponding profile is accessed. The driver's pupils may be measured and compared to pupil size baseline data stored in the accessed profile. If the difference in pupil size exceeds a pupil size baseline by more than a deviation level, the method/system may adjust a lane departure warning/assistance threshold of a lane departure detector that warns the driver each time the vehicle is getting too close to an adjacent lane, thus alerting the driver that the vehicle may drift into the next lane. Driving patterns, such as steering angles and braking force, may also be used to adjust the lane departure warning/assistance threshold and determine whether the driver may benefit from lane departure warning/assistance.
US09542846B2

A vehicle lateral control system includes a lane marker module configured to determine a heading and displacement of a vehicle in response to images received from a secondary sensing device, a lane information fusion module configured to generate vehicle and lane information in response to data received from heterogeneous vehicle sensors and a lane controller configured to generate a collision free vehicle path in response to the vehicle and lane information from the lane information fusion module and an object map.
US09542842B2

A detection device is provided for a motor vehicle (10) for detecting wetness (18) on a roadway (20). The detection device has a moisture-detection unit (12) and an evaluation unit (40) designed to determine wetness (18) on the roadway (20) on the basis of a moisture value (42) detected by the moisture-detection unit (12). The moisture-detection unit (12) is embodied as a sensor unit and is arranged at a rear region of the motor vehicle (10).
US09542839B2

A method for compressing data is disclosed. The method may include classifying the data from a plurality of data sources into classifications including at least PCM-encoded data and data structure information. The method may also include determining data states associated with the PCM-encoded data and the data structure information. The method may further include compressing the PCM-encoded data and the data structure information into compressed bit-streams based on the determined data states. The method may also include shuffling the compressed bit-streams to introduce randomness.
US09542838B2

An electronic apparatus, control method thereof, remote control apparatus that controls the electronic apparatus, and control method thereof. The remote control apparatus includes a communication unit which communicates with the electronic apparatus; a user input unit which receives a user button selection indicating an input button; a sensing unit which senses movement of the remote control apparatus; and a control unit which controls the communication unit to transmit information about the user button selection to perform a function corresponding to the input button if the remote control apparatus is in a button input mode, and to transmit information about the movement of the remote control apparatus to the electronic apparatus to control the electronic apparatus by the movement if the remote control apparatus is in a motion recognition mode. Accordingly, controlling a game or a multimedia content is easier, and the user is provided with a new and interesting experience.
US09542823B1

Aspects of tag-based product monitoring and evaluation are described. In one embodiment, an arrangement includes a product package and one or more tags with the product package. At least one of the tags may include a memory that stores a unique identifier, product detail data, and product usage data for the product, a continuity trace that extends across an access covering of the product package, a radio frequency front end configured to be excited by an electromagnetic field, and a tag processor configured to detect a continuity of the continuity trace and identify whether the product package has been opened based on the continuity. When excited in the presence of the electromagnetic field, the tag is configured to transmit a continuity status indicator regarding whether the product package has been opened. In this case, a purchaser may be alerted as to whether the product package has been opened before purchasing.
US09542818B2

An example electronic deterrence device includes a housing, and one or more first and second indicator lights. The one or more second indicator lights, when illuminated, illuminate a textual message visible from a front of the housing. The electronic deterrence device also includes a power supply, a switch, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured to determine a position of the switch; responsive to determining that the switch is in a first position, disable the one or more first and second indicator lights; responsive to determining that the switch is in a second position, illuminate the one or more first and second indicator lights using electrical power delivered from the power supply; and responsive to determining that the switch is in a third position, illuminate the one or more first and second indicator lights using electrical power delivered from the power supply based on an ambient condition.
US09542815B2

A banking system is controlled responsive, at least in part, to data read from data bearing records. The banking system includes an automated banking machine. The machine is operable to carry out a financial transaction responsive to a determination that data read from a data bearing record, such as a card that is read by a card reader in the machine, corresponds to stored information for an authorized user or financial account. The machine is operable to receive and dispense documents. The machine includes a check acceptor that is operative to receive checks and a cash dispenser that is operative to dispense cash. Document holding cassettes in the machine include circuitry that is wirelessly powered through inductive coupling. The machine can wirelessly read data from a cassette through use of induction.
US09542810B2

A gaming machine for providing a game to a player is described herein. The gaming machine displays a primary game including a plurality of reels, detects a triggering condition occurring with the primary game and responsively displays a secondary game. The secondary game includes a player character and an enemy character being displayed on an animated game field. The gaming machine displays a plurality of dice on the animated game field including a player die displayed with a player strength value and an enemy die displayed with an enemy strength value. The gaming machine displays an expandable image of the player strength value at a first size and increases the size of the expandable image to a larger second size over a predefined period of time.
US09542805B2

A gaming system for conducting a wagering game displays images having dynamically changing shapes. In one embodiment, a display device displays a screen for a wagering game. The screen presents a first image that follows a first spline. The first spline is defined by one or more curves passing through a first set of control points. A processor determines a second set of control points to define a second spline for the first image. The screen displays the first image transitioning from following the first spline to following the second spline. The screen may present a graphical interaction involving the first image, and the processor is configured to determine the second set of control points in response to the graphical interaction. The graphical interaction may occur between the first image and a second image. Alternatively, an input from a player causes the graphical interaction with the first image.
US09542796B2

The invention is directed to a gaming machine and method of providing a game. The game machine comprises a display and a controller. The display is configured to display a plurality of symbol positions displayed in a grid, the grid defining a plurality of columns. The controller is configured to: initiate a game; determine at least one symbol associated with each of the plurality of symbol positions along at least one of the columns and display the symbols in the at least one column; evaluate the symbols displayed within the at least one column to determine a highest ranked symbol; replace all remaining symbols displayed within the at least one column with the highest ranked symbol; and insert the highest ranked symbol into the symbol positions of at least one other column within the grid.
US09542785B2

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for communicating information, altering access rights, and transferring power to and from an electronic programmable key are disclosed. A mobile key interface device is configured to couple to a contact pin of the electronic programmable key to establish a channel of communication. Using the channel of communication, the mobile key interface device may communicate information, alter access rights, and transfer power to and from the electronic programmable key. The mobile key interface device may also communicate with a mobile communication device. Using the mobile communication device's network connection, the mobile key interface device may further establish a channel of communication from a control center to the electronic programmable key.
US09542778B1

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus related to the creation and maintenance of an interactive and explorable representative reality. The interactive representative reality may be compiled from a plurality of geotagged media from a plurality of individual sources. Similarly geotagged images of the geotagged media may be stitched together to form portions of the representative reality. Portions of the representative reality may be layerable spatially and/or temporally. The apparatus and methods disclosed herein provide for recognition of objects within the geotagged images and link the images to one or more related items.
US09542766B1

The techniques described herein determine configurations for data visualizations based on characteristics interpreted from input data. Input data including a plurality of images may be obtained. For instance, the input data may include one or more files containing images associated with an entity. The techniques disclosed herein may determine a characteristic, such as a primary color, based on the input data. The techniques disclosed herein may determine an individual entity or subject to be associated with the characteristic. Techniques disclosed herein also involve the generation of output data defining a visualization based on the characteristic. A rendering of the output data provides an indication of the individual entity or subject. In some configurations, a rendering of the output data provides a graphical association between data in a dataset and the individual entity or subject.
US09542762B2

To provide an X-ray CT apparatus and an image reconstruction method that can generate an image in which motion influence of a site to be scanned is reduced, the image processing device 403 of the X-ray CT apparatus 1 calculates a reconstruction data range which is a range of projection data to be used for reconstruction based on a motion direction of the site to be scanned. An image is reconstructed using the projection data in the calculated reconstruction data range. The reconstruction data range is set as the projection data in a projection range of at least 180 degrees or more including a projection direction that approximately corresponding to the motion direction of the site to be scanned.
US09542753B2

Disclosed is a method of determining a 3D trajectory of an object from at least two observed trajectories of the object in a scene. The observed trajectories are captured in a series of images by at least one camera, each of the images in the series being associated with a pose of the camera. First and second points of the object from separate parallel planes of the scene are selected. A first set of 2D capture locations corresponding to the first point and a second set of 2D capture locations corresponding to the second point are reconstructed to determine an approximated 3D trajectory of the object.
US09542750B2

In an example embodiment, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of primary depth map and plurality of color segments, the primary depth map associated with a first image and a second image that are stereoscopic pair of images of a scene, and the color segments associated with the first image. The method includes generating plurality of disparity planes based on the color segments and the primary depth map. The method includes determining aggregated cost volume between pixels of the first and second images for the disparity planes. The method includes assigning plane labels corresponding to the disparity planes to pixels of the first and second images based on the aggregated cost volume, an individual pixel being assigned a plane label. The method includes generating secondary depth map based on the plane labels assigned to the pixels of the first and second images.
US09542747B2

An assembly simulation apparatus and method for a wooden structure are provided. The assembly simulation apparatus for a wooden structure includes an element analysis unit for analyzing shapes of a plurality of elements constituting a three-dimensional (3D) wooden structure model and a coupling relation between the elements. A relation graph generation unit generates a relation graph based on the analyzed shapes of the plurality of elements and the analyzed coupling relation between the elements. An animation creation unit creates an animation of a movement path depending on a task for coupling or separating the plurality of elements, based on the generated relation graph. An animation play unit simulates an assembly method for the wooden structure by playing the created animation depending on the assembly method for the wooden structure.
US09542740B2

Provided is a method of detecting a defect of a pattern using vectorization to increase accuracy and efficiency in OPC modeling and OPC verification. The method includes acquiring a target layout image associated with a target pattern, acquiring a pattern image associated with a pattern formed on a substrate, extracting an edge image from the pattern image, producing a first vector form based on the target layout image, producing a second vector form based on the edge image, and comparing the first vector form with the second vector form.
US09542735B2

A method and a device to compose an image by eliminating one or more moving objects in a scene being captured are provided. The method includes capturing plurality of images, generating a background image with a plurality of stationary objects after aligning the plurality of captured images, selecting a base image from a plurality of the aligned images, wherein the base image is selected based on a highest similarity measure with the background image, identifying the at least one moving object in the base image, and eliminating said identified at least one moving object in the base image to compose said image.
US09542734B2

An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit to acquire an image. A detection unit detects each object region from the image acquired by the acquisition unit. A luminance distribution calculation unit calculate a plurality of luminance distribution information for respective object regions detected by the detection unit. A representative luminance value calculation unit calculates a plurality of representative luminance values for respective detected object regions. A determination unit determines tone characteristics for respective object regions based on the plurality of luminance distribution information for respective object regions calculated by the luminance distribution calculation unit and a relationship among the representative luminance values for the respective object regions calculated by the representative luminance value calculation unit.
US09542731B2

An apparatus for increasing sharpness is provided. The apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can improve sharpness of an image by applying different sharpness gains to a center of the image and to a periphery of the image.
US09542730B2

Image processing is performed in view of the difference between the chroma component and the brightness component in an image, with a relatively smaller amount of data processed during the image processing. A frequency decomposing unit 110 performs frequency decomposition directly on Bayer image signals from an imaging element 3. With this, a high frequency component representing color information and a low frequency component representing brightness information are obtained. A filter coefficient obtaining unit 131 of a correction processing unit 130 obtains filter coefficients and the filter coefficients for the high frequency component are different from those for the low frequency component. A filtering processing unit performs a filtering process on subimages based on the filter coefficients obtained by the filter coefficient obtaining unit 131 in such a manner that processing details of the filtering process for the high frequency component are different from those for the low frequency component.
US09542719B2

A device for decomposing images into at least three levels by wavelet transform comprises a first unit executing a first level of decomposition and a second unit executing the higher levels of decomposition by performing a sequence of processing tasks. The tasks are ordered in time by using a sequence of rows, a routing unit serving to configure the second unit when the level of decomposition associated with the processing task currently being executed changes relative to the level of decomposition associated with the processing task executed previously. The processing tasks are ordered so that any given row is associated with only one level of decomposition.
US09542717B2

A display device is provided. The device includes memories, a display unit, and a data collecting memory. The memories store a plurality of kinds of image data generated based on information acquired from different kinds of sensors, respectively. The display unit displays the image data that is selected by a user among the plurality of kinds of image data. The data collecting memory stores, in response to a predetermined report instruction, at least data of an image displayed on the display unit at the timing of the report instruction and, among the image data stored in the memories at the timing of the report instruction, the image data that is not displayed on the display unit.
US09542713B2

Securing the manufacturing supply chain with digital certificates. A token is coupled to a manufacturing station and enabled via a personal identification number. The token includes a counter limiting the maximum number of certificates to be signed, and compares a serial number of a digital certificate to a tracked serial number. In some embodiments, the token is linked to a particular manufacturing station once the token is enabled.
US09542708B2

An event server adapted to receive events from an input stream and produce an output event stream. The event server uses a processor using code in an event processing language to process the events. The event server obtaining input events from and/or producing output events to a cache.
US09542706B2

Footwear systems include an article of footwear and a data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear. The transmission system transmits data to a remote system, such as a display system, another data transmission system, a processing system, etc. Such footwear systems further may include activation systems for activating the transmission and/or display systems. The transmitted data may be used for various purposes, such as: (a) identifying a user of the article of footwear; (b) activating targeted advertising or product information; (c) confirming the user's presence at a specific location and/or at a specific time; (d) determining start, finish, and/or intermediate split times for specific user; (e) confirming athletic equipment usage; (f) providing data for a game or reward program; (g) registering the user for an event or competition; or the like.
US09542701B2

Disclosed are methods and systems for downloading map data. A database of layers of map data is maintained. The map data may be representative of at least one map image of a geographic area. Each layer may provide progressively more detailed display information. Map data is downloaded to a client computer, and the may data may be sufficient to allow a user to navigate within a geographic area without requiring new map data to be downloaded.
US09542696B2

An online direct marketing and advertising system is presented in which advertisers have an opportunity to send targeted promotions, coupons and offers that are placed in a user's web-based email account without the drawbacks of sending conventional email. The promotions do not take up disk quota space and, at the same time, the system does not need to divulge private user information to the advertiser. This system provides a means to free web-based email providers from the need to obtain opt-in permission to send offers to their users as providers are frequently prohibited from sharing the user's email address and personal information with merchants.
US09542695B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for sending information in an observation platform. A determination is made, at an observation platform, that a first communication device associated with a first user is located in an environment. A determination is made, at the observation platform, that the first communication device is located in proximity to a second communication device associated with a second user. Speech information is sent to the first communication device for the first user to use in communicating with the second user.
US09542691B1

A plurality of credentials is retrieved for a user by a computing device, wherein each of the plurality of credentials is associated with a loyalty program. For each loyalty program, itinerary data is retrieved from a server associated with the loyalty program using the credentials associated with the loyalty program from the plurality of credentials. The retrieved itinerary data retrieved for each of the loyalty programs is aggregated into an itinerary. The itinerary is presented to the user at the computing device. Loyalty points may be awarded to a user based on interaction with an application running on the computing device where the loyalty points may be redeemed for goods and services. Advertisers may be provided compensated based on the redemption of the loyalty point by users at their physical or virtual stores.
US09542683B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for protecting electronic money transactions from fraud and malware. An exemplary method include scanning a computer to detect software objects associated with electronic money that includes at least one of a wallet configured to store electronic money, an electronic money generating application, and data including an interaction history with an electronic exchange for electronic money; identifying and adjusting electronic money security modules configured to provide data security to the detected software objects associated with the electronic money; and executing, by the adjusted electronic money security modules, at least one electronic money transaction involving the electronic money. In one aspect, the electronic money security modules include a wallet protection module, a malware detection module, and a traffic control module.
US09542681B1

Disclosed herein are techniques for providing a digital receipt to a consumer upon tender of payment to a merchant through the use of a proxy payment card in a financial transaction. The proxy payment card can be associated with multiple financial accounts (e.g., accounts associated with credit cards, debit cards, or gift cards). The digital receipt is automatically received at a personal computing device of the consumer in response to the financial transaction being charged to a financial account associated with the proxy payment card. The digital receipt includes information indicative of the financial transaction. The digital receipt can also include one or more interactive components that allow the consumer to interact with the transaction (and/or merchant) subsequent to transmission of the receipt, such as adding a tip, providing feedback, redeeming a promotion reward, tracking loyalty reward points, or reviewing transaction records of past and present transactions.
US09542679B2

The implementation method for an identification system using dynamic barcode entails description for a system that comprises a smartphone, a barcode information access device on the merchant side, and a server of an identification agency. The implementation method described includes downloading a mobile application (app) for smartphone, and utilizing the app to upload identification information to server of the identification agency. When a user needs to be identified during a transaction, the aforementioned app is used to display two barcodes on the smartphone: one barcode represents the user's identification, and the other is a dynamic one that corresponds to the user's identification information and changes after a given time period. When both barcode information are read by barcode reader and send to the server of the identification agency, the said agency could easily compare its own information with the dynamically generated barcode information, which helps to distinguish whether the user is the original registrant.
US09542677B1

