US09577793B2

Soft buffer management circuitry is provided for use in a device of a wireless communication system. The soft buffer management circuitry has input circuitry for receiving information relating to an aggregated carrier comprising a plurality, NDU/ULcells, of configured component carriers. Control circuitry is provided for prioritizing allocation of storage in the soft buffer depending on a carrier index value indicating a prioritization of a corresponding component carrier relative to the other configured component carriers. The buffer is partitioned into a number min (NC, NDL/ULcells) partitions, where NC gives a number of carriers for which soft buffer storage is to be prioritized. A UE comprising the soft buffer management circuitry and a soft buffer management method are also provided.
US09577790B2

A bit interleaver, a bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) device and a bit interleaving method are disclosed herein. The bit interleaver includes a first memory, a processor, and a second memory. The first memory stores a low-density parity check (LDPC) codeword having a length of 64800 and a code rate of 4/15. The processor generates an interleaved codeword by interleaving the LDPC codeword on a bit group basis. The size of the bit group corresponds to a parallel factor of the LDPC codeword. The second memory provides the interleaved codeword to a modulator for quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation.
US09577782B2

A method includes profiling user-network interface (UNI) ports including Optical channel Data Unit flex (ODUflex) in a network; and adapting, using a max-flow routing criterion, network-network interface (NNI) ports comprising ODUflex based on the profiling. A network includes a plurality of network elements; a plurality of links interconnecting the plurality of network elements, wherein the plurality of links includes Layer 0 Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) bandwidth and Layer 1 Optical Transport Network (OTN) bandwidth; and a control plane operating between the plurality of network elements; wherein the Layer 0 DWDM bandwidth and the Layer 1 OTN bandwidth is statistically multiplexed using the control plane and manager based on monitoring bandwidth usage thereon over time.
US09577774B2

Disclosed are a time synchronization method and system. The method comprises: an NE1 and the upstream nodes of the NE1 are classified into the first level, and the downstream nodes of the NE1 are classified into the second level, where the first level priority of the first level is higher than the second level priority of the second level; an NE3 connected to the NE1 through a PTP synchronization link in the downstream node receives a first device priority of the NE1 and the first level priority from the NE1; and after the NE3 receives the second device priority of an NE2 and the second level priority sent by the NE2 in the downstream nodes which is connected to the NE1 through the 1PPS+TOD synchronization link, determines that a clock parameter of the NE1 is optimal, and synchronizes the local clock to the NE1.
US09577773B2

A station assisted interference measurement scheme is described containing a system and devices that facilitate the measurement of interference levels or path loss values between nearby potentially interfering transmitting transceivers and candidate victim receivers. Such interference levels or path loss values are used to assist intelligent assignment of communication channels in an authorized shared access system (ASAS). Using control signals from a controller of the ASAS, suspected interfering devices transmit specialized signals on specific channels at specific times that may have a waveform and/or bit format different from typically used data communication signals. A candidate victim receiver may receive one or more of the specialized signals and measure a signal parameter of the received specialized signal. The controller of the authorized shared access system uses the measured signal parameters to determine interference between devices and improve the assignment of communication channels to mitigate interference.
US09577772B2

A measuring device for measuring a response of a device under test to a carrier aggregation signal is provided. The measuring device comprises a signal generator configured to generate the carrier aggregation signal, which comprises a first carrier signal and/or a second carrier signal. The measuring device comprises a control unit configured to control the signal generator to user-selectably, individually and dynamically, activate and deactivate the carrier signals within the carrier aggregation signal.
US09577770B2

A system for analyzing a probe card comprises a signal generator adapted to generate a radio frequency test signal. a connector for inputting into the probe card the radio frequency test signal, and a detector assembly. The detector assembly comprises an RF chuck for receiving a radio frequency signal from the probe card, and a sensor configured to receive the radio frequency signal from the RF chuck. The sensor is configured to measure a magnitude of the radio frequency signal and to output a measurement signal that represents only the magnitude of the radio frequency signal. The RF chuck and the sensor are mechanically coupled.
US09577769B2

An OFDM communication transceiver, which is configured to test its connection with an antenna circuit unit, has a receiver chain and an emitting chain. The receiver chain includes a time-to-frequency transform unit and the emitting chain includes a frequency-to-time transform unit. The transceiver further includes means for disconnecting the receiver chain to the antenna circuit unit, means for providing a stimulus as input to the emitting chain, means for reintroducing the signal at the output of the emitting chain as an input of the receiving chain, means for determining a circuit resonance frequency, Fr, and a quality factor, Q, of a transfer function computed from the output of the time-to-frequency transform unit, and means for deciding about the connection of said antenna circuit unit according to the resonance frequency and the quality factor.
US09577763B2

Spectrum control systems and methods are implemented to minimize power spectral density (PSD) offsets by adjusting gain of optical amplifiers in an optical section. The optical section is a logical boundary from one optical signal access point to a next adjacent optical signal access point. The systems and methods include estimating PSD offset from a given target for a peak channel at each span in the optical section, wherein the estimated PSD offset is divided at each span into two components including a self-introduced offset and an uncompensated offset from upstream; generating, for each span, a separate controller response for the self-introduced offset and the uncompensated offset from upstream; and controlling the gain of the optical amplifiers based on the separate controller response for the self-introduced offset and the uncompensated offset from upstream, for each span.
US09577754B2

A nonradiative communication terminal and a communication system which use visible light for communication are provided. The nonradiative communication terminal includes a visible light emission module, a visible light reception module, and a central processing unit. The visible light emission module and the visible light reception module are connected with the central processing unit. By using visible light to communicate with other visible light communication terminals, the advantages, such as nonradiation, saving frequency resources, stability and reliability in communication performance, low-cost communication, and high transmission speed are achieved.
US09577751B2

The present invention provides an Ethernet performance detection method and system and an optical network terminal. The method includes: receiving, by an ONT, a detection configuration instruction, and configuring a maintenance end point according to the detection configuration instruction; configuring a performance detection path from the MEP to the VMEP according to states of the virtual maintenance end points configured on a main node and a backup node, wherein the VMEP includes two virtual MEPs, the IDs of the two virtual MEPs are identical, at the same moment; and transmitting a message to a node corresponding to the virtual MEP with the main state. When the node states of the main node and backup node are switched, the optical network terminal may automatically switch the performance detection path to the node corresponding to the virtual MEP, in order to continue to perform the network performance detection.
US09577748B2

A Passive Optical Network, PON, comprising an Optical Line Termination, OLT, connected to one or more Optical Network Terminals, ONT, over an Optical Distribution Network, ODN, is monitored by a monitoring device. The monitoring device comprises an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer, OFDR, and is arranged to monitor the optical power received by the OLT and the ONTs of the PON, and to perform transceiver analysis of the OLT and the ONTs, combined with an OFDR analysis of the ODN, based on the monitored optical power violating a threshold.
US09577747B2

The light reception unit is disposed behind each of a plurality of light sources that emits signal lights having mutually different wavelengths in a forward direction and receives a backlight emitted backward from each of the light sources. The synchronizing signal generation unit generates a synchronizing signal serving as an electric signal synchronized in phase with a drive signal for driving each of the light sources. The multiplication unit multiplies the synchronizing signal and a light reception signal serving as an electric signal obtained by receiving the backlight by the light reception unit. The light power detection unit detects power of the signal light by multiplying an integrated value of a multiplication signal obtained by multiplying the synchronizing signal and the light reception signal by the multiplication unit and a power ratio of the signal light to the backlight stored in a predetermined storage unit.
US09577745B2

In a mobile communication system using a code division multiple access (CDMA) method, spreading code detection and frame/slot timing synchronization (cell search) is conducted by using a long code masked symbol. The spreading factor of the long code masked symbol is set to a value lower than spreading factors of other ordinary symbols. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce the circuit scale and power dissipation of the mobile terminal and raise the speed of cell search.
US09577741B2

A method and a satellite communication system are provided. At least one satellite gateway earth station receives at least one multicast stream from an external network. In a static forwarding mode, the at least one satellite gateway earth station replicates and forwards traffic from the at least one multicast stream over at least one first respective outroute carrier of at least one first respective spot beam of a satellite regardless of whether any terminal is arranged to actively receive any of the at least one multicast stream. In a dynamic forwarding mode, the at least one satellite gateway earth station replicates and forwards second traffic from any of the at least one multicast stream over at least one second respective outroute carrier of at least one second respective spot beam only when at least one respective terminal is arranged to actively receive the any of the at least one multicast stream.
US09577736B2

Wireless communication systems employ Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmission and reception schemes to increase performance and the data rate of the system. A new approach for an SM-MIMO decoder that operates on the received symbols in parallel is presented. The new approach performs two different QR decompositions of the estimated channel matrix and produces two triangular matrices; one is right triangular and the other is left triangular. The modified systems of equations are processed in parallel. After each M-algorithm process has processed half of the total number of stages, total search space for the globally optimal transmitted symbol vector is reduced significantly. Finally, cumulative distance metrics are computed for the symbol sequences in the reduced search space and a global minimum is determined for the estimated transmitted symbol vector. This approach offers faster processing of the SM-MIMO signals and reduced distance metric computations and search operations.
US09577732B2

One embodiment provides a method, including: displaying a plurality of contents via a display screen of a first electronic device; determining a subset of a plurality of antennas of the first electronic device based on positions of the antennas relative to the display screen, wherein said subset of antennas corresponds with respective contents as displayed via the display screen of the first electronic device; activating the subset of the antennas of the first electronic device to determine a target antenna from said subset of the antennas that is closest to a second electronic device arranged with respect to the display screen of the first electronic device; and transmitting a target content from said contents as displayed from the first electronic device to the second electronic device, wherein the target content corresponds with the target antenna. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US09577728B1

Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication. An access point (AP) may determine a single user bias for a wireless device based on a feedback signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and an SNR based on a modulation and coding scheme (MCS). The AP may also determine a multi-user SNR for the wireless device based on the feedback SNR, the single user bias, a multi user loss, and a group bias. The AP may then select an updated MCS based on the multi-user SNR. In some cases, the AP may transmit a reference signal to the wireless device and receive a compressed beamforming feedback report from the wireless device based on the reference signal. The feedback SNR may be based on the compressed beamforming feedback report. The AP may also maintain a blacklist of groups with channel correlation that satisfies a threshold, and refrain from scheduling those groups together.
US09577708B1

The systems and methods for a twisted pair transceiver with correlation detection includes a transceiver system operating on a cable. The transceiver system includes a receiver to obtain one or more data samples related to one or more encoded data symbols. The transceiver system further includes a first correlation filter to generate a first correlation output based on the one or more data samples, and a second correlation filter to generate a second correlation output based on the one or more data samples. The transceiver system further includes a detector. The detector compares the first correlation output with the second correlation output, generates an output data bit based on a comparison result, and sends the output data bit for data decoding.
US09577704B2

A method and apparatus for processing a signal is present. Information is carried in a frequency hopping signal. The frequency hopping signal is sent to a gateway in a communications network through a satellite. The frequency hopping signal is unprocessed by the satellite to identify the information in the frequency hopping signal.
US09577702B2

A system and a method for time synchronization on a wireless network, based on the exchange of Chirp Spread Spectrum information. Time signals are broadcast from a master (40) to a plurality of slave devices (101, 102, 103). The modulation used includes a compensation of offsets in the master's system clock by symbol-wide frequency shifts that is particularly precise, fine and simple to implement. The system and method of the invention are particularly suitable for synchronizing a telecommunication cell network.
US09577693B2

A wristwatch includes a watch body having a display part on an upper surface thereof and having a seating part at an outline part of the display part, and a Bluetooth headset including a sound output unit that outputs sound information received from a master terminal, having a shape corresponding to an outline part of the display part to surround the display part, seated in the seating part, and installed to be attached to and detached from the watch body, the Bluetooth headset being a slaver terminal of the master terminal that functions as a body case or a bezel of the watch body.
US09577690B2

A processor, comprising a first data input configured to receive a stream of samples of a first signal having a spectral space, the stream having a data rate of at least 4 GHz; a second data input configured to receive a stream of samples of a second signal; a multitap correlator, configured to receive the first stream of samples and the second stream of samples, and producing at least one correlation output for each respective sequential sample of the first signal received; and a programmable control configured to alter a relationship of the stream of samples of the first signal and the stream of samples of the second signal, to thereby select, under program control, an alterable correlation output.
US09577683B2

Example apparatuses and methods for cancellation of transmitter self-interference leakage in a transceiver are described. An example transceiver includes a multiport transformer that may be used as a part of the impedance matching network on the receiver side of the transceiver. One primary port of the multiport transformer may form a portion of a cancellation circuit that, along with other components in a cancellation path, provide amplitude and/or phase modulation to a cancellation signal. The cancellation circuit may tunable and may include only reactive components in some examples.
US09577681B2

A bit interleaver, a bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) device and a bit interleaving method are disclosed herein. The bit interleaver includes a first memory, a processor, and a second memory. The first memory stores a low-density parity check (LDPC) codeword having a length of 64800 and a code rate of 2/15. The processor generates an interleaved codeword by interleaving the LDPC codeword on a bit group basis. The size of the bit group corresponds to a parallel factor of the LDPC codeword. The second memory provides the interleaved codeword to a modulator for 256-symbol mapping.
US09577679B2

A transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus are provided. The transmitting apparatus includes an encoder configured to generate a low density parity check (LDPC) codeword by performing LDPC encoding, an interleaver configured to interleave the LDPC codeword, and a modulator configured to modulate the interleaved LDPC codeword according to a modulation method to generate a modulation symbol. The interleaver performs interleaving by dividing the LDPC codeword into a plurality of groups, rearranging an order of the plurality of groups in group units, and dividing the plurality of rearranged groups based on a modulation order according to the modulation method.
US09577678B2

A bit interleaver, a bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) device and a bit interleaving method are disclosed herein. The bit interleaver includes a first memory, a processor, and a second memory. The first memory stores a low-density parity check (LDPC) codeword having a length of 64800 and a code rate of 7/15. The processor generates an interleaved codeword by interleaving the LDPC codeword on a bit group basis. The size of the bit group corresponds to a parallel factor of the LDPC codeword. The second memory provides the interleaved codeword to a modulator for quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation.
US09577665B2

A compression algorithm replaces duplicative strings with a copy pair indicating a location and length of a preceding identical string that is within a window from the duplicative string. Rather than a replacing a longest matching string within a window from a given point with a copy pair, the longest matching string may be used provide it is at least two bytes larger than the next longest matching string or is at a distance that is less than some multiple of a distance to the next longest matching string. In another aspect, the length of the window in which a matching string may be found is dependent on a length of the matching string. In yet another aspect, rather than labeling each literal and copy pair to indicate what it is, strings of non-duplicative literals are represented by a label and a length of the string.
US09577663B1

A digitized system operates to receive one or more analog signals from a sensor or other component and convert the analog signals to one or more digital signals. An analog-to-digital converter comprises a loop filter, a quantizer and one or more feedback digital-to-analog converters. A gain component provides coefficients along different points of a signal processing path to extend a bandwidth of the analog-to-digital converter. The gain component can modify a signal transfer function of the analog-to-digital converter while preserving a noise transfer function in order to process a signal in a higher frequency band in an extended mode of operation than other signals being processed in a normal operating mode.
US09577655B2

Methods and systems for time interleaved analog-to-digital converter timing mismatch calibration and compensation may include receiving an analog signal on a chip, converting the analog signal to a digital signal utilizing a time interleaved analog-to-digital-converter (ADC), and reducing a blocker signal that is aliased onto a desired signal by a timing offset in the time interleaved ADC by estimating complex coupling coefficients between a desired digital output signal and the blocker signal. A decorrelation algorithm may comprise a symmetric adaptive decorrelation algorithm. The received analog signal may be generated by a calibration tone generator on the chip. An aliased signal may be summed with an output signal from a multiplier. The complex coupling coefficients may be determined utilizing the decorrelation algorithm on the summed signals. A multiplier may be configured to cancel the blocker signal utilizing the determined complex coupling coefficients.
US09577647B2

A voltage controlled oscillator arrangement is disclosed. The arrangement includes a voltage controlled oscillator and a bypass component. The voltage controlled oscillator has an output and a tuning port. The output provides an output signal at an operating frequency. The tuning port is configured to select the operating frequency according to an applied voltage. The voltage controlled oscillator has active portions and inactive portions. During the active portions, the output signal is at a non-zero value. The bypass component is configured to apply a bypass compensating signal to the tuning port during the active portions of the voltage controlled oscillator. The bypass compensating signal compensates for an oscillator temperature of the voltage controlled oscillator.
US09577645B2

A driver circuit outputs a result of classifying and counting photons based on one or more energy levels to a column line. The driver circuit includes a multiplexer for receiving the result from a counter, a driving inverter for receiving a signal from the multiplexer and a power supply, and a switch connected between the power supply and an input terminal of the driving inverter.
US09577642B2

A method to form a 3D integrated circuit, the method including: fabricating two or more devices; connecting the devices together to form the 3D integrated circuit, where at least one of the devices has at least one unused designated dice line and at least one of the devices is a configurable device; and interconnecting at least two of the devices using Through Silicon Vias.
US09577641B2

Disclosed herein are semiconductor device arrays, such as, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Complex Programmable Logic Arrays (CPLAs) that use high-density Spin Transfer Torque (STT)-based memory elements. STT-based memory elements can either be stand-alone FPGAs/CPLAs, or can be embedded in microprocessors and/or digital signal processing (DSP) system-on-chip (SoC) to provide design flexibility for implementing low power, scalable, secure and reconfigurable hardware architecture. Because the configuration is stored on the FPGA/CPLA die itself, the need for loading the configuration from external storage every time is eliminated when the device is powered on. In addition to instant startup, eliminating configuration I/O traffic results in power savings and possible pin count reduction. Security is greatly improved by eliminating the need to store configuration data in an external memory.
US09577640B1

Flexible, space-efficient I/O architectures for integrated circuits simplify circuit design and shorten design times. In one aspect, cells for power supply pads are eliminated, in part by locating ESD circuitry for these pads underneath the pads themselves, leaving only signal I/O buffers. Pads coupled to the signal I/O buffers may be defined as either signal I/O pads or power supply pads in accordance with customization circuitry. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible bank architectures, where signal I/O buffers within a bank share power supply requirements that may be different from another bank. The number of banks and the number of signal I/O buffers belonging to each bank is flexibly defined. In other aspects, ESD circuitry is provided at corners of the IC layout and optionally within selected I/O slots. Decap circuitry is provided at an outer edge of the IC layout and is scalable in order to meet different requirements.
US09577635B2

A CGC includes an enable module and a latch module. The enable module has an enable module input and an enable module output. The latch module has latch module inputs and a latch module output. The latch module inputs include a latch module clock input for receiving a clock and a latch module enable input for receiving the enable module output. The latch module enable input is coupled to the enable module output. The latch module is configured to enable and to disable the clock via the latch module output based on the enable module input. The latch module includes an internal enable node that is the latch module output. The latch module is configured to cause the internal enable node to transition from low to high as a function of the enable module output and ĒC, where E is the internal enable node and C is the clock.
US09577628B2

A gate pulsing gate ladder circuit includes a series connected resistor ladder with bond pads connected to the resistor ladder between adjacent resistors. An electrical node is positioned between a first and second resistor of the resistor ladder. The electrical node is electrically connected to a gate electrode of a field effect transistor (FET). A power supply produces a constant power voltage that is applied to a pre-selected bond pad to produce a desired bias voltage at the gate electrode of the FET. A selectable gate enable voltage source is connected to an and of the resistor ladder at the first resistor and is configured to produce a first and second voltage level that when combined with the constant power voltage produces a voltage level that causes the FET to be in a conducting state or non-conducting state, respectively.
US09577623B2

A capacitive parametric zero crossing detection circuit has a nonlinear voltage controlled capacitive device coupled to an input voltage to convert a zero crossing current pulse into zero crossing voltage signal.
US09577618B2

Apparatus, computer readable medium, circuits, and method of reducing power in sending signals over two or more wires are disclosed. The method includes receiving two or more signals at a first end of the two or more wires. The method includes determining that the two or more signals should be encoded based at least on a previously received two or more signals. The method includes encoding the two or more signals. Additionally, the method includes sending the encoded two or more signals over the two or more wires. The method may include receiving the sent two or more signals at a second end of the two or more wires, and if the sent two or more signals were encoded, then decoding the two or more signals back to the values of the received two or more signals.
US09577609B2

A method of operating a single-tuner radio includes tuning into a first frequency. A pause in a first signal associated with the first frequency is detected. Tuning is switched from the first frequency to a second frequency. A signal quality metric for the second frequency is measured. Tuning is switched from the second frequency to the first frequency.
US09577605B2

An RF component can have a reduced electromagnetic internal coupling and may be suitable for miniaturization as a result. The component includes a micro acoustic filter of ladder-type design in a housing and a double coil having a first coil segment and a second coil segment. The two coil segments are oriented in opposite directions. The two coil segments are arranged without crossover in one layer and the double coil is arranged in proximity to a parallel branch resonator of the ladder-type filter structure.
US09577599B2

A filter device for filtering electrical currents or electromagnetic interference, particularly common-mode interference. The filter device has a soft-magnetic core with a passage, a printed circuit board with a plurality of electronic components, and a holding section. The holding section of the printed circuit board can be put through the core passage wherein the passage is designed such that the holding section and the electronic components arranged on the holding section can be put through the passage.
US09577585B2

A Doherty amplifier for amplifying an input signal to an output signal, the Doherty amplifier comprising: a main amplifier for receiving a first signal and for amplifying the first signal to generate a first amplified signal; a first peak amplifier for receiving a second signal and for generating a second amplified signal, the first peak amplifier only operating when the second signal has reached a first threshold power, the first and second signal split from the input signal; and output circuitry to combine the first and second amplified signals to generate an output signal having an operating bandwidth, the output circuitry comprising inductors arranged in the format of a branch line coupler, the inductors coupled to the output parasitic capacitances of the main and peak amplifier.
US09577584B2

A first amplifier is coupled to an output node via a first line having first and second portions. A second amplifier is coupled to the output node via a second line having first and second portions. An auxiliary amplifier is coupled via an auxiliary line network to a first intersection between the first and second portions of the first line, and to a second intersection between the first and second portions of the second line. For each of the first and second lines, the first and second portions have a higher-impedance portion and a lower-impedance portion whose combined length is a half wavelength. Lengths of the respective first portions of the first and second lines sum to half a wavelength, and the lengths of the respective second portions of the first and second lines sum to half a wavelength.
US09577573B2

A photovoltaic module includes: a solar cell module including a plurality of solar cells; a junction box including a dc/dc converter unit to convert the level of DC power supplied from the solar cell module; a plate on one surface of the solar cell module and disposed between the solar cell module and the junction box; and a coupling member attaching and detaching the junction box from the solar cell module.
US09577569B2

A motor control system of an electric vehicle, a controlling method for the motor control system and an electric vehicle are provided. The motor control system includes: an IGBT module, connected with a motor of the electric vehicle; a detection module, configured to detect a motor speed; a drive module, configured to drive IGBTs in the IGBT module to turn on or off so as to control the motor to work or stop working; a first control module; a second control module communicated with the first control module; and a channel selection module, configured to select a channel of the second control module when the first control module has a fault. When the second control module is selected, it sends a second control signal to the drive module according to the motor speed at a predetermined time before the first control module has the fault, so as to control the motor to stop working.
US09577564B2

A drive system with energy store and method for operating a drive system, an inverter powering an electric motor, the inverter being supplied from a unipolar DC-link voltage, an energy store being connected in parallel to the inverter, in particular, a film capacitor being connected in parallel to the inverter, the DC-link voltage being generated by a DC/DC converter which is supplied from an AC/DC converter, especially a rectifier, in particular, an electric current being able to be supplied to the DC link by the DC/DC converter.
US09577555B2

At least one example embodiment discloses a method of estimating a position of a rotor in a motor. The method includes obtaining a current regulation quality index based on a current command and a measured current, determining an estimated position of the rotor based on the current regulation quality index and position estimation data and controlling the motor based on the estimated position of the rotor.
US09577538B2

A power distribution system includes controller of a switching power converter to control the switching power converter and determine one or more switching power converter control parameters. In at least one embodiment, the switching power converter utilizes a transformer to transfer energy from a primary-side of the transformer to a secondary-side of the transformer. In at least one embodiment, the switching power converter control parameters includes a secondary-side conduction time delay that represents a time delay between when the primary-side ceases conducting a primary-side current and the secondary-side begins to conduct a secondary-side current. In at least one embodiment, determining and accounting for this secondary-side conduction time delay increases the prediction accuracy of the secondary-side current value and accurate delivery of energy to a load when the controller does not directly sense the secondary-side current provided to the load.
US09577536B2

System controller and method for protecting a power converter. The system controller includes a first controller terminal configured to output a drive signal to a switch to affect a first current flowing through a primary winding of a power converter. The power converter further includes a secondary winding coupled to the primary winding, and the drive signal is associated with one or more switching periods. Additionally, the system controller includes a second controller terminal configured to receive a sensing voltage from a sensing resistor. The sensing voltage represents a magnitude of the first current flowing through the primary winding of the power converter. The system controller is configured to process information associated with the sensing voltage and a reference voltage, and determine whether an average output current of the power converter is larger than a current threshold.
US09577531B2

A buck-boost converter and a control circuit thereof are disclosed. When an input voltage is close to an output voltage (i.e., the buck-boost converter operates in a buck-boost mode), the control circuit of the buck-boost converter generates specific switching signals. Four switches of a switching regulator are switched by the switching signals, so that the four switches are not turned-on or turned-off frequently because of the input voltage closing to the output voltage. Accordingly, the buck-boost converter and the control circuit thereof of the disclosure can reduce switch noise of the four switches and switching loss of the whole circuit, to improve conversion efficiency of the buck-boost converter.
US09577527B2

Current metering for transitioning to low power operation in switching regulators is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided that includes generating pulse width modulated charging cycles that enable current to flow to an inductor to adjust an output voltage, and detecting a skipped charging cycle. The method also includes determining whether a number of charging cycles are skipped over a time interval that begins when the skipped charging cycle is detected. The method also includes transitioning to a low power operating mode if it determined that the number of charging cycles have been skipped over the selected time interval. During the low power operating mode pulse frequency modulated charging cycles are generated that enable the current to flow to the inductor to generate the output voltage.
US09577520B2

A power converter with bootstrap circuit, the power converter has a high side switch, a low side switch, a bootstrap circuit and a bootstrap capacitor for providing a bootstrap voltage to supply a high side driver of the high side switch. The power converter receives an input voltage and provides an output voltage based on driving the high side switch and the low side switch to switch on and off. The bootstrap circuit has a first comparing circuit, a first comparing circuit, a boost circuit and a second charging circuit. The second charging circuit charges the bootstrap capacitor when a voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage is smaller than a voltage threshold.
US09577519B2

Apparatus and methods are provided for feedback circuitry in a power converter, the feedback circuitry including a first resistor coupled to a first node between a high switch and a low switch, a first capacitor in series with the first resistor, the first capacitor coupled to a second node, a first comparator having a positive terminal connected between the first resistor and the first capacitor and a negative terminal connected to a third node, the first comparator configured to compare a voltage at the positive terminal to a voltage at the negative terminal, wherein the feedback circuitry is configured to generate a ramp waveform at the positive terminal of the first comparator, an amplitude of the ramp waveform based on a time constant of the first resistor and the first capacitor.
US09577515B2

A controller for generating jitters in a quasi resonant mode includes a feedback pin, a voltage generation unit, a pulse generator, and a comparator. The feedback pin is used for receiving a feedback voltage from a secondary side of a power converter. The voltage generation unit is used for generating a first voltage according to the feedback voltage and a pulse. The pulse generator is used for generating the pulse when a control signal controlling a power switch of a primary side of the power converter is enabled. The comparator is used for controlling enabling and disabling of a switching signal according to the first voltage and a variable reference voltage. The variable reference voltage is monotonously swung within a predetermined range according to a digital signal.
US09577509B2

An apparatus comprises a switching circuit, an error amplifier circuit, a current threshold circuit, and an over-current detection circuit. The switching circuit provides a switching duty cycle that includes a charge portion and a discharge portion. The error amplifier circuit generates an error signal representative of a difference between a target voltage value and a voltage at an output of the voltage regulator circuit. The switching circuit adjusts the switching duty cycle to regulate the voltage at the output using the error signal and a reference waveform signal. The current threshold circuit generates an adaptive peak current limit threshold. The over-current detection circuit generates an over-current signal when the reference waveform signal satisfies the adaptive peak current limit threshold during the charging portion of the switching cycle. The switching circuit interrupts one or more switching cycles when the reference waveform signal satisfies the adaptive peak current limit threshold.
US09577505B1

Systems and methods for operating a switching converter are disclosed. The switching converter includes a high-side transistor coupled between a voltage input and a switching node and a low-side transistor coupled between the switching node and ground. The switching converter also includes a high-side driver coupled to drive a gate of the high-side transistor, a charge pump coupled to the high-side driver, and a bootstrap circuit, which includes a pass transistor coupled between the charge pump and the switching node, and a pull-down transistor coupled between the charge pump and ground.
US09577504B2

Provided is a cryogen supply and return apparatus and a superconducting rotating electric machine, comprising stationary and rotatable members arranged out of contact with each other, preventing an increase of maintenance cost or a temperature increase of the cryogen which would be caused by contacts of the members. A cylinder 20 has on its outer peripheral surface ring-like recesses or grooves regularly or irregularly spaced in the longitudinal direction or spiral recesses or grooves continuously or discontinuously extending in the peripheral direction, to resist helium gas flowing through a cylindrical space between the cylinder 20 and the inner tube 14b of the second double tube member and, as a result, to control a leakage of the helium gas from the cylindrical space.
US09577502B2

A transverse flux motor (10) includes a housing (20), a stator (50), and a rotor (30) external to the stator (50) and installed onto the housing. The stator (50) includes a stator sub-assembly including at least one pair of stator core elements (52), each having multiple stator pole teeth (56) circumferentially offset from pole teeth of the other stator core element in the pair. The rotor (30) includes a rotor body (32) made of a single piece part or multiple rotor body laminas (36). The rotor body (32) includes multiple magnetic flux retention features (40) for positioning first magnets (34). Two adjacent magnetic flux retention features (48) define a second magnet retention feature (47) for positioning a second magnet (45) that form a substantially U-shape together with two neighboring first magnets with the same magnetic poles facing each other.
US09577501B2

