US09839100B2
The present invention relates to a system, method, and apparatus for powering intelligent lighting networks. The power for the intelligent lighting network is supplied by Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switches and/or Mid-Spans, which are conditioned by a powered device to distribute power tuned specifically for each, at least one light emitting diode (LED) fixture. The Power-over-Ethernet switch and/or Mid-Span with associated router and wireless access point can be used to communicate with, and power a sensor network that collects data relevant to the intelligent lighting network. Optionally, the Power-over-Ethernet switch and/or Mid-Span can be used to communicate with, and power a network of sensors that collects data relevant to the space the intelligent lighting network is operating in, or can be used to communicate with and power a network of AC wall plugs that can be turned on and off, and various switches, relays, and PLCs, RFID systems, USB hubs, etc.
US09839091B2
The present disclosure provides systems for generating tunable white light. The systems include a plurality of LED strings that generate light with color points that fall within blue, yellow/green, red, and cyan color ranges, with each LED string being driven with a separately controllable drive current in order to tune the generated light output.
US09839089B1
The present invention provides a control method for a smart light, comprising: displaying control information of connected smart lights as a first kind of icon and/or a second kind of icon on a main interface, the first kind of icon corresponds to a single light and the second kind of icon corresponds to a group consisting of at least two single lights; when detecting at the position of the first kind of icon and the second kind of icon and identifying as selected operation, displaying a control interface corresponding to the single light or the group; the control interface comprises a light-adjusting tab, the light-adjusting tab comprises a parameter adjustment column, a switch button and an effect simulation diagram; when the light-adjusting tab is on active page, sending parameter configuration information to corresponding single light or group based on sliding position of detected slider in the parameter adjustment column, and sending switch light configuration information to corresponding single light or group based on state change of detected switch button, and displaying the effect simulation diagram based on the parameter configuration information and the switch light configuration information.
US09839087B2
A lighting system (1) has a first lighting circuit (2) configured to provide a first predetermined level of lighting intensity. The first lighting circuit (2) is configured to receive power from a mains electricity supply (3) or from a battery source (4) if the mains supply is unavailable. The first lighting circuit (2) is connected to at least one first Light source (5) and configured, when actuated, to provide lighting at the first predetermined level of lighting intensity. At this time, the first light source is in either an on or off state or a level of light required to raise ambient light level above a predetermined level. The system (1) further has a second lighting circuit (13) configured to provide lighting at least a second predetermined level of lighting intensity. The second lighting circuit (13) is configured to receive power from the mains electricity supply (3) and is connected to at least one second light source (14). The second lighting circuit (13) has at least one sensor (18) with an input such that actuation thereof causes the second light source (14) to provide the second predetermined level of lighting intensity for a predetermined period of time, in response to ambient illumination meeting or exceeding a predetermined intensity, when said sensor has no input or has had no input for a predetermined period of time, or until re-set. In the system (1), the second predetermined level of lighting intensity is greater than said first predetermined level of lighting.
US09839074B2
A PBN-coated carbon heater is disclosed in which the carbon base body is anisotropic with respect to thermal expansion coefficient such that the maximum-to-minimum coefficient ratio is 1.02 through 1.50 for temperatures between 50 and 800 degree C.; preferably the carbon base body is also anisotropic with respect to electric resistivity such that the maximum-to-minimum resistivity ratio is greater than 1.04 but not greater than 1.51, and the direction in which the resistivity is maximum coincides the direction of the heater pattern in which the electricity runs the longest distance.
US09839067B2
A method for controlling uplink transmissions on discontinuous reception (DRX) operation, by a wireless device, in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: configuring a channel quality indicator (CQI)-masking which indicates that at least one of a CQI, a precoding matrix index (PMI), a rank indicator (RI), or a precoding type indicator (PTI) is not to be reported on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) when an onDurationTimer is not running; and determining, at a first subframe prior to a second subframe, whether or not the onDurationTimer is to be running at the second subframe, wherein the at least one of the CQI, the PMI, the RI, or the PTI is not to be reported on the PUCCH at the second subframe, if the onDurationTimer is determined, at the first subframe, to be not running at the second subframe.
US09839059B2
Provided are a discovery method and apparatus. A communication method for a user equipment (UE) may include: receiving first resource information indicating a first resource region and second resource information indicating a second resource region from an evolved Node B (eNB); receiving a first message from a second UE via the first resource region; checking whether the contents of the first message match the UE; and sending, when the contents of the first message match the UE, a second message associated with the first message to the second UE via the second resource region. A user equipment (UE) may include: a communication unit configured to receive first resource information indicating a first resource region and second resource information indicating a second resource region from an evolved Node B (eNB), and receive a first message from a second UE via the first resource region; and a control unit configured to check whether the contents of the first message match the UE.
US09839057B2
The present disclosure provides a method for exchanging information between electronic devices, and an electronic device. The method includes at a first electronic device: determining that a request for exchanging information from a second electronic device is valid, after receiving the request; acquiring an information area with respect to the request, and selecting area data corresponding to the information area; and after or at the same time of the selection of the area data, establishing a communication connection with the second electronic device, and transmitting the area data over the communication connection. After coming into contact with the second electronic device, the electronic device equipped with the touch screen, as the first electronic device, may establish and perform data transmission with the second electronic device. Compared with the conventional methods that require transmission via mobile communication or 3G communication, the present disclosure can reduce cost for the user of the electronic device, and provide more diversified services and higher transmission bandwidth.
US09839053B2
A radio communication station in a radio communication system having a plurality of radio communication devices, derives a quantization parameter from control indications received from respective radio communication devices and transmits the quantization parameter to the radio communication devices on at least one downlink channel. The radio communication devices receive the quantization parameter, determine respective channel state metrics for the downlink channel, respectively quantize the determined respective channel state metrics by applying quantization ranges indicated by the quantization parameter, determine respective control indications indicative of the respective quantized channel state metrics, and transmit to the radio communication station respective signals indicating the determined respective control indications as respective random access transmissions on an uplink channel.
US09839052B2
A link adaptation method uses a selection criterion for selecting a transmission mode for transmitting PPDU frames over a channel of a telecommunications system. The system includes an access point and a plurality of stations having various different transmission modes associated with different data rates. Access to the channel being of the random type. The selection makes use of a time occupancy metric γ of the channel.
US09839046B2
A method and apparatus for accessing a contention-based uplink random access channel (RACH) in a single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) system are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) randomly selects a RACH subchannel and a signature among a plurality of available RACH subchannels and signatures. The WTRU transmits a preamble using the selected signature via the selected RACH subchannel at a predetermined or computed transmission power. A base station monitors the RACH to detect the preamble and sends an acquisition indicator (AI) to the WTRU when a signature is detected on the RACH. When receiving a positive acknowledgement, the WTRU sends a message part to the base station. If receiving a negative acknowledgement or no response, the WTRU retransmits the preamble.
US09839044B2
Priority control is performed using FPIs. A radio base station eNB according to the present invention includes: a bearer management unit 12 configured to manage FPIs assigned to data flows received from a core network device S-GW via an S1 bearer; and a priority control unit 13 configured to perform priority control over the data flows received from the core network device S-GW via the S1 bearer, in which the bearer management unit 12 establishes a radio bearer with a mobile station UE for each of the FPIs, and the priority control unit 13 transfers each data flow received from the core network device S-GW via the S1 bearer, to the radio bearer corresponding to the FPI assigned to the data flow.
US09839030B2
This application provides a method and device for generating a subframe, a method for determining a subframe and a user equipment. The method for generating a subframe includes: determining, by a first device, patterns of at least two special subframes used in a broadcast control channel modification period, where guard period GP durations of the at least two special subframes are different; and generating, by the first device, the at least two special subframes. The method enhances flexibility and improves a system resource utilization rate.
US09839018B2
Embodiments are provide for communicating data or other non-control information messages within a downlink control channel directly, rather than in a data channel or broadcast channel. Thereby, radio resource utilization can be substantially improved in the cellular system, such as in the case of transmitting smaller data packets. In an embodiment, a transmitter arranges a set of time-frequency radio resources, associated with a downlink control channel, for transmitting information other than control information sent on the downlink control channel. The transmitter then sends, on the set of time-frequency radio resources, a data information message comprising the information other than the control information. The information other than the control information comprises one of user-specific data information and broadcast data information. A receiver then receives on the downlink control channel, control information and the data information message.
US09839016B2
A mobile station apparatus that receives first information by using a radio resource control signal. The mobile station apparatus is programmed to drop a transmission of a sounding reference signal, where in a case that the first information is configured, in a case that the transmission of the sounding reference signal for a first component carrier overlaps with a transmission of a physical uplink control channel for a second component carrier, and in a case that, on the overlapped portion, total transmit power of the mobile station apparatus exceeds total maximum output power configured by the mobile station apparatus.
US09839012B2
The present invention discloses a method and equipment for UCI transmission. Upon application of the technical solution provided in embodiments of the present invention, UE transmitting UCI through a selected PUSCH is realized when multiple PUSCH transmissions are available for a UE in one uplink subframe in LTE-A carrier aggregation system, which solves the problem on how to transmit UCI only through one PUSCH when multiple PUSCH transmissions are available.
US09839007B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for resource allocation in a base station and a server for multi-cell coordination using an uplink signal channel. The resource allocation method for a base station (eNB) may include: receiving resource allocation information containing information on resources allocated to the eNB; receiving, when there is a need to change the allocated resources, changed resource allocation information containing information on changed resources; and distributing the changed resources to user equipments. The resource allocation method for a server may include: allocating resources to an eNB; sending resource allocation information containing information on the allocated resources; and sending, when there is a need to change the allocated resources, changed resource allocation information containing information on changed resources.According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize multi-cell coordination using an uplink signal channel through resource allocation of the eNB and server.
US09839005B2
Methods, devices, processors and computer program products for mobile terminal-based Radio Resource Management (RRM) and network optimization. The mobile terminal measures or otherwise obtains radio condition measurements (such as received power, interference, mobile transmit power and the like) and/or geographical location measurements. The radio condition measurements and/or location measurements are compared against historical data and/or target Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and, based on the comparison, a determination can be made as to whether adjustment of RRM parameters is warranted. By providing for RRM management at the mobile terminal level, as opposed to a cell or Radio Network Controller (RNC) level, better granularity of management is realized in the overall radio network. Further, individual mobile terminals can better tailor their radio resource needs to meet their conditions of use and, as such, better overall service can be realized by the individual mobile terminals in the network.
US09839000B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for forming an event picture in a mobile communication terminal. If an event such as call reception, alarm or message reception occurs while a service picture is displayed on a screen of the terminal, the current service picture is backed up, a command input through the buttons provided to the terminal is interrupted and the event picture is overlapped over the current service picture, thereby allowing a user to perceive the corresponding event. Accordingly, the terminal user can correctly perceive the event occurred during the service. In addition, when the event occurs, the command input through the buttons is interrupted, so that it is possible to prevent an unintended event processing or erroneous operation due to an erroneous button manipulation.
US09838995B2
Information such as navigation information is delivered to a mobile device user in a cellular communications network via a device other than the mobile device. A small cell telecommunications base station receives from the mobile device an identification of the mobile device, and determines a location of the user within the small cell. Based on the identification of the mobile device and the location of the user of the mobile device, the information is delivered to the user via a device other than the mobile device.
US09838993B2
A location system comprising: a location network comprising a plurality of reference nodes and at least one controller. Each reference node is operable to transmit a respective beaconing signal from which a respective measurement can be taken by a mobile device for use in determining a location of the mobile device. The at least one controller is configured to control whether and/or how often one or more signals of the location system are transmitted to be used in determining the location of the mobile device, the control being based on feedback from at least one determination of the location of the mobile device relative to the reference nodes.
US09838990B2
A method, an apparatus and a system for uplink synchronization are disclosed by the embodiment of the invention. The method includes the following steps: a network equipment configures multi-carrier operation mode for a user equipment and obtains the timing advance TA group message corresponding to each of component carrier CC of the user equipment; the network equipment maintains the TA timer of each TA group according to the TA group information to be uplink synchronized with the user equipment. The embodiment of the invention provides the establishment and maintenance mechanism for uplink synchronization in the case that the timing advance of each component carrier CC is different in the multi-carrier system.
US09838981B2
The present invention relates to an energy saving method and a centralized control device for receiving load information and SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) information of a cell from a base station, identifying whether an energy saving trigger condition is satisfied by using the received load information, identifying whether an energy saving condition is satisfied by using the received SRS information if the energy saving trigger condition is satisfied, and transmitting a transmission power management request message to the base station if the energy saving condition is satisfied. Further, the present invention provides a base station and a transmission power management method for the base station which manages a transmission power of a cell corresponding to a transmission power management request message received from the centralized control device.
US09838976B1
Interference caused by a first wireless radio on other wireless radios may be mitigated by reducing the transmission power of the first wireless radio. The amount by which the transmission power is reduced may differ for each antenna of the first wireless radio and each communication link used by the first wireless radio. Isolation values associated with each antenna of the first wireless radio may be used to determine a target change in transmission power for each antenna that would mitigate interference with the other radio(s). Signal strength data associated with each communication link used by the first wireless radio may be used to determine a maximum change in transmission power for each communication link that would not degrade communications using the link below a threshold level of quality. The transmission power of the first wireless radio may be reduced by the lesser of the target amount or maximum amount.
US09838972B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for controlling power of an uplink channel, a UE and a communication system. The method for controlling power includes: a UE sorts priorities of uplink channels of at least two cells, when transmitting signals of the uplink channels containing uplink control information for the at least two cells within the same subframe; and allocates power for the uplink channels of the at least two cells according to a result of priority sorting; when allocating power for an uplink channel, needed power of one or more uplink channels with lower priorities than that of the uplink channel is taken into account. With the embodiments of the present disclosure, not only power may be allocated for uplink channels of high priorities, but also uplink channels of low priorities may be transmitted punctually, thereby further improving overall performance of uplink information transmission.
US09838971B1
Embodiments relate to a computer system and computer program product for allocating resources and settings in order to optimize application satisfaction in view of hardware resources and adjustable software configurations. As applications are executed on a computing device, usage data is tracked, adjustable settings are identified, and power consumption of each application under different settings is measured. The usage data is then compiled, an optimal configuration setting is assessed for each application, and the setting is conveyed and applied to one or more applications.
US09838969B2
A method for setting operation modes of a group of communication devices in a communication network, wherein the group of communication devices comprises a first communication device and at least a second communication device, the method comprises receiving information from at least one device of said group of communication devices, determining an operation mode based on the received information and setting an operation mode on at least one of the other communication devices of the group of communication devices to the determined operation mode, wherein information is communicated between the two devices including state information and/or instructions to set the operation mode of at least one of the other communication device of the group of communication devices to the determined operation mode.
US09838964B2
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a user equipment, an RNC, or an application operable in a wireless communications network and methods in which the user equipment can be transitioned into a dormant state controlled by an application driven scheme. According to the application driven scheme, a request is received from an active process at an application server to trigger a wireless device to enter a dormant state, and network traffic information corresponding to a time interval is received from a wireless device. If the network traffic information indicates that the active process is solely responsible for network traffic at a transport layer of the wireless device during the time interval, one or more commands are transmitted to the wireless device such that the wireless device enters the dormant state. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09838959B2
The present disclosure relates to an environment control device (ECD) and a method. The ECD and method comprise a first communication interface, a second communication interface of the Wi-Fi type, and a processing unit. The processing unit sends a DHCP-DISCOVER message via the first communication interface. The processing unit also configures the ECD to operate the second communication interface as a Wi-Fi Access Point if a DHCP-OFFER message is received in response to the DHCP-DISCOVER message via the first communication interface. The processing unit also configures the ECD to operate the second communication interface as a Wi-Fi hotspot if no DHCP-OFFER message is received in response to the DHCP-DISCOVER message via the first communication interface.
US09838947B2
In general, techniques are described for atomically installing and withdrawing host routes along paths connecting network routers to attenuate packet loss for mobile nodes migrating among wireless LAN access networks and a mobile network. In some examples, whenever the mobile node moves from one attachment point to the next, it triggers the distribution of its host route from the new attachment point toward the service provider network hub provider edge (PE) router that anchors the mobile node on a service provider network. Routers participating in the Mobile VPN install the host route “atomically” from the attachment point to the mobile gateway so as to ensure convergence of the network forwarding plane with the host route toward the new attachment point prior to transitioning mobile node connectivity from a previous attachment point.
US09838943B2
The method of routing for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks is a routing protocol that uses a greedy approach, selecting the best route having the maximum remaining energy above a pre-defined threshold limit. The method of routing for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks is an energy efficient routing protocol, in that the routing path is selected to maximize the lifetime of an individual source-destination pair by selecting a route between them that is based on the energy levels of neighboring nodes, without requiring an energy-intensive network flooding approach. The routing path between a source node and a destination node is selected by choosing, at each node, a neighboring node that has the greatest remaining energy level.
US09838939B2
A service transfer method and apparatus, and a service transfer processing method and apparatus relate to the field of mobile communications, are applied to a service transfer technology, and can improve utilization of network system resources. The method comprises: acquiring, by a UE, first information that is used to instruct the UE to perform service transfer to a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point; performing service transfer according to the first information; and sending a service transfer result to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access point that serves the UE.
US09838928B2
Presented is an apparatus and methods for determining if a determined systematic imbalance difference between a serving base station and one or more candidate base stations exceeds a threshold value and, if so, then using uplink information as part of a handover mechanism. The selective usage of uplink information in the handover mechanism can improve handover performance without unduly adding to complexity and signaling overhead.
US09838924B2
The present invention discloses a processing method and device for reselecting or switching UE from a TD-SCDMA system to a TD-LTE system. The method includes: receiving, by a PGW, a modify bearer request message sent by an SGW; obtaining, by the PGW, an S5/S8 interface resource in current bearer context information, updating the bearer context information according to the modify bearer request message, and obtaining an S5/S8 interface resource in the updated bearer context information; when the PGW determines that the S5/S8 interface resource changes according to the S5/S8 interface resource in the updated bearer context information and the interface resource in the current bearer context information, sending back, by the PGW, a modify bearer response message carrying the S5/S8 interface resource in the updated bearer context information to the SGW, for enabling the SGW to update the bearer context information according to the modify bearer response message. In the present invention, the scenarios supported by the existing protocol are perfected, and support is provided for reselecting or switching the UE from the TD-SCDMA system to the TD-LTE system and processing under scenarios in which the S5/S8 interface and the Gn/Gp interface are in different networks.
US09838921B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for call re-establishment. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include determining a radio link failure between a user equipment and a base station; and sending, by the user equipment after the determined radio link failure, a request to re-establish a connection, wherein the request includes layer information identifying the base station in a network. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US09838920B2
A system, base station and method are disclosed for detecting a radio network problem. For a handover failure occurs on a user equipment (UE), a first base station receives, problem information about the occurred handover failure from the UE, after a radio resource control (RRC) connection is reestablished or established between the UE and a cell controlled by the first base station. The first base station then transmits the received problem information to a second base station controlling a cell where the handover failure occurs. In this way, the network side can automatically identify and detect the handover failure. As such, the network can perform self-adjustment and optimization, therefore improving the network performance and satisfying use requirements of users.
US09838909B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a traffic offload method, a core network device, and a traffic offload system. The method includes: sending, user information that is of a user equipment within coverage of a first traffic offload function entity to the first traffic offload function entity; sending a traffic offload policy to the first traffic offload function entity, so that the first traffic offload function entity matches the user information with the traffic offload policy and offloads traffic corresponding to the user equipment according to the user information that successfully matches the traffic offload policy.
US09838905B2
A system with distributed proxy for reducing traffic in a wireless network satisfies data requests made by a mobile application. The system includes a mobile device having a local proxy for intercepting a data request made by the mobile application. The local proxy simulates application server responses for the mobile application on the mobile device for data requests where responses are available in the local cache. A proxy server is coupled to the mobile device and an application server to which the data request is made. The proxy server is able to communicate with the local proxy. The local proxy forwards the data request to the proxy server for transmission to the application server for a response to the data request. The proxy server queries the application server for any changes to the data request that the mobile application has previously made and notifies the local proxy of such changes.
US09838893B2
The cooperative controlling of an operation of an application that is used by a user equipment is implemented in a wireless network by obtaining scheduled shared resource rate information and channel condition information for bearers sharing network resources. User equipment policies for the user equipment associated with the bearers can be performed based on the scheduled shared resource rate information, the channel condition information, and available video rate information in order to invoke throughput restrictions for the user equipment. The user equipment policies can be used by application functions to cooperatively control the operation of applications among a number of user equipments.
US09838887B2
A system comprising: at least one sensor and at least one control apparatus wherein; the sensor comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform; compressing a sensor data signal using a sampling basis to obtain a compressed data signal; and in response to a first feedback signal changing a sampling basis used to obtain the compressed data signal; and wherein the control apparatus comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform; receiving the data signal from the at least one sensor; determining a quality of the received data signal; and if the quality of the received data signal is within a first threshold providing a feedback signal to control the sampling basis of the sensor.
US09838880B2
Certain features relate to unequal distribution of transmitters and receivers in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Remote units in the DAS can be configured as transmitting remote units, receiving remote units, or remote transceiver units that can transmit and receive wireless signals. In some configurations, the DAS can be configured with a greater number of transmitting remote units than receiving remote units. In other configurations, the DAS can be configured with a greater number of receiving remote units. In some aspects, unequal distribution of transmitters and receivers can be obtained by allocation of transmission frequencies and receiver frequencies in the DAS.
US09838872B2
An automated system and method for authenticating entities or individuals attempting to access a computer application, network, system or device using a wireless device is provided. The system employs one or more short-range wireless interfaces (e.g. BLUETOOTH or Wi-Fi) or long-range wireless interfaces (e.g. cellular or WiMAX)to detect the presence or location of the wireless device and it's proximity to the secure system to be accessed. The wireless device incorporates a unique identifier and secure authentication key information associated with the user of the wireless device. An authentication result is generated and may be used for a variety of applications. The application may process the result and determine the degree of access for which the entity or individual is allowed.
US09838868B1
A mated pair of Universal Serial Bus (USB) wireless dongles are disclosed. The dongles comprise a first USB dongle that comprises a first processor, a first read only memory (ROM) storing an address of a second USB dongle, a first radio transceiver, a first USB connector, and a first application. When executed by the first processor, the first application receives a USB formatted message from the first USB connector; transcodes the USB formatted message for wireless transmission; transmits the transcoded message to the address of the second dongle. The dongles further comprise the second dongle, which comprises a second processor, a second ROM storing an address of the first dongle, a second radio transceiver, a second USB connector, a second application that, when executed by the second processor, receives the message from the first dongle; confirms that the first USB is its mate; and communicates with the first dongle.
US09838866B2
A customer is permitted to self-activate a mobile device purchased via a commercial sales channel. Upon powering on the mobile device, the mobile device establishes a restricted service session through the network to a self-activation service and the mobile device queries the self-activation service for any pending order related to the mobile device which may have been generated during the purchase process. The communications with the self-activation service, however, support completing the pending order, activating the mobile device and communicating to the user that activation is complete. Part of the activation procedure configures one or more network elements to provide service for the device in a normal unrestricted manner. When provisioning is complete, the restricted access configuration used to establish the session with the self-activation service is removed.
US09838856B1
A method may be performed by a network device. The method may include conducting an attachment procedure with a wireless device, wherein the conducting forms a session between the wireless device and the core network; associating the wireless device with a short message service (SMS) capability for the session, wherein the SMS capability indicates whether the wireless device can process SMS messages via Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) protocols; identifying an SMS message intended for an application residing on the wireless device; routing the SMS message via IMS protocols when the SMS capability of the wireless device indicates the wireless device can process IMS protocols; and routing the SMS message via non-access stratum (NAS) protocols when the SMS capability of the wireless device indicates the wireless device cannot process IMS protocols.
US09838848B2
Methods, systems, and computer program product for prefetching location data based on predicted user behavior. A mobile device can request, from a user routine subsystem of the mobile device, a list of locations that a user of the mobile device routinely visits while the user carries the mobile device. The mobile device can determine a cluster of these locations that are within a specified distance between one another. The mobile device can request location data for these locations from a location server, even if the user is not at one of these locations. The location data can include a venue map and a venue location fingerprint. Upon detecting that the user entered a venue at one of these locations, the mobile device can determine a location of the user inside of the venue using the venue location fingerprint. The mobile device can then display the location on a venue map.
US09838845B2
Provided is a method for positioning a user equipment (UE). In the method, a positioning server determines that a UE is in a coordinated multi-point transmission (CoMP) state; requests a plurality of serving base stations in a CoMP set of the UE and the UE to measure a parameter related to positioning of the UE; receives the parameter related to the positioning of the UE from the plurality of serving base stations and the UE; and determines a location of the UE according to the received parameter.
US09838840B1
A method of includes receiving hotspot identification data from the first device, where the identification data identifies a plurality of WiFi hotspots that are in proximity to the first device; determining that the second device is associated with the first device; sending the hotspot identification data to the second device, where the first device and second device are mobile devices; receiving an indication of proximity from the second device; and notifying the first device of the indication of proximity.
US09838822B2
Recordings from microphones that provide 1st order Ambisonics signals, so-called B-format signals, offer a limited cognition of sound directivity. Sound sources are perceived broader than they actually are, especially for off-center listening positions, and the sound sources are often located to be coming from the closest speaker positions. In a method and apparatus for enhancing the directivity of 1st order Ambisonics signals, additional directivity information is extracted (SFA) from the lower order Ambisonics input signal. The additional directivity information is used to estimate higher order Ambisonics coefficients, which are then combined with the coefficients of the input signal. Thus, the directivity of the Ambisonics signal is enhanced, which leads to an increased accuracy of spatial source localization when the Ambisonics signal is decoded to loud speaker signals. The resulting output signal has more energy than the input signal.
US09838819B2
In general, techniques are described for compression and decoding of audio data are generally disclosed. An example device for compressing audio data includes one or more processors configured to apply a decorrelation transform to ambient ambisonic coefficients to obtain a decorrelated representation of the ambient ambisonic coefficients, the ambient HOA coefficients having been extracted from a plurality of higher order ambisonic coefficients and representative of a background component of a soundfield described by the plurality of higher order ambisonic coefficients, wherein at least one of the plurality of higher order ambisonic coefficients is associated with a spherical basis function having an order greater than one.
US09838818B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for generating an immersive three-dimensional sound space for searching audio. The system generates a three-dimensional sound space having a plurality of sound sources playing at a same time, wherein each of the plurality of sound sources is assigned a respective location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to one another, and wherein a user is assigned a current location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to each respective location. Next, the system receives input from the user to navigate to a new location in the three-dimensional sound space. Based on the input, the system then changes each respective location of the plurality of sound sources relative to the new location in the three-dimensional sound space.
US09838812B1
A method of controlling a personal acoustic device includes generating a first electrical signal responsive to an acoustic signal incident at a microphone disposed on an earpiece of the personal acoustic device. A characteristic of a transfer function based on the first electrical signal and a second electrical signal provided to a speaker in the earpiece is determined. An operating state of the personal acoustic device is determined form the characteristic of the transfer function. The operating state include a state in which the earpiece is positioned in the vicinity of an ear of a user and a second state in which the earpiece is absent from the vicinity of the ear of the user. Examples of a microphone that may be used include feedback and feedforward microphones in an acoustic noise reduction circuit.
US09838805B2
A new hearing aid system is provided that facilitates determination of listening performance of a user of the hearing aid system and adjustment of a hearing aid for improved listening performance.
US09838787B1
An acoustic device that is adapted to be worn on the body of a user, with a first acoustic transducer and a second acoustic transducer, where the first transducer is closer to the expected location of a first ear of the user than is the second transducer, a third acoustic transducer and a fourth acoustic transducer, where the third transducer is closer to the expected location of a second ear of the user than is the fourth transducer, and a controller that is adapted to independently control the phase and frequency response of the first, second, third and fourth transducers.
US09838775B2
This application relates to earbuds configured with one or more biometric sensors. At least one of the biometric sensors is configured to be pressed up against a portion of the tragus for making biometric measurements. In some embodiments, the housing of the earbud can be symmetric so that the earbud can be worn interchangeably in either a left or a right ear of a user. In such an embodiment, the earbud can include a sensor and circuitry configured to determine and alter operation of the earbud in accordance to which ear the earbud is determined to be positioned within.
US09838768B2
The microphone device includes a tubular support of a conductive material. A microphone unit is provided at one end of the support and grounded to the support. A cable passes through the support and includes core wires connected to a signal output terminal of the microphone unit. A conductive covering material that covers the core wires and is electrically connected to the support.
US09838763B2
A method, implemented in a network with a control plane, is described for creating a compound Service Level Agreement (SLA) call for a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) service in the network. The method includes creating the call with a non-preemptible component and a preemptible component, the compound SLA comprising the non-preemptible component and the preemptible component; implementing endpoints for the call at a source node and a destination node; and responsive to a preemption event in the network, removing the preemptible component at the endpoints. A node and network are also described.
US09838761B2
An intelligent network patch field management system is provided that includes active electronic hardware, firmware, mechanical assemblies, cables, and software that guide, monitor, and report on the process of connecting and disconnecting patch cords plugs in an interconnect or cross-connect patching environment. The system is also capable of monitoring patch cord connections to detect insertions or removals of patch cords or plugs. In addition, the system can map embodiments of patch fields.
US09838758B2
In one embodiment, a method of a relevancy-matching server includes matching primary data generated from a fingerprint data with targeted data based on a relevancy factor, locating in a storage the targeted data, a reference to the targeted data, and/or a metadata of the targeted data. A mobile device is associated with a television. An executable environment is constrained in a security sandbox of the mobile device. A sandboxed application is executed in the executable environment capable of bypassing at least one access control of the security sandbox. An embedded object is processed in the sandboxed application. The television and/or the mobile device are to generate the fingerprint data from characteristic features of media data. The relevancy-matching server is to match the targeted data with the primary data such that the relevancy-matching server is to locate in the storage an item based on a relevancy factor.
US09838755B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for determining a lift metric regarding effectiveness of a digital ad campaign for an audio-visual work on subsequent viewership of the audio-visual work. Viewed content from a universe of monitored AV audio-visual devices is collected. Identifiers of audio-visual devices that received an ad impression for the audio-visual work are also collected. The lift metric may be determined from statistical analysis of this data.
US09838753B2
A real-time content identification and tracking system enabling monitoring of television programming consumption specific to an individual television or other viewing device. Metrics collected may include data regarding viewing of specific broadcast media, commercial messages, interactive on-screen information or other programming, as well as locally cached, time-shifted programming. Information about media consumption by such specific television sets or other viewing means may be returned to a commercial client of the system through a trusted third-party intermediary service and, in certain embodiments, encoded tokens may be used to manage the display of certain events as well as to enable robust auditing of each involved party's contractual performance.
US09838747B2
Systems and methods are provided for displaying a short message service (SMS) message on user media equipment, in which the user media equipment includes a set-top box and a display. In some embodiments, the set-top box receives an SMS message, wherein the SMS message includes information identifying a triggering event for displaying the SMS message. The SMS message is stored until the occurrence and detection of the identified triggering event. In response to detecting the occurrence of the identified triggering event, the SMS message is displayed on at least a portion of the display of the user media equipment.
US09838743B2
Systems and methods for identifying, in a network environment in which users watch videos that are downloaded or streamed over a network, a video in which a user is likely to be interested based on session context. For example, a server or other computing system identifies prior session contexts in which prior users watched videos and session progress data for prior sessions in which these prior users watched the videos. The server or other computing system determines a session context of a user for whom a video is to be recommended. For this user, the server or other computing system generates a recommendation identifying one or more videos in which the user is likely to be interested, where the user has not previously watched the recommended videos. The recommendation is generated based on the prior session contexts, the session progress data, and the session context of the user.
