US09918283B2

Systems and methods for controlling and locating the source of a remote signal, comprising a first electronic device configured to transmit a first wireless signal containing information concerning a power level of the first electronic device, and a second electronic device configured to: measure a strength of the first wireless signal; approximate a proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device; identify, based on the approximated proximity and the information concerning the power level of the first electronic device, one or more changes to a configuration of the first wireless signal for optimizing power consumption of the first electronic device during a search for the first electronic device; and instruct the first electronic device, via a second wireless signal, to transmit the first wireless signal with the at least one or more identified configuration changes.
US09918281B2

The present disclosure provides a PUSCH power control method and a PUSCH power control apparatus. According to the present disclosure, the interference of a current cell on its adjacent cells is determined in accordance with interference level information from the adjacent cells, so it is able to adjust PUSCH power for a current cell user, thereby to perform the power control in accordance with the interference among the adjacent cells.
US09918280B1

Embodiments of methods and systems for automatic power control (APC) in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling are described. In an embodiment, a method for APC in a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling involves storing a universal APC table for the communications device, adjusting the universal APC table in response to at least one system parameter, and controlling a transmission configuration of the communications device based on the adjusted APC table. Other embodiments are also described.
US09918277B2

An approach is provided for receiving and transmitting data over a wireless network, while minimizing power consumption. A determination is made, as part of a discontinuous communication mechanism defining an on-period for permitting transmission of data over a network, whether a resource allocation has been made to a user equipment for communicating over the network. If the resource allocation has been made, generating a keep-awake message to instruct the user equipment to extend the on-period.
US09918270B2

Described herein are methods and system for sharing a wireless interface (102) among various multiple host processors in a multi-processor computing system (100) to provide simultaneous access of a wireless network to the host processors. In one implementation the multi-host computing system (100), comprises a wireless interface (102) configured to connect to at least one of a plurality of wireless networks; and a wireless network access virtualization (WNAV) processor (108) communicatively coupled to the wireless interface (102), wherein the WNAV processor (108) is configured to multiplex data packets received from the plurality of hosts, transmit the multiplexed data packets to at least one of the plurality of wireless networks through the wireless interface (102), receive data packets from one of the plurality of wireless network through the wireless interface (102) and route the data packets to each of the plurality of hosts based on a media access control (MAC) address associated with each of the plurality of hosts.
US09918269B2

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, monitoring a speed and an acceleration of a mobile communication device in a serving cell of a wireless network where the mobile communication device has a radio resource control connection with the wireless network, and selecting a first mobility speed group from among a plurality of mobility speed groups based on the speed and the acceleration of the mobile communication device, where handover parameter values are assigned to each speed group of the plurality of mobility speed groups, and where the handover parameters and their associated values are utilized for a handover by the wireless network from the serving cell to a target cell. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09918260B2

Method and apparatus for providing inbound mobility to closed subscriber group (CSG) and hybrid cells are described. A wireless communication device includes a receiver configured to receive, from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), information indicating that a physical cell identity (PCI) of a neighbor closed subscriber group (CSG) cell corresponds to a predefined CSG cell range, and a transmitter configured to transmit, to the WTRU in response to receiving the information indicating that the PCI of the neighbor CSG cell corresponds to the predefined CSG cell range, an indication to report system information of the neighbor CSG cell. In response to receiving the system information of the neighbor CSG cell, the wireless communication device may initiate a handover of the WTRU to the neighbor CSG cell.
US09918257B2

A method and apparatus for cell update while in a Cell_FACH state are disclosed. After selecting a target cell, system information is read from the target cell including high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) common system information. A radio network temporary identity (RNTI) received in a source cell is cleared and a variable HS_DSCH_RECEPTION is set to TRUE. An HS-DSCH medium access control (MAC-hs) entity is configured based on the HS-DSCH common system information. High speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) transmission is then received in the target cell. A CELL UPDATE message is sent to notify of a cell change. The HSDPA transmission may be received using a common H-RNTI broadcast in the system information, a reserved H-RNTI as requested in a CELL UPDATE message, or a temporary identity which is a subset of a U-RNTI. The MAC-hs entity may be reset.
US09918254B2

Disclosed is a system, User Equipment (UE) and method for preventing voice call (VoLTE) call drops in a communication network. A paging message is received as an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) invite message. The paging message includes a domain, or the UE establishes a connection with the network, in order to determine whether the IMS invite is for a voice call. A condition of non-sustenance of the voice call is detected based on a power level check for the UE and Extended Service Request (ESR) is triggered. The voice call is continued according to a success or a failure of the ESR.
US09918253B2

Provided is a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system supporting a Circuit Switched FallBack (CSFB) service. The UE includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving a signal to/from a first or second communication system that uses a different frequency; a receiver for receiving a signal from the second communication system; and a controller for controlling an operation of receiving signaling information for the CSFB service from the first communication system through the transceiver, and simultaneously measuring channel status of the second communication system using the signal received from the receiver.
US09918245B2

A wireless terminal device performs a communication via the wireless LAN and also performs a communication via a wireless communication network different from the wireless LAN. The wireless terminal device is provided with a determiner for determining whether the device is moving or not, and a measurement controller for measuring a communication power of a communication radio wave transmitted from an access point of the wireless LAN in the position of the determination and for transmitting the information for allowing the operation administrator to specify the measured value of the communication power and the measurement position to the predetermined destination via the above described wireless communication network, triggered by a fact that the determiner determines that the wireless terminal device is not moving.
US09918243B2

According to some embodiments, a method in a wireless device comprises determining the wireless device is capable of narrow bandwidth operation. The wireless device obtains a parameter associated with a measurement pattern The measurement pattern comprises: a first time period and a second time period; a first type of radio measurements to be performed during the first time period on radio signals transmitted in a first set of physical resource channels; and a second type of radio measurements to be performed during the second time period on radio signals transmitted in a second set of physical resource channels. The wireless device determines a measurement pattern using the obtained parameter, and performs radio measurements of the first type during the first time period.
US09918239B2

A device receives subscriber records for mobile devices associated with a mobile network, and receives performance data associated with the mobile network in near real time. The performance data includes one or more of performance management statistics, call trace data associated with the subscriber records, and geolocated subscriber records for the mobile devices. The device stores the geolocated subscriber records with other types of data in an asynchronous manner, and receives configuration data associated with the mobile network and indicating a topology of the mobile network. The device identifies, based on at least one of the topology and the performance data, a desired topology of the mobile network. The desired topology is predicted to achieve at least one of improved network performance or alignment with a network design policy.
US09918234B2

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to supplement network coverage with a fleet of autonomous drones are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include configuring a first drone with information specifying a size and a target location associated with the coverage area. Disclosed example methods also include, when the first drone reaches the target location, monitoring for communication signals to determine whether a first coverage zone provided by the first drone and a second coverage zone provided by a second drone in a fleet of drones overlap. Disclosed example methods further include autonomously adjusting a position of the first drone to maintain overlapping of the first coverage zone provided by the first drone with the coverage area, but to reduce an amount of overlap of the first coverage zone with the second coverage zone.
US09918233B2

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for an antenna placement determination device. An antenna placement determination device can include a signal sensor located at a first end of an extendible arm, a platform located proximate to a second end of the extendible arm, a drive system connected to the platform, and an actuator connected to the extendible arm. The actuator can be configured to extend and collapse the extendible arm. The signal sensor can be connected to the extendible arm by a joint, and a sensor actuator or sensor motor can rotate the signal sensor about the joint. The drive system can include a drive motor and a drive mechanism that is configured to transport the antenna placement determination device.
US09918224B1

The disclosed computer-implemented method for preventing computing devices from sending wireless probe packets may include (1) storing a geolocation of at least one wireless network that was previously accessed by the computing device, (2) determining a current geolocation of the computing device, (3) determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within a predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless network, and (4) preventing the computing device from sending any wireless probe packets in response to determining that the current geolocation of the computing device is not within the predetermined distance of the geolocation of any previously accessed wireless access point. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09918219B2

A call management method for a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) multi-active terminal, where multiple user cards register with a centralized call management module of the multi-SIM multi-active terminal. The method includes, when a first user card is used for making a call or receiving a call, determining call statuses of the multiple user cards according to a connection list in the centralized call management module, where the connection list is used to record connection data of the multiple user cards; and when a second user card is in a conversation state, setting the first user card to a waiting state; or setting the first user card to a conversation state, and setting the second user card to a waiting state; or simultaneously setting the first user card and the second user card to a conversation state, to implement a conference call.
US09918214B2

A method for transmitting a presence map of mobile terminals connected via a communication session to a mobile network covering a plurality of location areas. The method includes: obtaining information relating to existence of at least one special area from among the plurality of location areas and with which a special session-processing rule is associated; iteratively updating a presence map associating location area identifiers with terminal identifiers, including: collecting location information of a terminal, including a location area identifier of the terminal; searching the area information for existence of a special area that corresponds to the location area; and, when the special area exists, adding the terminal identifier and the location area identifier to the terminal presence map; and transmitting the terminal presence map to a device of the mobile network capable of applying a session-processing rule to a terminal in accordance with at least the location area thereof.
US09918213B2

Apparatus and method are provided for discovery and networking of proximate devices using acoustic messaging. In one novel aspect, a peer discovery protocol is used to discover proximate devices using voting messages encoded in ultrasonic waveform. In one embodiment, the UE receives one or more voting messages from neighboring UEs encoded in ultrasonic waveform, builds its voting message and broadcasts the voting message encoded in ultrasonic waveform. In another embodiment, based on the voting result, a multi-tier wireless LAN is established by the master UEs through two RF interfaces. In another novel aspect, an optimized synchronization by the receiver is used to locate the transmitted frame boundary of the ultrasonic message. In one embodiment, the UE reversed-looks up a pre-calculated boundary-offset table to estimate the tone boundary and searches the maximum synchronization tone energy down to per sampling interval using a predefined search algorithm to optimize locating the tone boundary.
US09918211B2

A mobile emergency response network may be utilized to respond to emergencies. Emergency response resources may be selected and deployed through the use of network communications between user equipment and network elements. In an example configuration, a mobile emergency response network may receive emergency data, determine an emergency is occurring, determine a resource requirement for the emergency, identify a mobile device associated with a user who meets the resource requirement, and send a request to the mobile device.
US09918210B2

A method comprising receiving non-voice information concerning an emergency event captured by at least one electronic device; selecting a responding agency to receive the non-voice information, based on at least one of a unique identifier and location information; and directing the non-voice information to the selected agency, via a broadband internet connection, to provide enhanced situational awareness regarding the emergency event to a responding agent at the selected agency. A method comprising receiving non-voice information concerning an emergency event; selecting a responding agency to which to direct the non-voice information; processing the non-voice information to be compatible with at least one of an intake or dispatch system utilized by the selected agency; and directing the processed non-voice information to the selected agency, via a broadband internet connection, to provide enhanced situational awareness regarding the emergency event to a responding agent at the selected agency.
US09918207B2

Disclosed herein are an electronic device and a method for processing messages. The electronic device includes a display unit, a communication unit configured to receive a message from an external device, a storage unit storing a message source list and an unregistered message box, and a control unit configured to determine whether source information of the received message is registered in the message source list, if the source information is not registered in the message source list, store the message in the unregistered message box, and if the source information is registered in the message source list, display by the display unit at least a part of the received message.
US09918206B2

A method of providing a multicast service in a mobile communication system includes dividing original multicast data into a plurality of multicast data to generate a plurality of multicast streams having different data rates and transmitting a first transmission frame including the plurality of multicast streams to a plurality of user equipments; receiving a report on a data rate corresponding to an unreceived multicast stream among the plurality of multicast streams from one or more user equipments among the plurality of user equipments; and transmitting a second transmission frame including the unreceived multicast stream to the plurality of user equipments including the one or more user equipments.
US09918203B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for correcting in-venue location estimation using structural information are described. A mobile device can use wireless location technologies and dead reckoning to determine an estimated location of the mobile device in a venue. The mobile device can compare the estimated location with a map of the venue. Upon determining that the estimated location conflicts with a structural constraint, the mobile device can adjust the location estimation using the structural information. Adjusting the location estimation can include adjusting a statistical filter that provides estimation of the location and changing a heading of the mobile device used in the dead reckoning.
US09918194B2

A system for providing wireless telecommunications services to mobile devices includes structure and functionality for location-based services, and includes both server and client/mobile device apparatuses. One apparatus includes a data store storing at least a first record associated with a first wireless device or a second record associated with a second wireless device. A computer is coupled to the data store and is configured to receive a request from the first wireless device to obtain location information associated with the second wireless device. The computer is configured to receive a change location privileges request, and to update the first or second records in the data store based on the received change request. Other apparatuses provide additional structures and functions.
US09918193B1

A system may include an electronic device having a location sensor, and a computer-readable storage medium having programming instructions. The system may obtain, from the location sensor, a current location of the electronic device, display an electronic map representative of an area in proximity to the current location via a display of the electronic device, and display, on the electronic map, an indication of the current location of the electronic device. The system may receive a selection of a geographical location on the electronic map, and in response to receiving the selection, automatically display, on the electronic map, a visual representation of direct navigational directions from the current location of the electronic device to the selected geographical location. The display may be a touch-sensitive display, and the electronic device may receive a selection of a geographical location on the electronic map via input on the touch-sensitive display.
US09918192B2

Mobile multilateration systems and related methods are disclosed. An example method includes accessing multilateration data relating to a first aircraft using a time-difference-of-arrival determiner of a second aircraft; processing the multilateration data at the second aircraft to determine a calculated position of the first aircraft; comparing the calculated position of the first aircraft to an asserted position of the first aircraft stored at the second aircraft; and in response to the comparison, determining if the calculated position and the asserted position are within a threshold of one another using the time-difference-of-arrival determiner of the second aircraft to determine an authenticity of the first aircraft.
US09918191B2

Various systems and methods for a mobile geo-fence system are described herein. A system for managing mobile geo-fences includes a tracking module to track a mobile geo-fence, the mobile geo-fence corresponding to a mobile device; a detection module to detect an intersection of the mobile geo-fence with a second geo-fence; and a data transmission module to provide data to the mobile device based on a data sharing policy.
US09918187B2

The invention is directed to a location tracker and auxiliary device for use with a monitoring center for tracking individuals or objects. The location tracker has position determining circuitry and first wireless circuitry that communicates position data representative of the location of the location tracker to a remote location (e.g., a monitoring station). The location tracker also has second wireless circuitry that communicates with the auxiliary device. The location tracker has at least two operational modes. The location tracker switches operational modes when communication is established between the location tracker and the auxiliary device. The auxiliary device generally has an associated auxiliary device ID and wireless circuitry that communicates the auxiliary device ID to the location tracker.
US09918172B1

An electronic system, in some embodiments, comprises: a power source; a load coupled to the power source; an analog-to-digital converter, coupled to the power source and the load, that samples a fluctuating voltage supplied by the power source and generates a digital representation of said fluctuating voltage; control logic, coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, that generates an amplitude correction signal based on said digital representation of the fluctuating voltage and on a target voltage; correction logic, coupled to the control logic, that uses the amplitude correction signal and an audio signal to generate a switch control signal; and an output driver, coupled to the correction logic, that controls coupling between the power source and the load based on the switch control signal.
US09918170B2

An apparatus comprising: at least one element generator configured to determine at least one hearing aid display element; at least one element locator configured to determine a location of the at least one hearing aid display element based on a location of at least one hearing aid compatible coil; and a display configured to display the at least one hearing aid compatible display element based on the location determined.
US09918159B2

A time heuristic audio control system, comprises a receiver for receiving time-based data from a personal computing device and a memory storing one or more sets processing parameters comprising instructions for processing the ambient sound based upon the time-based data. The system further includes a processor coupled to the memory and the receiver configured to adjust the ambient sound as directed by a selected set of processing parameters retrieved from the memory to create adjusted audio, the selected set of processing parameters retrieved based upon the time-based data and at least one speaker for outputting the adjusted audio.
US09918150B2

An optical line terminal (OLT) that configures a passive optical network (PON) system in cooperation with an optical network unit (ONU). The OLT has a controller to control a link state with the ONU. The controller generates, in one case, a control signal specifying a first low power consumption mode in which the ONU operates in the low power consumption mode in an upstream direction, and generates, in another case, the control signal specifying a second low power consumption mode in which the ONU operates in the low power consumption mode in both upstream and downstream directions. Further, the generated control signal is transmitted to the ONU.
US09918149B2

An optically-switch data network includes an optical data bus, an optical wavelength bus, and multiple nodes connected by the optical data bus and the optical wavelength bus. A first node determines that it has communication information to transmit to a second node, and determines if a first subscription signal is present on the optical wavelength bus. The first subscription signal includes a target frequency. If the first subscription signal is not present on the optical wavelength bus, the first node injects an optical communication signal onto the optical data bus. The optical communication signal includes the communication information and a carrier wave. The carrier wave includes the target frequency. The second node receives the optical communication signal using the optical data bus. If the first subscription signal is present on the optical wavelength bus, injection of the optical communication signal onto the optical data bus is postponed.
US09918138B2

A method for controlling multimedia playing, an apparatus thereof and a storage medium are provided according to the present disclosure, which relates to the field of terminal technology. The method includes: dividing subtitle information of a multimedia file into multiple subtitle segments, where each of the multiple subtitle segments corresponds to a time tag; triggering to play a selected subtitle segment of the subtitle information; obtaining a playing start time of the selected subtitle segment according to a time tag corresponding to the selected subtitle segment; and playing the multimedia file from the playing start time.
US09918135B1

Single button selection to facilitate actions in a communications network are provided herein. In one embodiment, a method can comprise facilitating, by a network device of a wireless network and comprising a processor, a first transmission of a multimedia content stream to a communications device. The multimedia content stream can comprise a main content item and a supplemental content item that supplements the main content item. The method can also include in response to a request from the communications device for additional information related to the supplemental content item, facilitating, by the network device, a second transmission, to the communications device, of data that comprises the additional information. Based on an indication, received from the communications device, of an acceptance of the data related to the supplemental content item, the method can include facilitating, by the network device, an action related to the supplemental content item.
US09918133B2

A graphical user interface is disclosed which achieves an easy search for a desired item. When an operation inputting section accepts a selective operation input for selection of one of plural processing functions, plural representation images individually representing plural processing object items of the processing function are displayed in an array along one direction of a display screen such that one of the representation images can be selected as a noticed representation image by an inputting operation through the operation inputting section. A decision section decides whether plural processing object items of the selected processing function are divided in a plurality of groups. If the processing object items are divided in groups, then the group name of the group to which the processing object item of the noticed representation image belongs is displayed in the proximity of the noticed representation image.
US09918132B2

The present disclosure describes a sensing technology. A pattern code recognition multimedia playback apparatus and driving method therefor according to some embodiments recognize pattern code by using pattern code recognition pen, extract multimedia data corresponding to the recognized pattern code from pattern code recognition set-top box, and control playback of the multimedia data, thus easily calling multimedia data stored in memory pack attached to the pattern code recognition set-top box with the pattern code recognition pen for recognizing pattern code printed on pattern code-printed material and promptly and easily watching the multimedia data played through display unit. The present disclosure provides various curriculums including animation, storytelling, dancing, and the like, to allow infants or preschool children to easily access contents to learn described in studying materials through the display unit, thus improving learning efficiency of the kids and assisting intelligence development, personality development, and emotion development.
US09918121B2

To provide an information processing apparatus capable of using an application seamlessly executable across channels of different broadcast stations. Identification information “common” that is common to all business operators can be set as an organization ID for specifying a business operator providing an application. In addition, when the common identification information “common” is set as an organization ID of an acquired XML-AIT, an application controller (508) does not judge that an activation of an application corresponding to the XML-AIT is unpermitted based on the organization ID. Accordingly, it becomes possible to use an application seamlessly executable across channels of different broadcast stations, such as an application for a rating survey.
US09918120B2

The invention is: A method for decoding a service guide associated with a video bitstream comprising: (a) receiving a content fragment within the service guide, (b) receiving a name element within the content fragment, (c) receiving a description element within the content fragment and (d) decoding the service guide.
US09918118B2

An imaging system comprising a panoramic visual image display, an associated directional sound playback device, and an associated motion reproduction device is disclosed. The imaging system conveys visual, sound and motion information related to a particular viewing direction to provide a realistic experience for the viewer. The imaging system can also comprise a panoramic visual image recording device capable of recording panoramic images, an associated directional sound capturing device capable of recording sound, and an associated directional motion capturing device capable of recording motion. Recorded panoramic images, sound and motion can be synchronously recorded to a common time code for simultaneous playback.
US09918115B2

A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for obtaining video streams is presented. A device-agnostic request to obtain a video stream is received from an application executing on a client device, the device-agnostic request including a universal resource identifier (URI) for the video stream, the URI including a type of the video stream and at least one of a name of the video stream and device-specific parameters for the video stream. The URI is analyzed to identify a media device from which the video stream is available. A device-specific library for the media device is identified. A device-specific request corresponding to the device-agnostic request is executed to obtain the video stream, the device-specific request including the URI. The video stream is received from the media device responsive to executing the device-specific request. The video stream is provided to the application.
US09918111B2

A method for facilitating multiple recordings via a single tuner includes isolating data packets associated with recording candidate media assets from at least two broadcast data streams, generating at least one broadcast recording data stream from a subset of the isolated data packets, broadcasting the at least one broadcast recording data stream in parallel with the at least two broadcast data streams, where the broadcast recording data stream is broadcast via at least one dedicated broadcast “recording” device, and the at least two broadcast data streams are broadcast via other broadcast devices, storing remaining data packets not included in the isolated data packets in broadband data segments, and transmitting the broadband data segments via an IP connection to facilitate reassembly of partially recorded the media assets, where the partially recorded media assets were recorded from the broadcast recording stream. Related methods and apparatus are also disclosed.
US09918109B2

An in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for an aircraft includes a phased array antenna and control circuitry associated therewith to be carried by the aircraft and to generate dual antenna beams for television programming and Internet data from respective spaced apart satellites. A television programming distribution system is to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to the phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide television programming within the aircraft. At least one access point is to be carried by the aircraft and coupled to the phased array antenna and control circuitry to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) within the aircraft for the Internet data.
US09918107B2

A method is provided for encoding at least one integral image representative of at least one object in perspective in a scene. The method implements the following steps: applying a discrete wavelet transform directly to the pixels of the integral image, delivering a plurality of transform coefficients; and encoding the delivered transform coefficients.
US09918105B2

In general, the disclosure describes techniques related to block vector coding for Intra Block Copy and Inter modes. In one example, the disclosure is directed to a video coding device comprising a memory configured to store video data and one or more processors. The video coding device is configured to determine a reference picture used for coding the current video block and determine a picture order count (POC) value for the reference picture. In response to the POC value for the reference picture being equal to a POC value for a current picture that includes the current video block, the video coding device sets a value of a syntax element to indicate that a reference picture list includes the current picture. Otherwise, the video coding device sets the value of the syntax element to indicate that the reference picture list does not include the current picture.
US09918102B1

An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to (i) fetch a plurality of reference samples from a memory to a plurality of slots in a buffer and (ii) motion estimate a plurality of current sample units of a current picture to generate a plurality of motion vectors. The motion vectors may be stored in a plurality of lines of a table. Each line generally identifies a corresponding slot in the buffer. Duplicates among the lines may be consolidated. The second circuit may be configured to evaluate the reference samples in the buffer based on the motion vectors to select a prediction sample unit.
US09918098B2

In the claimed approach, a high efficiency video coding codec optimizes the memory resources used during motion vector (MV) prediction. As the codec processes block of pixels, known as coding units (CUs), the codec performs read and write operations on a fixed-sized neighbor union buffer representing the MVs associated with processed CUs. In operation, for each CU, the codec determines the indices at which proximally-located “neighbor” MVs are stored within the neighbor union buffer. The codec then uses these neighbor MVs to compute new MVs. Subsequently, the codec deterministically updates the neighbor union buffer—replacing irrelevant MVs with those new MVs that are useful for computing the MVs of unprocessed CUs. By contrast, many conventional codecs not only redundantly store MVs, but also retain irrelevant MVs. Consequently, the codec reduces memory usage and memory operations compared to conventional codecs, thereby decreasing power consumption and improving codec efficiency.
US09918096B2

An image processing method, implemented in a calculator, includes applying a process by group of pixels to an original image. For each group of pixels, calculating a cumulative sum of value or position differences of the pixels of the group of pixels, and for each group of pixels, allocating in a final image signal a pixel position of the group of pixels to each pixel value of the group of pixels so as to minimize the cumulative sum of differences calculated for the group of pixels according to the differences calculated. For each group of pixels, determining a filtering intensity according to the cumulative sum of differences calculated for the group of pixels, and applying to the group of pixels a filtering having the filtering intensity.
US09918093B2

Provided are methods and apparatuses for improving compression efficiency in directional intra-prediction. A video encoding apparatus, which does not need to record intra mode information, includes a mode selector that selects one from among a plurality of intra modes on the basis of a directionality of at least one neighboring block that has already been reconstructed before a current block is reconstructed, an intra predictor that obtains a prediction block of the current block from the at least one neighboring block according to the directionality of the selected mode, and obtains a residual block by subtracting the prediction block from the current block, and a unit for encoding the obtained residual block.
US09918086B2

Provided is a method that de-multiplexes a bit stream to extract intra prediction mode information and residual signals, restores an intra prediction mode of a current prediction unit using the intra prediction information and intra prediction modes of prediction units adjacent to the current prediction unit, generates reference pixels using one or more available reference pixel if there exist unavailable reference pixels of the prediction unit, adaptively filters the reference pixels based on the restored intra prediction mode, generates a prediction block using the restored intra prediction mode and the reference pixels, decodes the residual signal to generating a residual block, and generates a reconstructed block using the prediction block and the residual block. Accordingly, additional bits resulted from increase of a number of intra prediction mode are effectively reduced. Also, an image compression ratio can be improved by generating a prediction block similar to an original block.
US09918080B2

A reference picture marking process and a reference picture list management process is handled in a unified reference picture marking and reference picture list management process. A new idle reference picture list may be used for handling reference pictures that are not used for reference in the current picture. Differential coding of picture order count may be used to increase coding efficiency. The reference picture management syntax structure may be sent in the picture parameter set for improved coding efficiency e.g. in regular GOP (group of pictures) arrangements.
US09918079B2

An electronic device for motion compensation is provided. The electronic device has a processing unit configured to perform a decoding program on a video bitstream to output decoding data, wherein the decoding data has a plurality of inter-prediction macroblocks, and the processing unit further generates a plurality of first pixel interpolation values according to the inter-prediction macroblocks which are smaller than a predetermined macroblock size. A motion compensation acceleration circuit is configured to generate a plurality of second pixel interpolation values according to the inter-prediction macroblocks which are larger than or equal to the predetermined macroblocks size, and generate a plurality of reconstructed macroblocks according to the first pixel interpolation values, the second pixel interpolation values, and a plurality of corresponding residue values.
US09918066B2

A method for producing a magnified three dimensional (3D) image of an object having a parallax modified according to the magnification including the procedures of acquiring a first image of the object by a first camera and a second image of the object by a second camera, determining a magnification parameter, generating a first magnified image and a second magnified image by respectively magnifying a portion of the first image containing the object and a portion of the second image containing the object according to the magnification parameter, modifying a geometry of the first magnified image and of the second magnified image as a function of the magnification parameter, thereby producing a first modified image and a second modified image, and displaying the magnified 3D image to a user by displaying the first modified image and the second modified image.
US09918064B2

There are provided a method and apparatus for providing reduced resolution update mode for multi-view video coding. A video encoder includes an encoder for encoding a picture using a reduced resolution update mode. The picture is one of a set of pictures corresponding to multi-view content having different view points with respect to a same or similar scene. The picture represents one of the different view points.
US09918056B2

A projection device includes: a plate shaped member that is thermally conductive; a light emitting element that is disposed upon the plate shaped member and emits light; a bending member that bends light from the light emitting element into an orientation parallel to the plate shaped member; a modulation element that modulates light bent by the bending member; and a polarized light separation element that bends light modulated by the modulation element into an orientation going away from the plate shaped member.
US09918052B2

Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.
US09918051B2

A system for displaying an anamorphic image on a viewing surface comprises a screen having a viewing surface and an image source configured to display the anamorphic image on the viewing surface such that an image viewed on the viewing surface appears undistorted from a viewing point. In addition, the system may also include a reflective lens having a convex exterior surface and a refractive lens having a plurality of surfaces to redirect light toward an image capture device. Further, the system may include an image conversion module for converting a non-anamorphic image into the anamorphic image suitable for displaying on the viewing surface and a selected portion of the anamorphic image into at least one non-anamorphic image.
US09918045B1

An integrated security system operating over a network includes networked video sources, networked monitor appliances and networked monitor appliance controllers. Video streams are processed by the networked monitor appliances for display on a monitor.
US09918042B2

A technique performs electronic conferencing operations. The technique involves electronically conveying video of a local environment from local conferencing equipment (e.g., a local electronic portal) to remote conferencing equipment (e.g., a remote electronic portal) while electronically muting audio of the local environment. The technique further involves, while the video of the local environment is electronically conveyed from the local conferencing equipment to the remote conferencing equipment and while the audio of the local environment is electronically muted, detecting a user gesture within the local environment, the user gesture being detected electronically in a contactless manner. The technique further involves, in response to detection of the user gesture within the local environment, electronically unmuting the audio of the local environment.
US09918035B2

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule and/or listing information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule and/or listing information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule and/or listing information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule and/or listing information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.
US09918034B2

A codeset having function-code combinations is provisioned on a controlling device to control functions of an intended target device. Input is provided to the controlling device which designates a function to be controlled on the intended target device. From a plurality of codes that are each associated with the designated function in a database stored in a memory of the controlling device a first code that is determined to be valid for use in controlling the designated function on the intended target device is selected. When the codeset is then provisioned on the controlling device, the provisioned codeset includes as a function-code combination thereof the designated function and the first code.
US09918017B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for obtaining multiple exposures with zero interframe time. In use, a first an analog signal associated with an image is received from at least one pixel of an image sensor. Next, a first amplified analog signal associated with the image is generated by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a first gain. Further, a second amplified analog signal associated with the image is generated by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a second gain. Finally, the first amplified analog signal and the second amplified analog signal are transmitted.
US09918014B2

There is provided a camera apparatus including: a display signal generation unit that generates an index display signal for displaying an index indicative of a current focal position based on focal position information; and a combination unit that acquires an image signal for a viewfinder by combining a captured image signal with the index display signal.
US09918011B2

A method for generating a 360 degree view. N input images are captured from N cameras fixed at a baseline height equidistantly about a circle in an omnipolar camera setup where N≧3. Two epipolar lines are defined per field of view from the cameras to divide the field of view of each one of the cameras into four parts. Image portions from each one of the cameras are stitched together along vertical stitching planes passing through the epipolar lines. Regions corresponding to a visible camera are removed from the image portions using deviations performed along the epipolar lines. Output images are formed for left and right eye omnistereo views by stitching together the first one of the four parts from each one of the fields of view and the second one of the four parts from each one of the fields of view, respectively.
US09918001B2