A method includes receiving, by a server via a network, transaction information descriptive of a money transfer transaction initiated at a point of entry device. The transaction information includes information that identifies a location of the point of entry device. The method includes determining, by the server, receipt information to be included in a receipt for the money transfer transaction. The receipt information may be determined based, at least in part, on the transaction information, and at least a portion of the receipt information included in the receipt satisfies regulatory requirements associated with the location of the point of entry device. The method includes generating, by the server, the receipt that includes the receipt information, and transmitting the receipt from the server to the point of entry device via the network.
US09542674B2

A system for an automated dispensing and retrieval kiosk for recorded media includes a kiosk having a plurality of vertical racks arranged in a circular formation, each vertical rack configured for storing a plurality of recorded media. A customer interface allows a customer to select or return a recorded media. A robotic element delivers the selected recorded media from the vertical racks to a media output, at the customer interface. The element also delivers a returned recorded media from a media input at the customer interface to the vertical racks. A computer controls operation of the kiosk, and an internet interface connects the kiosk to the Internet. The kiosk may communicate with a central server and/or other kiosks of a group, to locate a requested recorded media within a kiosk of the group. Once located within the group, the requested media may be reserved for customer pick-up.
US09542665B2

Methods for creating, arranging, and leveraging an ad-hoc collection of heterogeneous organization components are provided. In one example, a method includes the steps of displaying a scratchpad affordance associated with a scratchpad, and detecting an update to the scratchpad based on an input associated with a first organization component of the one or more organization components and the scratchpad affordance. The method includes the additional step of updating the scratchpad based at least in part on the input.
US09542660B2

A collaboration message is received at a computer system network node of a computer network that operates in a decentralized arrangement such that network nodes comprise work process sources and destinations, and the collaboration messages convey process state updates among the collaborators. There is no central authority though which all process messages and state updates must pass and which thereby may create a system bottleneck and limit system growth. The computer system is scalable and system operation remains efficient with increasing numbers of network nodes.
US09542655B1

Examples of techniques for generating streaming analytics applications are described herein. An example computer-implemented method includes receiving, via a processor, subject matter requirements in a semi-structured format. The method includes classifying, via the processor, the subject matter requirements based on a predefined taxonomy. The method includes extracting, via the processor, a list of entities from the subject matter requirements based on grammar. The method includes generating a solution based on a glossary and the list of extracted entities. The method includes generating, via the processor, a streaming analytics application based on the solution.
US09542652B2

Various technologies described herein pertain to disambiguation of a mention of an ambiguous entity in a document. A set of candidate entities can be retrieved from an entity knowledge base based upon the mention of the ambiguous entity, where each of the candidate entities has a respective entity feature representation. Moreover, a document feature representation can be generated based upon features of the document and the respective entity feature representations of the candidate entities. A processor can be caused to select a subset of features from the document feature representation based upon a measure of how discriminative the features from the document feature representation are for disambiguating the mention of the ambiguous entity. A disambiguated result for the mention of the ambiguous entity can be determined based upon the subset of the features. The disambiguated result can be an unknown entity or one of the candidate entities.
US09542649B2

A media control system enables a device-agnostic and source-agnostic entertainment experience through use of an internet-enabled user device. The user device includes a client application for navigating through media or entertainment content, controlling media devices according to a type of media content selected by the user, and sharing media experiences via social networks. The user device includes smartphones, tablet computers, and other internet-enabled processor-based devices. The media control system leverages the internet access of the user device to enable search and discovery of all available media content. A recommendation engine coupled to the client application learns media preferences from user behavior, generates from numerous disparate media sources recommended media choices corresponding to the media preferences, and presents the recommended media choices on the user device.
US09542647B1

Embodiments of an informatics platform where collected data can be normalized, integrated and mapped to a knowledge source, such as medical vocabulary systems are disclosed. One example of such a knowledge source is Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) which is a knowledge source for biomedical applications. Embodiments as depicted herein may provided a method to convert the desired information from UMLS into an ontology representation to allow for its use in conjunction with an informatics system.
US09542644B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for training a neural device having an artificial nervous system by modulating at least one training parameter during the training. One example method for training a neural device having an artificial nervous system generally includes observing the neural device in a training environment and modulating at least one training parameter based at least in part on the observing. For example, the training apparatus described herein may modify the neural device's internal learning mechanisms (e.g., spike rate, learning rate, neuromodulators, sensor sensitivity, etc.) and/or the training environment's stimuli (e.g., move a flame closer to the device, make the scene darker, etc.). In this manner, the speed with which the neural device is trained (i.e., the training rate) may be significantly increased compared to conventional neural device training systems.
US09542643B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure support operating simultaneously multiple super neuron processing units in an artificial nervous system, wherein a plurality of artificial neurons is assigned to each super neuron processing unit. The super neuron processing units can be interfaced with a memory for storing and loading synaptic weights and plasticity parameters of the artificial nervous system, wherein organization of the memory allows contiguous memory access.
US09542641B2

The present disclosure provides advantageous systems and methods for identifying molecular vulnerabilities in biological pathways and networks. The present disclosure generally involves conceptualizing a disease/disorder at the molecular level as a faulty physiological system, wherein one or more molecules in the complex intracellular signaling network are dysfunctional. This is accomplished by modeling a given physiological system as a digital logic circuit. More particularly, in exemplarily embodiments, binary logic equations are derived by analyzing the interactions between the input and output nodes of a target biological system. These equations are then used to produce a digital circuit representation for the system. Once a digital circuit representation is created, this circuit may advantageously be analyzed, using fault analysis techniques, in order to determine the vulnerability levels of the molecules of the targeted system.
US09542637B2

A radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder may include a substrate and a device. The substrate may be in communication with a controller and an antenna, and the antenna is arranged to receive radio frequency signals. A first side surface of the substrate may include a capacitor. The device may be detachably coupled with the substrate via a conductive member positioned between the structure and the capacitor of the substrate, and the conductive member may be within a desired proximity of the capacitor. The structure may be attached to an attachment surface so that an attachment strength between the structure and the attachment surface may be greater than a force required to decouple the structure from the substrate. When the structure is decoupled from the substrate, the conductive member separates from the capacitor, disabling the transponder.
US09542634B2

A method for the production of a portable data carrier having an integrated circuit and a contact field galvanically connected to the integrated circuit. In an area defined by the contact field, the portable data carrier is shaped and the contact field is embodied such that a direct contacting of the contact field by a contacting component embodied in accordance with the USB standard is possible. The portable data carrier in its final form is produced in chip card technology. Alternatively, an element is produced in chip card technology, which element features the integrated circuit and the contact filed, and data and/or program code required for the operation of the portable data carrier are loaded into the integrated circuit. Subsequently the element is permanently connected to a carrier.
US09542633B2

A membrane which is provided with a membrane surface that represents the functional region of the membrane and which is provided with a tab that projects beyond the membrane surface is described. The membrane and the tab are constructed from a number of layers, wherein at least one of the layers consists of an elastomer. Arranged in the tab is an electronic data carrier. The tab has an upper and a lower layer. The data carrier is enclosed by the layers of the tab and the upper and the lower layer.
US09542630B2

The invention discloses a method of reading data (dat) from a first transponder (TAG1) into a transceiver (REA). Said (dat) are only transmitted from the first transponder (TAG1) to the transceiver (REA) when a second transponder (TAG2) is present within the RFID communication range of the transceiver (REA) and if a positive authentication procedure between the two transponders (TAG1, TAG2) within the RFID communication range of the transceiver (REA) takes place. The second transponder (TAG2) is preferably a stationary transponder (TAG2), whereas the first transponder (TAG1) may be a mobile transponder. The invention further relates to transponders (TAG1, TAG2) as well as to a transceiver (REA) used in such a method of reading data (dat). Furthermore, the invention relates to a poster (POS), to which a first transponder (TAG1) is attached, and to a poster wall (WAL) for attaching such a poster (POS) and a second transponder (TAG2).
US09542628B2

An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit and a controller causing the image forming unit to perform printing in printing periods after respective non-printing periods occurring alternately with the printing periods, determining a number of sheets to be printed in each of the printing periods in accordance with a number of sheets remaining to be printed in a print job, wherein, when printing periods include a first printing period and a second printing period, determining a number of sheets to be printed in the first printing period and determining a number of sheets to be printed in the second printing period which is in relation to the determined number of sheets to be printed in the first printing period, and determining a length of each of the non-printing periods in accordance with the determined number of sheets to be printed in each of the printing periods.
US09542622B2

Various technologies described herein pertain to controlling automated programming for extracting data from an input document. Examples indicative of the data to extract from the input document can be received. The examples can include highlighted regions on the input document. Moreover, the input document can be a semi-structured document (e.g. a text file, a log file, a word processor document, a semi-structured spreadsheet, a webpage, a fixed-layout document, an image file, etc.). Further, an extraction program for extracting the data from the input document can be synthesized based on the examples. The extraction program can be synthesized in a domain specific language (DSL) for a type of the input document. Moreover, the extraction program can be executed on the input document to extract an instance of an output data schema.
US09542620B1

Possible locations of a person of interest are ranked based on LPR instances captured around physical locations and license plate numbers associated with the person of interest. An LPR instance includes an indication of a vehicle license plate number, a physical location, and a time when the LPR instance was captured by a LPR system. A possible location of the person of interest may be a location of an LPR instance that matches the license plate number or an address location associated with the person of interest. The ranking may be based on the number of LPR visits to each location, the number of license plate number matches at each location, or an attribute of a cluster of LPR instances. In some examples, an electronic message is rapidly communicated to an entity if a target license plate number is found at a highly ranked location.
US09542616B1

A method for determining user preferences for data visualizations is provided. The method may include receiving data visualizations. The method may also include collecting the shapes, the line segments, and the colors associated with the data visualizations. The method may further include converting the shapes and the line segments to polygonal outlines. Additionally, the method may include categorizing and measuring the line segments. The method may further include identifying and categorizing the angles formed by the line segments and determining weighted values for the angles. The method may further include calculating the total length for the line segments, and the total weighted value for the angles. The method may also include characterizing the line segments based on the categorization of the line segments and the angles based on the categorization of the angles. The method may further include scoring the at least one data visualization based on the characterizations.
US09542615B2

This invention provides an image processing apparatus including a unit which generates index image data, a unit which obtains a position of thumbnail image data in the index image data, a unit which divides the index image data so as to prevent overlap of the thumbnail image data, a unit which calculates a histogram of a luminance value of image data corresponding to each partial area including the thumbnail image data, a unit which determines image correction characteristics of each piece of image data based on the histogram and performing image correction, and a unit which reconfiguring the index image data using the corrected image data to output the reconfigured index image data.
US09542607B2

A lane boundary line recognition device detects lane boundary line candidates of a roadway from images captured by an in-vehicle camera, judges that the lane boundary line candidate is a lane boundary line of a branch road, and calculates a curvature of the lane boundary line candidate, and recognizes the lane boundary line based on the calculated curvature. The device removes the lane boundary line candidate, which has been judged as the lane boundary line of the branch road, is removed from a group of the lane boundary line candidates, and calculates the curvature of the lane boundary line candidate based on an estimated rate of change of the curvature. The device uses a past curvature calculated predetermined-number of images before when the lane boundary line candidate is the lane boundary line of the branch road, and resets the estimated rate of change of the curvature to zero.
US09542603B2

A videoconferencing endpoint includes at least one processor a number of microphones and at least one camera. The endpoint can receive audio information and visual motion information during a teleconferencing session. The audio information includes one or more angles with respect to the microphone from a location of a teleconferencing session. The audio information is evaluated automatically to determine at least one candidate angle corresponding to a possible location of an active talker. The candidate angle can be analyzed further with respect to the motion information to determine whether the candidate angle correctly corresponds to person who is speaking during the teleconferencing session.
US09542600B2

Disclosed are apparatus and a method for detecting cloud features. The method comprises: obtaining (402) image data (401); identifying (404) regions of the image data corresponding to a below-horizon region and an above-horizon region; classifying (404) one or more parts of the above-horizon region as a cloud feature; determining (409) an identification model specifying a visual appearance of some or all of the parts of the above-horizon region that have been classified as a cloud feature; and using the determined identification model, classifying (404), as cloud features, those regions of the of the below-horizon region whose visual appearance is as specified by the identification model.
US09542596B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus to facilitate the production and presentation of strokes gained golf statistics. Some systems include mobile devices for the collection of essential shot data necessary for producing strokes gained statistics during play. The device travels with a golfer, measures and records distance-to-hole automatically using GPS and/or laser and/or radio technology, in combination with one of various lie-type classifications (tee, fairway, rough, sand, green, recovery, penalty, hazards, etc.) before and after a golf shot as selected by the golfer using human judgement. The device transfers essential shot data to a remote database and receives and displays calculated strokes gained results.
US09542593B2

Techniques are provided in which a plurality of edges are detected within a digital image. An anchor point located along an edge of the plurality of edges is selected. An analysis grid associated with the anchor point is generated, the analysis grid including a plurality of cells. An anchor point normal vector comprising a normal vector of the edge at the anchor point is calculated. Edge pixel normal vectors comprising normal vectors of the edge at locations along the edge within the cells of the analysis grid are calculated. A histogram of similarity is generated for each of one or more cells of the analysis grid, each histogram of similarity being based on a similarity measure between each of the edge pixel normal vectors within a cell and the anchor point normal vector, and a descriptor is generated for the analysis grid based on the histograms of similarity.
US09542589B2

A biometric imager may comprise a plurality of sensor element traces formed in or on a sensor substrate which may comprise at least a portion of a display screen defining a biometric sensing area and forming in-active pixel locations; an auxiliary active circuit formed in or on the sensor substrate on the periphery of the biometric sensing area and in direct or indirect electrical contact with the sensor element traces; and providing a signal processing interface to a remotely located controller integrated circuit. The sensor element traces may form a portion of one dimensional linear sensor array or pixel locations in a two dimensional grid array capacitive gap biometric imaging sensor. The auxiliary circuit may provide pixel location selection or pixel signal amplification. The auxiliary circuit may be mounted on a surface of the display screen. The auxiliary circuit further comprising a separate pixel location selection controller circuit.
US09542586B2

A pattern inspection method according to one aspect of the present invention includes generating a first positional deviation amount map by using data acquired by a pre-scan, generating a second positional deviation amount map by using data acquired by a full scan, generating a first positional deviation difference map by calculating a difference between the first positional deviation amount map and the second positional deviation amount map, generating a third positional deviation amount map from the first positional deviation difference map and the second positional deviation amount map, and judging existence of a value exceeding an allowable value, in values defined by the third positional deviation amount map.
US09542582B2

An optical code or data imaging system and method for forming image data from an item bearing an optical code present in a read volume, including an image splitter, such as a dichroic mirror, operative to transmit light of a first wavelength range from a first field of view of the item toward the imager and reflect light of a second wavelength range from a second field of view of the item toward the imager. The incoming images from both the first and second fields of view are focused, at least primarily, by the same focusing optics and are detected by the same detecting portions or preferably at least some overlapping portions of the imager.
US09542580B2

Described herein is a system and method for the continuous operation of an RFID communication system in a user-friendly manner and to ensure the reliability thereof in a cost-effective manner by uploading and storing configuration data from each active reader into a memory of the management system. A control unit polls an activity status for each active reader at regular time intervals. In the event of an active reader failing, the control unit identifies the failed reader, loads the configuration data for the failed reader from a memory into a specified inactive reader, and activates the specified inactive reader in place of the failed reader to identify the at least one RFID transponder.
US09542578B2

An RFID system includes an RFID antenna assembly configured to be positioned on a product module assembly of a processing system. The product module assembly is configured to releasably engage at least one product container. A first RFID tag assembly configured to be positioned on the at least one product container. The at least one product container is configured to position the first RFID tag assembly within a detection zone of the RFID antenna assembly whenever the product module assembly releasably engages the at least one product container.
US09542574B2

A programmable logic controller includes a device that stores therein data, an authentication-information storage unit that stores therein authentication information, an authentication function unit that performs a user authentication based on the authentication information, and an encryption filter that has a plurality of encryption patterns. When writing of data to the device is requested, the authentication function unit performs the user authentication. When the user authentication is successful, the encryption filter performs the encryption processing to the data with the encryption pattern set in advance by the user to write the data to the device, and when the user authentication fails, the encryption filter performs the encryption processing to the data with one of the encryption patterns that is different from the encryption pattern set in advance by the user to write the data to the device.
US09542570B2