US09838729B2
A system for recovering channel bonded program streams may include filters and a collator. The filters may be configured to receive data streams that include multiple chunks of transport stream packets, and marker information items that are indicative of boundaries of the chunks, over multiple bonded channels, and to individually filter the data streams based at least on a utilized program identifier. The collator may be configured to collate the filtered data streams based at least on the marker information items to recover a program stream corresponding to the utilized program identifier. In one or more implementations, the filters may replace, or augment, the marker information items with marker packets that include a program identifier that is not being used for transmitted programs and/or that is reserved for marker packets. The collator may collate the filtered data streams based at least on the marker packets.
US09838723B2
Provided is an image coding method that partitions an input image signal into processing units, and that codes the partitioned image to generate a code sequence. In particular, the image coding method determines a partitioning pattern for hierarchically partitioning the input image signal in order starting from a largest unit of the processing units, generates partition information indicative of the partitioning pattern, and codes partition information. The partition information includes maximum used hierarchy depth information indicative of a maximum used hierarchy depth which is a hierarchy depth of a deepest processing unit of the processing units included in the partitioning pattern.
US09838722B2
Disclosed are a method of encoding a division block in video encoding and a method of decoding a division block in video decoding. An input picture is divided into encoding unit blocks. The encoding unit blocks are divided into sub-blocks. The sub-blocks are encoded by selectively using at least one of intra prediction encoding and inter prediction encoding. A decoding process is performed through a reverse process of the encoding method. When pixel values of an encoding unit block are encoded in video encoding, the flexibility in selecting an encoding mode is increased and the efficiency of encoding is increased.
US09838721B2
Disclosed are a method of encoding a division block in video encoding and a method of decoding a division block in video decoding. An input picture is divided into encoding unit blocks. The encoding unit blocks are divided into sub-blocks. The sub-blocks are encoded by selectively using at least one of intra prediction encoding and inter prediction encoding. A decoding process is performed through a reverse process of the encoding method. When pixel values of an encoding unit block are encoded in video encoding, the flexibility in selecting an encoding mode is increased and the efficiency of encoding is increased.
US09838720B2
Disclosed are a method of encoding a division block in video encoding and a method of decoding a division block in video decoding. An input picture is divided into encoding unit blocks. The encoding unit blocks are divided into sub-blocks. The sub-blocks are encoded by selectively using at least one of intra prediction encoding and inter prediction encoding. A decoding process is performed through a reverse process of the encoding method. When pixel values of an encoding unit block are encoded in video encoding, the flexibility in selecting an encoding mode is increased and the efficiency of encoding is increased.
US09838718B2
In one example, a video coding device is configured to intra-predict a block of video data, using values of pixels along a primary boundary of the block, to form a predicted block, determine whether to filter the predicted block using data of a secondary boundary of the block, and filter the predicted block using data of the secondary boundary in response to determining to filter the predicted block. The video coding device may determine whether to filter the predicted block based on a comparison of a Laplacian value or a gradient difference value to a threshold. The determination of whether to filter the predicted block may be based at least in part on a boundary relationship, e.g., the relationship of one boundary to another, or of a boundary to pixel values of the predicted block.
US09838715B2
There is provided an image processing apparatus which includes a division unit dividing an image into a plurality of images in a bit depth direction, and an encoding unit encoding respectively some or all of the plurality of images acquired by dividing the image in the bit depth direction by the division unit.
US09838713B1
A method for fast transform coding in image compression is provided. The method includes performing prediction with respect to a current block, calculating a prediction error with respect to the current block, performing transform and quantization with respect to the current block, performing dequantization and inverse transform with respect to a transform coefficient generated through the transform and quantization, generating a reconstruction signal by summing a prediction signal generated in the performing of the prediction and a residual signal generated in the performing of the dequantization and inverse transform, calculating a rate-distortion (RD) cost related to the reconstruction signal, determining whether a size of the current block is a minimum block size, partitioning the current block into a plurality of sub-blocks, and performing transform coding with respect to the sub-blocks in response to determination that the size of the current block is not the minimum block size.
US09838710B2
Techniques related to providing motion estimation for arbitrary pixel block shapes are discussed. Such techniques may include generating a distortion mesh for a pixel block based on multiple calls to a motion estimation such that the distortion mesh includes distortion values associated with regions of the pixel block, a seed motion vector, and candidate motion vectors, and determining a best motion vector for the pixel block based on the distortion mesh.
US09838692B2
As part of a video encoding or decoding operation on video data, a video coder performs a coding operation for a current video unit of the video data. As part of performing the coding operation for the current video unit, the video coder determines the availabilities of one or more video units that neighbor the current video unit. In order to determine the availability of a video unit that neighbors the current video unit, the video coder identifies, based on availabilities of video units that neighbor a parent video unit of the current video unit, an entry in a lookup table. The identified entry indicates the availability of the video unit that neighbors the current video unit. The video coder then performs a coding operation on the current video unit based on whether the video unit that neighbors the current video unit is available.
US09838690B1
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses for selective prediction signal filtering. One aspect of the disclosed implementations is a method for encoding a frame of a video stream including determining a first performance measurement for a first set of prediction samples identified for a group of pixels using a first prediction mode, generating a filtered set of prediction samples by applying a filter to a second set of prediction samples, wherein at least one of the filtered set of prediction samples or the second set of prediction samples are identified using a second prediction mode, determining a second performance measurement for the filtered set of prediction samples, generating, using a processor, a residual based on the filtered set of prediction samples and the group of pixels if the second performance measurement exceeds the first performance measurement, and encoding the frame using the residual.
US09838686B2
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for incorporating full-resolution frames in a coding order and corresponding thumbnail images of a motion video into compressed video data. A device to compress video frames includes a processor component; and a compression component for execution by the processor component to intersperse at least one compressed thumbnail frame (T-frame) among multiple compressed full-resolution frames of a motion video arranged in a coding order in a compressed video data, the T-frame comprising multiple thumbnail images of the motion video in compressed form. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09838662B2
A video coder transforms, based on a difference between a bit depth of an initial luma sample and a bit depth of initial chroma samples, a set of initial samples to a set of modified samples. The set of initial samples may include the initial luma sample and the initial chroma samples. The initial chroma samples may include an initial Cb sample and an initial Cr sample. The set of modified samples may include a modified luma sample and modified chroma samples. The modified chroma samples may include a modified Cb sample and a modified Cr sample. Additionally, the video coder adds the modified samples to corresponding samples of a predictive block to produce reconstructed samples.
US09838659B2
An image processing device includes a processor including hardware. The processor is configured to implement an image acquisition process that acquires an image captured by an image sensor that includes a first-color filter having first transmittance characteristics, a second-color filter having second transmittance characteristics, and a third-color filter having third transmittance characteristics, and a correction process that multiplies a pixel value that corresponds to a second color by a first coefficient to calculate a component value that corresponds to the overlapping region of the first transmittance characteristics and the third transmittance characteristics, and corrects a pixel value that corresponds to a first color, the pixel value that corresponds to the second color, and a pixel value that corresponds to a third color based on the component value that corresponds to the overlapping region. The second color is longer in wavelength than the first color and shorter in wavelength than the third color.
US09838657B2
A system, method and program product that provides projection enhancement. A system is described that includes: a digital projector for generating an image projection onto a surface; a spatial sensor configured to sense and locate a blocking object in a light field associated with the digital projector; a masking system that masks a portion of the image projection corresponding to the blocking object; and an enhancement system that generates an enhancement projection onto the blocking object.
US09838650B2
The invention relates to a portable optical sensor module having at least one locking device disposed on an outer side of the portable optical sensor module for releaseably attaching the portable optical sensor module to a carrier platform. The at least one locking device comprises a folding handle device forming a carry handle for the portable optical sensor module in an opened locked state of the at least one locking device.
US09838649B2
Methods and apparatus for monitoring and ranking end caps in a store include video monitoring one or more parameters of end caps, including dwell times, item removal, traffic monitored parameters to determine for example one or more of end cap efficiency, product desirability, and location desirability.
US09838642B2
A signaling method of video content and services broadcast by to a multitude of reception devices, the contents being encoded into data packets transmitted in a transport stream associated with a signaling stream is disclosed that comprises an insertion step of a unique identifier associated with each of the video contents or services in the signaling stream; an insertion step of the unique identifier into packets of the transport stream transmitting the video content or service corresponding to the unique identifier. Advantageously, the unique identifier is derived from a characteristic of the content among the title of the video content or service, the date and theoretical continuous broadcast time of the video content or service. A method for recording and a recording device using the signaling is further disclosed.
US09838640B2
An apparatus and method for receiving and displaying a television signal and a data signal in a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal includes a display unit with a video data display area and a user data display area. The mobile terminal determines in a standby mode whether it is set to a television mode or communication mode. If the mobile terminal is set to the television mode, it controls a tuner to select a desired television channel. The mobile terminal stores video data of a current frame received over the selected channel and user data corresponding to the selected channel in a memory unit, outputs video data of a previous frame stored in the memory unit to the video data display area of the display unit in a frame period and then outputs the user data stored in the memory unit to the user data display area of the display unit upon completing the output of the video data of the previous frame. In the communication mode, the mobile terminal stops the operation of the tuner and displays user data generated in the communication mode in the video data display area and user data display area.
US09838638B2
A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising pixels, a unit including a detecting element and a switch element, a signal line connected to the detecting element through the switch element, and a controller, the controller obtains, before a start of radiation irradiation, a first signal of the signal line with the switch element being in a non-conductive state and a second signal of the signal line with the switch element being in a conductive state, obtains, in response to the start of the irradiation, a third signal of the signal line with the switch element being in the non-conductive state and a fourth signal of the signal line with the switch element being in the conductive state, and performs AEC based on the first to fourth signals.
US09838636B2
Provided is an image pickup apparatus, including: first and second photoelectric conversion elements; first and second transfer transistors configured to transfer charges respectively from the first and second photoelectric conversion elements when the first and second transfer transistors are brought into conductive states, respectively; a floating diffusion region configured to accumulate the charges transferred by the first and second transfer transistors; an amplifying transistor configured to output a signal corresponding to the charges transferred by the first and second transfer transistors; first and second drive wirings, which are electrically connected to gates of the first and second transfer transistors, respectively; and a conductive member, which is configured to electrically connect the floating diffusion region and a gate of the amplifying transistor to each other, and is configured to extend beyond the floating diffusion region in a plan view while being opposed to the first drive wiring.
US09838628B2
Capturing an image including: receiving an exposure time for an image sensor; measuring time to saturation for each sensel of a plurality of sensels of the image sensor; and calculating a number of electrons that would have been collected by each sensel with unlimited storage capacity using the time to saturation, the exposure time, and an electron collection capacity of a storage unit of each sensel. Key words include sensor saturation and high-dynamic range.
US09838622B2
Devices and methods for adjusting an exposure window of a rolling shutter based on a frequency determined from ambient light gathered by a bimodal component are disclosed. Flickering light sources may cause artifacts in captured images, due to interplay between a period of a frequency of ambient light and the exposure window. An image capture device includes a semiconductor component configured to operate in two modes and an exposure window control component configured to compensate for the flickering based on a signal from the light source. In a sensor mode, the semiconductor component may operate to detect the frequency of ambient light. To avoid image artifacts, the frequency of the ambient light is analyzed and an exposure time is adjusted to an integer multiple of the period of the frequency such that exposure is matched to the periodic illumination of the flickering light source.
US09838604B2
A method, system, and computer program product for stabilizing frames, the method comprising: receiving a frame sequence comprising three or more frames, including a current frame; determining salient feature points within the frames; matching the salient feature points between the frames; dropping salient feature points associated with advancing objects; dropping salient feature points associated with objects moving in shaking movements; computing a transformation between pairs of consecutive frames from amongst the at least three frames, based upon non-dropped salient feature points, thereby obtaining a multiplicity of transformations; determining a center position for the frames based upon the multiplicity of transformations; determining a stabilizing transformation from a current frame to the center position; and applying the stabilizing transformation to the current frame to obtain a stabilized frame.
US09838603B2
According to aspects of the disclosure, a method is provided for use in an electronic device, comprising: capturing one or more image frames by using at least one image sensor of the electronic device; displaying, on a display, a first image that is generated by performing a first-type Digital Image Stabilization (DIS1) based on at least some of the image frames; and storing, in a memory, a second image generated by performing a second-type Digital Image Stabilization (DIS2) based on at least some of the image frames.
US09838597B2
An imaging device includes: an imaging unit imaging an object and generating image data of the object; a display unit displaying an image corresponding to the image data; a display controller controlling the display unit to display an expression guide image in which at least a part of expression of a face in the object has been changed; an expression determination unit determining similarity between the expressions in the image and in the expression guide image; an imaging controller controlling the imaging unit to continuously image the object until the expression determination unit determines that the expressions in the image and in the expression guide image are matched, wherein the display controller controls the display unit to display another expression guide image at a time the expression determination unit determines that the expressions in the image in the expression guide image are matched.
US09838586B2
A portable machine vision component for use in machine vision systems is provided. The component can include a base portion configured to removably connect with a machine vision device, the base portion including an electrical input and an electrical output. The component can also include a control system operatively connected with the base portion, the control system configured to control an operation of the machine vision device and to receive feedback from the machine vision device. The component can further include one or more interface elements associated with the base portion, the one or more interface elements configured to allow a user to access the control system and communicate with the machine vision device.
US09838569B2
An information processing device includes a processing part, a controlling part, and a providing part. The processing part executes a process. The controlling part controls the processing part to execute the process when the process corresponding to an operation on an operating image is requested from a display device that temporarily stores and displays an externally provided operating image. The providing part provides a first operating image to be displayed by the display device to the display device, and provides, to the display device in advance, a second operating image displayed when the first operating image is operated, within a range not exceeding a quantity predetermined as an upper limit.
US09838568B2
An image reading apparatus and an image forming system are provided which can reduce the influence of magnification error, detect patches in correct positions, and save the sheets required for adjusting an image. The image reading apparatus makes use of an image scanner which reads patches printed on a sheet P, a spectral colorimeter which colorimetrically measures the patches read by the image scanner, and is provided with a timing compensation unit which compensates the colorimetric measurement timing with which colorimetric operation of the spectral colorimeter is triggered based on the positional information of the patches read by the image scanner, and an image correction unit which corrects the color information of the patches read by the image scanner based on the colorimetric values of the patches colorimetrically measured by the spectral colorimeter.
US09838567B2
A print control apparatus for controlling a printing apparatus that calculates the amount of change between a designated color and a color measured, and is capable of executing a color accuracy verification, and a color correction includes: a job management unit that analyzes a print job and acquires a required color accuracy level, and calculates and manages a required time of the print job; an apparatus management unit that acquires a result of the color accuracy verification, predicts the degradation of the color accuracy, and calculates and manages a color correction effective time; and an output management unit that sets the output order of print jobs waiting to be output and the execution timing of the color correction, the required time of the print job, and the color correction effective time, and instructs the printing apparatus to execute the processing of the print job and the color correction.
US09838552B2
A managing server accepts an instruction of a message intended to be displayed on a screen of an image processing apparatus from a user, and generates page information including the message and first instruction information corresponding to the accepted instruction. The image processing apparatus periodically performs a first inquiry about instruction information for the image processing apparatus to the managing server, displays, in response to a notification based on the first instruction information from the managing server, a message corresponding to the notification in a status display area of a displaying unit, acquires the page information including the message related to the first instruction information from the managing server, and displays the acquired page information on the displaying unit.
US09838549B1
An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a first storage unit that stores registree information of users registered to work on the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a processor programmed to determine whether or not work needs to be performed on the image forming apparatus by a worker based on a predetermined condition, obtain presence information of a registree from a second storage unit, the presence information indicating the presence state of the registree, identify one or more registrees associated with the work to be done, in a case where work needs to be done on the image forming apparatus by a worker, and upon determining that one or more registrees is present, perform a notification process that notifies one of the present registrees that work needs to be done on the image forming apparatus.
US09838545B2
According to an embodiment, a DSL transceiver includes a power mode controller and a transmitter. The power mode controller is configured to set the DSL transceiver in a low power mode and move the DSL transceiver out of the low power mode responsive to the DSL transceiver receiving data. The transmitter is configured to transmit data only on a first group of sub-carriers when the power mode controller is moving the DSL transceiver out of the low power mode, the first group of sub-carriers being a subset of the sub-carriers available to the DSL transceiver for transmission.
US09838540B2
A computing apparatus uses an interactive user assessment test to identify and/or assess the need and skills of the user as part of an enrollment process for the user to register for the services of the system that provides real time communications connections between users and advisers. The advisers provide coaching services over real time communications connections provided via the system. A recommendation engine is configured to use the assessment results to recommend advisers for the user based on the need and skills of the user, as well as the real time availability of the advisers to provide the coaching services.
US09838537B2
A call center system has a computerized server executing software (SW) from a machine-readable medium, a data collection function of the SW enabled for collecting data regarding incoming transactions, a data processing function coupled to the data collection engine and enabled for processing the data collected against a set of business rules, the data processing function determining a priority level for individual ones of the incoming transactions, and a distribution function enabled for distributing a priority indication determined by the data processing function to one or more presentation interfaces accessible to agents, at or near the time the associated transaction is engaged by the agent.
US09838526B2
Systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable media for allowing a user to switch between watches that have been paired with a device such as a smartphone are described. In one embodiment, the watches automatically detect a removal of a first watch from a user's wrist and an attachment of a second watch to the user's wrist. Messages from the watches are transmitted to the device to allow the device to switch the active watch from the first watch to the second watch. The switch can occur while the device is in a locked state, and the device can synchronize the second watch with data received from the first watch. Other embodiments are also described.
US09838523B2
A mobile terminal apparatus including an operation lock mode setting unit that sets an operation lock mode; an event container display control unit that displays, when a predetermined event occurs, an event container indicating the occurred predetermined event on a display unit; an event container display change control unit that sets an event container between an active state and an inactive state; a lock canceling operation unit that cancels the operation lock mode; and a canceling operation handling control unit that, when an active-state event container is displayed on the display unit and the operation lock mode is canceled, performs automatic activation and display of an application program corresponding to the event of the active-state event container, and when all event containers on the display unit are in the inactive state and the operation lock mode is canceled, displays a predetermined display screen on the display unit.
US09838519B1
A mobile device case which enables a secure use of a mobile device using one hand. An aspect of an embodiment of the invention includes a multi-finger holder which is traversable across the rear of the case. The holder ensures a more secure grip by a user by way of finger holders which fit the user's fingers.
US09838513B2
A method of wirelessly communicating a packet includes generating, at a first wireless device, a first packet including a first preamble decodable by a plurality of devices and a second preamble decodable by only a subset of the plurality of devices. The first preamble includes a first signal field. The second preamble includes a first training field. The method further includes transmitting the first packet concurrently with one or more second packets to be transmitted by wireless devices other than the first wireless device.
US09838509B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a data processing method and apparatus. The method includes: receiving a data packet sent by a server, and acquiring a type of the data packet; determining whether the type of the data packet is consistent with a type of a data packet processed by using a preset processing rule or a type of a protocol in a preset TCP/IP protocol stack to obtain a determining result; and if the type of the data packet is consistent with the type of the data packet processed by using the preset processing rule or the type of the protocol in the preset TCP/IP protocol stack, performing processing on the data packet according to the protocol in the preset TCP/IP protocol stack or the preset processing rule.
US09838508B2
A method and apparatus for enhancing a user's lifestyle and personal care is provided. The design includes a personal care combination display/mirror device comprising a surface operating as a reflective surface and a plurality of connection ports, each connection port configured to receive a hardware personal care module to facilitate personal care of a user, wherein personal care comprises at least one of health, fitness, wellness, fashion, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The personal care combination display/mirror device is configured to transmit and receive user personal care communications personalized to the user, for the user to freely substitute selected and different hardware personal care modules in the plurality of connection ports, and to maintain an interactive diary for the user.
US09838482B1
In one embodiment, a system uses a two-layer deterministic function, such as a hashing mechanism, to ensure session stickiness or affinity. A client can generate a session key that can be used for at least two things. First, a load balancer can be selected by the client using the session key by using a consistent or deterministic hashing algorithm so that the same load balancer is selected from a set of weighted load balancers. After selecting the load balancer, the client can send the request to the selected load balancer. The load balancer then uses the same session key, which can be transmitted in an HTTP header, to select a backend host server computer. The result is that session affinity is maintained.
US09838474B2
The described embodiments distribute and synchronize objects in a network. More specifically, the described embodiments distribute copies of objects locally (i.e., store copies of objects in local address spaces). By storing a copy of a given object in a local address space, the object's methods may be executed locally, which can help to avoid excessive network traffic associated with remotely executing the object's methods. However, executing an object's methods locally can result in the state of the object (i.e., data associated with the object, etc.) becoming out of sync with other copies of the object in the network. To avoid issues associated with unsynchronized copies of the object in the network, the described embodiments use a policy that specifies conditions under which objects are to be synchronized.
US09838468B2
A system and method for directing entrants at a checkpoint using a mobile device, wherein the method can comprise receiving by an Access Control Operations Center (ACOC) server a request for entry, identification data, and a mobile number from a checkpoint computer that are related to an entrant. The method can comprise requesting one or more records associated with the identification data, from one or more public records databases to perform a background check. The method can comprise receiving by the ACOC server the records from the one or more public record databases, determining an initial adjudication result of the background check, communicating an initial directive by the ACOC server to the entrant or to an attendant if the initial adjudication result of the background check does not meet predefined criteria, and sending a subsequent directive on the mobile number based on a subsequent adjudication of the background.
US09838464B2
Remote access is provided to content from a thin client, such as an internet browser, of a communication terminal. A method is provided for accessing at least one piece of content from a thin client of a remote communication terminal, the content being executed by a device for providing access to content on a communication network. The access method includes replication of at least one content replication signal by the thin client. The replication signal that is received by the thin client during a communication session with the content access provider device is produced by an execution module of the content access provider device and relayed unprocessed by a decoy module of the content access provider device. The decoy module is registered with the content access provider device as a virtual replication peripheral.
US09838448B2
A method of reducing interference between wireless networks operating on channels with different bandwidths is proposed. One wireless network operates on a narrow band channel while the other network operates on a wide band channel that overlaps the narrow band channel. The method involves communicating information regarding the wide band channel to the devices of the network operating on the narrow band channel. A device in the network operating on the wide band channel constructs a special frame that carries its network ID as well as information regarding the wide band channel that it is operating on, namely the center frequency and the channel bandwidth. The device then broadcasts this frame on the narrow band channel. In addition, this frame is protected from possible collision by preceding the transmission of the frame by protection frames on both the channels.
US09838441B2
A hybrid communication system estimates a quality of service (QoS) for a plurality of session channels available to couple a first device on a first network with a second device on a second network. A first session channel is selected, from the plurality of session channels, that has a highest estimated QoS of all the plurality of session channels over a first time interval. The devices are instructed to establish a hybrid media session using the first session channel. During the hybrid media session the estimated QoS for the plurality of session channels is monitored. Responsive to the monitoring, a second session channel is selected, from the plurality of session channels, that has a highest estimated QoS of all the plurality of session channels over a second time interval. Responsive to the selecting, the devices are instructed establish the hybrid media session using the second session channel.
US09838435B2
Different types of soft-lockout policies can be associated with different organizations (or groups) in an identity management system. Each soft-lockout policy can indicate different parameters such as a number of login attempts allowed and an amount of time that a user account will be locked-out if the maximum allowed attempts are exceeded unsuccessfully. Users can be associated with the different organizations. For each user, the soft-lockout policies for the organization with which that user is associated are applied to that user when that user attempts to log in. Thus, different groups of users can be handled with different security behaviors regarding unsuccessful login attempts. If, for example, a user were to become moved from one organization to another, then the soft-lockout policies associated with the user's new organization would become applicable to that user.
US09838432B2
A method of protecting data items in an organizational computer network, including, defining multiple information profiles for classifying the data item, defining rules for protecting the data item belonging to a specific information profile, classifying the data item according to the defined information profiles, applying a protection method to the data item responsive to the classification and the defined rules, automatically updating the classification of the data item responsive to a change in the content or location of the data item; and automatically transforming the applied protection method, throughout the lifecycle of the data item, responsive to a change in classification or location of the data item, according to the defined rules.
US09838425B2
Network access control systems and methods are provided herein. A method includes receiving at a network device a SYN packet from a client device over a network, determining if the client device is a trusted source for the network using the SYN packet, if the client device is a trusted resource, receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) packet from the client device that includes identifying information for the client device plus an additional value, and identifying information for the network device, and establishing a connection with the network for the client device.
US09838424B2
Techniques to contain lateral movement of attackers through just-in-time (JIT) provisioned accounts comprising an account management component to receive a request from a first account via a client device for a second account to access a server device in a set of server devices, an account authorization component to authorize the request for the second account based at least partially on account information associated with the first account, an account provisioning component to provision the second account to enable a client to access the server device, and an account notification component to provide account information associated with the second account to a client via the client device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09838422B2
Detecting a denial-of-service attack on a graph database is provided. In response to receiving a request to process a graph query on the graph database from a client device via a network, a graph query pattern of the graph query is determined. In response to determining that the graph query pattern of the graph query matches a stored graph query pattern that lead to a previous denial-of-service attack on the graph database, the graph query is identified as the denial-of-service attack on the graph database. Then, the request to process the graph query is denied by dropping the graph query.
US09838414B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method of performing security asset management. The system and/or method may schedule vulnerability scanners to scan the various portions of one or more networks and obtain the results of the vulnerability scans. IP addresses may be assigned to each of vulnerability scanners to scan. The system obtains the results of the vulnerability scans and may adjust the results of the scans according to configuration of the one or more networks that an IP address is associated with. The system and/or method may also assign and reassign IP addresses amongst the scanners to optimize scanning speed.
US09838413B2
A method in a cloud-based security system includes operating a Domain Name System (DNS) resolution service, proxy, or monitor in the cloud-based security system; receiving DNS records with time-to-live (TTL) parameters; checking the TTL parameters for indication of a fast flux technique; and detecting domains performing the fast flux technique based on the DNS records. A cloud-based security system includes a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled to one or more users; and a Domain Name System (DNS) service providing a resolution service, proxy, or monitor in the cloud-based security system; wherein the DNS service is configured to receive DNS records with time-to-live (TTL) parameters; check the TTL parameters for indication of a fast flux technique; and detect domains performing the fast flux technique based on the DNS records.
US09838411B1
A system features one or more network devices communicatively coupled to a management system. Configured to receive a portion of the network traffic, a first network device features one or more virtual machines that, based on a subscribed protection level, (i) perform network activities in response to a processing of the received portion of the analyzed network traffic, (ii) monitor behaviors of the one or more virtual machines during processing of the portion of the analyzed network traffic, (iii) determine whether the behaviors are anomalous, and (iv) generate an identifier for the portion of the analyzed network traffic associated with monitored behaviors being anomalous. The management system controls a setting of the protection level for the first network device to alter a frequency of receipt of identifiers associated with analyzed network traffic from a second network device of the one or more network devices different from the first network device.
US09838410B2
A security platform employs a variety techniques and mechanisms to detect security related anomalies and threats in a computer network environment. The security platform is “big data” driven and employs machine learning to perform security analytics. The security platform performs user/entity behavioral analytics (UEBA) to detect the security related anomalies and threats, regardless of whether such anomalies/threats were previously known. The security platform can include both real-time and batch paths/modes for detecting anomalies and threats. By visually presenting analytical results scored with risk ratings and supporting evidence, the security platform enables network security administrators to respond to a detected anomaly or threat, and to take action promptly.
US09838409B2
In one embodiment, a device in a network analyzes data indicative of a behavior of a network using a supervised anomaly detection model. The device determines whether the supervised anomaly detection model detected an anomaly in the network from the analyzed data. The device trains an unsupervised anomaly detection model, based on a determination that no anomalies were detected by the supervised anomaly detection model.
US09838406B2
A method, product and computer program product for evaluating a generation of malware variants, the method including the steps of: scanning, with one or more malware detectors, a variant of a malware specimen; determining an evasiveness characteristic of the variant and a maliciousness characteristic of the variant; determining a likelihood that the variant meets one or more criteria based at least on the evasiveness characteristic of the variant and the maliciousness characteristic of the variant; and based on the determined likelihood, selecting the variant for propagation.
US09838404B2
A method and an apparatus to perform multi-connection traffic analysis and management are described. In one embodiment, the method includes analyzing data packets in the first data flow of a client application for a pattern of interest, where the client application communicates data using first and second data flows. In response to the method detecting a pattern of interest in the first data flow, the method identifies the second data flow and identifies a traffic policy for the second data flow. The method applies the identified traffic policy to the second data flow. Other embodiments have been claimed and described.
US09838403B2
Disclosed is a system and method for processing account registration by identifying account candidates attempting to open an account as abusive. That is, the present disclosure discusses identifying, and challenging and marking abusive account registration. The present disclosure takes into account users' behaviors on a network and the impact to the cost and/or revenue of the network. The present disclosure is proactive as it allows for actions to be taken at the earliest possible time in the registration process before an account is created. This prevents abusive activity from taking place within the network and effecting services and privileges available to legitimate users. Additionally, the effects of the disclosed systems and methods minimize the negative impacts of abusive activity on normal user accounts.
US09838401B2
Examples of the present disclosure provide a method, client terminal device and system for verifying page information, the method includes: verification decryption information of real verification information of each of pages to be verified is obtained from a verification information server; real verification information of a page to be browsed by a user is obtained by decrypting the verification decryption information; and risk warning information is displayed when the real verification information of the page to be browsed by the user differs from actual verification information of the page to be browsed by the user. Technical solutions of the present disclosure may verify the page to be browsed after the page is obtained, and when it is determined after the verification that there is a risk, risk warning information may be displayed on the client terminal. Thus the reliability of network security may be increased.
US09838400B2
A system and method uses any or all of information of a user and/or user's activity at a second web site, information of the user's friends or other connections at the second web site, or registration information of the user, to determine whether to allow the user to communicate with other users of a first web site, prevent the user from communicating with other users of the first web site, or monitor the user's communications and allow or prevent the user from further communication based on the monitored communications at the first web site.
US09838389B2
An integrated circuit, a code generating method, and a data exchange method are described. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of field effect transistors, a plurality of sense-amplifiers, and a processing circuit. Each field effect transistor is configured to represent an address in a mapping table and includes a source, a drain, a channel and a gate. Each sense-amplifier is connected to the drain and configured to sense an electric current from the drain and identify a threshold voltage of the corresponding field effect transistor. The processing circuit is configured to categorize each of the threshold voltages identified by the corresponding sense-amplifiers into a first state and a second state and mark the state of each of the threshold voltages at the corresponding address in the mapping table.
US09838383B1
A method includes receiving a target credential object having administrative rights over a first user account located on a target system. The first user account includes a log-in permission for the target system. The method also includes receiving data indicative of a second user account corresponding to the first user account, wherein the second user account is located on a local system. The method further includes sending a first request to remove the log-in permission from the first user account to the target system using the target credential object. The method still further includes receiving a log-in request corresponding to the second user account on the local system. The method additionally includes, in response to receiving the log-in request for the second user account, sending a second request to add the log-in permission on the first user account to the target system using the target credential object.
US09838381B2
A certificate management apparatus retains an important certificate, while deleting the oldest referenced certificate. An update determination information output unit outputs update determination information being information for determining whether or not to update a certificate. A certificate cache stores the certificate on a volatile memory. An operation unit stores the update determination information output by the update determination information output unit in the certificate cache by relating to the certificate, and based on the update determination information stored in the certificate cache, updates the certificate related to the update determination information.