An apparatus and method for crowd sourcing current traffic conditions using an image sensor on a vehicle to record traffic conditions at the vehicle location, date and time stamp the images, and transmit the images along with selected vehicle operating conditions and vehicle coordinates through a network to a central crowd sourcing traffic condition control. The control stores the images and, upon receiving an image request from a vehicle, transmits traffic condition images to the requesting vehicle through the network for a specified roadway segment. A vehicle opted-in to the control can select another opted-in vehicle to have an image taken by the any selected vehicle of a desired road location. The control handles the exchange of a request and an image between the requesting vehicle and the selecting vehicle to enable an instantaneous image of a desired road location to be displayed in the requesting vehicle.
US09917994B2

A selectively attachable and removable visual and tactile assessment tool or clip for use with a mobile device is provided. Clip is an elongate member forming a curvilinear shape having a magnifying lens at a distal end thereof. Clip has a transparent tubular member disposed between first and second openings through the body portion of the clip. Tubular member has varying internal diameters to simulate, for example, the constriction or stenosis of a patient's vessel lumen. Once clip is attached to mobile device and the magnifying lens is positioned over the camera of the mobile device, a catheter is inserted through tubular member. The magnifying lens enlarges the size of the catheter displayed on the screen of the mobile device.
US09917992B2

A first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) mounted with an image sensor, a holder member mounted on the PCB, a lens module directly mounted inside the holder member, an actuator arranged at an inside of the holder member, and an electronic circuit pattern formed on a surface of the holder member to conductibly connect the PCB and the actuator, where one end of the electronic circuit pattern is connected to the PCB, and the other end of the electronic circuit pattern is connected to the actuator.
US09917989B2

A method and apparatus for simultaneous spatial light modulator beam steering and system aberration correction. The apparatus includes a spatial light modulator, a wide-field optical system, the wide-field optical system including at least one optical system aberration; and a camera. The wide-field optical system collimates a light beam toward the camera. The camera communicates with the spatial light modulator via a feedback loop that pre-corrects for the at least one optical system aberration.
US09917985B2

A method, a system, and a non-transitory computer readable recording medium are disclosed for a first printer connected to a second printer to perform color calibration for the second printer, wherein the second printer does not have a sensor, the first printer including a sensor which measures a media, which has been printed by the second printer and is being fed on a media path of the first printer. The method includes (a) determining the timing to instruct the second printer to print a first measurement chart; (b) instructing, at the timing determined at step (a), the second printer to print the first measurement chart; (c) measuring, by the sensor, the first measurement chart which has been printed by the second printer; and (d) outputting information corresponding to a result measured at step (c).
US09917971B2

A laser scanning device includes a light source, a deflection portion, an image forming lens, and a light source control portion. The light source emits a light beam. The deflection portion causes the light beam emitted from the light source to scan a scanned surface by deflecting the light beam at a predetermined deflection angle. The image forming lens condenses the deflected light beam on the scanned surface, and causes the light beam to be scanned on the scanned surface in a scanning direction at an equal speed. The light source control portion controls the light source to irradiate the light beam to at least one section area among a plurality of section areas sectioned from each other in the scanning direction on the scanned surface, at a plurality of irradiation timings determined based on a position of the at least one section area in the scanning direction.
US09917969B2

A memory is configured to store apparatus information that is information needed for an information processing terminal to transmit formation instructing information that instructs an image forming operation. The memory further stores instructions, the instructions, when executed by a controller, causing an image forming apparatus to execute: a first receiving process of receiving transmission requesting information from the information processing terminal through a first communicator; a first transmitting process of, in response to receiving the transmission requesting information, transmitting the apparatus information to the information processing terminal through the first communicator; a detecting process of detecting that a second communicator is connected to a communication network; and a notifying process of, in response to detecting that the second communicator is connected to the communication network, controlling a notifier to notify that a setting change of the information processing terminal is needed to transmit formation instructing information through the communication network.
US09917968B2

An image processing device acquires a selection instruction to select one of a plurality of functions; and determines whether an operation mode is in a simulation mode in which a specific function is executed according to an instruction from a terminal device, which stores a virtual application program and a virtual service program used for the virtual application program. The device executing, in a case of determining that the operation mode is not the simulation mode, a first function executing process to execute the selected function by: activating the application program corresponding to the selected function, and executing, in a case of determining that the operation mode is the simulation mode, a second function executing process to execute the specific function by: inhibiting activation of the application program; publishing an API corresponding to the specific function; and acquiring an instruction for executing the specific function from the virtual application program.
US09917958B2

A processing apparatus transmits a request to an external apparatus server for a job on a condition that a predetermined time has elapsed from detection of a predetermined event by a detection unit.
US09917940B2

A communications headset having an antenna on each earpiece and having an RF switch for determining which antenna is receiving the superior signal and selecting that signal for amplification and distribution to headset speakers. A cable, supported and secured to a headband of the headset, connects the two earpieces for signal and power transfer. An illustrated embodiment has a transceiver and a speaker in an earpiece, with the RF switch, switching logic, and audio processor in one earpiece. Other configurations are within the scope of the invention. The RF switch selects the superior signal responsive to signal strength, signal to noise ratio, and/or similar figures of merit. Monitoring for signal superiority is at a high bandwidth to prevent granularity in the switching becoming noticeable to the user. The antenna corresponding to the superior signal is also used for transmitting from the headset.
US09917938B2

According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a wireless device comprising an overstress indicator circuit including a sense circuit configured to monitor a parameter of the wireless device and generate a sense signal corresponding to the parameter, a detection circuit configured to receive the sense signal from the sense circuit and generate a detection signal in response to a determination that the sense signal is indicative of an overstress condition in the device, an interface circuit, and a memory circuit coupled to the detection circuit and the interface circuit and configured to store an overstress condition indication for access via the interface circuit in response to receiving the detection signal, at least one power amplifier coupled to the interface circuit, and a transceiver coupled to the at least one power amplifier and configured to produce an RF transmit signal and to receive an RF receive signal.
US09917930B2

Disclosed is a transmitting apparatus which includes: a packet generator generating a packet including a header and a payload from an input stream including a plurality of transport stream (TS) packets; and a signal processor signal-processing the packet, wherein the header includes a base header including a first field indicating a packet type which is the TS packets, and a second field indicating a number of TS packets included in the payload, wherein the base header further includes a third field set to a first value indicating that there is no additional header or a second value indicating that there is an additional header, wherein, when the third field is set to the second value, the additional header includes a fourth field indicating a number of deleted null packets with respect to each of at least one TS packet group including consecutive TS packets, and wherein the null packets deleted with respect to each of the TS packet group precede a first TS packet or follow a last TS packet included in each of the TS packet group.
US09917924B2

A method for visualizing interdependent network protocol fields for fuzzing and progress reporting includes providing a graphical user interface including a stacked representation of network protocol fields to be fuzzed. The method further includes displaying, in the stacked representation, an indication of network protocol fields that can or cannot be fuzzed. The method further includes receiving, via the stacked representation, selections of network protocol fields to be fuzzed and specifications of fuzzed parameter values for the selections. The method further includes generating and sending to a device under test network protocol packets with fuzzed parameter values according the selections and specifications.
US09917913B2

A system, apparatus, and methods are provided that support the passing of oversized messages within a publish-subscribe messaging system. During operation, the system subscribes to a message stream brokered by a message brokering cluster that imposes a maximum message size. Responsive to receiving a given message of the message stream, the system (1) determines an offset to commit to the message brokering cluster, wherein the determined offset is based on whether one or more segments of one or more oversized messages are buffered, and (2) commits the determined offset to the message brokering cluster. Responsive to recovering from a crash, wherein the offset at which to resume the receipt of messages from the message stream is unknown, the system then retrieves the determined offset from the message brokering cluster and resumes the receipt of messages from the message brokering cluster based on the determined offset.
US09917911B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for managing communications. One of the systems includes a plurality of security systems, each security system including a secure network coupling a plurality of security devices; a plurality of user devices authorized to send and receive communications associated with a respective security system of the plurality of security systems; and a service provider system configured to manage communications for each of the plurality of security systems with respective user devices, wherein, the service provider system or the user devices are configured to communicate with a push service to send push notifications.
US09917910B2

A method and system for delivering a service is provided. The method includes enabling a social application container computer system from an end user device, via an application program interface (API) executing in the social application container computer system invoked by an application running on the end user device. Transaction data describing a transaction request of a user of the end user device is collected from the end user device via the application and the API. Transaction specific context is generated based on the transaction data. User specific context is generated based on user data present in the transaction data.
US09917896B2

One or more techniques and/or computing devices are provided for implementing synchronous replication. For example, a synchronous replication relationship may be established between a first storage controller hosting local storage and a second storage controller hosting remote storage (e.g., replication may be specified at a file, logical unit number (LUN), or any other level of granularity). Data operations and offloaded operations may be implemented in parallel upon the local storage and the remote storage. Error handling operations may be implemented upon the local storage and implement in parallel as a best effort on the remote storage, and a reconciliation may be performed to identify any data divergence from the best effort parallel implementation. Storage area network (SAN) operations may be implemented upon the local storage, and upon local completion may be remotely implemented upon the remote storage.
US09917895B2

This specification allows a plurality of terminals to exchange and use data stored in each of the terminals through their own embedded web servers. An information providing system according to embodiments disclosed herein includes a first web server and a first controller both embedded in a telematics terminal mounted in a vehicle, and a second web server and a second controller both embedded in a mobile terminal. The first controller requests the second web server to transmit a first data corresponding to a first user request, receives the first data from the second web server, and executes the received first data. The second controller requests the first web server to transmit a second data corresponding to a second user request, receives the second data from the first web server, and executes the received second data.
US09917894B2

Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the acceleration of data transfer protocols via client side de-duplication techniques for transmitting data from a client device to a networked storage system while maintaining protocol usage characteristics. while preserving the same presentation semantics to the users. A data chunk may be determined at a client device by parsing a data stream generated at the client device via a network storage protocol. A fingerprint for the data chunk may be identified by applying a hash function to the data chunk. A determination may be made as to whether the chunk is stored at a networked storage system by transmitting the fingerprint to the networked storage system via a network. The client device may transmit a block map update request message including information for updating a block map to the networked storage system.
US09917884B2

A file transmission method includes: obtaining file information of a to-be-transmitted file from a distributed coordination node cluster; determining that at least one slave push node stores the to-be-transmitted file according to the file information of the to-be-transmitted file and heartbeat information of the at least one slave push node; wherein the heartbeat information of the at least one slave push node contains file information stored in the at least one slave push node, and the to-be-transmitted file is retrieved by the at least one slave push node from a file storage node cluster; generating a file transmission path, wherein the file transmission path comprises at least one destination node cluster; sending the file transmission path to the at least one slave push node, so that the at least one slave push node sends the to-be-transmitted file to the at least one destination node cluster through the file transmission path.
US09917880B2

A display computer running remote viewing software may detect when a UAC dialog is shown and send a generic representation of the UAC to viewer participants. Although the software cannot capture the UAC dialog itself, it can detect when a UAC dialog occurs and generate its own generic representation of the UAC dialog to be presented to the viewer participants. The generic representation may include an instruction for the viewer participant to instruct the display participant to respond to the UAC dialog and a generic image of an example UAC dialog.
US09917879B2

Embodiments of the present invention allow applications developers to change user experiences within an application without updating the application by relying on remote interface templates to create user experiences. The application code includes entry points to various remote interface templates stored on a remote device. The remote interface templates are consumed by the application to render content blocks that are all, or part of, the application's interface. The remote interface templates may be changed seamlessly at the remote device allowing the user to enjoy the updated interface without interruption the next time the application is opened.
US09917877B2

In a general aspect, a method includes determining a tile position in a frame of a spherical video based on a view perspective, selecting a portion of the frame of the spherical video as a two dimensional tile based on the tile position, encoding the two dimensional tile at a first quality, mapping the frame of the spherical video to a two dimensional representation of the spherical video based on a two dimensional projection algorithm, and encoding the two dimensional representation of the spherical video at a second quality.
US09917876B2

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a video information play system and method. The video information play system comprises: a video file separator; an information processing unit; a system resource monitoring module configured to obtain hardware parameters and resource consumption of the video information play system; a decoding parameter setting unit configured to set decoding parameters corresponding to the video information to be played according to the video information parameters from the video file separator; and an adaptation unit configured to obtain the video information play parameters of the video information to be played according to the video information parameters, configure parameters of the information processing unit according to the obtained hardware parameters and resource consumption of the video information play system, the decoding parameters and the video information play parameters, and configure parameters of the video file separator according to the video information play parameters.
US09917869B2

An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display obtains a file header for a file that corresponds to a plurality of separately indexed clusters. The file is divided into segments one or more of which include multiple sequential clusters. The file header includes a segment index that enables identification of a segment that includes requested content. The device receives a request to seek to a respective position within the file. In response, the device identifies a first segment that includes content that corresponds to the respective position based on the segment index, obtains the first segment, and obtains a content index for a respective cluster within the first segment. After obtaining the first segment and the content index, the device identifies respective content within the respective cluster that corresponds to the respective position based on a content index and provides the respective content to a user.
US09917859B2

Static analysis is applied to unrecognized software objects in order to identify and address potential anti-sandboxing techniques. Where static analysis suggests the presence of any such corresponding code, the software object may be forwarded to a sandbox for further analysis. In another aspect, multiple types of sandboxes may be provided, with the type being selected according to the type of exploit suggested by the static analysis.
US09917848B2

Identifying a human or machine is disclosed including sending a currently-triggered human or machine identification request to a server, receiving a first operation rendered by the server in response to the human or machine identification request, the first operation being configured to identify a human or machine and expressing an operation track for identifying the human or machine, and sending a second operation that was triggered in response to the first operation to the server to identify the human or machine on a triggering entity for the second operation based on a behavior characteristic model that was set in advance.
US09917847B2

A sender uses a double-write protocol to pass data to a recipient using a dead drop network architecture. The sender sends, to a dead drop domain, a data payload to store at the dead drop domain, and receives payload access information corresponding to a payload dead drop where the payload data is stored. The sender sends, to the dead drop domain, one or more instances of metadata including the payload access information to store at the dead drop domain, and receives metadata access information corresponding to one or more metadata dead drops where the metadata is stored. The sender provides the metadata access information to one or more recipients. A recipient uses the metadata access information to read the corresponding metadata dead drop. The recipient then uses the payload access information from the metadata to read the payload dead drop and receive the payload data.
US09917843B2

The present disclosure relates generally to secure data management techniques. Techniques are described for pairing devices and using the pairing information for granting or denying requests (e.g., data exchange requests) from the devices, for example, in a cloud environment, including Internet of Things (IoT) cloud. Devices can be paired with each other according to their identification information. Subsequently, when an original request is received from a first device, and a chasing request received from a second device, the pre-registered pairing information is used to determine whether the first and second devices form a valid pair and the original request is granted or denied based upon that determination. For example, the request may be granted only if it is determined that the first device and the second device have been previously paired. In certain embodiments, in addition to the pairing check, additional checks may be performed to determine whether to grant or deny the original request from the first device.
US09917840B2

Systems and methods are described for off-site user access control to communications services via a site-based communications network. Embodiments operate in context of sites, each having one or more site-based networks in communication with external networks via one or more on-site routers. User devices are provided with controlled access to those external networks via wired or wireless connections between those user devices and the site based networks. In some embodiments, on-site routers maintain route maps that indicate which user devices are authorized. Standard routing functions are used so that traffic from authorized devices is routed normally, while traffic from unauthorized devices is automatically forwarded to an off-site (e.g., cloud-based) authentication system. As devices become remotely authenticated, the off-site authentication system can remotely update route maps of the on-site routers to add those devices.
US09917834B2

A digital verified identification system and method are presented for verifying and/or authenticating the identification of an entity associated with an electronic file, such as, for example the digital signatory thereof. In particular, the system and method include a module generating assembly structured to receive at least one verification data element, and at least one digital identification module structured to be associated with at least one entity. The digital identification module is capable of being disposed or embedded within at least one electronic file. Further, the digital Identification module with the entity, and one or more metadata identification module includes at least one primary components identification module includes at least one primary component structured to at least partially associate the digital.
US09917827B2

This invention relates to methods for controlling and monitoring access to network servers. In particular, the process described in the invention includes client-server sessions over the Internet. In this environment, when the user attempts to access an access-controlled file, the server subjects the request to a secondary server which determines whether the client has an authorization or valid account. Upon such verification, the user is provided with a session identification which allows the user to access to the requested file as well as any other files within the present protection domain.
US09917810B2

A method, system, and computer program product for short messaging service (SMS) aggregation system setup. A computing platform (e.g., a server, a multi-processor server, a cloud array, a processor, etc.) is configured to receive messages over a network (e.g., an aggregator carrier network) and to deliver the messages to a processing entity executing on the computing platform. The processing entity receives messages comprising a set of SMS configuration parameters such as SMS configuration parameters to identify an SMS aggregator identifier and SMS configuration parameters comprising an aggregator network type and/or an aggregator carrier name. The SMS configuration parameters are stored for later retrieval and used when formatting and sending SMS messages.
US09917803B2

Communications in social networking environment are monitored and patterns of sharing a communication are identified. The patterns of sharing are compared to one or more criteria. A first probability of false information in the communication is determined. Responsive to determining the first probability of false information in the communication exceeding a first threshold, an additional validation of the communication is performed. A second probability that the communication contains false information is determined based on the additional validation. Responsive to determining that the second probability indicative of the communication containing false information exceeds a second threshold, an action to reduce dissemination of the communication may be performed.
US09917799B2

Some embodiments provide novel methods for controllers to communicate with managed hardware forwarding elements (MHFEs) in a transactional manner. The transactional communication methods of some embodiments ensure that an MHFE receives the entirety of a control plane update that a controller supplies to it, before the MHFE starts to modify its data plane forwarding data and operations. The transactional communication methods of some embodiments provide one or more transactional boundary controls to the controllers to define complete control plane data set updates. In some embodiments, the transactional controls ensure that an MHFE receives all of a control plane update before it starts to modify its data plane forwarding data. Controllers use one transactional control in some embodiments when they define logical forwarding elements (e.g., logical switches or routers) on the MHFEs.
US09917798B2

A compact router with redundancy includes embodiments having main and backup crosspoint switching devices wherein one of the switching devices is removable from a main circuit board via a quick disconnect means such as an electrical connector.
US09917795B2

Examples are disclosed for converting signals routed through a fabric assembly. In some examples, a connector housing may house a paddle card having a first edge portion coupled to a twin-axial cable having first signal pathways capable of routing first signals to/from a fabric controller integrated with a processor/processor package. The paddle card may have a second edge portion that may couple with an external fabric connector including a second plurality of signal pathways. In some examples, first signals received at the first edge portion may be converted to second signals following a coupling of the second edge portion with the external fabric connector. The second signals may then be routed via the second signal pathways included in and/or coupled with the external fabric connector. Other examples are described and claimed.
US09917791B1

In an approach, a first application executing on a first computer acquires, one or more resources of the first computer, wherein the one or more resources include one or more shared resources that are shared among applications of the first computer. The first application receives a media stream from a second computer and presents playback of the media stream. In response to detecting that priority within the first computer has shifted to a second application, the first application pauses playback of the media stream and releases the one or more shared resources while retaining one or more remaining resources that relate to a session context. In response to detecting that priority has shifted back to the first application, the first application re-acquires the one or more shared resources and resumes playback of the media stream based on the one or more remaining resources.
US09917787B2

Method, apparatus, and systems for implementing flexible credit exchange within high performance fabrics. Available buffer space in a receive buffer on a receive-side of a link is managed and tracked at the transmit-side of the link using credits. Peer link interfaces coupled via a link are provided with receive buffer configuration information that specifies how the receive buffer space in each peer is partitioned and space allocated for each buffer, including a plurality of virtual lane (VL) buffers. Credits are used for tracking buffer space consumption and in credits are returned from the receive-side indicating freed buffer space. The peer link interfaces exchange credit organization information to inform the other peer of how much space each credit represents. In connection with data transfer over the link, the transmit-side de-allocates credits based on an amount of buffer space to be consumed in applicable buffers in the receive buffer. Upon space being freed in the receive buffer, the receive-side returns credit ACKnowledgements (ACKs) identifying a VL for which space has been freed.
US09917781B2

Data traffic is intelligently steered by an adaptive load balancer through a software defined network (SDN) to which the load balancer is operatively coupled. The network has egress ports to which a plurality of servers is connected. The network has an SDN controller which generates statistical information concerning the network. Data traffic is steered through the SDN by the adaptive load balancer using a passive port method, a passive path, method, an active path method and an active path with quality of service (QoS) overlay method.
US09917770B1

A traffic on-boarding method is operative at an acceleration server of an overlay network. It begins at the acceleration server when that server receives an assertion generated by an identity provider (IdP), the IdP having generated the assertion upon receiving an authentication request from a service provider (SP), the SP having generated the authentication request upon receiving from a client a request for a protected resource. The acceleration server receives the assertion and forwards it to the SP, which verifies the assertion and returns to the acceleration server a token, together with the protected resource. The acceleration server then returns a response to the requesting client that includes a version of the protected resource that points back to the acceleration server and not the SP. When the acceleration server then receives an additional request from the client, the acceleration server interacts with the service provider using an overlay network optimization.
US09917767B2

Provided are a method, system, computer storage device, and storage area network for maintaining a communication path from a host to a storage subsystem in a network. A storage subsystem controls data transfer and access to a storage devices in a network, wherein the storage subsystem is coupled to a switch and the switch is coupled to a host in the network. A topological storage is coupled to the host, the switch and the storage subsystem, for storing a topological coupling relationship between the host and the switch and a topological coupling relationship between the switch and the storage subsystem. In response to determining a failed path between the storage subsystem and the switch coupled to the storage subsystem, the storage subsystem determines a first port on the storage subsystem in the failed path. The storage subsystem determines from the topology storage the topological coupling relationship between the host and the switch and the topological coupling relationship between the switch and the storage subsystem. The storage subsystem redirects, based on the topological coupling relationships, a message sent to the first port of the storage subsystem to an operational second port in the storage subsystem coupled to the switch.
US09917766B2

A loop-free hybrid network can include receiving an advertisement from a non-software defined network (SDN) network device, determining a network topology that includes the non-SDN network device and a number of SDN network devices, and sending an aggregating instruction to the non-SDN network device, wherein the aggregating instruction aggregates all connections between the non-SDN network device and the number of SDN network devices.
US09917756B2

Systems and methods for a readiness dialog box for a call over network (CON) are provided. In some embodiments, the readiness dialog box is presented to the callers prior to the onset of the call. It presents the other participant's and their status. For example, it may indicate which participants are online, but not yet ready, those who are ready, and those not available. It also enables the caller to send messages (both preconfigured and customized) to the other participants. Once sufficient participants have joined, the call may start. Sufficiency of participants could include a quorum of individuals, may require that specific participants are ready, everyone is ready, or may be time dependent. The participant requirements may be configured by the individual setting up the call based upon call type.
US09917748B2

There is provided an information processing apparatus, including an acquiring unit that acquires first information representing at least one of a characteristic and a status of delivery data and second information representing at least one of a characteristic and a status of a terminal in which the delivery data is usable, a comparing unit that compares the first information and the second information acquired by the acquiring unit, and determines whether or not the delivery data is usable in the terminal, and a presentation information generating unit that generates information of the delivery data usable in the terminal based on a determination result of the comparing unit as presentation information.
US09917745B2

A method implemented in a network element, the method comprising identifying a first service function (SF) for validation, the first SF being associated with a service function chain (SFC), being applied to a data flow, and operating on a first network node, encoding one or more tests associated with the first SF in an operations, administration, and management (OAM) packet, and transmitting a validation request comprising the OAM packet towards the first SF to request validation of the first SF by execution of the tests.
US09917742B1

Disclosed aspects relate to hardware connection management using a media access control (MAC) control frame. A MAC control frame may be generated by a hardware connection management engine. The MAC control frame may be routed from a first hardware port by the hardware connection management engine. The hardware connection management engine may determine whether a hardware switch exists between the first and second hardware ports based on whether a second hardware port receives the MAC control frame.
US09917738B2

Examples of the disclosure enable messages, such as syslog messages, rsyslog messages, and/or syslog-ng messages, to be efficiently and effectively routed. In some examples, it is determined whether a transmitting device associated with a message is associated with one or more device classes. Upon determining that the transmitting device is not associated with one or more device classes, the transmitting device is associated with a device class, and a rule set for determining whether the transmitting device is associated with one or more device classes is updated. A recipient for the message is identified, such that the message is configured to be accurately routed to the recipient. Examples of the disclosure manage messages to increase system functionality, increase speed, conserve memory, reduce processor load, increase communication reliability, and/or reduce communication error rate.
US09917734B2

Operating parameters for a femto access point (FAP) are efficiently and accurately defined. During provisioning of the FAP, the system obtains operating parameters utilized by a nearby FAP expected to have a substantially similar radio environment as the provisioning FAP. Moreover, weighting is applied to the nearby FAP to determine which set of operating parameters to utilize at the provisioning FAP. Accordingly, pre-existing operating parameters, optimized by the nearby FAP are employed to augment initial network listen measurements performed at the provisioning FAP, and thus improve speed and accuracy of initial FAP parameter provisioning.
US09917725B2

Network node modules within a vehicle are arranged to form a reconfigurable automotive neural network. Each network node module includes one or more subsystems for performing one or more operations and a local processing module for communicating with the one or more subsystems. A management system enables traffic from the one or more subsystems of a particular network node module to be re-routed to an external processing module upon failure of the local processing module of that particular network node module.
US09917717B2

A method is provided for receiving broadcast signals. The broadcast signals are received. The received broadcast signals are demodulated by an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) scheme, a signal frame is parsed from the demodulated broadcast signals, data is decoded in the parsed signal frame to output baseband packets, the baseband packets are output-processed to output link layer packets, and the link layer packets are de-encapsulated to output Transport Stream (TS) packets by inserting a header for each TS packet of which a header is deleted based on information of a header of the link layer packets.
US09917712B2

A method decodes an optical signal transmitted over an optical channel from a transmitter to a receiver. The receiver receives the transmitted optical signal to produce a digital signal which is filtered in the frequency domain for compensating static effects and/or dynamic effects. The filtering is performed in the frequency domain, while the frequency coefficients of the filter are updated in the time domain by updating at least some of time coefficients of the filter and transforming the time coefficients into the frequency domain.
US09917709B2

An apparatus for processing data includes a decision feedback equalizer configured to sample an analog signal to yield digital data and a DC offset adaptation circuit. The decision feedback equalizer is configured to sample the equalized signal using at least one data latch at a first data latch threshold value and at a second data latch threshold value. The DC off set adaptation circuit is configured to calculate a DC off set in the analog signal based on the first data latch threshold value and on the second data latch threshold value.
US09917702B2

A method and system are provided for sharing data amongst a group of a plurality of mobile devices to manage tasks in a group project. To manage updates, the shared data is atomized such that individual databases in the shared data are separated or otherwise delineated into one or more records, each record having associated therewith, a value.
US09917696B2

According to an example, secure key component and PIN entry may include receiving a communication from a smart card control device upon connection of the smart card control device with a secure key component and PIN entry apparatus. The communication may be related to storage of a key component on a smart card that is communicatively connectable to the apparatus. The key component may be related to a Master File Key (MFK) that is formed by using a plurality of key components including the key component. In response to the communication, the smart card may be prompted to generate the key component, or entry of the key component may be received based on actuation of a keypad of the apparatus. Further, the generated or received key component may be stored on the smart card upon connection of the smart card with the apparatus.
US09917694B1

A processing device is configured to obtain an address and a public key, both associated with an authentication service, to generate a symmetric key as a function of the public key, to configure an authentication token to incorporate the symmetric key, to encrypt the symmetric key utilizing the public key, and to transmit the encrypted symmetric key to the address so as to permit the authentication service to bind the symmetric key to an identifier of the authentication token. By way of example, the authentication token may comprise a software authentication token implemented on the processing device. One or more tokencodes generated by the authentication token utilizing the symmetric key are transmitted to the authentication service for authentication. The authentication by the authentication service is based on the symmetric key bound to the identifier of the authentication token.
US09917693B2

Systems, methods, and software can be used to provide security assurance information. In some aspects, a certificate request for a client process on a mobile device is received. A security assurance character for the client process is determined. Whether to grant the certificate request is determined based on the determined security assurance character. In response to determining to grant the certificate request, a certificate is generated.
US09917691B2

A method and system for bringing together online and offline advertising uses anonymous links that are associated with consumer data. The anonymous links allow processing without personally identifiable information (PII) in a secure environment. Data is matched using the anonymous links, and further using identifiers that are encrypted for use in connection with individual match distribution partners. The method and system allows a marketer to utilize offline data to precisely target advertisements without the use of PII, and to perform analytics concerning the use of the online advertisements to more precisely determine the effectiveness of multichannel marketing efforts.
US09917689B2

One embodiment provides an apparatus. The apparatus includes a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) hash module configured to apportion at least a first portion of a message of length L to a number (S) of segments, the message including a plurality of sequences of data elements, each sequence including S data elements, a respective data element in each sequence apportioned to a respective segment, each segment including a number N of blocks of data elements and to hash the S segments in parallel, resulting in S segment digests, the S hash digests based, at least in part, on an initial value and to store the S hash digests; a padding module configured to pad a remainder, the remainder corresponding to a second portion of the message, the second portion related to the length L of the message, the number of segments and a block size; and a non-SIMD hash module configured to hash the padded remainder, resulting in an additional hash digest and to store the additional hash digest.
US09917686B2

A two-point phase modulator comprising a phase locked loop, PLL, having a voltage controlled oscillator, VCO, and a feedback path, a first modulation circuit for introducing a first modulation signal into the feedback path, the first modulation circuit generating the first modulation signal using a reference clock signal extracted from the PLL and derived from a first clock, a second modulation circuit for introducing a second modulation input into the VCO, the second modulation circuit generating the second modulation signal using a clock signal generated independently of the reference clock and a synchronizer for aligning the second modulation signal in time with the first clock signal.
US09917685B2

Generally, this disclosure describes eye width measurement and margining in communication systems. An apparatus may be configured to: decouple a phase detector from a CDR loop filter of a receiver under test in response to synchronizing a margining clock signal to a receiver clock signal; apply a margining input to the loop filter, the margining input configured to shift a frequency of the margining clock signal by a constant amount related to the margining input; compare a first bit stream and a second bit stream and configured to detect an error, the first bit stream related to a transmitted bit stream; and count cycles of the receiver clock signal or the margining clock signal, wherein an eye width associated with the receiver under test is related to the margining input, the frequency of the receiver clock signal and a count of clock cycles when the error is detected.
US09917682B2