In some example implementations, there is provided a method including determining, from a received request, one or more attributes; sending, by a permission controller, a query to a use case database, the query including the determined attributes to enable an identification by the use case database of a matching use case stored in the use case database; approving, by the permission controller, the requested access to the data, when a response to the query indicates the matching use case was found in the use case database; rejecting, by the permission controller, the requested access to the data, when the response to the query indicates the matching use case was not found in the use case database.
US09542560B2

In a system for providing access control management to electronic data, techniques to secure the electronic data and keep the electronic data secured at all times are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a secured file or secured document includes two parts: an attachment, referred to as a header, and an encrypted document or data portion. The header includes security information that points to or includes the access rules and a file key. The access rules facilitate restrictive access to the secured document and essentially determine who/when/how/where the secured document can be accessed. The file key is used to encrypt/decrypt the encrypted data portion. Only those who have the proper access privileges are permitted to retrieve the file key to encrypt/decrypt the encrypted data portion.
US09542558B2

In various embodiments, methods, devices and systems for securely generating, sealing, and restoring factory-generated calibration and provisioning data for an electronic device are described, in which calibration and provisioning data for an electronic device are generated in a distributed manner and stored on a storage system. The calibration data can be retrieved from the storage system during device assembly and finalized calibration and provisioning data for each electronic device can be stored to the storage system. In one embodiment, a sealing server, to attest to the authenticity of the factory-generated data, seals the finalized calibration data. In one embodiment, an electronic device can access a data store containing the factory-generated data and can update or restore calibration or provisioning data for the device from the data store.
US09542551B2

An information processing apparatus comprises: a manual login unit configured to display a login screen, and to perform user authentication using user information input through the login screen; an auto login unit configured to perform user authentication using user information held beforehand, without displaying the login screen; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a password included in user information of a user who is to log in is required to be changed; and a control unit configured to cause not the auto login unit but the manual login unit to perform the user authentication, in the case where the determination unit determines that the password is required to be changed.
US09542542B2

A system and method provide efficient, secure and highly reliable authentication for transaction processing and/or access control applications in which only biometric input is required from the user. A Personal Digital Key stores a biometric profile that comprises a representation of physical or behavioral characteristics that are uniquely associated with an individual that owns and carries the PDK. The PDK wirelessly transmits the biometric profile over a secure wireless transaction to a Reader for use in a biometric authentication process. The Reader compares the received biometric profile to a biometric input acquired at the point of transaction in order to determine if the transaction should be authorized.
US09542539B2

The method includes identifying an instance of software installed. The method further includes determining a fingerprint corresponding to the instance of software installed. The method further includes determining a security risk associated with the instance of software installed. The method further includes identifying a software management policy for the instance of software based upon the fingerprint, security risk, and designated purpose of the computing device. In one embodiment, the method further includes in response to identifying the software management policy, enforcing, by one or more computer processors, the software management policy on the instance of software installed on the computing device.
US09542530B2

The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for ranking healthcare professionals, including: receiving healthcare information submitted by a user; launching search delegators to search respective channels of social media based on the healthcare information; receiving meta search records from the search delegators; scoring the meta search records based on the healthcare information as well as the channel of social media where the meta search record was found; filtering the meta search records based on the corresponding scores; and providing the filtered meta search records to the user.
US09542527B2

Compositions and methods for nucleic acid sequencing include template constructs that comprise double stranded portions in a partially or completely contiguous constructs, to provide for redundant sequence determination through one or both of sequencing sense and antisense strands, and iteratively sequencing the entire construct multiple times. Additional sequence components are also optionally included within such template constructs. Methods are also provided for the use and preparation of these constructs as well as sequencing compositions for their application.
US09542525B2

A method for designing a personalized medical device includes receiving a template design of a medical device. An image including a patient anatomical geometry is acquired. The template design is combined with the image including the patient anatomical geometry to create a custom medical device design. A region of interest encompassing the sharp concave edge is automatically identified within the custom medical device design using one or more seed points received from a user. Surface smoothing of the custom medical device design is performed within the region of interest to bolster a thickness of the custom medical device design. A 3D-printable model is obtained from the surface smoothed custom medical device design.
US09542513B2

The disclosure contains descriptions of various methods and systems for accelerating the execution of a virtual prototype simulation. Acceleration may be achieved, for example, by providing two or more redundant virtual communication paths for access made by virtual models of a virtual prototype of a hardware design to provide for both accelerated access transactions and time-accurate access transactions. A model having such redundant virtual communication paths is referred to herein as a “multimode model.”
US09542507B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for analyzing a domain are provided. The method includes defining a mask plane that includes a first dimension of a first number of voxels and a second dimension of a second number of voxels, and selecting a plurality of first angles for orientating the mask plane in the domain with respect to a first axis. The method also includes for each one of the plurality of first angles selected populating, using one or more processors, sum cubes associated with each one of a first plurality of subject voxels. The method also includes selecting a plurality of second angles, and for each one of the plurality of second angles selected, calculating a planar sum for each one of a second plurality of subject voxels selected.
US09542505B2

A method for preparing a pattern to be printed on a plate or mask by electron beam lithography comprising the following steps: modelling of the pattern by breaking down this pattern into a set of elementary geometric shapes intended to be printed individually in order to reproduce said pattern and, for each elementary geometric shape of the model; determination of an electrical charge dose to be applied to the electron beam during the individual printing of the elementary shape, this dose being chosen from a discrete set of doses including several non-zero predetermined doses recorded in memory. The set of elementary geometric shapes is a bidimensional paving of identical elementary geometric shapes covering the pattern to be printed. In addition, when the doses to be applied to the elementary geometric shapes are determined, a discretization error correction is made by dithering.
US09542501B2

Viewing of web pages is improved by prioritizing image rendering based on positioning of images within a web page. For example, for images that are likely to be initially viewable upon presentation of the web page (i.e., prior to scrolling), compressed proxy versions are made available so that the images can be transferred and rendered more quickly. These compressed proxy images are later replaced with better quality renderings of the same images. Fetching of images that are not initially visible can be deferred until after other, more important page resources are loaded. Prioritization of page loading in this manner helps to ensure that the page becomes operational earlier, resulting in improved perceived speed and responsiveness, and greater ease of navigation.
US09542499B2

A method and apparatus for providing a mobile service with the use of a code pattern is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprising: taking a photograph of a code pattern image, decoding the photographed code pattern image so as to obtain code information, extracting uniform resource locator (URL) information corresponding to the code information, transmitting a content information request message to a service provider server corresponding to the URL information, and receiving content information corresponding to the URL information from the service provider server. According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide various and convenient mobile services to mobile terminal users using a mobile terminal, having a camera, and a code pattern containing the URL information.
US09542478B2

Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for viewing hierarchical data. One disclosed approach provides a method and system for viewing and navigating through hierarchical data while maintaining a hierarchical context that allows for the user to traverse up and down the hierarchy.
US09542470B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method and apparatus for obtaining the content in a screenshot. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, content organization information associated with the screenshot may be obtained, wherein the content organization information may include the structure and data of one or more data objects associated with the content in the screenshot. The content in the screenshot may be determined based on the content organization information.
US09542466B2

Techniques for distributed storage using a plurality of computing devices connected to a network can include storing an electronic file in a local storage layer of one of the computing devices. The stored electronic file can be asymmetrically transmitted, in portions, over the network to other computing devices to store the file across the other computing devices in a distributed storage layer. The electronic file can be asynchronously transmitted over the network to a cloud storage layer such that the electronic file is mirrored in the cloud storage layer. The local storage layer of each computing device can store, for each electronic file stored in the distributed storage layer, metadata having pointers to locations of the portions the electronic files stored in the local storage layer and distributed storage layer. The electronic files stored in the distributed storage layer can be displayed as stored in a single logical drive.
US09542452B1

A system and a method for identifying and ranking agents are disclosed herein. The system includes an analytics engine which retrieves information from external and internal databases. The analytics engine uses the information retrieved from these databases, in addition to one or more success factors or key attributes, to identify and rank prospective agents. The analytics engine can also match one or more prospective agents with a general agent and provide ranking and performance assessment reports for evaluating and following up on the agent's career development.
US09542444B2

Multiquery optimization is performed in the context of RDF/SPARQL. Heuristic algorithms partition an input batch of queries into groups such that each group of queries can be optimized together. The optimization incorporates an efficient algorithm to discover the common sub-structures of multiple SPARQL queries and an effective cost model to compare candidate execution plans. No assumptions are made about the underlying SPARQL query engine. This provides portability across different RDF stores.
US09542439B1

A CaQL API is provided by receiving a query directed to a catalog that includes metadata. A catalog access target is determined based at least in part on one or more of the following: a CaQL keyword which is included in the query, a name of a table in the catalog which is included in the query, or a predicate which is included in the query. A catalog function is generated based at least in part on the CaQL keyword and the catalog function is performed on the catalog access target.
US09542436B2

A non-conformance analysis system may have an associative memory subsystem populated with information involving a plurality of entities defining different attributes of a component, with each entity being categorized under a user defined entity type, the entities and entity types forming an associative memory. A user input device may be used for enabling a user to input a query concerning the component, and to obtain information useful for managing a lifecycle of said component. An associative memory entity analytics engine in communication with the associative memory subsystem, and responsive to said user input device, searches the associative memory using the information provided in the query to retrieve entities helpful to the user in assessing the lifecycle of the component.
US09542433B2

Systems and methods for ensuring the quality of identity and access management information at a computing system are described. Access right information that respectively corresponds to one or more access rights may be stored at a data store. The access right information may be stored in accordance with a data model that defines respective relationships between the access rights and both the users having access to the computing system and the computing resources of the computing system. At least a portion of the access right information may be retrieved, and quality assurance tasks may be performed using the portion of the access right information retrieved.
US09542431B2

A cyclic commit protocol is used to store relationships between transactions and is used by the technology to determine whether a transaction is committed or not. The protocol allows creation of a cycle of transactions which can be used to recover the state of a storage device after a host failure by identifying the last committed version of intention records as committed or uncommitted based on the data stored in the physical pages.
US09542426B2

Data can be stored in a memory for an in-memory processing system such the data is available for processing as soon as it is needed to be processed. A first portion and a second portion of the data can be stored in the memory of the in-memory processing system for processing by the in-memory processing system, such that the second portion of the data is stored in the memory before the in-memory processing system completes the processing of the first portion of the data, thereby allowing the in-memory processing system to process the second portion of the data when the processing system is able to process the second portion of the data.
US09542423B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for storing data are disclosed. In some implementations, visual representations of files are generated for presentation in a backup user interface. The visual representations are generated from sparse file system metadata stored on the computing device, thus allowing faster navigating of the backup user interface. During a restore operation, the metadata can be used to retrieve the items from their physical storage locations. In some implementations, when the storage capacity of a backup storage device exceeds a threshold, the data for the N oldest backups are replaced with sparse file system metadata, which can be used to generate visual representations for presentation in the backup user interface.
US09542419B1

A similarity search may be performed on the image of a person, using visual characteristics and information that is known about the person. The search identifies images of other persons that are similar in appearance to the person in the image.
US09542418B2

Disclosed is an optical time-stamping device, including an optical instrument with a retina having a field of view and being able to produce on the retina images of the field of view, and a high accuracy reference clock signal receive. The time-stamping device also includes: a lighting source at a distance from the retina of an optical instrument, and configured to emit a light signal in the direction of the retina of an optical instrument and in the field of view of an optical instrument, and a control unit connected to the reference clock signal receiver by a first connection and to the lighting source by a second connection, and configured for controlling the lighting source for emitting a light signal in a synchronized way with the reference clock signal. An associated image sensing system and optical time-stamping method are also disclosed.
US09542408B2

A method and system for large data and distributed disk cache processing in a Pneuron platform 100. The system and method include three specific interoperable but distributed functions: the adapter/cache Pneuron 14 and distributed disk files 34, a dynamic memory mapping tree 50, and distributed disk file cleanup 28. The system allows for large data processing considerations and the ability to access and acquire information from large data sets 102a, 102b and rapidly distribute and provide the information to subsequent Pneurons 104 for processing. The system also provides the ability to store large result sets, the ability to deal with sequential as well as asynchronous parallel processing, the ability to address large unstructured data; web logs, email, web pages, etc., as well as the ability to handle failures to large block processing.
US09542397B1

Systems and methods for backing up data and for restoring at least sub-sets of the backed up data or for restoring sub-sets of data from a single file. An offset map is generated when backing up data. The offset map identifies at least starting locations of files and data records in the backup. A request for specific data is accommodated by identified the start locations of the specific data and then extracting the requested data from the backup. The requested data can then be restored independently of the entire backup.
US09542395B2

Systems and methods described herein provide for determining alternative names for a target name. A plurality of candidate alternative names is retrieved. For example, if the target name is “bush”, the candidate alternative names may include “George W. Bush”, “George H. W. Bush”, “Jeb Bush”, “Bush, Illinois (location)”, and “Bush (plant)”. A plurality of information sources associated with the target name are identified (e.g., documents, media assets or other information associated with “bush”). A first value and a second value are computed for a first candidate name (e.g., “George W. Bush”) and second candidate name (“George H. W. Bush”), respectively, based on how many of the identified information sources refer to the first and second candidate names, respectively. In response to determining that the first value exceeds the second value, the first candidate name, instead of the second candidate name, is assigned as an alternative name for the target name.
US09542392B2

An electronic publishing platform maps supplemental content layers associated with one or more paired target documents, such as user-generated content layers associated with the paired target documents, into a source document. The publishing platform correlates content items in the source document to content items in the paired target documents. Based on the correlation, the publishing platform generates indexes mapping the source document content items to the paired target document content items. The publishing platform uses the indexes to map supplemental content layers associated with the paired target document to the source document.
US09542388B2

A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for identifying unchecked criteria in unstructured and semi-structured data within a form. Text spans representing unchecked criteria within unstructured text in a form are detected and classified to facilitate accurate interpretation of the text. Section identification and annotation operations are then performed to identify and categorize sections within the form. Checklist sections within the form, along with associated checkmarks and boxes, are then identified, followed by the identification of checked item, criteria scope, and previously undetected checklist sections. Once all checklist sections and checked criteria have been identified, remaining text spans within a checklist section are annotated as unchecked criteria.
US09542387B2

Some embodiments of an efficient string search have been presented. In one embodiment, a string of bytes representing content written in a non-delimited language is received, wherein the content has been classified into a predetermined category. In a single pass through the string of bytes, a set of N-grams is searched for simultaneously. Statistical information on occurrences of the N-grams, if any, in the string of bytes is collected. In some embodiments, a model is generated based on the statistical information, where the model is usable by a content filter to classify content.
US09542380B2

A computing system is disclosed including a computer processor configured to receive a selection of a template and identify a data field in the template. The data field indicates financial data to fill in the data field. The computer processor is configured to retrieve the financial data for the data field from stored financial data and generate a document according to the selected template. The generated document has the financial data within the data field.
US09542379B1

A user device receives a user input that causes an electronic publication to have a modified state. The user device generates data that, when used to render the electronic publication, causes the electronic publication to have the modified state. The user device transmits the data to a server.
US09542373B2

Methods and apparatus for compressing webpage text are provided. According to a webpage-opening request of a mobile terminal browser, a current language environment of the terminal is obtained. According to the language environment, a character container corresponding to the language environment is initialized. Requested webpage data are received. The received webpage data are parsed. The webpage data are merged and stored using the corresponding character container. During the initializing of the corresponding character container according to the language environment, it is determined whether the language environment belongs to Latin languages. When the language environment belongs to Latin languages, the character container is initialized to store utf-8 encoded data. Otherwise, the character container is initialized to store utf-16 encoded data. The present disclosure can intelligently determine a storage method according to the language environment, optimize and adapt stored content, and effectively reduce the browser memory occupied by the webpage data.
US09542372B2

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for performing one or more actions utilizing a uniform resource locator. These mechanisms and methods for performing one or more actions utilizing a uniform resource locator can enable improved overall URL usage, more efficient search engine URL results, improved URL comprehension by users, etc.
US09542370B2

A method and apparatus for sharing webpage JavaScript objects are disclosed. An embodiment of the invention provides a method for sharing JavaScript objects of webpages that are provided by a server by way of a browser executed at a user client. The method includes: (a) storing a shared JavaScript object from among one or more JavaScript objects of a first webpage in a predefined object storage area; (b) checking for a shared JavaScript object in a second webpage; and (c) forming the second webpage with the shared JavaScript object extracted, where the object storage area is positioned in a JavaScript context.
US09542366B2

Various features and processes related to document collaboration are disclosed. In some implementations, animations are presented when updating a local document display to reflect changes made to the document at a remote device. In some implementations, a user can selectively highlight changes made by collaborators in a document. In some implementations, a user can select an identifier associated with another user to display a portion of a document that includes the other user's cursor location. In some implementations, text in document chat sessions can be automatically converted into hyperlinks which, when selected, cause a document editor to perform an operation.
US09542353B2