US09838378B2
Securing a server before connecting the server to a data communications network in a data center may include: establishing a proximity-based communications connection with a service processor of a server, where the server is not coupled to a data communications network; and transmitting, via the proximity-based data communications connection, a digital certificate to the service processor of the server, where the digital certificate is configured to enable access to the server only by a system management server.
US09838374B2
A computer-implemented method of and a first web service system for anonymously authenticating a service user having an account associated with a first web service system are disclosed. The method is executable by a processor and comprises receiving an authentication request originating from a device of the service user, the authentication request comprising data identifying the account of the service user; generating, based on data relating to the account of the service user, a token comprising first data anonymously authenticating the service user and second data identifying an action that a second web service system is authorized to perform for the service user; storing, in a memory, at least one of the first and second data of the token; and transmitting the generated token to the second web service system. A computer-implemented method executable by a second web service system and a second web service system are also disclosed.
US09838373B2
Devices, systems, and methods of detecting user identity, differentiating between users of a computerized service, and detecting a possible attacker. The methods include monitoring of user-side input-unit interactions, in general and in response to an interference introduced to user-interface elements. The monitored interactions are used for detecting an attacker that utilizes a remote access channel; for detecting a malicious automatic script, as well as malicious code injection; to identify a particular hardware assembly; to perform user segmentation or user characterization; to enable a visual login process with implicit two-factor authentication; to enable stochastic cryptography; and to detect that multiple users are utilizing the same subscription account.
US09838372B2
A particular authentication-based service is implemented via a physical authentication device. A service description of the particular authentication-based service is read from the physical authentication device via a user terminal; and based thereon, a service request is generated, which specifies a capability description of the user terminal. A communication node receives the service request and checks this against a database containing information about which node in a set of nodes that stores downloadable software for implementing which authentication-based services on which types of user terminals. If a match is found between at least one node and the particular authentication-based service, a download identification message is sent to the user terminal, which specifies at least one address string uniquely identifying a respective location for the downloadable software stored in the matching node(s). The downloadable software is configured to implement the particular authentication-based service on the particular mobile communication apparatus.
US09838370B2
A cloud infrastructure system includes one or more computing devices and is configured to receive subscription order information related to one or more services subscribed to by a customer of the cloud infrastructure system, the service selected from one or more services provided by the cloud infrastructure system. The cloud infrastructure system receives a set of one or more mapping rules configured to map business attributes to resource provisioning information for one or more of the one or more services provided by the cloud infrastructure system. The cloud infrastructure system determines whether one or more business attributes in the subscription order information satisfy one or more mapping rules in the set of mapping rules and generates resource provisioning information for one or more resources associated with the one or more services based on resource provisioning information in the one or more mapping rules satisfied by the one or more business attributes in the subscription order information.
US09838367B2
According to an embodiment provided herein, there is provided a system that binds a trusted output session to a trusted input session. The system includes a processor to execute an enclave application in an architecturally protected memory. The system includes at least one logic unit forming a trusted entity to, responsive to a request to set up a trusted I/O session, generate a unique session identifier logically associated with the trusted I/O session and set a trusted I/O session indicator to a first state. The system includes at least one logic unit forming a cryptographic module to, responsive to the request to set up the trusted I/O session, receive an encrypted encryption key and the unique session identifier from the enclave application; verify the unique session identifier; and responsive a successful verification, decrypt and save the decrypted encryption key in an encryption key register.
US09838348B2
A search query for searching electronic messages, such as email, may be used to search for different types of items, such as and without limitation electronic messages, contacts, photos, documents, such as and without limitation papers, presentations, etc., business entities, personal information extracted from messages, such as and without limitation purchase orders, shipments, reservations, travel itineraries, etc. Several sources of data, which may be indexed for searching, such as and without limitation a personal mail search index, contacts, or business entity, index, attachments index, extracted data index, etc. may be searched using the search query. A number of top search result items, which may include different types of items, may be presented apart from other search result items.
US09838345B2
Systems and methods for generation of a relationship history or text for a new message. In one embodiment, a method includes: scanning, by a computing device, a set of messages to or from a user to generate a plurality of profiles for persons associated with the messages, each person being a sender or a recipient of at least one of the set of messages, and the persons including a first person; generating, via the computer, a relationship history using the plurality of profiles, wherein the relationship history is for a relationship between the user and the first person; and presenting the relationship history to the user.
US09838340B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for storing message data in a PubSub system. In certain examples, messages are received from a plurality of publishers for a plurality of distinct channels. The messages are ordered and stored in a plurality of buffers, with each channel having its own respective buffer. After a message has been written to a writable portion of the buffer for a channel, a pointer demarking a boundary between a readable portion of the buffer and the writeable portion of the buffer is advanced in an atomic operation. Following the atomic operation, the message resides in the readable portion and may be accessed by PubSub system components and/or processes. In general, one or more subscribers, components, or processes may read messages from the readable portion, in parallel.
US09838336B2
A plurality of forwarding nodes includes: a topology holding unit that holds as first topology information connection relationship between an own node and at least part of the group of nodes; a topology notification unit that notifies a node(s) adjacent to the own node among the group of nodes of the first topology information; and an in-band communication unit that notifies a control apparatus of the first topology information. The control apparatus includes: a topology configuration unit that generates second topology information by combining a plurality of pieces of the first topology information notified by the plurality of forwarding nodes; and an in-band control unit that derives a path from the control apparatus to the plurality of forwarding nodes based on the second topology information and establishes a control channel for controlling the plurality of forwarding nodes along the derived path.
US09838331B2
The present disclosure provides a method for forwarding to a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) receiver a TCP transmission sent from a TCP sender. The method includes: determining Time Division Duplex (TDD) reconfiguration time required for a TDD reconfiguration; comparing the TDD reconfiguration time with a predetermined threshold; suspending the forwarding of the TCP transmission to the TCP receiver during the TDD reconfiguration time if the TDD reconfiguration time is larger than the predetermined threshold; and resuming the suspended forwarding of the TCP transmission after the TDD reconfiguration time has lapsed. The present disclosure also provides a method for transmitting a TCP transmission to a TCP receiver, a base station and a user equipment.
US09838330B2
A system and method can support efficient packet switching in a network environment. A networking device, such as a network switch, which includes a crossbar fabric, can be associated with a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports. Furthermore, the networking device operates to detect a link state change at an output port on the networking device. The output port can provide one or more credits to an output scheduler, and the output scheduler allows one or more packets targeting the output port to be dequeued from one or more virtual output queues, based on the one or more credits.
US09838309B1
In general, techniques for facilitating a distributed network (L3) subnet by which multiple independent control planes of network devices connected to physically separate L2 networks provide L2 reachability to/from a single L3 subnet. In some examples, a shared L2 network physically situated to connect a plurality of physically separate L2 networks “stitches” the L2 networks together within the respective, independent control planes of switches such that the control planes bridge L2 traffic for a single bridge domain for the separate L2 networks to the shared L2 network and visa-versa. Each of the independent control planes may be configured with a virtual IRB instance associated with the bridge domain and with a common network subnet. Each of the virtual IRBs provides a functionally similar routing interface for the single bridge domain for the separate L2 networks and allows the shared network subnet to be distributed among the independent control planes.
US09838306B2
Techniques are described for establishing a second label switched path (LSP) instance of an LSP having a first LSP instance. In one example, for each downstream router designated for the second LSP instance of the LSP, the router determines whether the router is part of the first instance of the LSP and, if so, whether the first and second LSP instances for that downstream router share a common link to a nexthop router. If the first and second LSP instances share a common link to a nexthop router, the downstream router transmits a first message to the nexthop router, wherein the first message includes a suggested label. The downstream router receives, from the nexthop router, a second message, wherein the second message includes the suggested label. In another example, a label reuse indicator flag in a message from the ingress router causes routers on the second LSP instance to reuse the label of the first LSP instance when the same link is used to the upstream router for both LSP instances.
US09838305B2
A method, system and apparatus for an OpenFlow hybrid architecture network device. In one embodiment, a hybrid approach is enabled by a network device that brackets an OpenFlow forwarding plane with conventional forwarding planes. Interfaces between the OpenFlow forwarding plane is provided via logical ports that pass packets along with associated metadata.
US09838303B2
Techniques are described for enhancements to Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) to enable a last hop router (LHR) to perform source discovery and directly build or join a source tree. According to the techniques of this disclosure, the LHR builds a communication channel with a rendezvous point (RP) router and requests source information for at least one multicast group for which the LHR has interested receivers. The RP responds to the request by looking into a register database maintained by the RP and sending source information indicating at least one source that is actively providing traffic for the at least one multicast group. Based on the response, the LHR initiates a (S,G) PIM Join message toward the at least one source for the at least one multicast group to directly build or join at least one source tree.
US09838293B2
Disclosed are a throughput test method and apparatus. The method includes: a first network device generating a periodic detection message through a data processor; the first network device sending the detection message to a second network device to be tested, wherein a first throughput value of the first network device is greater than or equal to a second throughput value of the second network device; the first network device receiving a loopback detection message looped back by the second network device; the first network device obtaining a first quantity value of the detection messages as well as a second quantity value of the loopback detection messages; and the first network device obtaining the second throughput value characterizing the throughput of the second network device through the data processor based on the first quantity value and the second quantity value.
US09838289B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for scanning data received from a computer network. Included is a central processing unit for processing data. Coupled between the central processing unit and a network is a network processor. Such network processor is capable of scanning data received from the network based on an update. Such network processor is further capable of receiving the update via the network.
US09838288B2
A method includes analyzing bandwidth usage during a first phase of streaming of media and during a second phase of the streaming of the media. The first phase corresponds to the streaming of the media before a buffer is filled with a threshold amount of data associated with the media. The second phase corresponds to the streaming of the media after the buffer is filled with the threshold amount of the data and while the media continues to be buffered. The method includes calculating a size of the buffer based on a difference in the bandwidth usage during the first phase relative to the second phase. The method further includes determining an end time of the media based on the size of the buffer. The end time of the media occurs after a time when the data associated with the media completes downloading to the buffer.
US09838285B2
A connection monitoring device includes: first and second connection systems in which monitored devices are connected in cascade in forward and backward directions, respectively; a storage unit to store configuration information on connection configuration of the monitored devices and connection permitting information including information on a path permitted between the connection monitoring device and the monitored devices within paths undefined in the configuration information; and a control unit to change from a first monitoring state in which the connection configuration of the monitored devices is monitored in accordance with the configuration information to a second monitoring state in which the connection configuration of the monitored devices is monitored in accordance with the configuration information and the connection permitting information in a case where a configuration modification, accompanied with cutting of any one of connections of the first and second connection systems, of the monitored devices is performed.
US09838283B2
Techniques for synchronized address coding and print sequencing are disclosed. In one embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for assignment of a geographical based unique address identification code (e.g., a Synchronized ID (SID or Pointer)) to a dwelling or business. The techniques may further include integration of a SID based Master Address Database, SID based search maps and/or the association of a delivery sequence number to one or more SIDs or Pointers. The delivery sequence may contain the route and the delivery sequence within the route. The delivery sequence may thus facilitate the sortation of documents and parcels into the intended delivery sequence at the time of printing the address label or waybill. The descriptive address and delivery sequence associated to a pointer may be obtained via internet from the master address database to be displayed or printed. Thus, the system may avoid stagnant or outdated data.
US09838282B2
A method in a network node is disclosed. The method comprises sending one or more packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) packet data units (PDUs) to a second network node on an internode interface, each of the one or more PDUs having an associated PDCP sequence number and an associated internode interface specific sequence number, the internode interface specific sequence numbers assigned by the network node. The method further comprises receiving feedback from the second network node.
US09838256B2
A system for remote device management includes in a network an auto-configuration server managing device, at least one database, and a plurality of auto-configuration servers. The auto-configuration server managing device and the database are coupled in a communicative connection. The database holds information for identification of electronic devices. The auto-configuration server managing device is arranged for communication with a manageable electronic device over the network. The auto-configuration server manager is further being arranged for: receiving a request from the manageable electronic device for configuration data, determining an identification of the manageable electronic device by comparing the request with the information for identification of electronic devices of the database, determining an identification of an auto-configuration server from the plurality of auto-configuration servers in accordance with the identification of the manageable electronic device.
US09838255B2
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a mobile energy management system and method includes controlling at least one network device at a site using the proximity detection of a mobile device which may be based upon the detection of a plurality of zones. Various features may be presented on a graphical user interface of the mobile device including a proximity control feature for enabling and disabling proximity detection, a set location setting for associating the current location of the mobile device with the location of the site, a set travel distance feature enabling the user to enter a travel distance within the graphical user interface, and a map which may present the location of the site, the current location of the mobile device, and the plurality of zones. The network device may be a thermostat associated with the site or other energy consuming appliances.
US09838247B2
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to the communication field and disclose a method and device for selecting a serving gateway entity. The method includes: receiving an access request message of a user equipment UE sent by a base station, where the access request message includes location information of the base station; acquiring, according to the location information of the base station, a signaling plane address list of serving gateway entities SGWs serving the UE; and selecting, according to failure information of paths between the SGWs and neighboring network elements of the SGWs and the acquired signaling plane address list of SGWs serving the UE, an SGW having no failed path to a neighboring network element of the SGW to serve the UE. The device includes: a receiving module, an acquiring module, and a selecting module.
US09838237B2
A circuit for processing Carrier Aggregation (CA) is provided. The circuit includes a plurality of Component Carrier (CC) processors, each CC processor configured to estimate a frequency offset for a related CC and to compensate the estimated frequency offset, a reference clock generator configured to generate a reference clock using a reference frequency offset as one of frequency offsets output from the plurality of CC processors, a plurality of reception Phase Lock Loop (PLL) units, each reception PLL unit configured to generate a reception carrier frequency for the related CC corresponding to the reference clock, and a plurality of transmission PLL units, each transmission PLL unit configured to generate a transmission carrier frequency for the related CC corresponding to the reference clock.
US09838228B2
There are provided a device for removing partial discharge noise and a method of diagnosing the same. The device includes a noise removing device configured to remove noise of a partial discharge signal using a reaction rate difference of signals when the partial discharge signal is generated, and output a signal in which noise is removed, a laser module configured to output a laser beam to a surface of a power device when the partial discharge signal is generated and extract sound wave and vibration data from a reflection signal of the laser beam, a correlation analyzing unit configured to compare the partial discharge signal in which noise is removed input through a sensor connecting unit and the sound wave and vibration data extracted through the laser module, and analyze a correlation, and a partial discharge diagnostic unit configured to perform partial discharge diagnosis on a signal that matches the partial discharge signal in which noise is removed with at least one of a generation cycle, a time, and a phase of the sound wave and vibration data based on a result of correlation analysis of the correlation analyzing unit.
US09838222B2
According to an example, a counter update determination module may receive a counter address for a local counter and map the counter address to a specific forwarding mode of a plurality of forwarding modes. In addition, a remote processing module may receive a posted value associated with the local counter. The remote processing module may include a plurality of forwarding engines respectively associated with a mapped forwarding mode. A forwarding engine of the plurality of forwarding engines may be selected based on the mapped forwarding mode, and the selected forwarding engine may forward the posted value to a remote device for remote processing.
US09838216B2
In a connection-oriented network a point-to-multipoint working path is established between a source node and a plurality of destination nodes using a number of working path intermediate nodes. A point-to-multipoint protection path is established for possible points of failure in the working path. Each protection path connects a first working path intermediate node upstream of a point of failure and destination nodes of the working path downstream of the first working path intermediate node. The point-to-multipoint protection path only connects to destination nodes of the working path and working path intermediate nodes which must be transited to reach the destination nodes of the working path.
US09838207B2
A Power over Ethernet (PoE) system and method that can provide greater power efficiency and reduces greenhouse gas emissions is described. The PoE system includes power supply equipment, Ethernet cabling, and a powered device. When a load is not present at the end of the Ethernet cabling, an injector in the power supply equipment enters a sleep state, thus conserving power and increasing efficiency. When the injector is electrically connected to a load, such as the powered device, a circuit in the injector activates power to a digital control logic and subsequently provides power to a sensing conductor in the Ethernet cable, thereby enabling high efficiency power transfer.
US09838206B2
A network device is provided, which is connected to a receiver. The network device includes a signal processing unit and a transceiver unit. Prior to occurrence of a hardware interrupt event, the signal processing unit detects the connection configuration between the network device and the receiver and outputs a temporary signal corresponding to the configuration of connection. The transceiver unit, which is connected to the signal processing unit and the receiver, receives and stores the temporary signal so that, when a hardware interrupt event occurs, the transceiver unit generates a dying gasp corresponding to the temporary signal and transmits the dying gasp to the receiver.
US09838203B1
Embodiments are directed to a computer-implemented method, computer system, and computer program product for creating a public key token. A public key and private key are generated, using a master key. A set of permissions is received for the public key and private key that note the allowable uses for the public key and private key. Thereafter, the set of permissions, encrypted public key, and other associated information is placed in a public key token.
US09838202B2
Described herein are various technologies pertaining to delivery of token-authenticated encrypted data. Content descriptor(s) (e.g., playlist(s)) can be modified to facilitate exchange of a token for a decryption key for browser(s) that do not provide logic to manage a flow of the token.
US09838199B2
A computer-implemented method of encryption of several units of a computerized system, wherein each of the units comprises data, includes generating distinct initialization vectors, or IVs, for the units, and storing the generated IVs; and for each unit of the several units: accessing a stored IV corresponding to the unit; and encrypting the unit according to the accessed IV and an encryption key.
US09838198B2
A method of performing a keyed cryptographic operation mapping an input message to an output message, wherein the input message comprises m input data and the output message comprises m output data and wherein the cryptographic operation includes at least one round and the cryptographic operation specifies a substitution box for mapping input data into output data, including: transforming each of the m input data into n output data using n split substitution boxes, wherein the n split substitution boxes sum to the specified substitution box; and mixing and combining the m×n output data.
US09838196B2
A synchronization apparatus capable of reducing the effect of the fluctuations in synchronization signals that are caused when the synchronization signals are received through a network are provided. A synchronization apparatus (20) according to the present invention receives a synchronization signal transmitted from a synchronization signal source (10) through a network. The synchronization apparatus (20) includes a frequency synchronization unit (21) that performs frequency synchronization based on a received synchronization signal, and outputs a frequency synchronization signal, a phase synchronization unit (23) that performs phase synchronization based on a synchronization signal transmitted from the synchronization signal source (10) through a network, and outputs a phase synchronization signal, and a phase synchronization control unit (22) that generates an offset value by using a phase difference between the frequency synchronization signal and the phase synchronization signal, and corrects a phase of the frequency synchronization signal by using the offset value.
US09838195B2
A method of measuring a self-interference channel in user equipment in a full duplex radio (FDR) communication environment is disclosed. The method includes receiving, from a base station, resource allocation information including information about a time interval, the base station stopping transmission of a signal in the time interval for measurement of the self-interference channel in the user equipment, transmitting a first reference signal for measurement of the self-interference channel in the time interval specified by the resource allocation information, and receiving a second reference signal input to a receiver of the user equipment according to self-interference in the time interval, wherein the second reference signal is a signal corresponding to the first reference signal transmitted over a wireless channel.
US09838194B2
The present invention relates to a system that includes a transmission/reception point and a user equipment having different configurations in inter-band and performs a TDD (Time Division Duplex) method.
US09838191B2
Carrier aggregation may be performed using licensed (e.g., LTE) and unlicensed (e.g., LTE-U) spectrum in which the amount of data associated with users may be separately tracked for the licensed and unlicensed communications. The tracking for the amount of licensed and unlicensed data may be performed at base stations associated with a wireless network. In some implementations, a base station may maintain a number of profiles that each indicate how and/or when carrier aggregation is to be divided or performed.
US09838182B2
Provided are a method for transmitting hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) positive-acknowledgement (ACK)/negative-acknowledgement (NACK) in a wireless communication system and a wireless device using the same. The wireless device receives downlink control information from a first base station on a downlink control channel and receives a downlink transmission block on a downlink shared channel according to the downlink control information received from the first base station. The wireless device transmits ACK/NACK to a second base station in response to the downlink transmission block on an uplink control channel. The downlink control information includes an indicator used to determine a radio resource for the uplink control channel.
US09838174B2
A broadcasting signal transmitting apparatus that transmits a plurality of signals through a plurality of antennas to increase a data transmission rate. The broadcasting signal transmitting apparatus includes a signal generator configured to generate the plurality of signals each of which includes at least one preamble symbol and data symbols, a frequency allocator configured to allocate a first subcarrier position of a whole frequency to a first preamble symbol included in a first signal among the plurality of signals and to allocate, by shifting a frequency position of the first subcarrier position by a preset interval, a second subcarrier position to a second preamble symbol included in a second signal among the plurality of signals, and a transmitter configured to transmit the plurality of signals through the plurality of antennas. The antennas respectively correspond to subcarrier positions allocated to the plurality of signals.
US09838173B1
A node in a wireless communication network uses a modified data-to-subcarrier mapping on at least a selective basis, wherein the modified mapping effectively extends the cyclic prefix (CP) of a transmission targeted to a given receiver without extending the CP of the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) symbol in which the transmission is conveyed. This approach allows, for example, the node to use a first or normal data-to-subcarrier mapping for transmissions that are targeted to receivers that do not need an effective increase of the CP length, while using the modified mapping for those receivers that need a longer effective CP length, e.g., because of receiver type or channel conditions.
US09838168B2
This disclosure describes systems, methods, computer readable media, and/or apparatus related to encoding wireless communication preamble structures with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) that is performed on both a common part, as well as, station specific parts of a signaling field. The signaling field generated by this mechanism may be relatively shorter, resulting in less preamble overhead, than if a separate CRC was to be provided for each of the station specific parts, as well as the common part of the signaling field. In additional embodiments, tail bits may be provided for a combination of the common part of the signaling field and each station specific part of the signaling field. Compared to providing tail bits separately for the common part and each of the station specific parts, removing the tail bits from the common part may result in relatively less overhead of the preamble structure.
US09838156B1
Systems and methods for performing efficient blind decoding. A first plurality of decision metrics corresponding to a first repetition of periodic decoding information is stored. The first plurality of decision metrics is grouped into sequential portions. A plurality of combined versions of the sequential portions is stored into combining buffers arranged in sequence. Each combined version is associated with a different sequence of timing information. A first of the plurality of combined versions stored in a first of the combining buffers is combined with a second version of a second plurality of decision metrics that corresponds to a second repetition of the periodic decoding information. The second version is associated with timing information adjacent in the timing information sequence to the timing information associated with the first combined version. The data is decoded based on information in the combining buffers.
US09838155B2
The embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus of error re-correction for data of a radio link, and the method includes: when data of a plurality of radio links of a same user equipment received by a base station controller are all incorrect, the base station controller performing bitwise comparison processing on data of two radio links therein, obtaining a difference bit position sequence of the data of the two radio links; performing incorrect route segmentation processing on the data of the two radio link according to the difference bit position sequence, obtaining a plurality of incorrect route groups; performing cross substitution processing on incorrect route groups in the data of the two radio links by groups, and performing check processing on obtained data of a new radio link, until obtaining data of a radio link that are checked successfully.
US09838149B2
A wavelength and bandwidth allocation method which includes in order a wavelength determination step S4 of determining a plurality of wavelengths of an uplink signal from each ONU to OLT to guarantee a guaranteed bandwidth corresponding to a subscription service class of each ONU and a reference bandwidth distribution step S5 of distributing, as reference bandwidths, all bandwidths of the plurality of wavelengths determined in the wavelength determination step S4 to each ONU according to the subscription service class of each ONU and making the reference bandwidths of ONUs whose subscription service classes are the same be the same.
US09838139B2
Optical communication systems and methods using coherently combined optical beams are disclosed. A representative system includes a first mirror having a first actuator for adjusting a position of the first mirror in a path of a first optical beam and a first optical detector for receiving light reflected from the first mirror. The system also includes a second mirror having a second actuator for adjusting a position of the second mirror in a path of a second optical beam and a second optical detector for receiving light reflected from the second mirror. The system includes an interferometer for measuring an interference between the first and second optical beams and a third optical detector for receiving light from the second interfered optical beam. Intensity of the first interfered optical beam is increased by the interference, and intensity of the second interfered optical beam is decreased by the interference.
US09838137B2
A communication device includes: a signal generator configured to generate a plurality of intermediate frequency signals; a combiner configured to combine the plurality of intermediate frequency signals to generate a multichannel signal; a reduction unit configured to reduce a peak-to-average power ratio of the multichannel signal; and a converter configured to convert the multichannel signal whose peak-to-average power ratio is reduced by the reduction unit into an optical signal. The reduction unit reduces a power of the multichannel signal using supplemental signals, frequencies of the supplemental signals being different from frequencies of the intermediate frequency signals, when the power of the multichannel signal is higher than a specified threshold level.
US09838136B2
An apparatus includes a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA). The ROPA includes a bypass filter configured to receive an optical signal and first pump power and to separate the optical signal and the first pump power. The ROPA also includes an amplifier configured to receive the optical signal from the bypass filter and to amplify the optical signal. The ROPA further includes an optical combiner/multiplexer configured to receive the first pump power from the bypass filter, receive at least second and third pump powers, combine at least two of the first, second and third pump powers, and provide different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different locations within the ROPA to feed the amplifier.
US09838132B2
An optical transceiver device is provided, including an O/E transceiver module, an optical switching module and a switching control module, for providing network communication services for a first and a second optical fiber network equipment. The O/E transceiver module is an integrated chip having multiple transceiver units integrated therein. The switching control module is connected to an in-line equipment and the optical switching module for controlling the optical switching module to execute corresponding optical path switching operation according to an optical path switching control signal output from the inline equipment. In comparison with conventional optical transceiver devices, the invention is advantageous of simple structure, smaller volume and more flexible optical path switching.
US09838130B2
A bi-directional optical transceiver module includes: an optical transmission unit to output a transmission signal; an optical reception unit to receive a reception signal, the transmission signal and the reception signal having different corresponding first and second wavelength values within a single channel; a splitter, inclined with respect to an incident direction of the transmission signal output from the optical transmission unit, to transmit the transmission signal to an outside, and reflect optical signals input from the outside, the optical signals including the reception signal; and a reflected light-blocking optical filter unit to pass, as the reception signal among the optical signals reflected by the splitter, an optical signal within a preset wavelength range including the second wavelength value.
US09838125B2
A photonic beamformer is disclosed andh is configured to transmit or receive a plurality of RF input signals from a plurality of antennas. The beamformer receiver includes a plurality of optical modulators, each optical modulator being configured to modulate each of the RF input signals onto an optical carrier, each carrier having a different wavelength. The beamformer receiver also includes a plurality of optical amplifiers, each optical amplifier being configured to vary the optical power of one optical carrier based on a weighting input and generate a weighted optical carrier. The beamformer receiver also includes a plurality of multi-beam optical true-time delays (TTD), each TTD being configured to receive all of the weighted optical carriers and generate a plurality time delayed optical carriers. The beamformer receiver also includes a plurality of detectors configured to detect each of the plurality time delayed optical carriers and generate an electrical signal that represents each of the plurality of received RF input signals.
US09838120B2
An optical signal receiver receives an optical signal superimposed on illumination light from an illumination apparatus which repetitively transmits as the optical signal a frame including predetermined information and a preamble indicating the start of the frame. Further, the optical signal receiver includes a light receiving unit configured to receive the optical signal, and a controller configured to control the light receiving unit based on the optical signal received by the light receiving unit such that the optical signal receiver operates in either one of an intermittent reception mode of intermittently receiving the optical signal and a continuous reception mode of continuously receiving the optical signal.
US09838119B1
A system and method for automatically steering an optical data signal from a transceiver of a base station to a selected mobile endpoint of a plurality of mobile endpoints in a virtual reality or an augmented reality space may include a tracking device that communicates with the base station to establish and track a current location of the selected mobile endpoint. A steering mechanism may steer an optical beam to the determined current location of the selected mobile endpoint and transmit the optical beam to the determined current location of the selected mobile endpoint to transmit an optical data signal to the selected mobile endpoint.
US09838111B2
Techniques for providing closed-loop control and predictive analytics in packet-optical networks are described. For example, an integrated, centralized controller provides tightly-integrated, closed-loop control over switching and routing services and the underling optical transport system of a communication network. In one implementation, the controller includes an analytics engine that applies predictable analytics to real-time status information received from a monitoring subsystem distributed throughout the underlying optical transport system. Responsive to the status information, the analytics engine applies rules to adaptively and proactively identify current or predicted topology-changing events and, responsive to those events, maps reroutes packet flows through a routing/switching network and control and, based on any updated bandwidth requirements due to topology changes, dynamically adjusts allocation and utilization of the optical spectrum and wavelengths within the underlying optical transport system.
US09838109B2
A method and a device for realizing an optical channel data unit (ODU) shared protection ring (SPRing) are disclosed. The method includes: first, receive an ODUj, wherein the ODUj carries an ODUi; then, perform de-multiplexing processing to obtain the ODUi from the ODUj; next, multiplex the ODUi to an optical channel data unit k (ODUk); meanwhile, keep monitoring the ODUk; and when the monitoring result that is obtained through monitoring the ODUk indicates that a failure has occurred, perform a switching on the ODUi; wherein i, j, k are integers equal to or larger than 0, k is larger than j, j is larger than i, and i, j, k are used to indicate different rates of respective optical channel data unit (ODU) signals.
US09838091B2
It is possible to improve the spectral efficiency of multi-layer multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmissions by estimating the magnitude parameter at the receiver side, rather signaling the magnitude parameter from the transmitter to the receiver. In long term evolution (LTE) networks, the user equipment (UE) may estimate the power allocation (Pa) parameter by executing a series of steps. For example, the UE may define a single unknown variable from a received downlink MIMO signal, extend the single unknown scalar variable to a multivariate signal model for multiple channels (N), convert the multivariate signal model to a MIMO configured signal model, and then obtain the Pa parameter from the MIMO configured multivariate signal model.
US09838081B1
Embodiments described herein may relate to power-line communication (PLC) systems that are suitable for high-voltage and electrically noisy applications. In one example system, PLC technology is used to carry data on at least one pair of conductors of a high-voltage (e.g., kilovolt) transmission line that is simultaneously used for power transmission. Further, in some instances, the transmission line may be part of a tether that connects an aerial vehicle to a ground station.
US09838080B2
A method is for processing a channel analog signal coming from a transmission channel. The method may include converting the channel analog signal into a channel digital signal, and detecting a state of the transmission channel based on the channel digital signal to detect whether the transmission channel is, over an interval of time, one or more of linear and time invariant and linear and cyclostationary.
US09838074B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a crosstalk suppression method and apparatus. By obtaining a first electrical signal indicating a data bit stream of a first optical signal output by a laser diode (LD) in an optical transceiver module and a transmission parameter of a photodiode (PD), adjusting the first electrical signal based on the transmission parameter of the PD to obtain a third electrical signal indicating an electrical signal transformed by the PD from the first optical signal transmitted by the LD, and subtracting the third electrical signal from a second electrical signal output by the PD in the optical transceiver module, an electrical signal generated by the optical signal transmitted by the LD and reflected or refracted to the PD is removed from the electrical signal output by the PD, thereby suppressing crosstalk and improving the sensitivity of the optical transceiver module.
US09838073B2
The present invention provides a processing method based on an OFDM-TDMA two-way service and a communications device. The method includes assigning timeslots in a TDMA frame structure to multiple users in a TDMA manner, so that each user has a different timeslot, and each timeslot of the users is simultaneously used for uplink and downlink communication. The methods further includes simultaneously sending a local-end OFDM signal and receiving a remote-end OFDM signal in each timeslot of the users, and cancelling, in an OSD manner, interference caused by an echo OFDM signal, which is produced according to the local-end OFDM signal, to the remote-end OFDM signal, where a spectrum of the echo OFDM signal and a spectrum of the remote-end OFDM signal overlap.