The embodiments relate to a method and a base station (110) for interference management in a cellular network (100) employing Space-Division uplink (UL) downlink (DL) Duplexing (SDD). The base station (110) assigns a plurality of Remote Radio Units (RRU) as Tx RRUs operable to dedicatedly transmit downlink signals to a plurality of UEs and Rx RRUs operable to dedicatedly receive uplink signals from the plurality of UEs at the same frequency band and same time as the transmission of the Tx RRUs. The base station then suppresses the interference caused by simultaneous transmission on the same frequency band by using a Tx spatial beamforming weighting matrix and a Rx spatial beamforming weighting matrix. In addition, the base station may perform cross-talk cancellation on the residual interference contained in the received signals by using the knowledge of the downlink traffic data.
US09917679B2

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting a response frame based on a type in a High Efficiency Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) (HEW). According to an aspect, a method for transmitting an uplink frame by a station (STA) to an access point (AP) in a WLAN may be provided. The method may include receiving, from the AP, a downlink frame including information related to a type of the uplink frame, the type of the uplink frame including a single-user (SU) type and a multiple-user (MU) type; and transmitting, to the AP, the uplink frame having a type determined based on the information related to the type of the uplink frame, wherein, when the type of the uplink frame corresponds to the MU type, the uplink frame is simultaneously transmitted by a plurality of STAs including the STA and at least one other STA.
US09917669B2

An access point (AP) and a communication system are provided. The access point comprises at least but not limited to a transceiver, a network connection unit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured for the following steps. The AP receives channel access requests of the user equipments (UEs) from the UEs. Next, the AP transmits a channel request data according to QoS requirements of plurality of channel access requests of the UEs to the server. Afterward, the AP receives resource allocation information associated with the channel request data from the server, wherein the resource allocation information comprises an allocated result of physical channels and transmission power configurations. Subsequently, the AP allocates the physical channels to the UEs according to the QoS requirements of the channel access requests of the UEs and the resource allocation information.
US09917662B2

A digital measurement input for an electric automation device has a receiving device configured to receive digital input measurement values generated by sampling an analog measurement signal at a first sampling rate, and a signal converting device configured to generate digital output measurement values from the digital input measurement values and to provide digital output measurement values. The sampling rate and sampling times of each digital output measurement value is adapted to a specified sampling rate and/or specified sampling time. The signal converting device has a digital encoder filter on the input side and a digital decoder filter on the output side, between which an interpolator is provided. The encoder filter, the interpolator, and the decoder filter are matched to one another so as to adapt the sampling rate and/or sampling time of the digital input measurement values.
US09917661B2

A test system includes a single-channel signal generator configured to generate an autocorrelation test signal to be distributed to each of a plurality of RF channels of a device under test (DUT). A time offset network includes a plurality of time offset channels each corresponding to one of the plurality of RF channels of the DUT, and is configured to, in combination with the DUT, provide corresponding autocorrelation test signals each with a different time delay as respective RF channel test signals. A single-channel measurement instrument is configured to process a single-channel test signal, based upon a combination of the RF channel test signals, to independently measure at least one characteristic of each of the RF channels of the DUT. The time offset network may be configured to be coupled between the single-channel signal generator and the DUT. Or, the time offset network may be configured to be coupled between the DUT and the single-channel measurement instrument.
US09917654B2

A hologram chip may be programmed to emit and/or augment energy tuned to interact with bodily functions through transdermal contact. The chip may be programmed by using a pair of Tesla pancake coils, each coupled to a spherical electrode and driven to create an energetic field between the electrodes. The hologram chip may be in contact with a transmitter coil. A tuning medium may be in contact with a receiver coil. A wave function generator may drive the transmitter coil until it is in resonance with the receiver coil causing an energetic field to form between the spherical electrodes. The longitudinal waves passed from the transmitter side to the receiver side may be conducted through the receiver pancake coil and through the tuning medium, which in turn may transmit the natural frequencies/information of the tuning medium through the longitudinal waves to the hologram chip on the transmitter coil.
US09917652B1

Adaptive communications focal plane arrays that may be implemented in, e.g., a specially-configured camera that can be utilized to receive and/or process information in the form of optical beams are presented. A specialized focal plane array (FPA) having a plurality of optical detectors is utilized, where one or more optical detectors are suppressed such that data is not allowed to be output from the one or more suppressed optical detectors, and only a significantly smaller number or subset of optical detectors receiving optical beams are allowed to output data. In this way, the rate at which data is to be output by an adaptive communications FPA (ACFPA) can be significantly reduced.
US09917649B2

A method and apparatus for characterizing and compensating optical impairments in an optical transmitter includes operating an optical transmitter comprising a first and second parent MZ, each comprising a plurality of child MZ modulators that are biased at respective initial operating points. An electro-optic RF transfer function is generated for each of the plurality of child MZ modulators. Curve fitting parameters are determined for each of the plurality of electro-optic RF transfer functions and operating points of each child MZ modulator are determined using the curve fitting parameters. An IQ power imbalance is determined using the curve fitting parameters. Initial RF drive power levels are determined that compensate for the determined IQ power imbalance. The XY power imbalance is determined for initial RF drive power levels using the curve fitting parameters. The operating RF drive powers are determined that at least partially compensate for the first and second IQ power imbalances and for the XY power imbalance for the optical transmitter.
US09917647B2

A combination underfill-dam and electrical-interconnect structure for an opto-electronic engine. The structure includes a first plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies. The first plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies includes a plurality of electrical interconnects. The first plurality of electrical-interconnect solder bodies, is disposed to inhibit intrusion of underfill material into an optical pathway of an opto-electronic component for the opto-electronic engine. A system and an opto-electronic engine that include the combination underfill-dam and electrical interconnect structure are also provided.
US09917645B2

The method includes receiving axis signals from a multi-axis position sensing detector, generating a reference signal by summing the axis signals, determining a mirror position of a mirror directing the optical beam based on the beam position error of each axis of the multi-axis position sensing detector, and actuating the mirror to move to the mirror position. Each axis signal is indicative of a beam position of an optical beam incident on the multi-axis position sensing detector, each axis signal corresponding to an axis of the multi-axis position sensing detector. For each axis of the multi-axis position sensing detector, the method includes converting a phase of an axis to have a 90 degree phase difference from a signal of the axis, generating an axis-phasor signal by summing the axis signals, and comparing the axis-phasor signal and the reference signal to determine a phase difference.
US09917644B2

An exemplary system for communicating data includes a light source that emits light and a processing device that receives and encodes data into a communication signal. A modulator modulates light emitted by the light source, wherein the modulation is imperceptible to the human eye, and the modulated light includes the encoded data. The modulation of the transmitted light is imperceptible to a human eye. A receiving device receives the modulated light and processes the light to decode the encoded signal and obtain the data.
US09917642B2

A method is provided for establishing a communication path in an optical network, the communication path comprising a plurality of sections, wherein the power level of a section is controlled by a respective power control unit of a network node. The method comprises the steps of, in response to a request to establish a communication path, step 201, controlling at least one power control unit to perform a first power-up mode of operation. The first power-up mode of operation comprises the step of setting a power control factor of a respective section of the communication path directly to a value estimated to provide a target power level, step 203.
US09917637B1

Methods, optical transmitters and a system of optical transmitters for transmitting data over and monitoring a fiber cable. A method performed by an optical transmitter for transmitting data over and monitoring of a fiber cable comprises generating at least a first optical carrier and a second optical carrier at a same optical frequency, generating an electromagnetic monitoring signal, modulating the first optical carrier with the generated electromagnetic monitoring data signal to create an optical monitoring signal, and modulating the second optical carrier with a generated electromagnetic data signal to create an optical data signal. The method further comprises combining the optical monitoring signal and the optical data signal in orthogonal polarization modes, transmitting the combined optical monitoring signal and the optical data signal over the fiber cable to be monitored, and monitoring the fiber cable by detecting the optical monitoring signal being backscattered from the fiber cable.
US09917625B2

According to one or more aspects, a wireless device may transmit a message to a serving base station comprising parameters indicating that the wireless device supports configuration of a first quantity of channel state information (CSI) processes. The serving base station may transmit a message to the wireless device comprising measurement configuration parameters for the wireless device. The serving base station may transmit an indication of the measurement configuration parameters to a target base station in response to a determination to make a handover of the wireless device.
US09917622B2

One embodiment is directed to a system in which an end node and a boundary link optimizer node are communicatively coupled to an ETHERNET network. The end node is communicatively coupled to the ETHERNET network using a boundary link that is connected to an edge of the ETHERNET network. A virtual local area network (VLAN) is established in the ETHERNET network that includes a first end point at the edge of the ETHERNET network and a second end point at the boundary link optimizer node. The boundary link optimizer node is configured to: receive ETHERNET packets that include data for the plurality of streams of digital samples; extract the data for the plurality of streams from the received ETHERNET packets; bundle the data for the streams of digital samples; and communicate, to the end node over the VLAN, the bundled data for the streams of digital samples in ETHERNET packets.
US09917620B2

A vehicle power-supplying device includes: a power-supplying primary coil provided in a parking space where a vehicle is parked, and configured to supply electric power wirelessly to a power-supplying secondary coil provided in the vehicle and configured to wirelessly receive the electric power from the power-supplying primary coil; and a vehicle stopping member configured to stop the vehicle at a desired position of the parking space at which wireless power supply efficiency from the power-supplying primary coil to the power-supplying secondary coil is high.
US09917618B2

Aspects of methods and systems for PAPR reduction in a microwave backhaul outdoor unit are provided.
US09917612B2

A protective case for a mobile device such as a tablet computer is disclosed that includes modular components that can be mixed and matched by the user at the point of purchase to facilitate creation of a user customizable look. The case includes a shell that is configured to retain the tablet device and a front cover that is configured to protect and conceal the screen of the tablet when the case is in the closed position. When the assembled case is in the open position and the tablet is retained within the shell, the cover is configured to stand the shell up on edge. The shell and front cover can be reversibly attached to one another by the user, so that the user can select a shell of one color, material, design, or style and a front cover of another color, material, design or style. Retention tab and slot are employed to reversibly lock the front cover to the shell to form a seamless integrated multi use mode case.
US09917605B2

A method is provided that comprises tuning a radio system to a frequency band that contains a locally-broadcast terrestrial radio signal. The locally-broadcast terrestrial radio signal comprising a main signal component and a side data component is thereby received. In response to receiving the locally-broadcast terrestrial radio signal a determination is made as to a permissible time for processing the side data component using a time slot schedule. The side data component is processed at the permissible time. A message corresponding to the side data component is outputted to an output device. In some instances, the side data component includes the message. In other instances, the method further includes searching a message lookup list using a code included in the side data component. When a stored code is found that matches the code, the message corresponding to the matching stored code is outputted.
US09917595B2

A multi-level DAC includes first and second level resistor ladders, and a dual-switch ladder interconnect reduces DNL at tap-point transitions between first-level ladder resistors. For each first level resistor N, the switch-interconnect network includes dual (first/second) switches connectable to a resistor-top node NT, and dual (third/fourth) switches selectively connectable to a resistor-bottom node NB. The first switch is operable to connect NT to a top tap switch operable to select NT as a top tap point, and the fourth interconnect switch is operable to connect NB to a bottom tap switch operable to select NB as a bottom tap point. The first and fourth switches are connected, forming an outer loop that includes top and bottom tap points. The second switch connects to a top second-level resistor RT, and the third switch connects to a bottom second-level resistor RB, forming an inner loop that includes the series-connected second-level resistors.
US09917576B2

A circuit arrangement is disclosed for controlling the switching of a field effect transistor (FET). A current controlled amplifier may be configured to amplify a current in a current sense device to generate an amplified current, wherein the current in the current sense device indicates a current through the FET. A comparator may be coupled to the current sense amplifier to compare a voltage corresponding to the amplified current with a voltage reference and to generate a comparator output based on the comparison, wherein the comparator output controls whether the FET is on or off.
US09917569B2

A high frequency module includes a first external connection terminal, a second external connection terminal, a filter unit, a first matching circuit, and a second matching circuit. The filter unit is connected between the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal. The first matching circuit is connected between the first external connection terminal and the filter unit. The second matching circuit is connected between the second external connection terminal and the filter unit. The first matching circuit and the second matching circuit are inductively or capacitively coupled to each other.
US09917568B2

A substrate structure for an acoustic resonator device. The substrate has a substrate member comprising a plurality of support members configured to form an array structure. In an example, the substrate member has an upper region, and optionally, has a plurality of recessed regions configured by the support members. The substrate has a thickness of single crystal piezo material formed overlying the upper region. In an example, the thickness of single crystal piezo material has a first surface region and a second surface region opposite of the first surface region.
US09917561B1

A device and method for controlling the volume of played media through loudspeakers on a golf cart driven by a user with a Bluetooth connected device. A location receiver on the golf cart continuously signals a computing component a signal associated with a location of the golf cart on a golf course. If the golf cart is determined to be located in a volume control area, the volume of sound produced by an amplifier engaged with loudspeakers on the cart is reduced to a predetermined level for that control area. Other control areas can cause the playing of advertisements from the loudspeakers on the cart as it passes into them.
US09917559B2

An in-line waveguide divider divides power of an incoming high-frequency signal among openings. Amplification boards disposed on a base are provided for respective openings and are each connected in parallel with one another to the in-line waveguide divider. An in-line waveguide combiner includes openings formed correspondingly to the amplification boards, and is connected to the amplification boards. An electrically conductive amplifier cover includes walls formed to provide isolation between circuits of the amplification boards continuously from the in-line waveguide divider to the in-line waveguide combiner, and the entire surface of the amplification boards at the in-line waveguide combiner side is covered with the electrically conductive amplifier cover except openings and openings. Each of the amplification boards includes a waveguide-to-microstrip transition corresponding to the opening, an amplifier element, and a microstrip-to-waveguide transition corresponding to the opening.
US09917558B1

Apparatus and methods for a difference amplifier are provided. In certain examples, the difference amplifier can provide high common mode rejection without differential signal attenuation. In an example, a difference amplifier circuit can include first and second amplifiers, first and second buffer amplifiers, a first feedback voltage divider coupled between an output of the first buffer amplifier and an output of the second amplifier, and a second feedback voltage divider coupled between an output of the second buffer amplifier and an output of the first amplifier.
US09917556B2

A transmitter, a transmission system and a transmission method whereby AM-PM distortions can be compensated with high accuracy without affecting the functions of a predistortor, a ΔΣ modulator and so on. The transmitter includes: a baseband signal generation circuit that outputs the amplitude value and phase value of a baseband signal; a ΔΣ modulation circuit that performs a ΔΣ modulation of the outputted amplitude and phase values to output a pulse signal train; a power supply modulation circuit that supplies, to a pre-stage amplifier, a voltage determined in accordance with the outputted amplitude value; the pre-stage amplifier and a post-stage amplifier that amplify the outputted pulse signal train; and a filter circuit that generates an output signal from the pulse signal train as amplified and outputs the output signal. The power supply modulation circuit determines the voltage for canceling a phase error occurring in the post-stage amplifier.
US09917554B2

A loudspeaker drive circuit uses a dynamic range compressor to implement a non-linear gain function between the input signal to the dynamic range compressor and an output signal from the dynamic range compressor. The output is used to drive a loudspeaker, and the operating parameters of the dynamic range compressor are varied in dependence on a criterion, such as the estimated voice coil temperature, the power consumption or the acoustical distortion.
US09917551B2

A Doherty amplifier includes an output combining network that has a first combining network input coupled to a main amplifier path, a lowest-order combining network input coupled to a lowest-order peaking amplifier path, and N−2 additional combining network inputs coupled to other peaking amplifier paths. A final summing node is coupled to the combining network output, and is directly coupled to the first combining network input. N−2 intermediate summing nodes are coupled to the N−2 additional combining network inputs. An offset line is coupled between the lowest-order combining network input and a lowest-order summing node. A longest phase delay imparted by the output combining network on a peaking RF signal between the lowest-order combining network input and the final summing node is greater than all other phase delays imparted on any other RF signal provided to the first combining network input and the N−2 additional combining network inputs.
US09917538B2

In order to provide a motor driving circuit in which a portion corresponding to a failed phase can be separated while miniaturization and lower costs are achieved, a motor driving circuit for driving a motor includes: a second driver circuit for driving a driver circuit which supplies a drive current corresponding to one phase of a multiphase motor having three or more phases, to the multiphase motor; and an electrical circuit which includes a plurality of electrical components and switches a connecting relation between the electrical components according to an operation mode designated from outside the motor driving circuit, thereby providing a circuit function corresponding to the operation mode.
US09917535B2

The present invention relates to a wafer (100) being subdivided and separable into a plurality of dies. Each die (110) comprises an array of capacitive micro-machined transducer cells (1). Each cell comprises a substrate (10) comprising a first electrode (11), a membrane (13) comprising a second electrode (14), and a cavity (12) between the substrate (10) and the membrane (13). Each cell (1) of at least a part of the dies (110) comprises a compensating plate (15) on the membrane (13), each compensating plate (15) having a configuration for influencing a bow (h) of the membrane (13). The configurations of the compensating plates (13) vary across the wafer (100). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such a wafer and a method of manufacturing such a die.
US09917525B1

A power supply having a primary side and a secondary side is disclosed. The power supply includes a main transformer having a first side and a second side. The first side is coupled to the primary side and the second side coupled to the secondary side. The power supply further includes a primary switch coupled to the first side and a synchronous rectification switch coupled to the second side. A controller is included for driving the primary switch and the synchronous rectification switch in several operation modes including the operation in continuous conduction mode. The controller is configured to determine and set a time between turning-off of the synchronous rectification switch and turning-on of the primary switch based on sampling of the peak voltage at the drain of the synchronous rectification switch and selecting the time that corresponds with the lowest peak voltage on the drain of the synchronous rectification switch.
US09917516B2

A DC-DC converter including an input, an output, a conversion circuit, and a switch control circuit. The input inputs input voltage. The output outputs output voltage. The conversion circuit a plurality of semiconductor switches, and converts the input voltage to the output voltage by switching operation of one or more semiconductor switches of the plurality of semiconductor switches. The switch control circuit selects one or more semiconductor switches performing the switching operation from the plurality of semiconductor switches based on the input voltage and a predetermined lookup table, and controls the switching operation of the one or more semiconductor switches.
US09917515B2

The extended commutation cell (ECC) is a four-port, four-switch cell that allows for bidirectional energy transport in two orthogonal directions throughout the cell. By cascading multiple cells, a multilevel converter can be constructed with a high number of levels. The voltage across each cell capacitor can be adjusted independently of the load, resulting in high flexibility in output levels. Improved fault tolerance is also provided.
US09917497B2

A linear power generator has a gas pressure cylinder structure which causes reciprocating motion of a piston in an axial direction by supplying a high-pressure gas alternately to a left gas chamber and a right gas chamber of a cylinder which includes an electromotive coil, and alternately applying a gas pressure in the left gas chamber and a gas pressure in the right gas chamber to the piston which includes a permanent magnet in the cylinder, and which induces power generation of the electromotive coil by way of reciprocating motion of the piston which has the permanent magnet in the axial direction. The linear power generator encourages movement of the piston by supplying a first high-pressure gas into the left gas chamber and the right gas chamber, and keeps moving the piston by supplying a second high-pressure gas for supplementing the first high-pressure gas into the left gas chamber and the right gas chamber.
US09917495B2

Certain aspects relate to topologies for an interior permanent magnet (IPM) electrical machine having increased saliency torque, increased flux-linkage, reduced magnet leakage flux, and reduced detrimental slotting effects compared to existing IPM electrical machines. The IPM electrical machine includes a rotor having a number of poles and a flux barrier formed along the edge of the rotor between poles. The flux barrier contains a magnet or set of magnets having a varying thickness, with a central thickest portion located along the d-axis of the rotor. A magnet retention structure, which may be formed integrally with the rotor or provided as a separate structure, surrounds the rotor and magnets. The rotor and magnets combine to form a smooth circular profile having no air gaps.
US09917483B2

Each of busbars of a busbar unit includes a main body part that extends along a circumferential direction of the stator so that a plate thickness direction coincides with an axial direction of a stator; a projecting part that projects radially outwardly of the stator from outer periphery of the main body part; an extending part bent from the projecting parts, the extending part extending in the axial and radial direction of the stator; and a connecting part provided on a tip of the extending part, the connecting part being connectable to the winding wire ends of the coils. A position of the connecting part is specified in accordance with length of the extending part in the axial and radial directions of the stator.
US09917478B2

A power transmission device includes a power transmission unit transmitting electric power in a contactless manner to a power reception unit provided outside; and a power transmission-side shield formed in a hollow shape and provided so as to surround the power transmission unit. An electromagnetic wave can pass through a region on a side opposite to a region where the power reception unit is located across the power transmission-side shield. The power transmission-side shield is provided with a shield member on a side opposite to the power transmission unit across the power transmission-side shield.
US09917474B2

Provided is a backup power system for providing power to a load when a primary lighting system is disabled. The backup power system includes an energy source configured to supply an amount of power to the backup power system, and a charger connectable to the energy source and a power source of the primary lighting system. The backup power system additionally includes a controller configured to measure a current value of the primary lighting system and determine a backup current value corresponding to an amount of backup current that is a fractional amount of the determined current value. The backup power system include a current source configured to provide the determined backup current.
US09917465B2

The disclosure relates to a battery exercising device configured to discharge and charge a rechargeable battery, such as a lead-acid battery, after a set amount of time has elapsed. The battery exercising device is configured to receive electrical power from a power source and periodically transfer this power into a battery connected to the battery exercising device. After a period has elapsed, for example two weeks, the device applies a discharging load to the connected battery to drain the battery to a predetermined discharge level. Thereafter, the device charges the connected battery to a predetermined charge level. Once charged to the predetermined charge level, the device again waits the set period of time and repeats the discharge/recharge sequence.
US09917464B2

An electronic apparatus and a charging/discharging management method thereof are provided. The method entails disabling a charging/discharging path of a battery provided by the electronic apparatus and driving the electronic apparatus to enter a sleep mode according to a sleep mode control command, so as to ensure that the battery cannot supply power to the electronic apparatus through the charging/discharging path.
US09917459B2

Techniques to transmit power across a wearable device are provided. A wearable device can include a conductive transmission line and a set of contacts, the set of contacts configured to be releasably connected to a second set of contacts on another wearable device. As such, power can be communicated to the conductive transmission line through the sets of contacts and transmitted across the wearable device, via the conductive transmission line.
US09917454B2

An instrument panel storage system is provided for a motor vehicle. That storage system includes an instrument panel having a storage cavity defining a first docking station and a removable storage bin held in the cavity at the first docking station. Further the storage system includes one or more remote docking stations that allow the removable storage bin to be positioned at different locations within the motor vehicle as desired by the vehicle occupants.
US09917449B2

The present invention relates to a method for connecting multiple battery cells (21) of a battery (11), wherein the multiple battery cells (21) can be connected in series to one another, and a single first control variable P1 and a single second control variable P2 are predefined for all the battery cells (21). In this context, in order to generate a desired output voltage of the battery (11), each battery cell (21) is electrically coupled to the battery (11) with a corresponding first probability, defined as a function of the first control variable P1, and in each case electrically decoupled from the battery (11) with a corresponding second probability, defined as a function of the second control variable P2. In addition, a value of the first control variable P1 and a value of the second control variable P2 are respectively predefined repeatedly with an update frequency which is dependent on the desired output voltage of the battery (11) which is to be generated.
US09917447B2

An apparatus for synchronizing operation of one or more appliances to an amount of energy produced by a local power generator comprises a controller for reducing the power consumed by the one or more appliances in relation to an amount of power being generated by the local power generator. In one embodiment, the operation of the appliance(s) is controlled by the controller so that the system of appliance(s) and the local power generator does not consume any external energy (e.g., from a commercial power grid), despite variations in the amount of power delivered by the local power generator.
US09917441B2

A system for communication network management of a utility grid includes a database configured to store a grid information data set, where the grid information data set includes network device information for the utility grid and a network management system executable by a processor to: receive an event message from one or more network devices indicative of one or more failures in a communication network of the utility grid; retrieve the grid information data set; identify one or more network device associated with the one or more failures based on the grid information data set; transmit a request for a response to the identified one or more network devices; determine a response pattern based on responses from the identified one or more network devices in order to identify a cause of the failure based on the response pattern.
US09917436B2

A system for controlling a multi-feed power distribution network is described herein. The network includes a first network sector that includes a first plurality of devices connected to a first power source and a second network sector that includes a second plurality of devices connected to a second power source. The system includes a first controller and a second controller. The first controller is configured to control operation of the first network sector and exchange data with the second controller. The second controller is configured to control operation of the second network sector and exchange data with the first controller. The system is modular and it can be expanded to include additional controllers as necessary. Methods and a computer program product for controlling a multi-feed power distribution network are also described.
US09917434B2

A wire cable assembly, such as those used in electric or hybrid electric vehicles, having a plurality of shielded wire cables spliced together. The center conductors are joined together and enclosed in an inner insulator. The shield conductors of the cable are joined by an electrically conductive sleeve enclosing the inner insulator and attached to the shield conductors of the shielded wire cables. The sleeve separates the outer insulating layers of the shielded wire cables. The sleeve is encased by an outer insulator that is sealed to the outer insulating layers of the shielded wire cables. A method of splicing shielded wire cables together is also presented.
US09917429B2

A power distribution housing including a base, a cover adapted to fit onto the base, a latch member adapted to removably secure the cover to the base, the latch member having a first end pivotably connected to the base and a second end having a latch detent extending therefrom, the latch detent configured to engage a catch in the cover when the latch member is pivoted to a latched position wherein the cover is secured to the base by the latch member, and a locking member coupled to the latch member, the locking member movable between a locked position, in which a locking member extension of the locking member engages a locking member recess in the cover and prevents the latch member from being moved from the latched position to an unlatched position, and an unlocked position in which the locking member extension does not engage the locking member recess.
US09917425B1

A center electrode including an electrode base member having a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a core member embedded in the electrode base member. The core member has a thermal conductivity higher than that of the electrode base member. The center electrode includes a plurality of shoulder portions which each include a diameter reducing portion having a diameter that decreases toward a front end of the spark plug in a direction of an axial line, an outer side surface that extends in the direction of the axial line, and an edge disposed between the diameter reducing portion and the outer side surface. One of the shoulder portions closest to an inner surface of the axial hole has a cutting mark that extends in a circumferential direction over a region from the diameter reducing portion to the edge.
US09917424B2

Systems and methods for dynamically defending a site from lightning strikes are provided. The systems and methods involve dynamically altering electrostatic fields above the site and/or dynamically intervening in lightning.
US09917418B2

Monolithic, wavelength-tunable QCL devices are provided which comprise a substrate, an array of QCLs formed on the substrate and an optical beam combiner formed on the substrate electrically isolated from the array of QCLs. In embodiments, the QCL devices are configured to provide laser emission in the range of from about 3 μm to about 12 μm, a wavelength tuning range of at least about 500 cm−1, and a wavelength tuning step size of about 1.0 nm or less.
US09917415B2

A driving circuit for causing a light emitting element to emit light in response to a driving signal is provided. The driving circuit comprising a first current supply circuit that starts to supply a driving current to the light emitting element in response to the driving signal, a second current supply circuit that starts to supply a supplementary current to the light emitting element in response to the driving signal. The second current supply circuit stops to supply the supplementary current upon detecting that a voltage applied to the light emitting element has reached a threshold voltage.
US09917411B2

An exemplary embodiment of the disclosure provides a double fiber optic mode adapter including: a fiber core having a variable core diameter; a fiber cladding having a variable cladding size; a first input interface corresponding to a first core diameter and a first cladding size; a second input interface corresponding to a second core diameter and a second cladding size; a thermally-tapered region wherein the variable core diameter of the fiber core transitions from the first core diameter to the second core diameter and the variable cladding size of the fiber cladding transitions from the first cladding size to a third cladding size; and an etched tapered region wherein the variable core diameter of the fiber core is constant and the variable cladding size of the fiber cladding transitions from the third cladding size to the second cladding size.
US09917409B2

A method for producing a crimp connection includes a mobile supply unit that can be connected with a crimping press station for storing and supplying crimp contacts to the crimping press station. The mobile supply unit is loaded with two supply rolls with crimp contacts that can be attached laterally to the mobile supply unit. Each supply roll is assigned to a respective coupling device by which the supply unit can be connected in two docking locations with the crimping press station and disconnected from the docking locations.
US09917397B2

A connector includes a contact in an elongated shape that is electrically conductive, and a housing that has an internal space is formed. The contact includes a contact portion, a connection portion, a fixing portion, and a protruding portion. The contact portion is to be electrically connected to an electrically conductive member when the contact is housed in the housing. The connection portion is electrically connected to a core wire of an electrical wire. The fixing portion is provided on a side opposite to the contact portion relative to the connection portion, and fixes a covering of the electrical wire. The protruding portion is provided on an end portion side of the fixing portion opposite to the connection portion so as to protrude. The protruding portion reduces the amount of movement of the contact inside the internal space of the housing.
US09917395B2

A lever-type connector 10 disclosed by this specification includes a housing (20), a lever (40), a cover (50) and a lever lock portion (23) provided to extend backward from a rear end (22) of the housing (20) and hold the lever (40) at a rear position by locking an operating portion (42). The cover (50) is composed of an upper cover (52) and a lower cover (51) to be assembled below the upper cover (52). The upper cover (52) includes an upper locking portion (56) configured to cover an upper lock receiving portion (24) provided on the rear end (22) of the housing (20) from above and lock the upper lock receiving portion (24) from front and the lever lock portion (23) is arranged along an upper surface of the upper cover (52).
US09917393B1

A two sealant two-phase wire connector having sequential sealant interfaces for preventing an electrical failure through interactive sealant sharing between a twist-on electrical wire connector having a spiral cavity containing a first waterproof sealant which is immersed in a tube that contains a second water proof sealant, wherein the first water proof sealant and the second water proof sealant each form an interface that shields an electrical connection from the environment.
US09917386B1

An electrical connector for electrically connecting a chip module to a circuit board includes an insulating body and multiple terminals. The insulating body has multiple receiving slots vertically running through the insulating body, and each receiving slot has a stopping portion. The terminals are respectively received in the receiving slots. Each terminal has a contact portion for urging upward the chip module. Each terminal has a soldering surface and a positioning surface that are separated. The soldering surface is soldered through a solder. The solder has bottom surface soldered downward to the circuit board. The positioning surface is positioned below the stopping portion to limit upward movement of the terminal or the positioning surface is positioned above the stopping portion to limit downward movement of the terminal. A height of the positioning surface is between the soldering surface and the bottom surface.
US09917382B1

An adaptor assembly is provided. The adaptor assembly is structured to allow a cable of a first amperage to be coupled to, and placed in electrical communication with, a terminal of a different amperage. That is, an adaptor assembly includes a lug body and an adaptor body. The adaptor body is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the lug body. The lug body includes a cable passage, wherein said cable passage has a cross-sectional area corresponding to a cable of a first amperage. The adaptor body includes a conducting surface, wherein said conducting surface has a surface area corresponding to a conductor terminal end mating surface of a second amperage.
US09917381B1

