US09917231B2
A fluoride phosphor may include: a fluoride represented by a composition formula: AxMFy:Mnz4+, where A is at least one selected from among Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs, M is at least one selected from among Si, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ge and Sn, a composition ratio (x) of A satisfies 2≦x≦3, a composition ratio (y) of F satisfies 4≦y≦7, and a composition ratio (z) of Mn satisfies 0
US09917228B2
A semiconductor optical device has a multilayer structure 30 including a first compound semiconductor layer 31, an active layer 33, and a second compound semiconductor layer 32. A second electrode 42 is formed on the second compound semiconductor layer 32 through a contact layer 34. The contact layer 34 has a thickness of four or less atomic layers. When an interface between the contact layer 34 and the second compound semiconductor layer 32 is an xy-plane, a lattice constant along an x-axis of crystals constituting an interface layer 32A which is a part of the second compound semiconductor layer in contact with the contact layer 34 is x2, a lattice constant along a z-axis is z2, a length along an x-axis in one unit of crystals constituting the contact layer 34 is xc′, and a length along the z-axis is zc′, (zc′/xc′)>(z2/x2) is satisfied.
US09917219B2
A solar cell includes: a crystal silicon substrate of a first conductivity type including a first principal surface and a second principal surface; a first amorphous silicon film of a second conductivity type provided on a side of the first principal surface; and a second amorphous silicon film of the first conductivity type provided on a side of the second principal surface. At least one of the first amorphous silicon film and the second amorphous silicon film has a multi-layer structure comprising layers. An oxygen-rich layer is provided between any adjacent two of the amorphous silicon layers in the multi-layer structure.
US09917215B2
A device and method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes forming a double layer transparent conductive oxide on a transparent substrate. The double layer transparent conductive oxide includes forming a doped electrode layer on the substrate, and forming a buffer layer on the doped electrode layer. The buffer layer includes an undoped or p-type doped intrinsic form of a same material as the doped electrode layer. A light-absorbing semiconductor structure includes a p-type semiconductor layer on the buffer layer, an intrinsic layer and an n-type semiconductor layer.
US09917208B2
A TFT, a method for manufacturing the TFT, and an array substrate are disclosed. In the TFT according to the present disclosure, the nano conductive points that are independent from one another are formed in a channel area of the active layer, so that the channel area of the active layer can be divided into a plurality of sub channels that are independent from one another, and an equivalent electric field strength thereof can be increased. The larger the equivalent electric field strength is, the higher the carrier mobility ratio would be, and the larger the saturation current of the TFT would become. Therefore, the TFT with a higher definition and a higher aperture ratio can be manufactured.
US09917207B2
A semiconductor device includes a first barrier layer having a barrier property against oxygen and hydrogen over a substrate, a first insulator over the first barrier layer, a second insulator over the first insulator, a third insulator over the second insulator, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor over the third insulator, a fourth insulator including an oxygen-excess region over the transistor, and a second barrier layer having a barrier property against oxygen and hydrogen over the fourth insulator. The transistor includes a first conductor with oxidation resistance, a second conductor with oxidation resistance, and a third conductor with oxidation resistance, the second insulator includes a high-k material, the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer are in contact with each other in an outer edge of a region where the transistor is provided, and the transistor is surrounded by the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer.
US09917205B2
This disclosure discloses an oxide semiconductor thin film, a thin film transistor, a manufacturing method and a device, belonging to the field of flat panel display. The oxide semiconductor thin film is made of an oxide containing zirconium and indium. A method of manufacturing the oxide semiconductor thin film comprises preparing a target using the oxide containing zirconium and indium, and sputtering the target to obtain the oxide semiconductor thin film.