US09838069B2
A radio frequency front end module is provided for a high power capability and a high signal band selectivity. The front end module includes an external filter and an integrated circuit coupled with the external filter via two external filter leads. The integrated circuit includes a transmit-receive switch, a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier. The transmit-receive switch alternates between coupling an antenna port to a transmit port and coupling the antenna port to a receive port. The power amplifier amplifies a modulated radio frequency signal. The low noise amplifier amplifies a received radio frequency signal when the antenna port is coupled to the receive port. The external filter can be replaced to adapt to various requirements of signal frequency bands, without the need of modifying the layout of the integrated circuit.
US09838068B2
A transmitter/receiver apparatus including: a transmitter/receiver terminal; a switching amplifier that includes a low-side switching element connected between a ground terminal and a pulse output terminal and a high-side switching element connected between the pulse output terminal and a power supply terminal and that outputs a pulse signal from the pulse output terminal; a filter that passes therethrough and outputs as a transmitted signal a predetermined frequency component of the pulse signal from a transmitter terminal; and a transmit/receive switch unit that switches the connection status between the transmitter/receiver terminal and the transmitter terminal and also switches the connection status between the transmitter/receiver terminal and a receiver terminal. During receiving, on the basis of the connection status between the transmitter/receiver terminal and the transmitter terminal, the low-side and high-side switching elements are fixed to conductive and non-conductive states, respectively, to non-conductive and conductive states, respectively, or both to non-conductive states.
US09838064B2
Various embodiments concern a wireless accessory bus for a user device that enables accessories to be easily and securely attached to the user device. More specifically, the wireless accessory bus enables data to be wirelessly transmitted between the accessory and the user device when the accessory and the user device are located within close proximity to one another (e.g., when the accessory is securely attached to the wireless accessory bus). Power could also be wirelessly transferred from the user device to the accessory (or vice versa). In some embodiments, the user device includes fastening component(s) (e.g., magnets) that allow the user device and the accessory to be magnetically secured to one another. The accessory typically enables the user device to readily utilize a new functionality or an improvement to an existing functionality.
US09838059B2
A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains a conductive housing and other conductive elements. Transceiver circuitry, such as radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry configured to transmit and receive RF signals, may be connected to the resonating elements by transmission lines such as coaxial cables. The electronic device may have an integrated touch screen display in which a user can control the device by interacting directly with the display.
US09838042B1
Techniques described and suggested herein include systems and methods for improving data performance characteristics for data archives stored on data storage systems using redundancy coding techniques, without necessitating expansion of the implementing data storage system. For example, redundancy coded shards, which may include identity shards that contain unencoded original data of archives, may be configured such that a variable number of the shards can be leveraged to meet performance requirements for retrieval requests associated with the archives stored and/or encoded therein. Multiple shards may be assigned to devices in an existing infrastructure to improve performance characteristics without changing redundancy code parameters. Implementing systems may monitor random access rates, capabilities, and burdens, so as to adaptively account for changes to some or all of the monitored parameters.
US09838041B1
Techniques described and suggested herein include systems and methods for optimizing performance characteristics by differentiating data storage device types for data archives stored on data storage systems using redundancy coding techniques. For example, redundancy coded shards, which may include identity shards that contain unencoded original data of archives, may be stored on different types of data storage devices to optimize for various retrieval use cases and implemented environments. Implementing systems may monitor various performance characteristics so as to adaptively account for changes to some or all of the monitored parameters.
US09838035B2
In an example implementation of this disclosure, a message passing low density parity check (LDPC) decoder may, during decoding of a first group of bits, lock a first variable node upon a bit-value probability of the first variable node reaching a determined threshold, and lock a first check node upon all variable nodes connected to the first check node being locked. The LDPC decoder may cease decoding the first group of bits upon all variable nodes of the LDPC decoder being locked, all check nodes of the LDPC decoder being locked, reaching a maximum number of iterations, or reaching a timeout. During a particular iteration of the decoding of the first group of bits in which the first variable node is locked, the LDPC decoder may refrain from generating a bit-value probability for the locked first variable node.
US09838026B2
Apparatus and methods for fractional-N synthesizer phase-locked loops with multi-phase oscillators are provided. In certain configurations, a fractional-N PLL includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC), a digital loop filter, a multi-phase oscillator, and fractional division circuitry. The multi-phase oscillator includes multiple taps used to generate multiple clock signal phases that are provided to the fractional division circuitry to reduce the fractional-N PLL's quantization error. The fractional division circuitry includes a tap error correction circuit for compensating for errors in tap positions of the multi-phase oscillator. By including the tap error correction circuit, the phase noise and/or jitter performance of the fractional-N PLL can be enhanced.
US09838025B1
An apparatus includes circuitry and an oscillator circuit that may be configured to generate a clock signal dependent upon a control signal. The circuitry may be configured to perform a frequency measurement of the clock signal. In response to a determination that the frequency of the clock signal is greater than a first threshold, the circuitry may also be configured to perform a phase comparison between a divided clock signal and a reference clock signal, and to adjust a value of the control signal such that the adjusted value depends upon a result of the comparison. In response to a determination that the frequency of the clock signal is less than the first threshold, the circuitry may be configured to adjust the value of the control signal such that the adjusted value depends upon a result of the measurement.
US09838020B1
A programming method includes an upper computer, a calculation module, and a first signal conversion module. The calculation module includes a second signal conversion module and a programming interface. The upper computer is configured to convert programming data into first bus signals. When the calculation module is in a normal programming state, the second signal conversion module converts the first bus signals into first clock signals and first data signals to program the calculation module. When the calculation module is in a non-normal programming state, the first signal conversion module converts the first bus signals into second clock signals and second data signals to program the calculation module. A programming method is also provided.
US09838019B2
A field effect transistor current mode differential logic circuit comprising load transistors for converting the current output of each differential leg current to voltage output, and means for configuring the bulk of each differential leg's load transistor to be connected to the drain of the load transistor for use the logic circuit in Subthreshold Source Coupled Logic (STSCL) mode, and means for configuring the bulk of each leg load transistor to be connected to a voltage or to source of the same transistor for use in MOS current more logic (MCML) operation.
US09838017B2
Systems and methods are described for transmitting data over physical channels to provide a high bandwidth, low latency interface between integrated circuit chips with low power utilization. Communication is performed using group signaling over multiple wires using a vector signaling code, where each wire carries a low-swing signal that may take on more than two signal values.
US09838014B2
A data transmission circuit may include a first driving block configured to drive an output terminal for a first time in response to a data driving signal and a level of the output terminal, and a second driving block configured to drive the output terminal for a second time after the first time, in response to the data driving signal.
US09838013B2
A multi-bit clock gating cell is used in an integrated circuit (IC) in place of single bit clock gating cells to reduce power consumption. A physical design method is used to form a clock tree of the IC. Initial positions of clock gating cells are defined with respective initial clock input paths. Selected clock gating cells are moved to modified positions in which they may be adjoining. Adjoining cells are merged by substituting a multi-bit clock gating cell having multiple gating signal inputs, corresponding gated clock outputs, and a common clock input path. A net reduction is obtained for the overall capacitance of the clock path due to reduction of the upstream capacitance of the clock path and of the resulting multi-bit clock gating cell itself, compared with the aggregate capacitance of the clock paths of the corresponding clock gating cells before moving and merging.
US09838010B2
A digital camera is provided that includes a rotation operation member unit having a circumferential surface, a sheet fixed to the circumferential surface of the rotation operation member unit, and a photo reflector provided at a position facing the sheet that applies light to the sheet and detects the light reflected from the sheet. In the sheet, regions that reflect light to a level at which a photo reflector can detect the reflected light and regions that do not reflect the light are alternately formed. Additionally, a convex portion that is formed in the sheet in the rotation axis direction of the rotation operation member unit, and a concave portion that is formed in the rotation axis direction of the rotation operation member unit are engaged.
US09838007B2
A capacitive switch includes a drive circuit, a detection circuit, a reference circuit and an identification unit. The drive circuit outputs a drive signal and a switching signal, wherein the drive signal is outputted to a first node and a second node. The detection circuit is sequentially coupled to the first node and the second node according to the switching signal and generates a first detection signal according to the drive signal. The reference circuit is sequentially coupled to the second node and the first node according to the switching signal and generates a second detection signal according to the drive signal. The identification unit includes a first input terminal and a second input terminal respectively coupled to the first node and the second node, and identifies a phase shift between inputted detection signals received by the first input terminal and the second input terminal.
US09838004B2
Systems and methods are disclosed, including a protection multiplexer circuit configured to receive a control signal and a reference voltage, to provide the reference voltage at an output when the control signal is in a first state, and to isolate the reference voltage from the output when the control signal is in a second state. The protection multiplexer circuit includes cascaded first and second transistors, wherein the first transistor is a native transistor. Control inputs of the first and second transistors are configured to receive the control signal, a first terminal of the first transistor is configured to receive the reference voltage, and the first terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the output. Methods of operation are disclosed, and other embodiments.
US09837996B2
A hybrid energy storage system is configured to control pulsed power. A first dynamo-electric machine is coupled to an inertial energy storage device and has multiple input stator windings configured to accept input power from a source. A polyphase output stator winding is configured to deliver electric power having a first response time to a DC bus. A secondary energy storage system is coupled to the DC bus and is configured to convert its stored energy to electric power in a bidirectional manner. A second dynamo-electric machine has an input stator winding and at least one polyphase output stator winding coupled to a converter, the converter coupled to a DC output. A polyphase boost exciter is configured to derive energy from the DC bus and excite the second machine input stator winding, wherein the second machine is configured to be excited at a faster rate than the first response time of the first machine.
US09837992B2
A semiconductor circuit includes a first circuit determining a voltage of a first node in response to the clock signal and the input data signal, a first latch determining a voltage of a second node in response to the clock signal and the voltage of the first node, and a second circuit determining a voltage of a third node in response to the clock signal and the voltage of the second node. The output data signal is provided in response to the voltage of the third node, the clock signal controls a flip-flop operation with respect to the input data signal and the output data signal, and respective voltages are maintained constant at the first node, second node and third node regardless of level transitions in the clock signal so long as a level of the input data signal is maintained constant.
US09837990B1
Provided, among other things, is an apparatus for digitally processing a discrete-time signal that includes: an input line for accepting an input signal, processing branches coupled to the input line, and an adder coupled to outputs of the processing branches. First and second lowpass filters, each having a frequency response with a magnitude that varies approximately with frequency according to a product of raised functions, are included within baseband processors in such processing branches.
US09837984B2
An RF ladder filter having a parallel capacitance compensation circuit is disclosed. The parallel capacitance compensation circuit is made up of a first inductive element with a first T-terminal and a first end coupled to a first ladder terminal and a second inductive element with a second T-terminal that is coupled to the first T-terminal of the first inductive element and a second end coupled to a second ladder terminal. Further included is a compensating acoustic RF resonator (ARFR) having a fixed node terminal and a third T-terminal that is coupled to the first T-terminal of the first inductive element and the second T-terminal of the second inductive element, and a finite number of series-coupled ladder ARFRs, wherein the parallel capacitance compensation circuit is coupled across one of the finite number of series-coupled ARFRs by way of the first ladder terminal and the second ladder terminal.
US09837975B2
A resonator device comprising a piezoelectric material and at least one electrode, the device also provided with a material with a positive coefficient of stiffness, wherein the material is disposed in the device as an electrode or as a separate layer adjacent the piezoelectric material formed as one or more layers in the device. The material that performs the temperature compensating function is selected from the group consisting of ferromagnetic metal alloys, shape-memory metal alloys, and polymers, wherein the selected material has a temperature coefficient that varies with the relative amounts of the individual constituents of the compositions and wherein the composition is selected to provide the material with the positive coefficient of stiffness.
US09837970B2
The behavioral model and predistorter for modeling and reducing nonlinear effects in power amplifiers addresses the model size estimation problem. The GMP model is replaced by the hybrid memory polynomial/envelope memory polynomial (HMEM) model within a twin nonlinear two-box structure to reduce the number of variables involved in the model size estimation problem, without compromising model accuracy and digital predistorter performance. A sequential approach is presented to efficiently estimate the model size. Experimental validation is carried out to evaluate the performance of the size estimation and the accuracy of the HMEM-based twin-nonlinear two-box model with respect to that of the GMP-based twin-nonlinear two-box model.
US09837962B2
Techniques for efficiently generating a variable boosted supply voltage for an amplifier and/or other circuits are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus includes an amplifier, a boost converter, and a boost controller. The amplifier receives an envelope signal and a variable boosted supply voltage and provides an output voltage and an output current. The boost converter receives a power supply voltage and at least one signal determined based on the envelope signal and generates the variable boosted supply voltage based on the power supply voltage and the at least one signal. The boost controller generates the at least one signal (e.g., an enable signal and/or a threshold voltage) for the boost converter based on the envelope signal and/or the output voltage. The boost converter is enabled or disabled based on the enable signal and generates the variable boosted supply voltage based on the power supply voltage and the threshold voltage.
US09837959B2
An apparatus comprises a digitally controlled circuit having a variable capacitance and a controller configured to adjust a magnitude of the variable capacitance of the digitally controlled circuit. The digitally controlled circuit comprises a plurality of gain elements, the plurality of gain elements comprising one or more positive voltage-to-frequency gain elements and one or more negative voltage-to-frequency gain elements. The controller is configured to adjust the magnitude of the capacitance by adjusting the gain provided by respective ones of the gain elements in an alternating sequence of the positive voltage-to-frequency gain elements and the negative voltage-to-frequency gain elements.
US09837958B2
Systems and methods are provided for a crystal (xtal) oscillator with high interference immunity. Generated reference signals may be processed to mitigate effects of interference. The processing may comprise filtering, particularly at harmonic positions, to remove or greatly reduce interference signals.
US09837951B2
A motor apparatus and a motor control method are provided. The method includes the following steps. An actual speed and an actual current of a motor module are sensed by a sensor module. An adjusted speed is kept at a set speed or a speed curve by a speed adjusting circuit. A control signal is provided by a feedback control circuit according to a difference between the adjusted speed and the actual speed. The control signal is converted to a current to drive the motor module, such that the actual speed is kept at the adjusted speed. When the actual speed is decreased and the actual current is increased to a limited current value, a setting parameter of the feedback controller is changed according to the limited current value, such that the control signal enters a saturation state and the actual current is kept at the limited current value.
US09837946B2
A method and device for acquiring a rotor position based on a permanent magnet synchronous drive system. The permanent magnet synchronous drive system includes an inverter and a permanent magnet synchronous motor, wherein the initial speed of the permanent magnet synchronous motor is not zero. The method includes: controlling a bridge arm switch of an inverter periodically; collecting a three-phase current of the permanent magnet synchronous motor at a fixed time within each control period; and after the three-phase current is reversed, sending same to a phase-locked loop system to conduct processing, so as to obtain a phase angle of an induction potential vector, and according to the phase angle of the induction potential vector, acquiring a rotor position angle of the permanent magnet synchronous motor.
US09837941B2
An engine generator detects a DC voltage in a path from a rectifier to an inverter in controlling charge/discharge, and makes a duty ratio in switching control of a charging conductor of a power storage device higher than a duty ratio in the switching control of a discharging conductor of the power storage device when the DC voltage is higher than a target voltage of the DC voltage, and makes the duty ratio in the switching control of the discharging conductor of the power storage device higher than the duty ratio in the switching control of the charging conductor of the power storage device when the DC voltage is lower than the target voltage.
US09837936B2
One aspect of the invention relates to a vibration type drive device including: a mechanical energy application element; a resilient member provided with the mechanical energy application element; a driven member subjected to a relative displacement with respect to the resilient member due to a vibration excited by the resilient member, wherein the resilient member includes a conductive material, and does not constitute an electric closed loop.
US09837935B2
An all-silicon electrode capacitive transducer comprising: a movable silicon microstructure coupled to a glass substrate, the movable silicon microstructure having a movable silicon electrode, the glass substrate having a top surface and at least one recess, the movable silicon electrode having a first flat surface parallel to a plane of the top surface of the glass substrate, the movable silicon electrode having a first electronic work function; and a stationary silicon electrode coupled to a glass substrate, the stationary silicon electrode located adjacent to the movable silicon electrode, the stationary silicon electrode configured to sense or actuate displacement of the movable silicon microstructure, wherein the stationary silicon electrode has a second flat surface parallel to the first flat surface, the stationary silicon electrode having a second electronic work function equal to the first electronic work function.
US09837928B1
A single fire-wire phase-front dynamic AC power fetching module, comprising: two series-connected type synchronous power fetching circuits connected in parallel, and an electronic switch connected thereto, one series-connected type synchronous power fetching circuit is used to perform positive phase AC power fetching, while the other series-connected type synchronous power fetching circuit is used to perform negative phase AC power fetching. The electronic switch is formed by a relay or a silicon control crystal (TRIAC) controlled by an MCU microprocessor. As such, through adopting bi-directional dynamic full-bridge type power fetching, for a single fire wire, it is able to perform power fetching twice in a cycle. The duration of power fetching can be regulated automatically depending on the load, to compensate for the power, and supply it to an outside circuit as the basic power supply.
US09837923B2
A power converter for a power system includes an input ceramic layer, an output ceramic layer, an input stage coupled to the input ceramic layer, an output stage coupled to the output ceramic layer, and a planar transformer coupled between said input stage and said output stage. The input receives a power input and the output stage generates a power output at least partially as a function of the power input. The planar transformer includes an input winding coupled to the input stage and an output winding coupled to the output stage. The input winding has a plurality of input turns and the output winding has a plurality of output turns. The input turns interleave the output turns.
US09837921B2
A method includes converting power by a power converter comprising a plurality of converter cells and at least one filter cell, receiving a cell input power at a cell input and providing a cell output power at a cell output of at least one of the plurality of converter cells, and operating the filter cell in one of an input power mod, in which the filter cell receives an input power, and an output power mode, in which the filter cell provides an output power.
US09837920B2
A commutation current steering method is provided for a power converter having an isolation transformer, a plurality of primary ZVS switches, a plurality of secondary switches for synchronous rectification, and a boosting resonant circuit. A commutation current is shared between all of the switches, and a resonance is induced in the boosting resonant circuit by controlling each of the synchronous rectifier switches to turn off at a time prior to a turn-off time for a corresponding one of the switches operating under ZVS conditions, wherein the primary current is boosted above a minimum commutation value during ZVS periods. The ZVS switches are further driven with a constant dead time, and the synchronous rectifier switches are driven to provide a fixed time relation with respect to all of the switches.
US09837917B1
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of operating a switch-mode power supply includes: receiving a dropout detection signal from a dropout detection circuit coupled to an input of the switch-mode power supply; and discharging an input capacitor coupled to the input of the switch-mode power supply via a switching transistor having a first load path coupled to the input capacitor through an inductive element.
US09837911B2
A controller for use in a power converter includes a drive circuit coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch to control a transfer of energy from a power converter input to a power converter output. An input for receiving an enable signal including enable events is responsive to the power converter output. The drive circuit is coupled to turn ON the power switch in response to the enable events and turn OFF the power switch in response to a power switch current reaching a current limit threshold. A current limit threshold generator is coupled to receive the enable events and vary the current limit threshold in response to the enable events of the enable signal.
US09837886B2
A power conversion system includes an isolating transformer (30) and an output-controlling device (40). The isolating transformer (30) includes a primary winding (310) and a plurality of secondary windings (320a˜320d) coupled with the primary winding (310), and the isolating transformer (30) has a plurality of coupling distances between the secondary windings (320a˜320d). The output-controlling device (40) includes a controller (420) and a plurality of output-controlling modules (400a˜400d), wherein each one of the secondary windings (320a˜320d) is electrically connected to one of the output-controlling device (400a˜400d). The controller (420) places at least one output-controlling device (400a˜400d) in a conducting state for output a rectified power. An amount of the secondary windings (320a˜320d) coupled with the primary winding (310) is modulated for varying a leakage inductance of the power conversion system.
US09837884B2
A linear motor includes an excitation unit including a shaft and a plurality of permanent magnets located in the shaft, and an armature including a plurality of coils surrounding the excitation unit and a magnetic cover covering the coils. The plurality of coils of the same phase group are continuously wound over a plurality of insulative bobbins. A tap conductor, a jumper wire between the coils, and a terminal wire of the coils in different phase groups that are continuously wound are separately disposed in different corner portions in the magnetic cover, and the terminal wire of each phase is connected to a circuit board.
US09837880B2
A magnetic voltage/current limiting system is mounted in conjunction with a main coil, in a coil assembly of a wind turbine generator, for limiting the outputted voltage (or current) to a predetermined upper value. The limiting system generally has at least one limiting coil and a control circuit connected to the main coil. The limiting system is configured to be activated when the voltage (or current) outputted by the main coil increases beyond the predetermined upper value. Once activated, the limiting system diverts a portion of the outputted current to the limiting coil such as to generate a magnetic field in the limiting coil. This additional magnetic field generally limits the amount magnetic field generated by passing magnets to flow through the main coil, thereby limiting the outputted voltage.
US09837879B2
A rotating shaft is attached rotatably to a front body and a rear body of an AC generator. Feeding brushes are disposed around a rear end portion of the rotating shaft. A heat radiating plate is attached to a rear end of the rear body. A control board is attached to a back of the heat radiating plate. External air flows in from an air inlet and advances in a radially inward direction after passing through a cooling fin disposed on the heat radiating plate by a first air flow passage. In addition, the external air passes through and around the rear end portion of the rotating shaft after flowing into a rear surface side of the heat radiating plate via a second air passage.
US09837872B2
A motor includes a stationary unit and a rotary unit. The stationary unit includes a stator, a base portion having at least one hole extending in the up-down direction, and a flexible wiring substrate. The flexible wiring substrate reaches a position higher than a lower surface of the base portion through at least one hole and is arranged to supply electric power to the stator. The flexible wiring substrate includes a connection portion arranged higher than the lower surface of the base portion and connected to the stator. The connection portion includes a solder portion arranged on a lower surface thereof to cover a portion of a lead wire extending from a coil of the stator. At least a portion of the solder portion is positioned within the hole.
US09837854B2
Disclosed is an uninterruptible power supply system, including a sub power supply device configured to supply or cut off sub input power to a load device; a battery configured to supply or cut off battery input power to the load device; and an uninterruptible power supply device that is electrically connected to the sub power supply device and the battery, and when main input power is selectively received and supplied to the load device or the battery input power is selectively received and supplied to the load device, determines whether the main input power and the battery input power are within a predetermined reference main input power range and reference battery input power range, and when the main input power and the battery input power are outside of the reference main input power range and the reference battery input power range, receives the sub input power and supplies the power to the load device.
US09837834B2
The battery system is a combined system of a first battery and a second battery. The discharging curve (discharging characteristic) (311) of the first battery has a stable region (B1). The discharging curve (discharging characteristic) (321) of the second battery has a stable region (B2) in the range of voltage lower than the voltage in the stable region (B1) of the first battery and also has an unstable region (A2) in the range of voltage overlapping the voltage in the stable region (B1) of the first battery. The first battery and the second battery are connected in parallel so that, in a discharging process, the discharging state of the entire battery shifts from the stable region (B1) of the first battery to the stable region (B2) of the second battery.
US09837833B2
A discharge balancing device, for balancing a plurality of electric energy storage units connected in series in a discharge stage, comprising a plurality of bypass units, respectively connected to the plurality of electric energy storage units in parallel, configured to drain bypass currents from the plurality of electric energy storage units according to control signals; an energy condition measurement circuit, coupled to the plurality of the electric energy storage units, configured to measure energy conditions of the plurality of electric energy storage units; and a balancing control unit, coupled to the energy condition measurement circuit and the plurality of bypass units, configured to generate each of the control signals according to the energy conditions measured by the energy condition measurement circuit, so as to control each of the plurality of bypass units whether to drain a bypass current from a corresponding electric energy storage unit.
US09837822B2
A control device of an energy storage system is provided. The control device includes a voltage calculation unit calculating the difference between a reference voltage and a measured voltage; frequency calculation unit calculating the difference between a reference frequency and a measured frequency; a power reserve margin (PRM) calculating a ratio of reserve power to the maximum consumption of power; and a power calculation unit using, as input values, coefficients calculated at the voltage calculation unit, the frequency calculation unit and the PRM calculation unit, and calculating a switch control value of an energy storage system by further using a difference in reactive power and active power.
US09837817B2
A system for managing house appliances supplied through a power grid is provided. Each house appliance operates according to at least one corresponding operative mode. Each operative mode comprises a sequence of operative phases. The system comprises at least one control unit interfaced with the house appliances for exchanging data. The at least one control unit collects power profile data comprising timing and electric power consumption data of each operative phase of each operative mode of the house appliances; generates a time schedule of the house appliances operations by distributing in time the execution of the operative phases thereof such that total power consumption of house appliances is kept under a maximum power threshold of the power grid; and controls the operation of the appliances based on the time schedule. The at least one control unit is configured to generate the time schedule by exploiting a Particle Swarm Optimization approach.
US09837813B2
A surge protector for providing electricity to an electronic device. The surge protector including a housing defining a module slot and including a module connector positioned within the module slot and a module insertable into the module slot and including at least one connector port and a housing connector. The housing connector can be operably connectable to the module connector when the module is inserted into the module slot. The cable can be connected to the module and housing such that the module can be positioned at a location remote from the housing.
US09837804B2
An example integrated electrical assembly for installation in a building structure is disclosed. The integrated electrical assembly may provide for power and telecommunications distribution in a building structure or a subspace of a building structure. A master tub configured to receive a plurality of electrical components and provide a common ground is disclosed. The master tub may be used in the integrated electrical assembly or alone. A multi-wire connector that may provide coupling of one or more wires to a circuit is disclosed. A junction box that may be installed in a wall, such as a pre-fabricated wall is disclosed.
US09837800B2
The present invention relates to a start system (1) comprising a plurality of electrical apparatuses (3, 5) each comprising an insulating casing (7, 9), secured to each other and having an alignment along a first extension direction (D1). The plurality of electrical apparatuses (3, 5) is intended to be brought on a plurality of securing rails (13, 15) extending along a second extension direction (D2) transversal to the first extension direction (D1). A first electrical apparatus (3) comprises a removable mounting device (21) including a primary movable mounting element (17), the mounting device (21) forming a primary housing (35) in which a portion (13a) of a first rail (13) is able to be inserted. A second electrical apparatus (5) comprises a secondary mounting element (19), the secondary mounting element (19) forming, with the insulating casing (9) of the second electrical apparatus (5) a secondary housing (81) in which is able to be inserted a portion (15a) of a second rail (15).
US09837799B2
A spark plug including an electrode having a cylindrical precious metal tip welded thereto, the electrode having a melt portion in which the precious metal tip and the electrode base material are melted, wherein the melt portion includes a melt sag over an entire circumference on a side surface of the precious metal tip.
US09837792B2
A light-emitting device is provided. The light-emitting device is configured to emit a radiation and comprises: a substrate; an epitaxial structure on the substrate and comprising a first DBR stack, a light-emitting stack and a second DBR stack and a contact layer in sequence; an electrode; a current blocking layer between the contact layer and the electrode; a first opening formed in the current blocking layer; and a second opening formed in the electrode and within the first opening; wherein a part of the electrode fills in the first opening and contacts the contact layer; and the light-emitting device is devoid of an oxidized layer and an ion implanted layer in the second DBR stack.
US09837786B2
The invention relates to a method for generating electromagnetic radiation (preferably UV, VUV, XUV, or X-rays), to an optical short-period undulator (10) and to a free-electron laser comprising the latter. To accomplish the method, a high-energy electrically charged particle beam (5) is provided, and high-intensity electromagnetic pulses (7, 7a, 7b) are generated, and by interfering said pulses with one another an electromagnetic standing wave is created, wherein said standing wave has an electric field strength of a pre-determined peak value. The particle beam is directed through the non-steady electromagnetic field of the standing wave in or in the vicinity of a plane spanned by nodes with maximal electric field strength of said electromagnetic standing wave. Meanwhile, by the electromagnetic field of the standing wave, the particle beam is forced to travel along an undulating path and thereby, in the form of radiation emitted by said particle beam, electromagnetic radiation that propagates in the propagation direction of the particle beam is generated. Said short-period undulator (10) comprises a pulse source (2) to emit high-intensity pulses falling into the terahertz frequency range and an interaction region to direct a high-energy electrically charged particle beam, in particular an electron beam, through the undulator with undulator effect. The undulator effect is provided in the interaction region through a dynamic effect developing in or in the vicinity of a plane spanned by nodes with maximal electric field strength of an electromagnetic standing wave created by the interference of high-intensity pulses falling into the terahertz frequency range, emitted by said pulse source.
US09837785B2
Systems and apparatuses for a polarization laser sensor are disclosed. The polarization laser sensor can include a pump source, a common section, a reference section and a detection section. The common section is provided with a gain medium, and the detection section is provided with a sensing element configured to cause an optical path difference. The reference section and the detection section are connected to the common section though a first polarization splitting unit and a second polarization splitting unit. The common section is provided with an output unit or each of the reference section and the detection is provided with the output unit, the output unit is connected to a photoelectric detector through a light uniting unit, and a polarization rotation unit is disposed between the light uniting unit and the output unit.
US09837781B2
An optical source is described. This optical source includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (with a semiconductor other than silicon) that provides an optical gain medium and that includes a reflector. Moreover the hybrid external cavity laser includes a photonic chip with: an optical waveguide that conveys an optical signal output by the semiconductor optical amplifier; and a ring resonator, having a resonance wavelength, which reflects at least a resonance wavelength in the optical signal, where the reflector and the ring resonator define an optical cavity. Furthermore, the photonic chip includes: a thermal-tuning mechanism that adjusts the resonance wavelength; a photo-detector that measures an optical power output by the ring resonator; and control logic that adjusts the temperature of the ring resonator based on the measured optical power to lock a cavity mode of the optical cavity to a carrier wavelength.
US09837780B2
The excimer laser apparatus may include a laser chamber configured to contain gas, a pair of electrodes provided in the laser chamber, a power source unit configured to supply a pulse voltage between the pair of electrodes, a gas supply unit configured to supply gas into the laser chamber, a gas exhaust unit configured to partially exhaust gas from within the laser chamber, and a gas control unit configured to control the gas supply unit and the gas exhaust unit, where a replacement ratio of gas to be replaced from within the laser chamber increases as deterioration of the pair of electrodes progresses, the deterioration being represented by a deterioration parameter of the pair of electrodes.
US09837774B2
A fixing structure between a busbar and a terminal includes a busbar and a terminal. The busbar includes a busbar main body, an arm, and a fixing target portion. The terminal includes a wire connection portion to which a wire is to be electrically connected, a busbar fixing portion which is fixed and electrically connected to the fixing target portion of the busbar, and an arm fixing portion provided between the wire connection portion and the busbar fixing portion and fixed to the arm of the busbar.
US09837771B2
A plug connector includes a first connector half configured as a socket connector and a second connector half configured as a plug connector, each of the connector halves including an insulating body housing at least a respective pair of electric contact elements, respectively female and male, a short-circuit element being provided between the contacts of the socket connector half, adapted to hold such contacts shorted upon unmated connector, wherein the short-circuit element is made from a strip of resilient metallic material, shaped so as to constitute a spring and to offer, at each of its ends, a resilient contact, the first end of the short-circuit element being substantially rigid and stable in contact with a respective female electric contact element, while the second end of the short-circuit element, upon plug connector unmated, goes intimately into contact with the other element of female electrical contact of the socket connector.