An electrical connector including electrical terminals along with a connector housing defining a first and second cavity, the first and second cavities configured to receive the terminals. The connector housing further defines a third cavity extending along a lateral axis. The electrical connector includes a terminal position assurance (TPA) device received within the third cavity. The TPA device is moveable from an terminal insertion position to a terminal locking position. The TPA device has flexible first and second primary locking features and rigid first and second secondary locking features configured to engage locking features of the terminals. Only the first primary and first secondary locking features engage the locking surface of the first electrical terminal and only the second primary and second secondary locking features engage the locking surface of the second electrical terminal when the TPA device is in the terminal locking position.
US09917378B2

A terminal attaching/detaching device includes a housing, an engaging member, and a movable member. The engaging member is configured to move in a first direction toward a terminal inserted in the housing to engage with the terminal, and is configured to move from the terminal inserted in the housing in a second direction to disengage from the terminal. The movable member is configured to move in concert with the engaging member in the moving process thereof in the first direction, and is configured to move the engaging member from the terminal inserted in the housing in the second direction, so that the engaging member is disengaged from the terminal.
US09917375B2

In-building dual-polarized antenna apparatus components, assemblies, and methods for manufacturing and utilizing the same. In one embodiment, the dual-polarized ceiling mount antenna apparatus comprises a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) device and is constructed to meet one or more aesthetically-related design goals such as e.g., being visually appealing. Specifically, only the horizontally polarized antenna element of the exemplary MIMO apparatus is visible as the remainder of the MIMO antenna apparatus is hidden from view above a ceiling tile. Moreover, the radome of the horizontally polarized antenna element is manufactured from a substantially translucent polymer cover and includes a “thin” radiating mesh. Resident above the ceiling tile, and normally obscured from view, is a vertically polarized antenna element along with an optional reflector element. Performance characteristics of the MIMO antenna apparatus and methods of manufacturing and using the aforementioned MIMO antenna apparatus are also disclosed.
US09917364B2

A network device communicates with one or another set of antennas depending on an orientation of the network device. The network device includes a first set of one or more antennas, a second set of one or more antennas, a processor, and memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the device to perform functions. The functions include (1) determining that an orientation of the network device is one of a first orientation and a second orientation; (2) if the determined orientation is the first orientation, then causing the network device to communicate using the first set of one or more antennas; and (3) if the determined the orientation is the second orientation, then causing the network device to communicate using the second set of one or more antennas.
US09917349B2

Various of the disclosed embodiments use ITO and ITO-like materials or structures to serve as a waveguide for device communications, e.g., for mobile phone communication. Various embodiments employ an economical design, wherein one or more wireless antennas are integrated into or in conjunction with the display of a communications device as a waveguide antenna. The waveguide may use space more economically than traditional designs. In some embodiments, the waveguide can provide a wider range of viable operational frequencies. Additionally, in some embodiments, a square surface area of the waveguide optimizes the area to length ratio, which may reduce the resistance when the structure includes a lossy material. The waveguide antenna may be composed of ITO or ITO-like materials, which facilitate waveguide propagation while retaining a visually transparent character.
US09917346B2

A chassis-excited antenna apparatus, and methods of tuning and utilizing the same. In one embodiment, a distributed loop antenna configuration is used within a handheld mobile device (e.g., cellular telephone). The antenna comprises two radiating elements: one configured to operate in a high-frequency band, and the other in a low-frequency band. The two antenna elements are disposed on different side surfaces of the metal chassis of the portable device; e.g., on the opposing sides of the device enclosure. Each antenna component comprises a radiator and an insulating cover. The radiator is coupled to a device feed via a feed conductor and a ground point. A portion of the feed conductor is disposed with the radiator to facilitate forming of the coupled loop resonator structure.
US09917345B2

A method for fabricating and installing an artificial impedance surface antenna (AISA) includes locating a substantially flat surface having a line of sight to a satellite or satellites of interest, determining an angle θo between a normal to the substantially flat surface and a direction to the satellite or satellites of interest, selecting an antenna superstrate from a pre-fabbed stock of antenna superstrates, the selected antenna superstrate configured for having a peak radiation within two (2) degrees of the angle θo, laminating the selected antenna superstrate to an antenna substrate to form the AISA, and mounting the AISA on the substantially flat surface.
US09917342B2

A wave cable transceiver system is disclosed incorporating an air-core or noble gas filled hollow plastic waveguide. The system may include a transmitter receiver, in-antennas and a tubular plastic waveguide with the inner air-core. The hollow plastic waveguide is a low loss and low dispersion guiding channel for the electromagnetic radiation.
US09917329B2

Perfluoropolyether electrolytes have either one or two terminal nitrile groups and an alkali metal salt. The alkali metal salt can be a lithium salt, a sodium salt, a potassium salt, or a cesium salt. The salt can make up between 5 and 30 wt % of the electrolyte composition. Such electrolytes have shown high ionic conductivities, making them useful as lithium cell electrolytes.
US09917328B2

Described are electrolyte compositions having at least one salt and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: wherein “a” is from 1 to 3; “b” is 1 or 2; 4≧“a”+“b”≧2; X is a halogen; R can be alkoxy or substituted alkoxy, among other moieties, and R1 is alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkoxy, or substituted alkoxy. Also described are electrochemical devices that use the electrolyte composition.
US09917306B2

A manufacturing method of an electrode according to the invention includes: a process of forming wet granules by stirring a mixture of an electrode active material, a binding material, and a solvent; and a process of forming an electrode material layer on a current collector by rolling the wet granules. The process of forming the wet granules includes: a process of granulating the electrode active material by stirring the mixture at a first stirring speed; and a process of stirring the granulated electrode active material at a second stirring speed that is faster than the first stirring speed so as to be refined to an average particle size of 400 μm or smaller. A stirring time at the second stirring speed is shorter than a stirring time at the first stirring speed and is shorter than 5 seconds.
US09917305B2

In one aspect, a positive electrode active material is provided, a method of manufacturing the positive electrode active material, and a lithium battery employing the positive electrode active material. The positive electrode active material may have high thermal stability and low capacity deterioration despite repetitive charging and discharging.
US09917304B2

A protected anode including: an anode including lithium or capable of reversibly incorporating lithium ions; and a lithium ion-conductive protective layer on the anode and including a ceramic composite represented by Formula 1: Li1+aAlbGe2−cMdP3+eO12+f  Formula 1 wherein M is at least one element selected from titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and germanium (Ge), 0≦a≦1, 0≦b≦1, 0≦c≦1, 0≦d≦0.5, 0≦e≦0.1, and 0≦f≦1.
US09917302B2

An electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, a method of preparing the electrode active material, an electrode for a lithium secondary battery which includes the same, a lithium secondary battery using the electrode. The electrode active material includes a core active material and a coating layer including magnesium aluminum oxide (MgAlO2) and formed on the core active material. 1s binding energy peaks of oxygen (O) in the electrode active material measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are shown at positions corresponding to 529.4±0.5 eV, about 530.7 eV, and 531.9±0.5 eV, and a peak intensity at the position corresponding to 529.4±0.5 eV is stronger than a peak intensity at the position corresponding to about 530.7 eV.
US09917292B2

A battery cell includes a first electrode terminal, a second electrode terminal spaced from the first electrode terminal, and at least one sub terminal coupled to one of the first electrode terminal or the second electrode terminal. The at least one sub terminal includes at least one convex area and at least two concave areas. Each of the convex area and the at least two concave areas to establish an electrical connection with an electrode terminal of adjacent battery cells.
US09917283B2

A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, and a separator between the first and second electrode plates, an electrolyte having viscosity of about 1 Pa·s to about 15 Pa·s at a temperature from about 20° C. to about 25° C., a can having an opening on one surface through which the electrode assembly is inserted, the electrode assembly and the electrolyte being accommodated inside the can, and a cap plate that seals the opening of the can. A ratio of the height of the can to a cross-sectional area of the can is from about 12.5% to about 25%.
US09917281B2

The present disclosure relates to an emissive construct, which can be used in various OLED applications, for example, top-emission white organic light-emitting diodes. The emissive construct can include an optional second fluorescent emissive layer having an emitter with a second T1, a first fluorescent emissive layer having an emitter with a first T1, the first T1 being greater than the second T1 value, a hole-blocking layer, and a phosphorescent emissive layer.
US09917280B2

A display device includes a first substrate, a pixel defining layer on the first substrate, the pixel defining layer configured to define a light emission area, a first electrode in the light emission area, a light emitting layer on the first electrode, a second electrode on the light emitting layer, a second substrate which is opposite to the first substrate, and a reflecting member on a lower surface of the first substrate. The reflecting member may include a first reflecting unit on the lower surface of the first substrate, the first reflecting unit having an aperture at a position overlapping the light emission area, and a second reflecting unit on the first reflecting unit.
US09917272B2

The present application relates to an electronic device comprising a hole-transport layer A, a doped hole-transport layer B and a hole-transport layer C, where hole-transport layers A, B and C are arranged between the anode and the emitting layer, and where hole-transport layer B is arranged on the cathode side of hole-transport layer A and hole-transport layer C is arranged on the cathode side of hole-transport layer B.
US09917264B2

Provided is an organic light-emitting element having high light-emitting efficiency and a long element lifetime, the organic light-emitting element including an anode, a cathode, and an organic compound layer placed between the anode and the cathode, in which: the organic compound layer includes an emission layer; the emission layer includes a host and a guest; the host is an aromatic hydrocarbon compound; the guest is an iridium complex of a specific structure; and a content of the host is 50 wt % or more with reference to the total amount of the constituent materials for the emission layer.
US09917261B2

A novel organic compound is provided. Alternatively, an organic compound that can be used as an electron-transport material of a light-emitting element is provided. An organic compound in which heteroaromatic groups each including two pyridine rings are bonded to the 2- and 8-positions of dibenzofuran is provided. The organic compound is an organic compound that can be used as an electron-transport material of a light-emitting element.
US09917257B2

Disclosed is an organic electric element comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic material layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the organic material layer comprises the compound of Formula 1 and Formula 2 to improve driving voltage, luminous efficiency, color purity, and life span.
US09917255B2

A method of forming a graphene oxide based layer includes preparing a dispersion of graphene oxide and nanostructures, and spin coating the dispersion on a surface of a substrate to form a spin coated film thereon; and thermally annealing the spin coated film to form the graphene oxide based layer, where the mass ratio of the graphene oxide and the nanostructures in the graphene oxide based layer is in a range of about 1:0.01 w/w to 1:0.8 w/w. The nanostructures are functionalized with carboxylic acid. The nanostructures include carbon nanotubes, or nanofibers. The carbon nanotubes include single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).
US09917236B2

A light emitting device includes a semiconductor light emitting element; and a light reflective member having a multilayer structure and covering the side faces of the semiconductor light emitting element. The light reflective member includes: a first layer disposed on an inner, semiconductor light emitting element side, the first layer comprising a light-transmissive resin containing a light reflective substance, and a second layer disposed in contact with an outer side of the first layer, the second layer comprising a light-transmissive resin containing the light reflective substance at a lower content than that of the first layer.
US09917234B2

A method of manufacturing a light emitting device includes: arranging a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element, each having a pair of first and second electrodes disposed on a surface opposite to a main light emitting surface, on a base body adjacent to each other with the pair of electrodes facing upward; forming a pair of electrically conductive members each extending between one of the pair of electrodes of the first light emitting element and a corresponding one of the pair of electrodes of the second light emitting element; forming a light shielding member at least covering between the first and second light emitting elements; and cutting the pair of electrically conductive members and the light shielding member between the first and second light emitting elements, along a direction substantially perpendicular to the main light emitting surface of each of the first and second light emitting elements.
US09917232B2

A set of light emitting devices can be formed on a substrate. A growth mask having a first aperture in a first area and a second aperture in a second area is formed on a substrate. A first nanowire and a second nanowire are formed in the first and second apertures, respectively. The first nanowire includes a first active region having a first band gap and a second active region having a second band gap. The first band gap is greater than the second band gap. The second nanowire includes an active region having the first band gap and does not include, or is adjoined to, any material having the second band gap.
US09917227B1

Techniques for controlling oxygen concentration levels during annealing of highly-reflective contacts for LED devices together with lamps, LED device and method embodiments thereto are disclosed.
US09917221B2

Solar power conversion system. The system includes a cavity formed within an enclosure having highly specularly reflecting in the IR spectrum inside walls, the enclosure having an opening to receive solar radiation. An absorber is positioned within the cavity for receiving the solar radiation resulting in heating of the absorber structure. In a preferred embodiment, the system further contains an energy conversion and storage devices thermally-linked to the absorber by heat conduction, convection, far-field or near-field thermal radiation.
US09917211B2

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a memory cell. The memory cell includes a first trench formed in a semiconductor substrate and a second trench formed in said semiconductor substrate adjacent to said first trench. The first trench and the second trench each define a first side wall and a second sidewall respectively. The memory cell further includes a first storage element formed on the first sidewall of the first trench and a second storage element formed on the second sidewall of the second trench.
US09917206B2

A semiconductor element having high mobility, which includes an oxide semiconductor layer having crystallinity, is provided. The oxide semiconductor layer includes a stacked-layer structure of a first oxide semiconductor film and a second oxide semiconductor film having a wider band gap than the first oxide semiconductor film, which is in contact with the first oxide semiconductor film. Thus, a channel region is formed in part of the first oxide semiconductor film (that is, in an oxide semiconductor film having a smaller band gap) which is in the vicinity of an interface with the second oxide semiconductor film. Further, dangling bonds in the first oxide semiconductor film and the second oxide semiconductor film are bonded to each other at the interface therebetween. Accordingly, a decrease in mobility resulting from an electron trap or the like due to dangling bonds can be reduced in the channel region.
US09917199B2

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes etching a semiconductor layer using a gate structure and spacers as a mask to protect portions of the semiconductor layer that extend beyond the gate structure. Undercuts are formed in a buried dielectric layer under the gate structure. Source and drain regions are epitaxially growing and wrapped around the semiconductor layer by forming the source and drain regions adjacent to the gate structure on a first side of the semiconductor layer and in the undercuts on a second side of the semiconductor layer opposite the first side.
US09917191B2

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor wafer, forming a gate dielectric over the semiconductor wafer, and forming a gate over the gate dielectric. At least one recess is formed in the semiconductor wafer proximate the gate and the gate dielectric, at least a portion of the at least one recess extending beneath the gate. The at least one recess in the semiconductor wafer is filled with a semiconductive material.
US09917185B2

A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer provided with a gate trench, a first conductivity type source region formed to be exposed on a surface side of the semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type channel region formed on a side of the source region closer to a back surface of the semiconductor layer to be in contact with the source region, a first conductivity type drain region formed on a side of the channel region closer to the back surface of the semiconductor layer to be in contact with the channel region, a gate insulating film formed on an inner surface of the gate trench, and a gate electrode embedded inside the gate insulating film in the gate trench, while the channel region includes a channel portion formed along the side surface of the gate trench so that a channel is formed in operation and a projection projecting from an end portion of the channel portion closer to the back surface of the semiconductor layer toward the back surface.
US09917183B2

A semiconductor device is provided including a first electrode and a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type connected to the first electrode. The semiconductor device further includes a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type provided on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type provided on the second semiconductor layer, and a second electrode provided on the third semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device further includes a third electrode disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The semiconductor device further includes a fourth electrode having an upper end connected to the second electrode, where the fourth electrode has a higher resistivity than the second electrode.
US09917180B2

The present invention concerns a monolithically merged trenched-and-implanted Bipolar Junction Transistor (TI-BJT) with antiparallel diode and a method of manufacturing the same. Trenches are made in a collector, base, emitter stack downto the collector. The base electrode is formed on an implanted base contact region at the bottom surface of the trench. The present invention also provides for products produced by the methods of the present invention and for apparatuses used to perform the methods of the present invention.
US09917179B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises depositing alternating layers of a plurality of first dielectric layers and a plurality of second dielectric layers on a substrate in a stacked configuration, forming one or more first openings in the stacked configuration to a depth penetrating below an upper surface of a bottom second dielectric layer of the plurality of second dielectric layers, forming one or more second openings in the stacked configuration to a depth corresponding to an upper surface of the substrate or below an upper surface of the substrate, removing the plurality of second dielectric layers from the stacked configuration to form a plurality of gaps, and epitaxially growing a semiconductor material from a seed layer in the one or more second openings to fill the one or more first and second openings and the plurality of gaps, wherein defects caused by a lattice mismatch between the epitaxially grown semiconductor material and a material of the substrate are contained at a bottom portion of the one or more second openings.
US09917175B1

A vertical field effect transistor includes a first source/drain region formed on or in a substrate. A tapered fin is formed a vertical device channel and has a first end portion attached to the first source/drain region. A second source/drain region is formed on a second end portion of the tapered fin. A gate structure surrounds the tapered fin.
US09917164B1

The invention relates to a method for forming a field effect transistor. The method comprises providing a substrate with a channel layer, forming a gate stack structure on the channel layer, forming first sidewall spacers, forming a raised source and a raised drain on the channel layer and forming second sidewall spacers above the raised source and the raised drain. The method further includes depositing in a an insulating dielectric layer above the gate stack structure, the first sidewall spacers and the second sidewall spacers, planarization of the insulating dielectric layer and selectively etching the second sidewall spacers. Thereby contact cavities are created on the raised source and the raised drain. The method further includes forming a source contact and a drain contact by filling the contact cavities. The invention also concerns a corresponding computer program product.
US09917161B2

A semiconductor device includes active pillars protruding from a semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other in a first direction and a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, a word line extending in the first direction between the active pillars, a drain region disposed in an upper portion of each of the active pillars, and a separation pattern provided between the word line and the drain region. A bottom surface of the separation pattern is disposed at a lower level than a bottom surface of the drain region.
US09917160B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body, having a first surface, a gate electrode structure, which includes polycrystalline silicon, of an IGFET in a first trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body. The device also includes a semiconductor element, which is different from the gate electrode structure of the IGFET and includes polycrystalline silicon, in a second trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body, wherein the polycrystalline silicon of the IGFET and of the semiconductor element different therefrom ends below a top side of an insulation layer adjoining the first surface of the semiconductor body.
US09917148B2

The present invention is notably directed to a method of fabrication of a microfluidic chip (1), comprising: providing (S10-S20) a wafer (10, 12) of semiconductor material having a diamond cubic crystal structure, exhibiting two opposite main surfaces (S1, S2), one on each side of the wafer, and having, each, a normal in the <100> or <110> direction; and performing (S30) self-limited, anisotropic wet etching steps on each of the two main surfaces on each side of the wafer, to create a via (20, 20a) extending transversely through the thickness of the wafer, at a location such that the resulting via connects an in-plane microchannel (31) on a first one (S1) of the two main surfaces to a second one (S2) of the two main surfaces, the via exhibiting slanted sidewalls (20s) as a result of the self-limited wet etching. The invention further concerns microfluidic chips accordingly obtained.
US09917146B2

An integrated capacitor includes a substrate with a first main surface area and an opposing second main surface area. A capacitor structure with a dielectric layer is integrated in the first main surface area. A compensation structure with a compensation layer is integrated in the second main surface area. The ratio between a surface enlargement of the second main surface area effected by the compensation structure corresponds to at least 30% of the surface enlargement of the first main surface area effected by the capacitor structure.
US09917141B2

There is provided a light emitting device which enables a color display with good color balance. A triplet compound is used for a light emitting layer of an EL element that emits red color, and a singlet compound is used for a light emitting layer of an EL element that emits green color and a light emitting layer of an EL element that emits blue color. Thus, an operation voltage of the EL element emitting red color may be made the same as the EL element emitting green color and the EL element emitting blue color. Accordingly, the color display with good color balance can be realized.
US09917138B1

A semiconductor device according to the embodiment includes a plurality of semiconductor layers arranged along a first direction and a second direction, wherein each of the semiconductor layers includes a first semiconductor layer and second semiconductor layers positioned at both upper and lower sides of the first semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode which faces the first semiconductor layer. A row of the semiconductor layer in the first direction is oblique to a row of the semiconductor layer in the second direction. At least one part of peripheral faces of the first semiconductor layer is in contact with the gate electrode along the first direction.
US09917136B2

An LED chip for use in an LED chip array forming a continuous array of LEDs. The LED chip comprises an array of LEDs on a substrate. LEDs in a row of the array are longitudinally offset from corresponding LEDs in another row. Adjacent LEDs in each row of the array are separated by a longitudinal pitch. At least part of an end face of the substrate is angled with respect to a transverse axis of the LED chip such that the LED chip is positionable adjacent another LED chip to maintain the longitudinal pitch between adjacent LEDs on different chips.
US09917132B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, light sensing devices, at least one infrared radiation sensing device, a transparent insulating layer, an infrared radiation cut layer, a color filter layer and an infrared radiation color filter layer. The light sensing devices and the at least one infrared radiation sensing device are disposed in the substrate and are adjacent to each other. The transparent insulating layer is disposed on the substrate overlying the light sensing devices and the at least one infrared radiation sensing device. The infrared radiation cut layer is disposed on the transparent insulating layer overlying the light sensing devices for filtering out infrared radiation and/or near infrared radiation. The color filter layer is disposed on the infrared radiation cut layer. The infrared radiation color filter layer is disposed on the transparent insulating layer overlying the at least one infrared radiation sensing device.
US09917118B2

The present invention is directed to photodiode arrays comprising a dielectric structure containing an array of face conductive areas (pads) and. Each photodiode is fully separated from each other. Every photodiode has a face electrode formed on sensitive side of the semiconductor substrate and an individual back electrode formed on the opposite side. The number of conductive areas on the dielectric structure is equal to number of photodiodes in the array. The photodiodes of the array are installed on the conductive areas so that their back electrodes have electrical contact with the corresponding conductive area. Each conductive area contains at least one individual conductive hole penetrating the dielectric package from the face side to the opposite side of the dielectric structure. The conductive holes going to backside of the dielectric structure are connected with the back conductive areas formed on back side of dielectric package.
US09917111B2

The present invention belongs to the field of display technology and particularly relates to an electrode lead-out structure, an array substrate and a display device. The electrode lead-out structure comprises a substrate electrode, an isolating layer and an lead-out electrode. The isolating layer covers the substrate electrode to expose a part of region of the substrate electrode through a via formed in the isolating layer, and the lead-out electrode is in contact with the exposed region of the substrate electrode, wherein the lead-out electrode covers the wall and bottom of the via of the isolating layer and extends from an upper edge of the via of the isolating layer along an upper surface of the isolating layer to overlap with the upper layer of the isolating layer.
US09917104B1

A hybrid MOS-PCM IC switch utilizes both MOS transistors and groups of parallel-connected Phase-Change Material (PCM) cells to control signal transmissions. The MOS transistors are separated by PCM cell groups, and the PCM cells are configured to generate similar COFF or lower values as the MOS transistors, whereby the hybrid switch is both smaller and exhibits lower FOM than standard CMOS SOI switches. When switched into an open (OFF/high-resistance) state, both the PCM cells and MOS transistors function to distribute high VBSR voltages, and the MOS transistors prevent unintended phase changes (ON/OFF switching) of the PCM cells by preventing exponential current flow. In the closed (ON/conducting) state, the PCM cells facilitate lower total RON, whereby the hybrid CMOS SOI switch achieves improved FOM. The MOS transistors may also function as drivers during programming (switching) of direct-heating-type PCM cells.
US09917101B1

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked body, a columnar member, and an insulating film. The stacked body is provided on the substrate, and includes a plurality of electrode layers separately stacked each other. The columnar member is provided in the stacked body, and includes a first semiconductor portion extending in a stacked direction of the plurality of electrode layers. The insulating film covers a bottom portion of the columnar member.
US09917099B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate; a stacked body provided on the substrate, the stacked body including a plurality of electrode layers stacked with an insulator interposed; a semiconductor body provided in the stacked body; and an insulating film. The semiconductor body includes a channel portion extending in a stacking direction of the stacked body, and a lower end portion of the semiconductor body provided between the channel portion and the substrate. The insulating film includes a charge storage film provided between the stacked body and the semiconductor body. A lower end portion of the insulating film surrounds the lower end portion of the semiconductor body. An upper surface of the lower end portion of the insulating film is provided at a lower height than an upper surface of the lower end portion of the semiconductor body in the stacking direction.
US09917095B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device having a control gate formed on a semiconductor substrate and including a cylindrical through hole. A block insulating film, a charge storage film, a tunnel insulating film, and a semiconductor layer are formed on a side surface of the control gate inside the through hole. The tunnel insulating film includes a first insulating film having SiO2 as a base material and containing an element that lowers a band gap of the base material by being added. A density and a density gradient of the element monotonously increase from the semiconductor layer toward the charge storage film.
US09917087B2

Integrated circuits and methods of fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a bulk silicon substrate that is lightly-doped with a first dopant type divided into a first device region and a second device region, and a well region that is lightly-doped with a second dopant type formed in the second device region. The integrate circuit further includes heavily-doped source/drain extension regions of the first dopant type aligned to a first gate electrode structure and heavily-doped source/drain extension regions of the second dopant type aligned to a second gate electrode structure, and an intermediately-doped halo region of the second dopant type formed underneath the first gate electrode structure and an intermediately-doped halo regions of the first dopant type underneath the second gate electrode structure. Still further, the integrated circuit includes heavily-doped source/drain regions.
US09917084B2

A semiconductor device includes a fin field effect transistor. The semiconductor device includes a first gate electrode, a first source/drain (S/D) region disposed adjacent to the first gate electrode, a first S/D contact disposed on the first S/D region, a first spacer layer disposed between the first gate electrode and the first S/D region, a first contact layer in contact with the first gate electrode and the first S/D contact, and a first wiring layer integrally formed with the first contact layer. There is no interface between the first contact layer and the first wiring layer in a cross sectional view, and the first contact layer has a smaller area than the first wiring layer in plan view.
US09917071B1

A semiconductor package includes: a first substrate including a first interconnection structure extending from a surface of the first substrate, the first interconnection structure including grains of a first size, a second substrate including: a second interconnection structure comprising grains of a second size, and a third interconnection structure disposed between the first interconnection structure and the second interconnection structure, the third interconnection structure including grains of a third size, a first sidewall inclined at a first angle to a reference plane and a second sidewall inclined at a second angle to the reference plane, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle, the first sidewall is disposed between the first substrate and the second sidewall, and the third size is smaller than both the first size and the second size.
US09917070B2

A method for arranging electronic components that includes a plurality of electronic components pasted onto a first front face of a carrier having a bonding layer. The front face and/or the electronic components being provided with a plurality of bonding points and the diameter of and distance between the bonding points are selected such that each of the plurality of electronic components is attached by at least three bonding points to the carrier having the bonding layer. The method also includes arranging at least one portion of the plurality of the components on a switching element carrier and connecting the components to the carrier. The method also includes detaching a component from the carrier having a bonding layer, using a solvent or a mechanical force that separates the carrier having a bonding layer and the switching element carrier from one another.
US09917068B2

In some embodiments, a package substrate for a semiconductor device includes a substrate core and a material layer disposed over the substrate core. The package substrate includes a spot-faced aperture disposed in the substrate core and the material layer.
US09917066B2

A lamination structure includes a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip stacked via a bonding section so that a rear surface of the first semiconductor chip faces the main surface of the second semiconductor chip. At least a part of a side surface of the first semiconductor chip are covered with a first resin, a distribution layer is formed on the plane formed of the main surface of the first semiconductor chip and a surface of the first resin. At least part of electrodes existing in the main surface of the second semiconductor chip is electrically connected to at least part of first external electrodes formed on the distribution layer via the penetration electrodes that penetrate the first semiconductor chip.
US09917065B1

A power module assembly has a plurality of electrically conducting layers, including a first layer and a third layer. One or more electrically insulating layers are operatively connected to each of the plurality of electrically conducting layers. The electrically insulating layers include a second layer positioned between and configured to electrically isolate the first and the third layers. The first layer is configured to carry a first current flowing in a first direction. The third layer is configured to carry a second current flowing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby reducing an inductance of the assembly. The electrically insulating layers may include a fourth layer positioned between and configured to electrically isolate the third layer and a fifth layer. The assembly results in a combined substrate and heat sink structure. The assembly eliminates the requirements for connections between separate substrate and heat sink structures.
US09917064B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element having a lower surface bonded to an insulating substrate side, and a plate-shaped lead terminal bonded to an upper surface of the semiconductor element, and having a horizontally extending portion. The horizontally extending portion in the lead terminal is bonded to the semiconductor element and includes a linearly extending portion in a planar view. The semiconductor device further includes a sealing resin that seals the semiconductor element together with the linearly extending portion in the lead terminal. A linear expansion coefficient of the sealing resin shows a value intermediate between a linear expansion coefficient of the lead terminal and a linear expansion coefficient of the semiconductor element, and the lead terminal includes a recess or a projection to horizontally and partially separate the linearly extending portion into parts.
US09917058B2

A semiconductor device and method of manufacture are provided which utilize an air gap to help isolate conductive structures within a dielectric layer. A first etch stop layer is deposited over the conductive structures, and the first etch stop layer is patterned to expose corner portions of the conductive structures. A portion of the dielectric layer is removed to form an opening. A second etch stop layer is deposited to line the opening, wherein the second etch stop layer forms a stepped structure over the corner portions of the conductive structures. Dielectric material is then deposited into the opening such that an air gap is formed to isolate the conductive structures.
US09917057B2

In one aspect, a method of forming a wiring layer on a wafer is provided which includes: depositing a HSQ layer onto the wafer; cross-linking a first portion(s) of the HSQ layer using e-beam lithography; depositing a hardmask material onto the HSQ layer; patterning the hardmask using optical lithography, wherein the patterned hardmask covers a second portion(s) of the HSQ layer; patterning the HSQ layer using the patterned hardmask in a manner such that i) the first portion(s) of the HSQ layer remain and ii) the second portion(s) of the HSQ layer covered by the patterned hardmask remain, wherein by way of the patterning step trenches are formed in the HSQ layer; and filling the trenches with a conductive material to form the wiring layer on the wafer.
US09917051B2

Conductive structures and method of manufacture thereof are disclosed. A barrier layer can line the first recess of a substrate. A first seed layer can be formed on the barrier layer and line a bottom of the first recess and partially line sidewalls of the recess. A first conductive material can partially fill the first recess to form a second recess. The top surface of the first conductive material can coincide with a vertical extent of the first seed layer and have a depression formed therein. A second seed layer can be formed on the barrier layer and line the second recess. A second conductive material can fill the second recess.
US09917050B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate having source and drain regions, and a channel region arranged between the source and drain regions. The device further includes a gate structure over the substrate and adjacent to the channel region. The gate structure includes a gate stack, a spacer on sidewalls of the gate stack, and a conductor over the gate stack. The device further includes a first contact feature over the substrate and electrically connecting to at least one of the source and drain regions. A top surface of the first contact feature is lower than a top surface of the gate structure. The device further includes a first dielectric layer over the first contact feature. A top surface of the first dielectric layer is below or substantially co-planar with the top surface of the gate structure. The conductor at most partially overlaps in plan view with the first dielectric layer.
US09917043B2