A memory circuit system and method are provided. An interface circuit is capable of communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. In use, the interface circuit is operable to interface the memory circuits and the system for reducing command scheduling constraints of the memory circuits.
US09542351B2

A memory controller comprises a connection interface connected or connectable to a memory. The memory controller is arranged to read data from the memory via the connection interface. The memory controller further comprises a clock unit arranged to provide a data transfer clock signal having a first frequency. The data transfer clock signal may be provided to the memory via the connection interface. The data transfer clock signal is arranged for clocking a data transfer from the memory to the memory controller via the connection interface as well as an oversampling circuit arranged to sample a calibration data pattern read by the memory controller via the connection interface at a second frequency to provide an over-sampled calibration data pattern. The second frequency is larger than the first frequency. The memory controller is arranged to determine a timing shift of a data transfer from the memory to the memory controller based on the oversampled calibration data pattern.
US09542350B1

A method of authenticating shared peripheral component interconnect express devices of a switched fabric includes associating at least one requester identifier with a physical function of a device on the switched fabric and instantiating a virtual function of the device based on the physical function. The virtual function includes the associated at least one requester identifier. The method further includes accepting memory-mapped input/output traffic through the virtual function only from a requester having a corresponding requester identifier matching an associated requester identifier of the virtual function. The method may also include allowing a write operation of the virtual function or the physical function only to an address residing within an allowable address range associated with the device.
US09542334B2

A method and data processing system for accessing an entry in a memory array by placing a tag memory unit (114) in parallel with an operand adder circuit (112) to enable tag lookup and generation of speculative way hit/miss information (126) directly from the operands (111, 113) without using the output sum of the operand adder. PGZ-encoded address bits (0:51) from the operands (111, 113) are applied with a carry-out value (Cout48) to a content-addressable memory array (114) having compact bitcells with embedded partial A+B=K logic to generate two speculative hit/miss signals under control of a delayed evaluate signal. A sum value (EA51) computed from the least significant base and offset address bits determines which of the speculative hit/miss signals is selected for output (126).
US09542331B2

Mechanisms for concurrent update of data in cache with destage of data from the cache to disk by a processor device. A second copy of the data is established in the cache and on a cache directory. A first copy of the data and the second copy of the data are adjacently ordered in the cache directory. One of the first and second copies is held for an update operation so as to include a latest data modification, while the remaining copy concurrently is used for a destage operation to disk.
US09542327B2

Methods and structure for selective cache mirroring. One embodiment includes a control unit and a memory. The memory is able to store indexing information for a multi-device cache for a logical volume. The control unit is able to receive an Input/Output (I/O) request from a host directed to a Logical Block Address (LBA) of the logical volume, to consult the indexing information to identify a cache line for storing the I/O request, and to store the I/O request at the cache line on a first device of the cache. The control unit is further able to mirror the I/O request to another device of the cache if the I/O request is a write request, and to complete the I/O request without mirroring the I/O request to another device of the cache if the I/O request is a read request.
US09542324B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for intelligent data caching behavior. In an embodiment, a method may comprise receiving a read or write command for specific data, determining related data associated with the specific data, and directing the related data be stored to a cache. In another embodiment, a system may comprise a host device, and at least one driver operating on the host device. The at least one driver may be configured to intercept read or write command from the host device to a data storage device regarding specific data, obtain information from the host device to determine associated data related to the specific data, and direct the data storage device to store the associated data to a cache memory.
US09542322B2

Once or more embodiments manage access to data by accelerator systems in an out-of-core processing environment. In one embodiment, a request from an accelerator system is received for access to a given data set. An access context associated with the given data set is determined. The accelerator system is dynamically configured, based on the access context that has been determined, based on the access context that has been determined, to one of access the given data set directly from the server system; locally store a portion of the given data set in a memory; and locally store all of the given data set in the memory.
US09542318B2

A method for managing a cache memory of a storage system, the method may include storing a first retrieval metadata of a first data that is cached in the cache memory, in response to an expected or an actual occurrence of a cache memory consuming event; wherein the cache memory consuming event involves storing second data in the cache memory for a second caching period; replacing, in the cache memory, the first data by the second data; wherein the second caching period is a fraction of a first caching period associated with the first data; and evicting the second data from the cache memory and retrieving the first data to the cache memory in response to an actual or estimated end of the cache memory consuming event; wherein the retrieving of the first data involves retrieving the first data from a storage unit that differs from the cache memory while using the first retrieval metadata.
US09542307B2

Shiftable memory that supports defragmentation includes a memory having built-in shifting capability, and a memory defragmenter to shift a page of data representing a contiguous subset of data stored in the memory from a first location to a second location within the memory to be adjacent to another page of stored data. A method of memory defragmentation includes defining an array in memory cells of the shiftable memory and performing a memory defragmentation using the built-in shifting capability of the shiftable memory to shift a data page stored in the array.
US09542306B2

A method or system for allocating the storage space of a storage medium into a permanently allocated media cache storage region; a dynamically mapped media cache storage region, and statically mapped storage region, wherein the dynamically mapped media cache storage region is used for performance and/or reliability enhancing functions.
US09542304B1

Technologies are provided herein for automated operating system installation. Through the concepts and technologies presented herein, the process of installing multiple operating systems on a system under test (“SUT”) can be automated and monitored, thereby permitting the unattended installation of the operating systems. Multiple operating systems can be installed and errors detected during the installations can be logged in an automated fashion, thereby reducing the cost of such testing. Errors generated during the automated installation process can be analyzed and utilized to identify and correct errors in a computing system firmware. A device selector for facilitating the automated installation process is also provided.
US09542299B2

A method, apparatus, computer program and computer program product for processing core data produced by a computer process to identify data relevant to the computer process, the method comprising the steps of: identifying core data for a computer process; identifying trace data comprising sequential trace entries for the computer process; selecting a predetermined number of most recent entries in the trace data; identifying any references to a memory address in each selected trace data entry; dereferencing each identified memory address in the core data; and extracting the data from the dereferenced memory location in the core data.
US09542295B2

Inducing perturbation by varying a supply amount of the resource type in the system and measuring performance of the software entity at multiple variation levels of the supply amount of the resource type in the system. A model may be built that characterizes a relationship between the measured performance and the variation levels. The model may be applied to detect the resource bottleneck. The model may be also applied for capacity planning.
US09542290B1

Data is replicated into a memory cache with non-naturally aligned data boundaries to reduce the time needed to generate test cases for testing a processor. Placing data in the non-naturally aligned data boundaries as described herein allows replicated testing of the memory cache while preserving double word and quad word boundaries in segments of the replicated test data. This allows test cases to be generated for a section of memory and then replicated throughout the memory and tested by a single test branching back and using the next strand of the replicated test data in the memory cache.
US09542288B2

A server motherboard diagnosis method, system, and related circuit system. A management module of the server motherboard and peripheral devices managed by the management module are capable of being powered by a server power source and a USB port. In response to the management module and the peripheral devices being powered by the USB port, a power supply line of the server power source is isolated, as by: identifying the peripheral devices, in response to the management module and the peripheral devices being powered by the USB port; for each of the identified peripheral devices, initializing the peripheral device, and then shutting down the power supply of the peripheral device; establishing a communication between the management module and a diagnosis host through the USB port; and executing a command in response to the command being received from the diagnosis host.
US09542279B2

Replay of data transactions is initiated in a data storage application. Pages of a log segment directory characterizing metadata for a plurality of log segment are loaded into memory. Thereafter, redundant pages within the log segment directory are removed. It is then determined, based on the log segment directory, which log segments need to be accessed. These log segments are accessed to execute the log replay. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09542276B2

Techniques to backup collaboration server data are disclosed. An indication to begin backup of a collaboration server dataset is received. An associated directory is walked in a prescribed order to divide the dataset into a prescribe number of approximately equal-sized subsets. A separate subset-specific thread is used to back up the subsets in parallel. In some embodiments in which the collaboration data is stored in multiple volumes, a volume-based approach is used to back up the volumes in parallel, e.g., one volume per thread. In some embodiments, transaction logs are backed up in parallel with volumes of collaboration data.
US09542271B2

A method and an apparatus for reducing a read latency are provided. The method includes: when one or more flash chips corresponding to a read command are in a busy state, setting data read from the one or more flash chips in a busy state to wrong data; obtaining, according to the wrong data and data read from other flash chips, reconstructed correct data, and reporting the correct data. By using the present invention, data read from a flash chip is set to wrong data, and reconstructed correct data is obtained according to the wrong data and data read from other flash chips. In this way, when the flash chip is in a busy state, it can be avoided that a read operation is blocked by an erase operation or a write operation, thereby effectively reducing latency and improving a performance of a storage system.
US09542270B2

An error detection-correction unit reads system information for operating a system from a first memory and performs error detection-correction processing. A control unit supplies the system information to a host computer in a case where the error detection-correction processing is successful. In addition, the control unit reads a backup of the system information from a second memory that is different from the first memory and supplies the backup of the system information to the host computer in a case where the detection-correction processing fails.
US09542266B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a combinational circuit to output a state value and a parity value, a first parity check circuit to perform a parity check based on the state value and the parity value stored in a first FF circuit and output a first parity error, a second parity check circuit to perform a parity check based on the state value and the parity value stored in a second FF circuit and output a second parity error, and a selector to, when the first parity error is not output but the second parity error is output, output the state value in the first FF circuit to the combinational circuit, and when the first parity error is output but the second parity error is not output, output the state value in the second FF circuit to the combinational circuit.
US09542260B2

Management of storage used by pageable guests of a computing environment is facilitated. A query instruction is provided that details information regarding the storage location indicated in the query. It specifies whether the storage location, if protected, is protected by host-level protection or guest-level protection.
US09542247B2

Embodiments may include sharing application management data between sandboxed applications on a device. A method includes sending application management data from a first sandboxed application in a first sandbox on the device to a sharing service external to the first sandbox. The method further includes receiving at a second sandboxed application in a second sandbox on the device, a representation of the application management data. Based on the representation of the application management data, the method includes performing an application management function.
US09542245B2

A method and computing device are provided for processing user events received via a user interface, such as a touchscreen, in multiple threads. When a user event is received for a target element in a webpage, the user event is dispatched to both a main browser thread and a secondary thread. The secondary thread processes user events in accordance with established default actions defined within the browser, while the main thread processes the user events in accordance with any event handlers defined for that target element. The main thread processing may be delayed by other interleaved task, and the secondary thread may be given priority over the main thread. When the secondary thread completes processing, an updated webpage is displayed. When the main thread subsequently completes processing, its updated rendering of the webpage is displayed. The secondary thread thus provides an early user interface response to the user event.
US09542234B2

In an approach to grouping tasks initialized by a first user, one or more computer processors receive a first task initialization by a first user. The one or more computer processors determine whether one or more additional tasks contained in one or more task groups are in use by the first user. Responsive to determining one or more additional tasks contained in one or more task groups are in use, the one or more computer processors determine whether the first task is related to at least one task of the one or more additional tasks. Responsive to determining the first task is related to at least one task of the one or more additional tasks, the one or more computer processors add the first task to the task group containing the at least one related task of the one or more additional tasks.
US09542217B2

A system that compares first information corresponding to an amount of a first type of resource used when a first virtual machine is executed in an idle state with second information corresponding to an amount of the first type of resource used when a second virtual machine is executed, and determines whether the second virtual machine is in the idle state based on the comparison.
US09542215B2

Migration of a pool of virtual machines to a target physical machine. The virtual machines were all provisioned into an initial state using a master image. Thereafter, changes to the state were reflected in corresponding user delta collections for each of the virtual machines. In preparation for the migration to the target physical machine, a pool is allocated on the target machine. The target pool is associated with the same master image as the source pool. The virtual machines are provisioned within the target pool based on the master image. The virtual machines in the target pool are then connected to the corresponding user delta collection, allowing the virtual machines to continue in the same state in the target machine as when they operated in while last operating in the source machine. The target machine may be as master service provider.
US09542209B2

User profiles of remote desktops are managed in a crash-consistent manner. When a user logs into a remote desktop, metadata of the user profile is loaded from persistent storage while registry settings and files of the user profile are loaded asynchronously with respect to the login. During the remote desktop session, snapshots of the remote desktop image in persistent storage are generated periodically, and a change log that indicates changes to the user profile is created therefrom. The user profile stored in persistent storage is updated lazily using the change log at opportunistic times after snapshot generation. When the user logs out of the remote desktop, the user profile stored in the persistent storage is updated with any additional changes to the user profile by extracting the changes from the copy-on-write cache associated with the most recent snapshot.
US09542202B2

Providing a bridge interface for managing virtual workspaces is disclosed. A plurality of workspace images is presented in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of a computer system. A user input indicating a selection of a presented workspace image is received. The user interface is updated to display a plurality of application windows associated with the selected virtual workspace in addition to displaying the plurality of workspace images.
US09542198B2

A dynamically reconfigurable framework manages processing applications in order to meet time-varying constraints to select an optimal hardware architecture. The optimal architecture satisfies time-varying constraints including for example, supplied power, required performance, accuracy levels, available bandwidth, and quality of output such as image reconstruction. The process of determining an optimal solution is defined in terms of multi-objective optimization using Pareto-optimal realizations.
US09542191B2

A hardware profiling mechanism implemented by performance monitoring hardware enables page level automatic binary translation. The hardware during runtime identifies a code page in memory containing potentially optimizable instructions. The hardware requests allocation of a new page in memory associated with the code page, where the new page contains a collection of counters and each of the counters corresponds to one of the instructions in the code page. When the hardware detects a branch instruction having a branch target within the code page, it increments one of the counters that has the same position in the new page as the branch target in the code page. The execution of the code page is repeated and the counters are incremented when branch targets fall within the code page. The hardware then provides the counter values in the new page to a binary translator for binary translation.
US09542188B2

Provided is a hardware debugging apparatus and method for a software-pipelined program. The hardware debugging apparatus and method overcome a currency problem caused during hardware debugging in the software-pipelined program by guarding certain execution blocks and restarting the processing of the software-pipelined program.
US09542186B2

A processor includes an instruction decoder to receive an instruction having a first operand, a second operand, and a third operand, and an execution unit coupled to the instruction decoder to execute the instruction, the execution unit to individually perform a shift operation by at least one bit for each of a plurality of data elements stored in a storage location indicated by the second operand, for each of the data elements that has an overflow in response to the shift-left operation, to carry over the overflow into an adjacent data element based on a first bitmask obtained from the third operand, generating a final result, and to store the final result in a storage location indicated by the first operand.
US09542185B2

An allocation system and a method for allocating an architectural register in a system having one or more mapping tables. When the allocation system detects a plurality of available architectural registers to an allocation target virtual register, it identifies adjacent instructions to all instructions having the allocation target virtual register in its destination operand, counts the number of uses of the architectural register appearing in the destination operand for each architectural register, summing the number of uses for each architectural register for each entry group in one or more mapping tables having the same assignment rule for correlations with the architectural registers, calculating the total of the numbers of uses of entries for each entry group, and allocating the architectural register to the allocation target virtual register such that the total of the numbers of uses of entries for each entry group approaches uniformity.
US09542181B2

An identification method is provided. The method includes generating dictionaries comprising a product taxonomy and associated base entities comprising sub-sets within a plurality of software products. Data entities are located from unstructured text of the dictionaries. Locating the data entities includes locating long distance word matches within the unstructured text. Ontologies are populated with the entities and relationships between the data entities are determined.
US09542177B1

The states or configurations of peer hosts within a host class may be analyzed and enforced by comparing records of the respective systems' states or configurations to one another and taking steps to address any inconsistencies between the records. In such a manner, the respective systems within the host class may identify, analyze and/or correct any changes in states or configurations of any of the systems, which may have been caused by a malfunction or security breach. The configurations may include one or more of a set of data, a version of a software application, a level of permission, a particular operational setting or any other element of operation. The hosts may be defined as peers based on a common location or a common function of each of the systems, or on any other basis, and the records may include any relevant data relating to the states or configurations of each of the systems.
US09542172B2

In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to automatically download and install updates to applications installed on the mobile device. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on how the mobile device is connected to a network that provides access to the application updates. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on whether the mobile device has previously downloaded applications or application updates from a caching server. In some implementations, indicia can be presented on a graphical user interface of the mobile device to indicate which applications have been updated. In some implementations, an application update can be downloaded while the corresponding application is in use by the user. The application can be installed when the application is no longer being used by the user.
US09542171B2

Techniques for managing application maintenance include receiving, from a user in an on-premise computing environment that includes a client landscape, a request to perform an application maintenance process for an application operable in the client landscape; initiating a communication to an on-demand computing environment, the communication including a description of the application maintenance process; receiving a plan of the application maintenance process from the on-demand computing environment, the plan including one or more links to media for completing the application maintenance process; obtaining the media through the one or more links in the plan; and initiating the application maintenance process with at least a portion of the obtained media from the client landscape in the on-premise computing environment.
US09542166B2