US09837763B2
A connector includes an embodiment that is equipped with a lever configured to turn around a turning shaft portion provided on the outside of an outer shell portion of a housing of the connector. The lever is equipped with a cam shaft portion inserted through a window formed in the outer shell into a cam groove formed in a slider. The lever further includes a cam shaft portion having a base portion and a hook portion wherein the hook portion extends beyond and engages an edge of the window preventing the cam shaft from detaching from the cam groove.
US09837759B2
Provided is a connection housing including a first plate having a connecting member for slidably connecting the first plate to an electrical assembly. The first plate includes a ridge portion formed across a threading path. A second plate has an opening for non-slidably connecting the second plate to the electrical assembly. The second plate includes a valley portion positioned in opposing relation to the ridge portion. The first and second plates are configured for (i) facilitating placement of a wire along the threading path and (ii) folding onto each other to restrict movement of the wire after the folding.
US09837754B2
A sealing interface (26) that utilizes an elastomeric sealing member (28) is disclosed herein. The sealing interface (26) is configured to provide effective sealing while requiring only relatively low amounts of force to deform the elastomeric sealing member (28) sufficiently to form an effective seal.
US09837751B2
A connector cover is adapted to cover a connector and be fixed to a main board. The connector includes a connector top surface having a connector slot, a connector bottom surface and four connector laterals. The connector cover includes a cover top surface, four cover laterals, at least one bending pin and at least one connecting pin.The four cover laterals are adapted to cover the four connector laterals, and two of the cover laterals are connected to the cover top surface. The bending pin extends from the cover lateral and is adapted to be bent to lean against the connector bottom surface. The connecting pin extends from the cover lateral. The connector cover is connected to the main board through the connecting pin. A connector assembly is further provided.
US09837731B2
A connector is disclosed. The connector comprises a housing having an insertion passageway, an operating lever having an end pivotably connected to the housing, and a spring having a first end fixed to the operating lever and an opposite second end extending into an interior of the connector. The operating lever is movable between an open position and a closed position. The second end of the spring closes the insertion passageway when the operating lever is in the closed position.
US09837720B2
Disclosed is a metamaterial antenna including a conductor cover formed at one side of a wireless terminal, a feed parallel inductor element formed to connect the conductor cover to a feed part, and at least one ground parallel inductor element formed to connect the conductor cover to at least one ground part.
US09837718B2
A display arrangement comprises a display, a conductive shield arranged at the display, a ferrite layer and a conducting line of an antenna. The ferrite layer is arranged between the conducting line and the conductive shield.
US09837716B2
A multiband antenna is provided. A resonance path is provided by a first connection segment and a low-frequency radiating element with a closed pattern to enable the multiband antenna to support a low frequency band, wherein a first side of the closed pattern is wider than a second side of the closed pattern. The second side of the closed pattern is connected to one end of the first connection segment. The other end of the first connection segment is connected to a feed element.
US09837705B2
An electronic apparatus includes a display; and an antenna including a first element without power feeding that is a structural component made of metal and is disposed on the display or above a display surface of the display in a display direction, a second element which is disposed below the first element and is connected to a power supply, and a GND plate that is disposed below the second element, wherein the first element and the second element are electromagnetically coupled.
US09837695B2
A surface-wave waveguide may include a base conductive ground plane including opposite side edges and a pair of conductive side walls. One conductive side wall extends from each side edge of the conductive ground plane. The surface-wave waveguide may also include a substrate including a dielectric material disposed on the base conductive ground plane and between the conductive side walls. The surface-wave waveguide may also include an impedance sheet disposed on the substrate and between the conductive side walls. The impedance sheet may include a predetermined impedance characteristic for transmitting an electromagnetic wave.
US09837694B2
According to an embodiment, a filter characteristic tuning apparatus includes a characteristic tuning member, an elastic member, a first movable member, a second movable member, and a driving mechanism. The elastic member comes in contact with a characteristic tuning member by deformation, and separates from the characteristic tuning member by a restoring force. The first movable member deforms the elastic member in a closing operation. The driving mechanism displaces a second movable member such that a projection opens/closes the first movable member. The characteristic tuning member changes a gap between the characteristic tuning member and the resonator by a linear driving force obtained by converting the transmitted rotary driving force.
US09837686B2
The rechargeable lithium ion battery includes a positive active material including a lithium compound, a non-aqueous electrolyte including at least one disulfonate ester selected from a cyclic disulfonate ester represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a linear disulfonate ester represented by Chemical Formula 2, and includes at least one carbonate having an unsaturated bond selected from vinylene carbonate and vinylethylene carbonate. The non-aqueous electrolyte may include about 0.05 wt % to about 0.5 wt % of the disulfonate ester based on the total weight of the non-aqueous electrolyte, and about 0.2 wt % to about 1.5 wt % of the carbonate having the unsaturated bond based on the total weight of the non-aqueous electrolyte.
US09837682B1
Examples are disclosed herein that relate to curved batteries. One example provides a battery comprising an anode arranged on an anode substrate, a cathode arranged on a cathode substrate, the anode substrate being curved at a first curvature and the cathode substrate being curved at a second curvature, and a separator between the anode and the cathode. A thickness of the anode substrate and a thickness of the cathode substrate are determined based on the curvature of the respective substrate, such that the one of the anode substrate and the cathode substrate with a larger curvature has a larger thickness.
US09837681B2
A small capacity battery for powering electronic devices, such as an e-book reader, is provided. This small capacity battery is designed to produce low area-specific resistance, which maintains usable operating voltages even during periods of high current draw. As a result, a lighter and smaller form-factor battery may provide the same battery capacity as a larger and heavier conventional battery. A user may then be provided with a lightweight and small form-factor electronic device that achieves an extended battery life.
US09837675B2
Disclosed is a fuel supplying apparatus, for a direct carbon fuel cell, which has improved output density by ensuring the flow properties of an anode medium. The fuel supplying apparatus for a direct carbon fuel cell comprises: a flow pipe which forms it cylindrical flow path in the vertical direction around a tube-shaped cell contained in an anode medium in which a carbon fuel is mixed; and a bubbling means which provides a gas from below the flow pipe to the inside of the anode medium and thus enables the anode medium to flow by the vertical flow of the gas. Consequently, the anode medium is provided to the anode of the tube-shaped cell by the flow.
US09837670B2
Systems and methods for sintering and conditioning fuel cell stacks utilizing channel guides, baffles, and internal compression systems are provided. Sintering and conditioning may be performed utilizing a fuel cell column cartridge assembly and fuel cell stacks may be sintered and conditioned at the system level during the same annealing cycle on the same support.
US09837669B2
The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a catalyst layer and the method includes the following steps. First, a solution fabrication step is provided for fabricating a solution. The solution includes a solvent, a polymer and a titanium-containing precursor. A layering step is then provided for evaporating the solvent to form a gel-like layer, and a nitridation step is performed for treating the gel-like layer in ammonia ambience to remove the polymer so as to obtain a catalyst support, in which the catalyst support is composed of titanium nitride with a plurality of pores. A catalyst preparation step is performed for forming a plurality of platinum particles on the catalyst support.
US09837665B2
A lithium ion battery includes an anode and a cathode. The cathode includes a lithium, manganese, nickel, and oxygen containing compound. An electrolyte is disposed between the anode and the cathode. A protective layer is deposited between the cathode and the electrolyte. The protective layer includes pure lithium phosphorus oxynitride and variations that include metal dopants such as Fe, Ti, Ni, V, Cr, Cu, and Co. A method for making a cathode and a method for operating a battery are also disclosed.
US09837663B2
A lithium-ion secondary battery 100 includes a positive electrode current collector 221 and a porous positive electrode active material layer 223 retained by the positive electrode current collector 221. The positive electrode active material layer 223 contains, for example, positive electrode active material particles 610, an electrically conductive material 620, and a binder 630. In this lithium-ion secondary battery 100, the positive electrode active material particles 610 have a shell portion 612 constituted by a lithium transition metal oxide, a hollow portion 614 formed inside the shell portion 612, and a through hole 616 penetrating the shell portion 612. In the lithium-ion secondary battery 100, in the positive electrode active material layer 223 on average, the hollow portion 614 accounts for 23% or higher of an apparent sectional area of the positive electrode active material particles 610. In addition, a thickness of the shell portion 612 in the positive electrode active material layer 223 on average is 2.2 μm or less.
US09837662B2
Method for preparing a particulate material including particles of an element of group IVa, an oxide thereof or an alloy thereof, the method including: (a) dry grinding particles from an ingot of an element of group IVa, an oxide thereof or an alloy thereof to obtain micrometer size particles; and (b) wet grinding the micrometer particles dispersed in a solvent carrier to obtain nanometer size particles having a size between 10 to 100 nanometers, optionally a stabilizing agent is added during or after the wet grinding. Method can include further steps of (c) drying the nanometer size particles, (d) mixing the nanometer size particles with a carbon precursor; and (e) pyrolyzing the mixture, thereby forming a coat of conductive carbon on at least part of the surface of the particles. The particulate material can be used in fabrication of an anode in an electrochemical cell or electrochemical storage energy apparatus.
US09837659B2
Methods for pre-lithiating negative electrodes for lithium-ion electrochemical cells (e.g., batteries) are provided. The methods include disposing a lithium metal source comprising a layer of lithium metal adjacent to a surface of a pre-fabricated negative electrode. The lithium metal source and electrode are heated (e.g., to a temperature of ≧about 100° C.) to transfer a quantity of lithium to the pre-fabricated negative electrode. This lithiation process adds excess active lithium capacity that enables replacement of irreversibly lost lithium during cell formation and cell aging, thus leading to increased battery capacity and improved battery life. The methods may be batch or continuous.
US09837656B2
A rechargeable battery including a plurality of battery cells disposed in parallel; and a connection unit connected to ends of the plurality of battery cells such that each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells is rotatable with respect to an adjacent battery cell.
US09837650B2
A porous membrane is provided having a compound having an ionic group and a hydrophobic group, a metal oxide, and a binder resin. The content of the compound having an ionic group and a hydrophobic group is 0.2 to 2 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the metal oxide.
US09837642B2
An electric storage device includes an electrode assembly, an insulating cover covering the electrode assembly, and a case including a case body having a rectangular box shape and including an opening, the case body being configured to house the electrode assembly and the insulating cover. The insulating cover is formed into a rectangular box shape conforming to the case body. An embossing is applied to the insulating cover.
US09837635B2
A protective structure includes an impact resistant structure and an anti-scratch structure. The impact resistant structure includes a plurality of buffer structures and a plurality of filling structures located around the buffer structures. The anti-scratch structure is located over the impact resistant structure. The anti-scratch structure includes a hard coat layer which covers the impact resistant structure, and a surface anti-scratch layer which covers the hard coat layer.
US09837627B2
An organic light emitting element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode; a second electrode; an emission layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a hole auxiliary layer between the first electrode and the emission layer. The hole auxiliary layer includes at least one hole blocking layer and at least one hole transport layer contacting the hole blocking layer, and a thickness of the hole auxiliary layer is in a range of 140 angstroms to 220 angstroms.
US09837616B2
An aromatic amine derivative represented by the following formula (1): wherein Z1 is a group represented by the following formula (2); Z2 is a group represented by the following formula (3) or (3′); and P and Q are independently a group represented by the following formula (4) or (5):
US09837615B2
A nitrogen-containing heterocyclic derivative in which an indole structure is fused to a benzophenanthrene ring is a novel material useful as a material for organic electroluminescence devices for the production of organic electroluminescence devices and electronic equipment.
US09837608B2
A mask assembly includes: a mask frame; and a mask sheet disposed on the mask frame, wherein the mask sheet is stretched by applying tensile force and affixed onto the mask frame, wherein the mask sheet includes a pattern including a plurality of openings, and wherein a thickness of the pattern is different from thicknesses of other portions of the mask sheet.
US09837607B2
A material belonging to the family of centrosymmetric Mott insulators is used as an active material in a resistively switched memory for storing data. The material is placed between two electrical electrodes, by virtue of which an electric field of a preset value is applied in order to form, by way of an electron avalanche effect, an elementary information cell that has at least two logic states.
US09837601B2
Provided is a magnetic shield having improved shielding properties from an external magnetic field. A magnetic shield MS1 has in-plane magnetization as remanent magnetization, and is adapted to generate a perpendicular component in the magnetization direction by applying a magnetic field in the perpendicular direction to the magnetic shield.
US09837590B2
A method of producing a light emitting device includes providing a light emitting element on a base member, the base member including an insulating member and a pair of connection terminals at least on an upper surface thereof. The connection terminals have an exposed portion exposed to outside, with the light emitting element electrically connected to the connection terminals. A covering member is disposed to cover at least a portion of the upper surface of the light emitting element, and a protective layer is disposed to cover at least a portion of the exposed portions of the connection terminals. The covering member is removed, and material from the upper surface side of the base member is supplied to dispose a light-transmissive member on the upper surface of the light emitting element. At least a portion of the light-transmissive member present on the protective layer is then removed.
US09837586B2
Disclosed herein are wavelength converters and methods for making the same. The wavelength converters include a single layer of a polymeric matrix material, and one or more types of wavelength converting particles. In some embodiments the wavelength converters include first and second types of wavelength converting particles that are distributed in a desired manner within the single layer of polymeric matrix material. Methods of forming such wavelength converters and lighting devices including such wavelength converters are also disclosed.
US09837574B2
Techniques for precisely controlling the composition of volatile components (such as sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tin (Sn)) of chalcogenide semiconductors in real-time—during production of the material are provided. In one aspect, a method for forming a chalcogenide semiconductor material includes providing a S source(s) and a Se source(s); heating the S source(s) to form a S-containing vapor; heating the Se source(s) to form a Se-containing vapor; passing a carrier gas first through the S-containing vapor and then through the Se-containing vapor, wherein the S-containing vapor and the Se-containing vapor are transported via the carrier gas to a sample; and contacting the S-containing vapor and the Se-containing vapor with the sample under conditions sufficient to form the chalcogenide semiconductor material. A multi-chamber processing apparatus is also provided.
US09837556B2
An integrated photovoltaic panel has one or more integral DC-DC converter circuits. The DC-DC converter input port couples to a section of at least one photovoltaic (PV) device of the panel separate from PV devices feeding other converters. The converter has an MPPT controller for operating the converter to transfer maximum power from coupled photovoltaic devices to its output port. The PV panel has a transparent substrate to which PV devices are mounted. A laminating material seals PV devices and converters to the substrate. In embodiments, the panel has multiple converters connected with output ports in series. The integrated PV panel provides summed maximum powers of each section of PV devices. In some embodiments the DC-DC converters are complete with inductors, in other embodiments a common inductor is shared by multiple converters of the panel, in a particular embodiment the common inductor is parasitic inductance of the panel.
US09837555B2
Embodiments are provided herein for low loss coupling capacitor structures. The embodiments include a n-type varactor (NVAR) configuration and p-type varactor (PVAR) configuration. The structure in the NVAR configuration comprises a p-doped semiconductor substrate (Psub), a deep n-doped semiconductor well (DNW) in the Psub, and a p-doped semiconductor well (P well) in the DNW. The circuit structure further comprises a source terminal of a p-doped semiconductor material within P well, and a drain terminal of the p-doped semiconductor material within the P well. Additionally, the circuit structure comprises an insulated gate on the surface of the P well, a metal pattern comprising a plurality of layers of metal lines, and a plurality of vias through the metal lines. The vias are contacts connecting the metal lines to the gate, the source terminal, and the drain terminal.
US09837553B1
The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to vertical field effect transistors (VFETs) and methods of manufacture. The VFET includes: one or more vertical fin structures; a source region positioned at a first location on a top surface of the one or more vertical fin structures; a drain region positioned at a second location on the top surface of the one or more vertical fin structures at a predetermined distance away from the source region, along a length thereof; and a gate channel along the predetermined distance and in electrical contact with the source region and the drain region.
US09837552B2
A semiconductor device having a structure which can prevent a decrease in electrical characteristics due to miniaturization is provided. The semiconductor device includes, over an insulating surface, a stack in which a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer are sequentially formed, and a third oxide semiconductor layer covering part of a surface of the stack. The third oxide semiconductor layer includes a first layer in contact with the stack and a second layer over the first layer. The first layer includes a microcrystalline layer, and the second layer includes a crystalline layer in which c-axes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the first layer.
US09837538B2
A semiconductor device including a Fin FET device includes a fin structure extending in a first direction and protruding from a substrate layer. The fin structure includes a bulk stressor layer formed on the substrate layer and a channel layer disposed over the bulk stressor layer. An oxide layer is formed on the substrate layer extending away from the channel layer. A source-drain (SD) stressor structure is disposed on sidewalls of the channel layer over the oxide layer. A gate stack including a gate electrode layer and a gate dielectric layer covers a portion of the channel layer and extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US09837537B2
A semiconductor device and method of formation are provided herein. A semiconductor device includes a barrier including carbon over a fin, the fin including a doped region. The semiconductor device includes an epitaxial (Epi) cap over the barrier, the Epi cap including phosphorus. The barrier inhibits phosphorus diffusion from the Epi cap into the fin as compared to a device that lacks such a barrier. The inhibition of the phosphorus diffusion reduces a short channel effect, thus improving the semiconductor device function.
US09837529B1
Stripe-shaped surface transistor structures of a power MOSFET are disposed over an array of parallel-extending P type Buried Stripe-Shaped Charge Compensation Regions (BSSCCRs). The power MOSFET has two and only two epitaxial semiconductor layers, and the BSSCCRs are disposed at the interface between these layers. Looping around the area occupied by these parallel-extending BSSCCRs is a P type ring-shaped BSSCCR. At the upper semiconductor surface are disposed three P type surface rings. The inner surface ring and outer surface ring are coupled together by a bridging metal member, but the center surface ring is floating. The bridging metal member is disposed at least in part over the ring-shaped BSSCCR. The MOSFET has a high breakdown voltage, a low RDS(ON), and is acceptable and suitable for manufacture at semiconductor fabrication plants that cannot or typically do not make superjunction MOSFETs.
US09837528B2
A semiconductor device having a field-effect transistor, including a trench in a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film in the trench, an intrinsic polycrystalline silicon film over the first insulating film, and first conductivity type impurities in the intrinsic polycrystalline silicon film to form a first conductive film. The first conductive film is etched to form a first gate electrode in the trench. A second insulating film is also formed in the trench above the first insulating film and the first gate electrode, and a first conductivity type doped polycrystalline silicon film, having higher impurity concentration than the first gate electrode is formed over the second insulating film. The doped polycrystalline silicon film is provided in an upper part of the trench to form a second gate electrode.
US09837525B2
The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of source regions formed in a stripe shape on the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of gate electrodes formed in a stripe shape between a plurality of the stripe shaped source regions on the semiconductor substrate, an insulating film for covering the source regions and the gate electrodes, the insulating film including a contact hole for partly exposing the source regions in a part of a predetermined region with respect to a longitudinal direction of the source regions; and a source electrode formed on the insulating film and electrically connected to the source region via the contact hole.
US09837521B2
A nitride semiconductor device includes an electron transit layer (103) that is formed of a nitride semiconductor, an electron supply layer (104) that is formed on the electron transit layer (103), that is formed of a nitride semiconductor whose composition is different from the electron transit layer (103) and that has a recess (109) which reaches the electron transit layer (103) from a surface, a thermal oxide film (111) that is formed on the surface of the electron transit layer (103) exposed within the recess (109), a gate insulating film (110) that is embedded within the recess (109) so as to be in contact with the thermal oxide film (111), a gate electrode (108) that is formed on the gate insulating film (110) and that is opposite to the electron transit layer (103) across the thermal oxide film (111) and the gate insulating film (110), and a source electrode (106) and a drain electrode (107) that are provided on the electron supply layer (104) at an interval such that the gate electrode (108) intervenes therebetween.
US09837514B2
Various particular embodiments include an integrated circuit (IC) structure having: a stack region; and a silicon substrate underlying and contacting the stack region, the silicon substrate including: a silicon region including a doped subcollector region; a set of isolation regions overlying the silicon region; a base region between the set of isolation regions and below the stack region, the base region including an intrinsic base contacting the stack region, an extrinsic base contacting the intrinsic base and the stack region, and an amorphized extrinsic base contact region contacting the extrinsic base; a collector region between the set of isolation regions; an undercut collector-base region between the set of isolation regions and below the base region; and a collector contact region contacting the collector region under the intrinsic base and the collector-base region via the doped subcollector region.
US09837512B2
The transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film over the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film, a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film includes a first oxide semiconductor film on the gate electrode side and a second oxide semiconductor film over the first oxide semiconductor film. The first oxide semiconductor film includes a first region in which an atomic proportion of In is larger than that of M (M is Ti, Ga, Sn, Y, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, or Hf). The second oxide semiconductor film includes a second region in which an atomic proportion of In is smaller than that of the first oxide semiconductor film. The second region includes a portion thinner than the first region.
US09837508B2
A manufacturing method of a trench power MOSFET is provided. In the manufacturing method, the trench gate structure of the trench power MOSFET is formed in the epitaxial layer and includes an upper doped region, a lower doped region and a middle region interposed therebetween. The upper doped region has a conductive type reverse to that of the lower doped region, and the middle region is an intrinsic or lightly-doped region to form a PIN, P+/N− or N+/P− junction. As such, when the trench power MOSFET is in operation, a junction capacitance formed at the PIN, P+/N− or N+/P− junction is in series with the parasitic capacitance. Accordingly, the gate-to-drain effective capacitance may be reduced.
US09837506B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming electrode trenches in a semiconductor substrate between semiconductor mesas that separate the electrode trenches, the semiconductor mesas including portions of a drift layer of a first conductivity type and a body layer of a second, complementary conductivity type between a first surface of the semiconductor substrate and the drift layer, respectively. The method further includes forming isolated source zones of the first conductivity type in the semiconductor mesas, the source zones extending from the first surface into the body layer. The method also includes forming separation structures in the semiconductor mesas between neighboring source zones arranged along an extension direction of the semiconductor mesas, the separation structures forming partial or complete constrictions of the semiconductor mesa, respectively.
US09837501B2
The semiconductor device including: two fins having rectangular parallelepiped shapes arranged in parallel in X-direction; and a gate electrode arranged thereon via a gate insulating film and extending in Y-direction is configured as follows. First, a drain plug is provided over a drain region located on one side of the gate electrode and extending in Y-direction. Then, two source plugs are provided over a source region located on the other side of the gate electrode and extending in Y-direction. Also, the drain plug is arranged in a displaced manner so that its position in Y-direction may not overlap with the two source plugs. According to such a configuration, the gate-drain capacitance can be made smaller than the gate-source capacitance and a Miller effect-based circuit delay can be suppressed. Further, as compared with capacitance on the drain side, capacitance on the source side increases, thereby improving stability of circuit operation.
US09837497B1
A channel structure includes a first patterned channel layer including a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion is disposed on the lower portion. A width of the upper portion is larger than a width of the lower portion. A material or a material composition ratio of the upper portion is different from a material or a material composition ratio of the lower portion. The height and the channel length of the channel structure are increased by disposing the first patterned channel layer, and the saturation current (Isat) of a transistor including the channel structure of the present invention may be enhanced accordingly.
US09837495B2
There are disclosed herein various implementations of semiconductor structures including III-Nitride interlayer modules. One exemplary implementation comprises a substrate and a first transition body over the substrate. The first transition body has a first lattice parameter at a first surface and a second lattice parameter at a second surface opposite the first surface. The exemplary implementation further comprises a second transition body, such as a transition module, having a smaller lattice parameter at a lower surface overlying the second surface of the first transition body and a larger lattice parameter at an upper surface of the second transition body, as well as a III-Nitride semiconductor layer over the second transition body. The second transition body may consist of two or more transition modules, and each transition module may include two or more interlayers. The first and second transition bodies reduce strain for the semiconductor structure.
US09837489B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a second SiC layer of a first conductivity type on a first SiC layer by epitaxial growth, forming a first region of a second conductivity type by selectively ion-implanting first impurities of the second conductivity type into the second SiC layer, removing a portion of the first region, forming a third SiC layer of the first conductivity type on the second SiC layer by epitaxial growth, and forming a second region of the second conductivity type on the first region by selectively ion-implanting second impurities of the second conductivity type into the third SiC layer.
US09837488B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer having a larger band gap than the first semiconductor layer; a third semiconductor layer having a smaller band gap than the second semiconductor layer; a first electrode being in contact with the third semiconductor layer; a second electrode being in contact with the third semiconductor layer; and a third electrode provided between the third semiconductor layer in contact with the first electrode, the second semiconductor layer directly below the first electrode, and the first semiconductor layer directly below the first electrode, and the third semiconductor layer in contact with the second electrode, the second semiconductor layer directly below the second electrode, and the first semiconductor layer directly below the second electrode, being in contact with the third semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, and the first semiconductor layer via insulating film.
US09837471B2
A 3D cross-point memory array includes a bitline and a word line. Both the bitline and the word line have multiple selector switches. Each switch of a corresponding bitline or word line is connected to a horizontal conductor or a vertical conductor so that a given bitline or word line has two switches, a horizontal conductor and a vertical conductor. By activating a particular horizontal conductor and vertical conductor, a specific bitline or word line is selected.
US09837463B2
A solid-state imaging device has a first area in which a plurality of pixels are provided, a second area provided on an outer side with respect to the first area, and a third area provided on the outer side with respect to the second area. An inner-lens layer provided over the first to third areas has an opening. An insulating film provided below the inner-lens layer also has an opening.
US09837461B1
An image sensor device is provided. The image sensor device includes a substrate, a first photoelectric conversion unit, a second photoelectric conversion unit, a third photoelectric conversion unit, a plurality of isolation structures, a first doped region, and a second doped region. The first, second, and third photoelectric conversion units are disposed in the substrate. The second photoelectric conversion unit is located between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the third photoelectric conversion unit. The isolation structures are disposed in the substrate between the photoelectric conversion units. The first doped region is formed in the substrate below the isolation structures. The first doped region extends below the third photoelectric conversion unit. The second doped region is formed in the substrate below a part of the first doped region. The second doped region extends below the second photoelectric conversion unit.
US09837460B2
An improvement is achieved in the performance of a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device includes an n−-type semiconductor region formed in a p-type well, an n-type semiconductor region formed closer to a main surface of a semiconductor substrate than the n−-type semiconductor region, and a p−-type semiconductor region formed between the n−-type semiconductor region and the n-type semiconductor region. A net impurity concentration in the n−-type semiconductor region is lower than a net impurity concentration in the n-type semiconductor region. A net impurity concentration in the p−-type semiconductor region is lower than a net impurity concentration in the p-type well.
US09837450B2
A method of operating a device comprising: a first conductor layer defining a plurality of source conductors each associated with a respective group of transistors, and a plurality of drain conductors each associated with a respective transistor; a semiconductor layer defining semiconductor channels between said source and drain conductors; a second conductor layer defining a plurality of gate conductors each associated with a respective set of transistors, and one or more storage capacitor conductors capacitively coupled to the drain conductors for a respective set of transistors; the method comprising: using the gate conductors to switch the transistors between on and off states; and using the storage capacitor conductors to reduce the conductivity of one or more semiconductor layer connecting the drain conductor of each transistor in the on state to source and/or drain conductors other than those associated with that transistor.
US09837446B2
A thin film transistor array panel includes: a gate wiring layer disposed on a substrate; an oxide semiconductor layer disposed on the gate wiring layer; and a data wiring layer disposed on the oxide semiconductor layer, in which the data wiring layer includes a main wiring layer including copper and a capping layer disposed on the main wiring layer and including a copper alloy.
US09837437B2
An integrated circuit (IC) may include at least one cell including a plurality of conductive lines that extend in a first direction and are in parallel to each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, first contacts respectively disposed at two sides of at least one conductive line from among the plurality of conductive lines, and a second contact disposed on the at least one conductive line and the first contacts and forming a single node by being electrically connected to the at least one conductive line and the first contacts.
US09837432B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked body, a plurality of pillar portions, and an interconnection portion. The stacked body is provided on the substrate. The stacked body includes a plurality of electrode layers stacked separately from each other. The plurality of pillar portions are provided in the stacked body. The plurality of pillar portions extend in a stacking direction of the stacked body. The interconnection portion is provided in the stacked body. The interconnection portion extends in a first direction. The neighboring pillar portions are not arranged along the first direction.
US09837428B2
A performance of a semiconductor device is improved. A film, which is made of silicon, is formed in a resistance element formation region on a semiconductor substrate, and an impurity, which is at least one type of elements selected from a group including a group 14 element and a group 18 element, is ion-implanted into the film, and a film portion which is formed of the film of a portion into which the impurity is ion-implanted is formed. Next, an insulating film with a charge storage portion therein is formed in a memory formation region on the semiconductor substrate, and a conductive film is formed on the insulating film.
US09837426B2
A voltage switching circuit includes: a control signal generation block configured to include a high voltage switching block which controls an electric current flowing according to a high voltage in response to a voltage level of a low voltage control signal and generates complementary high voltage control signals; and a high voltage transfer block configured to be driven according to the complementary high voltage control signals, and generate a switching signal, the voltage level of which is raised based on the high voltage so that the switching signal has substantially the same level as the high voltage.
US09837419B2
A semiconductor device includes a first memory block and a second memory block in a cell region and a first transistor and a second transistor, respectively corresponding to the first and second memory blocks, in a pass transistor region located below the cell region, wherein each of the first and second transistors includes: a first gate electrode coupled to the first memory block and a second gate electrode coupled to the second memory block.
US09837411B2
A semiconductor die that may include a substrate; an epitaxial layer; a metal layer; a first transistor; and a metal via that surrounds the first transistor, extends between the metal layer and the substrate, and penetrates the substrate.
US09837399B2
In accordance with an embodiment, semiconductor component having a compound semiconductor material based semiconductor device connected to a silicon based semiconductor device and a protection element, wherein the silicon based semiconductor device is a transistor. The protection element is coupled in parallel across the silicon based semiconductor device and may be a resistor, a diode, or a transistor. In accordance with another embodiment, the silicon based semiconductor device is a diode. The compound semiconductor material may be shorted to a source of potential such as, for example, ground, with a shorting element.
US09837398B1
Integrated circuit layouts are disclosed that include metal layers with metal tracks having separate metal sections along the metal tracks. The separate metal sections along a single track may be electrically isolated from each other. The separate metal sections may then be electrically connected to different voltage tracks in metal layers above and/or below the metal layer with the separate metal sections. One or more of the metal layers in the integrated circuit layouts may also include metal tracks at different voltages (e.g., power and ground) that are adjacent to each other within a power grid layout. The metal tracks may be separated by electrically insulating material. The metal tracks and the electrically insulating material between the tracks may create capacitance in the power grid layout.
US09837394B2
Self-aligned three dimensional vertically stacked chip stacks and processes for forming the same generally include two or more vertically stacked chips supported by a scaffolding structure, the scaffolding structure defined by a first scaffolding trench and at least one additional scaffolding trench, the first scaffolding trench comprising a bottom surface having a width and a sidewall having a height extending from the bottom surface to define a lowermost trench in a scaffolding layer, the at least one additional scaffolding trench overlaying the first scaffolding trench having a sidewall having a height and a width, wherein the width of the at least one scaffolding trench is greater than the first scaffolding trench width to define a first stair between the first scaffolding trench and the at least one additional trench; a first chip secured to the first scaffolding trench having a height less than the first scaffolding trench sidewall height; and at least one additional chip secured to and supported by the first stair, wherein the at least one additional chip is vertically spaced apart from the first chip.