In one or more embodiments, a semiconductor package includes a redistribution layer, a conductive pad, a dielectric layer, a silicon layer, and a conductive contact. The redistribution layer includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The conductive pad is on the first surface of the redistribution layer. The dielectric layer is disposed on the first surface of the redistribution layer to cover a first portion of the conductive pad and to expose a second portion of the conductive pad. The silicon layer is disposed on the dielectric layer, the silicon layer having a recess to expose the second portion of the conductive pad. The conductive contact is disposed over the silicon layer and extends into the recess of the silicon layer.
US09917041B1

A stacked-chip assembly including a plurality of IC chips or die that are stacked, and a plurality of stacked leads. Leads from separate leadframes may be bonded together so as to tie corresponding metal features of the various chips to a same ground, signal, or power rail. Each leadframe may include a center paddle, which is disposed between two chips in the stack. The center paddle may function as one or more of a thermal conduit and common electrical rail (e.g., ground). The leadframes may be employed without the use of any bond wires with leads bonded directly to bond pads of the chips. A first IC chip may be mounted to a base leadframe and subsequent die-attach leadframes and IC chips are stacked upon the first IC chip and base leadframe. The die-attach leadframes may be iteratively bonded to an underlying leadframe and the bonded stacked leads stamped out of their respective leadframe sheets.
US09917040B1

A package is formed by a thermal base and a leadframe assembly. The thermal base includes a body of thermally conductive material having a top surface, wherein the top surface of the body includes a pedestal. An integrated circuit chip is mounted to the pedestal, the integrated circuit chip including bonding pads. The leadframe assembly includes leads and an encapsulant ring that partially embeds the leads. The leadframe assembly is mounted to the top surface of said body surrounding the pedestal. The pedestal is configured with a thickness that positions the bonding pad at a height substantially coplanar with the leads. Bonding wires extend from the bonding pads to the leads with a shortened length so as to provide for improved electrical characteristics of frequency response, impedance and inductance.
US09917031B2

A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate; a semiconductor element mounted on the insulating substrate; and a radiation block bonded to the semiconductor element. The radiation block includes a three-dimensional radiation portion and a base portion connected to the radiation portion. The radiation portion of the radiation block has a pin shape, a fin shape, or a porous shape.
US09917029B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a heat dissipater and relate to the communications field. The heat dissipater includes a sub heat dissipater, a connecting apparatus, and a shared bracket; the sub heat dissipater is connected to the shared bracket through the connecting apparatus; the sub heat dissipater includes a first heat conducting surface, and the sub heat dissipater contacts a first heat source through the first heat conducting surface to dissipate heat for the first heat source; the shared bracket includes a second heat conducting surface, and the shared bracket contacts a second heat source through the second heat conducting surface to dissipate heat for the second heat source; and the second heat conducting surface and the sub heat dissipater are disposed in different positions of the shared bracket respectively.
US09917028B2

A temperature-controlled integrated circuit configured with a secure data processing element, and method of manufacture of same, is disclosed. Specifically, the temperature-controlled integrated circuit, comprising a secure data processing element operable within a nominal operating range, is configured with a heat-transfer element which allows the secure data processing element to operate in an extended operating range.
US09917026B2

A semiconductor device includes first and second semiconductor components mounted on an interposer mounted on a wiring substrate, and electrically connected to each other via the interposer. Also, a plurality of wiring layers of the interposer include first, second and third wiring layers which are stacked in order from a main surface side to be a reference. In addition, in a first region of the interposer sandwiched between the first semiconductor component and the second semiconductor component, a ratio of a reference potential wiring in the third wiring layer is higher than a ratio of a reference potential wiring in the first wiring layer. Further, in the first region, a ratio of a signal wiring in the first wiring layer is higher than a ratio of a signal wiring in the third wiring layer.
US09917024B2

In an embodiment, an electronic component includes a dielectric core layer, one or semiconductor dies comprising a first major surface, a first electrode arranged on the first major surface and a second major surface that opposes the first major surface. One or more slots are arranged within the dielectric core layer adjacent the semiconductor die and a redistribution structure electrically couples the first electrode to a component contact pad arranged adjacent the second major surface of the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die is embedded in the dielectric core layer and a portion of the redistribution structure is arranged on side walls of the slot.
US09917023B2

The display element manufacturing apparatus has a transporting part, which transports a substrate in a first direction, a first alignment system, which detects fiducial marks, a second alignment system, which is arranged at a prescribed distance from the first alignment system in the first direction and detects fiducial marks, calculating parts, which detect the fiducial marks and calculate the expansion/contraction of the substrate in the first direction or the transport speed of the substrate, and a processing part, which processes a prescribed position of the substrate based on at least one of the expansion/contraction of the substrate in the first direction or the transport speed of the substrate and the fiducial marks.
US09917013B2

In one embodiment, die are singulated from a wafer having a back layer by placing the wafer onto a carrier substrate with the back layer adjacent the carrier substrate, forming singulation lines through the wafer to expose the back layer within the singulation lines, and applying a pressure substantially uniformly along the second major surface to batch separate the layer of material in the singulation lines. In one embodiment, a fluid filled vessel can be used to apply the pressure.
US09917010B2

A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a heat sink mounted on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate; wirings formed on a lower surface of the semiconductor substrate; and the like. The heat sink is mounted on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a planar size thereof is approximately the same as that of the semiconductor substrate. Moreover, the heat sink has a thickness of 500 μm to 2 mm, and may be formed to be thicker than the semiconductor substrate. By using the heat sink to reinforce the substrate, a thickness of the semiconductor substrate can be reduced to, for example, about 50 μm. As a result, a thickness of the entire semiconductor device can be reduced.
US09917007B2

A method of forming an opening pattern including the following steps is provided. An ultra low dielectric constant layer, a dielectric hard mask layer and a patterned metal hard mask layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. A portion of the dielectric hard mask layer is removed to form a patterned dielectric hard mask layer by using the patterned metal hard mask layer as a mask. The patterned metal hard mask layer is removed after forming the patterned dielectric hard mask layer. A portion of the ultra low dielectric constant layer is removed to form a first opening by using the patterned dielectric hard mask layer as a mask.
US09917005B2

A field effect transistor (FET) with an underlying airgap and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming an amorphous layer at a predetermined depth of a substrate. The method further includes forming an airgap in the substrate under the amorphous layer. The method further includes forming a completely isolated transistor in an active region of the substrate, above the amorphous layer and the airgap.
US09916991B2

A semiconductor device is provided with a substrate made of a semiconductor material, an interconnect layer, at least one electronic element, and a sealing resin. The substrate has a main surface and a pair of lateral surfaces that are orthogonal to the main surface and face in opposite directions to each other. A recessed portion that is recessed from the main surface and has an opening portion that opens on at least one of the pair of lateral surfaces is formed in the substrate. The interconnect layer is formed on the substrate. The electronic element is an orientation sensor, for example, and is accommodated in the recessed portion of the substrate. The sealing resin covers the electronic element.
US09916979B2

Methods for manufacturing a semiconductor device include forming a gate line extending in a first direction in a substrate, and an impurity region on a side surface of the gate line, forming an insulating film pattern on the substrate, the insulating film pattern extending in the first direction and comprising a first through-hole that is configured to expose the impurity region, forming a barrier metal layer on the first through-hole, forming a conductive line contact that fills the first through-hole and that is electrically connected to the impurity region, forming a first mask pattern on the conductive line contact and the insulating film pattern, the first mask pattern extending in a second direction that is different from the first direction and the first mask pattern comprising a first opening, and removing corners of the barrier metal layer by partially etching the barrier metal layer.
US09916973B2

Provided are photolithographic methods. The method comprise: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising an organic layer to be etched; (b) applying a layer of a photoresist composition directly on the organic layer, wherein the photoresist composition comprises: a resin comprising an acid cleavable leaving group, the cleavage of which forms an acid group and/or an alcohol group; a photoacid generator; and a solvent; (c) exposing the photoresist layer to activating radiation through a patterned photomask; (d) heating the photoresist layer, wherein acid generated by the acid generator causes cleavage of the acid cleavable leaving group, thereby forming the acid group and/or the alcohol group; (d) developing the exposed photoresist composition layer with an organic solvent developer to form a negative resist pattern comprising the acid group and/or the alcohol group; (e) applying a silicon-containing composition over the resist pattern, wherein the composition comprises a silicon-containing polymer and a solvent and is free of crosslinkers; (f) rinsing residual silicon-containing composition from the substrate, leaving a portion of the silicon-containing polymer on a surface of the resist pattern; and (g) selectively etching the organic layer. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices for providing high resolution patterns.
US09916971B2

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to systems including a cell downstream of a mass analyzer. In some instances, the cell is configured as a reaction cell, a collision cell or a reaction/collision cell. The system can be used to suppress unwanted ions and/or remove interfering ions from a stream comprising a plurality of ions.
US09916970B2

A method of ionizing a sample is provided, comprising providing a fluid sample, wherein the fluid sample contains an analyte, applying one or more pulses of acoustic energy to the fluid sample to cause a spray of the fluid sample to eject from the surface of the fluid sample, and applying an AC, RF or alternating voltage to the fluid sample using an electrode.
US09916964B1

A method of operating a charged particle microscope comprises: providing settings of a focus, an x-stigmator and an y-stigmator of the charged particle microscope; and then repeatedly performing adjusting the charged particle microscope to the settings, recording an image of an object using the settings, determining a sharpness measure from the recorded image, and changing at least one of the settings of the focus, the x-stigmator and the y-stigmator based on the sharpness measure until a stop criterion is fulfilled. Herein, the determining of the sharpness measure comprises: determining an orientation of an intensity gradient at each of a plurality of locations within one of the recorded image and a processed image generated by processing the recorded image, and determining the sharpness measure based on the plurality of determined orientations.
US09916959B2

A cathode for an X-ray tube, an X-ray tube, a system for X-ray imaging, and a method for an assembly of a cathode for an X-ray tube include a filament, a support structure, a body structure, and a filament frame structure. The filament is provided to emit electrons towards an anode in an electron emitting direction, and the filament at least partially includes a helical structure. Further, the filament is held by the support structure which is fixedly connected to the body structure. The filament frame structure is provided for electron-optical focusing of the emitted electrons, and the filament frame structure is provided adjacent to the outer boundaries of the filament. The filament frame structure includes frame surface portions arranged transverse to the emitting direction, and the filament frame structure is held by the support structure.
US09916946B1

A dimmer switch includes a housing having a frame having a single actuator opening therethrough. The opening has first and second portions. A controllably conductive device is disposed in the housing for adjustably controlling electrical power to a load. A pivotable toggle actuator is accessible through the first portion of the single actuator opening and pivotable between a first and second positions by a user. A slidable dimmer actuator is accessible through the second portion of the single actuator opening. The slidable dimmer actuator is slidable linearly within the second portion of the single actuator opening anywhere between first and second positions by a user. The pivotable toggle actuator is operable for controlling the controllably conductive device to turn on and off power to the load, and the slidable dimmer actuator is operable for controlling the controllably conductive device to adjustably control the level of power to the load.
US09916942B2

One embodiment of the disclosure includes an electronic device including an enclosure (214), a button (106), and a processing element (not shown). The button is connected to the enclosure and includes a button cap (234) defining a user input surface, a flexible member (238) having an interior surface (270) and exterior surface. The flexible member is aligned with the button cap and is connected thereto. The button further includes a strain sensor (244) connected to the interior surface of the flexible member, the strain sensor is in communication with the processing element. When a force is exerted on the button cap, the flexible member bends and the strain sensor detects a user input corresponding to the force and provides a signal to the processing element corresponding to the user input. In some embodiments, the button may be substantially or completely waterproof.
US09916935B2

A solid electrolytic capacitor that contains a capacitor element including an anode body, a dielectric layer, and solid electrolyte is provided. The capacitor element also includes an anode lead (e.g., wire, tape, etc.) that is electrically connected to the anode body. A first portion of the anode lead is embedded within the anode body, while a second portion of the anode lead extends from the anode body in a longitudinal direction. Contrary to conventional capacitors in which the exposed portion of the anode lead is supported by a complex and bulky lead frame assembly, there is no lead frame present in the capacitor of the present disclosure. Thus, the volumetric efficiency of the finished capacitor can be increased. An assembly containing a matrix of multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements is also provided, as is a method for forming a matrix that comprises multiple solid electrolytic capacitor elements.
US09916932B1

A method and apparatus for storing energy. An apparatus comprises a first plate, a second plate, and a spacer. The spacer comprises a material having a plurality of pores, being open pores. The spacer is located between the first plate and the second plate. The apparatus further includes an enclosure, the first plate, the second plate, and the spacer located within the enclosure, the enclosure defining a volume, wherein the enclosure further defines a wall, and further comprising a second spacer disposed between the wall and one of the first plate and the second plate.
US09916925B2

A wireless power receiver includes a receiver resonator configured to be coupled to a source resonator to receive a power from the source resonator, the receiver resonator comprising: a planar dielectric layer; an antenna patterned in the form of a loop on the dielectric layer or arranged in the shape of a ring in the exterior of the dielectric layer; and a meta-structure separated from the antenna and arranged on the dielectric layer within the antenna, wherein the meta-structure is configured to reinforce at least one of the electric fields and magnetic fields that are formed in the receiver resonator.
US09916921B2

A metal strip resistor is provided. The metal strip resistor includes a metal strip forming a resistive element and providing support for the metal strip resistor without use of a separate substrate. There are first and second opposite terminations overlaying the metal strip. There is plating on each of the first and second opposite terminations. There is also an insulating material overlaying the metal strip between the first and second opposite terminations. A method for forming a metal strip resistor wherein a metal strip provides support for the metal strip resistor without use of a separate substrate is provided. The method includes coating an insulative material to the metal strip, applying a lithographic process to form a conductive pattern overlaying the resistive material wherein the conductive pattern includes first and second opposite terminations, electroplating the conductive pattern, and adjusting resistance of the metal strip.
US09916917B2

Methods for mixing nylon compounds and compositions useful in mixing nylon compounds are provided. The methods and compositions disclosed are useful in producing nylon for wire and cable jacketing. The disclosed methods provide nylon having a reduced heat history compared to traditional methods. The disclosed methods and composition provide additional mixing capacity by reducing the amount of nylon that must be incorporated with additives per unit of final nylon composition. The disclosed methods and compositions provide the ability to select from a plurality of additive concentration levels in the final product by varying the ratio of a masterbatch compound containing a high concentration of the additive to a resin containing a low concentration or no additive.
US09916915B2

The paste for diffusion layer formation used for formation of a GDL for a fuel cell contains a solvent, and conductive particles, a first surfactant having a first decomposition temperature and a second surfactant having a second decomposition temperature that is lower than the first decomposition temperature, all of which are dispersed in the solvent. The paste for diffusion layer formation contains a lower amount of the first surfactant than the second surfactant on a weight basis.
US09916907B2

A combination of a top nozzle and a guide thimble of a nuclear fuel assembly and, more particularly, a structure for joining an inner-extension tube, the top nozzle and the guide thimble. When an inner-extension tube head, which is provided as a means for facilitating removal of the top nozzle of the nuclear fuel assembly from the guide thimble, is removed from an inner-extension tube body to separate the top nozzle from the nuclear fuel assembly, the inner-extension tube body is prevented from undesirably rotating, so that the guide thimble and the inner-extension tube body can maintain the joined state.
US09916903B2

At least one method, apparatus and system disclosed involves hard-coding data into an integrated circuit device. An integrated circuit device provided. Data for hard-wiring information into a portion of the integrated circuit device is received. A stress voltage signal is provided to a portion of a transistor of the integrated circuit device for causing a dielectric breakdown of the portion of the transistor for hard-wiring the data.
US09916897B2

A storage device includes nonvolatile memories and a device controller configured to store data being received from an external device in an internal RAM, according to a command and an address being received from the external device. The device controller controls the nonvolatile memories according to the data stored in the internal RAM, distinguishes whether phase bits received with the data and also stored in the internal RAM are valid, and processes the data stored in the internal RAM when the phase bits are valid.
US09916892B1

A pair of write driver inverters are arranged in series to drive a bit line responsive to a data bit input signal. A first boost capacitor provides a negative boost to a first ground node for a first one of the write driver inverters during the write assist period. A second boost capacitor provides a negative boost to a second ground node for a second one of the write driver inverters during the write assist period.
US09916890B1

Predicting data correlation using multivalued logical outputs in SRAM storage cells including generating a plurality of logical outputs for each of a plurality of variable sets, wherein each variable in each variable set is a data point, and wherein each logical output is a binary indication of a relationship between the data points; writing, into storage cells, each logical output of the plurality of logical outputs for each of the plurality of variable sets; and for each group of corresponding logical outputs of the plurality of logical outputs: activating a fight port for the storage cells storing corresponding logical outputs, wherein activating the fight port causes each corresponding logical output to adjust a resulting voltage based on the logical output stored in each storage cell; and measuring the resulting voltage on a bitline of the activated fight port to determine a correlation probability for the corresponding logical outputs.
US09916887B2

A semiconductor system includes a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device outputs a command/address signal. The second semiconductor device extracts an active signal, a pre-charge signal, and addresses from the command/address signal, performs an active operation on a memory cell corresponding to the addresses, and performs a refresh operation on the memory cell corresponding to counting signals generated by counting a number of pulses in a refresh signal.
US09916881B2

A semiconductor system may include a controller and a semiconductor memory device. The controller may provide an external command, an external address and a first external clock. The controller may be configured to transmit a second external clock and receive a third external clock for receiving/transmitting external data. The semiconductor memory device may be configured to synchronize and receive the external address and the external command with the first external clock. The semiconductor memory device may be configured to synchronize and receive the external data with the second external clock. The semiconductor memory device may be configured to transmit the external data and the third external clock to the controller.
US09916875B2

A memory apparatus includes an array of bit cells arranged in rows and columns, multiple pairs of complementary bit lines, multiple power lines, and multiple voltage control circuits. Each column of the array is selectable by a corresponding pair of complementary bit lines. Each power line is coupled to the bit cells in a corresponding column. The voltage control circuits are coupled to respective columns of the array. Each voltage control circuit is configured to set a voltage level of a respective one of the power lines responsive to logic levels of the pair of complementary bit lines corresponding to the respective column.
US09916871B1

A data storage library includes at least a first library portion and at least a second library portion, wherein the second library portion is configured to store and receive media associated with data storage cartridges and comprises an environmental conditioning unit configured to control environmental conditions within the second library portion to be different than environmental conditions external to the second library portion. The data storage library also includes at least one acclimation chamber formed by the first library portion, wherein the at least one acclimation chamber permits gradual transition of environmental condition(s) within the at least one acclimation chamber toward at least one of the corresponding environmental condition(s) external and internal to the second library portion.
US09916870B2

The invention relates to an assembly for securing a slide-in unit in a mounting cage of a computer system. The mounting cage has a first side panel and a second side panel opposite the first side panel. The first side panel has at least one engagement element for engaging into a lateral fastening opening of the slide-in unit. The first side panel and the second side panel are arranged at a distance to one another such that the slide-in unit can be inserted into the mounting cage past the engagement element. After the insertion, a fastening element secured to the second side panel cooperates with the slide-in unit in such a way that the slide-in unit is pushed in the direction of the first side panel and the engagement element engages in the respective lateral fastening opening of the slide-in unit.
US09916867B2

In one embodiment, a capture video is received that is captured during the playback of a trace video on a media player on a hardware platform. The capture video may be an external capture of a display of the trace video on the media player. To allow the external capture to be analyzed, the trace video may include visible codes on frames of the trace video that can be captured by a capture device. Particular embodiments analyze the frames of the capture video to extract identifiers associated with the visual codes on the frames. Events that occurred during playback are determined by analyzing a sequence of identifiers from the capture video to an expected sequence of identifiers from the trace video. Then, particular embodiments determine whether an API call from the media player was received that corresponds to the event while the media player was playing the trace video.
US09916864B2

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a voice input module which receives a voice from an outside to generate voice data, a memory which stores one or more images or videos, and a processor which is electrically connected to the voice input module and the memory. The memory includes instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the electronic device to link at least one of the voice data, the first metadata information based on the voice data, or second metadata information generated from the voice data and/or the first metadata information with the second image or video.
US09916863B1

Video information defining video content may be accessed. The video content may include video frames. Motion vectors for the video frames may be determined. The motion vectors may represent motion of one or more visuals captured within individual video frames. A transformation matrix for the video frames may be determined based on the motion vectors. The transformation matrix may characterize rigid transformations between pairs of the video frames. Shakiness metrics for the video frames may be determined based on the transformation matrix. A shakiness threshold may be obtained. One or more of the video frames may be identified based on the shakiness metrics, the shakiness threshold, and algorithms with hysteresis or finite-state machines. A video summary of the video content may be generated. The video summary may include the one or more identified video frames.
US09916857B2

Various systems and methods may benefit from determination of environmental signatures in recordings. For example, such signatures may aid forensic analysis and alignment of media recordings, such as alignment of audio or video recordings. A method can include extracting electric network frequency signals from an image sequence of a video recording or an audio recording. The method can also include synchronizing the video recording or the audio recording with at least one other datum based on the electric network frequency signals.
US09916856B2

A set of first signal light and reference light with a phase difference of almost 0 degree, a set of second signal light and reference light with a phase difference of almost 180 degrees, a set of third signal light and reference light with a phase difference of almost 90 degrees, and a set of fourth signal light and reference light with a phase difference of almost 270 degrees are generated. A first differential signal as a difference between a first light-receiving signal obtained by a first light-receiving element and a second light-receiving signal obtained by a second light-receiving element is calculated, and a second differential signal as a difference between a third light-receiving signal obtained by a third light-receiving element and a fourth light-receiving signal obtained by a fourth light-receiving element is calculated. The first differential signal and the second differential signal are supplied to respective FIR filters. An equalization error is formed from output signals from the FIR filters. Tap coefficients for the FIR filters are controlled to minimize the equalization error.
US09916854B2

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a sequential storage media drive may include a first reel for rotatably winding sequential storage media tape from an opposing second reel of a data cartridge, an enclosure for housing the first reel and housing the data cartridge when the data cartridge is inserted into the sequential storage media drive and an access door mechanically coupled to the enclosure, the access door configured to be translated from a closed position to an open position to allow a user to access the first reel from an exterior of the enclosure in the event the data cartridge of the sequential storage media tape becomes lodged in the sequential storage media drive.
US09916853B2

A holographic storage layer includes a reflective structure and photosensitive units. The reflective structure is a grid-shaped structure and includes cavities. The photosensitive units are disposed in the cavities, in which each of the photosensitive units is surrounded by the reflective structure. First openings and second openings are defined by the reflective structure, and the photosensitive units are exposed by the first openings and the second openings respectively.
US09916852B2

In at least one embodiment, an optical data storage tape is provided. The optical data storage tape includes a read/write data area including a plurality of writeable tracks for storing data thereon, each writeable track having a first track width. The optical data storage tape further includes a seam area positioned proximate to the read/write data area. The seam area including a plurality of non-writeable tracks, each non-writeable track including a second track width that is greater than the first track width for each writeable track.
US09916849B1

An optical power level applied via a laser when recording data to a track of a heat-assisted recording medium is determined. In response to the optical power level being too low or too high, remedial action is taken to prevent loss of data on one or more of the track and an adjacent track.
US09916848B2

A method includes identifying a microelectronic device located at an air bearing surface and a resistive heating element, said resistive heating element electrically isolated from the microelectronic device. The method further includes applying a bias current through the resistive heating element to generate localized heat and heating the microelectronic device by the localized heat. In an aspect, the method further includes identifying a predetermined humidity threshold, identifying a separation distance between the microelectronic device and the resistive heating element in at least one dimension, determining an effective temperature for which relative humidity at that region of the air bearing surface where the microelectronic device is located is reduced below the predetermined humidity threshold, and adjusting the bias current such that the microelectronic device is heated at least to the effective temperature.
US09916847B1

An apparatus comprises a thermal sensor configured to interact with a magnetic recording disk. A head-disk interface is defined between the thermal sensor and the disk. A power supply is coupled to the thermal sensor and configured to supply a bias power to the thermal sensor between a low power and a high power. A processor is coupled to the thermal sensor and configured to determine a slope of a resistance response of the thermal sensor. The processor is further configured to detect a change in the slope relative to a baseline slope. The slope change indicates increased heat sinking between the thermal sensor and the disk due to the presence of contaminant buildup at the head-disk interface.
US09916838B2

Apparatus and methods for generating an encoded audio bitstream, including by including program loudness metadata and audio data in the bitstream, and optionally also program boundary metadata in at least one segment (e.g., frame) of the bitstream. Other aspects are apparatus and methods for decoding such a bitstream, e.g., including by performing adaptive loudness processing of the audio data of an audio program indicated by the bitstream, or authentication and/or validation of metadata and/or audio data of such an audio program. Another aspect is an audio processing unit (e.g., an encoder, decoder, or post-processor) configured (e.g., programmed) to perform any embodiment of the method or which includes a buffer memory which stores at least one frame of an audio bitstream generated in accordance with any embodiment of the method.
US09916833B2

An apparatus for decoding an audio signal includes a receiving interface, wherein the receiving interface is configured to receive a first frame and a second frame. Moreover, the apparatus includes a noise level tracing unit for determining noise level information being represented in a tracing domain. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a first reconstruction unit for reconstructing a third audio signal portion of the audio signal depending on the noise level information and a second reconstruction unit for reconstructing a fourth audio signal portion depending on noise level information being represented in the second reconstruction domain.
US09916827B2

A method of updating a grammar model used during speech recognition includes obtaining a corpus including at least one word, obtaining the at least one word from the corpus, splitting the at least one obtained word into at least one segment, generating a hint for recombining the at least one segment into the at least one word, and updating the grammar model by using at least one segment comprising the hint.
US09916826B1

In speech processing systems, a special audio trigger indication is configured to efficiently isolate and mark incorrect speech processing results. The trigger indication may be configured to be easily recognizable by a speech processing device under various ASR and acoustic conditions. Once a speech processing device recognizes the trigger indication, incorrectly processed speech processing results are marked and may be isolated and prioritized for review by training and upgrading processes.
US09916824B2

An electronic percussion instrument controller includes a selection input device, a setting input device and a processor. The selection input device is configured to select an instrument which defines a tone that corresponds to a musical performance input device. The setting input device is configured to selectively set a tone lock for the musical performance input device. The processor is programmed to maintain a set tone of the musical performance input device for which the tone lock is set by the setting device.
US09916821B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer program products, and systems to for automatic key transposition. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to determine compatibility between a known melody capable of being generated by a pitch generation system and a first performance profile associated with a first performer that performs in conjunction with the pitch generation system. Embodiments of the present invention can be further used to determine an appropriate key to update one or more pitches associated with the known melody, to be generated by the pitch generation system during the performance by the first performer, based on the compatibility between the first performance profile and the known melody.
US09916818B1

A semi-hollow body of a stringed instrument is claimed the body having nautilus shell-shaped tonal modifiers modified to receive piezo electric pickups. The tonal modifiers generally create a tonal distribution that enhance sound originating from the body cavity of the stringed instrument.
US09916816B2

A method for presenting information includes: receiving a notification message when a display screen is in a screen-off state; and presenting the notification message on the display screen with darkening a selected object, when the display screen is switched into a screen-on state from the screen-off state. Herein the selected object comprises all or partial content displayed on the display screen except the notification message. Accordingly, the selected object can be darkened and hidden on the display screen while the notification message can be highlighted.
US09916811B2

A color conversion data generation device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires end point correction values for correcting a color of at least one end point of a RGB color space; an end point color correction value generation unit that corrects the color of the at least one end point using the acquired end point correction values, to generate end point color correction values; a normalization unit that normalizes an intermediate color in the RGB color space using a normalization coefficient; an interpolation unit that interpolates the normalized intermediate color using the generated end point color correction values by means of same interpolation characteristic as that of a 3D LUT circuit, to generate temporary correction values; and an inverse normalization unit that inverse-normalizes the generated temporary correction values using an inverse normalization coefficient defined according to the normalization coefficient, to generate correction values of the intermediate color.
US09916805B2

The invention provides a GOA circuit for LTPS-TFT, by adding the twelfth and thirteenth TFTs (T12, T13) controlled by output ends (G(n−1), G(n+1)) of (n−1)-th and (n+1)-th GOA units, the drain of twelfth TFT T12 connected through the fourth node (W1(n)) to source of first TFT (T1), the drain of first TFT (T1) connected to output end of (n−1)-th GOA unit, the drain of thirteenth TFT (T13) connected through the fifth node W2(n) to source of third TFT (T3), the drain of third TFT (T3) connected to output end of (n+1)-th GOA unit; the first and third TFTs (T1, T3) controlled respectively by the forward and backward scan DC control signals (U2D, D2U) to reduce leakage of twelfth TFT (T12) in forward scanning and leakage of thirteenth TFT (T13) in backward scanning. As such, the leakage in key TFTs is reduced and GOA circuit stability is improved.
US09916800B2

The embodiment of the invention provides a method and an apparatus for calibrating a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device comprises a pixel array, each pixel of the pixel array comprises electrodes in inclined arrangement, wherein an inclined orientation of the electrodes in pixels of odd rows is different with an inclined orientation of the electrodes in pixels of even rows; the method comprises: measuring brightness of the pixels of odd rows in a plurality of gray scales and brightness of the pixels of even rows in the plurality of gray scales respectively in a predetermined direction; and adjusting data line voltages of the pixels of odd rows and/or data line voltages of the pixels of even rows, such that in the predetermined direction, in each one of the plurality of gray scales, brightness of the pixels of odd rows is equal to brightness of the pixels of even rows.
US09916786B2

The present disclosure provides a method for driving a display, including: step 1, obtaining a tone of each sub-pixels in an input image; step 2, determining whether a color of each sub-pixel to be calculated in the input image is capable of being distinguished from a reference color by a two-color blind viewer; and step 3, calculating the tone of each sub-pixel in an output image based on a result of the determination in step 2.
US09916785B2

A storage unit stores first adjustment information which characterizes the correspondence between adjustment parameters which are capable of being set and adjustment amounts of the emission brightness of each of two light emitting elements of the three light emitting elements. A setting unit sets the adjustment parameter. An adjustment unit adjusts the emission brightness of the two light emitting elements based on the adjustment parameter set via the setting unit and the first adjustment information stored by the storage unit.
US09916784B2

An integrated drive circuit for multi-segment electroluminescent displays is provided. During a charging phase, the electroluminescent segments are charged by a common charge circuit, and partially discharged using separate discharge circuits associated with individual electroluminescent segments. A controller provides essentially independent control over the respective discharge circuits so, by the end of the charging phase, the EL segments can be charged to correspondingly different final voltages. Then during a discharging phase following the charging phase, the electroluminescent segments are completely discharged, thereby emitting an intensity of light that varies roughly in proportion to the final accumulated voltage. The controller can be pre-programmed with a spatial-temporal light pattern so that, using the disclosed integrated drive circuit, the electroluminescent display can be operated to generate rudimentary animations.
US09916778B2