A rotor for a rotary electric machine, the rotor including first and second pole pieces each having a respective magnetic hub arranged for rotation about an axis along which they are spaced. Pluralities of magnetic first and second pole fingers are spaced from each other and extend between the hubs. Each pole finger has a proximal end connected to its respective hub, and an axially opposite distal end. The first and second pole fingers circumferentially alternate about the axis, and each pole finger has a respective radially inner surface defining a cavity that extends axially from the distal end to a cavity terminus. Relative to each pole finger, at a respective axial position between the distal end and the cavity terminus the radial distance between the axis and the radially inner surface is substantially greater inside of the cavity than outside of the cavity.
US09577498B2

Provided is a stator for a rotary electric machine, capable of reducing a space on an end surface of a stator core on an inner diameter side to reduce a size in an axial direction to realize a compact size by maintaining an insulating distance corresponding to a potential difference. In the stator for a rotary electric machine according to the present invention, a coil portion includes a coil main-body portion (21) and a second connecting wire (23). The second connecting wire (23) includes a first bent portion (24) and a second connecting-wire end portion (23A). The second connecting wire (23) is configured so that a differential value of a length z in the axial direction of the stator to a length r in the radial direction of the stator is Δz/Δr≧0.
US09577497B2

A rotating electric machine has a semiconductor magnetic sensor and a cylindrical housing with a cylinder part, which is made of a soft magnetic material, positioned closer to the semiconductor magnetic sensor relative to a back yoke of a stator core. The semiconductor magnetic sensor is positioned away from the cylindrical housing so that a shortest distance between a center of the semiconductor magnetic sensor and the cylindrical housing is equal to or greater than 50 times of a sum of a first space distance and a second space distance. With such an arrangement, a leak magnetic field generated by magnetic poles that leaks in an axial direction is prevented from disturbing the semiconductor magnetic sensor. Thus, a rotation position detection accuracy of the semiconductor magnetic sensor is improved.
US09577491B2

An electric machine includes a housing having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior zone. A solenoid mounting section is provided on the housing. The solenoid mounting section includes a shift lever opening that extends from the outer surface through the inner surface. A solenoid tower is mounted to the housing. The solenoid tower extends from a first end detachably coupled to the solenoid mounting section to a second end configured to receive a solenoid. The first end includes an opening that registers with the shift lever opening. At least one of the solenoid mounting section and the solenoid tower includes a seal.
US09577489B2

An electric motor is provided. The motor is mountable to a machine. The motor includes a rotor rotatable about an axis, a stator, a housing, and a fastener. The housing includes a first endshield and a controller can, with the stator being positioned axially between the endshield and the can. The fastener extends through and interconnects the first endshield, the stator, and the can. The fastener projects axially beyond at least one of the first endshield and the can for connection to the machine.
US09577487B2

An electronic cylinder includes a knob; a cylinder core connected with the knob; a motor having a protrusion block; a clutch unit; a coupler including a chamber receiving the clutch unit and a front portion having a front end face with an opening constituted by an injection channel indented inwardly from the end face and extending from a first point of a periphery confining the end face, an recess indented inwardly from a bottom surface of the injection channel and an outflow channel indented inwardly from the end face and extending from a second point of the periphery, the bottom of the recess being formed with a hole permitting extension of an axle for engaging the clutch unit, a preventing block in a depth of the opening such that after assembly, the end face abuts against the motor; and a waterproof filler hermetically filling the recess.
US09577485B2

According to one embodiment, there is provided a 3-phase 2-pole 2-layer armature winding, housed in 72 slots provided in a laminated iron core, a winding of each phase including six parallel circuits separated into two phase belts. Upper coil pieces of first and fourth parallel circuits are placed at 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 12th positions, and lower coil pieces of the first and fourth parallel circuits are placed at 1st, 6th, 9th, and 10th positions, upper and lower coil pieces of second and fifth parallel circuits are placed at 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th positions, and upper coil pieces of third and six parallel circuits are placed at 1st, 6th, 9th, and 10th positions, and lower coil pieces of the third and six parallel circuits are placed at 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 12th positions, from the center of a pole.
US09577480B2

A rotor includes a plurality of salient poles, each of which is formed by a plurality of plate members including steel plates that are stacked together, provided extending in a radial direction and around which a coil is wound. The plurality of salient poles has auxiliary salient poles that protrude from the salient poles between two salient poles that are adjacent to one another. The auxiliary salient poles are formed by only a first plate member that is a portion of plate members that forms the salient poles.
US09577473B2

A plurality of controllers, each coupled to a plurality of outlets, compare values assigned to characteristic parameters or “process variables” against at least one control value on the process variable. The values for the process variables are derived from at least one signal provided to corresponding controllers. At least one of the outlets at each controller is configured to selectively provide an electrical voltage from an input voltage in accordance with the comparison of the process variable values and the control value. Remotely accessible controls may be stored at the controllers which may be retrieved through respective network interfaces at the controllers. A remote processor may use the retrieved controls to remotely specify, such as over a communication network, the control values.
US09577455B2

A charging device switchable between a first charging current and a second charging current includes a USB port and an identification signal providing circuit. The identification signal providing circuit outputs an identification signal to the electronic device when the electronic device is first coupled to the USB port. The electronic device determines whether the charging device matches the electronic device or not according to the identification signal. The electronic device is recharged using the first charging current when the charging device does match the electronic device, and the electronic device is recharged using the second charging current when the charging device does not match the electronic device.
US09577453B2

An mechanism for charging an electronic device with a retractable cord reel. The device maintains a substantially continuous converted power source connection during operation, including operations adjusting the length of the retractable cord.
US09577451B2

A holder includes a cover, a base, and a charging module. The cover includes a battery, and the base is foldably connected to the cover. The charging module includes a main charging coil and a power supply. The battery and the main charging coil are electrically connected to the power supply. A first proportion of a current from the power supply charges the battery, while a second proportion of the current from the power supply sends current to the main charging coil. The main charging coil charges a portable electronic device received in the holder.
US09577449B2

A wireless charging device for use in providing electrical power to one or more portable electronic devices is provided. The wireless charging device includes a transmission coil coupled to an electrical power source. The transmission coil selectively transmits power from the electrical power source to at least one receiving coil in a first portable electronic device of the one or more portable electronic devices. The wireless charging device also includes a positioning system coupled to the transmission coil. The positioning system is configured to selectively rotate said transmission coil about a first axis and about a second axis.
US09577431B2

In various implementations, a pager may be coupled to a console. The pager may include a battery and coupling the pager to the console may provide power to the console. In some implementations, the power provided to the console may charge a battery of the console and/or allow the console to perform one or more operations.
US09577397B2

Methods are provided for manufacturing a shell assembly for an electrical connector. First and second shells of a shell assembly may be formed from metal sheets via a stamping process. The stamping process may produce a number of first shells attached to a section of metal sheet remaining after the stamping process—a guide rail—with the front end opening of the first shell being oriented at 90 degrees relative to the guide rail. A second shell may be formed and severed from a metal sheet as a result of the stamping process. One end of the first shells may be exposed after the stamping process such that the second shells may be assembled over the exposed end of the first shells to form a shell assembly. Additional operations can be performed on the shell assembly.
US09577394B2

Patch cords include a communications cable that has a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, and a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair and a plug that is attached to the communications cable. The plug includes a housing that receives the communications cable, first through fourth plug contacts that are within the housing, and a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes first through fourth conductive paths that connect the respective first through fourth conductors to respective ones of the first through fourth plug contacts. The plug further includes a first conductive shield that extends above a top surface of the printed circuit board that is disposed between the first differential pair and the second differential pair.
US09577393B2

An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing, a positioning member and a plurality of first terminals. The insulative housing has a tongue. The positioning member is embedded in the tongue and has a main body. The plurality of first terminals are held by the main body of the positioning member and embedded in the insulative housing. The tongue exposes a flat plate-like contact portion of each first terminal.
US09577383B2

The present disclosure relates to a telecommunications jack including a housing having a port for receiving a plug. The jack also includes a plurality of contact springs adapted to make electrical contact with the plug when the plug is inserted into the port of the housing, and a plurality of wire termination contacts for terminating wires to the jack. The jack further includes a circuit board that electrically connects the contact springs to the wire termination contacts. The circuit board includes a multi-zone crosstalk compensation arrangement for reducing crosstalk at the jack.
US09577381B2

An electrical connector includes an insulation body and a contact. The insulation body includes a first side and a second side positioned opposite to the first side. The contact is received in the insulation body and includes a first elastic gripping portion adjacent to the first side of the insulation body and a second elastic gripping portion adjacent to the second side of the insulation body.
US09577380B1

A connector includes a plug and a receptacle. The plug includes a first main body which includes a groove and two slot walls with a number of first terminals. The receptacle includes a support, a second main body and an insert. The second main body includes a rail matching with the groove of the plug. The rail includes two flanks and each flank includes a number of second terminals corresponding to the first terminals. When the first main body slides into the second main body via the rail and holds the support, each first terminal on the slot wall of the first main body connects to one second terminal on each flank of the rail to make the plug electrically connect to the receptacle.
US09577376B1

A Christmas tree electric connecting trunk device has at least one first tube assembly and at least one second tube assembly. Each first tube assembly has a first connecting tube, a first rotating alignment element, a guiding element and a male connector. The at least one second tube assembly corresponds to and is connected detachably to the at least one first tube assembly. Each of the at least one second tube assembly has a second connecting tube, a second rotating alignment element and a female connector. A resilient pressing portion is formed between the male and female connectors to perform tight engagement therebetween.
US09577373B2

An electric connector includes a first connector 2 and a second connector 22. The first connector includes a first contact 4, a second contact 6, a plate like ground plate 8 arranged between the first and second contacts, and a first housing that holds the first contact, the second contact, and the ground plate. The second connector includes a third contact 30 connected to the first contact, a fourth contact 32 connected to the second contact, and a ground metal part arranged at both ends of the third and fourth contacts in a contact array direction and configured to be in contact with the ground plate, and a second housing that holds the third and fourth contacts and the ground metal part. The ground plate includes a projecting portion formed on both side surfaces in the contact array direction and come in contact with the ground metal part.
US09577370B2

A high-speed electrical connector includes an insulating case, several signal terminals, several grounding terminals, an electrical bridge, and several resilient conductive buffers mounted in the insulating case. Each of the signal and grounding terminals has a fixing segment and a swing segment swingable with respect to the fixing segment. The electrical bridge corresponds to two of the grounding terminals. The conductive buffers are disposed on the electrical bridge and are respectively arranged in the swing paths of the swing segments. Each conductive buffer is configured to transform from an initial state to a deformation state by pressing. Each swing segment can swing to press the corresponding conductive buffer, causing the corresponding conductive buffer to be in the deformation state, thereby establishing an electrical connection path between the electrical bridge and the corresponding grounding terminals. In one example, the buffer can be formed of elastomer mixed with conductive particles.
US09577365B1

Disclosed is a holding frame for holding plug connector modules, in particular for installation in plug connector casings and/or for screwing onto wall surfaces. In order to allow improved handling and more reliable populating and assembly of the holding frame having frame halves. The holding frame has an elastic fixing element adapted to releaseably fix the frame halves in a plug-in state and a holding state. At least a restoring force of the elastic fixing element must be overcome in order to release the fixing and/or to switch between the plug-in state and the holding state.
US09577358B2

A fluid pressure actuated device for establishing electrical contact includes a substrate defining a chamber, a flexible membrane having a first side facing a first direction away from the substrate and a second side facing into the chamber in a second direction opposite the first direction, and an electrically conducting contactor mounted on the first side of the flexible membrane. The flexible membrane extends and withdraws moving the electrically conducting contactor in the first direction and second direction respectively when fluid pressure is increased and decreased in the chamber. The flexible membrane includes at least two concentric frustum portions that narrow in opposite directions, including a central frustum portion and a second frustum portion that encircles the central frustum portion. Multiple chambers may be maintained in pressure equilibrium by at least one channel for the concurrent extension of multiple membranes and contactors.
US09577356B2

Electricity bolt for electrical contact of a printed circuit board with an electric conductor, with a basic body, wherein the basic body can be electrically contacted by a first section with the printed circuit board, and by a second section with the electric conductor, wherein the basic body at least in the area of the first section, by which the basic body is electrically conductively contactable with the printed circuit board, is designed as a hollow component, into which for the electrical contact with the printed circuit board a screw is so screwed that the first section is radially outwardly expandable by the screw.
US09577355B1

A push-on coaxial cable connector includes a port grip, a joint, and a cable clamp.
US09577354B2

An electrical transmission line repair device including a first conductor clamp, a second conductor clamp and at least one tie rail extending between the first and second conductor clamps in a spaced apart orientation. The first conductor clamp including a lower assembly and an upper assembly. The lower assembly and the upper assembly are slidably engageable with each other so as to define a conductor cavity extending therealong. Clamping fasteners are configured to extend through openings in the upper assembly so as to be threadable toward and away from the conductor contact region of the lower assembly within the conductor cavity.
US09577352B2

Electrical connectors including a cable clamp (e.g., having a first clamp portion, a second clamp portion, and a hinge coupled to the first and second clamp portions such that the first and second clamp portions are movable relative to each other between an open position and a closed position in which the first and second clamp portions define a cable passageway), and a piercing conductor configured to place a fixture wire into electrical communication with an electrical cable disposed within the cable passageway. In at least some of these electrical connectors, a longitudinal axis of the cable passageway is substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the cable clamp when the first and second clamp portions are in the closed position. In at least some of these electrical connectors, at least one of the clamp portions comprises a flexible sidewall that at least partially defines the cable passageway.
US09577344B2

Apparatus for improving the performance and allowing increased directionality of reflecting-type antenna systems by varying the geometry of the reflecting surface. A reflecting surface is composed of an array of actuated pins which are capable of extending or retracting to alter the overall pattern. An actuator controlling unit has the address of each actuator and is able to extend or retract the pins to the desired degree. The specific pattern which the actuator control unit realizes is determined by the iterative position calculator which utilizes directional inputs from the user and/or inputs from a system which determines the effectiveness of previous pin movements. The apparatus attempts to maximize the received signal by assessing amplitude changes over time and utilizing that information to direct alteration in the reflecting surface for optimal performance.
US09577339B2

According to one embodiment, an antenna device includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a third antenna, a capacitor element, a high-frequency cable, and a base member. The first antenna includes a folded-type monopole element. The second antenna includes a monopole element. The third antenna includes a passive element. The capacitor element is between a feeding point and a stub in a backward-path portion of the first antenna. The high-frequency cable is connected to the feeding point. The base member is formed of a dielectric material and has first, second, and third surfaces located to extend in different directions. The first, second, and third antenna are located at the first, second, and third surfaces.
US09577338B2

An antenna disposed on a substrate includes a radiating portion, a first coupling and feeding portion, and a second coupling and feeding portion. A length of the radiating portion is substantially equal to a half wavelength of electromagnetic signals radiated by the radiating portion. Each coupling and feeding portion includes a feeding part and a coupling part. The feeding part feeds the electromagnetic signals to the radiating portion via the coupling part so as to achieve effects of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna. A gap is defined between the coupling part and the radiating portion to improve an isolation of the MIMO antenna.
US09577335B2

An antenna includes antenna coil having a magnetic-material core and a coil conductor. The antenna coil is arranged toward a side of a planar conductor, such as a circuit board. Of the coil conductor, a first conductor part close to a first main face of the magnetic-material core and a second conductor part close to a second main face of the magnetic-material core are provided such that the first conductor part is not over the second conductor part in view from a line in a direction normal to the first main face or the second main face of the magnetic-material core. In addition, a coil axis of the coil conductor is orthogonal to the side of the planar conductor.
US09577334B2

An antenna device includes an antenna coil, a magnetic core, and a metal member. The antenna coil is mounted on a flexible base. The antenna coil is wound in a loop shape or a spiral shape such that its winding center section is a coil opening section. The magnetic core passes through a slit opening section in the flexible base. The metal member has a rectangular opening. The antenna coil is exposed through the opening in the metal member. A front-side coil conductor is nearer the opening than the magnetic core, and thus a magnetic flux links the front-side coil conductor.
US09577333B2

An antenna structure includes a feed portion, a ground portion, at least one metallic portion, and a radiating portion. The ground portion is spaced apart from the feed portion. The least one metallic portion is electrically connected to the ground portion. The radiating portion has a first end electrically connected to the feed portion and a second end electrically connected to the at least one metallic portion.
US09577330B2

Systems and techniques are provided for a modified Vivaldi antenna with dipole excitation mode. An antenna may include a ground plane and a modified Vivaldi antenna. The modified Vivaldi antenna may include a straight arm with a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the ground plane, a tapered section, and a balun placed partially between the straight arm and the tapered section. The modified Vivaldi antenna may be placed such that there is a gap between the tapered section and the ground plane. A feed element may be placed such that the feed element crosses the gap between the tapered section of the modified Vivaldi antenna and the ground plane.
US09577328B2

A frequency conversion circuit having a plurality of N signal channels, each being fed an input signal and a train of pluses having a period T and a duty cycle T/N. Each channel includes: a sampler coupled the input signal and being responsive to sampling signals; and a controllable time delay for producing the train of sampling signals in response to the train of pulses, the time delay imparting a time delay to the pulses in accordance with a time delay command signal fed to the time delay. Each one of the sampling signals is produced by the time delay in each one of the channels with the period T and the duty cycle T/N with the sampling signals in one of the trains of the sampling signals being delayed with respect to the sampling signals in another one of the trains the sampling signals a time T/N.
US09577324B2

A wearable electronic device includes a main body, a watchband spring pin engaged with one side of the main body, and a wrist-worn watchband connected to the watchband spring pin. The main body includes a wireless communication module and a conductive member electrically connected to the wireless communication module. The watchband spring pin is physically connected to the conductive member on the main body to be an antenna unit of the wireless communication module.
US09577317B2

A portable terminal employing a near field communication antenna with a heat radiation function is provided. The portable terminal includes a cover provided for the portable terminal, and an antenna device mounted on an inner surface of the cover. The antenna device includes a near field communication antenna coupled to a location on the inner surface of the cover, a shield sheet coupled to an upper surface of the antenna, a heat radiation sheet coupled to an upper surface of the shield sheet so as to discharge heat transmitted from the portable terminal, and a protection cover coupled to an upper surface of the heat radiation sheet.
US09577312B2

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide polarization alignment for wireless networking systems. A polarization aligned wireless networking system may include one or more sensors, controllers, user interfaces, and/or other modules mounted to or in proximity to a vehicle. Antennas for each of the electronic devices may be implemented with linear polarization components that can be substantially aligned with a lateral axis of the vehicle. Each electronic device may be implemented with a logic device adapted to use a corresponding antenna to form one or more wireless links between the various electronic devices.
US09577309B2

To reduce electromagnetic wave transmission loss, a connecting portion is provided on the end portion of a waveguide. A connecting portion has a first half and a second half, each made of a dielectric material. An antenna formed on a printed circuit board is interposed between the first half and the second half. The connecting portion has conductive portions and. The conductive portions have a shape corresponding to the cross-section of the conductive portion of the waveguide in cross-section orthogonal to the direction in which the circuit board extends, and surround the first half and the second half.
US09577306B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission device that includes a transmitter that generates a first electromagnetic wave to convey data, the first electromagnetic wave having at least one carrier frequency and corresponding wavelength. A coupler couples the first electromagnetic wave to a transmission medium having at least one inner portion surrounded by a dielectric material, the dielectric material having an outer surface and a corresponding circumference, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the transmission medium forms a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the outer surface of the dielectric material via at least one guided-wave mode that can include an asymmetric mode, wherein the at least one carrier frequency is within a microwave or millimeter-wave frequency band and wherein the at least one corresponding wavelength is less than the circumference of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09577300B2

The present invention provides a lithium-air hybrid battery and a method for manufacturing the same, which has a structure in which a liquid electrolyte electrode and a solid electrolyte electrode are stacked on both sides of an ion conductive glass ceramic. That is, disclosed is a lithium-air hybrid battery and a method for manufacturing the same, which has a structure in which a lithium metal negative electrode includes a liquid electrolyte and a porous air positive electrode comprising a carbon, a catalyst, a binder and a solid electrolyte are separately stacked on both sides of an impermeable ion conductive glass ceramic, and the liquid electrolyte is present only in the lithium metal negative electrode.
US09577293B2

In the present invention, a method and system for equalizing and matching lithium secondary batteries belong to the field of secondary batteries. A lithium secondary battery is divided into more than one grade according to the magnitude of a consumable current Ic, the number of grades is h, the lithium secondary battery is divided into grades corresponding to the consumable current according to the magnitude of a voltage difference ΔV, a battery cell at a grade same as that of the consumable current and the voltage difference is selected for matching, so the range of the consumable current of the battery group can be controlled. The battery system configured in the method of the present invention converts consumable current grading into voltage difference grading after laying, so as to be convenient and swift; the range of the consumable current of the battery cell, the laying time, the equalization charging period, the equalization current, and the charger cutoff current are all under control, and are matched with each other, the equalization cost is low, and the charging equalization time is short; the laying service life and the maintenance period of the battery group can be designed or predicted during matching, and how many times of charging/discharging is required to charge the battery group to be balanced after the battery group is laid for an extremely long time is estimated in advance; the battery group reject rate is reduced, and the battery group reliability is improved.
US09577290B2

A power storage device using an organic solvent as a nonaqueous solvent for a nonaqueous electrolyte, in which a CV charging period in CCCV charging can be prevented from being extended and which has high performance, can be provided. The power storage device includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The nonaqueous electrolyte includes an ionic liquid including an alicyclic quaternary ammonium cation having one or more substituents and a counter anion to the alicyclic quaternary ammonium cation, a cyclic ester, and an alkali metal salt. In particular, in the power storage device, the ionic liquid content is greater than or equal to 70 wt % and less than 100 wt % per unit weight of the ionic liquid and the cyclic ester in the nonaqueous electrolyte, or greater than or equal to 50 wt % and less than 80 wt % per unit weight of the nonaqueous electrolyte.
US09577288B2

A secondary battery includes: a cathode; an anode; and an electrolytic solution. The anode includes an anode active material layer on an anode current collector. The anode active material layer includes a carbon material. The anode active material layer has a thickness from about 30 micrometers to about 100 micrometers both inclusive. The electrolytic solution includes an unsaturated cyclic ester carbonate represented by the following Formula (1) (X is a divalent group in which m-number of >C═CR1R2 and n-number of >CR3R4 are bonded in any order. Each of R1 to R4 is one of a hydrogen group, a halogen group, a monovalent hydrocarbon group, a monovalent halogenated hydrocarbon group, a monovalent oxygen-containing hydrocarbon group, and a monovalent halogenated oxygen-containing hydrocarbon group. Any two or more of the R1 to the R4 are allowed to be bonded to one another. m and n satisfy m≧1 and n≧0).
US09577284B2

A fuel cell device including a fuel cell stack with a flexible enclosure.
US09577280B2

The invention relates to a device comprising a casing and a biomimetic artificial membrane arranged within the casing to form two distinct chambers, wherein each chamber is provided for enclosing a liquid of a given composition, and wherein the biomimetic artificial membrane comprises a semi-permeable membrane for supporting a lipid membrane, the lipid membrane comprising a plurality of lipid molecules arranged in a layer and including at least a transport protein, the transport protein being adapted for transport of ions and/or molecules of the liquids between the two chambers.
US09577278B2

Hybrid membranes based on crystalline titanium dioxide containing fluorine atoms within the crystalline lattice comprising atoms of titanium and oxygen are described; these hybrid membranes are particularly suitable for the production of fuel cells and electrolysers. A process for producing the aforesaid hybrid membranes is also described.
US09577273B2

Purge valves that are manually turned ON but are automatically or electrically turned OFF as the fuel cell's production of electricity reaches a predetermined level, e.g., steady state or thereabout are disclosed. The purge valve may be opened at system start-up, or may be opened at system shut-down so that the purge valve is armed and the fuel cell system is purged at the next start-up. Also disclosed is an integrated fluidic interface module that contains various fluidic components including one of these purge valves. The integrated fluidic interface module can operate passively or without being actively controlled by a processor. Methods of operating a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system is purged at system start-up, are also disclosed. The purging automatically stops when the anode plenum is fully purged and replaced with fuel.
US09577271B2

A fuel cell system includes; a fuel cell which generates electricity by using a fuel gas and an oxidant gas as reaction gases; current control means which controls current of a fuel cell; voltage control means which controls voltage of the fuel cell; and heat value control means which calculates a heat value required by the fuel cell system and decides a target current value of the current control means and a target voltage value of the voltage control means so as to generate the calculated necessary heat amount, thereby controlling the heat value. Thus, it is possible to supply a heat required for the fuel cell system without increasing the size of the fuel cell system.
US09577267B2

Electrode structures and methods for making the same are generally described. In certain embodiments, the electrode structures can include a plurality of particles, wherein the particles comprise indentations relative to their convex hulls. As the particles are moved proximate to or in contact with one another, the indentations of the particles can define pores between the particles. In addition, when particles comprising indentations relative to their convex hulls are moved relative to each other, the presence of the indentations can ensure that complete contact does not result between the particles (i.e., that there remains some space between the particles) and that void volume is maintained within the bulk of the assembly. Accordingly, electrodes comprising particles with indentations relative to their convex hulls can be configured to withstand the application of a force to the electrode while substantially maintaining electrode void volume (and, therefore, performance). Particles having indentations relative to their convex hulls also occupy a relatively small volume, compared to spheres or other particles including boundaries that fill substantially all of their convex hulls, allowing one to introduce a desired amount of void volume while reducing the percentage of volume within the electrode occupied by particulate material.
US09577263B2

The present disclosure relates to an anode active material-containing slurry, an anode using the slurry, and an electrochemical device comprising the anode. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a slurry comprising an anode active material; a polymer binder comprising styrene butadiene rubber and potassium polyacrylate; a conductive material; and a dispersing medium, an anode using the slurry, and an electrochemical device comprising the anode. The anode active material-containing slurry according to one aspect of the present disclosure can relieve the volume expansion of an anode active material by the intercalation and disintercalation of lithium during cycles of electrochemical devices to improve the durability of an anode active material layer, thereby enhancing the life characteristics of the electrochemical devices, and can form an anode active material layer having a high peeling force even though potassium polyacrylate with a relatively lower weight-average molecular weight is used.
US09577259B2

Methods and apparatus to form biocompatible energization elements are described. In some examples, the methods and apparatus to form the biocompatible energization elements involve forming cavities comprising active cathode chemistry. The active elements of the cathode and anode are sealed with a biocompatible material. In some examples, a field of use for the methods and apparatus may include any biocompatible device or product that requires energization elements.
US09577257B2

A method of producing electrode active materials includes generating a source material of titanium (Ti) and a source material of iron (Fe) from an ilmenite, and performing a operation to the source material of Fe and the source material of Ti. The operation includes determining a content of Fe or Ti in the source material of Fe or Ti, preparing an intermediate mixture having the source material of Fe or Ti and other required source materials, ball-milling and drying the intermediate mixture, and sintering the intermediate mixture to form the electrode active materials.
US09577256B2

An electrode mixture containing a particulate electrode active material, an electrically conductive material and a binder, wherein the electrode active material comprises a particulate core material and a coating material adhering in the form of particles or a layer to the surface of the core material, the core material is obtained by a method comprising a step of coprecipitating two or more transition metal elements, and the binder comprises a water-soluble macromolecule or a water-dispersible macromolecule or both. An electrode comprising the electrode mixture and an electrode collector. An electrode mixture paste containing the electrode mixture and water. A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte, wherein the positive electrode is the electrode.
US09577242B2

The present disclosure details header flow divider designs and methods of electrolyte distribution. Internal header flow dividers may include multiple flow channels and may be built into flow frames. Flow channels within internal header flow dividers may divide evenly multiple times in order to form multiple flow channel paths and provide a uniform distribution of electrolytes throughout electrode sheets within electrochemical cells. Furthermore, uniform electrolyte distribution across electrode sheets may not only enhance battery performance, but also prevent zinc dendrites that may be formed in electrode sheets. The prevention of zinc dendrite growth in electrode sheets may increase operating lifetime of flow batteries. The disclosed internal header flow dividers may also be included within end caps of electrochemical cells.
US09577238B2

Disclosed is a flat-shaped battery including: a power generation element including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte; a cylindrical case formed of a conductor, housing the power generation element, and having a circular bottom and a circular opening; a sealing plate formed of a conductor and closing the opening; an insulating member interposed between the case and the sealing plate; and a plate-shaped current collector disposed between the case and the positive electrode. The current collector is welded to the case and is in contact with the positive electrode. A welding point where the current collector is welded to the bottom is set so as to allow contact between the positive electrode and a center portion of the current collector to be maintained when the case is deformed such that a center portion of the bottom is displaced outward of the case.
US09577230B2

A traction battery includes a battery housing having a tray and a cover cooperating to define an interior. A plurality of battery cells are arranged in an array and disposed on the tray within the interior. A service disconnect base is disposed on an exterior surface of the housing and includes a uni-terminal connector having a receptacle disposed within the base and electrically connected to the battery cells. A service disconnect plug is integrally incorporated with a single high voltage cable that is partially disposed in the plug. The service disconnect plug includes a body configured to mechanically engage the base and a prong mechanically connected to the high voltage cable and configured to be received within the receptacle to create an electrical connection between the battery cells and a high voltage bus when the body is engaged with the base. The plug may include a cover portion that enclosures a terminal disposed on the housing.
US09577227B2

A method includes: assembling a thermal-exchange tube in a module housing for an energy storage pack; assembling cells in the module housing, wherein the thermal-exchange tube runs between rows of the cells; applying an adhesive that affixes the cells and the thermal-exchange tube to the module housing; curing a first portion of the adhesive by radiation, wherein a second portion of the adhesive is shielded from the radiation by the cells or the thermal-exchange tube; and curing at least the second portion of the adhesive by a chemical cure mechanism.
US09577220B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes a substrate including at least one folding part, two or more emission units parallel to each other and on a same surface of the substrate in an unfolded state of the substrate, the two or more emission units overlapping each other in a folded state of the substrate, and a moisture absorbent on an inner surface of the folding part.
US09577218B2

When attaching a substrate with an EL element formed thereon and a transparent sealing substrate, the periphery of a pixel portion is surrounded with a first sealing agent that maintains a gap between the two pieces of substrates, an entire surface of the pixel portion is covered with a second transparent sealing agent so that the two pieces of substrate is fixed with the first sealing agent and the second sealing agent. Consequently, the EL element can be encapsulated by curing the first sealing agent and the second sealing agent without enclosing a drying agent and doing damage to the EL element due to UV irradiation even when a sealing device only having a function of UV irradiation is used.
US09577216B2