In accordance with various embodiments, systems and methods are provided which facilitate inferring immutability of variables. A compiler analyzes local variables within source code to determine whether they are immutable. In particular embodiments the compiler examines locations where each variable is assigned to determine whether the variable was definitely unassigned before the assignment. Because the compiler can infer whether a local variable is immutable, it is possible for the programmer to avoid using a keyword to expressly declare the local variable as immutable. Inferring immutability of variables, thus, maintains correctness of the compiled code while reducing the burden on the programmer.
US09542163B2

Embodiments of a system and method are described for generating and distributing programming to mobile devices over a network. Devices are provided with Players specific to each device and Applications that are device independent. Embodiments include a full-featured WYSIWYG authoring environment, including the ability to bind web components to objects.
US09542161B2

The invention relates to a method and a system for the generation of a source code for a computer program for the execution and simulation of a process, comprising the following steps: analysis of a process description in which a process is presented in the form of at least one matrix (S-PM) wherein, in the matrix, subjects and process phases are linked to actions in such a way that it is determined by the matrix which actions are executed by which subject in the respective process phases, wherein with the aid of predetermined rules during analysis, messages are generated which are exchanged between the subjects, and automatic generation of a source code with the aid of the information contained in the matrix on the subjects and actions and with the aid of the messages determined by the analysis.
US09542160B2

A computer implemented method includes extracting requirement data from a software development system, the requirement data defining a software development requirement during a predetermined period of time. The method further includes extracting from the software development system an indication of a state of software development at the beginning of the period of time, and an indication of a state of software development at the end of the period of time. The method further includes calculating a change in the state of software development during the period of time and generating a report that enables comparing the calculated change in the state of software development with the software development requirement. A computer readable medium product and a data processing system are also disclosed.
US09542158B2

A new mathematical technique called the T-sequence is a primality testing method. A similar approach can be applied to perform fast factoring for numerous special cases, a method that can, in all likelihood, be extended to the general case, making possible a general and fast factoring algorithm. The same T-sequence can be used to construct a prime number formula and a good random number generator.
US09542143B2

A communication apparatus capable of storing a facsimile signal with high quality. A modem processing unit performs facsimile communication. A modulated digital signal storing unit stores a digital signal that is modulated by the modem processing unit in order to transmit to an opposite-side apparatus in the facsimile communication into a storage unit without converting into an analog signal. A demodulated digital signal storing unit stores a digital signal that is obtained by demodulating a signal received from the opposite-side apparatus in the facsimile communication by the modem processing unit into the storage unit.
US09542141B2

A printing apparatus including: an interface; a printing unit configured to print a print image included in a print job on a sheet; and a control device configured to: receive the print job via the interface; generate a log image in accordance with the print image included in the print job, the log image comprising the print image and attribute data; generate a job log in accordance with the print job, the job log comprising particular information, related to the print job, other than the print image; transmit the job log to a storage device via the interface; determine whether a predetermined condition is satisfied; and transmit the log image to the storage device via the interface, when determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied.
US09542138B2

A printing control apparatus is provided. The printing control apparatus includes a storage unit which stores at least one image, a profile generation unit which generates a profile to perform quick printing with respect to the stored image, a link forming unit which searches for at least one image forming apparatus in the vicinity of the printing control apparatus in a wireless communication manner, and forms a wireless communication link with the searched image forming apparatus, a communication interface which transmits the generated profile to the image forming apparatus with which the link is formed, and a controller which controls the communication interface to transmit an image which is requested to be transmitted by the image forming apparatus with which the link is formed in response to the transmitted profile.
US09542126B2

Methods and structure are provided for defining span sizes for Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) systems. One embodiment is a RAID controller that includes a control system and a span manager. The control system is able to identify storage devices coupled with the controller and is able to receive input requesting the creation of a RAID logical volume. The span manager is able to define multiple RAID spans to implement the volume, each span comprising one or more of the coupled storage devices, at least one of the spans including a different number of drives than at least one other span.
US09542119B2

Methods for providing non-volatile solid-state mass storage media with different service levels for different types of data associated with different applications. The method includes partitioning the non-volatile solid-state mass storage media into at least first and second volumes, individually assigning different service levels to the first and second volumes based on a type of data to be stored in the first and second volumes and based on the first and second volumes having different data retention requirements and/or data reliability requirements, and then performing service maintenance on data stored within at least the first volume according to the service level of the first volume.
US09542106B2

Dynamically creates a cloned target volume by cloning a production volume without breaking a Flashcopy chain for continuing an ingestion of a Flashcopy backup target volume.
US09542105B2

Methods, apparatus and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include defining a source data volume including a first multiple of source snapshots, and storing the first multiple of the source snapshots in a first storage pool including a second multiple of storage regions having respective identifiers. Upon receiving a request to copy the source data volume to a target data volume in a second storage pool, a first given source snapshot including a first set of the storage regions is accessed, and a second given source snapshot preceding the first given source snapshot is identified, the second given source snapshot including a second set of the storage regions. A set difference of the second and the first sets of the storage regions is identified, and respective identifiers of the set difference are stored to the target volume.
US09542097B2

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed to provide a virtual touchpad for a touch device. A placement module places a virtual touchpad at a dynamic location within a touch sensitive area of a touch device. A touch input module positions a pointer on a screen of the touch device in response to a touch input on the virtual touchpad.
US09542088B2

A digital device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed, in which a scroll bar different from that provided when a user input for a front side is detected is provided to control the front side if a digital device, which enables double-sided touch recognition, detects a user input for a rear side.
US09542078B2

A communication apparatus includes a detection unit and a display control unit. The detection unit detects a network. The display control unit causes a display unit to display information. In a case where information about a provider providing a network is not obtained from the network detected by the detection unit, the display control unit causes the display unit to display identification information about the network. In a case where information about a provider providing the network is obtained from the network, the display control unit causes the display unit to display information about the provider instead of causing identification information about the network to be displayed.
US09542074B2

Current interactive voice response (IVR) systems only allow customers to interact with a company's database using a telephone keypad or by speech recognition. Such IVR systems require a customer to listen to and remember instructions or options presented by the IVR system. The instructions may be complicated, or there may be many options. An embodiment of the present invention enhances an IVR system by composing visual representations of states of the IVR system to display to the customer and enabling the customer to interact with the IVR via the visual representations. The use of the visual representations enables a user to interact with the IVR in a simplified and more expedient manner in part because a linear set of options is presented in a randomly-accessible list or tree structure format.
US09542071B2

A device, system, and method may variously include a network interface device communicatively coupled to a user interface and a processor, coupled to the network interface device, configured to cause the user interface to display a newsfeed including social network content items, the newsfeed being configured to scroll to display ones of the social network content items on the user interface. At least one of the content items includes a title and content. The content item is configurable in an expanded state corresponding to displaying all of the content of the content item upon a user selection and a contracted state corresponding to displaying a sub-portion of the content. The newsfeed is configured to display the content items in the contracted state upon the social network content item scrolling onto the user interface without respect to the content item being in an expanded state when previously displayed.
US09542067B2

Electronic panel system, an arrangement and methods for providing enriched visualization possibilities and user-controlled interaction experience with life-size and real-looking 3D models of real objects are provided. The arrangement comprising a virtual product assistant sub-system and the electronic panel system facilitates receiving real-time product information related to current state of 3D model representing real object displayed on the electronic panel system. Advanced user-controlled interactions with the displayed 3D model is made possible to perform deletion interaction, addition interaction, immersive interactions, linked movement interactions, interaction for getting un-interrupted view of internal parts using transparency-opacity effect, inter-interactions, liquid and fumes flow interactions, extrusive and intrusive interactions, time bound changes based interactions, environment mapping based interactions and engineering disintegration interactions with the displayed 3D model. The 3D model displayed is preferably a life-size 3D model, which can be further zoomed to view detailing without any blurring.
US09542066B2

A framework is provided for obtaining window information. The window information can be applied to different assignment models to assign windows to different groups. A group may correspond to a task being performed by a user. The window information can be semantic or temporal information captured as window events and properties of windows whose events are captured. Temporal information can be information about switches between windows. Semantic information can be window titles. Temporal information, semantic information, or both, can be used to assign windows to groups.
US09542065B2

A mobile communication device and non-transitory computer readable memory is provided. A processor executes instructions to provide a parser for parsing at least one skinning theme document into a template describing rendering characteristics of a graphical interface, the skinning theme document identifying at least one data element. The instructions also provide an interaction interface for receiving from data from at least one application associated with one or more of the at least one data element. A renderer is provided for rendering the received data on a display in accordance with the template as the graphical interface wherein the graphical interface presents one or more data elements of the at least one application that is rendered.
US09542063B1

A method is used in managing alert thresholds. An integrated slider settings dialog is provided. An existing setting for the severity of an alert threshold is displayed by the dialog. A user is allowed to view and change the setting for the severity of the alert threshold by hovering over a slider thumb.
US09542060B1

User interfaces for selecting content for presentation or other actions is described in this disclosure. Using a small number of input controls a user may quickly and easily navigate content available for presentation from one or more content providers. Additional information may be presented to the user to facilitate selection of the content. Users may select content using one or more of a graphical user interface, or voice input.
US09542057B2

A wiring structure and a display panel are provided, and have red, green, and blue (RGB) signal lines; three signal control lines; and a switching line having a switching transistor disposed thereon. Each of the RGB lines has a terminal connecting correspondingly to the switching transistor, and connects correspondingly with the signal control lines through the switching transistor. The switching transistor comprises a control terminal for receiving a control signal, and controls the connection or disconnection between the three signal control lines and the RGB lines according to the control signal. The wiring structure can be used as an inspection system for the display panel.
US09542049B2

The invention provides a touch sensing circuit and method, a touch screen and a display device, the touch sensing circuit comprises: a touch sensing unit, an output control unit and a detection unit; the touch sensing unit is configured for providing a touch current, and transmitting the touch current to the output control unit; the output control unit is connected with a second control line, a read-out line, the touch sensing unit and the detection unit, for outputting the touch current to the detection unit; the detection unit is connected with a reference voltage terminal, an output terminal, the read-out line and the output control unit, for detecting significant change in the voltage output by the output control unit, thereby determining the location where the touch occurs. The detection accuracy of the detection sensing circuit in determining the occurrence of touch is improved.
US09542043B2

A stroke refinement technique can be used refine the location, orientation, and shape of input strokes by exploiting gradient features from an underlying image being traced. The technique can also be used to adjust user strokes with respect to image gradients. The stroke refinement technique can comprise a local optimization, a semi-global optimization, and a global optimization to facilitate error tolerant image optimization.
US09542040B2

A method comprising obtaining a first location of a first pointer contact on an input surface; calculating a restricted area proximate the first location; processing the first pointer contact; and inhibit processing of a second location of a second pointer contact within the restricted area.
US09542037B2

An electronic device detects a first touch input on a first touch region of a touch-sensitive surface, and identifies a first intensity model identifier associated with the first touch region. In response to detecting the first touch input, the device determines a first intensity of the first touch input on the first touch region; determines a first touch characterization parameter; and, subsequently sends to a first software application the first touch characterization parameter. The device also detects a second touch input on a second touch region of the touch-sensitive surface, and identifies a second intensity model identifier associated with the second touch region. In response to detecting the second touch input, the device determines a second intensity of the second touch input on the second touch region; determines a second touch characterization parameter; and, subsequently sends to the first software application the second touch characterization parameter.
US09542035B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for measuring a capacitance of a pair of electrodes including charging the pair of electrodes and transferring the charge between the pair of electrodes and a sampling capacitor, and a measuring step representative of the capacitance of the pair of electrodes according to the voltage at the terminals of the sampling capacitor according to the number of cycles executed so that the voltage at the terminals of the sampling capacitor reaches a threshold voltage. According to the present disclosure, the method comprises an initial step of charging the sampling capacitor between a first voltage and a second intermediate voltage in between the first voltage and a third voltage greater than or equal to a ground voltage, the pair of electrodes being charged between the second voltage and the third voltage. The present disclosure applies in particular to the control of a touch pad.
US09542023B2

An electrode matrix that is used for capacitive sensing may be integrated into a display panel of an input device. In one embodiment, source drivers may be mounted on the display panel which drive the display signals and capacitive sensing signals into the display panel. In one embodiment, the capacitive sensing signals may be routed on wires or lines that are interleaved on the same layer as the source lines used for setting a voltage on the pixels in the display panel during display updating. Using the interleaved wires, the source drivers may drive the capacitive sensing signals in parallel to a plurality of the electrodes in the matrix in a predefined pattern that spans one or more touch cycles.
US09542021B2

The present invention relates to a touch screen sensor substrate, to a touch screen sensor, and to a touch screen panel comprising same. The touch screen sensor substrate according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of sensing units formed of electrodes connected into a pattern of a predetermined direction at one surface of a base; and a connection unit which is formed of electrodes connected into a pattern of a direction which is the same as or similar to the direction of the pattern of the sensing units, and which connects the sensing units.
US09542009B2

A knob or joystick apparatus detects gesture based actions of a user's fingers and/or hand. A user grasps the knob or joystick and moves the knob or joystick in either rotational direction, e.g., clockwise or counter clockwise, moves the knob or joystick horizontally/vertically or any combination thereof, and/or presses or pulls the knob or joystick in or out. Capacitive sensors are used in combination with a digital device, e.g., microcontroller, for detecting, decoding and interpreting therefrom various gesturing movements. A user may grasp a knob and either moves his/her fingers in a rotational, horizontal/vertical, and/or in/out movement(s) along an axis of the knob. During the motion(s) of the user's fingers, portions of an outer covering of the knob are deflected inwards toward capacitive sensors, wherein the movement(s) of the deflected portion(s) of the outer covering are detected, decoded and interpretations are made therefrom of various gesturing movements.
US09542006B2

A system enabling a computer user to securely share a single set of keyboard and mouse (KM) among multiple isolated computers. The system enables one set of peripheral devices to independently interact with multiple coupled isolated computers through mouse position analysis on a virtual display area corresponding to multiple physical user displays of the particular installation. The system may be used to enable computer user having multiple isolated computers each with one or more coupled display to automatically switch a single set of keyboard mouse and other peripheral devices between the different computers. As isolated computers may have different security levels, the method and apparatus of the present invention prevents and potential data leakages between computers and coupled networks.
US09542002B1

The present invention enhances the player's gameplay visual, feedback and other experiences by taking advantage of optical adapters, feedback mechanics, advancements in theatrical audio, frame rate throttle, meta-file object framework for storage and retrieval, calibration advancements, vocal command enhancements, voice object lookups, facial/body scan, color/clothing coordination, party or celebration capabilities, noise cancellation, interactive object placement, heart rate monitor, pan-tilt-zoom camera advances, cooperative gameplay advances and programming advancements.
US09542001B2

The invention relates to a control system for a surgical navigation system, wherein the navigation system is associated with a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user, and wherein the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs and the detection unit comprises a gesture detection for detecting user gestures. The invention also relates to a method for controlling a surgical navigation system, wherein a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user is associated with the surgical navigation system, the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs, and user gestures are used as said control inputs.
US09542000B2

An object of the present invention is to provide corresponding tactile sensations in accordance with a characteristic of an image displayed. Specifically, an electronic device 10 according to the present invention includes a display unit 102 configured to display an image, a touch sensor 103 configured to detect a touch, a tactile sensation providing unit 104 configured to provide the tactile sensation to a touch face of the touch sensor 103, and a control unit 109 configured to divide the image into a plurality of areas and, when the touch sensor detects the touch to a position corresponding to any of the plurality of areas, to control the tactile sensation providing unit 104 to provide the tactile sensation associated with the area.
US09541999B2

A system includes a three dimensional display device configured to project computer generated controls and a target image in a three dimensional target volume; and an actuator configured to be worn by an operator. The system further includes one or more sensors configured to sense a movement of the actuator, wherein the controls are configured to be manipulated corresponding with the movement of the actuator within the target volume to alter an appearance of the target image.
US09541992B2

A method of performing a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling operation comprises controlling a clock management unit (CMU) to predict an operating state of a central processing unit (CPU) and to provide operating frequency information to a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) based on the predicted operating state of the CPU, the operating frequency information indicating a change of an operating frequency of an application processor, and controlling the PMIC to change an operating voltage of the application processor based on the operating frequency information provided from the clock management unit.
US09541988B2

Systems, methods, and firmware for power control of data storage devices are provided herein. In one example, a data storage device is presented. The data storage device includes a storage control system to identify a power threshold for the data storage device. The data storage device determines power consumption characteristics for the data storage device and enters into a power controlled mode for the data storage device that adjusts at least a storage transaction queue depth in the data storage device to establish the power consumption characteristics as below the power threshold for the data storage device.
US09541987B2