US09837393B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a semiconductor package includes a substrate having lower and upper surfaces. The semiconductor package further includes at least one passive component coupled to first and second conductive pads on the upper surface of the substrate. The semiconductor package further includes at least one semiconductor device coupled to a first conductive pad on the lower surface of the substrate. The at least one semiconductor device has a first electrode for electrical and mechanical connection to a conductive pad external to the semiconductor package. The at least one semiconductor device can have a second electrode electrically and mechanically coupled to the first conductive pad on the lower surface of the substrate.
US09837391B2
Described is an apparatus which comprises: a first die including: a processing core; a crossbar switch coupled to the processing core; and a first edge interface coupled to the crossbar switch; and a second die including: a first edge interface positioned at a periphery of the second die and coupled to the first edge interface of the first die, wherein the first edge interface of the first die and the first edge interface of the second die are positioned across each other; a clock synchronization circuit coupled to the second edge interface; and a memory interface coupled to the clock synchronization circuit.
US09837387B2
A light emitting apparatus is disclosed. The light emitting apparatus includes a light-transmissive substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, at least one semiconductor light emitting device disposed on the top surface of the light-transmissive substrate, a reflective part disposed over the semiconductor light emitting device to reflect light from the semiconductor light emitting device toward the light-transmissive substrate, and a first wavelength converter disposed between the light-transmissive substrate and the reflective part.
US09837382B2
Thermal resistance is reduced from an element surface of a semiconductor chip to the rear surface of a semiconductor package. Split patterning of a metal is easily carried out, stress produced by a thermal expansion coefficient between silicon and metal is significantly reduced and environment reliability is improved. Low cost is realized by manufacturing a semiconductor package without using a TIM material. A semiconductor package is provided including a semiconductor chip including a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface and covered with a resin, an electrode being arranged over the first surface, a first wiring connected to the first surface directly or via a first opening arranged in the resin, and a second wiring connected to the second surface via a second opening arranged in the resin.
US09837373B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, a lead arranged on a side portion of the semiconductor chip, and a wire, whose one end and another end are bonded to the semiconductor chip and the lead respectively, having a ball portion and a stitch portion wedged in side elevational view on the semiconductor chip and the lead respectively. An angle of approach of the wire to the lead is not less than 50°, and the length of the stitch portion is not less than 33 μm.
US09837372B1
An interconnect for electrically coupling pads formed on adjacent chips or on packaging material adjacent the chips, with an electrically conductive heat sink being disposed between the pads, the interconnect comprising a metallic membrane layer disposed between two adjacent pads and disposed or bridging over the electrically conductive heat sink so as to avoid making electrical contact with the electrically conductive heat sink. An electroplated metallic layer is disposed on the metallic membrane layer. Fabrication of interconnect permits multiple interconnects to be formed in parallel using fabrication techniques compatible with wafer level fabrication of the interconnects. The interconnects preferably follow a smooth curve to electrically connect adjacent pads and following that smooth curve they bridge over the intervening electrically conductive heat sink material in a predictable fashion.
US09837368B2
A wafer level package device, electronic device, and fabrication methods for fabrication of the wafer level package device are described that include forming an exposed lead tip on the wafer level package for providing a solder buttress structure when coupling the wafer level package device to another electrical component. In implementations, the wafer level package device includes at least one integrated circuit die, a metal pad, a first dielectric layer, a redistribution layer, a second dielectric layer, a pillar structure, a molding layer, a pillar layer, and a plating layer, where the pillar layer is sawn to form pad contacts on at least two sides of the wafer level package device. The exposed pad contact facilitate a solder fillet and buttress structure resulting in improved board level reliability.
US09837367B1
Wafers and methods of forming solder balls include forming a final redistribution layer over terminal contact pad on a surface of a wafer. The wafer includes multiple bulk redistribution layers. A hole is etched in the final redistribution layer to expose the terminal contact pad. Solder is injected into the hole using an injection nozzle that is in direct contact with the final redistribution layer. The final redistribution layer is etched back. The injected solder is reflowed to form a solder ball.
US09837362B2
Fabrication of radio-frequency (RF) devices involves providing a field-effect transistor (FET), forming one or more electrical connections to the FET, forming one or more dielectric layers over at least a portion of the electrical connections, and disposing an electrical element at least partially above the one or more dielectric layers, the electrical element being in electrical communication with the FET via the one or more electrical connections. RF device fabrication further involves applying an interface material over at least a portion of the one or more dielectric layers, removing at least a portion of the interface material to form a trench above at least a portion of the electrical element, and covering at least a portion of the interface material and the trench with a substrate layer to form a cavity, the electrical element being disposed at least partially within the cavity.
US09837359B1
An integrated fan-out package including a die attach film, an integrated circuit component, an insulating encapsulation, and a redistribution circuit structure is provided. The integrated circuit component is disposed on the die attach film and includes a plurality of conductive terminals. The die attach film includes an uplifted edge which raises toward sidewalls of the integrated circuit component. The insulating encapsulation encapsulates the uplifted edge and the integrated circuit component. The redistribution circuit structure is disposed on the integrated circuit component and the insulating encapsulation, and the redistribution circuit structure is electrically connected to the conductive terminals of the integrated circuit component. A method of fabricating the integrated fan-out package are also provided.
US09837358B2
A vertical drift metal-oxide-semiconductor (VDMOS) transistor with improved contact to source and body regions, and a method of fabricating the same. A masked ion implant of the source regions into opposite-type body regions defines the locations of body contact regions, which are implanted subsequently with a blanket implant. The surface of the source regions and body contact regions are silicide clad, and an overlying insulator layer deposited and planarized. Contact openings are formed through the planarized insulator layer, within which conductive plugs are formed to contact the metal silicide, and thus the source and body regions of the device. A metal conductor is formed overall to the desired thickness, and contacts the conductive plugs to provide bias to the source and body regions.
US09837344B2
An interconnection component includes a first support portion has a plurality of first conductive vias extending therethrough substantially perpendicular to surfaces thereof such that each via has a first end adjacent a first surface and a second end adjacent a second surface. A second support portion has a plurality of second conductive vias extending therethrough substantially perpendicular to surfaces thereof such that each via has a first end adjacent the first surface and a second end adjacent the second surface. A redistribution layer is disposed between the second surfaces of the first and second support portions, electrically connecting at least some of the first vias with at least some of the second vias. The first and second support portions can have a coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”) of less than 12 parts per million per degree, Celsius (“ppm/° C.”).
US09837342B2
A multilayer wiring board includes a main wiring board which mounts a semiconductor component on a surface of the main wiring board, and a wiring structure body which is mounted to the main wiring board and is formed to be electrically connected to the semiconductor component. The wiring structure body includes conductive pads formed on a first side of the wiring structure body, a heat radiation component formed on a second side of the wiring structure body on the opposite side with respect to the first side, an insulation layer positioned between the conductive pads and the heat radiation component, and via conductors formed in the insulation layer such that each of the via conductors has a diameter which increases from the first side toward the second side of the wiring structure body.
US09837325B2
An extension of conventional IC fabrication processes to include some of the concepts of flip-chip assemblies while producing a final “non-flip chip” circuit structure suitable for conventional packaging or for direct usage by customers. Multiple IC dies are fabricated on a semiconductor wafer in a conventional fashion, solder bumped, and singulated. The singulated dies are then flip-chip assembled onto a single tile substrate of thin-film material which has been patterned with vias, peripheral connection pads, and one or more ground planes. Once dies are flip-chip mounted to the thin-film tile, all of the dies on the entire tile may be probed using automated testing equipment. Once test probing is complete, the dies and tile are singulated into die/tile assemblies.
US09837314B2
Techniques herein include methods of patterning substrates such as for back end of line (BEOL) metallization processes. Techniques herein enable fully self-aligned vias and lines. Processes herein include using selective deposition, protective films and combination etch masks for accurately patterning a substrate. In a substrate having uncovered portions of metal material and dielectric material, the dielectric material is grown upwardly without covering metal material. This raised dielectric material is conformally protected and used in subsequent patterning step to align via and line placement. Such combinations mitigate overlay errors.
US09837311B2
The present disclosure provides conductive plug structures and fabrication methods thereof. An exemplary fabrication process of the conductive plug structure includes providing a substrate; forming a mask layer having an opening on a surface of the substrate; etching the substrate to form a contact hole using the mask layer as an etching mask; etching the mask layer to increase a feature size of the opening; forming an insulation layer on an inner surface of the opening, an inner surface of the enlarged opening and a surface of the mask layer to have more edge corners, a thickness of the insulation layer being greater than a thickness of the remaining mask layer; forming a conductive layer filling the contact hole on the insulation layer; and planarizing the conductive layer and the insulation layer until a surface of the mask layer is exposed.
US09837307B2
A metal first, via first process for forming interconnects within a metallization layer of a semiconductor device is provided. In an embodiment a conductive material is deposited and the conductive material is patterned into a conductive line and a via. A dielectric material is deposited over the conductive line and the via, and the dielectric material and the via are planarized.
US09837305B1
A semiconductor structure that includes: a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductor base and back end of the line (BEOL) wiring layers; a dielectric cap layer on the semiconductor base; trenches on the dielectric cap layer, each of the trenches including dielectric walls, a dielectric bottom in contact with the dielectric cap layer and a metal filling a space between the dielectric walls; air gap openings on the dielectric cap layer and interspersed with the trenches, each air gap opening between the dielectric wall from one metal trench and adjacent to the dielectric wall of a second metal, the dielectric cap layer forming a bottom of the air gap openings; and a second dielectric cap layer formed over the trenches and over the air gap openings, the second dielectric cap layer pinching off each air gap opening.
US09837303B2
A semiconductor device has a modular interconnect unit or interconnect structure disposed in a peripheral region of the semiconductor die. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and interconnect structure. A first insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor die and interconnect structure. A plurality of openings is formed in the first insulating layer over the interconnect structure. The openings have a pitch of 40 micrometers. The openings include a circular shape, ring shape, cross shape, or lattice shape. A conductive layer is deposited over the first insulating layer. The conductive layer includes a planar surface. A second insulating layer is formed over the conductive layer. A portion of the encapsulant is removed to expose the semiconductor die and the interconnect structure. The modular interconnect unit includes a vertical interconnect structure. The modular interconnect unit forms part of an interlocking pattern around the semiconductor die.
US09837299B2
Methods of forming 3-D ICs with integrated passive devices (IPDs) include stacking separately prefabricated substrates. An active device (AD) substrate has contacts on its upper portion. A ground plane is located between the AD substrate and an IPD substrate. The ground plane provides superior IPD to AD cross-talk attenuation.
US09837296B2
An electrostatic chuck apparatus is disclosed which can be prevented from being damaged or fractured when the temperature abruptly increases or decreases when plasma is irradiated on a plate-like specimen, the heater is heated, or the like, and can also prevent corrosion when a corrosive gas or plasma is provided. The electrostatic chuck apparatus has an electrostatic chuck portion 2 having a mounting plate 11 made of a corrosion-resistant ceramic, a supporting plate 12 which is integrated with the mounting plate 11 so as to support the mounting plate 11 and is made of an insulating ceramic having a larger thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the corrosion-resistant ceramic, and an internal electrode for electrostatic adsorption 13 provided between the mounting plate 11 and the supporting plate 12; and a temperature-controlling base portion 3 which adjusts the electrostatic chuck portion 2 to a desired temperature.
US09837288B2
A semiconductor power package includes a pre-molded chip housing and an electrically conducting chip carrier cast-in-place in the pre-molded chip housing. The semiconductor power package further includes a power semiconductor chip bonded on the electrically conducting chip carrier. A covering material is provided to embed the power semiconductor chip. The covering material has an elastic modulus less than an elastic modulus of a material of the pre-molded chip housing and/or a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the material of the pre-molded chip housing and/or a temperature stability greater than a temperature stability of the pre-molded chip housing.
US09837285B2
A method for selectively etching a first region of silicon oxide with respect to a second region of silicon nitride includes a first step of exposing a target object having the first region and the second region to a plasma of a processing gas containing a fluorocarbon gas, etching the first region, and forming a deposit containing fluorocarbon on the first region and the second region. The method further includes a second step of etching the first region by a radical of the fluorocarbon contained in the deposit. In the first step, the plasma is generated by a high frequency power supplied in a pulsed manner. Further, the first step and the second step are repeated alternately.
US09837276B2
A method for preserving interlevel dielectric in a gate cut region includes recessing a dielectric fill to expose cap layers of gate structures formed in a device region and in a cut region and forming a liner in the recess on top of the recessed dielectric fill. The liner includes a material to provide etch selectivity to protect the dielectric fill. The gate structures in the cut region are recessed to form a gate recess using the liner to protect the dielectric fill from etching. A gate material is removed from within the gate structure using the liner to protect the dielectric fill from etching. A dielectric gap fill is formed to replace the gate material and to fill the gate recess in the cut region.
US09837269B2
A method for producing a substantially planar surface for semiconductor processing to improve lithography, planarization, and other process steps that benefit from a flat substrate. The method includes depositing a first alloy to form a first layer on a substrate. The first layer has a center high deposition, meaning the height in the center of the substrate is higher than the height at the edges of the substrate. The method further includes depositing a second alloy on the first layer to form a second layer. The first alloy has a different composition than the second alloy. In such a method the net deposition is substantially planar reducing or eliminating deposition induced long-range distortions that might occur across a substrate.
US09837265B2
Methods for modulating local stress and overlay error of one or more patterning films may include modulating a gas flow profile of gases introduced into a chamber body, flowing gases within the chamber body toward a substrate, rotating the substrate, and unifying a center-to-edge temperature profile of the substrate by controlling the substrate temperature with a dual zone heater. A chamber for depositing a film may include a chamber body comprising one or more processing regions. The chamber body may include a gas distribution assembly having a blocker plate for delivering gases into the one or more processing regions. The blocker plate may have a first region and a second region, and the first region and second region each may have a plurality of holes. The chamber body may have a dual zone heater.
US09837260B2
Deposits such as particles deposited on a surface of a target object can be easily removed while suppressing damage to the target object such as destruction of pattern formed on the surface of the target object or film roughness on the surface of the target object. In a pre-treatment, vapor of a hydrogen fluoride is supplied to a wafer W to dissolve a natural oxide film 11, so that a deposit 10 attached to a surface of the natural oxide film 11 is slightly separated from a surface of the wafer W. A carbon dioxide gas that does not react with an underlying film 12 is supplied to a processing gas atmosphere where the wafer W is placed, so that a gas cluster of the carbon dioxide gas is generated. Then, the gas cluster in a non-ionized state is irradiated toward the wafer W to remove the deposit 10.
US09837258B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for design, fabrication, and use of an ion trap with variable pitch electrodes are described herein. One apparatus includes an ion trap and a plurality of variable pitch electrodes disposed on the ion trap. A respective electrode of the plurality of electrodes can have a first pitch in a first region of the trap and a second pitch in a second region of the trap.
US09837257B2
A corona ionization source assembly and fabrication methods are described that include a fine wire including a wire core including a first material, and a wire coating including a second material, where the wire coating surrounds a portion of the wire core, and the diameter of the wire coating is greater than the diameter of the wire core. Additionally, the fine wire may be coupled to a mounting post. In an implementation, a process for fabricating the corona ionization source assembly that employs the techniques of the present disclosure includes forming a wire core, forming a wire coating that surrounds the wire core, forming a mask layer on at least a portion of the wire coating, etching the wire coating, and removing the mask layer from the wire coating.
US09837256B2
A mass spectrometer ion reaction device, useful for performing ion-ion reactions (eg. ETD, PTR) is described. The device includes a plurality of non-linear rods, that form a pair of quadrupole rod sets. The device includes an axial passageway, that allows injections of ions of both polarities into the device, and a three dimensional trapping region. Anions and cations that are injected into the device are spatially separated into different trapping regions by a DC dipole electric field generated by a DC voltage source. The device also includes a plurality of lenses to confine, transmit or receive ions in/from the device.
US09837251B2
Plasma etching method, plasma etching device, plasma processing method, and plasma processing device
A plasma etching method includes a first step of attracting a substrate onto a monopolar electrostatic chuck in a first plasma, which is a plasma of a noble gas, and stopping generation of the first plasma after the attracting of the substrate, and a second step of etching the substrate in a second plasma, which is a plasma of a halogen-based etching gas, and stopping generation of the second plasma after the etching of the substrate. In the first step, the generation of the first plasma is stopped when a positive voltage is applied from the monopolar electrostatic chuck to the substrate. In the second step, the generation of the second plasma is stopped when a negative voltage is applied from the monopolar electrostatic chuck to the substrate.
US09837249B2
A system provides post-match control of microwaves in a radial waveguide. The system includes the radial waveguide, and a signal generator that provides first and second microwave signals that have a common frequency. The signal generator adjusts a phase offset between the first and second signals in response to a correction signal. The system also includes first and second electronics sets, each of which amplifies a respective one of the first and second microwave signals. The system transmits the amplified, first and second microwave signals into the radial waveguide, and matches an impedance of the amplified microwave signals to an impedance presented by the waveguide. The system also includes at least two monitoring antennas disposed within the waveguide. A signal controller receives analog signals from the monitoring antennas, determines the digital correction signal based at least on the analog signals, and transmits the correction signal to the signal generator.
US09837241B2
A Tera Hertz reflex klystron includes an electron emission unit, a resonant unit and an output unit. The electron emission is used to emit a plurality of electrons. The electron emission unit defines a first opening. The resonant unit comprises a resonant cavity frame. The resonant cavity frame comprises a top wall and a bottom wall and defines a resonant cavity. The top wall and the bottom wall faces with each other. The bottom wall comprises a bottom opening. The top wall comprises a top opening and at least one outputting hole. The bottom opening and the first opening are merged with each other. The output unit being configured to output Tera Hertz waves. The plurality of electrons are transferred to the output unit from the at least one outputting hole.
US09837239B2
Optimization techniques are disclosed for producing sharp and stable tips/nanotips relying on liquid Taylor cones created from electrically conductive materials with high melting points. A wire substrate of such a material with a preform end in the shape of a regular or concave cone, is first melted with a focused laser beam. Under the influence of a high positive potential, a Taylor cone in a liquid/molten state is formed at that end. The cone is then quenched upon cessation of the laser power, thus freezing the Taylor cone. The tip of the frozen Taylor cone is reheated by the laser to allow its precise localized melting and shaping. Tips thus obtained yield desirable end-forms suitable as electron field emission sources for a variety of applications. In-situ regeneration of the tip is readily accomplished. These tips can also be employed as regenerable bright ion sources using field ionization/desorption of introduced chemical species.
US09837234B2
Disclosed embodiments include an instant trip mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker. In some embodiments, the mechanism includes an adjustment dial to set a current for an instant trip operation; an instant bar provided with an upper portion contactable with the adjustment dial, a shaft portion serving as a rotation shaft, and a lower extending portion downwardly extending from the shaft portion; an electromagnet unit to generate a magnetic attraction force that is proportional to an amount of current flowing on the circuit; an armature rotatable with a lower end portion supported by a shaft, and attracted toward the electromagnet unit by the magnetic attraction force; and a spring for applying to the armature a load varying in a direction of the armature getting away from the electromagnet unit.
US09837232B2
An electromechanical circuit breaker comprising a main contact pair comprising a first main contact disposed on a first main contact bridge; an auxiliary contact pair comprising a first auxiliary contact disposed on a first auxiliary contact bridge, the first auxiliary contact bridge being connected in parallel to the first main contact bridge and wherein the auxiliary contact pair comprises a material that has a higher melting point than a material of the main contact pair; a first armature configured to move the first main contact bridge; a second armature configured to move the first auxiliary contact bridge, wherein the first and second armatures are configured such that the auxiliary contact pair opens after the main contact pair opens, and the auxiliary contact pair closes before the main contact pair closes.
US09837222B2
An exemplary working cylinder for a drive of an electric circuit breaker includes a base that includes a cylinder head and a cylinder body that are connected to one another. Additional components are fastened to the cylinder head as a core piece of the drive, and a thrust ring is guided on an outer surface of the cylinder body. The thrust ring compresses mechanical springs in the mechanical resilient energy storage device by way of a storage piston in a storage module.
US09837219B2
A contact wetting circuit 100 is disclosed for supplying wetting current to sense the state of dry contacts of a switch SW1 setting for an electronic device 10. The contact wetting circuit includes an RC circuit 110 having a resistor R1 and a capacitor C1, and a controller 120 connected to a power supply 130 of the device. The controller supplies a first voltage to the RC circuit to produce a charging current having an average current and/or a peak current below the wetting current parameter of the dry contacts. The charging current is used to charge the capacitor C1 during the first time period. The controller stops the supply of the first voltage to the RC circuit after sufficient charging to allow the charged capacitor C1 to supply a second voltage, across the switch SW1, to produce a wetting current. Thereafter, the controller polls and senses the state of the switch SW1, and performs certain operations accordingly.
US09837217B2
A capacitor module comprises: a lower block panel including first conductive blocks arranged to be tightly attached to each other and respectively having a first lower coupling unit formed at one side and a second lower coupling unit formed at the other side; an upper block panel including second conductive blocks arranged to be tightly attached to each other and respectively having a second upper coupling unit formed at one side to be positioned on a top of the second lower coupling unit and a first upper coupling unit formed at the other side; and capacitors arranged to be positioned between the lower block panel and the upper block panel and respectively having a first external electrode connected to the first lower coupling unit or the second upper coupling unit and a second external electrode connected to the second lower coupling unit or the first upper coupling unit.
US09837192B2
A method for passing an electrical cable through a hole in a housing of a unit of electrical equipment is provided. The method may include: fitting onto the cable a tubular, mushroom-shaped male member comprising a stem with a threaded portion and a portion with enlarged head; inserting into the hole the cable having the male member fitted thereon extending through said hole with said portion with enlarged head abutting against the periphery of the hole externally to the housing and said threaded portion protruding inside the housing; and retaining said male member in the hole by coupling with said threaded portion that protrudes inside the housing an annular female member in the form of a nut co-operating with the periphery of the hole inside said housing to counter the movement of the female member with respect to the housing.
US09837190B2
In a method for forming joints between MgB2 filaments of superconducting wires, the MgB2 filaments from the wires to be joined are exposed, and the exposed filaments are then exposed to a mixture of magnesium powder and boron powder in a furnace, and the MgB2 filaments and the magnesium and boron powders are pressed together in the furnace. The MgB2 filaments and the magnesium and the boron powders in the furnace are heated, and oxygen that is present within the furnace is preferentially trapped, and thus removed from the joint, by providing titanium within the furnace.
US09837188B2
Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward methods and apparatus that include a lead frame with a fixed external pin pitch. A differential signal path is provided that is characterized by bond-pad pitch range, wire length and wire diameter. The differential signal path carries signals in a frequency range between 5 GHz and 16.1 GHz with less than about 25 dB differential return loss (DDRL). Further, the signals are processed at a signal-processing node that is electrically coupled to the differential signal path by using the differential signal path to carry signals in a frequency range between 5 GHz and about 16.1 GHz.
US09837178B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a measurement data acquiring unit that acquires data obtained by using an imaging apparatus to capture an image formed by an electromagnetic wave transmitted through an object, as measurement data of the object; an image generating unit that generates a first image and a second image that represent information on different physical quantities, from the measurement data; a filter characteristics determining unit that determines, based on the first image, filter characteristics to be set when an anisotropic filter is applied, for each position in the image; and a filtering unit that applies the anisotropic filter to the second image while varying the filter characteristics of the anisotropic filter for each position in the image in accordance with the filter characteristics determined based on the first image.
US09837170B2
A system and method for testing performance of a plurality of memory modules includes generating a clock signal at a set frequency and sending the clock signal to the memory modules. An initial data pattern is sent to an input of a first memory module. A subsequent data pattern received from the first memory module is delayed by a predetermined delay time and sent to an input of a last memory module. The initial data pattern and the subsequent data pattern received from the output of the last memory module are compared and a performance of the memory modules is also calculated.
US09837169B2
A memory system for a computer is provided as well as a method for integrity testing a memory interface. The memory system includes a memory controller providing a memory interface including a plurality of data lanes, wherein each of the plurality of data lanes includes a driver and a receiver, and wherein each receiver has an output. The memory system further includes an AND gate having an output and a plurality of inputs, wherein the output of each receiver is coupled to one of the plurality of inputs of the AND gate. The method includes driving a high signal pulse onto each of a plurality of data lanes of a memory interface, receiving a reflection of the high signal pulse on each of the data lanes, and determining whether the reflections received on the data lanes indicate that any one or more of the data lanes is defective.
US09837155B1
A memory device includes: a semiconductor column extending vertically on a substrate and including a source region of a first conductivity type, an intrinsic region, and a drain region of a second conductivity type; a first gate electrode disposed adjacent to the drain region to cover the intrinsic region; a second gate electrode spaced apart from the first gate electrode and disposed adjacent to the source region to cover the intrinsic region; a first gate insulating layer disposed between the first gate electrode and the intrinsic region; and a second gate insulating layer disposed between the second gate electrode and the intrinsic region.
US09837154B2
One example includes a resistive random access memory (RRAM) system. The system includes a resistive memory element to store a binary state based on a resistance of the resistive memory element. The system also includes an RRAM write circuit to generate a current through the resistive memory element to provide a write voltage across the resistive memory element to set the resistance of the resistive memory element. The system further includes a write shutoff circuit to monitor a change in the write voltage as a function of time to deactivate the RRAM write circuit in response to a change in the binary state of the resistive memory element.
US09837149B2
A low read current architecture for memory. Bit lines of a cross point memory array are allowed to be charged by a selected word line until a minimum voltage differential between a memory state and a reference level is assured.
US09837145B2
A memory system, non-volatile solid-state memory, and a method of efficiently reading data from a flash memory array are disclosed. The disclosed memory system includes a flash memory array having a plurality of memory cells that store data therein, each of the plurality of memory cells being configured to store at least two bits per cell and being organized into pages, and a controller configured to read any bit of data from a page of the flash memory array by applying a single threshold voltage to the flash memory array. Reading data from the flash memory array with a single threshold greatly decreases the latency associated with the read operation.
US09837144B1
A memory circuit includes a set of subarrays of memory cells and a set of write assist circuits for generating negative voltages on bitlines pertaining to the set of subarrays, respectively. A set of distinct signals initiate the write assist circuits in generating the negative voltages for subarrays, respectively. The distinct signals may have particular state to cause a subset of the write assist circuits to generate the negative voltages if the corresponding subarrays are target of a writing operation, and another state to cause another subset of the write assist circuits to not generate the negative voltages if the corresponding subarrays are not target of the writing operation. This avoids the unnecessary generation of negative voltages for subarrays that are not the target of a writing operation so as to reduce power consumption. The generation of the distinct signals may be based on a set of write mask signals.
US09837140B2
A semiconductor device including a first N-type well and a second N-type well includes: a memory circuit to be coupled with first and second power source lines; and a first switch which electrically couples the first power source line with the second power source line and electrically decouples the first power source line from the second power source line. The memory circuit includes a memory array to be coupled with the second power source line, a peripheral circuit to be coupled with the first power source line, and a second switch which electrically couples the first power source line with the second power source line in the active mode and electrically decouples the first power source line from the second power source line in the standby mode. The first and second switches each include a first PMOS transistor arranged in the first N-type well.
US09837131B2
A semiconductor device and an output circuit thereof for accelerating rising of a pull-up transistor are provided. The output circuit of the invention includes an external terminal (130), an output buffer (110) and a pre-buffer circuit (120). The external terminal (130) can output output data to an external part. The output buffer (110) is connected to the external terminal (130) and includes a pull-up transistor (Qp1) of P type and a pull-down transistor (Qn1) of N type. The pre-buffer circuit (120) outputs a pull-up signal (PU) and a pull-down signal (PD) corresponding to the output data to the output buffer (110). The pre-buffer circuit (120) also includes a circuit (122). The circuit (122) negatively boosts the pull-up signal (PU) when the pull-up signal (PU) is changed from a high level into a low level.
US09837119B2
An embodiment of a data-read path includes a defect detector and a data-recovery circuit. The defect detector is operable to identify a defective region of a data-storage medium, and the data-recovery circuit is operable to recover data from the data-storage medium in response to the defect detector. For example, such an embodiment may allow identifying a defective region of a data-storage disk caused, e.g., by a scratch or contamination, and may allow recovering data that was written to the defective region.
US09837108B2
The invention provides a method and apparatus for scanning a read/write head of a hard disk drive during manufacture. The method comprises: providing a magnetic sensor; moving the magnetic sensor relative to and in close proximity to the read/write head under test; obtaining measurements from the head under test or the sensor, representing a two-dimensional magnetic map; processing the map to obtain an accurate map of the head sensitivity of the head under test from which the key performance characteristics of the head can be obtained.
US09837102B2
Examples of the disclosure describe user environment aware single channel acoustic noise reduction. A noisy signal received by a computing device is transformed and feature vectors of the received noisy signal are determined. The computing device accesses classification data corresponding to a plurality of user environments. The classification data for each user environment has associated therewith a noise model. A comparison is performed between the determined feature vectors and the accessed classification data to identify a current user environment. A noise level, a speech level, and a speech presence probability from the transformed noisy signal are estimated and the noise signal is reduced based on the estimates. The resulting signal is outputted as an enhanced signal with a reduced or eliminated noise signal.
US09837101B2
An audio identification system generates audio fingerprints and indexes associated with the audio fingerprints based on discrete and overlapping frames within a sample of an audio signal. The system applies a time-to-frequency domain transform to a time-sequence of frames, which may be filtered. The audio identification system then applies a time-variant transformation (e.g., a Discrete Cosine Transform) to the transformed frames and generates an audio fingerprint and index by selecting sets of coefficients of the time-variant transformation. The system selects coefficients that are less sensitive to possible noise and/or distortions in the underlying signal, such as low-frequency coefficients. The time-variant transformation provides sufficient sampling among the indexes by incorporating the phase information of the frames into the indexes. The system stores the audio fingerprint and other identifying information by index for efficient retrieval and matching of the retrieved fingerprints.
US09837099B1
Embodiments of systems and methods are described for determining which of a plurality of beamformed audio signals to select for signal processing. In some embodiments, a plurality of audio input signals are received from a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones. A plurality of beamformed audio signals are determined based on the plurality of input audio signals, the beamformed audio signals comprising a direction. A plurality of signal features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal. Smoothed features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal based on at least a portion of the plurality of signal features. The beamformed audio signal corresponding to the maximum smoothed feature may be selected for further processing.
US09837091B2
The present invention provides an audio-visual dialogue system that allows a user to create an ‘avatar’ which may be customised to look and sound a particular way. The avatar may be created to resemble, for example, a person, animal or mythical creature, and generated to have a variable voice which may be female or male. The system then employs a real-time voice conversion in order to transform any audio input, for example, spoken word, into a target voice that is selected and customised by the user. The system is arranged to facially animate the avatar using a real-time lip-synching algorithm such that the generated avatar and the target voice are synchronised.
US09837086B2
An audio encoder encodes a digital audio recording having a number of audio channels or audio objects. A Dynamic Range Control (DRC) processor produces a sequence of encoder DRC gain values, by applying a selected one of a number of DRC characteristics to a group of one or more of the audio channels or audio objects. The encoder DRC gain values are to be applied to adjust the group of audio channels or audio objects, upon decoding them from the encoded digital audio recording. A bitstream multiplexer combines a) the encoded digital audio recording with b) the sequence of encoder DRC gain values, an indication of the selected DRC characteristic, and an indication of an alternate DRC characteristic, the latter as metadata associated with the encoded digital audio recording. Other embodiments are also described including a system for decoding the encoded audio recording and performing DRC adjustment upon it.