The present disclosure relates to the field of organic electroluminescence and provides an OLED display device, a non-contact IC card and a flexible display device. The OLED display device includes a substrate, an encapsulation structure arranged above the substrate, and an OLED arranged between the substrate and the encapsulation structure. A region where an integrated circuit of the display device is bonded is arranged between the substrate and the OLED.
US09577215B2

A display device includes: a substrate on which a display is formed; an encapsulation portion covering the substrate; and a sealing portion arranged between the substrate and the encapsulation portion and surrounding the display, wherein at least one power wire passes between the substrate and the encapsulation portion, and wherein a metal layer is formed between the sealing portion and the at least one power wire.
US09577213B2

An organic electroluminescence display device includes: a lower electrode that is made of a conductive inorganic material and formed in each of pixels arranged in a matrix in a display area; a light-emitting organic layer that is in contact with the lower electrode and made of a plurality of different organic material layers including a light-emitting layer emitting light; an upper electrode that is in contact with the light-emitting organic layer, formed so as to cover the whole of the display area, and made of a conductive inorganic material; and a conductive organic layer that is in contact with the upper electrode, formed so as to cover the whole of the display area, and made of a conductive organic material.
US09577206B2

The present disclosure relates to an organic electroluminescence element including: a substrate having a light transmissive property; a light diffusion layer; a light transmissive electrode; a light reflective electrode; and multiple light emitting layers spaced from each other. With regard to the m-th light emitting layer being the m-th closest light emitting layer to the light reflective electrode, relations defined by following expressions (2) and (3) are satisfied. In the following expressions, λm represents the weighted average emission wavelength, Ø(λm) represents the phase shift, nm(λm) represents the average refractive index of a medium filling a space between the light reflective electrode and the m-th light emitting layer, and dm represents the distance from the light reflective electrode to the m-th light emitting layer. l is an integer equal to or more than 0. ⁢ [ FORMULA ⁢ ⁢ 1 ] ϕ ⁡ ( λ m ) × λ m 4 ⁢ ⁢ π + l + 0.1 2 ⁢ λ m ≤ n m ⁡ ( λ m ) × d m ≤ ϕ ⁡ ( λ m ) × λ m 4 ⁢ ⁢ π + l + 0.6 2 ⁢ λ m ( 2 ) ⁢ n m ⁡ ( λ m ) × d m ≥ 0.6 ⁢ λ m ( 3 )
US09577204B1

A field effect transistor includes a substrate and a gate dielectric formed on the substrate. A channel material is formed on the dielectric layer. The channel material includes carbon nanotubes. A patterned resist layer has openings formed therein. Metal contacts are formed on the channel material in the openings in the patterned resist layer and over portions of the patterned resist layer to protect sidewalls of the metal contacts to prevent degradation of the metal contacts.
US09577198B1

Compounds according to Formulas 1-33 may be useful in electronic devices such as light-emitting devices. For example, they may be used as hole-transport materials.
US09577193B2

A method of forming a thin film, the method including: disposing a resist portion on a substrate, the resist portion including: a first region including a first upper surface; and a second region including a second upper surface, the first upper surface disposed higher than the second upper surface and forming a step; disposing a first protection layer covering the resist portion; exposing the first upper surface; removing the first region; disposing a first thin film on the substrate; disposing a second protection layer covering the first thin film; exposing the second upper surface; removing the second region; disposing a second thin film on the substrate; and removing the first protection layer and the second protection layer.
US09577192B2

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a method for fabricating a semiconductor memory device comprising selectively depositing a material to form a cap above a recessed cell structure in order to prevent degradation of components inside the cell structure in oxidative or corrosive environments.
US09577190B2

Heat-trapping bulk layers or thermal-boundary film stacks are formed between a heat-assisted active layer and an associated electrode to confine such transient heat to the active layer in a heat-assisted device (e.g., certain types of resistance-switching and selector elements used in non-volatile memory. Preferably, the heat-trapping layers or thermal-boundary stacks are electrically conductive while being thermally insulating or reflective. Heat-trapping layers use bulk absorption and re-radiation to trap heat. Materials may include, without limitation, chalcogenides with Group 6 elements. Thermal-boundary stacks use reflection from interfaces to trap heat and may include film layers as thin as 1-5 monolayers. Effectiveness of a thermal-boundary stack depends on the thermal impedance mismatch between layers of the stack, rendering thermally insulating bulk materials optional for thermal-boundary stack components.
US09577187B2

The present invention provides a memory element and a memory device realizing reduced variations in resistance values in an initial state or erase state of a plurality of memory elements and capable of retaining the resistance value in a write/erase state for writing/erasing operations of a plurality of times. The memory element includes a first electrode, a memory layer, and a second electrode in order. The memory layer has: an ion source layer containing at least one of chalcogen elements of tellurium (Te), sulfur (S), and selenium (Se) and at least one metal element selected from copper (Cu), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), and zirconium (Zr); and two or more high-resistance layers having a resistance value higher than that of the ion source layer and having different compositions.
US09577183B2

In a method of manufacturing a MRAM device, a lower electrode is formed on a substrate. A first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a second magnetic layer are sequentially formed on the lower electrode layer. An etching mask is formed on the second magnetic layer. An ion beam etching process in which a first ion beam and a second ion beam are simultaneously emitted onto the substrate is performed to form a MTJ structure including a first magnetic layer pattern, a tunnel layer pattern, and a second magnetic layer pattern from the first magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic layer, respectively, the MTJ structure has no by-products remaining after the ion beam etching process is performed.
US09577182B2

A magnetoresistance effect element and a magnetic memory having thermal stability expressed by a thermal stability factor of 70 or more even with a fine junction size. The magnetoresistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer of an invariable magnetization direction forming a reference layer, a second magnetic layer of a variable magnetization direction forming a recording layer, and a first non-magnetic layer disposed between the first and second magnetic layers in a thickness direction of the first and second magnetic layers. At least one of the first and second magnetic layers has the following relationship between D (nm) and t (nm): D<0.9t+13, where D is a junction size corresponding to the length of a longest straight line on an end surface perpendicular to the thickness direction, and t is a layer thickness. The junction size is 30 nm or less.
US09577174B2

A process for forming a doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material. A nc-Si thin film is slowly deposited on a substrate, either by hot-wire CVD (HWCVD) with a controlled H2:SiH4 ratio R=6-10 or by plasma-enhanced (PECVD) with a controlled R=80-100, followed by ion implantation of an n- or p-type dopant and a final annealing step to activate the implanted dopants and to remove amorphous regions. A doped nc-Si thin film thermoelectric material so formed has both a controllable grain size of from a few tens of nm to 3 nm and a controllable dopant distribution and thus can be configured to provide a thermoelectric material having predetermined desired thermal and/or electrical properties. A final annealing step is used to activate the dopants and remove any residual amorphous regions.
US09577163B2

The present disclosure provides a light emitting diode package including a substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode located on a first surface of the substrate, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) located between the first electrode and the second electrode, a plurality of retaining ring located on the first surface of the substrate. The LEDs are surrounded by the retaining ring therein. An encapsulation layer is mounted in the retaining ring and covers the LEDs therein. The encapsulation layer includes a first surface and an side surface extending from edges of the first surface. The side of the encapsulation layer contacts an inner surface of the retaining ring. The present disclosre also provides a method for manufacturing the above light emitting diode package.
US09577152B2

A light emitting element having; a first and a second conductivity type semiconductor layers, a first and a second electrodes formed on the first and second conductivity type semiconductor layer, the first and the second electrodes being disposed on the same face side of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, in plan view, the first electrode having a first connecting portion, a first extending portion, and two second extending portions, the second electrode having a second connecting portion and two third extending portions, the first extending portion of the first electrode extending linearly from the first connecting portion toward the second connecting portion, and the two second extending portions extending parallel to the first extending portion on two sides of the first extending portion, the two third extending portions of the second electrode extending parallel to the first extending portion between the first extending portion and the two second extending portions.
US09577145B2

Provided is a semiconductor light emitting device.The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a second electrode layer; a light emitting structure comprising a plurality of compound semiconductor layers under the second electrode layer; at least one dividing groove that divides inner areas of the lower layers of the light emitting structure into a plurality of areas; and a first electrode under the light emitting structure.
US09577138B2

A solar cell is formed to have a silicon semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type; an emitter layer having a second conductive type opposite the first conductive type and formed on a first surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate; a back surface field layer having the first conductive type and formed on a second surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate opposite to the first surface; and wherein the emitter layer includes at least a first shallow doping area and the back surface field layer includes at least a second shallow doping area, and wherein a thickness of the first shallow doping area of the emitter layer is different from a thickness of the second shallow doping area of the back surface field layer.
US09577135B2

The ultraviolet sensor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer above the substrate, a surface of the dielectric layer that is provided for the incidence of ultraviolet radiation, a floating gate electrode in the dielectric layer and an electrically conductive control gate electrode near the floating gate electrode. The control gate electrode is insulated from the floating gate electrode. A sensor layer is formed by an electrically conductive further layer that is electrically conductively connected to the floating gate electrode. The control gate electrode is arranged outside a region that is located between the sensor layer and the surface provided for the incidence of ultraviolet radiation. The sensor layer is discharged by incident UV radiation and can be charged or discharged electrically by charging or discharging the floating gate electrode.
US09577114B2

A transistor, a display device, and associated methods, the transistor including a substrate; an active layer pattern disposed on the substrate, the active layer pattern including silicon and graphene; a gate insulating layer disposed on the active layer pattern; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer; an insulating interlayer covering the active layer pattern and the gate electrode; and a source electrode and a drain electrode in contact with the active layer pattern.
US09577109B2

There are provided a transparent conductive film and a method for preparing the same. The transparent conductive film of the present application comprises a compound having a crystalline structure and represented by Chemical Formula 1 and thus can be applied as a technology substituting for conventional ITO conductive films.
US09577104B2

A COA substrate is provided including a substrate base, a first metal layer, a first insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a second metal layer, a color resist layer, and a pixel electrode layer. The surface of the color resist layer is provided with a protrusion and a recess, and the pixel electrode is disposed on the protrusion and the recess. A plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses are provided, thereby increasing the display quality of a liquid crystal display device.
US09577097B2

A semiconductor device having a stressor is provided. A first trench and a second trench spaced apart from each other are formed in a substrate. A channel area is defined between the first trench and the second trench. A gate dielectric layer is formed on the channel area. A gate electrode is formed on the gate dielectric layer. The stressor includes a plurality of semiconductor layers formed in the first trench and the second trench and a plurality of interlayers formed between the semiconductor layers. Sidewalls of the first trench and the second trench are v-shaped (e.g., have a < or > shape).
US09577092B2

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing a body connection to a vertical access device. The vertical access device may include a digit line extending along a substrate to a digit line contact pillar, a body connection line extending along the substrate to a body connection line contact pillar, a body region disposed on the body connection line, an electrode disposed on the body region, and a word line extending to form a gate to the body region. A method for operation includes applying a first voltage to the body connection line, and applying a second voltage to the word line to cause a conductive channel to form through the body region. A memory cell array may include a plurality of vertical access devices.
US09577084B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a semiconductor layer stacked body, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the semiconductor layer stacked body. The semiconductor layer stacked body includes a first nitride semiconductor layer formed on the substrate, and a second nitride semiconductor layer formed on the first nitride semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device further includes a third nitride semiconductor layer formed on the second nitride semiconductor layer and disposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a gate electrode formed on the third nitride semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device includes a first magnesium-containing region having a magnesium concentration of 1×1018 cm−3 or more that is provided right under the third nitride semiconductor layer, from an upper surface of the second nitride semiconductor layer to a position lower than an interface between the first nitride semiconductor layer and the second nitride semiconductor layer.
US09577082B2

The semiconductor device includes: a plurality of interlayer insulation films, each interlayer insulation film covering a front surface of a corresponding one of the gate electrodes and protruding from the front surface of the semiconductor substrate; the first metal film covering the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and plurality of the interlayer insulation films; and the protective insulation film covering a part of the first metal film. In a cross-section traversing the plurality of trenches, the end of the protective insulation film is above one of the interlayer insulation films, and a width of the one of the interlayer insulation films that is below the end of the protective insulation film is wider than widths of other interlayer insulation films.
US09577078B1

Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a source structure in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a channel layer over the semiconductor substrate. A first portion of the channel layer covers a portion of the source structure. A second portion of the channel layer laterally extends away from the source structure. The semiconductor device structure further includes a drain structure over the semiconductor substrate. The drain structure and the source structure have different conductivity types. The drain structure adjoins the second portion of the channel layer.
US09577069B1

A method of fabricating a MOS device is disclosed. A substrate having an active area (AA) silicon portion and shallow trench isolation (STI) region surrounding the active area is provided. A hard mask is formed on the substrate. A portion of the hard mask is removed to form an opening on the AA silicon portion. The opening exposes an edge of the STI region. The AA silicon portion is recessed through the opening to a predetermined depth to form a silicon spacer along a sidewall of the STI region in a self-aligned manner. An oxidation process is performed to oxidize the AA silicon portion and the silicon spacer to form a gate oxide layer.
US09577063B2

The present invention provides a bipolar transistor, a method for forming the bipolar transistor, a method for turning on the bipolar transistor, and a band-gap reference circuit, virtual ground reference circuit and double band-gap reference circuit with the bipolar transistor. The bipolar transistor includes: a Silicon-On-Insulator wafer; a base area, an emitter area and a collector area; a base area gate dielectric layer on a top silicon layer and atop the base area; a base area control-gate on the base area gate dielectric layer; an emitter electrode connected to the emitter area via a first contact; a collector electrode connected to the collector area via a second contact; and a base area control-gate electrode connected to the base area control-gate via a third contact. Processes of forming the bipolar transistor are fully compatible with traditional standard CMOS processes; and the base current to turn on the bipolar transistor is based on the GIDL current and formed by applying a voltage to the base area control-gate electrode without any need of contact to the base.
US09577062B2

A gate conductor material stack including, from bottom to top, of a first metallic nitride, a second metallic nitride, and a conductive material portion is employed for a transistor in combination with a gate dielectric including a high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectric material. The second metallic nitride includes a nitride of an aluminum-containing metallic alloy of at least two elemental metals, and can be selected from TaAlN, TiAlN, and WAlN. The second metallic nitride can provide a function of oxygen scavenging from the high-k gate dielectric and/or prevent diffusion of atoms from the conductive material portion. The gate conductor material stack can enable a reduced inversion thickness and/or a reduced magnitude for a linear threshold voltage for p-type field effect transistors compared with a gate electrode employing a single metallic material.
US09577061B2

An asymmetric high-k dielectric for reduced gate induced drain leakage in high-k MOSFETs and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes performing an implant process on a high-k dielectric sidewall of a gate structure. The method further includes performing an oxygen annealing process to grow an oxide region on a drain side of the gate structure, while inhibiting oxide growth on a source side of the gate structure adjacent to a source region.
US09577058B2

Semiconductor devices and methods for making semiconductor devices are disclosed herein. A method configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes forming a stack of semiconductor materials from an epitaxial substrate, where the stack of semiconductor materials defines a heterojunction, and where the stack of semiconductor materials and the epitaxial substrate further define a bulk region that includes a portion of the semiconductor stack adjacent the epitaxial substrate. The method further includes attaching the stack of semiconductor materials to a carrier, where the carrier is configured to provide a signal path to the heterojunction. The method also includes exposing the bulk region by removing the epitaxial substrate.
US09577044B2

A semiconductor device includes first and second second-conductivity-type region groups containing multiple second-conductivity-type regions that are disposed on a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, arrayed in parallel following one direction with a space between each other, and first and second electrodes disposed on the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer and forming a Schottky junction with the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer. The first electrode covers a position where a distance from adjacent first and second second-conductivity-type regions included in a first second-conductivity-type region group, and a distance from a third second-conductivity-type region included in a second second-conductivity-type region group and adjacent to the first and second second-conductivity-type regions, are equal. A Schottky barrier between the first electrode and the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer is larger than a Schottky barrier between the second electrode and the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer.
US09577041B2

A transistor device with a tuned dopant profile is fabricated by implanting one or more dopant migrating mitigating material such as carbon. The process conditions for the carbon implant are selected to achieve a desired peak location and height of the dopant profile for each dopant implant, such as boron. Different transistor devices with similar boron implants may be fabricated with different peak locations and heights for their respective dopant profiles by tailoring the carbon implant energy to effect tuned dopant profiles for the boron.
US09577032B2

A groove for air ventilation is formed in a rib with a substantially rectangular ring shape which is provided so as to surround a concave portion provided in a rear surface of a semiconductor chip. The groove is provided in each side or at each corner of the rib so as to traverse the rib from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the rib. The depth of the groove is equal to or less than the depth of the concave portion provided in the rear surface of the chip. In this way, it is possible to reliably solder a semiconductor device, in which the concave portion is provided in the rear surface of the semiconductor chip and the rib is provided in the outer circumference of the concave portion, to a base substrate, without generating a void in a drain electrode provided in the concave portion.
US09577020B2

An organic light-emitting display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate that face each other; an organic light-emitting device that is disposed between the first and second substrates and includes a pixel electrode separately formed in each pixel, a common electrode facing the pixel electrode, and an organic light-emitting layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode; and an electrode unit and at least one wiring unit that are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the electrode unit including at least one thin-film transistor for transmitting a light-emitting signal to the pixel electrode and at least one capacitor, wherein an optical property modification layer obtained by modifying an optical property of at least one of the electrode unit and the wiring unit is formed on a surface of the at least one of the electrode unit and the wiring unit.
US09577017B2

An organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) display includes: a front display part including a plurality of front pixels disposed on a substrate, where the front pixels display an image on a front surface thereof; and a side display part including a plurality of side pixels disposed on the substrate, where the side pixels display an image on a side surface thereof, where the front display part and the side display part are configured to have different resonance structures from each other.
US09577010B2

The disclosed technology relates generally to integrated circuit devices, and in particular to cross-point memory arrays and methods for fabricating the same. In one aspect, a memory device of the memory array comprises a substrate and a memory cell stack formed between and electrically connected to first and second conductive lines. The memory cell stack comprises a first memory element over the substrate and a second memory element formed over the first element, wherein one of the first and second memory elements comprises a storage element and the other of the first and second memory elements comprises a selector element. The memory cell stack additionally comprises a first pair of sidewalls opposing each other and a second pair of sidewalls opposing each other and intersecting the first pair of sidewalls. The memory device additionally comprises first protective dielectric insulating materials formed on a lower portion of the first pair of sidewalls and an isolation dielectric formed on the first protective dielectric insulating material and further formed on an upper portion of the first pair of sidewalls.
US09576997B2

An imager module for a camera includes: a lens holder; a lens system which is accommodated in the lens holder and has a lens mount and at least one lens accommodated in the lens mount; and an image sensor; a rear lens area being formed between the image sensor and the at least one lens of the lens system; and an optically transparent, flexible coupling element provided in the rear lens area.
US09576995B2

An imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data is provided. The imaging device includes a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a plurality of transistors including an amplifier transistor, and a plurality of capacitors. The second circuit includes a transistor. The third circuit includes a resistor and a transistor for controlling a current flowing in the resistor. The output signal of the imaging device is determined in accordance with the current flowing in the resistor. Variations in electrical characteristics of the amplifier transistor included in the first circuit can be compensated.
US09576988B2

A supporting device includes a main body and a ring-shaped glue layer. The main body includes a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The top surface defines a first groove. The first groove is substantially ring-shaped. The glue layer is arranged in the top surface and surrounds the first groove. A plurality of glass-frits is distributed in the glue layer.
US09576985B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate having a display region with first and second electrodes, TFTs, scanning signal lines connected to the TFTs, a counter substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT substrate and counter substrates, and sealed by a sealant, scanning line leads connected to the scanning signal lines and formed outside of the display region, video signal line leads connected to the video signal lines and formed outside of the display region and a shield electrode formed on the TFT substrate covering the scanning line leads but not the video signal line leads. The second electrode is connected to a TFT, and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field, which is generated between the first and second electrodes. The shield electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode and overlapped with the sealant in plan view.
US09576980B1

FinFET devices are formed on the same semiconductor structure wherein at least one finFET device has a gate dielectric structure that is different in thickness relative to a gate dielectric structure of at least one other finFET device. The finFET devices are formed as part of the same fabrication process.
US09576976B1

A 3D memory device includes a multi-layer stacks structure having a plurality of conductive strips and a first, a second, a third and a fourth ridge stack; a first SSL switch, a first GSL switch, a second SSL switch and a second GSL switch respectively disposed on the first, the second the third and the fourth ridge stack; a first U-shaped memory cells string connecting the first SSL switch with the first GSL switch; a second U-shaped memory cells string connecting the second SSL switch with the second GSL switch; a first word lines contact in contact with the conductive strips disposed in the first ridge stack; a second word lines contact in contact with the conductive strips disposed in the second ridge stack; and a third word lines contact in contact with the conductive strips disposed in the third ridge stack and the fourth ridge stack.
US09576975B2

A vertically repeating stack of a unit layer stack is formed over a substrate. The unit layer stack includes a sacrificial material layer, a lower silicon oxide material layer, a first silicon oxide material layer, and an upper silicon oxide material layer. A memory opening can be formed through the vertically repeating stack, and a layer stack including a blocking dielectric layer, a memory material layer, a tunneling dielectric, and a semiconductor channel can be formed in the memory opening. The sacrificial material layers are replaced with electrically conductive layers. The first silicon oxide material layer can be removed to form backside recesses. Optionally, portions of the memory material layer can be removed to from discrete charge storage regions. The backside recesses can be filled with a low-k dielectric material and/or can include cavities within a dielectric material to provide reduced coupling between electrically conductive layers.
US09576972B2

A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device thereof are provided. The manufacturing method includes the following steps. Two stacked structures are formed a substrate. Each of the stacked structures includes a plurality of gate layers, a plurality of gate insulating layers and a top insulating layer. A charge trapping structure and a channel layer are formed. The charge trapping structure includes a plurality of first dielectric layers and a plurality of second dielectric layers. Part of each of first dielectric layers is etched and part of each of second dielectric layers is etched to expose part of the channel layer. A landing pad layer is formed on the first dielectric layers and the second dielectric layers to connect the channel layer.
US09576965B2

A semiconductor device includes a bit line disposed over a semiconductor substrate, a supporting film being perpendicular to the bit line, a first storage node contact disposed at a lower part of a region disposed between the bit line and the supporting film, and a second storage node contact having a line shape, disposed over the first storage node contact and the bit line, isolated by the supporting film, and patterned in a diagonal direction across the bit line.
US09576956B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a plurality of semiconductor pillars. A dielectric spacer is formed between at least one set of adjacent semiconductor pillars. Semiconductor material is epitaxially formed on sidewalls of the adjacent semiconductor pillars, wherein the dielectric spacer obstructs a first portion of epitaxial semiconductor material formed on a first semiconductor pillar from merging with a second portion of epitaxial semiconductor material formed on a second semiconductor pillar.
US09576951B2

Materials, methods, structures and device including the same can provide a semiconductor device such as an LED using an active region corresponding to a non-polar face or surface of III-V semiconductor crystalline material. In some embodiments, an active diode region contains more non-polar III-V material oriented to a non-polar plane than III-V material oriented to a polar plane. In other embodiments, a bottom region contains more non-polar m-plane or a-plane surface area GaN than polar c-plane surface area GaN facing an active region.
US09576949B2

A P-type Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (PMOSFET) includes a gate, a first source/drain region connected to the gate, and a second source/drain region on an opposite side of the gate than the first source/drain region. A first Schottky diode includes a first anode connected to the first source/drain region, and a first cathode connected to a body of the PMOSFET. A second Schottky diode includes a second anode connected to the second source/drain region, and a second cathode connected to the body of the PMOSFET.
US09576948B2

A semiconductor device includes a first and second transistor. Each of the first and the second transistors includes a well of a first conductivity type, a band-shaped region provided on the well, a drain region of a second conductivity type provided on the well, and a gate electrode. The band-shaped region, the drain region and the gate electrode extend in a first direction. The band-shaped region includes a back gate region of the first conductivity type and a source region of the second conductivity type. The back gate region and the source region are arranged alternately along the first direction in the band-shaped region. A ratio of a length of the source region to a length of the back gate region along the first direction of the first transistor is greater than the ratio of the second transistor.
US09576936B2

A semiconductor apparatus includes: a slave chip including a signal transfer unit configured to determine whether or not to transfer an input signal in response to a chip select signal; a master chip including a replica circuit unit having the same configuration as the signal transfer unit and a signal output unit configured to receive an output signal of the signal transfer unit and an output signal of the replica circuit unit and generate an output signal in response to the control signal; a first through-chip via vertically formed through the slave chip, and having one end connected to the master chip to receive the input signal and the other end connected to the signal transfer unit; and a second through-chip via vertically formed through the slave chip, and having one end connected to the signal transfer unit and the other end connected to the signal output unit.
US09576928B2

A bond head assembly for bonding a semiconductor element to a substrate is provided. The bond head assembly includes a base structure, a heater, and a clamping system securing the heater to the base structure. The clamping system includes a plurality of elastic elements constraining the heater along a plurality of axes.
US09576926B2

A package includes a corner, a device die, a plurality of redistribution lines underlying the device die, and a plurality of non-solder electrical connectors underlying and electrically coupled to the plurality of redistribution lines. The plurality of non-solder electrical connectors includes a corner electrical connector. The corner electrical connector is elongated. An electrical connector is farther away from the corner than the corner electrical connector, wherein the electrical connector is non-elongated.
US09576919B2

A method of making a semiconductor package can include forming a plurality of redistribution layer (RDL) traces disposed over active surfaces of a plurality of semiconductor die and electrically connected to contact pads on the plurality of semiconductor die. The method can include disposing an encapsulant material over the active surfaces, contacting at least four side surfaces of each of the plurality of semiconductor die, and disposed over the plurality of RDL traces. The method can also include forming a via through the encapsulant material to expose at least one of the plurality of RDL traces, forming an electrical interconnect disposed within the via and coupled to the at least one RDL trace, and singulating the plurality of semiconductor packages through the encapsulant material to leave an offset of 30-140 μm of the encapsulant material disposed around a periphery of each of the plurality of semiconductor die.
US09576917B1

Methods for an embedded die panel are disclosed and may include fabricating a first layered structure by: forming first redistribution layers on a first carrier, forming a first dielectric layer on the first redistribution layers and carrier, forming a mask pattern on the first dielectric layer exposing a portion of the first dielectric layer, forming a second dielectric layer on the exposed portion of the first dielectric layer, forming vias in the first and second dielectric layers, and forming second redistribution layers on the second dielectric layer. The mask pattern may be removed forming a die cavity defined by the second dielectric layer. A second layered structure coupled to the first layered structure may be formed comprising a second carrier, a third dielectric layer, third and fourth redistribution layers on opposite surfaces of the third dielectric layer, and a semiconductor die.
US09576906B2

Disclosed are devices and methods related to metallization of semiconductors. A metalized structure can include a stack disposed over a compound semiconductor, with the stack including a barrier, a copper (Cu) layer disposed over the barrier, and a first titanium (Ti) layer disposed over the Cu layer. The metalized structure can further include a sputtered titanium tungsten (TiW) layer disposed over the first Ti layer. The barrier can include an assembly of titanium nitride (TiN) and Ti layers. The metalized structure can further include a second Ti layer disposed over the sputtered TiW layer.
US09576905B2

A semiconductor device includes a first wiring comprising a first conductive material on a semiconductor layer, a second wiring comprising the first conductive material on the semiconductor layer, a third wiring comprising a second conductive material different from the first conductive material, and an insulation film on the semiconductor layer between the first wiring and the second wiring and between the second wiring and the third wiring. The second wiring is provided on at least two sides of the third wiring, and a mean free path of free electrons in the first conductive material is shorter than a mean free path of free electrons in the second conductive material, or the first conductive material shows quantized conduction and the second conductive material does not show quantized conduction. The first wiring, the second wiring, the third wiring, and the insulation film are in one wiring layer provided on the semiconductor layer.
US09576902B2

A semiconductor device includes conductive lines spaced from a substrate, and an insulating spacer structure between the conductive lines and defining a contact hole. The insulating spacer structure is adjacent a side wall of at least one of the conductive lines. The device also includes an insulating pattern on the conductive lines and insulating spacer structure, and another insulating pattern defining a landing pad hole connected to the contact hole. A contact plug is formed in the contact hole and connects to the active area. A landing pad is formed in the landing pad hole and connects to the contact plug. The landing pad vertically overlaps one of the pair of conductive line structures.
US09576894B2

Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes depositing an organic dielectric material overlying a semiconductor substrate for forming an organic interlayer dielectric (OILD) layer. An opening is formed in the OILD layer and a conductive metal fill is deposited in the opening for forming a metal line and/or a via.
US09576887B2

In one implementation, a semiconductor package including conductive carrier coupled power switches includes a first vertical FET in a first active die having a first source and a first gate on a source side of the first active die and a first drain on a drain side of the first active die. The semiconductor package also includes a second vertical FET in a second active die having a second source and a second gate on a source side of the second active die and a second drain on a drain side of the second active die. The semiconductor package includes a conductive carrier attached to the source side of the first active die and to the drain side of the second active die, the conductive carrier coupling the first source to the second drain.
US09576884B2

In a semiconductor package a lead having a bottom surface coplanar with the flat bottom surface of the plastic body extends outward at the bottom of the vertical side surface of the plastic body. The result is a package with a minimal footprint that is suitable for the technique known as “wave soldering” that is used in relatively low-cost printed circuit board assembly factories. Methods of fabricating the package are disclosed.
US09576873B2

A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing routable traces including a first routable trace with a top plate and a second routable trace; mounting an integrated circuit partially over a second routable trace; forming an encapsulation over and around the first routable trace and the integrated circuit; forming a hole through the encapsulation to the top plate; and forming a protective coat directly on the encapsulation with the first routable trace between and in contact with the protective coat and the encapsulation.
US09576863B2