Methods and apparatus relating to generic host-based controller latency are described. In one embodiment, latency information, corresponding to one or more devices, is detected from a host controller that controls access to the one or more devices. Detection of the latency information is performed in response to one or more transactions that are initiated by the host controller. Other embodiments are also claimed and disclosed.
US09541978B2

A mass data storage system includes a redundancy manager that uses a physical position map to select a subset of storage resources having a physical distribution satisfying at least one resource distribution rule. The physical position map identifies physical positions of storage resources relative to a number of power supply units. A read/write manager writes data redundancies to select storage resources of the selected subset to provide a predetermined level of data protection that allows for reconstruction of lost data in a number of diverse circumstances.
US09541969B2

Embodiments generally relate to a optimizing the design of a chassis, such that the chassis features a different width front end hard disk drive module. Key components of the design include chassis flexibility for different hard drive quantities, and sliding rails which can be installed for sliding the chassis in and out of the rack, taking into account the housing contours of both the chassis and the front end hard disk drive module of different width. The rails can be reinforced with different backing materials for improved load support. The sliding rails include an inner set of rails attached to the chassis, and an outer set of rails which extend along the housing of both the chassis and the hard disk drove module.
US09541967B1

A hard disk includes a first cover member including a first cover plate and a pair of first lateral walls extended from edges of thereof, each of the first lateral wall is formed with a support piece and a latch hook respectively protruded towards inward, the support piece and the latch hook are not arranged at same horizontal level in a direction perpendicular to the first cover plate; a second cover member, disposed at the outer side of the first cover member and engaged with the first cover member; and a storage module, accommodated inside the first cover member and including a circuit board having edges thereof clamped between distal ends of the latch hooks and the support pieces. Accordingly, the assembly can be easily achieved through fastening the storage module in the first cover member then sleeving the first cover member and the second cover member.
US09541962B2

Techniques involving a mobile computing device having a flexible hinge structure are described. In one or more implementations, a mobile computing device includes a plurality of housings, a display device that is flexible, and a flexible hinge structure. The flexible hinge structure secures the plurality of housings to each other, permits the plurality of housings to rotate about an axis in relation to each other, and supports a continuous viewing area of the display device that extends across the plurality of housings and the flexible hinge structure.
US09541961B1

An electronic device includes a case, an antenna supported by the case, a display module disposed within the case, a conductive chassis disposed within the case, the conductive chassis structurally supporting the display module, an electronics module disposed within the case such that the conductive chassis is positioned between the antenna and the electronics module, and an interconnect that electrically connects the conductive chassis and the case, the interconnect extending around the electronics module.
US09541960B2

A device arrangement may include a casing surrounding a casing interior. The casing may include a viewing window which is sealed by a transparent window pane. An electronic device may be disposed in the casing interior and have a display. The display may be secured in a fixed position on the window pane. A suspension/damping device may support at least one of the window pane and the electronic device on the casing.
US09541957B1

Adjustable electronic device stand includes a base member defining therein a circular accommodation recess, an adjustment mechanism including an axial rotary table, a rotating component set consisting of a stub rod member, a driving plate, a rotating plate and a position-limit plate for rotatably securing the axial rotary table to the base member and a longitudinal adjustment unit pivotally coupled with a first pivot at one side thereof to the axial rotary table, and an electronic device holder including a mating connection member pivotally coupled to a second pivot at an opposite side of the longitudinal adjustment unit, a supporting platform for holding an electronic device, an electrical connector for the connection of an electrical connector of the loaded electronic device and a retractable clamp for clamping on the loaded electronic device.
US09541954B1

A portable electronic device includes first and second bodies. The first body includes a guiding rail, a restoring component, a first magnet disposed in the guiding rail, top and bottom surfaces. The guiding rail is connected between the top and bottom surfaces. The restoring component is disposed at one end of the guiding rail close to the top surface. The second body including a second magnet is pivotally connected to the first body for rotating from leaning on the top surface till leaning on the bottom surface. When the second body leans on the top surface, the first magnet is attracted to the second magnet to lean on the restoring component. When the second body leans on the bottom surface, an attraction force between the first and second magnets is greater than a restoring force provided by the restoring component so the second magnet moves toward the bottom surface.
US09541948B2

A detecting circuit and a configuration status detecting method of a Real-Time Clock (RTC) battery and an electronic apparatus using the same are provided. The detecting circuit includes a power capturing unit, a voltage dividing unit and an output unit. The power capturing unit couples to a power supply output terminal of the RTC battery and captures a power supply signal from the power supply output terminal in response to a detecting-controlled signal. The voltage dividing unit couples to the power capturing unit and is configured to divide the power supply signal captured by the power capturing unit to generate a dividing signal. The output unit couples to the voltage dividing unit to receive the dividing signal, where the output unit generates a detecting result signal related to a configuration status of the RTC battery according to the dividing signal.
US09541946B2

Embodiments of quantum clocks for a master/slave architecture are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a coupled pair of entangled particles is generated using a particle source. A first of the entangled particles of the coupled pair is used as a master clock. A second of the entangled particles of the coupled pair is used as a slave clock. Quantum states of the first entangled particle of the coupled pair associated with the master clock and the second of the entangled particles of the coupled pair associated with the slave clock are entangled by an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) link.
US09541932B2

In one example, a method includes generating, by a main switching element of a device, a load current; generating, by a regulation loop of the device, a sense current proportional to the load current; directly converting, by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the device, the sense current into a digital sense current value; and outputting, by the device and to an external device, a digital representation of the load current based on the digital sense current value.
US09541931B2

A regulator circuit that makes it possible to supply a voltage which enables a load circuit to operate normally, even if an external power supply voltage is momentarily interrupted or dropped, includes a ZD/R parallel circuit (a backflow prevention diode and in parallel with a resistor) that is connected between an external power supply voltage terminal and the drain of a MOSFET.
US09541924B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an alternative distributed airborne transportation system. In some embodiments, a method for distributed airborne transportation includes: providing an airborne vehicle with a wing and a wing span, having capacity to carry one or more of passengers or cargo; landing of the airborne vehicle near one or more of passengers or cargo and loading at least one of passengers or cargo; taking-off and determining a flight direction for the airborne vehicle; locating at least one other airborne vehicle, which has substantially the same flight direction; and joining at least one other airborne vehicle in flight formation and forming a fleet, in which airborne vehicles fly with the same speed and direction and in which adjacent airborne vehicles are separated by distance of less than 100 wing spans.
US09541923B2

A system and method for control of the system, with a plurality of autonomous vehicles having intersecting routes, a control, an operational area, and a predefined place with positions provided with a vehicle presence detection device. The method includes detecting the presence of the vehicles in a detection device, and beginning to travel with a first vehicle according to a travel action. The travel action is chosen from travelling of a route through the operational area from a predefined place, and an advancing action within a predefined place from a first detection device to a second detection device which is not yet occupied. Beginning to travel is carried out only if each of the vehicles has been detected as present at one of the predefined places, or, at most one vehicle has the status “not present at one of the predefined places” if the travel action relates to an advancing action.
US09541916B2

A motor control apparatus includes a error calculation unit which calculates a error between a first position detection value of a movable part and a second position detection value of a driven part, a storage unit which stores the errors when the movable part engages with the driven part in a first and second drive direction, as a first initial error and a second initial error, respectively, and a compensation calculation unit which calculates the amount of compensation to correct backlash and an elastic deformation. The compensation calculation unit calculates a command error based on the first initial error and the second initial error and a predetermined constant which is larger than 0 and not greater than 1 and calculates the amount of compensation by subtracting the current error calculated by the error calculation unit from the command error.
US09541910B2

In one embodiment, a menu is semi-transparently overlaid upon a portion of a video being shown on a television coupled to a programmable multimedia controller. The menu has a plurality of selectable options and a selection cursor disposed on one of the plurality of selectable options. Input is received from a user on the remote control unit indicating a direction. In response to the input indicating the direction, the selection cursor is moved in a corresponding direction within the semi-transparently overlaid menu to bring the selection cursor to be disposed on a designated selectable option to permit selection of the designated selectable option. In response to selection of the designated selectable option, the programmable multimedia controller issues one or more control commands to a lighting system, a heating ventilation and air/conditioning (HVAC) system, and/or to an automatic shade system, to control operation of lighting, HVAC or window shades.
US09541909B2

Devices and methods are disclosed for establishing interaction among electronic devices of an environment. The device has a transmitter, receiver, memory for storing interaction rules, and a processor for learning the interaction rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. The device also includes components for performing the device specific functions and a state sensor for determining the logical or physical state of the device. Methods involve observing at one or more devices change of state activity among the plurality of devices through receiving a change of state message that is transmitted to the one or more devices. A set of rules are learned at the one or more devices based upon observing the change of state activity. The learned set of rules are then applied at the one or more devices to automatically control changes of state of devices within the plurality of devices.
US09541901B2

Disclosed are methods and systems for displaying images, and for implementing volumetric user interfaces. One exemplary embodiment provides a system comprising: a light source; an image producing unit, which produces an image upon interaction with light approaching the image producing unit from the light source; an eyepiece; and a mirror, directing light from the image to a surface of the eyepiece, wherein the surface has a shape of a solid of revolution formed by revolving a planar curve at least 180° around an axis of revolution.
US09541897B2

The scanning optical device (6) includes a light source, a deflector (30) configured to rotate on a horizontal surface around a rotating shaft extending in a vertical direction and an optical box (50) in which the light source, the deflector (30), and the optical components groups (40) are housed and supported by the frame (60). A heat sink (36) is disposed between the deflector (30) and the frame (60). A first protrusion (37) extending on an extension line of the rotating shaft of the deflector (30) is formed in the heat sink (36). A first engaging hole (61) with which the first protrusion (37) engages is formed in the frame (60).
US09541891B2

A printer (100) includes a casing (200), an operation section (6), a light emitting section (61), a cover (60), and a pressing member (62). The operation section (6) includes a reference surface (201B), an LCD panel (204) disposed along the reference surface (201B) and displaying predetermined information, and operation keys (202) disposed to protrude though the reference surface (201B). The light emitting section (61) is disposed adjacent to the operation section (6) and emits light based on predetermined notification information. The cover (60) covers the LCD panel (204) and the operation keys (202). The pressing member (62) presses the cover (60) and supports the light emitting section (61).
US09541882B2

A print control apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store therein a plurality of surface-effect selection tables for respective pieces of recording medium information on a recording medium. Different types of same surface effects are registered in each of the surface-effect selection tables. The print control apparatus also includes a determining unit configured to determine a surface-effect selection table corresponding to a piece of recording medium information from the storage unit; an image data generating unit configured to generate image data based on the determined surface-effect selection table and based on gloss-control plane data in which a type of a surface effect to be applied to the recording medium and an area of the recording medium to which the surface effect is to be applied are specified; and an output unit configured to output the image data.
US09541881B2

A recording medium conveying device includes an endless belt to convey a recording medium, a plurality of support rollers around which the belt is wound, to rotate the belt, and a cleaner in contact with the belt to clean the belt. One of the plurality of support rollers is a separation support roller, mounted on a tiltable rotary shaft, to separate the recording medium from the belt using a curvature of the separation support roller. The separation support roller includes a contact member to contact an edge of the belt when the belt laterally moves toward one side of the belt.
US09541880B2

A medium carrying device that carries a medium includes a first roller, a second roller, a rotation transmitting part that drives its rotation by a driving force transmitted from a driving force source, and moves between at a transmitting position and at a releasing position, at the transmitting position, the rotation transmitting part transmits the driving force to the first roller, at the releasing position, the rotation transmitting part does not transmit the driving force, a transmission releasing part that is connected to the rotation transmitting part. When the medium is bowed between the first and second rollers, the transmission releasing part moves the rotation transmitting part from the transmitting position to the releasing position according to the bowing of the medium.
US09541872B2

A fixing device includes an endless-shaped fixing belt, a heater, a holding member, and a pressure member. The heater has a heat generating portion, and a seal portion that seals each end of the heat generating portion. The heater heats the fixing belt from inside the fixing belt with radiant heat. The holding member is disposed inside the fixing belt and slides against an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The pressure member is pressed with a predetermined pressure against the holding member with the fixing belt therebetween, and thereby a fixing nip portion is formed between the pressure member and the fixing belt. An end-portion excessive temperature increase prevention member that blocks radiant heat is attached to each end portion of the heater. A first opening portion is formed in such part of the end-portion excessive temperature increase prevention member as faces the seal portion of the heater.
US09541864B2

A transfer device can make more stable contact with a belt, thus yielding preferable transfer performance. In an image-forming apparatus in which the transfer device has a sheet member, the sheet member includes a conductive sheet, and an electrical connection path section (power source connecting section) for supplying voltage to the conductive sheet from the primary transfer power source, and the power source connecting section is arranged outside an image formation enabling region where a toner image can be formed on a photosensitive drum, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the intermediate transfer belt.
US09541846B2

A system and method is provided for providing a thermal distribution on a workpiece during a lithographic process. The system provides a source of lithographic energy to workpiece, such as a workpiece having a lithographic film formed thereover. A workpiece support having a plurality of thermal devices embedded therein is configured to support the workpiece concurrent to an exposure of the workpiece to the lithographic energy. A controller individually controls a temperature of each of the plurality of thermal devices, therein controlling a specified temperature distribution across the workpiece associated with the exposure of the workpiece to the lithographic energy. Controlling the temperature of the thermal devices can be based on a model, a measured temperature of the workpiece, and/or a prediction of a temperature at one or more locations on the workpiece.
US09541838B2

Method of temperature compensating a focusing system in which a temperature of a thermal lens compensation plate is regulated based on an optical absorption of the thermal lens compensation plate with optical absorption being determined based at least in part on an expected end-of-lifetime value for focus lens optical absorption. A value representative of cumulative time in use of the focusing systems is determined and the temperature of the thermal lens compensation plate is increased to a temperature based at least in part on said cumulative time in use.
US09541834B2

New ionic thermal acid generator compounds are provided. Also provided are photoresist compositions, antireflective coating compositions, and chemical trim overcoat compositions, and methods of using the compositions.
US09541831B2

A positive resist composition comprising: (A) a resin which comes to have an enhanced solubility in an alkaline developing solution by an action of an acid; (B) a compound which generates an acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or a radiation; (C) a fluorine-containing compound containing at least one group selected from the groups (x) to (z); and (F) a solvent, and a method of pattern formation with the composition: (x) an alkali-soluble group; (y) a group which decomposes by an action of an alkaline developing solution to enhance a solubility in an alkaline developing solution; and (z) a group which decomposes by an action of an acid.
US09541814B2

The present invention is directed to a color display device in which each pixel can display at least five high-quality color states, and an electrophoretic fluid for such an electrophoretic display. In one aspect, the different types of particles exhibit different levels of attraction force to display different color states. In another aspect, the different types of particles exhibit different levels of mobility in different driving voltage ranges to display different color states.
US09541810B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including a common electrode, a pixel electrode which includes an electrode portion which forms a slit opposed to the common electrode, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer formed of a liquid crystal material having a negative dielectric constant anisotropy. The slit and the electrode portion are arranged in the first direction and extend in the second direction. L/S is in a range of between 0.5 and 0.9 when a width of the slit in the first direction is S and a width of the electrode portion in the first direction is L.
US09541793B2

In a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel of the present invention, a second substrate comprises a second electrode, wherein the second electrode comprises a trunk portion and plurality of branch portions, and there is a first predetermined angle and a second predetermined angle between the trunk portion and the branch portions, and the predetermined angle is less than or greater than 45 degrees. Quarter wave retarder films are bonded to outer surfaces of a first substrate and the second substrate, respectively. The present invention can improve the color shift problem and the transmittance of the LCD panel.
US09541792B2

A display device includes a display panel, a backlight unit disposed at the back of the display panel, and a back cover disposed at the back of the backlight unit, wherein the backlight unit including a base layer, a plurality of substrates disposed on the base layer and separated from each other, and light sources disposed on the substrates.
US09541788B2

A display device, a display panel and the fabricating method thereof The display panel comprises a first substrate (110) and a second substrate (120) disposed to be cell assembled; and a magnetic unit including a first magnetic subunit (11, 12) disposed on the first substrate (110) and a second magnetic subunit (21, 22) disposed on the second substrate (120) The first magnetic subunit (11, 12) and the second magnetic subunit (21, 22) are disposed to be opposed to each other First magnetic particles (15) are dispersed in the first magnetic subunit (11, 12); and second magnetic particles (25) are dispersed in the second magnetic subunit (21, 22); and the first magnetic particles (15) and the second magnetic particles (25) have opposite magnetic polarities such that the first magnetic subunit (11, 12) and the second magnetic subunit (21, 22) attract each other.
US09541787B2