US09837080B2
Systems and methods for maintaining speaker recognition performance are provided. A method for maintaining speaker recognition performance, comprises training a plurality of models respectively corresponding to speaker recognition scores from a plurality of speakers over a plurality of sessions, and using the plurality of models to conclude whether a speaker seeking access to an environment is a non-ideal target speaker or a non-ideal non-target speaker. Using the plurality of models to conclude comprises calculating a first probability that the speaker seeking access is the non-ideal target speaker, calculating a second probability that the speaker seeking access is the non-ideal non-target speaker, and determining whether the first probability, the second probability or a sum of the first probability and the second probability is above a probability threshold.
US09837076B1
Methods and systems are provided for customizing an action. In some implementations, voice input is received from a user and a context is determined from the voice input. Potential contextual data is identified based on the context and the voice input. A level of confidence is determined for an association of the potential contextual data and the context. An action is performed based on the voice input, the potential contextual data, and the level of confidence. The potential contextual data is used to customize the action.
US09837073B2
Methods of incrementally modifying a word-level finite state transducer (FST) are described for adding and removing sentences. A prefix subset of states and arcs in the FST is determined that matches a prefix portion of the sentence. A suffix subset of states and arcs in the FST is determined that matches a suffix portion of the sentence. A new sentence can then be added to the FST by appending a new sequence of states and arcs to the FST corresponding to a remainder of the sentence between the prefix and suffix. An existing sentence can be removed from the FST by removing any arcs and states between the prefix subset and the suffix subset. The resulting modified FST is locally efficient but does not satisfy global optimization criteria such as minimization.
US09837071B2
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable storage media for speaker recognition personalization. The method recognizes speech received from a speaker interacting with a speech interface using a set of allocated resources, the set of allocated resources including bandwidth, processor time, memory, and storage. The method records metrics associated with the recognized speech, and after recording the metrics, modifies at least one of the allocated resources in the set of allocated resources commensurate with the recorded metrics. The method recognizes additional speech from the speaker using the modified set of allocated resources. Metrics can include a speech recognition confidence score, processing speed, dialog behavior, requests for repeats, negative responses to confirmations, and task completions. The method can further store a speaker personalization profile having information for the modified set of allocated resources and recognize speech associated with the speaker based on the speaker personalization profile.
US09837068B2
A method for verifying at least one sound sample to be used in generating a sound detection model in an electronic device includes receiving a first sound sample; extracting a first acoustic feature from the first sound sample; receiving a second sound sample; extracting a second acoustic feature from the second sound sample; and determining whether the second acoustic feature is similar to the first acoustic feature.
US09837066B2
A system and method for adaptive active noise reduction measure the acoustic response for each user to adaptively adjust and customize the ANR operation using adaptive filters to correct for any differences between the measured response and a targeted response. The system and method of various embodiments incorporate a closed loop control system with a feedforward input. The acoustic measurement and adaptation procedure is performed to adapt or tune at least one of the closed loop and feedforward control loops to provide adaptive ANR customized for each user and current ambient environment.
US09837060B2
A method for stringed instruments' pickup, the method comprising a step of: capturing mechanical vibrations of at least one string; and converting them to a signal representative of a string's current state, the method being characterized in that the capturing comprises the following steps: capturing, using an image capturing device, image frames comprising views of at least one musical instrument's string in a still state; storing the captured image as a reference of a still state; capturing (500), using the image capturing device, image frames comprising views of at least one musical instrument's string in a vibrating state; storing the captured image as a reference of a vibrating state; comparing (520) the still state reference with a vibrating state reference in order to find (530) amplitude of vibrations of each string as well as frequency of each string vibrations based on amplitude height in pixels with reference to the still state and determining a frequency of each vibrating string on the basis of the number of pixels between two nuts of at least half-period of a given periodic function.
US09837053B1
A display method includes steps of: receiving, by the controller, a first frame and a second frame from an input data; up-converting, by the controller, a frame rate of the input data to produce a third frame based on the first frame and the second frame; identifying, by the controller, a static image content of the third frame according to a comparison of the first frame and the second frame; controlling, by the controller, the driver circuit not to update data of pixels within a static display area of the display panel corresponding to the static image content during the period of time that the third frame is displayed by the display panel.
US09837051B2
An electronic device and a method generate a first model and a second model when the images presented by the electronic device are viewed by a user located at a reference location. The electronic device obtains an image of the user captured by a camera of the electronic device when the user views the images presented by the electronic device. The electronic device generates a third model according to the image of the user. The electronic device adjusts the images presented by the electronic device when the third model does not match the first model.
US09837046B2
A display control device comprises calibration unit configured to display an image for colorimetry on a screen of a display panel and performing calibration processing of adjusting display quality of the display panel on the basis of a colorimetry result obtained by colorimetry with a sensor; detection unit configured to detect a predetermined event that can decrease an accuracy of colorimetry of the sensor while the calibration processing is executed; and determination unit configured to perform determination processing of determining whether or not to stop the calibration processing by comparing the colorimetry results before the detection and after the detection of the predetermined event with the sensor when the detection unit has detected the predetermined event.
US09837040B2
A display driver includes a gamma voltage generation unit, a decoder, and a plurality of source amplifiers. The gamma voltage generation unit generates gamma reference voltages. The decoder transforms pixel data corresponding to received image information into data voltages using the gamma reference voltages. The plurality of source amplifiers outputs the data voltages to a display panel. The gamma voltage generation unit includes a first amplifier receiving a reference voltage and a voltage divider including a plurality of resistors and at least one first switch. The at least one first switch turns on or turns off a first connection between an output node of the first amplifier and the plurality of resistors depending on an operation mode. The voltage divider generates at least one first gamma reference voltage among the gamma reference voltages based on an output voltage of the first amplifier.
US09837039B2
A method of driving a display panel is provided. The method includes generating first compensated and second compensated data based on input image data, outputting the first compensated data to a data driver during a first frame, outputting the first smoothing data to the data driver during a second frame subsequent to the first frame, and outputting the second compensated data to the data driver during an n-th frame subsequent to the second frame (where n is a natural number greater than two). The first smoothing data has a value between a value of the first compensated data and a value of the second compensated data.
US09837027B2
The semiconductor device cyclically outputs given status information pieces according to a predetermined procedure from a test output terminal one by one on receipt of a test enable direction through a test enable terminal, and outputs the same status information pieces as those output at that time from the test output terminal without interruption on receipt of a test disable direction. Operating the test enable terminal, the semiconductor device cyclically outputs status information pieces without the need for initial setting and further, outputs only desired status information without interruption.
US09837024B2
A scan driving circuit and a driving method thereof, an array substrate, and a display apparatus are disclosed. The scan driving circuit comprises: a first shift register (11) connected to one group of clock signals (CLKA) having a first clock cycle, and configured to output a first scanning signal (GA) progressively; a second shift register (12) connected to another group of clock signals (CLKB) having a second clock cycle, and configured to output a second scanning signal (GB) progressively; and a logic arithmetic device (13) connected to a first clock signal (CLK1) having a third clock cycle, connected to the first shift register (11) and the second shift register (12), and configured to output compensation signals (SC) of multiple rows; the compensation signal (SC) of any row has a wave shape the same as the first clock signal (CLK1) when a second scanning signal (GB) of a present row is at a first level, and has a wave shape the same as a first scanning signal (GA) of the present row when the second scanning signal (GB) of the present row is at a second level; and the third clock cycle is smaller than the second clock cycle. The scan driving circuit can be implemented by adding an appropriate circuit structure on the basis of the conventional GOA circuit, without manufacturing a driving chip on the external circuit board, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified, the process cost of products can be reduced, and integration level of the OLED panel can be raised.
US09837014B2
A method of driving an organic light emitting diode display device having first to third sub-pixels and a white sub-pixel comprises judging a gray level of an image data; classifying the image data into a low gray level group, a middle gray level group and a high gray level group; displaying an image using the first to third sub-pixels except the white sub-pixel when the gray level of the image data is classified into the low gray level group; and displaying the image using the first to third sub-pixels and the white sub-pixel when the gray level of the image data is classified into one of the middle and high gray level groups.
US09837012B2
A display device 10 includes are arranged in a matrix form and to which image information is input, and a signal processing unit 20. The signal processing unit 20 includes a rendering position deciding unit that decides whether or not a sub-pixel rendering process of changing input signal values of sub-pixels of a second pixel among a first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel is performed, a pattern information acquiring unit that acquires an arrangement of the sub-pixels in a processing direction of either of a portrait mode and a landscape mode as pattern information indicating a first arrangement pattern or a second arrangement pattern, and a rendering unit that performs a first sub-pixel rendering process or a second sub-pixel rendering process on the input signals of the sub-pixels of the second pixel based on the decision of the rendering position deciding unit and the pattern information.
US09837003B2
A free-standing vertical structure is described including at least one wall structure having a plurality of live plants removably secured thereto. The wall structures may also include non-botanic media in combination with the plurality of plants such as traditional media, to form a new mixed media format for conveying information, herein referred to as botanic media. The plurality of plants may be configured to surround the non-botanic media to create a frame or border. The plants may also be arranged and configured to display information themselves. The non-botanic media and/or plants are configured on the wall structure to convey information readily perceivable by a passerby. The plants are preferably hydroponically-fed with nutrients and water from an irrigation system.
US09836990B2
A system for evaluating a cyber-attack on an aircraft may include a display associated with the aircraft, a sensor system configured to generate sensor data for a pilot, and a data processing system configured to: (1) generate simulation data, (2) generate a flight simulation from the simulation data, (3) simulate the cyber-attack on at least one aircraft system during the flight simulation, (4) generate virtual flight data during the flight simulation, and (5) present the sensor data and the virtual flight data.
US09836989B2
A training data management method and related system is disclosed comprising three integrated elements. A training data network may provide a network linking a remote instructor operating an off-board data network with a student operating an onboard data network. The remote instructor may, via the datalink connection, maintain a level of control of the data set available to the student. A method for providing training data may include an onboard and off-board safety monitor configured for perceiving a safety event and sending a notification thereof to an involved participant. A system for providing training data may include a data guard configured to monitor all communications between two networks and block sensitive information, training data, and classified communications between the networks.
US09836985B2
Systems and methods are provided for measuring a user's English language proficiency. A constructed response generated by a user is received, the constructed response being based on a picture. The constructed response is processed to determine a first numerical measure indicative of a presence of one or more grammar errors in the constructed response. The constructed response is processed to determine a second numerical measure indicative of a degree to which the constructed response describes a subject matter of the picture. The constructed response is processed to determine a third numerical measure indicative of a degree of awkward word usage in the constructed response. A model is applied to the first, second, and third numerical measures to determine a score for the constructed response indicative of the user's English language proficiency. The model includes first, second, and third variables with associated first, second, and third weighting factors, respectively.
US09836983B2
A system and method for providing playback of interactions on a computing device. The system is configured to provide a user of a computing device with the capability of playing and/or recording walkthroughs on a user interface of the computing device, wherein the user is able to directly interact with the walkthrough and user interface in real- or near real-time during playback of the walkthrough. The walkthrough may be tutorial-based, such that the user may follow along with the walkthrough when attempting to answer a question or solve a problem via the user interface (e.g. classroom lesson on solving equations). The system is further configured to allow the user to record and generate a customized walkthrough.
US09836978B2
A parking assistance device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a first distance between a vehicle and a first obstacle measured by a distance measuring unit and a second distance between the vehicle and a second obstacle measured by the distance measuring unit; a calculation unit that calculates an inter-objects distance between the first and second obstacles; and a generation unit that generates a guidance route for the vehicle such that each of the first and second distances become equal to or longer than a second reference distance which is shorter than a first reference distance that is a reference for safe travelling of the vehicle, when the vehicle is caused to move between the first and second obstacles and within the inter-objects distance and in a case where a condition is satisfied.
US09836977B1
A steering-control system for an automated vehicle includes an object-detector and a controller. The object-detector is suitable for use on a host-vehicle. The object-detector is used to detect an other-vehicle approaching the host-vehicle, and to detect a stationary-object that defines a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the object-detector and adapted to operate the host-vehicle. The controller is configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a centered-position of a travel-lane of the roadway when a projected-path of the other-vehicle approaches the host-vehicle to a minimum-distance between the other-vehicle and the host-vehicle greater than a distance-threshold. The controller is also configured to steer the host-vehicle towards a biased-position of the travel-lane to increase the minimum-distance when the projected-path approaches the host-vehicle to less than the distance-threshold if the host-vehicle remains in the centered-position.
US09836970B1
A system that assists a driver with properly positioning a vehicle. Such systems may include an interface to information from vehicle sensor(s), light strip(s), and computing device(s) including one or more tangible computing elements. The computing device(s) may perform steps that include determining a position of the vehicle using the information from the vehicle sensor(s), and generating optical indication(s) using the light strip(s) of an action that the driver should take based on the position. In some aspects, the system is deployed in a carwash bay and assists the driver with properly positioning the vehicle in the carwash bay. The optical indication may be green light to indicate that the vehicle should be moved forward, blue light to indicate that the vehicle should be moved backward, and red light to indicate that the vehicle should be stopped. Also, associated methods.
US09836962B1
A computer-implemented method of using telematics data at a destination device is provided. The destination device may be a mobile device associated with a driver, or a smart vehicle controller of a destination vehicle. The telematics data is generated by an originating mobile device (i) having a Telematics Application (or “App”), and (ii) associated with a second driver/vehicle, the telematics data including acceleration, braking, speed, heading, and location data associated with an originating vehicle. The telematics data may be broadcast from the originating mobile device to the destination device that (a) analyzes the telematics data received, (b) determines that an abnormal travel condition exists, and (c) automatically take corrective action that alleviates a negative impact of the abnormal travel condition on the destination vehicle to facilitate safer travel. A usage-based or other insurance discount may be provided based upon insured usage of the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality.
US09836957B2
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system adapted for obtaining data from electromagnetic waves propagating in a transmission medium, and transmitting a plurality of wireless optical signals including the data responsive to determining that weather conditions are favorable for transmitting wireless optical signals, each wireless optical signal being directed to a different one of a plurality of communication devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09836944B2
A method for geo-location services is described. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring a condition of a user at a location, identifying an emergency situation in relation to the user at the location, and upon identifying the emergency situation, sending a notification message to a predetermined contact, the notification message comprising a temporary code to unlock a door lock at the location within a predetermined time period.
US09836943B1
A floating apparatus for alerting people of the presence of voltage in water. When the floating apparatus is placed in water and in an active state, it detects when at least a threshold level of voltage is present in the water and generates an alert signal in response to detecting the threshold level of voltage is present. The floating apparatus may detect the threshold level of voltage is present without requiring that a ground wire be connected between an electrical circuit of the floating apparatus and a fixed structure exterior of the water such as soil surrounding the water.
US09836941B2
A proximity alert system for tracking one or more persons in proximity of heavy equipment is provided. The proximity alert system includes a database configured to store identifying data and an identification code of an asset in a worksite, one or more beacons configured to transmit a low energy transmission including an identification code, and one or more receiving units attached to one or more pieces within a worksite configured to detect and transmit data related to the one or more beacons to the database. When an asset is detected as being in dangerous proximity to a piece of equipment, an alert is emitted from the receiving unit.
US09836937B2
This sensor system includes: a sensor that is provided with a sensor cover having an opening formed on one end and a sensor main body which is detachably disposed on an inner portion of the sensor cover; and a detachment tool used to detach the sensor main body from the sensor cover, wherein the sensor includes an attachment structure used to attach the sensor main body to the inner portion of the sensor cover, the detachment tool includes a detachment structure used to detach the sensor main body from the inner portion of the sensor cover, and in the detachment structure, by pushing the detachment tool into the sensor main body from the opening of the sensor cover, the sensor main body is detached from the inner portion of the sensor cover.
US09836923B2
A mobile application or mobile website allows a user of a mobile device to make player selections associated with the order of a lottery ticket. The mobile device then displays a machine-readable code image. When a lottery retailer scans the image, the code conveys the lottery ticket order to the retail system, allowing the retailer to sell lottery tickets corresponding with the order. The mobile application or website may record player selections for reuse, record purchased tickets to report lottery status to the player, and assist the player in locating a lottery retailer. Further, a lottery image ticket may be transmitted to the user's mobile device or to an account which can be accessed through the user's mobile device. The lottery image ticket can then be presented to the retailer equipment for winnings check and redemption.
US09836918B2
A gaming terminal data repository (GTDR) for storing game software components and transaction information for gaming machine and gaming terminals is disclosed. A system database is partitioned according to different gaming entities allowing game software component configurations of particular gaming terminals to be easily analyzed and modified. Game software components for gaming terminals connected to the GTDR may be automatically updated using various triggers. System gaming machines may utilize a combination of game software components residing on the gaming machine and those received from the GTDR. A library of preset gaming terminal configurations can be stored at the system database, where each such preset configuration includes specific settings for each of a plurality of gaming terminal setting categories. Gaming terminals can be configured remotely using the GTDR, and possibly one or more of the stored preset gaming terminal configurations.
US09836916B2
A method and apparatus for playing a wagering game on a gaming apparatus enables different paytables and related volatility wagers on at least one of an underlying wagering game and a side bet wager against a paytable. The method allows a player placing a wager on the underlying wagering game; and the player placing a wager on the side bet. The method further allows providing a physical random event outcome in the underlying wagering game on which both the underlying game and the side bet are based. At least one of the wager on the underlying wagering game and the wager on the side bet is made on at least one of two available wagers having differing volatilities from each other.
US09836915B2
An electronic gaming machine includes a display for displaying a game including game symbols arranged into an array of predetermined game positions. An electronic game controller designates at least one of the predetermined game positions as a special game position in the array such that a special symbol appearing in the special game position in a play of the game causes the electronic game controller to award a game enhancing element to the player. The special game position is visually indicated on the array to the player during the play by a graphical element associated with the special game position. A gaming method is also provided.
US09836911B2
A gaming system is disclosed which comprises a game controller arranged to selectively implement one of a plurality of games in response to player input, and a denomination selector arranged to facilitate selection by a player of a bet denomination, each game being associated with at least one bet denomination, and wherein at least one bet denomination of at least one of the games is different to at least one bet denomination of at least one of the other games. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
US09836906B2
A method having the steps of obtaining temporal information communicated to a first device; carrying out one or more of the following tests: a test to determine whether the first device is in a state following an initial operation, a battery replacement or other power outage, or a reset, a test to determine whether a deviation between temporal information of the clock and the communicated temporal information is less than or equal to a threshold which is specified, and a test to determine whether the communicated temporal information has the same date as the temporal information of the clock; and synchronizing the clock using the communicated temporal information if all of one or more defined conditions are satisfied, wherein one of the one or more conditions requires that at least one of the one or more tests carried out has a positive result.
US09836897B2
A lockbox access apparatus comprising a wireless communications device having a stored program configured to: cause the wireless communications device to communicate an access request to a lockbox; and receive lockbox identifying information from the lockbox. The wireless communication device is further configured to: record biometric identifying information of an individual; take entry from a user of non-biometric identifying information of the individual; and transmit the lockbox identifying information, the biometric identifying information, and the non-biometric identifying information to a remote destination.
US09836895B1
An autonomous vehicle is tested using virtual objects. The autonomous vehicle is maneuvered, by one or more computing devices, the autonomous vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. Sensor data is received corresponding to objects in the autonomous vehicle's environment, and virtual object data is received corresponding to a virtual object in the autonomous vehicle's environment. The virtual object represents a real object that is not in the vehicle's environment. The autonomous vehicle is maneuvered based on both the sensor data and the virtual object data. Information about the maneuvering of the vehicle based on both the sensor data and the virtual object data may be logged and analyzed.
US09836883B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for fitting a subject by generating one or more 3D deformable models for an anatomical portion; capturing images of a user anatomical portion and a reference object using a mobile camera; generating an updated model of the user anatomical portion by selecting a closest 3D deformable model to the user anatomical portion and matching points on the closest 3D deformable model to one or more predetermined points on the user anatomical portion; and selecting a best-fit product from a plurality of product variations based on the 3D model.
US09836878B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for processing primitive-specific attributes. A portion of a graphics processor is determined to operate in a fast geometry shader mode and a vertex associated with a set of per-vertex attributes is determined to be a shared vertex. The shared vertex is determined to be a non-provoking vertex corresponding to a first primitive that is associated with a first set of per-primitive attributes and the shared vertex is determined to be a provoking vertex corresponding to a second primitive that is associated with a second set of per-primitive attributes. Only one set of the per-vertex attributes associated with the shared vertex is stored and only one of the second set of per-primitive attributes associated with the second primitive is stored.
US09836877B2
A method and system may include a hardware texture unit having logic to receive parameters of a view ray for a pixel of a graphical scene, and determine an illumination of the view ray. The illumination, which could indicate an in-scatter illumination percentage for the view ray, may be passed to a software module such as a pixel shader for rendering of the pixel.
US09836873B2
Various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to systems and methods for analyzing and manipulating images and video. According to particular embodiments, the spatial relationship between multiple images and video is analyzed together with location information data, for purposes of creating a representation referred to herein as a surround view. In particular embodiments, a surround view can be generated by combining a panoramic view of an object with a panoramic view of a distant scene, such that the object panorama is placed in a foreground position relative to the distant scene panorama. Such combined panoramas can enhance the interactive and immersive viewing experience of the surround view.
US09836863B2
A system and method for receiving positional data corresponding to stages of movement of a person within a time interval, determining from the positional data, at each stage of movement, one of: a position, an orientation, and a pose of the person, and based on the one of the position, the orientation, and the pose of the person determined for each stage of movement, generating a visualization graphic, separate from a display of the person, that illustrates one of the positions, orientations, and poses of the person at the stages of movement within the time interval.
US09836859B2
A computed tomography (CT) imaging apparatus includes a radiation source configured to emit X-rays; a plurality of photon-counting detectors configured to detect X-rays emitted by the radiation source and generate a photon counting signal based on the detected X-rays; and processing circuitry to obtain a kV-waveform used by the radiation source to generate the X-rays during a scan of an object, and adjust at least one energy threshold dividing the photon counting signal into a plurality of spectra bins in accordance with the obtained kV-waveform.
US09836856B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating color names for colors corresponding to images and/or palettes. A color image is obtained, and one or more color palettes corresponding to the color image are identified. The color palette may be generated based on palette generation criteria, which may facilitate or control a palette generation process. Illustratively, the palette generation process may include image pre-processing, color distribution generation, representative color identification, palette candidate generation, and palette determination. A color name for each color identified in the color palette and/or the color image can be identified based at least in part on color name popularity information. Color name popularity information may be identified from color name-related voting results provided by a social network site. Aspects of the disclosure are further directed to processing the identified color name(s), such as updating color name metadata associated with the original color image and/or the color palette.
US09836853B1
A three-dimensional convolutional neural network may include a preliminary layer group, one or more intermediate layer groups, a final layer group, and/or other layers/layer groups. The preliminary layer group may include an input layer, a preliminary three-dimensional padding layer, a preliminary three-dimensional convolution layer, a preliminary activation layer, a preliminary normalization layer, and a preliminary downsampling layer. One or more intermediate layer groups may include an intermediate three-dimensional squeeze layer, a first intermediate normalization layer, an intermediate three-dimensional padding layer, a first intermediate three-dimensional expand layer, a second intermediate three-dimensional expand layer, an intermediate concatenation layer, a second intermediate normalization layer, an intermediate activation layer, and an intermediate combination layer. The final layer group may include a final dropout layer, a final three-dimensional convolution layer, a final activation layer, a final normalization layer, a final three-dimensional downsampling layer, and a final flatten layer.
US09836852B2
A method includes receiving first data defining a first bounding box for a first image of a sequence of images. The first bounding box corresponds to a region of interest including a tracked object. The method also includes receiving object tracking data for a second image of the sequence of images, the object tracking data defining a second bounding box. The second bounding box corresponds to the region of interest including the tracked object in the second image. The method further includes determining a similarity metric for first pixels within the first bounding box and search pixels within each of multiple search bounding boxes. Search coordinates of each of the search bounding boxes correspond to second coordinates of the second bounding box shifted in one or more directions. The method also includes determining a modified second bounding box based on the similarity metric.
US09836851B2
An apparatus for detecting multiple objects using adaptive block partitioning is disclosed. An object contour extracting unit configured to extract a contour information of an object using a local binary pattern LBP and difference image between adjacent images. An adaptive block partitioning unit configured to perform a block partitioning of an object not overlapped based on the extracted contour information. A motion quantization unit configured to calculate a motion orientation histogram MOH of the object by performing N-directional quantization about a motion vector. An object detection unit configured to detect the object using a block of the partitioned object, the contour information and the MOH, and estimate a moving direction of the object after performing labeling the detected object. The apparatus may process effectively data through eight-directional quantization of a motion vector of an object using motion information provided in advance from an ISP chip, detect proper area of the object in the unit of a block with minimizing motion error of the object through the block with adaptive size and orientation histogram, and estimate simultaneously moving direction of the object with the detection of the object.
US09836841B2
A unit-dose medicament inspection system and method provide for the obtainment of an image of a receptacle after a corresponding filling operation in which a predetermined unit-dose medicament was to have been located in the receptacle. The image may be processed to extract image data that may be compared with stored data corresponding with a predetermined unit-dose medicament. Size, configuration and other features of objects located within a receptacle may be included with the extracted image data and compared with corresponding stored data to determine whether a given receptacle includes the intended medicament and/or whether the medicament located within the receptacle is an acceptable condition. Receptacle attributes may also be inspected for compliance with predetermined configuration parameters.
US09836838B2
Electromagnetic energy is deposited into a volume, an acoustic return signal from energy deposited in the volume is measured, and a parametric map that estimates values of at least one parameter as spatially represented in the volume is computed. A reference level of a region of interest is determined, and upper and lower color map limits are specified, with at least one of them being determined in relation to the reference level. The parametric map is then rendered in the palette of a color map by mapping the estimated values of the parametric map onto the color map according to the color map limits. Two wavelengths of energy can be applied to the volume, and the parametric map computation can be adapted by applying an implicit or explicit model of, or theoretical basis for, distribution of electromagnetic energy fluence within the volume pertaining to the two wavelengths. The actual electromagnetic energy fluence caused by each wavelength has a propensity, due to variability within the volume, to differ from the modeled or theoretical electromagnetic energy fluence.
US09836835B2
A technique is disclosed for helping prevent image quality of a three-dimensional image from becoming poor due to fluctuations in the rotation speed of an imaging core. For this purpose, if data is obtained from the imaging core by moving and rotating the imaging core, a cross-sectional image is generated at each movement position. Then, a direction where a guidewire is present in each of the cross-sectional images is detected. An angular difference between the direction of the detected guidewire and a preset direction is obtained so as to rotate each of the cross-sectional images in accordance with the angular difference. Then, the cross-sectional images which are previously rotated in this way are connected to one another, thereby generating the three-dimensional image.
US09836832B2
Disclosed are a method and device for valuating quality of a video in a time domain on a terminal side. The method comprises that: a significant movement area proportion of each video frame is calculated, video frames are divided into absolute regular frames and suspected distorted frames according to the significant movement area proportion of each video frame; a frozen frame detection, a scenario-conversion frame detection, a jitter frame detection, and a ghosting frame detection are performed on the suspected distorted frames; the video is split into scenarios according to the result of the scenario-conversion frame detection, scenario information weight of each scenario is calculated, and the quality of the video in time domain on the terminal side is determined. The disclosure increases the closeness of the evaluation result to subjective perception, expands an evaluation system of time domain distortions of the video, and reduces the probability of misjudgments.
US09836827B2
In an example embodiment, method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes facilitating receipt of a deconvolved image including a plurality of component images. A guide image is selected from the component images and a cross-filtering is performed of component images other than the guide image to generate filtered component images. The cross-filtering is performed of a component image by iteratively performing, selecting a pixel and a set of neighboring pixels around the pixel in the guide image, computing a set of weights corresponding to the set of neighboring pixels based at least on spatial differences between the pixel and the set of neighboring pixels, and cross-filtering a corresponding pixel of the pixel in the component image based on the set of weights to generate a filtered corresponding pixel in the component image. The filtered component images form a filtered deconvolved image with reduced chromatic aberration.
US09836822B2
The invention relates to a method and technical means for rotating an original image in an image frame by an angle to have a rotated image in said image frame, wherein said image frame comprising said rotated image having empty corners lacking image data; comparing the rotated image to the original image to identify remaining corners; adding content of the remaining corners to the empty corners of the image frame comprising said rotated image.
US09836819B1
The present disclosure provides an image capture, curation, and editing system that includes a resource-efficient mobile image capture device that continuously captures images. The mobile image capture device is operable to input an image into at least one neural network and to receive at least one descriptor of the desirability of a scene depicted by the image as an output of the at least one neural network. The mobile image capture device is operable to determine, based at least in part on the at least one descriptor of the desirability of the scene of the image, whether to store a second copy of such image and/or one or more contemporaneously captured images in a non-volatile memory of the mobile image capture device or to discard a first copy of such image from a temporary image buffer without storing the second copy of such image in the non-volatile memory.
US09836815B2
A display device comprises a timing controller (TCON), a scaler, a buffer and a comparator; the comparator is used for comparing whether pixel data of a current frame image from the scaler are identical with pixel data stored in the buffer or not; in the case where the comparison result is “identical”, the scaler enters an off-operating state; and the TCON is used for acquiring pixel data of the current frame image to be displayed and outputting the pixel data for display. A display method and a display system for the display device are provided as well.
US09836811B2
A memory control device of the present invention comprises a reset control section (32) for (i) suspending, at a time point where rp overtakes wp or wp overtakes rp or a time point immediately before that time point, a reading operation of data, and (ii) conducting again, at a predetermined time point where reading is to be resumed, the reading operation of the data from a position at which the reading operation has been started in a frame memory (31).
US09836797B2
A system and computer-implemented method for modeling estate disposition are disclosed. One embodiment receives balance sheet inputs, estate planning document inputs and timing/event inputs. Conveyance and tax logic are applied to the inputs. Flowcharts illustrating the disposition of the estate based on the inputs are generated. Tax and liquidity analysis based on the inputs are also generated.
US09836794B2
A computer system includes a data storage module. The data storage module receives, stores, and provides access to data related to payment requests submitted to an insurance company by service providers. The data storage module is coupled to a computer processor. Also coupled to the computer processor are a program memory, an input device and an output device. The input device is used to input information to identify a first service provider. The display device is used to display data about other service providers who are associated with the same insurance claims as the first service provider. The data displayed about the other service providers includes taxpayer identification numbers (TINs).
US09836789B2
A system is provided for facilitating trading of financial instruments, comprising: (i) a requester module configured to obtain request for quotation (RFQ) information from one or more requesting users, the RFQ information comprising terms of a request for quotation; (ii) a responder module operatively connected to the requester module, the responder module configured to obtain response information from one or more responding users; (iii) a contract generation module operatively connected to the requester module and the responder module, wherein the contract generation module is configured to generate contracts to trade financial instruments based on the RFQ information and the response information; (iii) an interface module operatively connected to the requester module, the responder module, and the contract generation model, wherein the interface module is configured obtain order information based on the contracts trade financial instruments, from one or more qualifying users; and (iv) a transaction module configured to execute trades based on the contracts to trade financial instruments.
US09836787B1
One or more financial accounts associated with a user are designated for balance monitoring and balance display. Balance increments are then defined and a unique balance indicator image, symbol, or display, is associated with each defined balance increment. One or more websites, and/or applications, are then designated to display the balance indicator images, symbols, or displays, and whenever one of the designated websites or applications is accessed, data indicating a current balance in the designated one or more financial accounts is obtained. The current balance amount is then encoded using the appropriate balance indicator image, symbol, or display, and the appropriate balance indicator image, symbol, or display, is displayed on a display device associated with the user computing system as part of, on, in, or through, the accessed designated website or application.