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) chips. In the method, wafers are received and the backside roughness levels of these wafers are determined. Based on the backside roughness levels, the wafers are sorted into different groups. Chips having the same design are manufactured on wafers from all of the different groups. However, during manufacturing, process(es) is/are performed differently on wafers from one or more of the different groups to minimize systematic variations in a specific parameter (e.g., wire width) in the resulting chips. Specifically, because systematic variations may occur when the exact same processes are used to form IC chips on wafers with different backside roughness levels, the method disclosed herein selectively adjusts one or more of those processes when performed on wafers from one or more of the different groups to ensure that the specific parameter is approximately equal in the resulting integrated IC chips.
US09576851B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor interconnect structure may include forming a low-k dielectric layer over a substrate and forming an opening in the low-k dielectric layer, where the opening exposes a portion of the substrate. The method may also include filling the opening with a copper alloy and forming a copper-containing layer over the copper alloy and the low-k dielectric layer. An etch rate of the copper-containing layer may be greater than an etch rate of the copper alloy. The method may additionally include patterning the copper-containing layer to form interconnect features over the low-k dielectric layer and the copper alloy.
US09576848B2

A method of treating a porous dielectric layer includes preparing a substrate on which the porous dielectric layer including an opening and pores exposed by the opening is formed, supplying a first precursor onto the substrate to form a first sub-sealing layer sealing the exposed pores, and supplying a second precursor onto the first sub-sealing layer to form a second sub-sealing layer covering the first sub-sealing layer. Each of the first and second precursors includes silicon, and a molecular weight of the second precursor is smaller than that of the first precursor.
US09576833B2

A robot for a substrate processing system includes a first arm and a second arm each including a first arm portion connected to a base, a second arm portion connected to the first arm portion, and an end effector connected to the second arm portion. The first arm and the second arm are each configured to actuate between a fully retracted position and a plurality of extended positions. The end effector of the first arm is configured to support a first substrate and the end effector of the second arm is configured to support a second substrate. When the first arm and the second arm are in the respective fully retracted positions, the first substrate is spaced apart from and does not overlap the second substrate.
US09576830B2

A method for adjusting the warpage of a wafer, includes providing a wafer having a center portion and edge portions and providing a holding table having a holding area thereon for holding the wafer. The wafer is placed onto the holding table with the center portion higher than the edge portions and thereafter pressed onto the holding area such that the wafer is attracted to and held onto the holding table by self-suction force. The wafer is heated at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time in accordance with an amount of warpage of the wafer in order to achieve a substantially flat wafer or a predetermined wafer level.
US09576825B2

Device and method for alignment of a first contact surface of a first substrate with a second contact surface of a second substrate which can be held on a second platform. The device includes first X-Y positions of first alignment keys located along the first contact surface, and second X-Y positions of second alignment keys which correspond to the first alignment keys and which are located along the second contact surface, wherein the first contact surface can be aligned based on the first X-Y positions in the first alignment position and the second contact surface can be aligned based on the second X-Y positions in the second alignment position.
US09576824B2

In an apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer or sample (101), the semiconductor wafer or sample is placed on a sample holder (104) disposed in a first chamber (103). The combination of the semiconductor wafer or sample and the sample holder is enclosed within a second chamber (130) inside the first chamber. Gas is evacuated from the second chamber and an etching gas is introduced into the second chamber, but not into the first chamber, to etch the semiconductor wafer or sample.
US09576822B2

The present disclosure relates to enhancing the thermal performance of encapsulated flip chip dies. According to an exemplary process, a plurality of flip chip dies are attached on a top surface of a carrier, and a first mold compound is applied over the top surface of the carrier to encapsulate the plurality of flip chip dies. The first mold compound is thinned down to expose a substrate of each flip chip die and the substrate of each flip chip die is then substantially etched away to provide an etched flip chip die that has an exposed surface at the bottom of a cavity. Next, a second mold compound with high thermal conductivity is applied to substantially fill each cavity and the top surface of the second mold compound is planarized. Finally, the encapsulated etched flip chip dies can be marked, singulated, and tested as a module.
US09576820B2

A method of manufacturing a chip fan-out structure, said method includes forming a dry film with a predetermined pattern. Providing a chip wherein the distribution of the pad is corresponding to the dry film's predetermined pattern. Contacting the surface of the pad with the dry film. Forming a molding compound to encapsulate the chip, and removing the dry film to expose the pads.
US09576808B2

In a substrate processing apparatus, with an internal space of a chamber brought into a pressurized atmosphere, an etching process is performed by continuously supplying a first processing liquid onto an upper surface of a substrate while rotating the substrate. It is thereby possible to suppress vaporization of the first processing liquid on the substrate and further suppress a decrease in the temperature of the substrate due to the heat of vaporization as it goes from a center portion of the substrate toward a peripheral portion thereof as compared with under normal pressure. As a result, it is possible to improve the uniformity in the temperature of the upper surface of the substrate during the etching process using the first processing liquid and improve the uniformity of etching over the entire upper surface of the substrate.
US09576801B2

Non-volatile memory devices and logic devices are fabricated using processes compatible with high dielectric constant/metal gate (HK/MG) processes for increased cell density and larger scale integration. A doped oxide layer, such as a silicon-doped hafnium oxide (HfO2) layer, is implemented as a ferroelectric dipole layer in a nonvolatile memory device.
US09576799B2

Disclosed herein is a method for doping a substrate, comprising disposing a coating of a composition comprising a copolymer, a dopant precursor and a solvent on a substrate; where the copolymer is capable of phase segregating and embedding the dopant precursor while in solution; and annealing the substrate at a temperature of 750 to 1300° C. for 0.1 second to 24 hours to diffuse the dopant into the substrate. Disclosed herein too is a semiconductor substrate comprising embedded dopant domains of diameter 3 to 30 nanometers; where the domains comprise Group 13 or Group 15 atoms, wherein the embedded spherical domains are located within 30 nanometers of the substrate surface.
US09576779B2

A method of operating a tandem mass spectrometer system is disclosed including accumulating ions in an ion trap, transmitting a plurality of ions out of the ion trap into a timed-ion selector, applying a pulsed DC voltage to the timed-ion selector, the pulsed DC voltage being modulated to match an ejection time for selecting a first portion of ions from the plurality of ions, corresponding to a specific m/z window, transmitting the first portion of selected ions out of the timed-ion selector into a reaction cell, transmitting dissociation product ions and the remaining ions of the first portion of selected ions out of the reaction cell into a mass analyzer, and mass-selectively transmitting at least some of the fragment ions and the remaining ions of the first portion of selected ions out of the mass analyzer into a detector.
US09576775B2

The invention relates to a plasma generation device comprising a plurality of plasma modules for generating a plasma. Each plasma module has a module housing with at least one gas inlet for supplying a process gas. Furthermore, a discharge device for generating the plasma from the process gas and a plasma outlet are provided. The plasma generation device has at least two plasma modules for generating a plasma. Each plasma module has at least one gas outlet for some of the process gas, wherein the at least one gas outlet of at least one plasma module issues into a respective gas inlet of another plasma module.
US09576774B2

In a magnetron and a plasma waveguide through which a microwave oscillated from the magnetron moves, there is provided a plasma waveguide including a plurality of step parts formed at any one side on an inner side surface of the waveguide, and a block part of a predetermined height formed at any other side on the inner side surface of the waveguide, wherein the block part is formed at a side opposite to a boundary part between the plurality of step parts.
US09576772B1

An improved process workflow and apparatus for S/TEM sample preparation and analysis is provided. Preferred embodiments provide improved methods for an automated recipe TEM sample creation, especially for small geometry TEM lamellae, employing CAD data to automatically align various stages of sample preparation. The process automatically verifies and aligns the position of FIB-created fiducials by masking off portions of acquired images, and then comparing them to synthesized images from CAD data. SEM beam positions are verified by comparison to images synthesized from CAD data. FIB beam position is also verified by comparison to already-aligned SEM images, or by synthesizing an FIB image from CAD using techniques for simulating FIB images. The automatic alignment techniques herein allow creation of sample lamellas at specified locations without operator intervention.
US09576770B2

A low energy electron diffraction (LEED) detection module (100) includes: a first vacuum chamber for receiving diffracted electrons from a specimen (109); a larger second vacuum chamber connected to the first vacuum chamber to receive the diffracted electrons that have been transported through the first vacuum chamber; a two-dimensional electron detector disposed in the second vacuum chamber to detect the diffracted electrons; a potential shield (106) disposed generally along an inner surface of the first vacuum chamber and an inner surface of the second vacuum chamber; a magnetic lens (105) to expand a beam of the diffracted electrons that have been transported through the first vacuum chamber towards the two-dimensional electron detector; and a generally plane-shaped energy filter (103) to repel electrons having an energy lower than the probe beam (203) of electrons that impinges on the specimen (109).
US09576764B2

Disclosed is a field emitter electrode including a bonding unit formed on a substrate, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes fixed to the substrate by the bonding unit, in which the bonding unit includes a carbide-based first inorganic filler and a second inorganic filler formed of a metal.
US09576762B2

A secondary disconnect assembly is for electrically connecting and disconnecting accessories to an electrical switching apparatus, such as a power circuit breaker. The secondary disconnect assembly includes a terminal block assembly comprising a mounting member, at least one terminal block removably mounted on the mounting member, and at least one accessory plug structured to be removably inserted into the terminal block to be electrically connected to the terminal block. The terminal block and the accessory plug each include a plurality of error-proofing features. The error-proofing features prohibit insertion of the accessory plug into the terminal block unless the accessory plug is correctly disposed in a predetermined orientation.
US09576758B2

The present invention provides a portable single-phase air bypass switch for live power distribution network, including a housing member, a positioning member, a conductive circuit member, a clutch member, a switch-closing member and a switch-opening member. The positioning member includes a positioning nut, positioning frames, and a positioning column. The conductive circuit member includes a conductive end cover, an upper conductive rod, a pressing sleeve, a coupling nut, a conductive sleeve pipe, a stationary contact, a movable contact, and a lower conductive rod. The switch-closing member includes a switch-closing energy-storage rod, a switch-closing energy-storage ring, a switch-closing spring, a switch-closing positioning pin, a switch-closing release ring, and an inner sleeve pipe. The switch-opening member includes a small shaft, a switch-opening spring, a stopping block, a switch-opening energy-storage shaft, a connection rod, a switch-opening energy-storage pressing head, a switch-opening positioning pin, and a switch-opening release ring.
US09576755B2

An article of manufacture having an in-molded resistive and/or shielding element and method of making the same are shown and described. In one disclosed method, a resistive and/or shielding element is printed on a film. The film is formed to a desired shape and put in an injection mold. A molten plastic material is introduced into the injection mold to form a rigid structure that retains the film.
US09576749B2

A combination capacitor and strip material arrangement includes a capacitor element, a strip material, and two connecting wires each including an angled rear mounting part fastened to the strip material, a front contact part providing two contact surfaces connected in series at a predetermined angle and attached to one of positive and negative electrodes of the capacitor element and a middle conducting part having angled portion connected to the angled rear mounting part and an inwardly and transversely extended extension portion connected to the front contact part. Thus, the capacitor element is firmly held down by the contact surfaces of the front contact parts of the two connecting wires for packaging, preventing the capacitor element from deviation, displacement or falling, and thus the capacitor yield can be greatly increased.
US09576745B2

The present disclosure relates to a method to enhance the efficiency and reduce interfacial charge transfer resistance in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and a perovskite solar cell (PSC) by fabricating with Mg and La doped photoanodes. Mg and La co-doped into TiO2 has shown more than 20% efficiency than pristine TiO2 and more than 5% higher efficiency than the single doping of 1% La and Mg in TiO2 cells. Thus, the present disclosure relates to an improved photoanode material to be used in solar cells.
US09576738B2

A capacitive MEMS structure comprising first and second opposing capacitor electrode arrangements, wherein at least one of the electrode arrangements is movable, and a dielectric material located adjacent to the second electrode arrangement, wherein the second electrode arrangement is patterned such that it includes electrode areas and spaces adjacent to the electrode areas, and wherein the dielectric material extends at least partially in or over the spaces.
US09576737B2

Certain embodiments provide a parallel capacitor including a substrate configured by a dielectric, upper electrodes, and a lower electrode. The upper electrodes are provided in an upper electrode region on a surface of the substrate. The lower electrode is provided on an entire surface of a lower electrode region including a region corresponding to the upper electrode region of an underside of the substrate, the lower electrode region being wider than the region. A single-operation capacity of each capacitor on both ends is smaller than the single-operation capacity of a capacitor in a center portion. The capacitors on the both ends are configured by the upper electrodes arranged on both ends of the substrate, the lower electrode, and the substrate. The capacitor in the center portion is configured by the upper electrode arranged in a center portion of the substrate, the lower electrode, and the substrate.
US09576727B2

In a capacitor main body, a dimension along the thickness direction of a first region where a first inner electrode and a second inner electrode are provided is t1, a dimension along the thickness direction of a second region that is positioned on the side of a first main surface relative to the first region is t2, and a dimension along the thickness direction of a third region that is positioned on the side of a second main surface relative to the first region is t3. A condition of t2/t1> about 0.15 and a condition of t3/t1> about 0.15 are satisfied.
US09576723B2

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for isolating a current loop conductor of a current loop system of a pre-charge circuit from a plurality of current transformers disposed around the current loop conductor. In particular, the embodiments described herein include an insulating support flange having a first tubular section, a second tubular section radially disposed around the first tubular section and connected to the first tubular section via a solid annular section extending radially outward from the first tubular section to a first end of the second tubular section, an annular base extending radially outward from a second end of the second tubular section, and a plurality of prongs extending axially from or near to an outer circumference of the annular base, wherein each of the prongs comprises an end face that is angled toward the second tubular section. The insulating support flanges are configured to mate with each other along an axial direction of the current loop conductor. In addition, each of the plurality of current transformers is installed (i.e., held in place) between the prongs, annular base, and second annular section of its respective insulating support flange. As such, a fixed open air space between the first and second annular sections of the insulating support flanges isolates the current transformers from the current loop conductor, thereby reducing the possibility of discharge between the current transformers and the current loop conductor.
US09576714B2

A magnetic actuator includes: a movable unit, movable between a first position and a second position, and including an integrally formed eddy-current component and first magnet yoke component; a second magnet yoke component to form a magnetic circuit with the first magnet yoke component; an electromagnetic coil capable of generating an exciting magnetic field when being energized, magnetic lines generated thereby being energized penetrating the magnetic circuit formed by the first and second magnet yoke components; an eddy-current coil to enable an eddy current to be generated in the eddy-current component, to produce an electromagnetic repulsive force to the movable unit; and a permanent magnetic holding component to hold the movable unit in the first position or the second position. The magnetic actuator can simplify the actuator, reduce the number of components and the size thereof, as well as reducing the energy consumption and improving the stability thereof.
US09576712B2

A magnetic circuit that forms an arc-shaped magnetic field space is provided. Of two magnets constituting a first magnetic circuit 10, a first magnetic pole 1 is provided with a first yoke 11 that is arc-shaped in planar view, a first magnet 13 that is arc-shaped in planar view and a magnetic pole piece 15. On the other hand, a second magnetic pole 2 is provided with a second yoke 21 that is arc-shaped in planar view, a second magnet 23 that is arc-shaped in planar view and a magnetic pole piece 25. The first magnetic pole piece 15 and the second magnetic pole piece 25 are disposed so as to be opposed to each other while being separated from each other. The first magnet 13 and the second magnet 23 are formed by arranging a plurality of small magnets.
US09576707B2

A conductive thin film, a transparent electrode, and methods of producing the same are provided. A method for preparing a conductive thin film may involve forming a layer of reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotube on a substrate using a reducing agent containing a halogen atom.
US09576706B2

Disclosed is a method for preparing a carbon nanomaterial/polymer composite. More particularly, it relates to an improved method for preparing a carbon nanomaterial/polymer composite capable of solving a dust problem of a carbon nanomaterial powder and a layer separation problem due to large density difference between the carbon nanomaterial powder and a polymer pellet and providing superior physical properties of the composite, whereby an additive used to prepare the carbon nanomaterial/polymer composite is mixed with the carbon nanomaterial powder and prepared into a pellet, which is then mixed with the polymer pellet.
US09576704B2

A wire harness waterproof structure is provided that allows the water sealant to be visually checked, enables reliably filling of the periphery of a splice portion with the water sealant, and enables water in an unfilled region to easily drain. The wire harness waterproof structure includes electrical lines forming an intermediate splice portion, an exterior member surrounding the entire circumference of the intermediate splice portion and adjacent end portions, and a curing layer made up of a water sealant wherein a gap between the intermediate splice portion and the exterior member is filled. The waterproof sheet material is curved so as to surround the splice portion and the adjacent end portions. The sheet material has seeping holes allowing a portion of the curing layer to seep, and enable moisture to be drained to the outer surface in a region not filled with the water sealant.
US09576702B2

An armored cable features a core and an armor generally surrounding the core and having an inner diameter. The armor has a thickness of 0.001 to 0.100 times the inner diameter of the armor. In addition, the armor has corrugations with a pitch of 0.050 to 1.000 times the inner diameter of the armor. The armor has a corrugation depth of 0.010 to 0.400 times the inner diameter of the armor.
US09576700B2

A binding tape member and a wire harness having a binding tape member configured to having the same function of conventional wire harnesses without the need for corrugated tube, pre-wrapping or post wrapping. The binding tape member has a tape member body that covers a group of electrical lines by being wrapped around the group of electrical lines. The tape body has a trapezoidal upper surface portion with an upper side and a lower side that correspond to the tape width end edges and a trapezoidal lower surface portion facing a direction opposite to the trapezoidal upper surface portion are alternatingly arranged in the tape length direction. Also, in a trapezoidal upper surface portion and a trapezoidal lower surface portion that are adjacent to each other, sides thereof in the tape length direction are connected to each other in an integrated manner by a rectangular side wall portion.
US09576695B2

A graphene-based laminate including a doped polymer layer is disclosed. The graphene-based laminate may include a substrate; a graphene layer disposed on the substrate and including at least one layer; and a doped polymer layer disposed on at least one surface of the graphene layer and including an organic dopant.
US09576694B2

This invention relates to novel applications for alliform carbon, useful in conductors and energy storage devices, including electrical double layer capacitor devices and articles incorporating such conductors and devices. Said alliform carbon particles are in the range of 2 to about 20 percent by weight, relative to the weight of the entire electrode. Said novel applications include supercapacitors and associated electrode devices, batteries, bandages and wound healing, and thin-film devices, including display devices.
US09576693B2

There are provided a metal material for electronic component which has low insertability/extractability, low whisker formability, and high durability, and a method for manufacturing the metal material. The metal material 10 for electronic components has a base material 11, an A layer 14 constituting a surface layer on the base material 11 and formed of Sn, In or an alloy thereof, and a B layer 13 constituting a middle layer provided between the base material 11 and the A layer 14 and formed of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Os, Ir or an alloy thereof, wherein the surface layer (A layer) 14 has a thickness of 0.002 to 0.2 μm, and the middle layer (B layer) 13 has a thickness of 0.001 to 0.3 μm.
US09576690B2

Examples of apparatus and methods for transmutation of an element are disclosed. An apparatus can include a neutron emitter configured to emit neutrons with a neutron output, a neutron moderator configured to reduce the average energy of the neutron output to produce a moderated neutron output, a target configured to absorb neutrons when exposed to the moderated neutron output, the absorption of the neutrons by the target producing a transmuted element, and an extractor configured to extract the desired element. A method can include producing a neutron output, reducing the average energy of the neutron output with a neutron moderator to produce a moderated neutron output, absorbing neutrons from the moderated neutron output with the target to generate a transmuted element, and eluting a solution through the target to extract a desired element. In some examples, the target includes molybdenum-98, and the desired element includes technetium-99m.
US09576684B1

Various embodiments generally relate to a semiconductor device and a device for a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a technology relating to a margin of a data retention time. The semiconductor device may include a repair detection unit configured to determine whether an inputted address is a repair address and output a repair detection signal. The semiconductor device may include a refresh control unit configured to simultaneously activate two or more word lines in response to a refresh command signal and sequentially activate the two or more word lines according to the repair detection signal.
US09576682B2

The method may include accessing, with a first stress test, a plurality of memory modules, the plurality of memory modules coupled in a computer system, the plurality of memory modules including a first module having a first memory characteristic and a second module having a second memory characteristic. The method may include determining for the first module, a first traffic-to-temperature parameter, and determining that the first module was sufficiently stressed in response to determining that the first traffic-to-temperature parameter is within a first traffic-to-temperature range. The method may also include determining, for the second module, a second traffic-to-temperature parameter, and determining that the second module was sufficiently stressed in response to determining that the second traffic-to-temperature parameter is within a second traffic-to-temperature range.
US09576677B2

A scan driving circuit is disclosed, and the scan driving circuit has a pull-up control module, a pull-up module, a pull-down module, a pull-down maintaining module, a down-stream module and a bootstrap capacitor; when the pull-up control module generates a scan level signal, the pull-up control module and the pull-down maintaining module use a constant high-level voltage to avoid an electrical leakage phenomenon; and the pull down module uses a present-level scan signal to avoid the electrical leakage phenomenon. Thus, the electrical leakage phenomenon can be efficiently avoided.
US09576673B2

Disclosed herein are techniques for sensing multiple reference levels in non-volatile storage elements without changing the voltage on the selected word line. One aspect includes determining a first condition of a selected non-volatile storage element with respect to a first reference level based on whether a sensing transistor conducts in response to a sense voltage on a sense node. Then, a voltage on the source terminal of the sensing transistor is modified after determining the first condition with respect to the first reference level. A second condition of the selected non-volatile storage element is then determined with respect to a second reference level based on whether the sensing transistor conducts in response to the sense voltage on the sense node. This allows two different reference levels to be efficiently sensed. Dynamic power is saved due low capacitance of the sensing transistor relative to the sense node.
US09576671B2

After a predetermined period of time in a life cycle of a flash memory device, a plurality of reliability values corresponding to a plurality of reads of one or more of the plurality of memory cells are generated; each of the reads using a variation of a predetermined read level voltage. An offset voltage is then identified, offset from the read level voltage. The offset voltage corresponds to a zero crossing point in the range of the reliability values. Once the offset voltage is identified, the read level voltage is set to a calibrated voltage based on the offset voltage.
US09576652B1

The invention provides a resistive memory apparatus including at least one first resistive memory cell, a first bit line selecting switch, a first source line selecting switch, a first pull down switch and a second pull down switch. The first bit line selecting switch is coupled between a first bit line and a sense amplifier. The first source line selecting switch is coupled between a source line and the sense amplifier. The first and second pull down switches are respectively coupled to the bit line and source line. When a reading operation is operated, on or off statuses of the first bit line selecting switch and the second pull down switch are the same, on or off statuses of the first source line selecting switch and the first pull down switch are the same, and on or off statuses of the first and second pull down switches are complementary.
US09576651B2

According to one embodiment, a method of RRAM operations is provided. The method includes the following operations: providing a first voltage difference across a resistor of the RRAM during a read operation; and providing a second voltage difference across the resistor of the RRAM during a reset operation, wherein the first voltage difference has the same polarity as the second voltage difference.
US09576649B2

Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory, such as a flash memory array. In accordance with some embodiments, a block of solid-state non-volatile memory cells are each programmed to an associated programmed state responsive to a respective amount of accumulated charge. A charge loss compensation circuit adds a relatively small amount of additional charge to the respective amount of accumulated charge in each of the memory cells to maintain the associated programmed states of the cells.
US09576639B2

One semiconductor device includes a command receiver receiving the command signal to generate a first internal command signal, and a latency control circuit activating a second internal chip select signal after elapse of first cycles of a clock signal since a first internal chip select signal is activated. The latency control circuit activates a second control signal when the chip select signal is maintained in an inactive state during second cycles of the clock signal that is larger than the first cycles. The command receiver is activated based on a first control signal. The first control signal is activated in response to the first internal chip select signal. The first control signal is deactivated in response to the second control signal.
US09576634B1

The present invention provides integrated circuit chips having chip identification aspects. The chips include magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures, and more specifically, include permanent bit strings used for chip identification and/or authentication. Systems and processes for chip identification are also disclosed herein. The MTJ element structures provided herein can have a defined resistance profile such that the intrinsic variability of the MTJ element structure is used to encode and generate a bit string that becomes a fingerprint for the chip. In some embodiments, an oxygen treatment covering all or a selected portion of an array of MTJ elements can be used to create a mask or secret key that can be used and implemented to enhance chip identification.
US09576633B2

A magnetic memory and methods for providing and programming the magnetic memory are described. The memory includes storage cells, magnetic oscillator(s) and bit lines. Each storage cell includes magnetic junction(s) having a free layer, a reference layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between reference and free layers. The free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. The free layer has a first magnetic anisotropy at room temperature and a second magnetic anisotropy at a minimum switching temperature due to at least the write current. The second magnetic anisotropy is not more than ninety percent of the first magnetic anisotropy. The first and second magnetic anisotropies correspond to first and second ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) frequencies. The magnetic oscillator(s) have a frequency range. The first FMR frequency is outside of the frequency range. The second FMR frequency is within the frequency range.
US09576619B2

A shiftable memory supporting atomic operation employs built-in shifting capability to shift a contiguous subset of data from a first location to a second location within memory during an atomic operation. The shiftable memory includes the memory to store data. The memory has the built-in shifting capability. The shiftable memory further includes an atomic primitive defined on the memory to operate on the contiguous subset.
US09576610B2

Systems and methods of processing video streams are described. A face is detected in a video stream. The face is tracked to determine a video clip associated with one of a plurality of individuals. The video segment is assigned to a group of video clips based on the associated individual. A significant face is detected in the group of video clips when the detected face meets one or more significance criteria. The significance criteria describes a face-frame characteristic. A representation of the significant face is displayed in association with a representation of the group of video clips. The order of the significance criteria is adjusted through a user interface.
US09576607B2

A computer-implemented technique can include receiving, at a server computing device having one or more processors, a first video stream from a first user computing device associated with a first user. The first video stream can include a first image portion. The technique can further include extracting the first image portion of the first video stream in order to generate a first overlay stream, and receiving a second video stream from a second user computing device associated with a second user. A composite video stream can be generated from the first overlay stream and the second video stream. The composite video stream can comprise the first overlay stream superimposed over the second video stream. The composite video stream can be output to the second user computing device.
US09576597B2

Implementations described and claimed herein includes a method comprising selecting a zone of one or more tracks on a disk drive having a plurality of magnetic sensors on a transducer head, determining a performance matrix related to the selected track zone, and selecting a first subset and a second subset of the plurality of magnetic sensors based on the determined performance matrix, wherein only the first subset of the plurality of magnetic sensors are used for data recovery in the selected track zone, and the second subset of the plurality of magnetic sensors are used for servo recovery.
US09576595B1

A mounting surface of a read/write head is prepared to receive an epitaxial layer. The mounting surface is proximate a waveguide of the read/write head, and the waveguide is configured to receive an optical output from the epitaxial layer. The epitaxial layer is transfer printed on to the mounting surface. The mounting surface maintains a vertical alignment between the optical output and the waveguide. The epitaxial layer is processed to form a laser integrated with the read/write head.
US09576594B1

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a first output signal from a write driver, the write driver having an operating voltage applied thereto, receiving a second output signal from a comparator circuit, the comparator circuit having a reference voltage applied thereto, comparing a voltage of the first output signal with a voltage of the second output signal, and detecting a high resistance condition in response to determining that the voltage of the first output signal is less than the voltage of the second output signal. According to the present embodiment, the high resistance condition indicates open and/or partially open circuitry in the write driver. Moreover, the operating voltage is equal to the reference voltage. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.
US09576586B2

An audio coding device includes a memory; and a processor configured to execute a plurality of instructions stored in the memory, the instructions comprising: selecting a main lobe among a plurality of lobes detected from a frequency signal configuring an audio signal on a basis of bandwidth and power of the lobes; and coding the audio signal in such a manner that a first amount of bits per a unit frequency domain allocated to coding of the frequency signal of the main lobe is larger than a second amount of bits per the unit frequency domain allocated to the coding of the frequency signal of a side lobe as a lobe other than the main lobe.
US09576578B1

Methods, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for collaborative language model biasing. In one aspect, a method includes: obtaining (i) one or more initial candidate transcriptions, and (ii) one or more terms that are associated with a context; selecting one or more of the terms that are associated with the context, and that (i) do not occur in the candidate transcriptions, and (ii) are indicated as phonetically similar to one or more terms that do occur in the initial candidate transcriptions; generating one or more additional candidate transcriptions based on the (i) initial candidate transcriptions, and (ii) the selected terms; and providing the one or more additional candidate transcriptions to an automated speech recognizer.
US09576576B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving audio data encoding an utterance and environmental data, obtaining a transcription of the utterance, identifying an entity using the environmental data, submitting a query to a natural language query processing engine, wherein the query includes at least a portion of the transcription and data that identifies the entity, and obtaining one or more results of the query.
US09576573B2

Input context for a statistical dialog manager may be provided. Upon receiving a spoken query from a user, the query may be categorized according to at least one context clue. The spoken query may then be converted to text according to a statistical dialog manager associated with the category of the query and a response to the spoken query may be provided to the user.
US09576571B2

Techniques are disclosed for recognizing user personality in accordance with a speech recognition system. For example, a technique for recognizing a personality trait associated with a user interacting with a speech recognition system includes the following steps/operations. One or more decoded spoken utterances of the user are obtained. The one or more decoded spoken utterances are generated by the speech recognition system. The one or more decoded spoken utterances are analyzed to determine one or more linguistic attributes (morphological and syntactic filters) that are associated with the one or more decoded spoken utterances. The personality trait associated with the user is then determined based on the analyzing step/operation.
US09576567B2

Disclosed, in general, are devices that provide a substantially sound-tight chamber over a sound source while absorbing fields of sounds from the sound source. In general, the devices feature: an anechoic chamber that is configured to receive a sound source in a substantially sound-tight manner; and an anechoic channel that is in fluid communication with the ambient atmosphere. The anechoic chamber is adapted to capture air containing sound energy generated by the sound source, and distribute the air about an internal surface area on the inside of the chamber, wherein the internal surface area is sufficiently large to dampen or otherwise absorb the sound energy. Preferably, the air is directed from the anechoic chamber through an anechoic channel extending therefrom to the ambient to further dampen or absorb the sound energy. In one configuration, the outer wall of the apparatus is configured to reflect ambient sounds.
US09576565B2

Presented is a method for controlling an electronic stringed instrument. Embodiments of electrical stringed instruments according to the present invention can be actual stringed instruments or virtual representations of stringed instruments. The methods provide a way in which to teach and play electronic stringed instruments which allow a novice musician to focus on a small portion of playing of a stringed instrument while maintaining overall musicality and ability to play the instrument.
US09576538B2