The light control film includes a base material with transparency and a light control layer that is provided on a side of a surface which faces a display surface of a display panel in the base material, has a light shielding portion which is formed on one surface of the base material, and controls an emission direction of light by diffusing light which is emitted from the display surface, in which the light control layer includes a light emission end surface that contacts with the base material, a light incident end surface that faces the light emission end surface and has a larger area than an area of the light emission end surface, and a reflection surface that contacts with the light emission end surface and the light incident end surface and reflects light which is incident from the light incident end surface, a height from the light incident end surface to the light emission end surface is larger than a layer thickness of the light shielding portion, and the reflection surface reflects light to allocate light at a polar angle with a relatively high light flux amount among directions along prescribed azimuth angles in the display surface to light at a polar angle with relatively low luminance among directions along prescribed azimuth angles.
US09541773B2

The present disclosure is directed to lenses, devices, methods and/or systems for addressing refractive error. Certain embodiments are directed to changing or controlling the wavefront of the light entering a human eye. The lenses, devices, methods and/or systems can be used for correcting, addressing, mitigating or treating refractive errors and provide excellent vision at distances encompassing far to near without significant ghosting. The refractive error may for example arise from myopia, hyperopia, or presbyopia with or without astigmatism. Certain disclosed embodiments of lenses, devices and/or methods include embodiments that address foveal and/or peripheral vision. Exemplary of lenses in the fields of certain embodiments include contact lenses, corneal onlays, corneal inlays, and lenses for intraocular devices both anterior and posterior chamber, accommodating intraocular lenses, electro-active spectacle lenses and/or refractive surgery.
US09541770B2

A hinge for the articulated joining of eyeglass frame temples to their respective end pieces of the front of the frame, without requiring welding of eyelets or of other joining parts to the end pieces of the front and temple. The hinge is constituted by a pair of independent outer eyelets engaged with two tines provided at the hingeing end of the temple, and by a middle eyelet (10) engaged with two tines provided at the two side hingeing end pieces of the front of the eyeglass frame. The middle eyelet includes two coaxial cavities with contoured bottom surfaces that define circular or radial cams, these surfaces rotating and sliding on corresponding and mutually opposed radial cam surfaces of the outer eyelets which, with the rotation of the temples with which they are associated, cause an axial translational movement of those outer eyelets.
US09541763B1

An active HUD boresight alignment system for correcting a boresight of a HUD in an aircraft relative to an aircraft boresight is described. The system has an aircraft IRU, a HUD angular orientation detector and a detector. The aircraft IRU is rigidly coupled with the aircraft and configured to define an aircraft boresight indicative of a three axis angular orientation of the aircraft. The HUD angular orientation detector is rigidly arranged relative to at least one component of the HUD in the aircraft, and configured to determine a HUD boresight indicative of a three axis angular orientation of the HUD. The processor is coupled with the aircraft IRU and the HUD angular orientation detector and configured to determine a boresight angular offset of the HUD boresight to the aircraft boresight for at least one axis of the three axis angular orientation, and to correct for the boresight angular offset based on the determined boresight angular offset.
US09541762B2

An image display device with an image display element; an optical system; an optical waveguide having a light incident port at a first portion of the optical waveguide and a light outgoing port at a second portion of the optical waveguide, the optical waveguide configured to (a) receive light from the image display element via the optical system and (b) output the light via the light outgoing port; a light shielding element; a first element that deflects light received through the first portion of the optical waveguide; and a second element that deflects light conveyed in the optical waveguide to output the light through the second portion of the optical waveguide, wherein, the first portion and the second portion are at different positions along the optical waveguide, and the first element is between the light incident port of the optical waveguide and the light shielding element.
US09541756B2

An optical apparatus includes: a light source including multiple light-emitting points arrayed in a first direction; and an imaging optical system including multiple lens optical systems arrayed in the first direction. The imaging optical system forms images of the multiple light-emitting points on a light-receiving surface. In a first cross-section and in a second cross-section, half-value of a maximum value of angle of divergence of an imaging optical flux input to the light-receiving surface, resolution, and a size of each image of the plurality of light-emitting points formed on the light-receiving surface, satisfy predetermined conditions.
US09541754B2

There is provided a polygon mirror scanner motor including: a rotor configured to rotate around a rotation axis; a fitting member configured to be fitted to an outer circumferential surface of the rotor; and a polygon mirror configured to be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the rotor and bonded with the fitting member, wherein a diameter of the rotor at a part, to which the fitting member is fitted, is configured to be smaller than a diameter of the rotor at a part, to which the polygon mirror is fitted.
US09541751B2

Method for observing an emission of light from a sample in a medium of refractive index nL disposed against a surface of a transparent support of refractive index nS, greater than nL, the emission of light comprising luminous components oriented toward the support and forming an angle θ and including supercritical luminous components and critical or subcritical luminous components, implementing an observation device applying filters to the signal; and transforming the signal into an image zone of the sample Modulation of the signal is carried out, in which components of the emission of light are allowed to pass through so as to obtain image zones, the modulation pertaining to all or some of the collected signals; and at least one useful image zone of the sample is produced by combining image zones, the combination evidencing differences between the image zones related to the modulation.
US09541746B2

An optical system includes, a front lens unit having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a rear lens unit having a positive refractive power, wherein the front lens unit includes an FB lens system, and an FA lens system, the FB and FA lens systems being configured to move appropriately, when shifting a focus from an object at a long distance to an object at a short distance. A focal length fFB of the FB lens system and a focal length f of the entire optical system are appropriately set.
US09541732B2

An imaging lens is constituted by six lenses, including: a first lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; a second lens having a negative refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; a third lens having a positive refractive power; a fourth lens having a positive refractive power; a fifth lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the object side; and a sixth lens having a negative refractive power, provided in this order from the object side. The imaging lens satisfies a predetermined conditional formula.
US09541730B2

An imaging lens includes a first lens group having positive refractive power; a second lens group having positive refractive power; and a third lens group having negative refractive power, arranged in this order from an object side to an image plane side. The first lens group includes a first lens having positive refractive power, a second lens having negative refractive power, and a third lens having negative refractive power. The second lens group includes a fourth lens and a fifth lens. The third lens group includes a sixth lens and a seventh lens. The first to third lenses have specific Abbe's numbers.
US09541729B2

An electro-optical apparatus has an element substrate that is provided with a mirror and a sealing member which seals the mirror, and the sealing member includes a light-transmitting cover which faces the mirror opposite from the element substrate. An infrared cut filter is laminated on the light-transmitting cover.
US09541724B2

A telecommunications cabinet includes a cabinet housing; a fiber optic splitter; a plurality of spools disposed on a cable management surface; a panel oriented at a fixed angle relative to the access opening so that the panel extends laterally and rearwardly between the access opening and the cable management surface; and a plurality of adapters disposed on the panel.
US09541721B2

A laser device is disclosed. The laser device includes a surface-emitting laser including a plurality of emission points, a lens array including a plurality of lenses arranged so as to correspond to a position of the surface-emitting laser; and a light condensing optical system that condenses a plurality of light fluxes emitted through the lens array and enters the condensed lights to an input end of an optical fiber. The light condensing optical system includes an aspheric lens having positive refractive power. Both of an incidence surface and an emission surface of the aspheric lens have aspheric shapes.
US09541711B2

An adaptor for optically connecting fiber optic devices, such as cable assemblies, together. The adaptor includes: a body (3) having first and second receiving formations (15,17), the first receiving formation (15) is arranged to receive a first fiber optic connector (19), the second receiving formation (17) is adaptable between first and second configurations, wherein in the first configuration the second receiving formation (17) is arranged to receive a second fiber optic connector (23), and in the second configuration is arranged to receive a ferrule (46).
US09541704B2

The present embodiment relates to a multi-core optical fiber and others having an excellent transmission capacity per unit cross-sectional area and spectral efficiency and being easy to manufacture. The multi-core optical fiber has a plurality of cores, a cladding, and a coating and has an appropriately-set neighboring core pitch, cable cutoff wavelength, confinement index of light into each core, cladding outer diameter, and neighboring intercore power coupling coefficient, and a relationship among a minimum of Formula Λ/(rclad−OCTmin), a maximum of the Formula, and a core count is present under a predetermined relationship.
US09541702B2

A display device includes: a first chassis including a bottom surface, and a side wall which extends from an edge of the bottom surface; a light guide plate in the first chassis; a first fixing member which overlaps the side wall of the first chassis and contacts an upper surface of the light guide plate; and a first fastening member which fastens the first fixing member to the side wall of the first chassis. The first chassis includes a groove which extends through the side wall of the first chassis, the light guide plate includes a first protrusion which protrudes from an edge of the light guide plate and extends into the groove, and the first fixing member contacts an upper surface of the first protrusion of the light guide plate.
US09541699B2

A backlight module including a back plate, a light guide plate, a light source, a plastic frame, and a light conversion layer is provided. The light guide plate is disposed on the back plate and has a light incident surface and a light exit surface, wherein a first edge of the light exit surface is adjacent to the light incident surface. The light source is disposed on the back plate and faces the light incident surface. The plastic frame is disposed on the back plate and covers the first edge. The light conversion layer is disposed on the light exit surface and extends to the first edge.
US09541696B2

Disclosed is a lighting device which comprises: an optical member comprising a protruding optical pattern forming a gap with an adjacent layer; at least one light emitting unit inserted into the optical member; and a resin layer formed on the optical member and the at least one light emitting unit, whereby it is possible to obtain an effect that the shapes of light change depending on the viewing angle when viewing the light source by producing various protruding optical patterns, an effect that the whole thickness can be reduced, and an effect that the degree of design freedom can be enhanced when designing products thanks to an enhanced flexibility.
US09541695B2

Disclosed is a light source device. The light source device includes: a light guide plate; a reflector disposed under the light guide plate; a light source unit optically coupled to the light guide plate; and a photo luminescent film disposed between the light guide plate and the light source unit, wherein the photo luminescent film includes at least two partitioned areas, and wherein a first fluorescent material included in at least one area of the at least two areas is different from a second fluorescent material included in the other areas.
US09541693B2

Provided are a polarized light splitting element, a method of manufacturing the same, a light radiating device, a method of radiating light, and a method of manufacturing an ordered photo-alignment film. The polarized light splitting element has excellent durability with respect to UV rays and heat, and low pitch dependence of polarization characteristics, so that it is easily manufactured. In addition, the polarized light splitting element may realize a high polarization degree and extinction ratio even in a short wavelength region.
US09541684B2

To provide a substrate for optics for enabling the color shift caused by diffraction of light to be reduced, a substrate for optics (12) is provided with a fine-structure layer including dots (31) comprised of a plurality of convex portions or concave portions extending in the direction of from a main surface of a substrate to outside the surface, the fine-structure layer has a plurality of dot lines in which a plurality of dots is arranged with a pitch (Py) in the first direction inside the main surface of the substrate, while having a plurality of dot lines in which a plurality of dots is arranged with a pitch (Px) in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction inside the main surface of the substrate, and both of the pitch Py and the pitch Px are inconstant intervals and are of nano-order.
US09541679B1

An integrating volume for laser light homogenization includes a housing having an interior surface defining a light integrating cavity of a non-spherical configuration in the housing interior, an input port on the housing to allow entry of light from a laser beam through the input port into the light integrating cavity, and an output port on the housing and offset from the input port to allow sampling of light from the light integrating cavity through the output port after the light has reflected in the light integrating cavity between different portions of the interior surface of the housing so as to homogenize the light for sampling at the output port.
US09541676B2

The invention provides an amphiphilic siloxane-containing vinylic monomer which comprises one sole ethylenically unsaturated group and a siloxane-containing group covalently linked to the ethylenically-unsaturated group through a hydrophilic linker. The present invention is also related to a polymer, an actinically-crosslinkable silicone-containing prepolymer, a silicone hydrogel polymeric material, or a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises monomeric units derived from an amphiphilic siloxane-containing vinylic monomer of the invention. In addition, the invention provides a method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses using a water-based lens-forming formulation comprising an amphiphilic siloxane-containing vinylic monomer of the invention and/or an actinically-crosslinkable silicone-containing prepolymer of the invention.
US09541668B2

A method for estimating an aspect of a formation using a nuclear spectroscopy tool includes placing a nuclear spectroscopy tool into a borehole and emitting neutrons such that some of the neutrons generate gamma rays from a formation adjacent the nuclear spectroscopy tool and some of the neutrons generate gamma rays from elements within the nuclear spectroscopy tool. An energy spectrum of gamma rays induced by the emitted neutrons can be detected. The energy spectrum includes a background having a plurality of measured spectral components. A background ratio between at least one spectral component of the background and another measured spectral component can be determined or estimated in accordance with environmental measurements. The detected gamma ray spectra can be analyzed using a combination of standard spectra and subtracting at least one spectral component of the background in accordance with the background ratio.
US09541667B2

Systems and methods for scanning an item utilizing an X-ray scanner in order to facilitate a determination of whether the X-ray radiation penetrated through the entirety of the scanned item. Various embodiments comprise a conveying mechanism, an X-ray emitter, a detector, and an X-ray penetration grid (XPG). The XPG may comprise a radiopaque grid that may serve as a reference for determining whether radiation passes through the scanned item, the grid oriented such that the grid members are neither parallel nor perpendicular to the direction of travel. Such orientation may minimize or eliminate “ghosted” radiation signals included in a visual display of the radiation received by the detector. A scanned item may be oriented with the XPG such that radiation emitted by the X-ray emitter that passes through a portion of the scanned item must also pass through the XPG before being received by the detector.
US09541665B2

A fluid measurement system (10, 110, 210) and method of fluid mix determination over a sampling length (25) in a well bore (12). A pulse generator is run in the well bore from which is suspended a cable (24) with two conductors having a length equal to the sampling length. A high frequency pulse is injected along the cable and from the detected response average propagation velocities over the various reflections are used to determine the mixture of fluids. Embodiments are described which improve the determination such as using a cable with sections of alternating impedance, helically wound cable, providing multiple signal generators, incorporating a mathematical model, analyzing the analog signal response, providing a reference cable and incorporating an optical distributed temperature sensor.
US09541661B2

Computing device, computer instructions and method for deghosting seismic data related to a subsurface of a body of water. The method may include receiving input seismic data recorded by seismic receivers that located at different depths (zr), generating migration data (du) and mirror migration data (dd) from the input seismic data, deriving a ghost free model (m) based on simultaneously using the migration data (du) and mirror migration data (dd), generating primary (p) and ghost (g) datasets based on the ghost free model (m), simultaneously adaptively subtracting the primary (p) and ghost (g) datasets from the migration data (du) to provide adapted primary (p′1 and p′2) and adapted residual (r′1 and r′2) datasets and generating a final image (f) of the subsurface based on the adapted primary (p′1 and p′2) and the adapted residual (r′1 and r′2) datasets.
US09541641B2

A non-invasive method of buried-utility-mapping includes using a long wavelength gradiometric ground penetrating radar to “see” patches of conductive material below ground and buried pipes and electrical conductors that are all constantly radio-illuminated by local AM radio broadcasts. The underground infrastructure of entire cities can be surveyed this way, point-by-point over time. A short wavelength part of the gradiometric ground penetrating radar operates shoulder-to-shoulder with the magnetic part and is able to improve shallow object resolution, map moisture build-ups under roads, and spot contaminated soils. Two gradiometric ground penetrating radar technologies, cameras, and navigation receivers can be mounted on city vehicles and a daily collection of their data batch transformed by digital processing algorithms into detailed and automatically updating false-color maps of the underground utilities of the whole city and other buried infrastructures.
US09541639B2

A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna for a radar system includes a receive antenna, a first transmit-antenna-arrangement, and a second transmit-antenna-arrangement. The receive-antenna is configured to detect radar-signals reflected by a target toward the receive-antenna. The first transmit-antenna-arrangement includes a first vertical-array of radiator elements and a second vertical-array of radiator elements. The first transmit-antenna-arrangement is configured so the first vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the second vertical-array. The second transmit-antenna-arrangement includes a third vertical-array of radiator elements and a fourth vertical-array of radiator elements. The second transmit-antenna-arrangement is configured so the third vertical-array can be selectively coupled to a transmitter independent of the fourth vertical-array. The second transmit-antenna-arrangement is vertically offset from the first transmit-antenna-arrangement by a vertical offset distance selected so an elevation angle to the target can be determined by the receive-antenna.
US09541636B2

A vehicle remote function system is provided for determining a location of a fob relative to a vehicle. The system includes a controller adapted to be mounted in the vehicle and configured for communication with antennas mounted at different vehicle locations, the controller for use in determining the location of the fob based on ultra-wide band wireless signals transmitted between the antennas and the fob. The controller is configured to locate the fob within one of multiple three-dimensional zones, one of the zones configured to have a non-spherical shape. A method is also provided for use in a vehicle remote function system, the method for determining a location of a fob relative to a vehicle. The method includes transmitting ultra-wide band wireless signals between the vehicle and the fob, and determining the location of the fob within one of multiple three-dimensional zones, one of the zones having a non-spherical shape.
US09541633B2