A chemiluminescent product packaging label comprising an outer layer, an adhesive layer disposed proximately to the outer layer wherein the adhesive layer comprises an adhesion material on a side not proximate to the outer layer, and at least one cavity between the outer layer and the adhesive layer. The outer layer further comprises an image with a first plurality of regions. The adhesion layer comprises a second plurality of regions corresponding to the first plurality of regions and configured to break at a plurality of different pressure values. Application of pressure on the on at least one of the second plurality of regions causes the formation of an illumination comprising at least one color in at least one of the first plurality of regions.
US09916771B2

A vision aid device comprises a housing, an eyepiece for holding up to an eye and viewing into the vision aid device, a camera mounted within the housing, a controller and memory operably coupled to the camera, a motion sensor operably coupled to the controller and a display operably coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to: activate the camera to capture an electronic image; store the electronic image in the memory; display on the display a magnified image which is a magnified view of the electronic image; and electronically pan the electronic image from the magnified image to display successive magnified images based on motion information generated by the motion sensor, the motion information based on motion of the vision aid device as sensed by the motion sensor.
US09916769B2

A method for identifying a vehicle accessory with a mobile device is disclosed. The method comprises receiving an input in the mobile device and activating an identification function in a control circuit of the mobile device in response to the input. An image viewfinder is initiated in response to the activation of the identification function. The viewfinder is used to capture an image of the vehicle accessory including at least one feature. The at least one feature in the image is compared to a plurality of corresponding features of a plurality of compatible vehicle accessories. Based on the comparison, an identity of the vehicle accessory is identified. Training information for the vehicle accessory is then accessed and displayed on the mobile device to facilitate at least one setup task of the vehicle accessory in response to identifying the vehicle accessory.
US09916757B2

Lanes sensors are used to count the number of wheel assemblies on vehicles passing over roadway sensors. Lane sensors can also be used to classify vehicles at single and multiple lane sites for tolling and/or traffic planning. For counting vehicles, the Smart Loop Treadle of the present invention is designed for both tire and wheel assembly detection using inductive loop sensors for toll roads in single (Conventional) lane applications. The sensors detect the tire assemblies of both vehicles and vehicle trailers being towed to provide the sum of axle assemblies. For vehicle characterization, the sensor arrangement can have a combination of unique sensors that include tire/wheel detection sensors and vehicle lane position sensors. The characteristics of the vehicle, travel direction, speed, in lane position of the vehicle can be detected using combination of these sensors.
US09916752B2

A multiplexing communication system is capable of maintaining an appropriate response speed of a control with respect to an electromagnetic motor based on an encoder signal during multiplexing and transmission of the encoder signal. A transmission data composition processing section of a multiplex communication device multiplexes encoder signals ENCD1 to ENCD8 output from a linear scale and a rotary encoder into frame data FRMD and transmits the data. The transmission data composition processing section sets the encoder signals ENCD1 to ENCD8 to bit positions of the frame data FRMD respectively corresponding to the linear scale and the rotary encoder. At the bit positions where the encoder signals ENCD1 to ENCD8 are set, the encoder signal ENCD and information showing the presence or absence of the data of the encoder signal ENCD are alternately set for each cycle of transmission of the frame data FRMD.
US09916749B2

Embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a system effective to monitor an amount of a material that includes a portable container, wherein the material is within the portable container; a sensor in the portable container, the sensor effective to detect a first level of the material in the portable container when the portable container is at a first location and to generate a first data signal based on the first level; and a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor effective to receive the first data signal and effective to generate a report based on the first data signal, the report relating to an amount of the material in the container.
US09916741B2

Method, device, and computer readable medium for generating haptically enabled messages. One disclosed method comprises the steps of receiving a user generated input, mapping the user generated input to a predetermined haptic feedback, assigning a haptic feedback command to the predetermined haptic feedback, inserting the haptic feedback command into a text message, and sending the text message.
US09916734B2

A gaming system and method for conducting a wagering game includes providing a first event eligibility-based equity relative to a first wagering game and converting the first event eligibility-based equity to an exchange medium. The exchange medium may be cash or a second event eligibility-based equity relative to a second wagering game. The first event eligibility-equity may be stored for later use on the first wagering game.
US09916733B2

Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for providing mutable awards in gaming devices. Accordingly, a gaming device can be configured to include processes where various properties, functions, characteristics, displays, or other award components have some dynamic variability between game play events on a gaming system or within a gaming device. Although not all, or even one, of the award components needs to be changed or mutated between game play events, the processes are configured to allow such award components to be changed or mutated within a predefined time frame, within a defined game event, or within another measurable criterion.
US09916732B2

Various methods and apparatus related to gaming are described. Some embodiments relate to a multi-tiered game involving multiple participants. Some embodiments relate to players from a plurality of gaming operators playing games with one another. Other embodiments are described.
US09916729B2

A method for integrating game products with sale and dissemination of digital media to players includes providing for players to purchase digital media for download at a purchase price that enters the player into a game wherein the player's downloaded digital media determines whether or not the player has won in the game. The purchased downloads are downloaded from a library, wherein a number of the digital media are stored in the library in their original format, and a defined number of the digital media stored in the library are modified from their original format to include an auditory or visual indication of a winning lottery play. The players download and listen to or view their downloaded digital media to determine if they have purchased a winning digital media in the lottery game. Players losing in the lottery game may be provided a downloaded digital media in its original format.
US09916726B2

A gaming system includes a credit mechanism configured to receive credit input by a player for contribution to a credit balance and a display configured to display a plurality of standard symbol positions and optionally one or more additional symbol positions. The system also includes a betting module configured to determine a bet amount and game play instructions on commencement of a game input using a player interface, the bet subtracted from the credit balance. A symbol selector selects symbols for display in the plurality of standard symbol positions and, dependent on the amount wagered, further arranged to select and display symbols in the additional symbol position(s) to increase the probability of a win outcome being generated. An outcome determiner determines an outcome of the game based on the displayed symbol positions.
US09916725B2

An electronic gaming machine that provides a gambling game and an entertainment game, including: a real world engine, an entertainment software engine, and a game world engine; the system constructed to provide a randomly generated payout of real world credit from a wager in a gambling game, wagers triggered during an entertainment game; and to collect parameter data indicative of player performance during the player's skillful execution of the entertainment game at each of a plurality of difficulty settings, the parameter data indicative of the player's actions during the player's skillful execution of the entertainment game and indicative of a rate of accumulation of game world credit during the entertainment game; and select a difficulty setting from the plurality of difficulty settings for the skill based entertainment game based upon the collected parameter data.
US09916724B2

A gaming machine (10) has a display (14) and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display (14). The game controller is arranged to play a game wherein one or more random events arc caused to be displayed on the display (14) and, if a predefined winning event results, the machine (10) awards a prize which is credited to a credit meter of the machine (10). The credit meter includes two meter displays, a first meter display (42.1) indicating credit which is available for expenditure in the machine (10) to play at least one game and a second meter display (42.2) indicating credit set aside by at least one of a player and the game controller and which credit is unavailable to the player for wagering on a game but which is only available by termination of a playing session.
US09916723B2

An application credit earning interleaved wagering system is disclosed, including an interactive controller configured to: communicate application telemetry; receive wager outcome display instructions; display a wager outcome; receive and display eligible awards; communicate an AC award request comprising an AC award from the eligible awards; and receive AC award instructions comprising the AC award; a wager controller constructed to: receive wager request; communicate wager outcome; and the application controller operatively connecting the interactive controller and the wager controller, the application controller also operatively connected to a patron management server and an AC management device, and constructed to: receive the application telemetry; determine whether to trigger a wager request; communicate the wager request; receive the wager outcome; communicate wager outcome display instructions; communicate the application telemetry; receive an AC value amount; communicate the AC value display instructions; receive AC award data comprising the AC award; communicate the AC award instructions.
US09916722B2

This concept is directed to methods of operating a gaming device to analyze game information that is part of a gaming event having a player interaction in advance of the player interaction to make a determination about the game play. These methods may be used for a variety of gaming devices such as slot machines, video keno devices, video poker machines, electronic table games, internet gaming terminals, etc. In each type of gaming device, these operation methods evaluate future game information during game play to determine one of multiple manners by which the game play will continue. These continuation manners may include changing the speed of game play, determining display characteristics of the game and outcome, providing tips or information to the player about the future game information, automatically initiating a subsequent game, or otherwise altering an aspect of the game play parameters in response to the evaluated game information.
US09916719B2

An electronic method of gaming comprising, displaying a symbol evaluation area on a display of a gaming system, the symbol evaluation area comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of symbol display positions; generating a game outcome by selecting a plurality of symbols to populate the symbol display area, the symbols being selected from first symbols having a size corresponding to the size of the symbol display positions and one or more second symbols, wherein each second symbol is at least the size of two display positions, the selecting of the symbols including selecting a display position of the evaluation area at which each selected first symbol will be displayed, and selecting one or more symbol display positions of the evaluation area at which part of each selected second symbol will be displayed.
US09916717B2

A virtual entertainment system supports holographic display for multiple players. The system has multiple viewing screens, each screen displaying thematic events. Multiple carriages have seating supporting multiple audience members. A track system supports and directs the multiple carriages through a sequence of the multiple viewing screens. A processor accesses memory of more than one theme and multiple holographic data content related to a single theme to each of the video display screens. A theme selecting input system provides a signal identifying a single theme for display to a single carriage as it moves along the track system. The processor identifies location of individual carriages with respect to individual viewing screens. The processor provides thematic content of the single identified theme to the at least two players in the individual respective ones of the multiple carriages. The theme may be gaming activity and include gaming input.
US09916716B2

A gaming system is disclosed that comprises a symbol selector configured to select a plurality of base symbols from a set of base symbols for display in a display area; and at least one set of additional symbols, each set of additional symbols including a plurality of additional symbols. The gaming system is configured to incorporate the additional symbols of an additional symbol set into the base symbol set so as to define a combined symbol set, and the gaming system is configured to select and display a plurality of base and/or additional symbols from the combined symbol set. The gaming system further comprises an outcome evaluator configured to determine a game outcome based on the selected base and/or additional symbols.
US09916713B1

Currency processing systems, coin processing machines, and methods of imaging coins are presented herein. A currency processing system is disclosed which includes a housing with an input area for receiving coins and receptacles for stowing processed coins. A disk-type coin processing unit is coupled to the coin input area and coin receptacles. The coin processing unit includes a rotatable disk for imparting motion to coins, and a sorting head adjacent the rotatable disk with shaped regions for guiding moving coins to exit channels through which the coins are discharged to the coin receptacles. A sensor arrangement mounted adjacent the rotatable disk includes one light emitting device for emitting light onto a coin surface at near-normal incidence. A photodetector senses light reflected off the coin surface and outputs a coin-image signal for processing the coin.
US09916707B2

An envoy device configured to perform a transaction with a further device. The envoy device comprises: a data store; a processor; communication circuitry for communicating with the further device; and a display. The envoy device is configured to respond to detection of the further device being within a predetermined physical proximity to trigger initiation of a transaction between the devices; and to respond to the transaction completing to display an object related to the transaction that it is determined the user may wish to select to initiate a subsequent action.
US09916705B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for a data aggregation application. Operational data and image data may be captured from a client device. Odometer readings can be extracted from the image data. The operational data and image data can be verified by comparing an instrument panel depicted in the image data to a known instrument panel depiction.
US09916704B1

A vehicle having a decal attached thereto is provided herein. The vehicle includes a controller operably coupled with a powertrain of the vehicle and configured to calculate an energy efficiency performance score of the vehicle. A decal is disposed on the vehicle. One or more performance score indicators are disposed within the decal. A number of the one or more performance score indicators illuminate to represent the performance score.
US09916700B2

Network buses in vehicles and other assets are monitored in order to obtain information and calculate alternate values of parameters relating to components connected to the bus and to send them to a management server. The device includes main code, which is common to the different vehicles or assets in a group, and a script, which is specific to each type of vehicle or asset. The script, which may be customizable, is responsible for defining the parameters to obtain and for defining how the values of the parameters are to be calculated. The script compensates for differences in the way different buses and components operate in different assets, which means that the values of like parameters obtained from different sources are all in conformance with each other. The script can be updated without interrupting the operation of the main code and the monitoring of the bus.
US09916695B2

The invention provides a structure self-adaptive 3D model editing method, which includes: given a 3D model library, clustering 3D models of same category according to structures; learning a design knowledge prior between components of 3D models in same group; learning a structure switching rule between 3D models in different groups; after user edits a 3D model component, determining a final group of the model according to inter-group design knowledge prior, and editing other components of the model according to intra-group design knowledge prior, so that the model as a whole satisfies design knowledge priors of a category of 3D models. Through editing few components by the user, other components of the model can be optimized automatically and the edited 3D model satisfying prior designs of the model library can be obtained. The invention can be applied to fields of 3D model editing and constructing, computer aided design etc.
US09916693B1

Providing of an electronic map displaying preferred real-world locations to utilize in connection with an augmented reality world. A request is received at a server computer to provide the electronic map to utilize in connection with the augmented reality world. A geolocation is received. Real-world locations in a vicinity are queried from a real-world location profile. A virtual location profile of virtual locations in the augmented reality world is accessed to generate an initial virtual location set. A participant preference profile containing virtual preferences and real-world preferences is accessed. Real-time participant data is accessed. The virtual locations in the initial virtual location set are prioritized to generate a prioritized virtual location set. The prioritized virtual location set is limited based upon the real-time participant data to generate a real-time prioritized location set. The electronic map is generated based upon the real-time prioritized location set, and transmitted.
US09916689B2

An apparatus for estimating a camera pose includes an image acquisition unit to acquire a photographed image, a motion sensor to acquire motion information of the apparatus for estimating the camera pose, a static area detector to detect a static area of the photographed image based on the photographed image and the motion information, and a pose estimator to estimate a camera pose based on the detected static area.
US09916688B2

Technologies are generally described for systems, devices and methods effective to set up image data to be processed by an augmented reality device. In some examples, a processor may generate image data from light reflected from a real object. The image data may represent, or may be a digital representation of, the real object. The processor may analyze a skin stack of augmented reality skins and identify one of the augmented reality skins stored in the memory. The augmented reality skin may include instructions effective to modify some of the image data when the image data includes a feature. The processor may create metadata related to the image data. The metadata may relate to the presence of the feature in the image data. The processor may store the metadata in the memory.
US09916682B2

The power consumption of processor-based devices may be reduced by reducing the consumption of power during graphics processing. In some embodiments, the precision of pixel shading in parts of images where artifacts are less objectionable may be reduced. For example, in areas the user is not directly looking at, precision may be reduced to save power. At the same time, because a person is not focusing on those regions, even if usually perceptible artifacts occur because of the reduced precision, an overall pleasing depiction may be achieved.
US09916679B2

A system and method of deep learning using deep networks to predict new views from existing images may generate and improve models and representations from large-scale data. This system and method of deep learning may employ a deep architecture performing new view synthesis directly from pixels, trained from large numbers of posed image sets. A system employing this type of deep network may produce pixels of an unseen view based on pixels of neighboring views, lending itself to applications in graphics generation.
US09916678B2

Data processing techniques are provided to increase a computational speed of iterative computations that are performed over a domain of data points, such as stencil computations. For example, a method includes loading a set of domain data points into a cache memory; obtaining an iteration count T, and a base stencil operator having a first set of coefficients; generating a convolved stencil operator having a second set of coefficients, wherein the convolved stencil operator is generated by convolving the base stencil operator with itself at least one time; and iteratively processing the set of domain data points in the cache memory using the convolved stencil operator no more than T/2 iterations to obtain final processing results. The final processing results are similar to processing results that would be obtained by iteratively processing the set of domain data points using the base stencil operator for the iteration count T.
US09916672B2

A branching and merging determination apparatus includes a recognizer and a determiner. The recognizer recognizes a target present in front of an own vehicle. The determiner determines, based on a result of the recognition of the target by the recognizer, presence or absence of branching and merging of roads. Specifically, the determiner is configured to: estimate a traveling section where branching or merging of roads is probably present; and determine that no branching or merging of roads is present in a region of the estimated traveling section where there is a preceding vehicle traveling at a higher speed than the own vehicle.
US09916658B2

An image acquisition unit (2020) acquires an analysis image. The analysis image is an image in which a plurality of cell nuclei in a lesion of a target person are captured. A feature-value calculation unit (2040) calculates the feature-value relating to the cell nuclei from the analysis image. An evaluation function acquisition unit (2060) acquires an evaluation function from an evaluation function storage unit (10). The evaluation function is a function with which prediction information is calculated based on the feature-value. The prediction information generation unit (2080) generates prediction information relating to a target person based on a feature-value, which has been calculated from an analysis image, and an evaluation function which has been acquired by the evaluation function acquisition unit (2060). The prediction information is information indicating a prediction of a prognosis of a disease of the target person or a prediction of malignancy of a disease of the target person.
US09916655B2

The latest progresses in breast imaging using differential phase contrast techniques pose the question of how to fuse multiple information sources, yielded by absorption, differential phase, and scattering signals, into a single, informative image for clinical diagnosis. It is proposed to use an image fusion scheme based on a multiple-resolution framework. The three signals are first transformed into multiple bands presenting information at different frequencies and then a two-step processing follows: (1) intra-band processing enhances the local signal-to-noise ratio using a novel noise estimation method and context modeling; and (2) inter-band processing weights each band by considering their characteristics and contributions, and suppressing the global noise level. The fused image, looking similar to a conventional mammogram but with significantly enhanced detail features, is reconstructed by inverse transform. The fused image is compatible with clinical settings and enables the radiologists to use their years of diagnosis experiences in mammography.
US09916652B2

A method for determining overlay between layers of a multilayer structure may include obtaining a given image representing the multilayer structure, obtaining expected images for layers of the multilayer structure, providing a combined expected image of the multilayer structure as a combination of the expected images of said layers, performing registration of the given image against the combined expected image, and providing segmentation of the given image, thereby producing a segmented image, and maps of the layers of said multilayered structure. The method may further include determining overlay between any two selected layers of the multilayer structure by processing the maps of the two selected layers together with the expected images of said two selected layers.
US09916649B1

A method and system for determining if an individual is impaired. In one embodiment, physical and cognitive testing of the individual are conducted in the field or at the scene of an event. The test results are compared to previously stored baseline test results taken for the specific individual while the individual is known to be in an unimpaired state or condition. The current test results are electronically compared to the baseline test results and if the results differ or deviate beyond a predetermined level or amount the individual is considered to be impaired. If no baseline test results exist for the specific individual, the current test results can alternatively be compared to previously determined or known scientifically accepted or minimums for the specific tests given to the individual.
US09916648B1

The present invention is related to a method for correcting a diffusion image having an artifact, the method comprising: (a) providing a set of diffusion images comprising the diffusion image having the artifact; (b) calculating a first signal intensity of each image in the set of diffusion images; (c) plotting a graph of serial number of slice of the set of diffusion images versus the first signal intensity; (d) calculating a second signal intensity of the diffusion image having the artifact by performing interpolation on the graph; and (e) correcting the diffusion image having the artifact base on the second signal intensity.
US09916646B2

An image processing system for generating a high dynamic range image from a first image and a second image is presented. The system comprises a first displacement estimator adapted to estimate a displacement of image content between a reference image derived from the first image and an image to be warped derived from the second image. The system comprises a first warping unit that compensates the estimated displacement by warping the image to be warped resulting in a first warped image. The system comprises a first error detector adapted to detect geometric warping errors within the first warped image and a first error compensator adapted to compensate the estimated geometric warping errors within the first warped image resulting in a first error corrected image. The system comprises a high dynamic range calculator adapted to calculate the high-dynamic range image based upon the first error corrected image and the reference image.
US09916644B1

A method for removing a ghost artifact from a multiple-exposure image of a scene method includes steps of generating and segmenting a difference mask, determining a lower threshold and an upper threshold, generating a refined mask, and generating a corrected image. The difference mask includes a plurality of absolute differences in luminance-values between the multiple-exposure image and a first image of the scene. The segmenting step involves segmenting the difference mask into a plurality of blocks. The lower and upper thresholds are based on statistical properties of the blocks. The method generates the refined mask by mapping each absolute difference to a respective one of a plurality refined values, of the refined mask, equal to a function of the absolute difference, the lower threshold, and the upper threshold. The corrected image is a weighted sum of the first image and the multiple-exposure image, weights being based on the refined mask.
US09916641B2

The present disclosure provides a picture display method and apparatus that relate to the field of image processing and are increase flexibility of picture display and reducing a memory occupation rate of a terminal on the premise of not modifying an attribute of an original picture. The method and apparatus include receiving an instruction for displaying a picture; obtaining, according to an identifier of a to-be-displayed picture included in the instruction, an original bitmap of the to-be-displayed picture and searching, a database of a current device for a pre-stored first rotation angle corresponding to the to-be-displayed picture; adjusting, according to a resolution of a current screen and/or a current window size, a display size of the original bitmap of the to-be-displayed picture, so as to obtain a compressed bitmap of the original bitmap; and displaying, according to the first rotation angle, a compressed bitmap of the original bitmap.
US09916640B2

Techniques for automatically removing slivers from orthomosaics. First, slivers may be identified, which may be based upon user-configurable characteristics such as width and length. Second, slivers may be replaced with portions of another image, such as an older image. Third, boundary slivers may optionally be removed. Fourth, remaining boundary or interior slivers can be inflated by expanding the sliver until it is no longer a sliver, which may include replacing a portion of an adjacent image portion with older imagery.
US09916638B2

An existing metadata set that is specific to a color volume transformation model is transformed to a metadata set that is specific to a distinctly different color volume transformation model. For example, source content metadata for a first color volume transformation model is received. This source metadata determines a specific color volume transformation, such as a sigmoidal tone map curve. The specific color volume transformation is mapped to a color volume transformation of a second color volume transformation model, e.g., a Bézier tone map curve. Mapping can be a best fit curve, or a reasonable approximation. Mapping results in metadata values used for the second color volume transformation model (e.g., one or more Bézier curve knee points and anchors). Thus, devices configured for the second color volume transformation model can reasonably render source content according to received source content metadata of the first color volume transformation model.
US09916627B1

Computer-implemented methods, systems and computer program products for directing a current user of a tax preparation application to a portion of the current user's tax document. Images of tax documents of other or prior users are received, and a tax document image is selected. Tax data within the selected tax document image is redacted from the image to generate an image of a template of a tax document. Sections or interface elements of interview screens generated by the tax preparation program are mapped to sections of the template. When the current user selects an interface element such as a field, a pre-determined or selected portion of the template image is presented through the tax preparation application to the current user. The particular field mapped to the particular selected interface element may be identified or highlighted.
US09916616B2

An inventory management method for storage devices may comprise obtaining an order for an aggregate storage capacity from a customer; and determining a usable capacity of each of a plurality of storage devices. From the plurality of storage devices, a first set of storage devices may be selected, at least some of which have different usable storage capacities from one another, such that the first set of storage devices comprises a first predetermined number of storage devices and has a first aggregate storage capacity that is at least equal to an integer fraction of the aggregate capacity ordered by the customer. The first set of storage devices may then be packed into a first container configured to accommodate the first predetermined number of storage devices. A second set of storage devices may be similarly be selected from remaining ones of the plurality of storage devices and packaged.
US09916615B2

A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for: (1) receiving information regarding a plurality of past orders placed by health care providers at a particular health care facility; (2) using the information regarding the plurality of past orders to determine a set of most commonly prescribed orders for the health care facility; (3) converting the set of most commonly prescribed orders from a first format to a second format; (4) displaying the set of most commonly prescribed orders to a user in the second format; and (5) allowing the user to place a new order by selecting one of the most commonly prescribed orders.
US09916605B2

In response to a user-initiated interaction request sent by a user using an electronic communication, subsequent actions performed by other users that received the user-initiated interaction request are analyzed. A determination is made as to whether the subsequent actions performed by the other users that received the user-initiated interaction request correlate to an intended interaction result of the user-initiated interaction request. A visual representation of a collaboration model that correlates probabilities of successful collaborations between the user and the other users is generated in accordance with determined correlations between the subsequent actions performed by the other users and the intended interaction result. A collaboration recommendation based upon a degree of correlation between the subsequent actions performed by the other users and the intended interaction result represented within the collaboration model is provided in association with the visual representation of the collaboration model.
US09916602B2

A tool provides for the batch processing of assets that will be utilized across multiple ad sizes, allowing quickly and simultaneously reformatting assets into multiple standard online advertisement formats so as to save time and cost in generating an online advertising campaign. The tool may include high level commands to allow a user to simultaneously or individually adjust an asset for different renderings for an online advertising campaign. The tool may also allow a user to adjust multiple assets simultaneously for different renderings for an online advertising campaign.
US09916600B2

An auction apparatus according to the application includes a plan receiving unit and a providing unit. The plan receiving unit gradually receives plan information indicating a plan of content from a content creator who creates the content a plurality of times. The providing unit additionally presents the plan information which is gradually received by the plan receiving unit and provides an auction service in which a bid target is a right to display an advertisement in an advertising space set to the content.
US09916597B2

A telecommunication system implements a method for providing a targeted on-line advertisement to a user accessing a content provider node of the system. An ad is requested from a user node. A content provider is identified at a right of first refusal ad service based on the ad request. At least one demographic corresponding to the user node is determined. Whether an ad corresponds to the determined demographic is determined. A default ad service is determined based on the content provider. The ad request is passed to a default ad service. Retrieved content is processed.
US09916592B2

Disclosed is an approach for implementing implicit follow and automatic unfollow of objects in an enterprise application system. Automated following and unfollowing can be provided for objects in a CRM application, such as objects pertaining to sales opportunities.
US09916589B2

An advertising system identifies behaviors from user activity and associates the behaviors with a user profile. Advertisers provide the advertising system with information on conversion rates of users associated with user profiles. A behavioral model of user responses is built to identify the relative frequency of behaviors for increasing the response rate of ads. Incoming advertising requests are matched to modeled behaviors to determine an advertiser's interest in bidding on the ad placement.
US09916578B2

A method for minimizing risk of a consumer performing a fraudulent Internet purchase transactions using a transaction card is disclosed herein, the method comprising receiving an enrollment verification request for a transaction from a merchant's website, transmitting the enrollment verification request to an access control server; receiving an enrollment verification response from the access control server, determining whether the transaction is risky based on at least a portion of the enrollment verification request, if the transaction is not risky, forwarding the enrollment verification response to the merchant website and, if the transaction is risky, modifying the enrollment verification response to denote the transaction is risky and forwarding the modified enrollment verification response to the merchant's website.
US09916574B2

A method and device are described for maintaining software components in a portable electronic device. The device includes memory storing software components executable from the device, with associated pairs of logical storage partitions for storing different versions of the software components, a data interface for coupling the device to a host computer, a contactless interface for receiving payment token data from a contactless payment token, and a cellular network interface for communication of data over a cellular network. An upgrade process is initiated when the device is coupled to the host computer. Data including a different version of at least one of said software components is received, installed and executed to initiate a payment transaction with a remote system. Payment token data is received via the contactless interface means and transmitted to the remote system.
US09916573B2

A method, a system, and a computer program product are provided for wireless establishment of identity via bi-directional radio-frequency identification (RFID). The method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions operable for sending device data including at least a username and a password to a transceiver. The method also includes receiving an identifier of an access point in a wireless network from the transceiver, the transceiver sending the device data to the access point via a security server. The device data is sent to the access point based on the identifier of the access point, the access point establishing a secure connection to the computer infrastructure based on the device data received from the transceiver and the computer infrastructure.
US09916569B2

A computing device includes an operation unit configured to receive a first user input about an item to be purchased, a display unit configured to display a name of the item and an interface based on which a user can make a second user input about the user's preference of the item through the operation unit, and a communication unit configured to transmit data corresponding to the first and second user inputs to an external device configured to store information about items for sale and information about user preferences of the items.
US09916555B2

Various methods and devices are provided for integrating location tracking and cargo identification. For example, an identification of a cargo carrier can be provided, such as by an identification or tracking device associated with the cargo carrier. Also, an identification of a carried asset can be provided, such as by a tag or optical code associated with the carried asset. Further, a determination can be made whether the carried asset is being added to or removed from the cargo carrier. This could be done automatically or based on user input. This information can be collected and stored in association with each other so that location information about the carried asset can be provided to users.
US09916552B2

Delay in a workflow is avoided by introducing a skip operation upon execution of the workflow. Additionally, a person in charge of the workflow eventually participates in the workflow process even if he/she has been skipped. The workflow design defines skippable activities, in advance, as well as re-execution points in order to reassign the skipped activities.
US09916550B2

A system and method is disclosed for allocating products to one or more sellers. The system includes a database operable to store data associated with one or more enterprises. The system further includes an order promising system coupled with the database and operable to model the flow of the products through the one or more enterprises and allocate resources to the one or more sellers based on the modeled flow of the products.
US09916549B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for orchestrating a business process in a computer network. A script describing a business process is received from a client machine over the computer network. The script is compiled into executable program instructions. A reference to the script and data to be operated on by the script is received from the client machine over the computer network. The data is processed in accordance with the script. The result of the data processing is returned to the client machine over the computer network.
US09916547B2

A method for managing a plurality of equipment pieces and operations within a factory for the manufacture of carbon fiber pieces, in order to increase production rate and reduce thereby manufacturing costs. In the method of the invention, collected production times are classified as added value production time or as wasted production time, and an efficiency parameter is calculated as a proportion between the sum of the added value production times, and a period of production time needed to complete said operation. Based on that efficiency parameter, causes for said wasted production times are identified and corrected. The invention provides a methodology for detecting and correcting causes which reduce production efficiency, in industries with low productivity cadence.
US09916533B2

A method for ingesting a plurality of content according to a statistical similarity of at least one portion of the ingested plurality of content into an information handling system capable of answering questions, whereby the ingested plurality of content is based on a received topic and ingesting the plurality of content comprises ingesting a plurality of documents associated with the received topic is provided. The method may include determining at least one similarity between each document based on a similarity criteria. The method may also include applying a statistical model to characterize the determined at least one similarity between each document. The method may further include creating at least one pair-wise link for each document. The method may additionally include mapping the created at least one pair-wise link. The method may include generating a plurality of rules for ingesting a plurality of additional content.
US09916518B2

An image processing apparatus with at least one circuit provided to perform a process of determining a candidate color region including at least a partial region in an image using color information of an input image signal, prompt a user to select an extraction color region in case a plurality of color regions are determined as the candidate color region, and perform image processing on at least one of the extraction color region of the input image signal and the remaining region of the input image signal excluding the extraction color region, to obtain an output image signal.
US09916517B2