A display apparatus includes: a panel including a plurality of pixels configured to display an image; an ambient light sensor configured to sense an illumination level of ambient light and to generate ambient light data; a gamma controller configured to control sections of a reference gamma curve based on the ambient light data to generate a controlled gamma curve, the controlled gamma curve defining output data according to input data; a data driver configured to convert an image signal into a data voltage based on the controlled gamma curve and to supply the data voltage to the pixels; and a gate driver configured to supply a gate signal to the pixels.
US09576536B2

A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a pixel configured to emit light according to a data signal supplied to a data line, a power source voltage supplier configured to supply a power source voltage to the pixel, a driving transistor configured to drive the pixel to be emitted according to the data signal and the power source voltage, and a sensor configured to supply a test signal to a data line and to detect a sensing current flowing to the data line through the driving transistor according to the test signal.
US09576535B2

A pixel includes an organic light emitting diode, a first driver and a second driver. The second driver controls an amount of current supplied from a first power source to the organic light emitting diode, corresponding to a previous data signal. The first driver stores a current data signal supplied from a data line and supplies the previous data signal to the second driver. In the pixel, the second driver includes a sixth transistor coupled between an initialization power source and a first node coupled to a gate electrode of a first transistor, the sixth transistor being configured to turn on when a first control signal is supplied; and a seventh transistor coupled between the first power source and a second node commonly coupled to the first and second drivers, the seventh transistor being configured to turn on when the first control signal is supplied.
US09576532B2

A display panel and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display including the display panel are disclosed. The display panel includes a first pixel configured to emit a first color of light, a second pixel configured to emit a second color of light, and a third pixel configured to emit a third color of light. Each of the first to third pixels includes a light emission current applying unit including a driving transistor and a storage capacitor, a gate electrode of the driving transistor configured to receive a data signal from a display driver of the OLED display. The panel includes a light emission unit configured to emit light based on a light emission current. The panel also includes an initialization voltage supply unit configured to provide an initialization voltage to the gate electrode of the driving transistor and the first electrode of the OLED.
US09576531B2

A display device includes a pixel unit including scan lines, data lines crossing the scan lines, and pixels connected to the scan lines and the data lines; a timing control unit configured to receive first data from an outside; a conversion unit configured to receive the first data from the timing control unit, to extract luminance components of the first data corresponding to the pixels to determine luminance distribution of the first data, to divide the luminance distribution into a plurality of luminance distribution ranges, and to convert the first data into second data by regulating an input gray level of the first data based on a conversion equation corresponding to a variation between data of the luminance distribution ranges; and a data drive unit configured to receive the second data from the conversion unit and to provide the second data to the data lines.
US09576530B2

An optoelectronic device includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a control circuit. The first transistor is electrically connected between a power supply and a light-emitting element, has a gate to receive a gray scale voltage, and supplies the light-emitting element with a driving current corresponding to the gray scale voltage. The second transistor has a gate electrically connected to an electrode of the light-emitting element and a source or drain electrically connected to a circuit including a voltmeter. The control circuit reads a measurement value of the voltmeter when the gate of the first transistor receives the gray scale voltage, and corrects a next gray scale voltage applied to the gate of the first transistor based on the measurement value.
US09576529B2

A driving circuit is provided to reduce threshold voltage shifting of a driving switch thereof, and includes a capacitor, a pre-charging switch, a scanning switch, a driving switch, three stabilizing switches, and a light emitting device. A gate electrode of the pre-charging switch receives a first control signal, a drain electrode thereof receives a second control signal, and a source electrode thereof is connected to the capacitor, so as to pre-charge the capacitor to switch on the driving switch. The capacitor then discharges through the driving switch. When the driving circuit reaches a stable state, the driving switch drives the light emitting device to emit light.
US09576524B2

A shift register unit, a shift register circuit, an array substrate and a display device are provided. The present disclosure relates to the field of display device manufacture, and can prevent an OLED device from flickering while writing display data. A shift register comprises a first pull-up unit, connected with a high level end, a first clock signal end and a first control node (A); a first pull-down unit, connected with a low level end, a second clock signal end, an input signal end, the first pull-up unit, a first output end and the first control node (A); a pull-down switch unit, connected with the high level end, the low level end, the first clock signal end, the second clock signal end and a second control node (B); a second pull-down unit, connected with the low level end, the second control node (B) and a second output end; and a second pull-up unit, connected with the high level end, the first control node (A) and the second output end.
US09576511B2

A sign comprising a surface having a display, and a plurality of sources of visible light. The sources of visible light are oriented to illuminate at least a portion of the display, and include solid state light emitters and/or luminescent materials. Line segments drawn on a Chromaticity Diagram connecting coordinates of some of the illumination color hues define a shape which encompasses coordinates of the display color hue(s). Also, a sign comprising a surface having a display having a surface area of at least 4 square meters, and at least 100 sources of visible light including solid state light emitters and/or luminescent materials. Also, a sign comprising a white light source and at least one additional source of light. Also, methods of illuminating signs.
US09576509B2

A unitary sheet-like merchandise labeling article that has a labeling tag flatly conjoined along a unifying flat bond zone with a flexible elastic layer that extends away from the tag and includes an elastic fastening loop. The loop sides that define the loop are wider than the thickness of the elastic layer. Further, the flexible elastic layer that extends away from the tag has a thickness greater than the thickness of the tag and has a dispersion zone adjacent the unifying flat bond zone. The dispersion zone allows dissipation of elastic loop in-line stretching forces sufficiently to reduce transmission of such forces into the bond zone.
US09576498B1

According to one embodiment, a system for training transcription system trainees is provided. The system includes a memory, at least one processor coupled to the memory, and a training component executable by the at least one processor. The training component is configured to evaluate performance of at least one transcription system trainee.
US09576495B2

An on-line teaching, learning and assessing system provides a teacher rapid feedback while teaching a classroom lesson on STEM principles by measuring student progress in learning the principles wherein student progress is measured by students' correct answers to assessment questions. The system includes at least one teacher computer and a plurality of student computers linked to the at least one teacher computer by a communications network. Each computer includes an input device and a touch sensitive screen for receiving handwritten input. The teacher inputs the teacher computer with at least one assessment question and at least one corresponding correct answer to the question, both inputs being handwritten using math expressions and STEM sketches. The student inputs the student computer with at least one student answer corresponding to the assessment question, the answer being handwritten using math expressions and STEM sketches.
US09576493B2

A computer-implemented method of communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle includes transmitting a first message via a communications transmitter of a lighting assembly for receipt by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The first message includes an identifier associated with the lighting assembly, and the lighting assembly is located within a proximity of a roadway. The method also includes receiving a second message from the unmanned aerial vehicle via a communications receiver of the lighting assembly. The second message includes an identifier associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method further includes transmitting a third message via the communications transmitter of the lighting assembly for receipt by the unmanned aerial vehicle. The third message includes an indication of an altitude at which the unmanned aerial vehicle should fly.
US09576490B1

A navigation system for a transportation device, such as a vehicle, includes a controller and is at least partially operated by a driver. An off-board control module is operatively connected to a remote server and configured to communicate with the controller. The off-board control module is not physically connected to the controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of determining a personalized route for travelling from a start location to an end location. The controller is programmed to divide each of the plurality of routes into a respective plurality of nodes, such that adjacent ones of the plurality of nodes define a respective path (i). The personalized route is selected based at least partially on a weighted consumption score reflecting various preferences of the driver, such as fuel consumption, speed, distance travelled and other preferences.
US09576480B1

Systems and methods to determine vehicle safety conditions are provided. Techniques include receiving one or more vehicle conditions from vehicle sensors and sending the data to a centralized server. The data is aggregated based on vehicle identifier and location to determine the type and location of the safety condition. The determined safety condition is sent to one or more vehicles in the vicinity of the determined safety condition to alert the drivers of the hazard. The safety condition can be displayed as an overlay on a map to aid the driver in locating it.
US09576477B2

Electrical equipment includes a power supply unit, a signal receiving unit, a rectifying and filtering unit, a switch unit, and a control. The rectifying and filtering unit rectifies and filters remote signals received by the signal receiving unit to generate first voltage signals. The switch unit connects the power supply unit to an external power in response to receiving the first voltage signals. The control identifies a current mode of the electrical equipment and determines whether the first voltage signal persists longer than a predetermined time or not. The control outputs a second voltage signals in response to the duration time of the first voltage signals being greater than the predetermined time. The switch unit further connects the power supply unit to the external power according to the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to start the electrical equipment.
US09576476B2

A method for controlling at least one peripheral device and associated electronic device and control system are provided. The method includes: detecting existence of a first mobile device by checking a wireless connection associated with the first mobile device; and when the existence of the first mobile device is detected, obtaining user data of the first mobile device through the wireless connection, and broadcasting the user data of the first mobile device to the peripheral device(s) for controlling a setting of each peripheral device.
US09576464B2

Various arrangements are presented for alerting a user to household environmental sounds. Data representative of a sound may be captured using a microphone. A sound profile may be received, the sound profile may include a definition associated with the sound and an acoustic signature. A match may be identified between the data indicative of the sound recorded by the microphone and the sound profile. A message may be output to a television for visual presentation based on the definition from the sound profile identified as the match.
US09576461B2

Various embodiments relate to tags, methods of using tags, systems, and methods of using systems. Various embodiments may be suitable for identifying a human or an animal. Various embodiments may provide mother-infant matching and cot-infant matching for both single and multiple births; monitoring of the location, movement, and status of the tags; detection of tampering and unauthorized removal of infant tags; and organizing of tags.
US09576457B1

A marking and identification system and method includes a dispersing device configured to disperse marker therefrom when in an activated mode. An activating device is configured to arm the dispersing device from an inactivated mode wherein the dispensing device does not disperse marker to the activated mode. A triggering device is configured to operate the dispersing device and disperse marker when in the activated mode. The marker can be identified at a later time to positively identify a person that triggered the marking and identification system.
US09576454B2

Systems (100) and methods (300) for selective device responsiveness using a plurality of control tags (132) affixed to a plurality of objects (102). The methods involve: receiving, by a plurality of control tags, a reporting command signal sent from an interrogation device via a communications link; and communicating a response to the reporting command signal from only those of the plurality of control tags which are (1) currently being moved, (2) have been moved within a first specified period of time, and/or (3) have a surrounding environment with at least one characteristic that has recently changed.
US09576453B2

An electronic tag housing assembly is attachable to the extending neck of a bottle having an undercut thereabout. The tag housing includes an annular wall having a central opening for insertion over the extending bottle neck. At least one electronic tag is supported in the housing. The housing has a plurality of resilient fingers extending into the aperture for engagement with undercut on the bottle neck for securing the housing thereto. The housing further includes a portion of the annular wall having a location of reduced thickness for effecting severing of the annular wall thereat so as to remove the housing from the bottle neck.
US09576441B2

The present invention provides a gaming machine which can provide games that are prevented from progressing monotonously and thus can provide a player with a feeling of tension, thereby facilitating the consumption of more gaming media. A currently played chance game is discontinued and the chance game is started afresh from the first game under the condition that a second symbol appears on a symbol display unit upon the number of games being less than a predetermined number in the chance game mode.
US09576438B2

A system and machine-implemented method for facilitating simulation of game play for playing a game, the method including receiving one or more wagers from a user on one or more outcomes of the game, the one or more wagers relating to one of a point total of a first hand and second hand or a condition regarding the values of each of the first hand and the second hand, initiating a randomization event to generate an outcome for the game, the randomization event being generated using a spin of a plurality of randomizer units. Determining the outcome of one or more of the plurality of randomizer units to determine an outcome from the one or more wagers and settling the one or more wagers according to the outcome.
US09576433B2

Disclosed herein are a method and system for providing card game services. The method includes entering a virtually implemented game room to play a card game provided over the Internet, participating in the card game according to predetermined rules of the card game, setting a betting action depending on a situation of the card game in advance during the card game, and playing the game by automatically entering the set betting action on a relevant turn. The system includes at least one user terminal for playing a card game over an Internet, and a game provision server for implementing a virtual game room, enabling a betting action to be selected during the game through input from the user terminal, and automatically taking the selected betting action on a relevant turn.
US09576426B2

The invention relates to systems and methods of selecting and placing real-world wagers responsive to one or more wager triggers, obtaining outcomes of the real-world wagers, facilitating skill-based actions with various interactive media, and revealing the outcomes of the real-world wagers through the interactive media to give an appearance that the outcomes of the real-world wagers resulted from skill-based actions even though the outcomes resulted from the real-world wagers and were determined before the user interactions. The system may reveal an outcome of a real-world wager through the skill-based action, which is required to claim a value of the reveal. The skill-based action may include an action that requires interaction from a user and for which is not completely dependent on chance for the user to achieve the action.
US09576423B2

A method of populating symbol spaces on a gaming device includes providing a plurality of designated spaces arranged to display a plurality of symbols, wherein one of the designated spaces is populated with a symbol from the plurality of symbols by moving the symbol from an initial location, to a final location within the designated space, wherein the game outcome is at least partly dependent on the final location of the symbol.
US09576421B2

A plurality of gaming terminals each having a terminal display on which a plurality of symbols are provided, a plurality of upper displays forming a single common effect display screen which is constituted by gaming terminal areas corresponding to the respective gaming terminals, and a center controller are provided. When the common game starts, the center controller displays a common game start effect image on a common effect display screen and transmits a common game start effect image display command to the gaming terminals so that the common game start effect image divided for respective gaming terminal areas is displayed on the terminal display of each of the gaming terminals corresponding to the gaming terminal areas.
US09576411B2

An apparatus and method for providing a security keypad are provided. The apparatus for providing a security keypad includes a coordinate generation unit, a keypad output unit, and a key value processing unit. The coordinate generation unit computes a displacement by which a security keypad is to be shifted, and rearranges at least some of keys included in the security keypad by shifting the at least some keys so that the central axis of the security keypad is translated by the displacement. The keypad output unit displays the rearranged security keypad to a user. The key value processing unit processes key values in response to the user's input to the rearranged security keypad, and transfers the processed key values to an application for which the rearranged, security keypad is used.
US09576410B2

This disclosure relates to a system and method for implementing threat condition in pass control. In one embodiment, a method for implementing threat condition can comprise, receiving by a checkpoint computer, from a server, a threat condition status. The method can further comprise requiring from a visitor at a checkpoint an information set by the checkpoint computer, the information dependent on the threat condition. The method can further comprise issuing a pass to the visitor only if the visitor supplies the information set at the checkpoint.
US09576405B2

A failure determination device of a hybrid vehicle, includes an engine, a motor arranged in series with the engine, a clutch arranged between the motor and a driving wheel, a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts hydraulic pressure supplied to the clutch, and that performs wet start clutch control for adjusting the hydraulic pressure, supplied to the clutch at least upon starting, to the hydraulic pressure causing the clutch to slip, and a controller configured to calculate required driving force on the basis of accelerator opening, and calculate torque capacity of the clutch, required for transmitting the required driving force by the clutch, as target torque capacity, calculate actual torque of the engine and actual torque of the motor, and calculate a torque deviation as a deviation between the target torque capacity and a sum of the actual torque of the engine and the actual torque of the motor.
US09576399B2

Aspects of the disclosed apparatuses, methods and systems provide three dimensional gradient and dynamic light fields for display in 3D technologies, in particular 3D augmented reality (AR) devices, by coupling visual accommodation and visual convergence to the same plane at any depth of an object of interest in real time.
US09576396B2

A method of operating a graphics processing unit includes generating a first display list including a position information index, an attribute information index, and a texture patch descriptor index for each of a plurality of new primitives; generating a second display list by sorting the first display list according to texture patch descriptor indexes; and rendering the plurality of new primitives based on the second display list.
US09576388B2

A graphics animation and compositing operations framework has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, text, media or other type of objects for an application's user interface. The application commits state changes of the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, after a synchronization threshold has been met, an animation is determined for animating the change in state by the framework which can define a set of predetermined animations based on motion, visibility and transition. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer, synchronized with the display. Portions of the render tree changing relative to prior versions can be tracked to improve resource management.
US09576386B2

Architecture that enhances the visual experience of a slide presentation by animating slide content as “actors” in the same background “scene”. This is provided by multi-layered transitions between slides, where a slide is first separated into “layers” (e.g., with a level of transparency). Each layer can then be transitioned independently. All layers are composited together to accomplish the end effect. The layers can comprise one or more content layers, and a background layer. The background layer can further be separated into a background graphics layer and a background fill layer. The transition phase can include a transition effect such as a fade, a wipe, a dissolve effect, and other desired effects. To provide the continuity and uniformity of presentation the content on the same background scene, a transition effect is not applied to the background layer.
US09576385B2

A system and method for modifying one or more body parts in an image of a portion of a body is provided. The system and method include detecting one or more body parts and creating one or more corresponding cutout images, selecting a template of a predefined body part (or parts) and placing the template on the image, overlaying the cutout image(s) on the template, and warping and blending the cutout image(s) to the template to create a modified image.
US09576384B2

In accordance with some embodiments, a control surface stores the index bits in a tile using multi-sampling anti-aliasing. By determining whether all the samples in a tile point to plane 0, one can use only two bits in a control surface for the tile to indicate that all the samples on the tile point to plane 0. Otherwise more than two bits may be stored in the control surface to indicate planes pointed to by the samples of the tile.
US09576380B2

In the present invention, in a case where a display unit is capable of displaying either multiple tomographic images or at least one plain image of a subject, a display control unit switches the display on the display unit to the display of tomographic images in sequence or to the display of a plain image.
US09576374B2

A method of detecting an edge of a geological characteristic in a borehole comprises, in respect of an image log of a length of a borehole, carrying out the steps of a gradient-based edge detection method, a phase congruence-based edge detection method or a combination of such methods as preliminary, pre-processing stages. Subsequent steps of the method may include operating a relatively computationally simple process to identify sinusoids among detected edge features; and a relatively computationally complex process for parameterizing the thus-identified sinusoids.
US09576372B2

A detection result of an object useful to an application can be obtained. A designated condition determining unit designates a condition of a region (improper region) which is not used as a detection result of a main object on the basis of application information which was input. An improper region identifying unit identifies an improper region on the basis of the improper region condition which was input. A final region identifying unit identifies a final main object region from a salient main object candidate region output from a candidate region identifying unit and the improper region output from the improper region identifying unit.
US09576361B2

An image processing apparatus comprises a first estimation unit configured to estimate a deformation between a first image and a second image under a first condition and obtain first deformation information; a second estimation unit configured to estimate a deformation between the first image and the second image under a second condition different from the first condition and obtain second deformation information; and an obtaining unit configured to obtain one of an estimation error and reliability of the deformation at a point on an image based on a difference between the first deformation information and the second deformation information.
US09576357B2

Ultrasonic imaging methods are described for eliminating the effects of physiological motion such as respiratory motion from image data of a sequence of images which is to be used for quantified analysis such as time-intensity curve computation. A bright reflector in the images of the loop which exhibits motional effects such as cyclical variation in brightness or position from image to image is identified and its variation used to identify cycles of motion. A phase or range of phases of the cycles is identified. Images acquired during the identified phase or phase range of the motion cycles during the loop are then used for quantified processing.
US09576353B2

A method for verifying the position of at least two bone structures relative to each other, comprising the method steps of: recording a three-dimensional dataset which represents the bone structures; segmenting the three-dimensional dataset into segments, wherein each segment represents a bone structure and the segments exhibit a known relative position in the three-dimensional dataset; changing the virtual relative position of the segments, such that the virtual relative position of the segments matches the actual relative position of the bone structures; and verifying whether the virtual relative position of the segments matches a target position of the bone structures.
US09576348B2

Facilitating text identification and editing in images in which in one or more embodiments, a user selection of a location in an area of text in an image is received. Given the location, a region of interest that includes text (including the location of the user selection) in the image is determined. Distortion resulting from a surface in the image on which the text is situated being at some angle other than parallel to the image capture plane is also corrected. One or more fonts and font sizes of the text in the region of interest are also detected. Various actions can be taken on the text in the region of interest (e.g., editing the text and/or identifying the text).
US09576347B2

Image inpainting is controlled in response to a structure analysis and recovery process for a missing object region. Structure edges are detected about the periphery of the removed object area, and extensions determined in response to color and depth information. Intersections are determined in a structure framework, whose regions are then synthesized using a patch filling process, after which remaining areas of the image similarly synthesized.
US09576345B2

A method for denoising magnetic resonance images includes estimating a normalization field corresponding to a magnetic resonance imaging device and acquiring a non-normalized image from the magnetic resonance imaging device. A noise level estimation process is performed with the non-normalized image to yield a noise level. The normalization field is applied to the noise level to yield a potentially inhomogeneous noise-level map and to the non-normalized image to yield a normalized image. An adaptive polynomial filtering process is performed using the normalized image and the potentially inhomogeneous noise-level map to yield a denoised image.
US09576342B2

An image processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit, an identifying unit, and a correcting unit. The acquiring unit acquires input data including shape data on a concave-convex area having a convex part and a concave part and image data of an image formed on the concave-convex area. The identifying unit identifies an uneven area which is within a bottom surface of the concave part and is continuous with a wall surface connecting the bottom surface and a convex surface of the convex part. The correcting unit corrects the image data so that the brightness of a first image area in the uneven area stacked with multiple dots and the brightness of a second image area continuous with the first image area become about the same.
US09576339B2

A display device including an interface unit configured to be connected to a mobile terminal having a first display unit displaying a mobile screen image; a second display unit for displaying a monitor window having two orientation directions; and a controller configured to display the monitor window in a first orientation direction for displaying a monitor screen image corresponding to the mobile screen image on the second display unit; receive a user command relating to a modification of the mobile screen image; transmit a control signal relating to the user command to the mobile terminal; and display a modified monitor screen image in response to the user command on a second orientation direction of the monitor window.
US09576338B2

A resolution of a low resolution depth image is increased by applying joint geodesic upsampling to a high resolution image to obtain a geodesic distance map. Depths in the low resolution depth image are interpolated using the geodesic distance map to obtain a high resolution depth image. The high resolution image can be a gray scale or color image, or a binary boundary map. The low resolution depth image can be acquired by any type of depth sensor.
US09576331B2

Disclosed inventions relates to methods and systems for encoding at least one watermark into a stereoscopic conjugate pair of images. An example method comprises the step of encoding the at least one watermark by shifting selected pixels of said pair of images in one or more directions. The one or more directions include a horizontal direction. In the disclosed embodiments, ancillary information is not required to support decoding of encoded watermarks in addition to the transmitted left and right images.
US09576328B2

An information processing apparatus includes a configuration information acquiring unit, an operation information acquiring unit, an estimating unit, and a first power calculator. The configuration information acquiring unit acquires configuration information representing a configuration of a device. The operation information acquiring unit acquires operation information representing an operation state of the device. The estimating unit estimates a first device maximum power and a first device minimum power in accordance with the configuration information, the first device maximum power being a maximum power consumed by the device, the first device minimum power being a minimum power consumed by the device. The first power calculator calculates a first power consumed by the device, in accordance with the first device maximum power, the first device minimum power, and the operation information.
US09576318B2

The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for migrating automatic financial services from one institution to another institution with minimum user input required.
US09576311B2

A kiosk apparatus that may select for a person a recommended footcare product based on pressure measurements collected from pressures sensors or calculated biomechanical data estimates. Pressure measurements and calculated biomechanical data estimates may be used to determine if a foot is unshod on the pressure sensor and also group a person into a classified subgroup. The pressure measurement and calculated biomechanical data estimates may also be used to select a recommended footcare product.
US09576304B2

An evaluation information identifying device includes an extracting unit that, when, as a result of determining the presence or absence of a correlation between a supplier of an evaluation target and an evaluator having made a positive evaluation on the evaluation target, it is determined that there is a correlation, extracts evaluation information posted by the evaluator on the evaluation target provided by the supplier as specific evaluation information, and an outputting unit that performs specified processing based on the extracted specific evaluation information. It is thereby determined whether the possibility that the evaluator is an interested party to the supplier is high or low, and the evaluation information by an interested party to the evaluation target or the like is identified. It is thereby possible to provide useful evaluation information.
US09576303B2

A technique is provided to determine whether a region within a web page is viewable to a user through a browser window. Often, browsers will only show part of a web page at given time, creating a difficulty in establishing whether a region of the web page, which may be an advertisement for example, is in view. This is addressed by providing one or more test features within the region, rendering the web page, monitoring a behavioral characteristic of the test features and determining whether the region is in view based on the monitored behavioral characteristic, wherein the behavioral characteristic varies according to whether the test feature is currently being displayed. One example of a behavioral characteristic is a frame progression rate. Browsers will typically redraw elements of a web page at a higher rate if they are currently in view through the browser window, and this characteristic can therefore be used to determine whether the test feature, and thus the region, is in view. The present invention finds particular utility where the region contains an advertisement, as it allows an advertiser to discover whether the advertisement has been seen by users.
US09576288B1

Techniques for automatically approving transactions are described herein. These techniques may include determining whether a user who requested to conduct a transaction is the same user as a user that approves the transaction. If so, then the transaction may be approved. If not, then the approving user may be asked to provide authentication information in order to finish the approval process.
US09576286B1

Systems and related methods facilitating interactions between a merchant device, a central system and a consumer device are discussed herein. Wallet identifying data may be used to secure messages between the consumer device and the merchant device over a wireless link. For example, the merchant device may include circuitry configured to wirelessly receive the wallet identifying data from a consumer device and to transmit the wallet identifying data to the central system. In response, consumer identifying data associated with the wallet identifying data may be received by the merchant device from the central system. In some embodiments, the consumer identifying data may be associated with a unit of location, such as a dine-in location at a restaurant, to facilitate consumer service.
US09576284B2

An application or App on a payer's mobile device is used to discover people known to the user and who are in close proximity to the user at the time of a payment request. Discovery can be through searching contact lists and/or social networks of the payer and/or through the payer device discovering contacts around the payer and then searching the payer's contact or social network list to see if there are any matches. These people are then shown to the user on the user device, such as with a photo, icon, name, and/or email address. The user selects desired ones, which causes requests to be sent to the selected people, such as through text, voice, or email, to the respective devices. The selected people can then easily confirm or authorize a payment be sent to the user or to a payee.
US09576274B2

A first user of a presentation machine may be a recruiter that initiates an action in reference to a first user profile. The first user profile may describe a first candidate for a job. The presentation machine may identify the first user profile and determine a similarity score that indicates a degree of similarity between the first user profile and a second user profile that describes a second candidate for the job. The presentation machine may also access a volatility score that indicates a likelihood that the second candidate is receptive to a proposal that the second candidate be employed by an employer. Based on the similarity score and on the volatility score, the presentation machine may determine a rank of the second user profile. Based on the determined rank, the presentation machine may present the second user profile to the first user.
US09576271B2

The invention provides a Web service which enables a publisher to share his digital resources such as an address card or a calendar with a number of subscribers based on different sharing relationships. The Web service includes a host-based interface called “My Community”, for example, with which the publisher manages the share-relationships with his community members. The community members are organized into different groups. Each group includes a number of community members who have a common sharing relationship with the publisher with respect to one or more views of the shared resources. A resource may have multiple views. Each of the views has Metadata describing sharing-styles, as well as version, creation date, size, and the like. Each sharing style corresponds to a specific sharing relationship between a community member and the publisher.
US09576267B2

A computer based system for taking the physical inventory of liquids dispensed in full and partially full containers. A database stores images of containers and their associated volumes. The containers to be inventoried are identified by a user and input to a computer at a graphical user interface (GUI) input/output. A computer causes the display of an image of the container and a sliding level indicator at the GUI. The level indicator is slidable along the image. The computer calculates a volume of liquid remaining in the container as a function of the position of the level indicator along the image of the container.
US09576258B1

A method comprises receiving a set of variable parameters, determining at least one computer executable service based on the set of variable parameters, determining if there are more than one computer executable services based on the set of variable parameters, and if there are more than one computer executable services, resolving any conditional attributes between the more than one computer executable services. Each of the at least one computer executable service is characteristically dependent on at least one variable parameter of the set of variable parameters.
US09576256B2

An automated kiosk and related apparatus provide check-in and boarding services to energy sector passengers, such as helicopter passengers. Preferably, the kiosk and related apparatus can take and store a picture of the passenger, calculate and/or measure the weight of the passenger and the passenger's luggage, print luggage tags and boarding printouts, check third parties' databases (such as a no-fly list (NFL)) for approval for the passenger's flight and can transmit data to another location (server, third party employer, pilot).
US09576255B2

The system provides a method and apparatus for providing controlled access to events, premises, transportation, and the like. In one embodiment, the system provides a ticket that is tied to a user and/or a device. The ticket in one embodiment comprises a dynamic link whose privileges and permissions can be controlled by a system controller so that use, re-use, and re-sale of the ticket can be controlled by the issuer and not by a purchaser or user. The system in one embodiment uses a reader/scanner associated with a controlled entrance that can receive tickets via scanning or some other form of electronic communication. In one embodiment, the system uses radio signals, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC (Near Field Communication) from a mobile device to determine if access should be granted.
US09576254B2

A method of providing reservation status relating to a group of objects includes providing a database for containing (i) availability data describing availability of at least one of the group of objects, and (ii) reservation data describing allocation of at least one of the group of objects. The availability data and the reservation data are stored in sparse form. The method further includes extracting, from the database, availability data and reservation data corresponding to a predetermined period of time, and combining the extracted availability data and reservation data to form windowed data in a dense format. The method also includes receiving the windowed data and providing the windowed data in a bit-vector view, and sampling the windowed data in the bit-vector view to produce sampled data. The sampled data provides the reservation status as a static view of the windowed data in the bit-vector view.
US09576250B2

Methods and systems for modeling user arrival and choice in the context of off-street parking solutions. A first component models the arrival and duration of stay of users as a function of time, taking into account different user profiles (or “clusters”), captured by a latent variable. A second component provides a ranking function (for each user cluster), wherein the input features describing the “choice” constitute status variables associated different car park(s), and the output constitutes a preferred car park and a pricing scheme. The system simulates different user behaviors by assuming some standard groups of users will behave similarly. Groups of users or user profiles are learned automatically. The profiles are then employed as a key element for automatically learning a decision function of parking users, and automatically learning one decision function per profile.
US09576241B2

Techniques for customizing knowledge representation systems including identifying, based on a plurality of concepts in a knowledge representation (KR), a group of one or more concepts relevant to user context information, and providing the identified group of one more concepts to a user. The KR may include a combination of modules. The modules may include a kernel and a customized module customized for the user. The kernel may accessible via a second KR.
US09576234B2