US09836785B2
An announcement distributor distributes, or auctions an opportunity to distribute, an announcement to an announcement recipient such as a consumer, issuer, merchant, or acquirer within a payment processing system. The announcement when there has been a satisfaction of an announcement condition, such as the consumer being determined to be located within a predetermined spatial zone. The content of the announcement may, in turn, facilitate a subsequent cashless transaction for resources of merchants. Implementations describe various permutations of the content of the announcement, the announcement condition, and the announcement recipient.
US09836781B2
A system and method for presenting a sales demonstration using a user interface of a pool/spa controller is provided. A first device includes a system controller user interface and sends data to a second device. The second device processes the data to present a media presentation which exhibits systems, associated features, and their ability to be controlled via a controller. A user can control pool and/or spa equipment using the first device, and the user's input can guide a presentation on the second device, which demonstrates corresponding features of such equipment. As such, the natural connections among a user, a controller, and an associated feature are demonstrated in a sales-effective manner. Additionally, the first device can present a user with a simulation of a control system interface to allow for effective sales of products.
US09836764B2
The present invention provides an electronic device and computer program product, and the computer program product includes an application that is loaded into the electronic device to perform the method as follows. After a user logs into his account, the selected mobile advertisement is accepted and then played; when the mobile advertisement is selected or played, it offers a record of promotion information to be stored in the user account, the promotion information includes at least one of the following: points, a voucher, and a discount coupon, in which the point is utilized to redeem goods. At least one photo of the user account is selected, so that the portable printer can print this photo through a wireless transmission unit of the electronic device.
US09836762B1
In certain aspects, a media content management and deployment system is provided. A data store stores content metadata associated with media content items and specifying a target demographic of each of the media content items. A demographic information server obtains first demographic data specifying a first demographic in a first timeslot at a location of a first signage device, predicts a second demographic in a second timeslot at the location based on the first demographic data, wherein the second timeslot is subsequent to the first timeslot, and generates second demographic data specifying the second demographic. When a deployment module obtains the second demographic data, the deployment module compares the content metadata with the second demographic data, selects a media content item from the plurality of media content items based on the comparison, and sends a media item identification identifying the selected media content to the first signage device.
US09836754B2
Disclosed are embodiments for determining the impact of one or more latent factors on user interaction metrics based at least in part on an impact model. The embodiments identify a value for a user interaction metric, the user interaction metric measuring interaction with content and identify an impact for a latent factor on the user interaction metric, the impact determined based at least in part on a model providing a relationship between the user interaction metric and the latent factor. Additionally, embodiments may involve adjusting an attribute of the electronically provided content based at least in part on the impact of the latent factor on the user interaction metric.
US09836750B2
An example apparatus may include a processor and a memory device including computer program code. The memory device and the computer program code may, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive serialization codes for a first entity in a serialization flow; compare serialization codes for the first entity to serialization codes for a second entity, the second entity being either upstream or downstream of the first entity in the serialization flow; and validating the serialization codes from the first entity by determining if the serialization codes for the first entity are compatible with the serialization codes for the second entity in the serialization flow.
US09836743B2
A user interface to register merchants. The user interface is configured to allow a merchant to search and identify a set of transaction parameters that are used in authorization and/or settlement messages of payment transactions initiated for a store of the merchant and allow the merchant to obtain a store identifier representing the set of transaction parameters. The store identifier, for example, can be used to label offers of the store of the merchant. Thus, whether or not an authorization or settlement message transmitted in the payment processing network for a payment transaction is for the store can be determined based on whether or not the transaction parameters in the message match with the set of transaction parameters represented by the store identifier.
US09836731B2
A method and system for conducting an online payment transaction through a point of sale device. The method includes receiving input from a user selecting an item for purchase through the point of sale device; calculating a total purchase amount for the item in response to a request from the user to purchase the item; and sending payment authorization for the total purchase amount from the point of sale device to a payment entity, in which the payment authorization is sent to the payment entity via a mobile communication device of the user. The method further includes receiving a result of the payment authorization from the payment entity through the mobile communication device; and completing the payment transaction based on the result of the payment authorization.
US09836729B2
The systems and methods described herein are directed toward launching a third party application in a media center module using a conditional link. The media center module is configured to enable the third party application to register with the module and to associate a primary link that serves as the entry point for the application. The media center module also enables the third party application to provide a conditional link that serves as the entry point when a certain condition is met. Under normal circumstances, the media center module provides the primary link as the entry point for a user to launch the third party application. When the media center module receives a notification from the third party application to use the conditional link, the media center application causes the conditional link to be the entry point for the application. Thus, the use of conditional link enables a third party application to specify how the application is launched from the media center module under different conditions.
US09836728B1
The disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for executing a point of sale deposit. In one embodiment, a system may include one or more memory devices storing software instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute the software instructions to receive deposit information related to a point of sale deposit from a mobile device, and generate a deposit token retaining at least the deposit information and deposit authorization information. The one or more processors may also be configured to transmit the deposit token to the mobile device for displaying a readable code generated based on the deposit token, receive a point of sale deposit authorization notification from the merchant device indicating at least receipt by the merchant device of the deposit token from the mobile device, and transfer funds to a financial service account based on the received deposit information and authorization notification.
US09836717B2
A vehicle may include a passive entry system that unlocks the vehicle upon authenticating a fob in a vicinity of the vehicle. The passive entry system further recognizes the vehicle is approaching a restrictive geographic location within which at least one proscribed item is prohibited, receives item data indicative of items located within the vehicle, and provides output indicating whether any of the items is a proscribed item for the restrictive geographic location.
US09836711B2
In order to reduce the load of an approval process when approval is required to execute computation jobs using computer resources, the job execution system according to the present invention groups multiple computation jobs and then requests approval in units of groups, and when approval with respect to a group is obtained, all of the computation jobs included in that group are treated as having obtained approval.
US09836707B2
A system and method to identify recursion in a virtual product structure. Initially, the virtual product structure is analyzed to identify the existence of a recursion. Once a recursion is identified, a graphical representation of the virtual product structure is generated and displayed to graphically exposure the recursion. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US09836693B2
A cohort analysis mechanism analyzes cohorts with similar attributes to extrapolate additional knowledge and answer a question in a question answering system. The cohort analysis mechanism identifies cohorts for an entity of the question and extracts relevant data concerning the cohorts. The cohort analysis mechanism aggregates the relevant information for evidence scoring and answer scoring to answer a question posed to the question answering system. The aggregating of the data includes combining and ranking answers from the cohorts, gathering evidence and then answering the question with the gathered evidence.
US09836685B1
In one embodiment, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag including a substrate having a top surface, bottom surface, opposed end surfaces, and opposed lateral surfaces, a passive RFID integrated circuit (IC) chip mounted to the top surface of the substrate, a monopole antenna that includes a planar radiating arm that extends out from the RFID IC chip along the top surface of the substrate and a matching loop having two grounded matching stubs that surround the chip and a portion of the radiating arm, and a ground plane formed on the bottom surface, an end surface, and the top surface of the substrate, the ground plane being electrically coupled to the matching stubs and the radiating arm.
US09836680B1
A card may detect variations (e.g., position, velocity, acceleration and direction) of a read head in relation to the card. Based on certain parameters (e.g., card length, initially detected read head position, and read head velocity) the card may change communicated bit parameters (e.g., bit period) so that a total number of data bits may be communicated by the card to the read head while the read head remains within a communication distance of the card.
US09836677B2
A print controller includes a communication section configured to communicate with a printer, a communication controlling section configured to request transmission of a transmission command for acquiring response data to the printer, and a printing data processing section configured to process printing data on a host-based system and transmit the processed printing data to the printer via the communication section. During communication on the host-based system, the printing data processing section transmits the transmission command to the printer via the communication section and acquires the response data returned from the printer in response to the transmission command. The communication controlling section processes the acquired response data as response data corresponding to the transmission command.
US09836673B2
A method of training an object identification system and identifying three dimensional objects using semantic segments includes receiving, into a non-volatile memory, an input file containing a geometric description of a three dimensional object having one or more semantic segments and one or more annotations for each of the one or more semantic segments, receiving, into the non-volatile memory one or more training images of the three dimensional object, identifying, through a processor, the one or more segments in the one or more training images, computing, through a training module, one or more descriptors to the one or more segments, and generating an output file representing a machine vision of the three dimensional object.
US09836670B2
A image processing method includes computing an initial phase corresponding to a difference between a position of a first pixel of an input image and a position of a first pixel of an output image using at least one of scaling ratio information between the input and output images, chroma subsampling format conversion information applied between the input and output images, or rotation angle information of the input image, and determining the position of the first pixel of the output image based on the initial phase and the position of the first pixel of the input image.
US09836669B2
A digital image and a text string is received. The text string can be processed to identify at least a time frame and determine whether the time frame is a future time frame or a past time frame. How at least one element of the first digital image will change or has changed during the time frame can be predicted. At least one reference digital image can be generated, the reference digital image including at least one change to the at least one element corresponding to how the at least one element will change or has changed during the time frame. The reference digital image to each of a plurality of other digital images. A correlation parameter can be assigned to each of the plurality of other digital images. A portion of the plurality of other digital images having highest correlation parameters can be output for presentation to a user.
US09836664B1
A method and system identifies and addresses imaging artifacts in an image of a financial document to enable a software system to provide financial services based on the image of the financial document. The method and system receive document image data, extract image features from the document image data, and apply the image features to an analytics model to generate an image classification, according to one embodiment. The method and system use the image classification to determine whether the document image data contains one or more particular image artifacts (e.g., Moiré patterns), according to one embodiment. If the software system determines that it is likely that the document image data contains one or more particular image artifacts, then the software system applies a filter (e.g., a median filter) to the document image data to reduce and/or remove the one or more particular image artifacts, according to one embodiment.
US09836660B2
A method of determining a wet surface condition of a road. An image of a road surface is captured by an image capture device of the host vehicle. The image capture device is mounted on a side of the host vehicle and an image is captured in a downward direction. A region of interest is identified in the captured image by a processor. The region of interest is in a region rearward of a tire of a host vehicle. The region of interest is representative of where a tire track as generated by the tire rotating on the road when the road surface is wet. A determination is made whether water is present in the region of interest as a function of identifying the tire track. A wet road surface signal is generated in response to the identification of water in the region of interest.
US09836659B2
In a vehicle-mounted image recognition apparatus, a resolution of an image projected on an imaging plane of an image sensor is different at a position away from a center between a circumferential direction and a radial direction. To make a circumferential resolution higher than a radial resolution, at least a lower half of the imaging plane is located closer to a circumferential focus than a middle of a radial focus and the circumferential focus at a position off the optical axis center of the image projected on the image sensor through the image-forming optical system. This is achieved by adjusting the position of the imaging plane when manufacturing or by selecting a lens with high circumferential resolution. This apparatus improves recognition accuracy in recognizing traffic lanes without using an expensive lens exhibiting high resolution both in the circumferential direction and in the radial direction.
US09836654B1
In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided for accessing a surgical dataset including surgical data collected during performance of a surgical procedure. The surgical data can include video data of the surgical procedure. Using the surgical data, a plurality of procedural states associated with the surgical procedure can be determined. For a procedural state of the plurality of procedural states, temporal information can be identified that identifies a part of the video data to be associated with the procedural state. For the procedural state of the plurality of procedural states, electronic data can be generated that characterizes the part of the video data and outputting the electronic data associated with the plurality of procedural states.
US09836653B2
The present teachings provide an autonomous mobile robot that includes a drive configured to maneuver the robot over a ground surface within an operating environment; a camera mounted on the robot having a field of view including the floor adjacent the mobile robot in the drive direction of the mobile robot; a frame buffer that stores image frames obtained by the camera while the mobile robot is driving; and a memory device configured to store a learned data set of a plurality of descriptors corresponding to pixel patches in image frames corresponding to portions of the operating environment and determined by mobile robot sensor events.
US09836649B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for imaging, recognizing, and tracking of a user's eye that is wearing a HWC. Aspects further relate to the processing of images reflected from the user's eye and controlling displayed content in accordance therewith. Aspects further relate to determining health conditions of the user based on eye imaging technologies.
US09836640B2
A face detector training method, a face detection method, and apparatuses are provided. In the present invention, during a training phase, a flexible block based local binary pattern feature and a corresponding second classifier are constructed, appropriate second classifiers are searched for to generate multiple first classifiers, and multiple layers of first classifiers that are obtained by using a cascading method form a final face detector; and during a detection phase, face detection is performed on a to-be-detected image by using a first classifier or a face detector that is learned during a training process, so that a face is differentiated from a non-face, and a face detection result is combined and output.
US09836639B2
An image of a user's eyes and face may be analyzed using computer-vision algorithms. A computing device may use the image to determine the location of the user's eyes and estimate the direction in which the user is looking. The eye tracking technology may be used in a wide range of lighting conditions and with many different and varying light levels. When a user is near a light source, an automatic exposure feature in the camera may result in the user's face and eyes appearing too dark in the image, possibly reducing the likelihood of face and eye detection. Adjusting attributes such as the camera exposure time and the intensity and illumination interval of the light sources based on motion and light levels may improve detection of a user's features.
US09836634B2
An ultraviolet fluorescent barcode reading method and device, the reading method comprising the following steps: S1, irradiating an invisible ultraviolet fluorescent barcode via an ultraviolet light source and activating the invisible ultraviolet fluorescent barcode to be visible; S2, acquiring the image of the barcode activated to be visible; S3, filtering and decoding the barcode image to obtain corresponding barcode information; S4, outputting the barcode information. The reading method reads the invisible ultraviolet fluorescent barcode via a color filter, thus improving the convenience for reading.
US09836633B2
The disclosure features dendritic tags, and methods and systems for fabricating and using such tags. The methods can include obtaining at least one image of a dendritic tag attached to an article, analyzing the at least one image to identify a set of features associated with the dendritic tag, and comparing the set of features to stored information to identify the article.
US09836630B2
An RFID tag reading system and method accurately and rapidly determine true bearings of RFID tags associated with items in a controlled area. An RFID reader has an array of antenna elements and a plurality of RF transceivers. A controller controls the transceivers by steering a primary transmit beam over the controlled area to each tag, by steering a primary receive beam at a primary steering angle from each tag, by steering a plurality of secondary receive beams at different secondary steering angles that are offset from the primary steering angle by receiving secondary receive signals from each tag, and by processing the secondary receive signals to determine a true bearing for each tag. Bidirectional communication between the reader and a tag is conducted over a single inventory round in which the tag is read a plurality of times by the primary and the secondary receive beams.
US09836627B2
The invention provides a temporary installation of a system of RFID-based terminals and user-worn RFID devices within an event interrogation zone. At an event, terminals are located within, and associated with, vendor booths erected in the interrogation zone. User RFID devices are issued to users wishing to enter the interrogation zone. Each user RFID device includes an element worn by the user, and an attached or embedded RFID tag with a stored unique UserID. Products for sampling have unique ProductIDs. The terminals are programmed for: (1) retrieving the UserID when the user enters the vendor booth; (2) retrieving a ProductID of a product sampled by the user; and (3) retrieving the UserID when the user leaves the vendor booth. The UserID and timestamps of entry, departure, and ProductIDs of products sampled are communicated to a server. The system allows tracking of products sampled and user behavior during an event.
US09836626B1
Aspects of the technology provide a card reader for facilitating a financial transaction between a buyer and a merchant. In some implementations, the card reader includes an audio plug configured to provide a communicative coupling between the card reader and a smartphone device, and a read head communicatively coupled to the audio plug, the read head being configured to read financial information from a payment card for processing a transfer of funds from the buyer to the merchant. In certain implementations, the card reader further includes a switch coupled to the audio plug, wherein the switch is configured to close in response to the presence of the payment card to enable communication between the card reader and the smartphone via the audio plug.
US09836615B2
When new music content is generated on the basis of replication of original music content, additional information including information indicating that the generated new music content is based on replication and replication source information identifying a replicated-from source of the replicated content is generated and added to the new music content based on the replication. When the new (i.e., replicated) music content is to be used, a search is made for original music content on the basis of information identifying a replicated-from source and use of the new (replicated) music content is permitted only when the c original music content has been successfully found. Such arrangements reliably allow the replicated content to be used by a given person only when the person possesses the original music content.
US09836614B2
Systems and methods may provide for receiving web content and detecting an access control attribute associated with the web content. Additionally, the access control attribute may be monitored for a disablement condition. In one example, the disablement condition may be detected, an access policy may be determined in response to the disablement condition, and the access policy may be implemented. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09836609B2
An apparatus is provided for protecting a basic input/output system (BIOS) in a computing system. The apparatus includes a BIOS read only memory (ROM), an event detector, and a tamper detector. The BIOS ROM has BIOS contents that are stored as plaintext, and an encrypted message digest, where the encrypted message digest comprises an encrypted version of a first message digest that corresponds to the BIOS contents, and where and the encrypted version is generated via a symmetric key algorithm and a key. The event detector is configured to generate a BIOS check interrupt that interrupts normal operation of the computing system upon the occurrence of an event, where the event includes one or more occurrences of a hard disk access. The tamper detector is operatively coupled to the BIOS ROM and is configured to access the BIOS contents and the encrypted message digest upon assertion of the BIOS check interrupt, and is configured to direct a microprocessor to generate a second message digest corresponding to the BIOS contents and a decrypted message digest corresponding to the encrypted message digest using the symmetric key algorithm and the key, and is configured to compare the second message digest with the decrypted message digest, and configured to preclude the operation of the microprocessor if the second message digest and the decrypted message digest are not equal. The microprocessor includes a dedicated crypto/hash unit disposed within execution logic, where the crypto/hash unit generates the second message digest and the decrypted message digest, and where the key is exclusively accessed by the crypto/hash unit. The microprocessor further has a random number generator disposed within the execution logic, where the random number generator generates a random number at completion of a current BIOS check, which is employed by the event detector to randomly set a number of occurrences of the event that are to occur before a following BIOS check.
US09836603B2
The disclosed computer-implemented method for automated generation of generic signatures used to detect polymorphic malware may include (1) clustering a set of polymorphic file samples that share a set of static attributes in common with one another, (2) computing a distance of the polymorphic file samples from a centroid that represents a reference data point with respect to the set of polymorphic file samples, (3) determining that the distance of the polymorphic file samples from the centroid is below a certain threshold, and then upon determining that the distance is below the certain threshold, (4) identifying, within the set of static attributes shared in common by the polymorphic file samples, a subset of static attributes whose values are identical across all of the polymorphic file samples and (5) generating a generic file-classification signature from the subset of static attributes. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09836594B2
A computer system receives an authentication request from a user device and determines a determined device identification from a set of received device attributes. When the device is properly authenticated, the computer system generates an authentication token that is signed by the determined device identification and returns the authentication token to the user device. When the computer system subsequently receives a service request with an authentication token and a plurality of device attributes for a protected resource from a user device, the computer system determines a derived device identification from some or all of the received device attributes. When a signed device identification of the authentication token and the derived device identification are equal, the apparatus continues processing the service request. Otherwise, the service request is rejected.
US09836591B2
Techniques for authenticating a biometric input are disclosed. An example of a biometric authentication system is configured to receive a biometric input, perform a first authentication process on the biometric input with an application processor, such that the first authentication process generates one or more authentication parameters, provide the one or more authentication parameters to a secure processor, perform a second authentication process on the biometric input on the secure processor, such that the second authentication process utilizes the one or more authentication parameters, and output an authentication score based on the second authentication process.
US09836584B2
A method for quantitative determination of nonisothermal thermooxidative degradation effects of a polyolefin material containing a residual catalyst. The method includes determining a first thermooxidative degradation by obtaining a thermogravimetric analysis spectrum of polyolefin, and then modifying the first thermooxidative degradation based on a structure of the residual catalyst to obtain final thermooxidative degradation properties of the polyolefin.
US09836576B1
Phasing unphased genotype data of an individual includes: obtaining the unphased genotype data of the individual; processing the unphased genotype data to determine phased haplotype data, the processing comprising performing out-of-sample population-based phasing on the unphased genotype data; wherein: performing out-of-sample population-based phasing includes performing statistical analysis using predetermined reference data that is based on genotype data of a reference population; and the genotype data of the reference population does not reference the genotype data of the individual.
US09836574B2
A vehicle monitoring device (VMO) in accordance with the invention comprises a microprocessor programmed to simulate a vehicle's powertrain, that is arranged to receive signals from a vehicle's engine management system to produce a real-time simulated model of the vehicle's powertrain operation when the vehicle's actual instantaneous fuel consumption and/or emissions can be accurately predicted during operation of the vehicle and compared with predetermined or calculated performance characteristics for the powertrain under the pertaining conditions in order to display the instantaneous operating conditions in relation to the optimum under any driving condition. The VMO is advantageously arranged to receive the signals from the on-board diagnostics (OBO or OBO-II or equivalent) port. The VMO is preferably programmed so that the performance coefficient is used to calculate the instantaneous and/or cumulative quantity or percentage of fuel wasted as a result of non-optimum operation of the vehicle. The invention extends to the display.
US09836572B2
A method, system, and computer program product for performing incremental common path pessimism analysis in integrated circuit design includes performing common path pessimism removal (CPPR) analysis to provide timing credit for one or more paths that are subject to common path pessimism. The method also includes identifying one or more post-CPPR critical paths based on the CPPR analysis, setting flags for critical nodes of the one or more post-CPPR critical paths, performing a design fix to address the one or more post-CPPR critical paths, and applying a set of rules based on the design fix and the flags to identify seed points among the critical nodes of the one or more post-CPPR critical paths. Invalidating and re-performing the CPPR analysis is done only for paths associated with the seed points.
US09836563B2
Electronic design automation modules for simulate the behavior of structures and materials at multiple simulation scales with different simulation modules.
US09836556B2
Aspects of the disclosed technology relate to techniques of optical proximity correction for directed self-assembly guiding patterns. An initial mask pattern for photomask fabrication is first generated by performing a plurality of conventional optical proximity correction iterations. Predicted print errors for two or more via-type features are then determined based on a predicted guiding pattern for the two or more via-type features, a target guiding pattern for the two or more via-type features, and correlation information between a plurality of guiding pattern parameters and location and size parameters for the two or more via-type features. Here the predicted guiding pattern is derived based on the initial mask pattern. Based on the predicted print errors and the correlation information, the initial mask pattern is adjusted to generate a new mask pattern.
US09836555B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for saving and restoring the search state of a pattern-recognition processor. Embodiments include a pattern-recognition processor having a state variable array and a state variable storage array stored in on-chip memory (on-silicon memory with the processor). State variable storage control logic of the pattern-recognition processor may control the saving of state variables from the state variable array to the state variable storage array. The state variable storage control logic may also control restoring of the state variables from the state variable storage array to restore a search state.
US09836553B2
A method and system are provided to support automated modification to a multiple node tree structure. Each clause and each logical operator are defined in the tree structure as nodes. In addition, each link emanating from a child node to a parent node is defined as a child link, and each link emanating from a parent node to a child node is defined as a parent link. The selection and location of an operator for placement in the tree structure will be automated in response to the position selected.
US09836549B2
A framework-specific collaboration adapter (FCA) provides a lightweight transformation process capable of converting single-user Web applications into their collaborative counterparts. Thereby, a local data structure of a local document instance is transformed into a shared data structure with concurrency control support. The FCA replays local document changes at all remote sites. To mark the data model within the source code of the original application, the original single-user Web application has to be enhanced with Source Code Annotations (SCA). The concurrency control system synchronizes all shared model instances that are distributed on the client-side as well as on the server-side.
US09836544B2
Methods and systems for prioritizing a crawl are described. One aspect of the invention includes a method for identifying a plurality of storage locations each comprising a plurality of articles, ranking the plurality of storage locations based at least in part on events associated with the plurality of articles, and crawling the storage locations based at least in part on the ranking. Another aspect of the invention includes identifying a plurality of storage locations each comprising a plurality of articles, identifying a plurality of types of the plurality of articles, ranking the plurality of storage locations based at least in part on the plurality of types of the plurality of articles; and crawling the storage locations based at least in part on the ranking.
US09836542B2
A service maintains information regarding one or more aspects of Web content, such as Web pages, that can be accessed by a computing device. The same service or a different service (e.g., a digital assistant) also maintains information regarding the user of the computing device. When a user navigates to Web content using a Web application, such as a Web browser, the services are accessed to obtain information regarding the Web content navigated to, information regarding the user, and/or user selectable tasks or actions. The Web application displays the obtained information to the user along with the Web content. The Web application displays the obtained information without altering the obtained Web content. Optionally, the Web application displays an indication that additional information regarding the Web content is available, and displays the obtained information (e.g., automatically or in response to receiving a user input request to display that additional information).
US09836541B2
A search system can maintain a search index of metadata and text for objects in a repository, repositories or distributed across a network. The search index can be divided into partitions with a partition assigned a first capacity utilization threshold and a second capacity utilization threshold. If the capacity utilization of the partition is below the first threshold, the system can add, update and delete information in the partition. If the capacity utilization of the partition is above the first threshold, the system can update and delete information in the partition, but cannot add information for new objects to the partition. If the capacity utilization of the partition is above the second threshold, the system can enter a rebalancing mode in which it seeks to rebalance capacity utilization between partitions. The behavior of the system can change depending upon the size of a partition relative to its configurable thresholds.
US09836538B2
In one example, documents that are examined by a search process may be scored in a manner that is specific to a domain. A domain may be a substantive area, such as medicine, sports, etc. Different scoring approaches that take aspects of the domain into account may be applied to the documents, thereby producing different scores than might have been produced by a simple comparison of the terms in the query with the terms in the documents. These domain-based approaches may take a query into account in scoring the documents, or may be query-independent. Each approach may be implemented by a scorer. The combined output of the scorers may be used to generate a score for each document. Documents then may be ranked based on the scores, and search results may be provided.
US09836535B2
A content retrieval method including: extracting a plurality of fingerprints including a plurality of video fingerprints and audio fingerprints from contents stored in a content database; determining representative video fingerprints of the video frames and representative audio fingerprints of the audio sequences; determining a data rate indicating a storage limitation and a coverage indicating a number of searching results to be returned; storing selected representative video fingerprints and representative audio fingerprints based on the storage limitation indicated by the data rate in a fingerprint database; receiving a query containing at least one of video data and audio data submitted by a user; extracting at least one query fingerprint representing the query; determining a number of fingerprints most matching the query fingerprint based on the coverage to generate search results indicating matching contents represented by the number of most matching fingerprints; and returning the search results to the user.
US09836530B2
In one example of the disclosure, data indicative of a word or phrase communicated during a meeting including a plurality of participants is obtained. For each participant, records electronically accessible to the participant are identified, and each record is associated with a tier from a hierarchy of record-relevancy tiers. A set of explanations for the communication and associated scores is identified, including for each participant, beginning with a most relevant tier, searching the records accessible to the participant tier by tier until an explanation is identified, and assigning a score to the explanation according to the tier associated with the record in which the explanation is found. A preferred explanation for the communication is determined based upon the scores, and a display of the preferred explanation is caused.
US09836522B2
A framework for clustering is described herein. In accordance with one aspect, a data set having x number of objects, and preference information of a user is provided to a clustering tool. The clustering tool may calculate preference degrees between objects in the data set. In addition, similarity measures of objects in the data set may be calculated. Clusters of objects may then be generated from the data set.
US09836521B2
A device classification method that includes: receiving a first action performed on a first device in the device group, for classifying the first device as belonging to the coordinated operation group; setting, when the first action is received, each of one or more devices in the device group other than the first device to a classifiable state in which the device is classifiable as belonging to the coordinated operation group; receiving a second action performed on a second device in the device group that is set to the classifiable state, for classifying the second device as belonging to the coordinated operation group; and classifying, when the second action is received, the first device and the second device as belonging to the coordinated operation group.
US09836517B2
Classifications associated with a plurality of nodes may be identified. The classifications may be grouped into first level communities based on edge weights between the classifications. The first level communities may be grouped into second level communities based on edge weights between the first level communities. A sorted list of the plurality of nodes may be generated based on the classifications, the first level communities, and the second level communities. Unique identifiers (IDs) may be assigned sequentially to the sorted list of the plurality of nodes.
US09836513B2
Page feed for efficient dataflow between distributed query engines is disclosed. An example method comprises storing a query result relation by a producer query as pages in a query engine buffer pool, and then sending these pages to a distributed caching platform (DCP) as the data source of another query. The example method also includes reading the result relation by a consumer query from the page stored in the DCP.
US09836495B2
Described are methods, systems and computer readable media for computer assisted completion of hyperlink command segments.
US09836493B2
Establishment of an exclusive lock on each of an outer database ownership table and an inner database ownership table is attempted. In response to establishing the exclusive lock on each of the outer database ownership table and the inner database ownership table, a switch is made to a pair of overlapping shared locks on each of the outer database ownership table and the inner database ownership table. Release and re-acquisition of each of the pair of overlapping shared locks on the outer database ownership table and the inner database ownership table is alternated.
US09836487B2
A system and computer-implemented method for ensuring code quality compliance for one or more Database Management Systems (DBMSs) is provided. The system comprises a user interface configured to prompt one or more users to select one or more options and provide information for configuring rules corresponding to coding standards and best practices. The system further comprises a rules registration module to register the configured rules in a repository for validation. Furthermore, the system comprises a source selector to provide options to the one or more users to select one or more DBMSs and a source manager to fetch database code from the one or more selected DBMSs. In addition, the system comprises one or more parsers to parse the fetched database code, a validator to validate the parsed code using the registered rules and a report manager to provide results of the validation to the one or more users.
US09836483B1
Methods and systems for comparing a 3D model of a target object to a shape-search database are provided. An example method includes using a mobile device to acquire a plurality of images of a target object, determining a 3D model based on the images, transmitting a search query that includes the 3D model, and receiving a search query result. In another example method, a server could receive a search query that includes a 3D model of an object, compare the 3D model to a shape-search database, generate a search query result based on the comparison, and transmit the search query result. The search query result could include one or more of: information regarding the target object, information regarding one or more objects similar to the target object, and a suggestion for acquiring additional images of the target object.
US09836481B2
In various example embodiments, a system and method for image query are presented. A feature detector generates first feature description data of a first type. An image processor accesses feature codes and angle bins. The image processor generates second feature description data of a second type by comparing a plurality of groups with respective codes of the feature codes. Each of the plurality of groups comprises at least of portion of the first feature description data determined based at least on the feature codes and the angle bins. A search engine selects a first one of a plurality of stored feature description data linked to respective stored images. An interface provides an indication of the stored image linked to the first stored feature description data for display of the stored image linked to the first stored feature description data on a remote device.
US09836480B2
A software and hardware facility persistently maintains metrics on directories at different levels within a tree of a filesystem. The facility hierarchically aggregates attributes of files contained by directories and stores them as metric values in each directory within a tree. The stored values represent summed or otherwise aggregated data from the descendant directories and files. The metric values represent aggregated attributes such as checksums, MIN and/or MAX aggregates, sameness bits, bloom filter aggregates, queryable user tags, moving average aggregates, b-tree aggregates, etc. The facility provides mechanisms for efficiently sampling activities performed by the filesystem and visually representing these activities.
US09836478B2
File system sharing in multi-host computing system (100) running multiple operating systems is described herein. A file systems stored on different data partitions (110-1) and (110-1), of different operating systems (106-1) and (106-2), running on a multi-host computing system (100) may be shared based on file server-client architecture. According to the implementation, an operating system (106-1) may share its file system as file server and other operating system (106-2) may access the shared file system as file client. In one implementation, the sharing of data between multiple hosts is enabled by a dedicated high speed, low latency, inter processor communication bus, FiRE (124).