A method generates an image for display by deriving an expected depth of field for the image and by generating the image for display by the display device by applying a blurring function. The expected depth of field is derived with respect to a point of focus in the image, in response to lighting conditions of the environment represented by the image. The blurring function is applied to simulate the expected depth of field of the image by blurring as a function of apparent spatial depth within the image. The degree of blurring applied to a closer depth region, in an apparent depth direction, to the point of focus is lower than the degree applied to a further depth region from the point of focus. Variation of the blurring function with respect to depth separation from the point of focus depends upon the expected depth of field.
US09916516B2

At least one image processing apparatus, and at least one method, of the present invention(s) generate a corrected image obtained by removing, from a color image whose pixel values contain components derived from scattered light, at least part of the components derived from the scattered light. The at least one image processing apparatus includes a generation unit configured to generate the corrected image by correcting a pixel value of a first color component of each pixel in the color image by using a first reference intensity and a weight value, and by correcting a pixel value of a second color component of each pixel in the color image by using a second reference intensity and a weight value.
US09916514B2

Various approaches for providing textual information to an application, system, or service are disclosed. In particular, various embodiments enable a user to capture an image with a camera of a portable computing device. The computing device is capable of taking the image and processing it to recognize, identify, and/or isolate the text in order to forward the text to an application or function. The application or function can then utilize the text to perform an action in substantially real-time. The text may include an email, phone number, URL, an address, and the like and the application or function may be dialing the phone number, navigating to the URL, opening an address book to save contact information, displaying a map to show the address, and so on.
US09916512B2

A moving method for moving a plurality of objects by repeating a process of capturing an image of objects, recognizing a position of an object using the image acquired by image capturing, and moving the recognized object includes acquiring an image of a plurality of objects randomly placed in a first state in each of a first space and a second space partitioned from each other, setting a first partial area corresponding to the first space and a second partial area corresponding to the second space in an entire area of the image in the first state, recognizing a position of a first object in the first partial area and a position of a second object in the second partial area using the image in the first state, and moving the recognized first and second objects using a robot.
US09916499B2

A method for linking objects to electronic content is disclosed. The method includes providing a digital copy of a layout of an object; processing the digital copy for distinguishing text objects each associated with a visual form of at least portion of a word or a combination of adjacent words in the layout, and determining bounding boxes of the text objects; coding each text object in a binary descriptor corresponding to its visual form, whereby the coding includes: scaling the bounding box of the text object to a fixed size binary image, and flattening the binary image to form the binary descriptor; representing the layout in a binary vector formed as an array of the binary descriptors of at least the text objects in the layout; and assigning hashwords to the binary descriptors, for converting the binary vector into a searchable text form.
US09916498B2

A system for document processing including decomposing an image of a document into at least one data entry region sub-image, providing the data entry region sub-image to a data entry clerk available for processing the data entry region sub-image, receiving from the data entry clerk a data entry value associated with the data entry region sub-image, and validating the data entry value.
US09916493B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, systems and methods aggregating video content and adjusting the aggregate video content according to a training model. The adjusted aggregate video content comprises a first subset of the images and does not comprise a second subset of the images. The first subset of the images is determined by the training model based on a plurality of categories corresponding to a plurality of events. The illustrative embodiments also include presenting the adjusted aggregate video content and receiving identifications for the first subset of the images in the aggregate video content. Further, the illustrative embodiments include adjusting the training model according to the identifications and providing the adjusted training model to a network device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09916492B1

A method for preventing overlap during the application of a universal identifier (UID) to a signature document in an electronic signature service is disclosed. The method includes parsing an image file of the signature document to obtain a content vector. A set of addresses of the content vector uniquely correspond with a set of locations in the image. Each value in the content vector indicates content at a corresponding location in the image. The method also includes measuring an overlap quantity for a potential UID location using the content vector to measure the overlap quantity. The method also includes selecting a UID location in the signature document using the overlap quantity. The method also includes applying the UID to the signature document using the UID location.
US09916485B1

A method of managing objects in a site includes producing a guided surface wave with a guided surface waveguide probe, the guided surface wave having sufficient energy density to power object identification tags in an entirety of a site; receiving reply signals from the object identification tags, each object identification tag associated with an object; and identifying geolocation of one or more the objects according to received reply signals from the object identification tags that are associated with the one or more of the objects.
US09916479B2

A Universal Serial Bus (USB) dock for connecting a USB data storage device to a computing network. The USB dock includes a chassis for coupling the USB dock to the computing network, at least one panel coupled to the chassis, and at least one USB port coupled to at least one of the panels. The USB port indicates when a USB data storage device is connected to the USB port. The USB dock includes an operating system for booting the USB dock, for creating a table associated with the connected USB data storage device and for initiating an antivirus scan of the connected USB data storage device. If the antivirus scan detects a virus on the connected USB data storage device, an option of removing the virus from the connected USB data storage device is provided. If the detected virus is not removed from the connected USB data storage device, the USB port to which the USB data storage device is connected is disabled, thereby preventing the virus from entering the computing network. If the detected virus is removed from the connected USB data storage device, the operating system generates a token associated with the USB port to which the USB data storage device is connected. The token allows for enablement of the USB port to which the USB data storage device is connected. When the token expires, the USB port to which the USB data storage device is connected is disabled, thereby preventing enablement of the USB port to which the USB data storage device is connected.
US09916477B2

A relatively small amount of programmable logic may be included in a mostly ASIC device such that the programmable logic can be used as a substitute for a fault-infected ASIC block. This substitution may occur permanently or temporarily. When an ASIC block is temporarily substituted, faulty outputs of the ASIC block are disabled just at the time they would otherwise propagate an error. The operations of the temporarily deactivated ASIC block(s) may be substituted for by appropriately programmed programmable logic. Thus, a fault-infected ASIC block that operates improperly 1% of the time can continue to be gainfully used for the 99% of the time when its operations are fault free. This substitution can be activated in various stages of the ASIC block's life including after: initial design; pilot production; and mass production. This provides for cost saving and faster time-to-market, repair, and maintenance even years after installation and use.
US09916471B2

A security mechanism in a database management system enforces processing restrictions stored as metadata to control how different pieces of a multi-nodal application are allowed to access database data to provide data security. The security mechanism preferably checks the data security restrictions for security violations when an execution unit attempts to access the data to insure the nodal conditions are appropriate for access. When the security mechanism determines there is a security violation by a query from an execution unit based on the security restrictions, the security mechanism may send, delay or retry to maintain data security. Nodal conditions herein include time restrictions and relationships with other columns, rows or pieces of information. For example, multiple processing units may execute together, but the security mechanism would prohibit these processing units to access specific pieces of information at the same time through the use of metadata in the database.
US09916470B2

A mechanism is provided for sensor sharing control dynamically. One or more sensor use permissions are received from one or more sensor provider terminals. For each sensor use permission, a sensor use permission is recorded in an authorization policy thereby forming a set of authorization policies. A use request is recorded for sensor use request information received from a sensor user terminal in a request policy. A search is performed for any authorization policy in the set of authorization policies that matches the request policy. Responsive to identifying the authorization policy that matches the request policy, a list of sensors included in the sensor use permissions of an authorization policy that matches the request policy is created. The list of sensors is transmitted to the sensor user terminal, where the search is performed again dynamically when the request policy or one of the set of authorization policies is changed.
US09916461B2

Identity context-based access control is implemented by generating an identity context expression from user identity data. In particular, users are clustered based on combinations of one or more attributes. These clusters comprise one or more identity context(s). Preferably, an intersection of attribute sets of each user in the cluster is formed. In addition, an intersection of attribute sets of each user not in the cluster also is formed. If the attribute set that is common across the cluster of users is not a subset of the attribute set that is common across the rest of the users, then the attribute set forms a unique identity context expression. To reduce the number of roles used in role-based access control (RBAC), at least one role is replaced with an identity context expression. Run-time access control is then enabled.
US09916460B2

As disclosed herein a computer system for secure database backup and recovery in a secure database network has N distributed data nodes. The computer system includes program instructions that include instructions to receive a database backup file, fragment the file using a fragment engine, and associate each fragment with one node, where the fragment is not stored on the associated node. The program instructions further include instructions to encrypt each fragment using a first encryption key, and store, randomly, encrypted fragments on the distributed data nodes. The program instructions further include instructions to retrieve the encrypted fragments, decrypt the encrypted fragments using the first encryption key, re-encrypt the decrypted fragments using a different encryption key, and store, randomly, the re-encrypted fragments on the distributed data nodes. A computer program product and method corresponding to the above computer system are also disclosed herein.
US09916459B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for encrypting photograph metadata are provided. An image file is received. The image file includes digital image data and a plurality of data fields. A first data field of the plurality of data fields includes a first metadata. A rule set for modifying the first metadata is received. In response to determining that at least one rule of the rule set corresponds to the first metadata, the first metadata is encrypted based to create a second metadata. The second metadata is stored in the image file.
US09916457B2

A data-hosting system facilitates binding a decoupled name to a data object. During operation, the system can receive a command to generate a decoupled name that binds a new name to the data object. The system generates a hash for the data object based on the data object's content, such that the hash is not generated based on a name for the data object. The system then obtains a private key for signing the data object, and generates the decoupled name for the data object by encrypting the data object's hash and the new name using the private key. This decoupled name binds the new name to the data object. When a client request the data object based on the network name, the system can return the decoupled name associated with content of the data object. The client can use the decoupled name to validate the data object.
US09916453B2

Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for generating a derivative key for an execution environment (EE) are described. An example of a method includes obtaining a device key by a key derivation circuit, obtaining a context string by the key derivation circuit from a one-time writable bit register (OWBR), generating the derivative key for a current EE by the key derivation circuit based on the device key and on the context string from the OWBR.
US09916433B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for condition authentication based upon temporal-spatial analysis of vibrational responsivity. In particular, the present invention provides temporal tracking of reflected secondary speckle patterns generated when illuminating an object with a source of at least partially coherent beam and while applying a stimulated field at different temporal stimulating frequencies.
US09916430B1

A haptic-based identification, authentication, authorization, and context aware authorization system usable with a touch-enabled device having a touch screen haptic interface, touch-enabled device receiving a plurality of inputs during interaction with a user which includes a storage space to store a first plurality of inputs corresponding to an authenticated user and a central processing unit (CPU) in communication with the storage space and the touch-enabled device to compare the first plurality of inputs with a second plurality of inputs inputted by the user, wherein the CPU authenticates the user to the touch-enabled device when the inputted second plurality of inputs is determined to be similar to the first plurality of inputs.
US09916429B2

Systems and methods are provided for managing license objects to applications in an application platform database system. The method includes associating an LMA with an application installed to the application platform by a developer, notifying a license manager to which the license manager application is installed of the installation of the application to the application platform, and managing subscriber access to the application using the license manager application.
US09916422B2

The present invention relates to a method for planning the positioning of an implant relative to a body part, comprising the steps of: —identifying at least one reference feature of the body part and determining, in a first posture of the patient, a biunique positional and/or orientational relationship between the at least one reference feature and at least one adjustment parameter defined for the first posture, for positioning the implant; —identifying the at least one reference feature of the body part in a second posture of the patient; —deriving at least one corresponding adjustment parameter defined for the second posture from the position and/or orientation of the at least one reference feature in the second posture and the positional and/or orientational relationship between the at least one reference feature in the first posture and the at least one adjustment parameter defined for the first posture.
US09916416B2

A system and method for genotyping tandem repeats in sequencing data. The invention uses Bayesian model selection guided by an empirically-derived error model that incorporates properties of sequence reads and reference sequences to which they map.
US09916414B2

An apparatus for generating a test case includes a constrained description generator configured to define a plurality of constrained verification spaces in a total verification space, and generate a constrained description for each of the plurality of constrained verification spaces; and a test case generator configured to generate a test case using the constrained description.
US09916413B2

A computer-implemented method capable of preparing a design rule indicative of a terminal metal area size of a transistor, minimizing a plasma-induced charging effect to the transistor in a plasma-based process for a dielectric layer performed on a metal layer above the transistor, is provided. The method includes a non-transitory computer readable medium, a design rule generator engine possessing a capability of accurately and swiftly simulating, evaluating and delivering design solutions for interconnect metals and dielectrics while largely saving test chip layout space, and performing the design-for-manufacturing process based on minimized plasma-induced charging effect to the transistor of the integrated circuit design. The disclosed method is applicable to all metal layers in the plasma-based process.
US09916404B2

Systems and methods for protocol bridging for a system level modeling simulation (SLMS), such as a SYSTEMC simulation where the components communicate using a TLM2.0 application programming interface (API). The method includes accessing design configuration information describing a first component of the SLMS that uses a first communication protocol and a second component of the SLMS that uses a second communication protocol. Run-time bridging logic is inserted between the first component and the second component based on the design configuration information. The run-time bridging logic is inserted at initialization of the SLMS and configured to bridge the first communication protocol of the first component and the second communication protocol of the second component.
US09916402B2

A package design system creates one or more package design files by creating cut line instructions and fold line instructions for a package flat. If the system determines that the package flat should be split into two or more subparts across two or more substrates or two or more sub-regions of a single substrate, it will select a fold line and convert the selected fold line to a seam. Conversion to a seam may occur by creating cut line instructions for the selected fold line, imparting a first set of functional elements on a first side of the seam, and imparting a second set of functional elements on a second side of the seam. The first set of functional elements and the second set of functional elements will form a functional connection when the three-dimensional structure is formed.
US09916400B1

A system for collaborating on a component according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a computing device configured to execute a first multi-user CAx environment including a data module and an import module. The data module is configured to access a database relating to a component design. The component design relates to a group of function-based commands. The import module is configured to cause a user defined object to be imported into the first multi-user CAx environment in response to the user defined object being located based on an identifier. The user defined object relates to the component design.
US09916391B2

A method for webpage content browsing is provided. The method includes a terminal receiving a browsing request inputted by a user through performing an operation on a webpage link in a task window of an application, where the browsing request contains the webpage link. The method also includes the terminal parsing the browsing request to obtain the webpage link included in the browsing request. Further, the method includes the terminal generating a browsing window process, creating a browsing window using the browsing window process and attaching the browsing window to the task window. In addition, the method includes the terminal obtaining the webpage contents corresponding to the webpage link and outputting the webpage contents to the browsing window.
US09916390B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for managing a browser cache offline. An example method comprises storing in a cache of a web browser on a user device information about a plurality of contents of a web page visited by a user during one or more web browsing sessions; determining logical relationships among the plurality of the contents of the web page; associating the plurality of contents of the web page with a cluster based on the determined logical relationships; receiving a request to load a web page from the web browser on the user device; upon detecting that the user device is offline, determining and detecting that the requested web page is stored in the cache and is associated with a cluster, and retrieving from the cache for off-line browsing on the user device the plurality of contents of the requested web page associated with the identified cluster.
US09916388B2

A system and method for creating a web page or web site including dynamically-generating content, such as a forum, using a framing layout and a series of modules arrangeable within. An interface allows the selection and placement of modules of various types in a simulation of a web page, and configuration data for each module may be set. A layout, or plurality of possible layouts, defines sections into which the modules may be placed. Pages may be organized in a hierarchy such that features of a template page are applied to any page underneath it in the hierarchy. The interface or other component of the system may further allow for the development of additional modules and layouts to be added to the available selection.
US09916387B2

A search system includes a storage system that stores a plurality of sets of application-specific rules. Each of the sets is associated with a respective application and defines a template for generating function identifiers that identify functions of the respective application. A search module receives a search query prepared by a remote device, identifies at least one entity type indicated by the search query, and retrieves a first set of application-specific rules corresponding to the identified entity type. The search module generates at least one unparameterized function identifier using the retrieved first set of application-specific rules and the search query and parameterizes the at least one unparameterized function identifier using the search query. Parameterizing the at least one unparameterized function identifier includes populating at least one parameter field with a parameter value. The search module generates search results based on the parameterized function identifier.
US09916385B2

A search request received at a computer of a search support system is processed by analyzing the received search request to identify request parameters and connecting to a system index of the search support system that is referenced in the request parameters. An external result provider (ERP) process is initiated that establishes communication between the search support system and a data source external to the search support system, for a virtual index referenced in the request parameters. Thus, the ERP process provides an interface between the search support system and external data sources, such as by third parties. The ERP process can operate in a streaming mode (providing real-time search results with minimal processing) and/or a reporting mode (providing results with a greater delay and processing extent) and can switch between modes. The search request results are received from the connected system indexes and the referenced virtual indexes.
US09916378B2

A table structure corresponding to the table is selected to describe when cells in a cell-pair in the table structure should be similar to one another. A cell similarity function is selected to compare the cells in the cell-pair and output a probability that the cell-pair includes cells that contain values that are similar to one another according to a criteria. A cell similarity probability is determined of a first cell and a second cell in a first cell-pair in the table structure being similar to each other according to the cell similarity function. A computed probability is adjusted of the table structure representing the table using the cell similarity probability. The computed probability is indicated as a probability of a first model representing the table, wherein the first model is a function of the table structure and the selected cell similarity function.
US09916370B1

Systems and methods for providing hierarchy scores are described. Generally, influence scores for authors of a crowd may be determined based on emotional scores and echoing of time series data strings. One or more regression lines may be determined based on the influence scores to provide a raw hierarchy score and/or a central hierarchy score. Analysis and/or comparisons of the hierarchy scores may be used to classify the crowd type and output an influential score report.
US09916366B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating or using augmentation queries. In one aspect, a first query stored in a query log is identified and a quality signal related to the performance of the first query is compared to a performance threshold. The first query is stored in an augmentation query data store if the quality signal indicates that the first query exceeds a performance threshold.
US09916362B2

The disclosure includes a system and method for providing recommendation items to users. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that when executed cause the system to: receive identification input data associated with a user; identify the user using the identification input data; receive sensor data; determine a current situation associated with the user from one or more predefined situations described by predefined situation data and associated parameters; receive data describing a set of candidate items; generate a set of efficacy scores for the set of candidate items; eliminate one or more candidate items from the set of candidate items to obtain one or more remaining candidate items; rank the one or more remaining candidate items based on one or more associated efficacy scores; and provide one or more recommendation items to the user from the one or more ranked remaining candidate items.
US09916357B2

Linking of a child table to a parent table in a database system. For a given parent table row, an expression associated with the particular row is identified. The expression may be a semantic expression that comprises something different than or more than an equals expression or a contains expression. The expression might also take as input a field of the parent table other than the primary key of the parent table. For each of multiple (and potentially all) rows of a child table, the expression is evaluated against a foreign key of the corresponding row of the child table. If the foreign key matches the expression, an association is created, and perhaps saved, between the foreign key and the particular row of the parent table. The expressions may differ even down to the granularity of a single row in the parent table, thereby enabling perhaps custom per-row expressions.
US09916351B2

An approach for joining operations on document-oriented databases. The approach consists of receiving database identifiers, common attributes and results attributes for core and target databases being joined. Common attributes are searched for in the databases. The searches performed include string, expansive, character and nested. Common attribute join conflicts are identified and input is received to resolve attribute join conflicts. Resolved join conflicts are updated in a join substitution database for subsequent use and joined data results are output to virtual table(s).
US09916349B2

Systems and methods are provided for expanding database search queries. In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a token that is usable in search queries for data in a database, the database including items of data stored in a tree hierarchy of categories. The method further comprises determining a synonym candidate for the token, and identifying the synonym candidate as a synonym for the token in response to a determination that the token and the synonym candidate are in a same category for a level of the tree hierarchy.
US09916348B1

In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query determined to be a question query that seeks an answer response and data identifying resources determined to be responsive to the query; identifying structured content set in a top-ranked subset of the resources, each structured content set being content arranged according to related attributes in one of the resources; for each identified structured content set, determining whether the query matches the structured content set based on terms of the query matching related attributes of the structured content set; selecting one of the structured content sets for which the query is determined to match; generating, from the selected structured content set, a structured fact set from the related attributes that matched the terms of the query; and providing the structured fact set with search results that identify the resources determined to be responsive to the query.
US09916340B2

Data records may be managed in a relational database by monitoring, a record length for a first data record in a page of memory, an amount of free space in the page, and a page length. In response to receiving an operator command to replace the first data record with a second data record, a database management system may determine whether an estimated record length of a compressed second data record is outside of the amount of free space in the page. In response to determining the estimated record length of a compressed second data record is outside of the amount of free space in the page, the database management system may determine whether an estimated length of a compressed page is outside of the page length. In response to determining the estimated length of a compressed page is within the page length, the page may be compressed.
US09916338B2

Data records may be managed in a relational database by monitoring, a record length for a first data record in a page of memory, an amount of free space in the page, and a page length. In response to receiving an operator command to replace the first data record with a second data record, a database management system may determine whether an estimated record length of a compressed second data record is outside of the amount of free space in the page. In response to determining the estimated record length of a compressed second data record is outside of the amount of free space in the page, the database management system may determine whether an estimated length of a compressed page is outside of the page length. In response to determining the estimated length of a compressed page is within the page length, the page may be compressed.
US09916336B2

A temporal-miss handler includes updating a data leaf in a tree-structured database of a communications processor with a plurality of threads. A search for the data leaf includes generating at least one search result for one of the plurality of threads. A sufficiency of a temporal separation, between updating the data leaf and searching for the data leaf, to retrieve the data leaf is determined. Each search result is cleared when the temporal separation is insufficient. A new search is performed when the temporal separation is insufficient.
US09916335B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for decompressing data are described. An ordinal column number of columnar data to be accessed is obtained, the ordinal column number identifying a location of the columnar data in a corresponding uncompressed row, the columnar data being stored in a first data structure. A breakpoint value in a breakpoint field of the at least partially compressed row is determined, the breakpoint value indicating a location of an end of a common prefix in the corresponding uncompressed row, the common prefix being stored in a second data structure. The ordinal column number of the columnar data to be accessed and a column number indicated by the breakpoint value are compared, the comparison identifying one or more locations of the columnar data to be accessed.
US09916334B2

An approach for tracking system changes to support data maintenance within a directory service environment. Log fields are added to a directory service database for applications that interface with a directory service environment based on predetermined fields to be tracked. The log fields are updated to register database schema fields and data associated with the applications to create a history of changes. An application's identity and data access to the directory service environment are monitored and the log fields are updated to create a history of usage. The directory service database history of usage and changes are periodically analyzed to determine applications relationship dependencies and usage information. Associated maintenance actions are identified by detecting conditions in the directory service environment, based on predetermined maintenance criteria and maintenance is performed.
US09916332B2

An example process for selecting chart scalings for plotting two time-series datasets includes determining a first log difference between a logarithm of a maximum value of a first dataset and a logarithm of a minimum value of the first dataset. The process also includes determining a second log difference between a logarithm of a maximum value of a second dataset and a logarithm of a minimum value of the second dataset. The process also includes selecting, based at least in part on the first and second log differences, between a linear chart scaling and a logarithmic chart scaling for the first dataset. The process also includes selecting, based at least in part on the first and second log differences, between a linear chart scaling and a logarithmic chart scaling for the second dataset.
US09916329B2

A composer interface allows a user to provide input, such as text data, to the social networking system. One or more images may be presented to the user via the composer interface, allowing the user to select one or more images to associate with the input. The images presented to the user may be selected based on associations of images with similar input by social networking system users. For example, images that a threshold number of users have associated with similar input are presented via the composer interface. If the user selects an image to associate with the input, the social networking system presents the selected image along with the received input in a content item presented to other social networking system users.
US09916320B2

Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include configuring a storage system to store multiple storage entities, and defining, in a memory, a lookup table including multiple entries, each of the entries referencing a unique storage entity. Upon receiving a storage entity to be stored on the storage system, a compressibility of the received storage entity is determined upon detecting that the received storage entity is not identical to any of the unique storage entities referenced by the lookup table, and an entry referencing the received storage entity is added to the lookup table upon meeting a duplication condition based on the determined compressibility.
US09916314B2

An AND operation is performed for an integrated appearance map of a compression code of character data “”, an integrated appearance map of a compression code of character data “”, and an integrated deletion map for a segment. The AND result is “1100” and it is found that the character data “” and “” are likely to be present in the segments (sg1(1)) and (sg1(2)). Since the segments are specified from the AND result, the AND operations are performed. As a result, the segments are specified and the AND operations are performed. As a result, a file number 3 is specified from the segment (sg0(1)) and a file number 19 is specified from the segment (sg0(5)). Therefore, it is found that both of the character data “” and “” are present in compression files (f3) and (f19).
US09916312B1

A method includes (a) receiving a command to create an upper-deck filesystem of a specified size, the upper-deck filesystem residing within a logical volume expressed from a container file of a lower-deck filesystem, (b) provisioning a plurality of storage provisioning units (SPUs) from a storage pool of the data storage system to the container file in an order reflecting proximity of the SPUs within storage devices of the data storage system, the plurality of SPUs providing storage for the entire container file, and (c) subsequent to provisioning the plurality of SPUs to the container file, executing a plurality of threads in parallel to write metadata of the upper-deck filesystem to the plurality of SPUs, representing the upper-deck filesystem. Other embodiments are directed to a system, a computerized apparatus, and a computer program product for performing methods similar to that described above.
US09916309B2

One embodiment of a method for summarizing an electronic document includes splitting the electronic document into a plurality of terms, wherein each of the plurality of terms is associated with a respective length, a respective informativeness score, and a respective coherence score, automatically selecting a subset of the plurality of terms, such that an aggregate informativeness score of the subset is maximized while an aggregate length of the subset is less than or equal to a maximum length, and arranging the subset as a summary of the electronic document.
US09916304B2

A translation corpus creation method of the present disclosure includes generating plural paraphrasing candidate sentences for a first original sentence in a first language by paraphrasing one or plural fragments among plural fragments included in the first original sentence into other expressions in the first language by a paraphrasing candidate sentence generation unit, identifying one or plural paraphrasing candidate sentences in the same meaning as the meaning of the first original sentence from the plural paraphrasing candidate sentences as one or plural paraphrasing sentences by a paraphrasing sentence identification unit, and generating a new set of sentences by setting the one or plural identified paraphrasing sentences and a second original sentence translated from the first original sentence as a set of sentences to create a translation corpus with the generated and new set of sentences by a translation corpus creation unit.
US09916295B1

A method and apparatus to align contexts with text. Multiple versions within separate forms of context are controlled; all contexts are controlled in independent alignment with parts in text. Plain text syllables are synchronized with audio vocalization playback with timings applied in context. Precise synchronization is controlled within a multi-touch tap process. Same-language restatements, translations, linguistic alignment “ties” and tags are controlled in contexts. Depictions and vocalizations of text and parts in text are controlled within contexts and sorted within tiered carousels. Toggle controls quickly access separate contexts. Independent alignments between multiple contexts and parts in text are controlled and dynamically adjusted in real-time. Text and contexts in multiple writing systems, styles and sizes are aligned and edited within WYSIWYG textarea. Context alignment controls are applied within a collaborative social framework.
US09916293B2

A computer readable medium, an electronic document or a system that uses on of these that includes code that specifies a module for a container document using a content type element, a content element and one or more preference elements.
US09916288B2

A method and server for pushing a cellular lexicon. The server is used for receiving input method log information sent by a client; acquiring a client identifier and a client-selected word in the input method log information; searching for an undownloaded cellular lexicon in an undownloaded cellular lexicon list corresponding to the client identifier, acquiring a first matching lexicon comprising the client-selected word in the undownloaded cellular lexicon, and adding a first weight value to a lexicon weight value of the first matching lexicon corresponding to the client identifier; pushing the first matching lexicon to a corresponding client when the lexicon weight value is greater than a pushing threshold value; and deleting the pushed first matching lexicon. The server can push a cellular lexicon actually needed by the client, thereby increasing the input precision regarding a certain category of entries, and improving the input efficiency of the client.
US09916287B2

Disclosed is a method, a device and a system for zooming a font in a web page file, and the method includes: receiving a web page file; parsing and recognizing the web page file, to classify text contained in the web page file into a first group of zoomable text and a second group of unzoomable text; detecting a zoom operation performed on the web page file displayed at a mobile terminal; and upon the detection of the zoom operation, zooming the first group of text in the web page file except for the second group of text in the web page file. With the method, the problem that the text in a web page file are overlapped due to zooming is avoided, and the typesetting of the web page may be reasonable, without degrading the experience of the user in browsing the web page.
US09916285B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and systems for previewing a web page. The methods include: sending a web page previewing request to a middleware server in accordance with a web page previewing triggering instruction; loading, by the middleware server, a main document of a web page link requested to be previewed in accordance with the web page previewing request, and typesetting the main document; and partially capturing the typeset main document and uniformly scaling the captured typeset main document in accordance with a screen size of a mobile terminal to generate a preview image for the mobile terminal to display. With the present disclosure, a web page can be rapidly previewed, thereby reducing the waiting time of a user.
US09916272B2

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a node to couple to a serial bus, and a controller to provide a control signal to one of a first circuit path and a second circuit path in order to change electrical termination of a signal at the node between a first electrical termination through the first circuit path during a first mode of the controller and a second electrical termination through the second circuit path during a second mode of the controller. The controller can be arranged to provide the control signal to the first and second circuit paths during the first and second modes without providing another control signal from the controller to the first and second circuit paths during the first and second modes.
US09916264B2

A method for privilege based memory pinning is provided. The method includes receiving a request to pin an amount of address space memory from a process executing on an operating system. The operating system includes a configurable mode of operation. In mandatory mode, the operating system executes the request to pin address space memory based on the role hierarchy-based privilege level of the requestor process. When the requested amount is greater than the operating system's amount of memory that can be used to pin memory, the operating system fails the request. However, when the operating can satisfy the request from processes having a lower privilege level relative to the requestor process, memory is unpinned from one or more of these processes.
US09916257B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for efficient TLB (translation look-aside buffer) shoot-downs for heterogeneous devices sharing virtual memory in a multi-core system. Embodiments of an apparatus for efficient TLB shoot-downs may include a TLB to store virtual address translation entries, and a memory management unit, coupled with the TLB, to maintain PASID (process address space identifier) state entries corresponding to the virtual address translation entries. The PASID state entries may include an active reference state and a lazy-invalidation state. The memory management unit may perform atomic modification of PASID state entries responsive to receiving PASID state update requests from devices in the multi-core system and read the lazy-invalidation state of the PASID state entries. The memory management unit may send PASID state update responses to the devices to synchronize TLB entries prior to activation responsive to the respective lazy-invalidation state.
US09916250B2

A method, device, and non-transitory computer readable medium that dynamically allocates cache resources includes monitoring a hit or miss rate of a service level objective for each of a plurality of prior workloads and a performance of each of a plurality of cache storage resources. At least one configuration for the cache storage resources for one or more current workloads is determined based at least on a service level objective for each of the current workloads, the monitored hit or miss rate for each of the plurality of prior workloads and the monitored performance of each of the plurality of cache storage resources. The cache storage resources are dynamically partitioned among each of the current workloads based on the determined configuration.
US09916248B2