There is system for power management for radio frequency identification (RFID) tag asset tracking systems where the tag has a transceiver, configured to control RFID communication of the RFID tag, an accelerometer, configured to determine and communicate whether the tag is in motion and a microcontroller unit (MCU), to control operation of the RFID tag and operably connected to, and in communication with, the accelerometer and the transceiver, wherein the MCU awakens, based on a trigger and receives, from the accelerometer, whether the accelerometer is moving, and if it is moving then provide power to other parts of the tag, otherwise transition to a sleep mode to conserve power.
US09576224B2

The present invention provides a face recognition method on a computing device, comprising: storing a plurality of training face images, each training face image corresponding to a face class; obtaining one or more face test samples; applying a representation model to represent the face test sample as a combination of the training face images and error terms, wherein a coefficient vector is corresponded to the training face images; estimating the coefficient vector and the error terms by solving a constrained optimization problem; computing a residual error for each face class, the residual error for a face class being an error between the face test sample and the face test sample's representation model represented by the training samples in the face class; classifying the face test sample by selecting the face class that yields the minimal residual error; and presenting the face class of the face test sample.
US09576210B1

A system to select video frames for optical character recognition (OCR) based on feature metrics associated with blur and sharpness. A device captures a video frame including text characters. An edge detection filter is applied to the frame to determine gradient features in perpendicular directions. An “edge map” is created from the gradient features, and points along edges in the edge map are identified. Edge transition widths are determined at each of the edge points based in local intensity minimum and maximum on opposite sides of the respective edge point in the frame. Sharper edges have smaller edge transition widths than blurry images. Statistics are determined from the edge transition widths, and the statistics are processed by a trained classifier to determine if the frame is or is not sufficiently sharp for text processing.
US09576209B2

A system, method, and device may include software and hardware which simplify and quicken configuration of the system for testing a device, enhance testing procedures which may be performed, and provide data via which to easily discern a cause and nature of an error which may result during testing. A camera may capture still images of a display screen of a tested device and another camera may capture video images of the tested device and a partner device. A wizard may be used to generate a configuration file based on one previously generated for a similar device. A mount for a tested device may be structured so that: it is suitable for mounting thereon a plurality of differently structured devices; and adjustments in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in a plane and adjustments of an angle of the device relative to the plane may be easily made.
US09576200B2

A computer-readable map format and methods of constructing the map format are disclosed. The map format includes location information for a plurality of background objects. At least one of the background objects is a seasonal background object and the location information associated with the seasonal background object is identified during a season in which an obscuration level associated with the seasonal background object is at a minimum. The obscuration level can be based on the amount that the seasonal background object is obscured or based on the amount of obscuration caused by the seasonal background object.
US09576199B2

A method for calculating the number and moving direction of pedestrians is provided. in which feature points of a current frame image are extracted; the feature points of the current frame image are compared with those of a selected historical frame image, to obtain moving feature points of the current frame image; directional weighted counting is performed on the moving feature points of the current frame image to obtain the moving direction of the pedestrians; and edge points of pedestrian images are extracted from a foreground image of the current frame image, and performing joint weighted counting on the edge points of the pedestrian images and the moving feature points of the current frame image according to correction coefficients of locations of the respective points, to obtain the number of the pedestrians. A device for calculating the number and moving direction of pedestrians is also provided.
US09576168B2

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method is disclosed. The method involves: a reader detecting an eye-mountable device within a wireless communication range of the reader, wherein the eye-mountable device includes a transparent material having a concave mounting surface configured to be removably mounted on a corneal surface; wirelessly retrieving from the detected eye-mountable device a first set of data; using the retrieved first set of data to determine that a condition has been satisfied; and responsive to using the retrieved first set of data to determine that the condition has been satisfied, retrieving from the detected eye-mountable device a second set of data.
US09576165B2

The present invention provides a security module having a communication interface being capable of operating according to any from a selection from a plurality of predetermined operation modes or communication protocols. The security module further comprises a voltage detector to detect the voltage on the module's power supply connection. Depending on the value of the detected voltage or to which of a plurality of predetermined voltage ranges the detected voltage may be categorized, the security module is made to function according to one from the plurality of predetermined communication protocols. According to an embodiment of the present invention the plurality of communication protocols require that the security module operate at a plurality of different frequencies.
US09576155B2

A trusted computing host is described that provides various security computations and other functions in a distributed multitenant and/or virtualized computing environment. The trusted host computing device can communicate with one or more host computing devices that host virtual machines to provide a number of security-related functions, including but not limited to boot firmware measurement, cryptographic key management, remote attestation, as well as security and forensics management. The trusted computing host maintains an isolated partition for each host computing device in the environment and communicates with peripheral cards on host computing devices in order to provide one or more security functions.
US09576149B2

The described embodiments relate to methods, systems, and products for providing verification code recovery and remote authentication for a plurality of devices configured for electronic communication with a server. Specifically, in the methods, systems, and products, the user entrusts information about the user's verification code to the service provider, and only with cooperation between the user and the service provider can a lost verification code be recovered. The service provider can further authenticate the user before cooperating in the recovery process by way of a time-sensitive authentication sequence that involves the user device.
US09576148B2

The invention relates to a method for a computer system storing electronic objects being defined by metadata items. The method comprises deriving access rights from one or more security components originating from respective metadata items of at least one object, and determining the effective access rights for the object by means of the security components. The invention also relates to a method for a computer system storing electronic objects being defined by metadata items, wherein access rights for an object are determined by means of one or more pseudo-users. The invention also relates to an apparatus, a computer system and a computer readable medium comprising a computer program stored therein for carrying out the methods.
US09576143B2

An information processing apparatus includes a determination unit, an operator change unit, and an image change unit. The determination unit determines whether or not an image displayed on a display unit of a portable information processing apparatus has been rotated. The operator change unit changes an operator of the information processing apparatus, when the determination unit determines that the image has been rotated. The image change unit changes the image displayed on the display unit of the information processing apparatus on the basis of the operator who has been changed by the operator change unit.
US09576136B2

Methods and devices for providing a private page are provided. A method includes operations of entering a security mode based on a user input; extracting the private page that corresponds to the security mode; and providing both the private page and a normal page that is provided during a normal mode, wherein the private page includes at least one object that is selected by a user so as to be provided during the security mode. A device includes a user input configured to receive a user input; a controller configured to enter a security mode based on the received user input, and extracting a private page that corresponds to the security mode; and a display configured to provide both the private page and a normal page that is provided during a normal mode, wherein the private page comprises at least one object that is selected by a user so as to be provided during the security mode.
US09576134B2

The use of one or more device health values to indicate the health status of a computing device may enable operating system developers to directly manage the security configuration of the computing device. The generation of a device health value involves initializing hardware components of a computing device and loading the operating system according to configuration settings during boot up of the computing device. The device health value is then generated based on a state of the hardware component and/or a state of a software stack that includes the operating system at boot up. The device health value may be compared to a reference health value to determine whether the computing device is in a secured state.
US09576130B1

In one example, a mobile device includes a network interface configured to receive data for an application including a set of application permissions describing elements of the mobile device to which the application will have access upon installation of the application, and a processing unit configured to determine a type for the application and, based on an analysis of the set of application permissions and the type for the application, determine whether the application includes malware.
US09576128B1

Corruption of program stacks is detected by using guard words placed in the program stacks. A called routine executing on a processor checks a guard word in a stack frame of a calling routine. The checking determines whether the guard word has an expected value. Based on determining the guard word has an unexpected value, an indication of corruption of the stack frame is provided. Some routines, however, may not support use of guard words. Thus, routines that are interlinked may have differing protection capabilities. In this situation, a determination may be made as to whether a caller routine supports guard word protection. Based on determining that the caller routine supports guard word protection, the called routine verifies the guard word.
US09576122B2

An electronic device comprises a CPU, and a touch-sensitive screen operable to display a plurality of keys. Each of the plurality of keys are associated with and exhibit a predetermined value, where the keys are arranged so that the predetermined values of the keys are displayed in a random manner. The predetermined values of the plurality of keys have different predetermined display characteristics associated therewith so that the plurality of keys have varied appearances.
US09576121B2

An authentication system and method thereof capture an image of a user and extract biometric features of the user from the image to determine whether a stored biometric feature matches with the extracted biometric features. If there is a match, an interactive information is generated to invite the user to perform actions shown or specified or described by the interactive information. The user will be authenticated if an action of the user matches the required action in a timely fashion. An electronic device using the same is also provided.
US09576118B2

An image processing apparatus transmits, after reception of a login notification of an authenticated user, the login notification to an identified application, and then changes displaying of a screen of a display unit to displaying of an initial screen corresponding to the identified application. After the displaying of the display unit has been changed to the displaying of the initial screen, the image processing apparatus transmits the login notification to, among applications belonging to a first group, an application to which the login notification has not been transmitted, and applications belonging to a second group.
US09576113B2

Embodiments of the invention provide for user permissions based control of pooled FoD activation keys. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for user permissions based control of pooled FoD activation keys is provided. The method includes pooling one or more authorization codes for access by different end users in activating different features of a set of hardware components using FoD. The method also includes responding to an FoD request to activate one of the features by a particular one of the end users by determining whether or not a pre-defined code usage policy permits the particular one of the end users to use a pooled one of the authorization codes and if permitted according to the pre-defined code usage policy, generating an FoD activation key with the pooled one of the authorization codes and activating the one of the features with the FoD activation key.
US09576106B2

Remote instruction and monitoring of health care may be facilitated by providing feedback to a local doctor performing the medical procedure while the local doctor is performing the medical procedure. Instructions for performing the medical procedure may be received from a remote doctor and transmitted to a local doctor. The local doctor may commence performing the medical procedure, and while the local doctor is performing the medical procedure, image or video of the medical procedure may be processed and compared to the instructions. For example, a first value of a parameter may be obtained from the image or video of the procedure and a second value of the parameter may be obtained from the instructions. Comparison data may be generated from the first value and the second value and presented to the local doctor and/or the remote doctor.
US09576102B1

Embodiments of the present invention provide efficient systems and methods for creating an optimal set of partitions across replica blocks using two checkpoints during the design process. The two checkpoints group a set of macros according to a timing constraint and a location proximity to the other macros. Clustering of the macros is iteratively performed until a distance parameter exceeds a pre-defined threshold.
US09576084B2

In some aspects, a grid-point-spacing ratio is computed for a one-dimensional fluid flow model. The one-dimensional fluid flow model represents a flow path for well system fluid in a subterranean region, and the grid-point-spacing ratio is computed based on a parameter of the flow path. Grid points for the one-dimensional flow model are generated based on the grid-point-spacing ratio.
US09576068B2

Embodiments of the invention are concerned with displaying a data set within a display area of a display device, where the data set includes a plurality of groups of elements, each of the groups including a higher-level element and one or more lower-level elements. Each element may for example form part of a Document Object Model for an HTML document.Elements are processed to identify and render one or more elements in the display area. An element is identified if the region it occupies corresponds with a selected portion of a layout area of the data set. Groups of elements are processed differently in dependence on whether a higher-level element of a group has a pre-defined spatial relationship with respect to one or more lower-level elements in the group, allowing the invention to efficiently process elements which are members of groups for which the pre-defined spatial relationship has been identified.
US09576066B2

Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems parse a form from a webpage to identify a plurality of input areas and corresponding input types. A multi-sequence form including a plurality of stages is generated. Each stage of the multi-sequence form is to be displayed and submitted independently of other stages of the multi-sequence form. Each stage of the multi-sequence form corresponds to a subset of the parsed form including one or more of the identified input areas. One of the plurality of identified input areas is identified to be of an input type categorized as having a higher likelihood of being completed and submitted by a user. The multi-sequence form is ordered such that the identified input area is ordered first. An updated version of the webpage is generated including the generated multi-sequence form in the determined order in place of the parsed form.
US09576062B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for management of resource objects (“resources”) within a computing environment. Resources may be stored in a number of resource spaces, each including service endpoints configured to facilitate access to resources. On creation of a resource, an identifier may be assigned to the resource. Thereafter, the identifier may be used to determine an appropriate service endpoint for accessing the resource. For example, each resource space may submit a set of resolution rules to a resolution server. Each set of resolution rules may be used to identify an appropriate endpoint for accessing a resource. Thereafter, a request for a resource may first retrieve the set of resolution rules, and use such rules to determine an appropriate service endpoint. Illustratively, utilization of resource resolution rules may enable the service endpoint to be modified without requiring modification of client devices.
US09576061B2

An arithmetic operation unit receives a request to update a first data group during restoration using first history information and generates second history information indicating a history of updates. The arithmetic operation unit predicts a time taken until completion of restoration using the second history information on the basis of an amount of the second history information. The arithmetic operation unit compares the predicted time with a threshold and limits at least part of updates of the first data group during the restoration using the second history information on the basis of the comparison result.
US09576051B2

Various embodiments relate to a system and related method for scanning active instances of an application within a system. Unique identifiers in the form of fingerprints, tags, or metadata can be associated with a target application. A manager can then scan the process tables and file system directories of the servers within the system to find active processes and stored files that include the unique identifier. In some embodiments, the manager scans the active processes while they are running to search for the unique ID within the process' command line structure. In some embodiments, the manager also finds processes or files that do not have the unique identifier, but were previously associated with the unique identifier. The manager can then report the server and application information to user. Such information can include which of the one or more servers has the target application as an active process.
US09576048B2

Offline functionality-based co-ranking and clustering is carried out on a knowledge base that characterizes a heterogeneous information technology services network including a plurality of services, a plurality of providers, and a plurality of attributes. Results of the functionality-based co-ranking and clustering are stored as annotations of the services and the providers in the knowledge base, to obtain an annotated knowledge base. A service requirement is obtained from a customer requiring information technology services. The annotated knowledge base is queried, based on the service requirement; and an ordered list of at least given ones of the services, based on the querying, is returned to the customer.
US09576044B2

A Common Information Model (CIM) agent is registered to a management agent in a computing environment by a processor device. The management agent is discovered by the CIM agent in a management domain in response to an insertion of the CIM agent into the management domain. At least one of information of the CIM agent and the discovered management agent is registered by the CIM agent. The management agent is compliant with the CIM agent. The management agent converts a CIM schema of the CIM agent into a schema at the management agent identifiable by the management agent according to a mapping specification corresponding to a management model of the management domain in response to a determination of no schema at the management agent corresponding to the CIM schema to be converted in the management agent that is compliant with the CIM agent.
US09576041B2

The present invention relates to the field of database technology, and to the automatic generation of search queries. The present invention provides a method of generating a database query, the method comprising: receiving a user selection of one of a number of predetermined generic database queries from a user; automatically identifying user specific data from user profile data corresponding to the user by applying the user profile data to a number of predetermined query statements associated with the selected generic query; automatically applying the user specific data to a number of user specific generator query statements in order to generate one or more user specific queries.
US09576038B1

A distributed database management system may comprise a plurality of computing nodes. A request to update an item maintained by the system may be acknowledged as durable and committed once an entry corresponding to the request has been written to a log file and quorum among the computing nodes has been achieved. Improved consistency may be achieved by maintaining snapshots of committed item states within queryable in-memory snapshot data structures. Range queries may be performed by merging a secondary index with the snapshots and applying filters. Projections may be completed by retrieving additional data from an item collection maintain on one or more storage devices.
US09576033B2

A system and method for searching content and user interface for presenting results of the search are provided, wherein visual elements representing the content are distributed in three dimensions on a display, with the various axes representing criteria that relate to a central starting point of the search and the proximity to the central point indicating the degree of relevance. The outer bounds of the display contain a large amount of varied material of various types to allow a user to select content of a different type, with the content at the periphery of the display being essentially random and representing little or no link to the starting point of the search. Any displayed element may be selected, as a source for a next level search, in which case content relationships will be re-drawn, with the selected content used as the center point for a next level search.
US09576026B2

System and method embodiments are provided for improving the performance of query processing in a massively parallel processing (MPP) database system by pushing down join query processing to data nodes recursively. An embodiment method includes receiving, at a coordinator process, a join query associated with a plurality of tables of the MPP database system, generating, at the coordinator process, an execution plan tree for the join query, and processing, at each of a plurality of data nodes communicating with the coordinator process, the execution plan tree to obtain join query results. The method further includes, upon detecting a next join operator below a top join operator in the execution plan tree at each of the data nodes, forwarding to the other data nodes a sub-tree for the next join operator, and receiving, at each of the data nodes from the other data nodes, sub-tree processing results.
US09576025B1

A denormalized dataset, an associated primary key field, one or more associated secondary key fields and information identifying one or more normalized datasets associated with each secondary key field, is received. A denormalized table comprising fields and data types corresponding to said denormalized dataset, said denormalized table having a primary key field corresponding to said primary key field associated with said denormalized dataset, is created. The said information identifying the one or more normalized datasets associated with each secondary key field, creating one or more normalized tables, each of said one or more normalized tables corresponding to a respective one of said one or more normalized datasets, each of said one or more normalized tables comprising a foreign key corresponding to said associated primary key and a primary key corresponding to the secondary key field associated with said normalized dataset, is utilized. Additionally, each of said foreign keys is utilized.
US09576024B2

An improved system and method for query processing in a distributed column chunk data store is provided. A distributed column chunk data store may be provided by multiple storage servers operably coupled to a network. A storage server provided may include a database engine for partitioning a data table into the column chunks for distributing across multiple storage servers, a storage shared memory for storing the column chunks during processing of semantic operations performed on the column chunks, and a storage services manager for striping column chunks of a partitioned data table across multiple storage servers. Query processing may be performed by storage servers or query processing servers operably coupled by a network to storage servers in the column chunk data store. To do so, a hierarchy of servers may be dynamically determined to process execution steps of a query transformed for distributed processing.
US09576021B2

Methods and system for item matching are described. In one embodiment, compatibility-based text for an item may be accessed. A compatibility identifier may be identified based on the compatibility-based text. The compatibility identifier may be associated with an item cluster. The compatibility identifier may be used to identify a plurality of matching items. A result may be provided based on identification of the plurality of matching items. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
US09576020B1

Systems, methods, and computer program products for efficiently storing and accessing graph-oriented information retrieved from disparate sources using an interface that effectively emulates a graph database to access a set of indexed, column-oriented tables. One embodiment is a system that includes a server and a plurality of storage nodes. The server retrieves graph-oriented social networking data for multiple users, identifies vertices, edges and associated properties within the data and stores this information in key-value lookup tables within a column-oriented database. The server can receive graph-oriented queries, convert the graph-oriented query to corresponding key-value lookup queries, and search the tables of the column-oriented database using the key-value lookup queries. The results of the lookup queries can be converted to a graph-oriented representation and presented to a user.
US09576014B2

Classifying an electronic document in a computer-based system is disclosed. For each classification instance in a plurality of classification instances, a confidence data indicating a degree of confidence that the electronic document is associated with that classification instance is determined. A classification, based on a first classification instance in the plurality of classification instances, is assigned without human intervention to the electronic document if the confidence data associated with the first classification instance exceeds a first threshold.
US09576012B2

A method, apparatus, and system for hierarchical organization of tablespace free space metadata in a database are provided. The hierarchy is divided into at least two levels: level 1 or L1 bitmap blocks are stored as a shared data structure and map free space in a tablespace, whereas level 2 or L2 bitmap blocks are stored as separate local copies at each database instance and map to the L1 bitmap blocks. This hierarchical organization provides a mechanism for finer grained concurrency control, enabling highly parallel tablespace metadata processing to accommodate the performance requirements of large tablespaces with big data sets. By integrating the hierarchical organization as part of the tablespace stack layer in a database management system (DBMS), implementations can be provided transparently to database end users without demanding any additional administrative, maintenance, or development burdens.
US09576005B2

A search system includes a storage device and a search server. The storage device stores an index database storing an index encrypted with an index key and the index key encrypted with a user key and associated with the encrypted index and stores a document database storing a document encrypted with a document key and the document key encrypted with the user key and associated with the encrypted document. The search server extracts a term for search from a requested search query, decrypts the encrypted index key with a user key which belongs to a user requesting the search query, encrypts the extracted term with the decrypted index key without storing the decrypted index key in a non-transitory storage device, searches the index database with the index encrypted using the encrypted first term, and sends a search result to a terminal.
US09576000B2

Scheduling mechanisms for assigning data in a distributed file system to database workers are provided. In one embodiment, a method of and computer program product for assignment of data blocks to database workers are provided. A request for table data is received. Metadata for a plurality of blocks in a file system is retrieved from a metadata store. Each of the plurality of blocks contains a subset of the table data. A request for work is received from a requestor. An assignment of one or more of the plurality of blocks is provided to the requestor.
US09575994B2

Methods and device are disclosed for data retrieval. At first images and reports are analyzed by respective parser units to detect both structures and text passages that are related to respective structures and text passages of a knowledge data-base. The detected structures and text passages are stored together with a unique resource located that identifies the respective structure and/or text passage at the knowledge database in a semantic annotation database. In addition a feature extraction can be performed to provide specific features of the images and/or regions of the images, whereby the features are stored in an image feature database. Finally an input query can ask questions that are used to provide a result to the query based on the semantic annotation database and the image feature database. The methods and devices may be used for data preparation and data retrieval of medical images and associated medical reports.
US09575988B2

An extensible file system format for portable storage media is provided. The extensible file system format includes the specification of primary and secondary directory entry types that may be custom defined. The primary and secondary directory entry types can be further classified as critical and benign directory entries.
US09575982B1

Solid-state storage devices may be employed to store data maintained by a database management system, but may have characteristics that reduce the efficiency of interactions between the database management system and the device. A storage subsystem may receive information indicative of internal boundaries within database data. A segment of the database data may be selected for compression, wherein the size of the segment is based at least on one or more the internal boundaries, the memory page size of the solid-state drive, and a predicted rate of compression. The compressed segment may be stored if it has a size less than the memory page size of the device. If it does not, compression may be retried with a smaller segment of data or a portion of the data may be stored in uncompressed form. Additional segments of the data may be stored on the solid-state drive in a similar manner.
US09575981B2

Systems and methods method enabling file actions to be performed on a folder structure in a cloud-based service are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for representing the folder structure in a user interface to the cloud-based service as a file and enabling file actions to be performed on file representing the folder structure in the user interface to the cloud-based service. In one embodiment, the folder structure and associated content is stored on a server which provides the cloud-based service in a compressed file format which is able to preserve the metadata associated with the folder structure which indicates its representation as the file in the user interface.
US09575979B1

Techniques are described for automatically determining application composition and application ownership of an application that may include a plurality of files deployed to a plurality of host devices. The determination of application composition may be based on analyzing various types of metadata that may provide evidence of associations between deployed files, such as metadata describing the deployment of files to host devices, metadata describing the files tracked within a source control system, or other types of metadata. The determination of application ownership may also be based on analyzing the various types of metadata that provide evidence of associations between files and individuals or groups of individuals within an organization.
US09575965B2

A system and method for assessing translation quality are disclosed. In one example, a computer system receives data associated with a translation from a first text in a first natural language to a second text in a second natural language, wherein the data comprises a first value that is based on one or more semantic errors of the second text, a second value that is based on extraneous content in the second text, and a third value that is based on missing content in the second text; and determining by the computer system, based on the first value, the second value, and the third value, a score that quantifies translation quality of the second text with respect to the first text.
US09575959B2

Embodiments relate to a dangerous expression based on a particular theme. An aspect includes acquiring, by an electronic apparatus, from text data for learning, a subset of the text data associated with the particular theme and with particular time period information. Another aspect includes extracting text data containing negative information from the acquired subset of the text data. Another aspect includes extracting a word or phrase having a high correlation with the extracted text data or a word or phrase having a high appearance frequency in the extracted text data from the extracted text data. Yet another aspect includes determining that the extracted word or phrase is the dangerous expression based on the particular theme.
US09575947B2

A document corpus is annotated by given annotators and aggregates of the given annotators to generate a corpus of pre-annotated documents with given annotations. The same document corpus is annotated by a subject annotator to have subject annotations. The subject annotations are decomposed into superpositions of the given annotations. The decomposed subject annotations are mapped to a most representative superposition of the given annotations. The subject annotator may be mapped to the aggregate of given annotators corresponding to the most representative superposition.
US09575938B2

A determination is made that each of at least two social network contacts involved in a social messaging interaction initiate a separate web search associated with the social messaging interaction. A separate set of web search results returned to each of the at least two social network contacts is captured in association with each initiated separate web search. A combined live search results view that includes each captured separate set of web search results is provided to each of the at least two social network contacts. The combined live search results view provides navigation to web content returned to other social network contacts.
US09575937B2

As a document analysis system to calculate a similarity degree between texts with high accuracy, an information processing device includes: a common character string calculation unit to extract character strings that are common between two texts and to determine whether or not the two texts are to be set as calculation objects based on a number of the extracted character strings that are common; and a similarity degree calculation unit to calculate, when the two texts are the determined calculation objects, a similarity degree therebetween by using an approximation of a Kolmogorov complexity, and when the two texts are not the calculation objects, handling the similarity degree between the two texts as being dissimilar.
US09575926B2

A network device includes a port coupled to a device, another port coupled to another device, and an access control list with an access control entry that causes the network device to permit log in frames to be forwarded from the first device to the second device. The network device receives a frame addressed to the second device and determines the frame type. If the frame type is a log in frame, then the frame is forwarded to the second device and another access control entry is added to the access control list. The second access control entry causes the network device to permit data frames to be forwarded from the first device to the second device. If not, then the frame is dropped based upon the first access control entry.
US09575914B2

An information processing apparatus includes: a plurality of memories; a plurality of buses each connected to each of the memories; an input/output device configured to make access to the plurality of memories; a processing unit configured to alter a mapping of a logical address and a physical address of a memory area used by the input/output device; and a switch configured to transfer access from the input/output device to any one of the plurality of buses based on the mapping, whereby the performance deterioration due to bus conflict is suppressed.
US09575910B2

A compound USB device has a controller and a N+1 component USB devices. Each component USB device Ci is assigned Ei endpoints, where 0≦i≦N and where each component USB device is assigned at least as many endpoints as required by its functionality. At least one component USB device is assigned the maximum number endpoints. At least one other component USB device is assigned the minimum number of endpoints, which is less than the maximum. The controller includes a RAM-share subsystem with a RAM module. The RAM module includes a USB RAM segment that has a buffer descriptor (BD) table and an endpoint data buffer. The BD table includes a corresponding entry for each assigned endpoint. At least a portion of the USB RAM segment is assigned for non-USB uses.
US09575898B2

Techniques for updating data in a reflective memory region of a first memory device are described herein. In one example, a method for updating data in a reflective memory region of a first memory device includes receiving an indication that data is to be flushed from a cache device to the first memory device. The method also includes detecting a memory address corresponding to the data is within the reflective memory region of the first memory device and sending data from the cache device to the first memory device with a flush operation. Additionally, the method includes determining that the data received by the first memory device is modified data. Furthermore, the method includes sending the modified data to a second memory device in a second computing system.
US09575894B1

A distributed processing system includes a first site and a second site, each containing at least one device having cache storage, nonvolatile storage, where, in response to moving a process running on the processor of the first site to the processor running on the second site, data in the cache storage of the first site is no longer accessed by the process, the data being read into the cache of the storage of the first site in response to the process accessing data in the non-volatile memory of the first site prior to being moved to the second site. A process running on the processor of the first site moving to the processor running on the second site and corresponding cache slots may be detected by parsing the VMFS containing virtual machine disks used by the process.
US09575886B2

Systems and methods for storing data to a non-volatile storage device are provided. A request to store data to the storage device at a given address corresponding to one of a plurality of regions of the storage device is received. A region classification map associated with the storage device associates a classification with each of the plurality of regions. A determination is made based on the region classification map as to which classification is associated with the one of the plurality of regions corresponding to the given address. The data is stored at the given address in response to determining that the one of the plurality of regions is associated with a first classification. The data is stored to an alternate location in response to determining that the one of the plurality of regions is associated with a second classification.
US09575883B2

A control device includes: a management information generation unit configured to generate or update logical-physical block address management information with respect to either data to be written to a non-volatile memory or data which has been already written in the non-volatile memory, the logical-physical block address management information indicating association between a logical block address and a physical block address on the non-volatile memory; and an access control unit configured to, during write of the data to the non-volatile memory, control write of the data as well as the logical-physical block address management information to a physical write unit of the non-volatile memory.
US09575877B2

A method for testing control software of a controlled system is disclosed. The method may involve providing control software code data for each of the one or more electronic control units. The method may further involve providing simulation code data for the controlled system. The method may further involve providing verification requirement information data that indicates one or more verification requirement conditions corresponding to a respective control error situation. The method may further involve creating a system model based on the provided simulation code data and the provided control software code data provided for each of the one or more electronic control units. The method may further involve creating an executable program based on the created system model and performing a software verification process on the basis of the executable program.
US09575876B2

Identifying performance issues in an application under test (AUT). The AUT executes on a system under test (SUT) in a test environment, and uses one or more context parameters of the SUT and/or the test environment. A rule engine identifies performance antipatterns in trace data generated by the AUT when executing a set of test suites, based on a set of performance antipattern definition rules, each performance antipattern associated with one or more context parameters. One or more performance test suites are identified that cause the AUT to use at least one of the one or more context parameters associated with the identified antipatterns. The list of identified performance test suites is ranked, based on respective priority values associated with each identified antipattern.
US09575873B2

A computer implemented system and method for testing code for implementation in web browsers, implements test class code defining test cases for testing operations on web applications implementable by different web browser types, and implements handler class code comprising code specific to each web browser and defining strategies to be used by test cases. The handler class code implements a handler interface and the test class code uses the handler interface to identify the methods to be used for test cases. A non-transient storage medium stores code for a handler template supporting different web browser types for use in a test environment, the code comprising code to identify browser specific strategies for implementation in the test environment; code to implement a strategy support interface for use by a handler factory to select a handler instance; and code to implement a handler interface for use by a test case to identify methods for testing web browser functions.
US09575867B2

One aspect is a method that includes analyzing, by a processor of an analysis system, an instruction set architecture of a targeted processor to generate an instruction set profile for each instruction of the instruction set architecture. A combination of instruction sequences for the targeted processor is determined from the instruction set profile that corresponds to a desired stressmark type. The desired stressmark type defines a metric representative of functionality of interest of the targeted processor. Performance of the targeted processor is monitored with respect to the desired stressmark type while executing each of the instruction sequences. One of the instruction sequences is identified as most closely aligning with the desired stressmark type based on performance results of execution of the instruction sequences with respect to the desired stressmark type.
US09575859B2