US09917203B2
A thin film transistor, a manufacturing method thereof, an array substrate and a display apparatus are disclosed. The manufacturing method includes forming a gate electrode (2), a gate insulating layer (3), an active region (4), a source electrode (5) and a drain electrode (6) on a base substrate (1) with the active region being formed of ZnON material, and implanting the active region (4) with nitrogen ion while it being formed, so as to make the sub-threshold swing amplitude of the thin film transistor less than or equal to 0.5 mV/dec. The manufacturing method reduces the sub-threshold swing amplitude of the thin film transistor and improves the semiconductor characteristics of the thin film transistor.
US09917195B2
A semiconductor device includes a fin patterned in a substrate; a gate disposed over and substantially perpendicular to the fin; a pair of epitaxial contacts including a III-V material over the fin and on opposing sides of the gate; and a channel region between the pair of epitaxial contacts under the gate including an undoped III-V material between doped III-V materials, the doped III-V materials including a dopant in an amount in a range from about 1e18 to about 1e20 atoms/cm3 and contacting the epitaxial contacts.
US09917194B2
A self-aligned SiGe FinFET device features a relaxed channel region having a high germanium concentration. Instead of first introducing germanium into the channel and then attempting to relax the resulting strained film, a relaxed channel is formed initially to accept the germanium. In this way, a presence of germanium can be established without straining or damaging the lattice. Gate structures are patterned relative to intrinsic silicon fins, to ensure that the gates are properly aligned, prior to introducing germanium into the fin lattice structure. After aligning the gate structures, the silicon fins are segmented to elastically relax the silicon lattice. Then, germanium is introduced into the relaxed silicon lattice, to produce a SiGe channel that is substantially stress-free and also defect-free. Using the method described, concentration of germanium achieved in a structurally stable film can be increased to a level greater than 85%.
US09917193B2
A method of growing III-N semiconducting material on a silicon substrate including the steps of growing a layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide on a single crystal silicon substrate and modifying the surface of the layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide with nitrogen plasma. The method further includes the steps of growing a layer of low temperature epitaxial gallium nitride on the modified surface of the layer of epitaxial rare earth oxide and growing a layer of bulk epitaxial III-N semiconductive material on the layer of low temperature epitaxial gallium nitride.
US09917188B2
A method of forming a fin structure that includes forming a plurality of fin structures from a bulk semiconductor substrate and forming a dielectric spacer on a sidewall of each fin structure in the plurality of fin structure. A semiconductor spacer is formed on a sidewall of the dielectric spacer. A dielectric fill is formed in the space between the adjacent fin structures. The semiconductor spacer and a portion of the fin structures that is present below a lower surface of the dielectric spacer are oxidized. Oxidizing a base portion of the fin structures produces a first strain and oxidizing the semiconductor spacer produces a second strain that is opposite the first strain.
US09917182B1
A semiconductor device includes: a first nitride semiconductor layer, a second nitride semiconductor layer that is provided on the first nitride semiconductor layer and has a band gap larger than a band gap of the first nitride semiconductor layer, a gate electrode that is provided on the first nitride semiconductor layer, a first electrode that is electrically connected to the first nitride semiconductor layer, a second electrode disposed such that the gate electrode is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and electrically connected to the first nitride semiconductor layer, and a first insulation layer that is provided between the gate electrode and the second electrode, disposed such that the second nitride semiconductor layer is positioned between the first nitride semiconductor layer and the first insulation layer, and including silicon oxide having an oxygen-to-silicon atomic ratio (O/Si) of 1.50 or more and 1.85 or less.
US09917173B2
A method includes forming a dummy gate of a transistor at a surface of a wafer, removing the dummy gate, and filling a metallic material into a trench left by the removed dummy gate. A Chemical Mechanical Polish (CMP) is then performed on the metallic material, wherein a remaining portion of the metallic material forms a metal gate of the transistor. After the CMP, a treatment is performed on an exposed top surface of the metal gate using an oxidation-and-etching agent comprising chlorine and oxygen.