The storage device of the present invention provides a decompression VOL having no corresponding relationship (mapping) with a final storage media to a superior device, and receives accesses from the superior device to the decompression VOL. Then, data written into the decompression VOL is compressed on-line in a cache memory, and the compressed data is mapped to a compression VOL which is a volume mapped to a final storage media. At the same time, by maintaining and managing a mapping information between an area in the decompression VOL where data has been written and a location in the compression VOL to which compressed data of the relevant data is mapped, when a read request is received from a superior device regarding the decompression VOL, the storage device converts a location information in the decompression VOL designated by the read request to a location information of the final storage media.
US09916242B2

A storage system includes control devices and a second processor. The second processor determines a number of abnormal batteries when an abnormality has occurred in a first battery. The second processor assigns a second cache currently assigned to a second control device associated with the first battery to a first control device when the number is smaller than a threshold. The second processor assigns a mirror cache currently assigned to the second control device to a third control device when the number is smaller than the threshold. The second processor instructs the first control device to control write to a first storage device associated with a first cache by using the first cache. Data of the first cache is mirrored to the mirror cache. The second processor instructs the first control device to control write to a second storage device associated with the second cache by using the second cache.
US09916241B2

Systems and techniques for performing a data transaction are disclosed that provide data redundancy using two or more cache devices. In some embodiments, a data transaction is received by a storage controller of a storage system from a host system. The storage controller caches data and/or metadata associated with the data transaction to at least two cache devices that are discrete from the storage controller. After caching, the storage controller provides a transaction completion response to the host system from which the transaction was received. In some examples, each of the at least two cache devices includes a storage class memory. In some examples, the storage controller caches metadata to the at least two cache devices and to a controller cache of the storage controller, while data is cached to the at least two cache devices without being cached in the controller cache.
US09916234B1

Methods and systems for performing mainframe batch testing and/or property-based validation testing using a finite-state machine are provided. According to certain aspects, a validation server may receive a set of batch data designed to validate a property under test, such as during mainframe batch testing. A validation server may validate that the set of batch data is in a proper format. The validation server may then cause a finite-state machine to process instructions contained within the set of batch data. Once the finite-state machine processes the set of batch data, the validation server may then validate that the finite-state machine adheres to the property under test. If the validation fails, the validation server may generate an error report describing the failure.
US09916226B2

A system of testing software is provided. The system comprises a first hardware system having hardware components to execute a first version of the software, and additionally comprises a second hardware system having hardware components to execute a second version of the software. Here, the first version of the software and the second version are different. In addition, the system includes a device configured to test the first hardware system and the second hardware system by providing first input data traffic to the first hardware system, providing second input data traffic to the second hardware system, and accessing performance values from the first hardware system and the second hardware system to evaluate a performance comparison between the first hardware system executing the first version of the software and the second hardware system executing the second version of the software.
US09916225B1

A system, method, and computer program product for testing a software component by simulating a computing component interface using captured network packet information. A method may include receiving a service request comprised of one or more network packets from a software component to be tested. Responsive to receiving the service request, the method may access a data store of captured network packet information and determine that a matching service request is stored in the accessed data store. The matching service request may be comprised of one or more network packets that match the service request. The method may identify an associated response that is stored in the accessed data store. The associated response may be one or more network packets that are stored in association with the matching service request. The method then sends the associated response to the first software component.
US09916221B2

A computer-implemented method includes identifying a primary code segment, determining a confidence score associated with said primary code segment, and determining whether the confidence score exceeds a confidence threshold. The computer-implemented method further includes responsive to the confidence score exceeding the confidence threshold, determining a logger code segment associated with the primary code segment. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed.
US09916216B2

Instead of disabling PCI communication between system resources in a host computing device and I/O devices when a PCI Host Bridge (PHB) is reset, the host computing device may include a PCI communication path for maintaining communication between the system resources and the I/O devices. In one embodiment, the redundant PCI communication path includes a second PHB that is maintained in a standby state. The host may monitor the errors generated by a plurality of master PHBs and select a master PHB that satisfies an error threshold. The second PHB (i.e., a servant PHB) is assigned to backup the master PHB that satisfies the error threshold. The master PHB can then be reset while the second PHB maintains PCI communication between the host and the I/O devices.
US09916214B2

As disclosed herein a method, executed by a computer, includes determining, by a processor, that a first node of a HA cluster is unable to communicate with a second node of the HA cluster, and initiating, by a processor, by the first node, a handshake operation with a connected client, wherein the handshake operation comprises requesting that the client determine a status of the second node and receiving, from the client, a response indicating the status of the second node. The method further includes accepting, by a processor, new requests in response to determining that the second node is unavailable, and requesting, by a processor, restoration of communications between the first node and the second node in response to determining that the second node is available. A computer system and computer program product corresponding to the above method are also disclosed herein.
US09916213B1

In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprises: a plurality of bus masters and a plurality of bus arbiters to support routing and failover, wherein each bus arbiter is coupled to a plurality of bus masters; and a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to at least one of the bus arbiters; wherein the CPU is configured to execute a firmware that chooses bus re-routing or failover in response to a bus failure. In another embodiment of the invention, a method comprises: choosing, by a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a plurality of bus arbiters, bus re-routing or failover in response to a bus failure. In yet another embodiment of the invention, an article of manufacture, comprises a non-transient computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that permit a method comprising: choosing, by a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a plurality of bus arbiters, bus re-routing or failover in response to a bus failure.
US09916204B2

An information processing apparatus, backup method, and program product that enable efficient differential backup. In one embodiment, an information processing apparatus for files stored in a storage device includes: a metadata management unit for managing metadata of files stored in the storage device; a map generation unit for generating a map which indicates whether metadata associated with an identification value uniquely identifying a file in the storage device is present or absent; and a backup management unit for scanning the metadata to detect files that have been created, modified, or deleted since the last backup, and storing at least a data block and the metadata for a detected file in a backup storage device as backup information in association with the identification value.
US09916203B1

Embodiments are directed to a method of minimizing latency and input/output (I/O) operations in a data storage system by defining a sparse metadata segment tree to identify changed data blocks, wherein a full version of the tree is stored in a memory and modified versions of the tree are stored in cache memory, and using the sparse metadata segment tree to perform at least one data storage application including file verification, file replication, file restores, and file system snapshots.
US09916201B2

Embodiments relate to supporting transaction data committed to a stable storage. Committed data in the cluster is stored in the persistent cache layer and replicated and stored in the cache layer of one or more secondary nodes. One copy is designated as a master copy and all other copies are designated as replica, with an exclusive write lock assigned to the master and a shared write lock extended to the replica. An acknowledgement of receiving the data is communicated following confirmation that the data has been replicated to each node designated to receive the replica. Managers and a director are provided to support management of the master copy and the replicas within the file system, including invalidation of replicas, fault tolerance associated with failure of a node holding a master copy, recovery from a failed node, recovered of the file system from a power failure, and transferring master and replica copies within the file system.
US09916196B2

A memory module includes a substrate, and respective first, second and third memory devices. The first memory device is of a first type disposed on the substrate and has addressable storage locations. The second memory device is also of the first type, and includes storage cells dedicated to store failure address information associated with defective storage locations in the first memory device. The third memory device is of the first type and includes storage cells dedicated to substitute as storage locations for the defective storage locations.
US09916189B2

In the described embodiments, entities in a computing device selectively write specified values to a lock variable in a local cache and one or more lower levels of a memory hierarchy to enable multiple entities to enable the concurrent execution of corresponding critical sections of program code that are protected by a same lock.
US09916184B2

Methods and systems for data relocation in global storage cloud environments are provided. A method includes locating a data server near a travel location of a user based on one or more travel plans of the user. The method further includes transferring data of the user from a home data server near a home location of the user to the data server near the travel location.
US09916178B2

Technologies for integrated thread scheduling include a computing device having a network interface controller (NIC). The NIC is configured to detect and suspend a thread that is being blocked by one or more communication operations. A thread scheduling engine of the NIC is configured to move the suspended thread from a running queue of the system thread scheduler to a pending queue of the thread scheduling engine. The thread scheduling engine is further configured to move the suspended thread from the pending queue to a ready queue of the thread scheduling engine upon determining any dependencies and/or blocking communications operations have completed. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09916173B2

A hypervisor of a host receives an indication of an exit from a guest to the hypervisor and a memory-mapped input output (MMIO) address that caused the exit to hypervisor. The hypervisor walks a page table of the guest to identify a guest address associated with the MMIO address that caused the exit to the hypervisor. The hypervisor decodes an instruction of the guest referenced by the guest address to determine a type of operation that the guest intended to execute and a location of MMIO information. The hypervisor records, in a page table entry for the MMIO address of a host page table, an association with the type of operation and the location of the MMIO information. The hypervisor executes the operation on behalf of the guest based on the type of the operation and the MMIO information.
US09916170B2

A method for simulating a virtual computing environment includes specifying one or more flavors of resource consumers and one or more flavors of datastores to be provisioned on a tree of hosts for a simulation of a distributed virtualization scheduler. The method also includes generating a tree of hosts for the resource consumers and datastores based on the specified flavors and using a tree generator component of the distributed virtualization scheduler. The method further includes generating a plurality of resource consumer requests for the generated tree of hosts according to a pattern-based input, where the resource consumer requests include requests for the specified resource consumer flavors and the specified datastore flavors. The method also includes simulating execution of the resource consumer requests on the generated tree of hosts using the distributed virtualization scheduler, and utilizing a result of the simulated execution to improve a placement decision for a resource consumer.
US09916163B2

A system for synchronizing parallel processing of a plurality of functional processing units (FPU), a first FPU and a first program counter to control timing of a first stream of program instructions issued to the first FPU by advancement of the first program counter; a second FPU and a second program counter to control timing of a second stream of program instructions issued to the second FPU by advancement of the second program counter, the first FPU is in communication with a second FPU to synchronize the issuance of a first stream of program instructions to the second stream of program instructions and the second FPU is in communication with the first FPU to synchronize the issuance of the second stream program instructions to the first stream of program instructions.
US09916160B2

A method of one aspect may include receiving a rotate instruction. The rotate instruction may indicate a source operand and a rotate amount. A result may be stored in a destination operand indicated by the rotate instruction. The result may have the source operand rotated by the rotate amount. Execution of the rotate instruction may complete without reading a carry flag.
US09916151B2

A vehicle may receive a software update to be installed to a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicle ECU may download a software update received from a server to a first storage; generate a nonce value associated with the software update; send to the server, a swap authorization request including the generated nonce value; receive a swap authorization including the nonce value and a command-and-control signature from the server; validate the signature and the nonce value from the swap authorization; and reboot using the first storage instead of a second storage when the recovered nonce value matches the generated nonce value.
US09916150B2

Updates for an enterprise's software product are made available to user devices on-line, even when network resources of the enterprise are unavailable. Software update sets and notifications concerning the update sets may be published by an enterprise for consumption by content distribution partners of the enterprise and parties not affiliated with the enterprise. Each abstraction relating to an update, including update notifications and update sets may include a cryptographic signature for later use in authenticating the source of the abstraction. Update notifications also may include information indicative of: available update sets; and network locations at which the update sets can be accessed. Further, an update notification may be configured with a time-to-live (TTL) value indicating a value of time after which the notification expires. TTL values give the enterprise some control over the distribution of update sets by limiting the lifespan of the update notifications corresponding to the update sets.
US09916148B2

A method for managing a software package, including: accessing a request to process one or more package definitions in relation to a data repository which retains package definitions, wherein the one or more package definitions is associated with the software package; determining a status of an assertion that indicates either a completed assertion or an incomplete assertion; if the status is determined to be the incomplete assertion, then determining requirements for the software package to be configured for the hyper-converged appliance; attempting to find a match for the assertion in a pool of known resolvable assertions, wherein the match will allow the assertion to be resolved through accessible provisions and thereby fulfill the requirements; if the match is found, then using the accessible provisions to resolve and thereby complete the assertion; and if the assertion is completed, continuing an installation process of the software package.
US09916147B2

Configuration information associated with software installed on a production system may be discovered. A script is automatically generated for capturing data traffic from and to the software installed on the production system using the configuration information. The script may be executed to capture data traffic of the software running on the production system. A migrated version of the software may be executed on a test system using requests extracted from the captured data traffic. The responses in the captured data traffic may be compared with responses from the migrated version of the software.
US09916145B2

Apparatus, systems, and methods for a compiler are described. One such compiler generates machine code corresponding to a set of elements including a general purpose element and a special purpose element. The compiler identifies a portion in an arrangement of relationally connected operators that corresponds to a special purpose element. The compiler also determines whether the portion meets a condition to be mapped to the special purpose element. The compiler also converts the arrangement into an automaton comprising a plurality of states, wherein the portion is converted using a special purpose state that corresponds to the special purpose element if the portion meets the condition. The compiler also converts the automaton into machine code. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09916141B2

A computer-implemented method includes, in a code transformation system, identifying save-to-return code instructions, function call code instructions, comparison code instructions, and exceptional code instructions. The function call code instructions are associated with the save-to-return code instructions. The comparison code instructions are associated with the save-to-return code instructions. The exceptional code instructions are associated with the comparison code instructions. A predefined proximity range based on a predefined proximity value as well as a proximity eligibility indicator are determined. The proximity eligibility indicator denotes whether the save-to-return code instructions and the comparison code instructions are within the predefined proximity range. Responsive to the proximity eligibility indicator denoting the save-to-return code instructions and the comparison code instructions are within the predefined proximity range, one or more execution flow relationships between the function call code instructions and the exceptional code instructions are created. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed.
US09916140B2

Techniques describe generating an end-to-end web application. A user interface (UI) design tool generates a first application that includes a UI having one or more UI elements. One or more classifications of server properties (e.g., REST resource names, JSON names, CRUD actions, etc.) are mapped to each of the UI elements. A data schema is generated from the classifications. A machine-readable description of the data schema and mapped classifications is generated. The UI design tool generates a second application from the machine-readable description. The second application is an implementation of the UI of the first application and the machine-readable description.
US09916135B2

A method for scaling a cloud infrastructure, comprises receiving at least one of resource-level metrics and application-level metrics, estimating parameters of at least one application based on the received metrics, automatically and dynamically determining directives for scaling application deployment based on the estimated parameters, and providing the directives to a cloud service provider to execute the scaling.
US09916134B2

Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide an improved software development tool that can be tested via a webpage. The tool has access to a distributed computing component and, in response to an indication to deploy the distributed computing component, generates a web page. In some embodiments the web page contains a diagrammatic graphical representation of the distributed computing component.
US09916133B2

A computer-implemented method for managing a release of a software product includes obtaining a request for the release, the request including workflow action parameter data to define a release pipeline involving a plurality of software engineering systems configured to process data indicative of the software product, and executing, with a processor, a workflow to implement the release pipeline in accordance with the workflow action parameter data. Executing the workflow includes sending a series of instructions to the plurality of software engineering systems. A successive instruction in the series of instructions is sent based on whether a gating rule for the release is met.
US09916131B2

A two-operand adder circuit is provided. The two-operand adder circuit may be configured to receive a bit of a second addend, a carry-in bit, and one or more bits encoding a bit of a first addend, and to provide an output representing a sum of the bit of the first addend, the bit of the second addend, and the carry-in bit.
US09916130B2

An apparatus comprises processing circuitry for performing, in response to a vector instruction, a plurality of lanes of processing or respective data elements with at least one operand vector to generate corresponding result data elements of a result vector. The processing circuitry may support performing at least two of the lanes of processing with different rounding modes for generating rounding values for the corresponding result data elements of the result vector. This allows two or more calculations with different rounding modes to be executed in response to a single instruction, to improve performance.
US09916125B2

Method and systems are provided for identification of device groups in a network. In an example implementation, a first playback device receives, from a second playback device, first data indicating a first group identification corresponding to a zone group, the zone group including the first playback device and the second playback device, and the second playback device operating as a group coordinator of the zone group. After receiving the first data, the first playback device receives a message indicating that the second playback device is leaving the zone group. In response to receiving the message, the first playback device determines a second group identification corresponding to the zone group and after determining the second group identification, transmits, over to at least one controller device configured to control at least the first playback device and the second playback device, second data indicating the second group identification.
US09916123B2

An information processing apparatus includes a first acquisition section that acquires image data from each of terminal devices, the image data representing an image displayed on the terminal device, a display control section that displays, based on the acquired image data, a list of the images displayed on the terminal devices, a second acquisition section that acquires from one terminal device of the terminal devices a signal notifying that the image displayed on the one terminal device has been updated, a determination section that determines, in accordance with an acquisition order of the signal from the one terminal device among the terminal devices, the size of the image displayed on the one terminal device when the image is displayed in the list, and an update section that updates the list in accordance with the determined size.
US09916122B2

Methods, systems, and media for launching a mobile application using a public display device are provided. In some implementations a method for presenting content on a public display device, the method comprising: initiating, by a user device, communication with display devices; selecting a display device of the display devices; establishing communication with the selected display device; causing applications of a first group to be presented more prominently using a touchscreen of the display device and applications of a second group to be presented less prominently using the touchscreen; receiving a selection of an application of the first group; causing a user interface for the application to be presented using the touchscreen; receiving input corresponding to a portion of the user interface via the touchscreen; generating an updated user interface based on the input; and causing the updated user interface to be presented using touchscreen.
US09916112B1

A copy technique involves generating, upon receiving a command to copy at least a portion of a source file, a set of pointers for a destination file that point to a set of pointers for the source file (“physical block pointers”), which in turn point to physical blocks storing data of the file in a storage system. In response to the copy command, a storage processor allocates an inode from an inode table of a file system for the destination file and stores a set of inode pointers in the inode of the destination file that point to the set of pointers for the source file. Thus, instead of creating a redundant copy of the data of the source file, the improved creates technique creates pointers that point to the data stored for the source file.
US09916111B2

System and methods for selectively or automatically migrating resources between storage operation cells are provided. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a management component within the storage operation system may monitor system operation and migrate components from storage operation cell to another to facilitate failover recovery, promote load balancing within the system and improve overall system performance as further described herein. Another aspect of the invention may involve performing certain predictive analyzes on system operation to reveal trends and tendencies within the system. Such information may be used as the basis for potentially migrating components from one storage operation cell to another to improve system performance and reduce or eliminate resource exhaustion or congestion conditions.
US09916107B2

The method for managing one or more standard configurations includes calculating a plurality of configuration fingerprints for a plurality of storage systems. The configuration fingerprint is a numerical value that represents information about a configuration for one or more components of a storage system. The method also includes building a result set that includes the plurality of configuration fingerprints for the plurality of storage systems. The method also includes identifying a plurality of standard configurations for the plurality of storage systems from the result set based on the plurality of configuration fingerprints. The method also includes determining that a first storage system from the plurality of storage systems meets a standard configuration from the plurality of standard configurations. The method also includes creating metadata within the first storage system that describes the standard configuration.
US09916105B1

Providing for a memory apparatus configured for improved data management for a two-terminal memory array is described herein. By way of example, disclosed embodiments relate to page management and transfer of data between page-sized subsets of a page buffer, and respective pages within one or more memory banks of the two-terminal memory array. The memory apparatus can emulate a larger page size than a physical page buffer utilized by the memory apparatus, to provide compatibility with different page size defaults while lowering current consumption by the page buffer. This can facilitate large or small array operations, taking advantage of higher efficiencies of two-terminal memory devices. In addition, page buffer data management can facilitate interleaved data transfers among multiple banks of memory, facilitating large memory capacities for a disclosed memory apparatus.
US09916083B2

An method for releasing a lock of an electronic device including a touch screen and an electronic device using the same is provided. The electronic device includes a touch screen display and a processor configured to receive two or more touch inputs in a locked state of the electronic device and to release the locked state when the two or more touch inputs coincide with a pattern stored in advance. The processor is further configured to receive a first touch input through the display in the locked state of the electronic device, receive a second touch input through the display after receiving the first touch input, determine whether the second touch input is within a selected region with respect to one or more imaginary axes passing through a position of the first touch input, and determine whether the second touch input coincides at least partly with the stored pattern, based on whether the second touch input is within the selected region.
US09916082B2

In a display input apparatus, a display control section allows a display to display a setting item list of setting items lined up in a first direction and a first setting candidate list of setting candidates lined up in a second direction for one of the setting items, one list across the other, and provide, when a gesture receiving section receives a scroll gesture in the first direction via a touch panel, a scrolling display of the setting item list and a display of the first setting candidate list for the setting item presented in an intersecting region thereof with the setting item list, and provide, when the gesture receiving section receives a scroll gesture in the second direction via the touch panel, a scrolling display of the first setting candidate list. A setting receiving section receives as a changed setting the setting candidate presented in the intersecting region.
US09916079B2

A method and system for enabling the sharing of information between a first application and a second application on a computing device are described herein. The method includes the steps of receiving a global search request through the first application and—in response to the reception of the global search request—prompting for a search term from a user. The method further includes the steps of receiving the search term and—based on the received search term—automatically presenting one or more corresponding candidate elements associated with the second application for selection by the user. In addition, the method includes the steps of receiving the selection of at least one of the candidate elements and linking the selected candidate element with the first application such that a user may access the selected candidate element from the first application.
US09916072B2

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed. The present disclosure includes a touchscreen configured to display a window of an application and a controller, when the window is shifted into a specific region of the touchscreen, reducing and transforming the window into an icon and controlling the touchscreen to display the icon within the specific region. Accordingly, after a window of an application has been displayed on a screen, when the window is shifted into a specific region within the screen, the screen is displayed in a manner of being reduced and transformed into an icon.
US09916071B2

Systems of a vehicle for sharing vehicle controls are provided. One system includes an on-board computer that is part of the vehicle and communications circuity having connection to the on-board computer. The communications circuitry is configured to interface with a wireless network for accessing the Internet. The on-board computer is configured to execute instructions for enabling wireless connection to portable devices that enter the vehicle and are provided with access to said wireless connection. Vehicle electronics are interfaced with one or more vehicle systems and the on-board computer. The on-board computer is configured to provide access to at least one graphical user interface to the portable device via the wireless connection. The at least one graphical user interface includes input options that enable control for features of a vehicle system of the vehicle. A wireless signal of the wireless connection with the portable device is processed by the on-board computer to identify a location of the portable device within the vehicle. The location of the portable device is utilized to identify a seating location in the vehicle and provide the portable device with access said vehicle system that pertains to an environment area associated with the seat location that was identified.
US09916070B1

The present invention pertains to geographical image processing of time-dependent imagery. Various assets acquired at different times are stored and processing according to acquisition date in order to generate one or more image tiles for a geographical region of interest. The different image tiles are sorted based on asset acquisition date. Multiple image tiles for the same region of interest may be available. In response to a user request for imagery as of a certain date, one or more image tiles associated with assets from prior to that date are used to generate a time-based geographical image for the user.
US09916066B2

A mobile device has a display that supports gesture-based control operations. Computers maintain connections to a remote access service. The user desires to copy and/or move resources between first and second of his connected computers. After receipt of data indicating a first gesture requesting an operation with respect to the resource, an overview of one or more target devices is displayed. The overview is a folder level view of all folders and files located on the target devices. In addition, an additional display element is shown. This element is a representation of the resource from which the operation has been requested. The element is displayed as an overlay, and it is adapted to be selectively positioned in the overview using a gesture. Upon receipt of data indicating a second gesture positioning the representation over an available location within a computer connected to the service, the operation is completed.
US09916059B2

Application launcher sizing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a likely usage context is determined, by a computing device, of a user in interacting with the computing device. An application launcher is dynamically sized within a display area of the user interface by the computing device based on the determined likely usage context of the user. The application launcher is configured for output responsive to an input received from a user and includes a plurality of representations of applications that are selectable to navigate to a user interface corresponding with a respective said application.
US09916058B2

Systems and methods are provided for performing tasks and related tasks. While a user is performing a task, a group of related tasks is presented. When a new task is selected, a new group of related tasks is provided. This allows a user to perform a series of tasks without having to separately search for each task. As the user moves between tasks, task information items are passed between the tasks so that previously provided information can be preserved.
US09916057B2

A touch panel, a display device having the same, and a method of manufacturing the touch panel are disclosed. In one aspect, the touch panel includes a base substrate and a first sensing portion extending in a first direction and formed over the base substrate. The first sensing portion including a plurality of first fine lines defining a plurality of spaces therebetween. The touch panel also includes a second sensing portion extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and formed over the base substrate and a first insulating layer covering the first fine lines. The first insulating layer defines a plurality of openings therein corresponding to the spaces between the first fine lines. The second sensing portion crosses the first sensing portion with the first insulating layer interposed therebetween.
US09916056B2

A touch detection device includes: drive electrodes that extend in a first direction and are arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; detection electrodes that extend in the second direction and are arranged in the first direction to form capacitance at intersections with the drive electrodes; a driving and scanning unit that sequentially and time-divisionally selects a predetermined number of drive target electrodes to which drive signals are applied from the drive electrodes, and performs driving and scanning at a pitch smaller than a total width of a drive range including the drive target electrodes; and a coordinate correction unit that uses correction information based on a relationship between an input position at which an external object is in proximity to or in contact with a touch detection surface and a detection position detected by the detection electrodes to correct the detection position in the first direction.
US09916052B2

The present invention provides a capacitive controller for detecting at least one detecting plate and at least one reference plate surrounding each detecting plate. All of the reference plates are electrically coupled to the same first wire, and each reference plate is electrically coupled to a second wire. When an electrical signal is provided to the first wire and each second wire, one or more detecting plates touched or approached can be detected simultaneously based on the signal difference between each second wire and the first wire.
US09916051B2

Methods, systems and devices are described for operating an electronic system which includes a first plurality of sensor electrodes disposed in a first layer and configured to detect input objects at an input surface of the input device, the first plurality of sensor electrodes including a first subset of transmitter electrodes; a second plurality of sensor electrodes configured to detect a force imparted to the input surface and configured for capacitive coupling with the first subset of transmitter electrodes; and a compressible dielectric configured to compress in response to force applied to the input surface. The capacitive coupling between the transmitter electrodes and the second plurality of sensor electrodes is configured to vary in response to the applied force.
US09916050B2

[PROBLEM] To reduce a time constant of an electric circuit including driving electrodes and detecting electrodes in a display provided with an input device, and reduce a temperature variation ratio of the time constant.[SOLVING MEANS] The display 1 includes driving electrodes COML provided along an X axis direction when seen in a plan view, buffer TFT elements Trb serially connected to the driving electrodes COML, and a plurality of detecting electrodes TDL respectively provided to intersect with the driving electrodes COML when seen in a plan view and aligned in the X axis direction. A temperature coefficient of resistance of a sum of an ON resistance of the buffer TFT elements Trb and a resistance of the driving electrodes COML is negative, each of the specific resistances of the plurality of detecting electrodes TDL is not more than 40 μΩcm, and each of the temperature coefficients of resistance of the plurality of detecting electrodes TDL is 1×10−3 to 5×10−3K−1.
US09916049B2

The present disclosure is related to a touch sensing system and a display apparatus including: a touch screen panel defining sensor nodes by first lines and second lines formed in crossing directions, a loop type antenna, and a touch processor that performs a first touch process by receiving a signal with respect to driving pulses applied to each of the first lines and the second lines, through the antenna, and performs a second touch process by sequentially applying the driving pulses to each of two or more selected lines among the first lines and the second lines and by receiving a signal through the antenna.
US09916046B2

An apparatus is provided that includes a first detection unit configured to determine whether or not a user control member is within a first threshold distance of the touch panel. The apparatus also includes a second detection unit configured to determine a direction of movement of the user control member with respect to a touch panel when the user control member is not in contact with the touch panel, and a display control unit configure to, when the user control member is determined to be moving within the threshold distance and in a predetermined direction, generate signals to alter a first displayed object such that the altered first displayed object appears to move closer to the user control member.
US09916039B2

The present disclosure provides a shift register unit, its driving method, a gate driver circuit and a display device. The shift register unit includes a pull-up circuit configured to pull up a potential at the pull-up node PU in accordance with a starting signal from a starting signal input end, a pull-down circuit configured to pull down the potential at the pull-up node in accordance with a resetting signal from a resetting signal input end, a first capacitor configured to bootstrap the potential at the pull-up node at a pull-up stage, a first noise reduction circuit configured to perform noise reduction on a signal from the output end of the shift register unit at a pull-down stage and a compensation circuit configured to compensate for the potential at the pull-up node at a touch stage in accordance with a touch switch signal from a touch switch end.
US09916033B2

To provide a liquid crystal display device with a touch detection function in which any drive method can be adopted. The liquid crystal display device is provided with: a liquid crystal element arrangement that has a plurality of liquid crystal display elements arranged in a matrix shape; a plurality of scanning lines that are arranged in each row of the liquid crystal element arrangement, and supply scanning signals to a plurality of liquid crystal display elements arranged in a corresponding row; a plurality of signal lines that are arranged in each column of the liquid crystal element arrangement, and supply an image signal to a plurality of liquid crystal display elements arranged in a corresponding column; a plurality of touch detection drive electrodes which are arranged in a column of the liquid crystal element arrangement, and to which a drive signal for detecting a touch is supplied; and a touch control part that specifies a touch detection drive electrode from the a plurality of touch detection drive electrodes. Here, the drive signal is supplied to the touch detection drive electrode specified by the touch control part.
US09916031B2

According to one embodiment, a device includes control logic, at least a portion of which is implemented in hardware, to process motion data, the motion data collected from a first accelerometer in a base unit and from a second accelerometer in a display panel attached to a base unit of a mobile device, to determine whether the display panel moves relative to the base unit and to temporarily ignore or disable one or more input devices of the mobile device for a predetermined period of time to avoid unintentional user interaction with the mobile device during the movement of the display panel.
US09916027B2

The present invention discloses an information processing method and an electronic device. An action by an operator including a user's finger is collected and identified to determine location information and sound information associated with the action, so that only information corresponding to the location information and the sound information associated with the action is inputted. In this way, the user can input different types of information by performing different touch actions, simplifying the user's operation, and improving operation efficiency.
US09916026B2

An electronic device (1) is provided with a display unit (20), a contact detection unit (30) that detects contact, a vibration unit (40) that vibrates the contact detection unit (30), and a control unit (10), such that the contact detection unit (30) detects contact, the control unit (10) changes a display page of information displayed on the display unit (20) and causes the vibration unit (40) to vibrate the contact detection unit (30) in accordance with the change of the display page.
US09916020B2

A computing system includes a computing device and an image composing unit for generating a common video signal for a display device. The computing device is adapted to partition a display area of the display device into a plurality of sections. One of the sections is related to another computing device. The computing device is further adapted to receive an input signal from an input device. The input signal is relatable to a position within the display area. The computing device is further adapted to provide the other computing device with the input signal depending on the position being in one of the sections related to the other computing device.
US09916019B2

A digital pen, a touch system and a method for providing information thereof are provided. The touch system may include a display apparatus and a digital pen having a battery. The digital pen may be configured to sense a battery status of the battery, generate a signal indicating a location of the stylus with respect to the display apparatus. The signal may have a frequency corresponding to the battery status, and transmit the signal to the display apparatus. The display apparatus may be configured to receive the signal, analyze the signal, and acquire the location of the stylus and the battery status.
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