A method for fault recognition in a distributed real-time computer system comprising fault containment units (FCUs), which has a global timebase, wherein the fault containment units communicate by means of messages via at least one message distribution unit, wherein a commitment time is associated with a message formed by a fault containment unit, and wherein a message distribution unit that receives a message relays the message to one or more fault containment units operating in parallel, and wherein a processing fault containment unit (VFCU) does not transmit or use any of its results that are influenced by one or more of the received messages to the environment of the processing fault containment unit or before the commitment times associated with the received messages.
US09575857B1

A computer implemented method, system, and computer program for providing co-temporanious access to a single volume at a first site and a second site, the method comprising exposing the volume at the first site, exposing the volume at the second site; wherein the volume has the same identifier at the first site and the second site and wherein the write IO to the first volume is being replicated to the second volume, and redirecting IO to the second volume to the first volume.
US09575845B2

The present application is directed to systems and methods for transferring data between data backup sites. Backup data for transferring from a source data backup site to a destination data backup site is determined based on a storage parameter, the backup data comprising data associated with a client device. A transfer parameter is received from the destination data backup site, the transfer parameter comprising a storage logical site available for data storage. The determined backup data is matched to the storage logical site based on a parameter selected from a group consisting of the storage parameter, and the transfer parameter. A transfer of the determined backup data to the storage logical site is scheduled based on a parameter selected from a group consisting of the storage parameter, the transfer parameter, and a schedule parameter.
US09575840B1

Aspects of the subject technology relate to executing a boot sequence from a recovery image. A determination of a validity of one or more keyblocks is made. A determination of a first version identifier and a second version identifier is made. A comparison of the first version identifier and the second version identifier is performed. A boot sequence from a recovery image is executed based on the comparison.
US09575831B2

An apparatus and method detect the use of stale data values due to weak consistency between parallel threads on a computer system. A consistency error detection mechanism uses object code injection to build a consistency error detection table during the operation of an application. When the application is paused, the consistency error detection mechanism uses the consistency error detection table to detect consistency errors where stale data is used by the application. The consistency error detection mechanism alerts the user/programmer to the consistency errors in the application program.
US09575830B2

Various embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method, device, and system for repairing run-time errors. The method includes at a client side, obtaining dump file information and version information of an application where a run-time error occurs; calculating the obtained dump file information and version information according to a preset algorithm to get an error identification associated with the run-time error; sending an error report carrying the error identification to an error information acquisition server; receiving a repair application issued by the error information acquisition server according to the error identification; and activating the repair application to perform repairing. When embodiments of the present disclosure are employed, the time required for repairing application run-time errors can be reduced.
US09575826B2

Digital objects are stored and accessed within a fixed content storage cluster by using a page mapping table and a pages index. A stream is read from the cluster by using a portion of its unique identifier as a key into the page mapping table. The page mapping table indicates a node holding a pages index indicating where the stream is stored. A stream is written to the cluster by storing the stream on any suitable node and then updating a pages index stored within the cluster. The cluster recovers from a node failure by first replicating streams from the failed node and reallocating a page mapping table to create a new pages index. The remaining nodes send records of the unique identifiers corresponding to objects they hold to the new pages index. A node is added to the cluster by reallocating a page mapping table.
US09575819B2

A technique is described for generating error buffer that includes errors from both a program and event handlers called by the program. A program in an event-driven environment triggers an event. In response to the triggered event, the program calls event handlers related to the event. The event handlers are executed and error messages generated during the execution are stored in a local error buffer. Upon completion of the event handlers, the local error buffers are returned to the program and the program merges the local error buffers with an error buffer associated with the program.
US09575815B1

In a multithreaded data processing system including a plurality of processor cores, storage-modifying requests of a plurality of concurrently executing hardware threads are received in a shared queue. The storage-modifying requests include a translation invalidation request of an initiating hardware thread. The translation invalidation request is removed from the shared queue and buffered in sidecar logic in one of a plurality of sidecars each associated with a respective one of the plurality of hardware threads. While the translation invalidation request is buffered in the sidecar, the sidecar logic broadcasts the translation invalidation request so that it is received and processed by the plurality of processor cores. In response to confirmation of completion of processing of the translation invalidation request by the initiating processor core, the sidecar logic removes the translation invalidation request from the sidecar. Completion of processing of the translation invalidation request at all of the plurality of processor cores is ensured by a broadcast synchronization request.
US09575808B1

Management of virtual machines can include receiving a request associated with a job that is to be executed using one or more virtual machines from among multiple virtual machines. For each virtual machine of the multiple virtual machines, a respective attribute can be determined. The respective attribute can be determined based on a modulo of an uptime of the respective virtual machine and a predetermined time increment. The particular virtual machine of the multiple virtual machines that is to be used to execute the job can be determined based on the respective attribute associated with the particular virtual machine having a highest value or a lowest value among multiple attributes corresponding to the multiple virtual machines. Based on determining that the particular virtual machine is to be used to execute the job, the particular virtual machine can execute the job.
US09575806B2

A method of an aspect includes running a plurality of threads on a plurality of thread processors. Memory accesses, of a thread of the plurality that is running on a first thread processor of the plurality, are monitored to both a first memory through a first memory controller and a second memory through a second memory controller. A second thread processor of the plurality is selected for a thread based on the monitoring of the memory accesses of the thread to both the first memory and the second memory. Installation of the thread, for which the second thread processor was selected, is initiated on the second thread processor. Other methods, apparatus, and systems are also disclosed.
US09575796B2

A system, methods, and apparatus for virtual device timeout by memory offlining. A hypervisor receives a message from a source virtual machine to be transmitted to a destination machine and reserves a block of memory associated with the message. The message received from the source virtual machine is transmitted to the destination machine. The hypervisor then determines whether to reclaim the block of memory. If reclaiming the block of memory, the hypervisor offlines the block of memory by offlining one or more pages corresponding to the block of memory and/or offlining all memory corresponding to the source virtual machine. The hypervisor then indicates to the source virtual machine that the block of memory is accessible.
US09575786B2

A method is provided for data storage management in a virtualized information handling system that includes a first and second network storage resource, a hypervisor allowing multiple virtual machines to run on the virtualized information handling system, and a data access agent. The data access agent may intercept a data access request initiated by a virtual machine and intended for the first network storage resource. In response to intercepting the data access request, the data access agent may establish a connection with the first network storage resource, and retrieve from the first network storage resource metadata associated with the data access request. The retrieved metadata may identify a location of the second network storage resource. Additionally, the data access may establish a connection with the second network storage resource using the location of the second network storage resource identified by the retrieved metadata. The virtual machine may complete the intercepted data access request via the established connection with the second network storage resource.
US09575771B2

A method of integrating a component into an information system of a vehicle is provided, in which at least one application executable or provided by the component is made available to a user of the vehicle by a man-machine interface of the information system. The integration of the component into the information system with respect to the input and/or output of information by the user is carried out in a personalized manner with respect to a user of the component.
US09575766B2

Some implementations provide techniques and arrangements for causing an interrupt in a processor in response to an occurrence of a number of events. A first event counter counts the occurrences of a type of event within the processor and outputs a signal to activate a second event counter in response to reaching a first predefined count. The second event counter counts the occurrences of the type of event within the processor and causes an interrupt of the processor in response to reaching a second predefined count.
US09575763B2

A method includes undoing, in reverse program order, changes in a state of a processing device caused by speculative instructions previously dispatched for execution in the processing device and concurrently deallocating resources previously allocated to the speculative instructions in response to interruption of dispatch of instructions due to a flush of the speculative instructions. A processor device comprises a retire queue to store entries for instructions that are awaiting retirement and a finite state machine. The finite state machine is to interrupt dispatch of instructions in response to a flush of speculative instructions previously dispatched for execution in the processing device and to undo, in reverse program order, changes in a state of the processing device caused by the speculative instructions while concurrently deallocating resources previously allocated to the speculative instructions.
US09575761B2

A semiconductor device includes a memory for storing a plurality of instructions therein, an instruction queue which temporarily stores the instructions fetched from the memory therein, a central processing unit which executes the instruction supplied from the instruction queue, an instruction cache which stores therein the instructions executed in the past by the central processing unit, and a control circuit which controls fetching of each instruction. When the central processing unit executes a branch instruction, and an instruction of a branch destination is being in the instruction cache and an instruction following the instruction of the branch destination is stored in the instruction queue, the control circuit causes the instruction queue to fetch the instruction of the branch destination from the instruction cache and causes the instruction queue not to fetch the instruction following the instruction of the branch destination.
US09575759B2

A memory system processing data according to a received first request may include a main memory and a memory controller. The main memory may comprise a first area and a second area, and may be configured to provide data from the first area to the second area. The memory controller may comprise a scoreboard configured to indicate that a first piece of sub-data of a first set of sub-data of the data has been provided from the first area to the second area. Based on the scoreboard, the memory controller may be configured to perform processing of the first request by using the first piece of sub-data before providing of other pieces of sub-data of the first set of sub-data from the first area to the second area is completed.
US09575753B2

Mechanisms, in a data processing system comprising a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processor, for performing a data dependency check operation on vector element values of at least two input vector registers are provided. Two calls to a simd-check instruction are performed, one with input vector registers having a first order and one with the input vector registers having a different order. The simd-check instruction performs comparisons to determine if any data dependencies are present. Results of the two calls to the simd-check instruction are obtained and used to determine if any data dependencies are present in the at least two input vector registers. Based on the results, the SIMD processor may perform various operations.
US09575745B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for a deployment management system. A second version of a deployable application is executed concurrently with a first version. Network traffic sent to the first version of the application is redirected to the second version. In the event of an error, network traffic is directed back to the first version of the application. After a period of concurrent execution, the first version of the application is terminated.
US09575739B2

Systems and computer program products may perform unattended software installation. The systems and computer program products may include receiving a user's selection of one or more software installation files, and reading at least a portion of the one or more user-selected software installation files. The systems and computer program products may additionally include extracting, from the read one or more software installation files, questions that a user will be asked to answer during execution of the one or more user-selected software installation files, and compiling the extracted questions. The systems and computer program products may further include prompting a user to provide answers to the compiled questions, and receiving answers to one or more questions of the compiled questions prior to execution of the one or more user-selected software installation files. The systems and computer program products may additionally include storing the received answers, and providing the stored answers when requested during execution of the one or more user-selected software installation files.
US09575715B2

The present specification relates to systems, methods, and apparatus including computer program products for editing digital audio data. In some implementations, a method is provided that includes the actions of receiving digital audio data; dividing the audio data into first audio data and second audio data; performing on-line processing of the first and second audio data including segmenting the first audio data according to one or more partitioning parameters into discrete time partitions, sequentially analyzing for each discrete time partition the first audio data of the corresponding discrete time partition, and modifying the second audio data according to the analysis of the first audio data; and outputting the modified second audio data.
US09575714B2

Techniques for incorporating an electrically mutable display in product packaging and forming an aggregate display therefrom are disclosed herein. A system includes a plurality of display systems. Each display system includes a display device. The display systems are configured to form an aggregate display including the display device of each display system. Each display system is configured to determine the relative location of the display system among the plurality of display systems. Based on the determined location, each display system provides, via the display device of the display system, a portion of the aggregate display.
US09575712B2

Technologies are generally described for providing interactive whiteboard sharing. An interactive whiteboard may enable two or more users to control and interact directly with an interactive whiteboard interface. The whiteboard may also enable users to interact with the whiteboard employing individual client devices connected with the whiteboard over a wireless or wired network. The whiteboard may distinguish each input method and the source of the input. The whiteboard may share the content of the whiteboard's user interface with the user's individual client device, and the user may interact with the whiteboard content on a user interface of the client device. The whiteboard may detect the input on the client device, and may update the content of the whiteboard interface with the input provided at each of the client devices such that the whiteboard may continuously reflect content updates and changes input on the interactive whiteboard and on connected client devices.
US09575700B2

An image forming device and a mobile device are provided. The image forming device includes a file generating unit, which generates a cloning file including set values of the image forming device; and a wireless communication unit, which transmits the cloning file to a mobile device for cloning another image forming device.
US09575699B2

A communication apparatus may perform: communicating a wireless setting value with a printer via a first wireless communication interface, establishing the wireless connection with the printer via a second wireless communication interface using the wireless setting value; sending first image data representing a first image of a print target to the printer via the second wireless communication interface using the wireless connection; determining, after the first image data is sent to the printer, whether an apparatus-side disconnection condition is satisfied; disconnecting the wireless connection when it is determined that the apparatus-side disconnection condition is satisfied; and sending, when it is determined that the apparatus-side disconnection condition is not satisfied, second image data representing a second image of a print target to the printer via the second wireless communication interface using the wireless connection.
US09575696B2

A printing method, an arrangement, a computer program, and a computer-readable storage medium are provided to increase a number of printing devices used by a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal communicates with a server via a wireless communication interface and sends via the server data to a printing device including information identifying the printing device and a key assigned to the printing device. The method includes establishing a communications link, determining printing devices, transmitting information about the usable printing devices, selecting a usable printing device, transmitting the data intended for printing or information that enable the server to retrieve the data intended for printing from a remote storage location in a data network, checking the validity of one or more of the keys transmitted from the mobile terminal transmitted, and transmitting, depending on the validity of the key(s), the data intended for printing to the selected printing device.
US09575695B2

An image recording apparatus including a controller for determining whether a recording operation is a first or a second recording operation and for determining whether an error that suspends the recording operation is occurring, wherein when the recording operation is the first recording operation and the error is occurring, the occurrence of the error is kept notified until the error is fixed, wherein when the recording operation is the second recording operation and the error is occurring, the occurrence of the error is kept notified for a predetermined time, wherein the recording operation, the performance of which was suspended by the occurrence of the error, is cancelled after the occurrence of the error has been kept notified for the predetermined time, and wherein the suspended recording operation is performed on condition that the error is fixed in a time period during which the occurrence of the error is kept notified.
US09575686B2

The present invention is directed to computer storage systems and methods thereof. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide an isolated storage control system that includes both a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory. The non-volatile memory comprises a data area and a metadata area. In power failure or similar situations, content of the volatile memory is copied to the data area of the non-volatile memory, and various system parameters are stored at the metadata area. When the system restores its operation, the information at the metadata area is processed, and the content stored at the data area of the non-volatile memory is copied to the volatile memory. There are other embodiments as well.
US09575685B1

Releasing a data set at a source device in connection with migrating data from the source device to a target device includes mapping application address space to address space containing metadata for the target device and providing additional local metadata therefor, replacing within the application the address of metadata for the source device with the address of metadata for the target device, setting a diversion flag that is part of the additional local metadata, where the diversion flag indicates a remapping of extent, and closing and unallocating the data set at the source device. Releasing a data set at a source device in connection with migrating data from the source device to a target device may also include determining if an application uses standard I/O operations. The metadata may include UCB data.
US09575679B2

For the purpose of suppressing decrease of a deduplication rate in a storage system, a storage system according to the present invention includes: a data buffer; a dividing unit configured to generate divided data by dividing data inputted into the data buffer; and a storage processing unit configured to store the divided data into a storage device while eliminating duplicate storage. The dividing unit is configured to generate the divided data by dividing the data inputted into the data buffer by a preset division standard based on the content of the data and also divide, by the division standard, connected data that residual data being left without being divided by the division standard and continuing data continuing to the residual data and being inputted in the data buffer are connected.
US09575656B2

A method, an electronic device, and a computer program product for displaying a virtual button are provided in the invention. The method includes the following steps. First, the virtual button is activated. Each interactive object displayed on a display frame of a touch screen is detected to obtain an object region occupied by each of the interactive objects, and an initial position of the virtual button on the display frame is obtained. Next, whether the initial position of the virtual button is located within the object region determined. If yes, the virtual button would be displayed at the initial position. If no, whether a non-object region satisfies a first predetermined condition is determined so as to accordingly display the virtual button at the initial position, a first designated position lies within the non-object region, or a second designated position lies within both of the object region and the non-object region.
US09575635B2

In some implementations, a return to sender option can be invoked from within a file editing application when a user has edited a file received as a message attachment. The user can select a file attached to a message from within a messaging application. A file editor can be invoked to open and edit the file. The user can select a return to sender option from within the file editor. In response to the selection of the return to sender option, the edited file can be automatically saved, a reply message can be automatically generated and the edited file can be automatically attached to the reply message.
US09575630B2

An image processing apparatus includes an operation receiving unit; and a control unit configured to perform a normal mode display process of displaying icon images of kinds corresponding to an operation status of the apparatus in a display unit and an icon description display process of displaying an icon selection image for selecting an icon image that is being displayed in the display unit upon reception of an operation input to activate an icon description mode by the operation receiving unit during the normal mode display process in the display unit and displaying a description image for an icon image selected upon reception of an operation input by the operation receiving unit while the icon selection image is being displayed in the display unit.
US09575624B2

The amount of speech output to a blind or low-vision user using a screen reader application is automatically adjusted based on how the user navigates to a control in a graphic user interface. Navigation by mouse presumes the user has greater knowledge of the identity of the control than navigation by tab keystroke which is more indicative of a user searching for a control. In addition, accelerator keystrokes indicate a higher level of specificity to set focus on a control and thus less verbosity is required to sufficiently inform the screen reader user.
US09575623B2

Various data source locations storing files can be accessed and/or crawled. At each location, files can be identified. These files can be analyzed to obtain attributes characterizing such file. Thereafter, a visualization can be generated in a graphical user interface that takes the form of data map that characterizes the identified files along two or more dimensions, with each dimension being based on a different attribute of the file. For example, the vertical dimension can be based on a number of columns and the horizontal dimension can be based on a number of rows. The graphical user interface can include graphical user interface elements associated with each identified file. These elements, when activated, can cause complementary information characterizing the corresponding identified file to be displayed. The elements can then be used to import or otherwise utilize one of the identified files into an application (such as a spreadsheet software application.
US09575621B2

A method is disclosed for receiving a plurality of play events associated with a sporting event, wherein each play event of the plurality of play events comprises a timestamp; for each of the play events, associating the play event with a sports team of a plurality of sports teams; for each of the play events, associating with the play event a particular icon from among a plurality of different icons based, at least in part, on the sports team that is associated with the play event; causing to display a bar in a graphical user interface of a mobile computing device, wherein the bar represents at least a portion of a time duration of the sporting event; for each of the play events, causing to display the particular icon at a position in the bar, wherein the position is based, at least in part, on the timestamp of the event.
US09575607B2

An electrode of a self-capacitive touch panel is provided. The electrode, coupled to a control circuit of the self-capacitive touch panel via a conducting wire, includes: a serpentine portion, having a first side; a main portion, having a second side; and a connecting portion, connected to the first side and the second side to connect the serpentine portion and the main portion. A length of the connecting portion is smaller than a length of the first side and a length of the second side.
US09575603B2

A touch panel includes a substrate and a first electrode array. The first electrode array is disposed on the substrate and includes first and second touch regions. The first electrode array further includes first, second, third, and fourth electrodes. The first electrode is disposed on the first touch region. The second electrode is disposed on the first touch region corresponding in position to the first electrode. The third electrode is disposed on the second touch region. The fourth electrode is disposed on the second touch region corresponding in position to the third electrode. In addition, the first to fourth electrodes are all disposed on the same layer. The first electrode is disposed diagonally to the fourth electrode, and the first electrode is electrically coupled to the fourth electrode. Furthermore, a method for controlling the touch panel is also disclosed herein.
US09575598B2

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sleeve and an inputting end. The sleeve is configured to receive a finger. The inputting end is fixed on the sleeve. The inputting end includes a supporter and a conductive layer. The conductive layer is located on a surface of the supporter. The conductive layer includes at least one graphene layer.
US09575594B2

A virtual object can be controlled using one or more touch interfaces. A location for a first touch input can be determined on a first touch interface. A location for a second touch input can be determined on a second touch interface. A three-dimensional segment can be generated using the location of the first touch input, the location of the second touch input, and a pre-determined spatial relationship between the first touch interface and the second touch interface. The virtual object can be manipulated using the three-dimensional segment as a control input.
US09575578B2

Methods, devices, and computer readable storage device for navigation of a touchscreen display include calculating a scaled position based on a scaling factor. The scaling factor is based on dimensions of a region of reach and dimensions of the touchscreen display.
US09575573B2

A stylus may have an elongated body with opposing ends. Electronic equipment may have a touch sensor that receives electromagnetic signals from one or more electrodes. The stylus may have a touch sensor on the elongated body. The touch sensor on the body may have electrodes that gather touch input and optional force input when the fingers of a user touch the stylus. The touch input may include touch gestures in which a user's fingers move along the length of the stylus and may include rotational information indicative of how the stylus is being rotated between the user's fingers. The stylus may have a force sensor that monitors how firmly the stylus is being pressed against external surface and may have other input-output devices. The stylus may transition between operating modes based on signals from the force sensor and other input-output devices in the stylus.
US09575566B2

Technologies for performing two-dimensional gesture recognition are described. In some embodiments the technologies include systems, methods, and computer readable media for performing two-dimensional gesture recognition on one or more input images. In some embodiments the technologies use an object detector to detect one or more suspected gestures in an input image, and to generate a first set of hits correlating to detected gestures in the input image. At least a portion of false positive hits may then be removed by the application of one or more filters to the first set of hits. Custom hand gesture filters are also described.
US09575557B2

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a handheld device equipped with arrays of force sensors located along both sides of the device that can provide a novel user interface for operating the device. The sensors can be configured to recognize various grip patterns, gestures, and biometric information of a user operating the device. Using the arrays of force sensors in addition to a touchscreen, a new paradigm for operating a handheld device is provided.
US09575555B2

A tablet device determines a spatial relationship between the tablet device and a protective cover. The tablet device operates in accordance with the spatial relationship.
US09575550B1

A method for coordinating operation of an off-grid, hybrid power system and an information technology (IT) system comprising the following steps: powering the IT system with the off-grid, hybrid power system according to a power generation management scheme designed to maximize fuel savings, wherein the hybrid power system comprises a generator and an electrical energy storage source; monitoring tasks performed by the IT system with a processor; determining which component of the hybrid power system is currently powering the IT system; and dynamically changing the tasks performed by the IT system depending on which component of the hybrid power system is currently powering the IT system such that the IT system only performs high priority tasks when the energy storage source is powering the IT system and such that a queue of low priority tasks are held in abeyance until the generator is powering the IT system.
US09575542B2

A power management module can select one of a plurality of different operational modes for a hardware component in a computer system based on application performance and total computer system power consumption determined for each of the operational modes.
US09575541B2

A microprocessor a plurality of processing cores, wherein each of the plurality of processing cores instantiates a respective architecturally-visible storage resource. A first core of the plurality of processing cores is configured to encounter an architectural instruction that instructs the first core to update the respective architecturally-visible storage resource of the first core with a value specified by the architectural instruction. The first core is further configured to, in response to encountering the architectural instruction, provide the value to each of the other of the plurality of processing cores and update the respective architecturally-visible storage resource of the first core with the value. Each core of the plurality of processing cores other than the first core is configured to update the respective architecturally-visible storage resource of the core with the value provided by the first core without encountering the architectural instruction.
US09575534B2

Technologies are generally described for systems, devices and methods effective to generate a message that may be sent to a social network. Power information from an electronic device may be detected by a power detector and received by a processor. For example, a power consumption profile of an appliance may be detected. The processor may classify the power information to produce descriptive data. For example, the processor may determine that an oven has been turned on for a period of time. The processor may generate the message by applying one or more rules to the descriptive data. For example, the processor may generate a message relating to consumption of dinner based on the determination that the oven has been turned on.
US09575533B2

A method, system, and apparatus include a clustered charge distribution and prioritized charge distribution system for electric vehicles (EVs). Distributed processing units (DPUs) receive member information about an EV or EV user. A power distribution manager (PDM) is coupled to each of the DPUs. The PDM includes a prioritizer. The prioritizer determines a prioritization for charging the EVs based on the member information received by each of the DPUs. Also disclosed is a method for providing clustered charge distribution and charge prioritization for electric vehicles. The method includes sensing whether power is requested by any one of a plurality of EVs within a cluster, generating individual EV-specific information for the EVs using the DPUs, transmitting the EV-specific information to the PDM, and selecting and applying a prioritization algorithm based at least in part on the transmitted information.
US09575531B2

A PDU management system for automatically configure, manage and monitor managed power distribution units (PDUs) includes: (a) a user interface module configured to allow an operator to enter management information of the managed PDUs, (b) a database configured to store management information of the managed PDUs, (c) a power management communication interface configured to facilitate the communication between the PDU management system and the managed PDUs through a communication link, (d) a PDU power management module configured to construct, manage, and monitor the managed PDUs, (e) a PDU discovery module configured to discover all managed PDUs according to the information entered by the operator through the user interface module, (f) a PDU loader to load the management information of the managed PDUs to the database, the PDU discovery module and the PDU power management module.
US09575530B2

A board includes a functional module, and further includes n switch modules, where first ends of the n switch modules are connected to the functional module, and second ends of the n switch modules are connected to n main power interface units respectively, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and a power supply selecting module connected to control ends of the n switch modules, where the power supply selecting module is configured to detect residual power of the n main power interface units, select, from main power interface units with residual power greater than or equal to rated power of the board, a main power interface unit with lowest residual power as a power supply interface unit, and control a switch module connected to the power supply interface unit to be switched on.
US09575517B1

A reversible I/O apparatus for a POS terminal includes a housing with a motherboard sled removable from the housing to reverse the I/O peripheral ports of the motherboard to a front orientation or a rear orientation.
US09575516B2

Tablet computer cases and associated methods are disclosed and described. In one embodiment, a tablet computer case may include a first panel configured to releasably engage and hold a tablet computer of a predetermined size and shape, a second panel, and a hinge rotatably attaching the two panels.
US09575515B2

Techniques for fabric lamination to a component are described. According to various implementations, a single piece of fabric is laminated to a moveable component and to an apparatus to which the moveable component is attached. Generally, lamination of fabric to a moveable component and portions of an associated apparatus can enhance a user experience in a variety of ways. Embodiments may also be employed to cut fabric from around a surface component of an apparatus.
US09575512B2

A flexible display device including a flexible display unit; and a controller configured to receive a first touch input at a first position on the flexible display unit in a flat state, store, in a memory, first position information of the first touch input that is offset a first predetermined amount from the first position, receive a second touch input at the first position on the flexible display unit in a first bent state, and store, in the memory, second position information of the second touch input that is offset a second predetermined amount from the first position, wherein the first predetermined amount of offset is greater than the second predetermined amount of offset.
US09575511B2

According to one embodiment, a docking unit includes a placement surface which slopes down to a front side of the docking unit and configured to receive an electronic device, a docking connector on the placement surface and configured to connect to an extended connector of the electronic device, a groove portion recessed under the placement surface and located behind the docking connector, a biasing member detachably fitted into the groove portion, and a pressing member on a top surface of the biasing member configured to protrude upward from the top surface and to retract downward into the top surface by first resilience.
US09575505B2

Presented is an under-cabinet mounted control system for a portable touch screen device. The control system includes a processor configured for providing an interface between the portable touch screen device and one or more remote systems, and a mounting bracket configured to be mounted under a cabinet, shelf, table, or counter. The control system further includes a touch screen mounting member moveably coupled to the mounting bracket. The touch screen mounting member is configured to releasably hold the portable touch screen device. The control system further includes a docking connector configured for electrically mating with the portable touch screen device and establishing electrical communication between the processor and the portable touch screen device, and a communication means configured for establishing communication between the processor the one or more remote systems.
US09575497B2

Employed within an LED driver operating from the AC power line, the invention controls both input current and output power. With this regulation circuit, input current appears purely resistive, precisely tracking the input voltage waveshape. At the same time, it provides good line regulation and inherent phase dimmer compatibility, requiring no special circuitry to detect and handle a dimmer.
US09575488B2

A method for notifying at least a first condition in an industrial system by way of a monitoring system in order to draw the attention of an operator monitoring the industrial system to the at least one condition. The method includes displaying the first condition in a first portion of a display screen of the monitoring system, determining by eye tracking an area where a user focuses on the display screen, the area where the user focuses differing from the first portion, and alerting the user of the first condition in order to allow the user to be notified of the first condition in the industrial system. A monitoring system is also presented herein.
US09575487B2

A method, computer program, and system for optimizing kit nesting. The method, computer program, and system include defining a priority for each kit in a plurality of kits. Each of the plurality of kits is associated with at least one machine in a machine family, such that each machine family is associated with a set of kits. A first optimized nest is determined for each machine in each machine family by providing all machine-compatible parts in the highest priority kit to a nesting engine, allowing the nesting engine access to one or more subsequent priority kits to be arranged into the first nest. A second optimized nest is determined for at least one machine by providing all remaining machine-compatible parts in the highest priority kit to a nesting engine, allowing the nesting engine access to one or more subsequent priority kits to be arranged into the second nest.
US09575486B2

A method determines a path of a tool machining a pocket shape in a workpiece. The pocket shape is defined by a closed curve in an x-y plane. The method determines positions and velocities of a motion of an oscillator having an energy defined by a function that is positive within a boundary of the pocket shape and equals zero on the boundary of the pocket shape. The method determines coordinates of the path of the tool based on corresponding pairs of position and velocity values of the motion, wherein a position value of each pair represents an x coordinate of the path of the tool in the x-y plane, and a velocity value of each pair represents a y coordinate of the path of the tool in the x-y plane.
US09575482B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for performing adjustment to optimize the voltage for each distribution network in a power distribution system. The apparatus for adjusting a voltage in the power distribution system adjusts the voltage by switching a switch that lies on a path in the power distribution system. The apparatus determines a switch that is to become a switching target from among switches lying on the path, obtains a voltage optimization value of the determined switching target switch, selects a switch having the minimum voltage optimization value by changing the switching target switch to another switch in order to obtain the voltage optimization value, and adjusts the voltage through switching of the selected switch.
US09575480B1

Methods, systems, and devices for choosing a point from a set of optimal solutions defined as the output of a problem in such a way that small perturbations to the input variables of the problem may reliably produce small changes to the output. Embodiments may determine the optimal point for concentrating solar thermal power plants utilizing heliostats, based on a linear function, one or more constraints, and a determined space of optimal solutions.
US09575476B2

Systems and methods that use cloud-hosted control system back-up processing to replace the functionality of a failed control panel are provided. Systems can include a remote monitoring station, a remote control panel device, and a local control system installed in a region, the local control system including a local control panel and at least one device. When operating in a normal mode, the at least one device can communicate with the local control panel, the local control panel can communicate with the remote monitoring station, and the remote control panel device can be inactive. When operating in a back-up mode, the remote control panel device can be active, the at least one device can communicate with the remote control panel device, the remote control panel device can communicate with the remote monitoring station, and the local control panel can be inactive.
US09575470B2