A calibration system for a machine is provided. The calibration system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle provided in association with a perception sensor. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a target attached thereto. The unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to move along a predetermined path sweeping across a field of view of the perception sensor. The unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to present the target to the perception sensor, such that the target covers the field of view of the perception sensor based on the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle along the predetermined path. The unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to determine and communicate an orientation and a position of the target to the calibration system.
US09541628B2

A position detection system includes a responder configured to be carried by a user; interrogators, and a position detection unit configured to detect the user. The responder includes: a responder reception unit configured to receive interrogator identification information and floor identification information from the interrogator, a current floor identification information storage unit configured to store therein the floor identification information, and a responder transmission unit configured to determine whether to transmit the user identification information to the interrogator, when a transmission source of the received interrogator identification information is the interrogator provided in the room, and wherein the position detection unit comprises a position determination unit configured to detect that a position in the room of the floor, at which the user exists, is adjacent to the interrogator, based on the interrogator identification information and user identification information received from the interrogator.
US09541626B2

A method, apparatus and system for globally referenced positioning in a shielded environment includes integrating and correlating information from a UWB receiver, a GPS receiver, and a bent-path GPS receiver adapted to extract a GPS radio frequency wave from a heterodyned GPS signal. The method, apparatus, and system is resistant to interference and can be used in a shielded environment such as indoors or behind a line-of-sight barrier.
US09541624B2

In a method and apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging, a flip angle and/or inversion time of a spectrum suppression pulse is calculated according to a steady state condition of a longitudinal magnetization component of a spectrum composition suppressed by the spectrum suppression pulse and a zero crossing point condition of the longitudinal magnetization component. Raw magnetic resonance image data are acquired by applying a magnetic resonance imaging sequence that includes the spectrum suppression pulse provided with the flip angle and/or the inversion time.
US09541613B2

The MRI apparatus includes a housing that includes a bore in which a first magnetic field for capturing a MR image is generated, a beam projector that is disposed in the bore of the housing during capture of the MR image and projects an image onto an inner wall included in the bore, and a controller that controls the beam projector, and transfers a video signal to the beam projector. The beam projector includes a coil which is disposed so that a direction of a second magnetic field, which is generated with a current applied to the coil, is parallel to a direction of the first magnetic field.
US09541578B2

A capacitive sensor sheet producing method for producing a capacitive sensor sheet uses a base having an insulative base layer on which a binder resin layer including conductive nanowires is formed. The conductive nanowires partially projecting from a surface of the binder resin layer. The method includes removing a binder resin from projections of conductive nanowires partially projected from a plurality of detection electrodes by implementing a surface etching and shaping treatment on a surface of the binder resin layer, or surface ends of at least partial detection electrodes of the plurality of detection electrodes, forming wiring lines of the conductive pattern layer, and connecting the wiring lines to the surface ends of at least partial detection electrodes in the pattern layer. The projections of the conductive nanowires removed the binder resin are put into contact with the connecting portions.
US09541569B2

A measurement apparatus for the detection of the feed movement of a workpiece to be processed, which has a belt or chain, which is guided on a carrier via deflection disks, a pressure device, which is moved along in its movement direction with the belt or the chain for the pressing of the belt or the chain against the workpiece, and a sensor for the detection of the movement of the belt or the chain. An accurate measurement can be attained in that the carrier on a holder can be rotated around a swivel axis, which is at a right angle to the direction of movement of the belt or the chain.
US09541565B2

The present invention inter alia provides a method, and uses thereof, of predicting statin-induced muscle toxicity or its complications, such as myalgia, myopathy and rhabdomyolysis, by detecting the lipid concentrations or lipid-lipid concentration ratios of a biological sample and comparing them to a control. This method has identified lipid markers that are more specific and sensitive in detecting these statin-induced muscle toxicity than the currently utilized clinical markers. Also provided is an antibody towards said lipids, and the use thereof for predicting, diagnosing, statin-induced muscle toxicity. The invention additionally relates to kits comprising lipids and/or an antibody thereto, for use in the prediction and/or diagnosis of statin-induced muscle toxicity.
US09541559B2

The present disclosure enables collections of variable heavy chain and variable light chain pairs comprising, in part, germline protein sequences that are pre-selected for functional properties relevant to developability, wherein the collections may be used to select against any antigen using, for example, phage display.
US09541558B2

A cysteine hydrazide nicotinamide (Cyhn) reagent designed for the enrichment of bacterial glycoproteins is provided. Methods for purification of free oligosaccharides and their analysis are also provided.
US09541548B1

This invention provides biosensors, cell models, and methods of their use for monitoring heme, oxygen or ATP. Biosensors can include targeting domains, sensing domains and reporting domains. Biosensors can be introduced into cells reprogrammed to represent experimental or pathologic cells of interest. Model cells expressing the biosensors can be contacted with putative bioactive agents to determine possible activities.
US09541547B2

The present invention provides novel antibodies. In particular, the present invention provides fusion antibodies comprising antibody heavy and light chain fusions. The present invention further provides multivalent antibodies comprising multiple fusion antibody chains. The present invention further provides methods of generating splice resistant antibody genes.
US09541545B2

The present invention comprises rugged, inexpensive, reliable, and sensitive laboratory assays of antibody-based viral neutralization activity and antibody-based viral adherence inhibition activity. The assays use inactivated, fluorescently-labeled virus, allowing the tests to be performed without extensive safety precautions. The interaction of the labeled virus with target cells is monitored using flow cytometric methods. A preferred embodiment uses simple and inexpensive flow cytometry methodologies and equipment, such as bead array readers used as simplified flow cytometers. The assays are rapid, taking no longer than a few hours and are readily conducted by a trained technician. The assays are sensitive because they use labeled viruses at low concentrations and determine neutralizing and blocking capacity of sera and antibody at low concentrations. The methods are appropriate for high-throughput screening of large panels of samples.
US09541541B2

A nanosensor for detecting molecule characteristics includes a membrane having an opening configured to permit a charged molecule to pass but to block a protein molecule attached to a ligand connecting to the charged molecule, the opening being filled with an electrolytic solution. An electric field generator is configured to generate an electric field relative to the opening to drive the charged molecule through the opening. A sensor circuit is coupled to the electric field generator to sense current changes due to charged molecules passing into the opening. The current changes are employed to trigger a bias field increase to cause separation between the ligand and the protein to infer an interaction strength.
US09541536B2

Disclosed herein is preservation system for nutritional substances. The preservation system obtains information about the nutritional substance to be preserved, senses and measures the external environment to the preservation system, senses and measures the internal environment to the preservation system, senses and measures the state of the nutritional substance, and stores such information throughout the period of preservation. Using this accumulated information, the preservation system can measure, or estimate, changes in nutritional content (usually degradation) during the period of preservation. Additionally, the preservation system can use this information to dynamically modify the preservation system to minimize detrimental changes to the nutritional content of the nutritional substance, and in some cases actually improve the nutritional substance attributes.
US09541530B2

A method of fatigue life prediction including: calculating a critical crack size of an object of interest; identifying a first flaw in ultrasound data of the object of interest; determining that the first flaw interacts with a second flaw, the first flaw is to be merged with the second flaw, or the first flaw is isolated; calculating an initial crack size based on the determination; and calculating an increase in the initial crack size due to fatigue and creep to determine a number of load cycles until the initial crack size reaches the critical crack size.
US09541522B2

The present invention generally relates to nanoscale wires, including to nanoscale wires used as sensors. In some cases, the nanoscale wires may be used to directly determine analytes, even within relatively complicated environments such as blood, unlike many prior art techniques. In some aspects, the nanoscale wire form at least a portion of the gate of a field-effect transistor, and in certain aspects, different periodically-varying voltages or other electrical signals may be applied to the field-effect transistor. For example, in one set of embodiments, sinusoidally-varying voltages of different frequencies may be applied to the nanoscale wire and the source electrode of the field-effect transistor. The electrical conductance or other properties of the nanoscale wire in response to the periodically-varying voltages may then be determined and used to determine binding of the species.
US09541504B2

Methods and systems for imaging a biological sample are disclosed, and include: (a) staining the sample with a first stain that includes eosin and at least one additional stain; (b) directing excitation light to the sample to cause each of the stains to emit fluorescence; and (c) recording images of the fluorescence emitted from the stains in the sample, where the amount of eosin in the sample is sufficiently dilute to cause the sample to have an average optical density of less than 0.10 at green wavelengths.
US09541500B2

Calibration of models for manufacturing processes that are subject to circuit layout proximity effects is performed, including optical proximity correction (OPC) model calibration. A target structure is produced using a layout and a manufacturing process. The target structure is illuminated and an electromagnetic scattering property is detected. A manufacturing process model for simulation of the manufacturing process is produced, which comprises at least one manufacturing process parameter determining a model electromagnetic scattering property using the manufacturing process model and the layout. The model electromagnetic scattering property is compared to the detected electromagnetic scattering property and based on the result of the comparison, calibrated manufacturing process parameters are output for calibrating the manufacturing process model. The determining and the layout may include determining structural information corresponding to the target structure using the manufacturing process model and determining the model electromagnetic scattering property using the structural information.
US09541495B2

An image pickup device, which comprises an optical characteristics changing unit (15), an optical system (45) containing an objective lens (47) and for leading a light from the objective lens to the optical characteristics changing unit, and an image pickup element (52) for receiving a light via the optical characteristics changing unit, wherein the optical characteristics changing unit has two or more dividing units, and has a configuration where one of the dividing units is selectively disposed along an optical path, and the dividing unit has a first region to select a specific wavelength from the light coming from the optical system and a second region where optical characteristics of the light from the optical system are not changed.
US09541494B2

A method for measuring a quality parameter, such as luminance uniformity, of a video display, according to some embodiments of the present invention, includes providing a plurality of pattern images to be displayed sequentially on the video display, measuring the amount of light produced by each pattern image using a wide-angle light sensor, and calculating the video display quality parameter using the measured light values corresponding to each displayed pattern. Each pattern used in accordance with this method is derived from an orthogonal matrix, resulting in each pattern having a high average brightness, thereby eliminating the need to use a narrow-angle, spot light meter, and instead allowing measurements to be made using a simple, wide-angle, incident-light or reflected-light photometer. This method is compliant with the relevant SMPTE measurement standard for measuring luminance uniformity. Additionally, some embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for practicing this method.
US09541490B1

A special purpose cuvette assembly with features that create a small, restricted volume to minimize bulk movements of liquid and that minimize backscattering of light. The special-purpose cuvette assembly enables recording of Brownian movements of nanoparticles in a liquid when it is placed in a suitable optical device comprising a light sheet and an optical microscope attached to a video camera that is oriented perpendicular to the light-sheet plane.
US09541486B2

A panel includes a plurality of integrated strain gauges for measuring deformation information relating to the panel. The strain gauges are arranged parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction of the panel and have at least two different lengths.
US09541484B2

Fixtures and methods are described herein to measure fastener stretch after fastener application. The measurement fixtures may include fastener contacting portions having contact plates that may move orbitally about a measurement shaft to allow contact plates to abut against non-parallel end surfaces of a fastener. The fixtures may also include datum assemblies that have datum plate mounted in fixed relation to the contacting portions that allow for measurements to be made between the datum plates. Adjustable dials may be included to transfer rotational movement of the dial to translation movement of the contacting portions. Measurement fixtures may further include a frame and mounting portions.
US09541482B2

Provided are a device and method for using bilirubin photoisomerization to reduce bilirubin interference with laboratory blood tests for other chemical analytes.
US09541476B2

A sample vitrification system includes a capsule structure configured for carrying a biological sample within a compartment while the sample is subjected to ultra-rapid freezing by way of a cryogenic coolant jet, and while the sample is exposed to pulsed microwave radiation in a manner that disrupts water molecule pentamer formation and which disrupts initial ice crystal nucleation events within the compartment within tens of microseconds to provide a vitrification depth within the compartment of tens of microns or more. The sample can reside between a very high thermal conductivity substrate and a cover. The cryogenic coolant jet is applied to the substrate from beneath the sample. The cover can carry a set of microwave excitation elements configured for providing microwave radiation to internal portions of the compartment. Portions of the capsule structure's interior can be imaged during microwave assisted jet freezing, such as by way of an optical microscope.
US09541472B2

A method and system for comparing measurements of a device under test (DUT) to measurements taken of similar equipment are provided. The method includes communicatively connecting a mobile computing device to one or more measurement devices, and receiving measurement data from the one or more measurement devices. The mobile computing device determines an equipment identifier of the DUT, and retrieves information associated with the equipment, which may include previous measurements of other devices or reference documents. The mobile computing device presents the retrieved information along with the received measurement data for comparison.
US09541471B2

A method and system for predicting prospective behavior of a manufacturing process are described. Measured values of multiple variables, including at least one dependent variable, are received. A partial least squares (PLS) regression approach is used to estimate an unknown future value of the at least one dependent variable at a future point in time in a current batch run.
US09541465B2

A sensor assembly includes a first structure and a second structure disposed radially outwardly of the first structure. Also included is a sensor body extending through the first and second structures, the sensor body having first and second ends, the second end located radially outwardly of the second structure. Further included is a first sealing assembly configured to couple the sensor body to the second structure and to accommodate movement of the sensor body due to relative movement between the first and second structures. Yet further included is an interior cavity of the sensor body, a linear position sensor operatively coupled to the sensor body, and a rotary linkage assembly located within the interior cavity and coupled to a target. Also included is a rotary-to-linear interface disposed between the rotary linkage assembly and the sensor and configured to convert rotational motion of the rotary linkage assembly to linear motion.
US09541464B2

A microelectromechanical pressure sensor structure that comprises a planar base and side walls and a diaphragm plate. The side walls extend circumferentially away from the planar base to a top surface of the side walls. The planar base, the side walls and the diaphragm plate are attached to each other to form a hermetically closed gap in a reference pressure, and a top edge of the inner surfaces of the side walls forms a periphery of a diaphragm. The diaphragm plate comprises one or more planar material layers of which a first planar material layer spans over the periphery of the diaphragm. The top surface of the side walls comprises at least one isolation area that is not covered by the first planar material layer.
US09541454B2

A temperature monitoring service in which remote monitoring units are distributed to customers who then set up monitoring as desired at their facilities. The devices may be registered through a web site using the Internet. Monitoring information may be communicated using a publicly available, wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network. The service may be provided with a system, including a server, which can deliver high levels of monitoring functionality. The server may support streaming monitoring information to a customer for analysis or sending a command activating a device connected to a remote unit. Remote units associated with the same location may be in a pool, comprising one active unit and one or more spare units, in which the server automatically identifies the active unit. The server may support analyzing monitoring information according to an expected cycle pattern of a ventilation system at the monitored facility.
US09541443B2

A GWR level gauge system for determining a filling level in a tank. The system comprises a tank, a transceiver, a surface waveguide comprising a single conductor transmission line probe, connected to the transceiver, arranged extending vertically into the tank and configured to guide the electromagnetic transmission signals towards the surface and to guide the reflected electromagnetic signals back to the transceiver; processing circuitry connected to the transceiver and configured to determine the filing level based on received reflected electromagnetic signals; a plurality of retaining elements arranged in fixed positions in relation to an inside of the tank and spaced apart along the probe, wherein each of the retaining elements circumscribes the probe, and is configured to allow movement of the probe in a vertical direction relative the retaining element, and to restrict movement of the probe in a horizontal direction relative the retaining element.
US09541441B2

An integrated measuring scoop apparatus includes a mounting ring with at least a first mounting protrusion extending inwardly from an inner surface of the mounting ring; a measuring scoop having a bowl and an handle; and a recessed area in an exterior surface of the bowl and terminating in an upper support surface being arranged for engagement with the mounting protrusion and the handle being arranged for engagement with the mounting protrusion.
US09541437B2

A thermal flow meter has a bypass passage for taking in and flowing measurement target gas flowing in a main passage, a circuit package having an air flow measurement circuit for measuring an air flow by carrying out heat transfer in relation to the measurement target gas flowing in the bypass passage, and a temperature detecting portion. A case is provided with an external terminal outputting electric signals indicating the air flow and the temperature of the measurement target gas and supports the circuit package. Resin contains the air flow measurement circuit and the temperature detecting portion. The temperature detecting portion has a protrusion which protrudes out of a circuit package main body, and the protrusion is formed into a shape which is thicker in its root than in its leading end portion and its neck portion is narrower little by little toward the leading end.
US09541433B2

A sensor device for detecting at least one property of a flowing fluid medium includes: at least one moisture sensor; and at least one application device for applying the flowing fluid medium to the moisture sensor. The application device includes at least one diaphragm and at least one protective device which has at least one guide rib structure.
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