A biometric identity confirmation system is based on both pulse wave shape data and spirometric data for the subject. During an initial enrollment mode, pulse wave shape and spirometric data for a known subject are used to generate subject characterization data for the known subject by computing an exemplar and selectively weighting portions of the exemplar based, for example, on repeatability or distinguishing characteristic features over the population of known subjects. During a subsequent identity authentication mode, pulse wave shape and spirometric data for a test subject are analyzed using the subject characterization data to confirm whether the identity of the test subject matches the known subject.
US09575464B2

An apparatus including a laser generating a plane wave beam, a first beam splitter splitting the plane wave beam into a first reference laser beam and at least one ideal input beam, at least one second beam splitter, and an angle-magnifying optical element. The at least one second beam splitter reflects the at least one ideal input beam through the angle-magnifying optical element to generate at least one distorted input beam. The apparatus further includes a focal plane array receiving the first reference laser beam and the at least one distorted input beam and recording at least one interference pattern generated by the first reference laser beam and the at least one distorted input beam. The apparatus further includes a spatial light modulator generating the at least one recorded interference pattern, receiving the reference laser beam, and transmitting at least one time-reversed output beam through the angle-magnifying optical element.
US09575462B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing including a cover; a process cartridge including a second toner conveying part; a transfer belt; a toner cartridge including a first toner conveying part; a secondary transfer member; and a fixing unit. The cover opens and closes an opening of the main casing by pivotally moving about a pivot axis. The transfer belt and toner cartridge are positioned upward of the process cartridge. The secondary transfer member contacts the one end of the transfer belt. The pivot axis and fixing unit are closer to the one end than to the other end of the transfer belt in the orthogonal direction. The second toner conveying part has a second opening in communication with a first opening of the first toner conveying part. The second opening is opposite the developing roller with respect to the photosensitive drum in the orthogonal direction.
US09575460B2

In a developing cartridge, a developing roller including a developing roller shaft is configured to rotate around a first rotational axis extending in predetermined extending direction and to carry developer thereon. The cartridge also includes a developing electrode formed of a conductive material and to be electrically connected to the developing roller shaft. The developing electrode includes a main part and a protrusion protruding from the main part in the extending direction. The protrusion has a first portion, which corresponds to a circumferential surface of the protrusion. The cartridge further includes a gear having gear teeth on circumferential portion of the gear. The gear rotates about the protrusion and includes a covering portion covering the first portion and being rotatable with the gear.
US09575457B2

An image forming apparatus has an apparatus body having an image forming portion capable of forming an image based on an image information, an operation unit disposed as a separate body from the apparatus body and operating the apparatus body, and a cable connecting the apparatus body and the operation unit and capable of conducting power. The cable has a length set so that the operation unit does not contact an installation surface on which the apparatus body is supported, according to which a freedom of placement of the operation unit is improved compared to a case where the operation unit is connected via an arm.
US09575456B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a power source portion; a fixing portion; and a controller. The controller sets a waveform of a current to be passed through each of first and second heat-generating-elements of the fixing portion in one control period so that, in a synchronous half wave in one control period, the current passes through one heat-generating-element from a halfway point of the half wave and the current passes through or does not pass through the other heat-generating-element throughout a half wave period. The controller sets a current supply starting timing of the current passing through the one heat-generating-element, at timing when a current passing toward the power source portion stops.
US09575454B2

An information processing apparatus includes an input unit that receives specifications of a color, a type of a surface effect that is a visual or a tactile effect, and a region to which the surface effect is applied, with respect to input image data; a generating unit that generates color data and gloss control data based on the specifications, the gloss control data being data which is used for generating clear toner data and in which a gloss control value is specified for identifying the type of the surface effect applied to the recording medium and for identifying a region to which the surface effect is applied in the recording medium; and a sending unit that sends the color data and the gloss control data to a print control apparatus.
US09575453B1

A media path assembly in an imaging device includes a media guide positioned adjacent and transverse to a media path between a first and a second nip, and having a surface forming a bubble chamber across the media path. A bubble sensor and a narrow media sensor are positioned adjacent to the bubble chamber transverse to the media path and aligned with each other. The bubble sensor is operative to indicate formation in the bubble chamber of a bubble in a media sheet exiting the first nip. The narrow media sensor is operative to indicate media size of the media sheet and, when the media sheet is wide media, provide a balancing force to the media sheet relative to a force applied by the bubble sensor to the media sheet so that a leading edge of the media sheet substantially aligns with the second nip when entering the second nip.
US09575433B2

An image forming apparatus includes a developing apparatus having a container for storing a developer, a developer carrier in which a surface that carries the developer is configured so that a plurality of dielectric portions is interspersed on a surface formed of a conductor portion, and a regulating member that regulates a layer thickness of the developer that is carried on the developer carrier. In addition, a voltage applying unit applies voltages to the developer carrier and the regulating member. The voltage applying unit has a period, during non-image formation, over which voltages are applied to the developer carrier and the regulating member, with an absolute value of potential difference between the applied voltages being greater than that when a voltage is applied during image formation to at least one of the developer carrier and the regulating member, such that a force generated to attract the developer toward the developer carrier during non-image formation is weaker than that generated during image formation.
US09575431B2

Provided is an optical scanning apparatus which can achieve high resolution while reducing detection errors in the synchronous detection of a plurality of light fluxes by temperature fluctuations. An optical scanning apparatus according to this invention includes a light source having a plurality of light-emitting points, a deflection unit configured to deflect a plurality of light fluxes emitted by the plurality of light-emitting points, a scanning optical system configured to guide the plurality of light fluxes deflected by the deflection unit onto a scanned surface, and a synchronous detection unit configured to detect light fluxes from at least two light-emitting points of the plurality of light-emitting points. The synchronous detection unit includes a plurality of imaging elements. The first imaging element, of the plurality of imaging elements, which exhibits the smallest change in refractive index with respect to temperatures has the largest refractive power in a main scanning section.
US09575422B2

Provided are a method of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, particularly, a method of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member and an organic device by which, in a method of forming a charge transporting layer, the stability of an application liquid for the layer after long-term storage is improved while the usage of an organic solvent in the application liquid is curtailed, and the layer having high uniformity is formed. The method is a method of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member which includes a support and a charge transporting layer formed thereon, the method including: preparing a solution including: a first liquid whose solubility in water under 25° C. and 1 atmosphere is 1.0 mass % or less; a second liquid whose solubility in water under 25° C. and 1 atmosphere is 5.0 mass % or more; a charge transporting substance; and a binder resin; preparing an emulsion by dispersing the solution in water; forming a coat for the layer on the support by using the emulsion; and forming the layer by heating of the coat.
US09575421B2

An apparatus for protecting an extreme ultra violet (EUV) mask includes an EUV pellicle that allows EUV light to be radiated through the EUV pellicle onto the EUV mask, the EUV pellicle having a size corresponding to a size of a slit limiting the EUV light to a predetermined portion of the EUV mask, a flexible blocking film at opposite sides of the EUV pellicle in a first direction, the first direction being a scan direction of an exposure apparatus, and a roller unit including a first roller and a second roller, a first portion of the flexible blocking film being wound around the first roller at a first side of the EUV pellicle, and a second portion of the flexible blocking film being wound around the second roller at a second side of the EUV pellicle.
US09575412B2

A method and system for adjusting exposure intensity to reduce unwanted lithographic effects is disclosed. In some exemplary embodiments, the method of photolithography includes receiving a mask and a workpiece. An orientation of an illumination pattern relative to the mask is determined, and an intensity profile of the illumination pattern is adjusted according to the orientation. The mask is exposed to radiation according to the illumination pattern and the intensity profile. Radiation resulting from the exposing of the mask is utilized to expose the workpiece. In some such embodiments, the intensity profile includes an intensity that varies across an illuminated region of the illumination pattern.
US09575410B2

Provided is a photosensitive resin composition which comprises: (A-1) a resin containing a structure represented by general formula (1); and (B) a photo-acid generating agent. In general formula (1), X, R1 to R7, m1 to m4, n1, n2, Y and W are each as defined in the description.
US09575409B2

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass negative-tone, solvent developable, self-imageable polymer compositions useful for forming films that can be patterned to create structures for microelectronic devices, microelectronic packaging, microelectromechanical systems, optoelectronic devices and displays.
US09575399B2

A projector includes a shell, a projection lens, an optical engine module, a power supply module a light source module and a fan. The shell defines an air inlet, an air outlet and forms a first room, a second room and a third room. The first room and the second room communicate with the air inlet. The third room communicates with the air outlet. The projection lens and the optical engine module are positioned in the first room. The power supply module is positioned in the second room. The light source module is positioned in the third room. Heated air in the first room can flows to the second room. Heated air in the second room can flows to the third room. The fan is positioned in the third room to expel heated air from within the shell.
US09575396B2

The disclosure provides an electronic device comprising a projector. The projector comprises: a projection module comprising a lens for projection, and a motor, wherein the motor is operable to rotate the lens of the projection module, in order to adjust an orientation of a projection by the projection module. Meantime, the disclosure also provides a control method for this electronic device.
US09575393B2

An image enhancement device and related techniques in support of polynomial texture mapping (PTM) (also known as reflectance transformation imaging (RTI)) photography. The device may include a number of pod legs that extend from a camera focal plane to a base location around an object of interest. At least some of the pod legs may include one or more markers that indicate locations at which directional light sources are used to illuminate an object for the purpose of creating PTM images. A user may place a light at a number of successive marker locations, and trigger the capture of images of the object. The successive images, along with the known locations of the markers, may be used to generate PTM images of the object. The device and associated techniques improve the accuracy and reliability of PTM image capture and creation as well as provide pedagogical support for teaching PTM techniques.
US09575380B2

A display panel includes a first substrate in which a display region and a circuit component mounting region are defined and a second substrate, an end of which is cut to expose the circuit component mounting region. The first substrate includes a plurality of first source wirings formed from the display region to the circuit component mounting region and a wiring protection pattern formed in a region corresponding to the cut end of the second substrate between any adjacent first source wirings. In a cross sectional view, an upper end of the wiring protection pattern is located above an upper end of the first source wirings.
US09575379B2

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display. According to an exemplary embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a second electrode disposed on the second substrate and facing the first electrode; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a first silicon nitride film formed between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein a first region in which the first silicon nitride film is disposed between either of the first electrode and the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer and a second region in which the first silicon nitride film is not disposed between the first electrode and the liquid crystal layer and between the second electrode and the liquid crystal layer are formed, and a first electric field generated between the first and second electrodes in the first region is different from a second electric field generated between the first and second electrodes in the second region.
US09575378B2

A liquid crystal display device with a pair of substrates which are arranged to face each other with liquid crystal therebetween, columnar spacers having the substantially equal height formed on a liquid-crystal-side surface of one substrate, and the columnar spacers include the columnar spacer which is contact with a liquid-crystal-side surface of another substrate and the columnar spacer which is not contact with the liquid-crystal-side surface of another substrate.
US09575375B2

Provided is a liquid-crystal display (LCD) device. The LCD device includes: one pair of substrates; and a pixel electrode and a common electrode that are provided on the one pair of substrates to respectively face each other, wherein the pixel electrode includes: one pair of plate electrodes in which a horizontal slit and a plurality of first vertical slits that cross the horizontal slit are formed and that are divided by the horizontal slit and surround both sides of a cross pattern formed by the horizontal slit and the plurality of first vertical slits; and a plurality of fine branch electrodes that are obliquely formed to be connected to the plate electrode at a portion of the cross pattern including a point at which the horizontal slit and the first vertical slit cross each other, wherein one pixel region includes a first subpixel area and a second subpixel area that are divided by the horizontal slit.
US09575368B2

A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is disclosed. The LCD panel includes a first alignment layer formed on a first substrate and a second alignment layer formed on a second substrate. A liquid crystal layer having a plurality of liquid crystal molecules between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer is exposed using a photomask from a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate. Thus, a portion of the liquid crystal molecules are arranged at a first pre-tilt angle and the other portion of the liquid crystal molecules are arranged at a second pre-tilt angle less than the first pre-tilt angle.
US09575367B2

First alignment is performed by forming an alignment layer that includes a photopolymerizable monomer or oligomer on a substrate and the like, introducing liquid crystal, and bringing the liquid crystal into contact with the alignment layer including the photopolymerizable monomer or oligomer.The liquid crystal is then subjected to secondary alignment by photopolymerizing the photopolymerizable monomer or oligomer including the alignment layer to form an alignment regulator in a state in which an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal to hange the alignment of the liquid crystal.
US09575363B2

In a liquid crystal display device 1 including a liquid crystal cell 2 having a liquid crystal layer, a first polarization plate 3 and a second polarization plate 4, and an optical compensation plate 5, when a differential coefficient of the amount of transmitted light I1 with respect to a time t when the driving voltage is turned off from on in a case in which the optical compensation plate 5 is not disposed is represented by ∂I1/∂t, and a differential coefficient of the amount of transmitted light I2 with respect to the time t when the driving voltage is turned off from on in a case in which the optical compensation plate 5 is disposed is represented by ∂I2/∂t, a phase difference in the liquid crystal layer and a phase difference in the optical compensation plate 5 are optically designed to satisfy a relationship of |∂I2/∂t|>|∂I1/∂t|.
US09575362B2

A backlight assembly and a display device including the same are provided. A backlight assembly includes a light source portion including a plurality of light sources having a first light source and a second light source, the second light source emits light of a color that is different from a color of light emitted from the first light source, and a reflective member that is adjacent to an edge portion of the light source portion, wherein the reflective member includes a base layer including a first region that faces the first light source and a second region that faces the second light source, and a plurality of color patterns including a plurality of first color patterns that are positioned on the first region of the base layer and a plurality of second color patterns that are positioned on the second region of the base layer, wherein the plurality of first color patterns and the plurality of second color patterns have different colors.
US09575360B2

An emissive display system includes an electro-optic device having a first substantially transparent substrate. A second substantially transparent substrate is spaced apart from the first substrate to define a cavity therebetween. An electro-optic medium is disposed within the cavity and is variably transmissive such that the electro-optic device is operable between substantially clear and darkened states, and includes at least one solvent, at least one anodic material, and at least one cathodic material. One or more spacing members are deposited on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and are configured to maintain a cell spacing between the first and second substrates. The one or more spacing members at least substantially dissolve upon association with the electro-optic medium. A substantially transparent light emitting display is operably coupled to the electro-optic device, which is in the darkened state when the light emitting display is emitting light.
US09575359B2

An emissive display system includes an electro-optic device having a first substantially transparent substrate including first and second surfaces disposed on opposite sides thereof. At least one of the first and second surfaces includes a first electrically conductive layer. A second substantially transparent substrate includes third and fourth surfaces disposed on opposite sides thereof. At least one of the third and fourth surfaces includes a second electrically conductive layer. A primary seal disposed between the first and second substrates. The seal and the first and second substrates define a cavity therebetween. An electro-optic medium is disposed in the cavity and is variably transmissive such that the electro-optic device is operable between substantially clear and darkened states. A substantially transparent light emitting display is disposed adjacent to the electro-optic device, which is converted to the darkened state when the light emitting display is emitting light.
US09575357B2

A liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, a color filter having a plurality of first color barriers, second color barriers, and third color barriers. A lower alignment layer is disposed on the first substrate having a plurality of first lower alignment units, second lower alignment units, and third lower alignment units corresponding to the plurality of first color barriers, second color barriers, and third color barriers, respectively. An upper alignment layer is disposed on the second substrate having a plurality of first upper alignment units, second upper alignment units, and third upper alignment units corresponding to the plurality of first color barriers, second color barriers, and third color barriers, respectively. A lower regionalized polarizer is disposed on the first substrate, and an upper regionalized polarizer is disposed on the second substrate.
US09575355B2

The module for a liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel, a first polarizer formed on an upper side of the liquid crystal display panel, and a second polarizer formed on a lower side of the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the first polarizer has a length in a machine direction, the second polarizer has a width in the machine direction, a shrinkage force of the second polarizer is greater than a shrinkage force of the first polarizer, and the length of a polarizer is greater than the width of a polarizer.
US09575352B2

A display system includes a switchable display screen comprising a first transparent substrate, a first transparent conductive layer disposed upon the first transparent substrate, a second transparent substrate, and a second transparent conductive layer disposed upon the second transparent substrate. The display screen further includes a polymer-stabilized cholesteric texture layer and spacer elements disposed between and in contact with the first transparent conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The display screen comprises a plurality of addressable regions, each region capable of being switched from a transparent state to a diffuse state.
US09575349B2

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the substrate; a pixel electrode connected with the thin film transistor; a roof layer provided facing the pixel electrode; and a capping layer disposed on the roof layer, wherein a plurality of microcavities are between the pixel electrode and the roof layer, each microcavity includes a liquid crystal material, and the roof layer is formed of only at least one inorganic layer.
US09575348B2

A display substrate is disclosed. In one aspect, the display substrate includes a base substrate having a first refractive index and receiving external light and an insulating layer disposed below the base substrate and having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index. The display substrate also includes a pixel electrode disposed below the first insulating layer and a first compensation layer forming an interface with the insulating layer and having a third refractive index greater than the first refractive index and less than the second refractive index. The first compensation layer is disposed between the first insulating layer and the base substrate.
US09575345B2

The present invention provides a display device, including a display panel and a supporting frame arranged around the display panel, wherein at least one spacer structure is arranged between the display panel and the supporting frame, and wherein the spacer structure is fixedly mounted on the supporting frame and includes a first spacer part and a second spacer part, the first spacer part is arranged between the bottom surface of the display panel and the supporting frame, and the second spacer part is arranged between the lateral surface of the display panel and the supporting frame. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages that the impact from multiple directions to the display panel may be reduced, the probable damage to the display panel is reduced, and the quality of a product is improved.
US09575343B2

A method includes a first bonding step including providing a first polarizing film obtained by transversely cutting a first long polarizing film having an absorption axis in its longitudinal direction, supplying the first polarizing film from a first optical film roll, and bonding the first polarizing film to a back side of the optical cell while feeding the optical cell; and a second bonding step including providing a linearly polarized light separating film obtained by transversely cutting a long linearly polarized light separating film having a reflection axis in its transverse direction, supplying the linearly polarized light separating film from a second optical film roll, and bonding the linearly polarized light separating film onto the first polarizing film bonded to the back side of the optical cell, while feeding the optical cell.
US09575341B2

A solid state photonics circuit having a liquid crystal (LC) layer for beam steering. The LC layer can provide tuning of an array of waveguides by controlling the application of voltage to the liquid crystal. The application of voltage to the liquid crystal can be controlled to perform beam steering with the light signal based on different tuning in each of the waveguides of the array. The waveguides are disposed in a substrate having an oxide or other insulating layer with an opening. The opening in the oxide layer exposes a portion of a path of the array of waveguides. The waveguides are exposed to the liquid crystal through the oxide opening, which allows the voltage changes to the liquid crystal to tune the optical signals in the waveguides.
US09575340B2

An electro-optic modulator for high voltage applications exhibits reduced corona and arcing by utilizing dielectric-coated electrodes in conjunction with a non-centrosymmetric crystal. The inclusion of an insulative coating (i.e., a dielectric material) on at least a portion of the electrodes reduces the possibility of arcing or corona, without requiring the application of any type of coating material directly on the crystal itself. Thus, the birefringent response of the crystal is not impacted by this coated electrode configuration of the present invention. In one configuration, the exposed surfaces of the electrodes are coated with an insulative material, while maintaining a direct contact between the electrodes and the surface of the crystal.
US09575338B2

A method of modulating an optical input with a radio frequency (RF) signal, an interdigitated modulator, and an electro-optical modulator including the interdigitated modulator are described. The method includes splitting the optical input to a first optical input and a second optical input, traversing a first region and a second region, respectively, with the first optical input and the second optical input, and modulating the first optical input with the RF signal in the first region. The method also includes controlling propagation speed of the RF signal in the first region, controlling RF line impedance in the first region, and controlling an optical loss of the first optical input in the first region.
US09575336B1

There is provided a system and method for providing privacy viewing of an output from a electronic display, including a first polarizer configured to polarize a display signal at a first polarization angle; a second polarizer configured to polarize a noise signal at a second polarization angle orthogonal to the first polarization angle; a combiner configured to combine the polarized display signal and the polarized noise signal, and a third polarizer configured to receive the output of the electronic display and polarize the combined polarized display and noise signal at the first polarization angle. The system includes first and second polarization rotators configured to rotate the first and second polarization angles of the combined polarized display and noise signals prior to being output by the electronic display and prior to being received by the third polarizer.
US09575335B1

Some embodiments provide a lens including a lens body and an optical filter configured to attenuate visible light in certain spectral bands. At least some of the spectral bands can include spectral features that tend to substantially increase the colorfulness, clarity, and/or vividness of a scene. In certain embodiments, eyewear incorporates an optical filter that enhances chroma within one or more spectral bands. In some embodiments, a wearer of the eyewear can perceive the increase in chroma when viewing at least certain types of scenes.
US09575330B2

A payload stabilizer suitable for use with video camera payloads. The stabilizer has a feedback system providing supplemental torques to the payload through a gimbal while remaining responsive to direct operator control.
US09575327B2

Stereoscopic image viewing eyewear includes a left-eye shutter that controls a visual field of a viewer's left eye, a right-eye shutter that controls a visual field of a viewer's right eye, a distance determiner that detects a distance between the display device and the eyewear and determines whether the detected distance is smaller than a predetermined value, and a shutter controller that controls open and close of the left-eye shutter and the right-eye shutter based on the determined result of the distance determiner to cause the viewer to view the stereoscopic image when the detected distance is larger than a predetermined value, and to cause the viewer to view a non-stereoscopic image when the detected distance is smaller than the predetermined value.
US09575325B2

A method and apparatus for two-dimensional wavelength beam combining of laser sources. In one example, an external cavity multi-wavelength laser includes an array of laser emitters each producing an optical beam having a specified wavelength, a grating stack comprising a plurality of first-order diffraction gratings arranged linearly in a first dimension, and a dispersive element. The laser further includes a cylindrical telescope that images the optical beams from the array of laser emitters onto the grating stack. A first cylindrical transform lens spatially overlaps the optical beams in a second dimension forming a first region of overlap at the grating stack. A second cylindrical transform lens spatially overlaps the optical beams from the grating stack in the first dimension forming a second region of overlap at the dispersive element. The dispersive element transmits a multi-wavelength output beam comprising the spatially overlapped optical beams from the array of laser emitters.
US09575322B2

A display device and an electronic apparatus using the display device are described. The display device includes a display component configured to output initial light corresponding to a first image; and a transmission optical component at least partially provided within an irradiation area of the initial light and configured to transmit the initial light corresponding to the first image from the display component and perform light path conversion to convert it into a first exit light; and an adjustment optical component at least partially provided within an irradiation area of the first exit light and configured to perform light path conversion on the first exit light to obtain a second exit light, wherein an image corresponding to the first image is capable of being perceived at a particular position.
US09575320B2

A video display device is provided that naturally displays a video without blocking an observer's field of view, and includes the following: a display optical system that displays a video; an ocular optical system that guides video light emitted from the display optical system to the optical pupil of an observer; and a support that supports the ocular optical system upon the light path of video light emitted from the display optical system. The support includes a first support plate and a second support plate that face each other, and the ocular optical system is located between the first support plate and the second support plate. An opening through which the observer's line of sight passes is formed at least partially between the first support plate and the second support plate.
US09575319B2

A system or apparatus for reducing motion blur includes an active shutter system, shutter control and processing components, an optional optical sensor, one or more optional movement sensors, and a power source, and can cooperate with a virtual or augmented reality system and display. The shutter system is optimally positioned between a user and the display so that one or more shutters of the system can be activated to block a user's view of the display. The shutter system is activated to block refresh lines or other artifacts present when the display refreshes. The shutter system also can be activated according to movement of the user. The shutter system can be one or more independent shutters and each shutter can have one or more shutter segments. Additionally, the shutter system can include multiple cooperating layers of shutters. The shutter system further can be incorporated in a multi-lens optical system.
US09575315B2

A display mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a front shield having a first side and a second side. A partially reflective, partially transmissive element is mounted on the first side. A rear shield is disposed behind the front shield. A display module is mounted between the front shield and the rear shield and includes in order from the front shield: a display; an optic block; a heat sink having an edge lit PCB mounted along a top edge thereof; and a PCB. The front shield is secured to at least one component of the display module with a first retaining feature and the rear shield is secured to at least one component of the display module with a second retaining feature. A housing at least partially surrounds the partially reflective, partially transmissive element, the front shield, carrier plate, display module, and rear shield.
US09575314B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a polygon mirror formed with a plurality of reflection surfaces, and a generating device configured to generate a pulse signal required to modulate a laser beam based on image data. The generating device is further configured to generate a pulse signal by inserting or deleting a pulse signal having a width smaller than a width of a pulse signal corresponding to one pixel of the image data into or from a pulse signal corresponding to the image data based on information associated with deviation amounts between lengths of scanning lines formed by the plurality of reflection surfaces and a reference value, so as to adjust the lengths of the scanning lines formed by the plurality of reflection surfaces to be closer to the reference value.
US09575312B2

A light deflector includes a mirror unit having a light reflection plane, a base, a pair of elastic supporting members each having one end attached to the mirror unit and the other end attached to the base and configured to support the mirror unit in a rotatable and oscillatable manner, and a pair of drive bars each having one end attached to another end of a corresponding one of the elastic supporting members and the other end attached to the base in a cantilevered state. The mirror unit rotates and oscillates about a center of rotation as deformation of the drive bars is transmitted to the mirror unit through the elastic supporting members. The center of rotation of the mirror unit is within a range of −0.05×D to −0.01×D, where D denotes a diameter of the mirror unit.
US09575308B2

An instrument and method for scanning large microscope specimen on a specimen holder has a scanning optical microscope that is configured to scan the specimen in one of brightfield and fluorescence. The specimen is dynamically tillable about a scan direction during a scan to maintain focus along the length of each scan line as the scan proceeds. A three dimensional image of the specimen can be obtained wherein the specimen tilt and relative focus are maintained from a first image contour to a second image contour through a thickness of a specimen.
US09575305B2

A digital microscope apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to emit illumination light; a stage having an opening capable of transmitting the light therethrough, on which a preparation can be placed in accordance with a position of the opening; an enlarging imaging unit including an objective lens configured to enlarge an image and disposed to face the system with the stage disposed therebetween, and an imaging device configured to capture an image enlarged by the lens; a white image acquiring unit configured to open the opening, to cause the system to emit the light in a state where an image point of the system is aligned with a focal point of the lens, and to acquire, as a white image, an image formed on an imaging surface of the device; and a calculation unit configured to use the captured white image to calculate a shading correction coefficient.
US09575302B2

Aberrations in stimulated emission depletion microscopy are corrected using an adaptive optics approach using a metric which combines both image sharpness and brightness. Light modulators (22,32) are used to perform aberration correction in one or more of the depletion path (10), the excitation path (12), or the emission path from sample to detector.
US09575298B2

A light collector includes: a light guide; optical blocks, each of which has top and bottom surfaces and front and rear surfaces which extend curvedly and frontwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface, the rear surface exhibiting total internal reflection and having a focal point; and optical coupling protrusions, each of which protrudes from the bottom surface, each of which is disposed at the focal point and each of which is coupled to the light-entrance surface of the light guide. The front surface of one of every two adjacent ones of the optical blocks overlaps the rear surface of the other of every two adjacent ones of the optical blocks along a normal direction of the light guide.
US09575296B2

A zoom lens is provided which has a wide angle of view and is bright and in which the entire lens system is compact and which can achieve high optical characteristic over the entire zoom range.
US09575295B2

A zoom lens includes, in order from the object side, a positive first group, a negative second group, a stop, a positive third group, a negative fourth group, and a positive fifth group. During magnification change from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first to fourth groups are moved to always increase the distance between the first and second groups, always decrease the distance between the second and third groups, and change the distance between the third and fourth groups and the distance between the fourth and fifth groups. The third group includes, in order from the object side, at least a positive lens, a positive lens, a negative lens, and a positive lens, and satisfies condition expression (1) below: 25<νdD−νdA<70  (1), where νdA and νdD are Abbe numbers at the d-line of the most object-side lens A and the most image-side lens D.
US09575293B2

A photographic lens and a photographic apparatus including the same are provided. The photographic lens includes a first lens including a convex surface toward an object side and having a positive refractive power, a second lens including a concave surface toward an image side and having a negative refractive power, a third lens having a positive refractive power or a negative refractive power, a fourth lens having a positive refractive power or a negative refractive power, a fifth lens including a convex surface toward the image side and having a positive refractive power, and a sixth lens including a concave aspherical shape with respect to an optical axis toward the image side and having a negative refractive power. The first to sixth lenses may be sequentially arranged from the object side to the image side.
US09575285B2

A lens holder driving apparatus is disclosed. The lens holder driving apparatus includes a housing, an auto-focusing lens holder driving portion and a fixed portion. The auto-focusing lens holder driving portion includes an octagonal lens holder with a focusing coil, a positioning magnet mounted on the lens holder, a magnet holder with a magnet group including a bracket having a sidewall, a pillar projecting at the four corners of the sidewall of the bracket, and a first notch disposed at the pillar face to the focusing coil. The fixed portion includes a base having a sidewall, a FPC mounted on the sidewall of the base and a Hall element electrically connecting with the FPC inserted into the first notch for detecting the position of the positioning magnet so as to adjust the position of the lens holder.
US09575283B2

A VCM (voice coil motor) is disclosed, the VCM including: a rotor including a lens-accommodating, both ends opened cylindrical bobbin and a coil block including a coil wound on a periphery of the bobbin; a stator including a cylindrical yoke formed with a lens-exposing opening, a plurality of magnets disposed inside the yoke and opposite to the coil block, and a housing disposed inside the yoke to fix the plurality of magnets; and an elastic member elastically supporting the bobbin.
US09575265B1

The present subject matter relates to a method, system and device for connecting conduit to an enclosure. The method, system and device comprise a conduit adapter having a two-piece housing and an insert plate. The insert plate is interchangeable with other insert plates having various sized through holes. A conduit is attached to an insert plate via a suitable connector. The insert plate is selected to have an appropriately sized through hole for the conduit being attached. The selected insert plate having the conduit attached then is enclosed between the two halves of the housing of the conduit adapter. The conduit adapter is then secured in the entry port of the enclosure.
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