US09917169B2
A semiconductor device and method of formation are provided. The semiconductor device includes a channel surrounding a dielectric tube and a gate surrounding the channel. The dielectric tube comprises a high dielectric constant material that has or conducts few to no carriers, such as electrons or holes. The presence of the dielectric tube confines carriers to the channel, which is in close proximity to the gate. The proximity of the channel, and the carriers therein, to the gate affords greater control to the gate over the carriers, thus allowing a length of the channel to be decreased while experiencing little to no short channel effects, such as current leakage through the channel.
US09917157B2
The present disclosure provides a TFT, an array substrate, their manufacturing method, and a display device. The method for manufacturing the TFT includes a step of forming a pattern of a semiconductor active layer on a transparent substrate through a patterning process, and the pattern of the semiconductor active layer includes a lanthanum boride pattern.
US09917152B1
A method of forming a semiconductor device and resulting device. The method may form a first gate on a gate region of a starting substrate. The starting substrate includes alternating sacrificial layers and semiconductor layers above a buffer sacrificial layer located on a bulk substrate. The method may remove the starting substrate located between the gates. Etching the starting substrate creates a trench into the bulk substrate. The method may form an insulating layer on the inside of the trench. The method may form a masking layer over in the trench in the starting substrate covering a portion of the insulating layer, but below a top surface of the buffer layer. The method may remove the unmasked portion of the insulating layer. The method may form a source/drain in the trench. The method may remove the buffer sacrificial layer, and the sacrificial layers in the layered nanosheet.
US09917151B2
A method for forming a multi-stack nanowire device includes forming a common release layer on a substrate, the common release layer comprising a common release material. The method also includes forming a first multi-layer stack on a first portion of the common release layer, the first multi-layer stack comprising at least two layers separated by at least one layer comprising the common release material, and forming a second multi-layer stack on a second portion of the common release layer, the second multi-layer stack comprising at least two layers separated by at least one layer comprising the common release material. The method further includes patterning each of the first multi-layer stack and the second multi-layer stack into one or more fins and forming two or more multi-stack nanowires from the one or more fins by removing the common release material using a common etch process.
US09917150B2
Deep trench isolation structures and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The systems include a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body, a device region, and the deep trench isolation structure. The deep trench isolation structure is configured to electrically isolate the device region from other device regions that extend within the semiconductor body. The deep trench isolation structure includes an isolation trench, a dielectric material that extends within the isolation trench, a first semiconducting region, and a second semiconducting region. The methods include methods of operating an integrated circuit device that includes a plurality of semiconductor devices that include the disclosed deep trench isolation structures.
US09917149B1
A diode includes a second semiconductor layer over a first semiconductor layer. The diode further includes a third semiconductor layer over the second semiconductor layer, where the third semiconductor layer includes a first semiconductor element over the second semiconductor layer. The third semiconductor layer additionally includes a second semiconductor element over the second semiconductor layer, wherein the second semiconductor element surrounds the first semiconductor element. Further, the third semiconductor layer includes a third semiconductor element over the second semiconductor element. Furthermore, a hole concentration of the second semiconductor element is less than a hole concentration of the first semiconductor element.
US09917143B2
An organic light emitting diode display includes a substrate and a first red organic light emitting element disposed on the substrate. The first red organic light emitting element may include a first light emission region and a second light emission region, wherein the first light emission region emits a first red light having a first peak wavelength, and the second light emission region emits a second red light having a second peak wavelength different from the first peak wavelength.
US09917142B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels defined on a substrate. Each of the plurality of pixels has a plurality of sub-pixels, and each of the plurality of sub-pixels has a light emitting area and a driving area. Widths in a first direction of the driving areas of the plurality of sub-pixels are identical to each other. A size of a light emitting area of a first sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels is greater than a size of a light emitting area of a second sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels.
US09917140B2
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric converter includes a first step of preparing a semiconductor substrate including a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor, a second step of forming a plurality of interlayer insulating films above the semiconductor substrate, and a third step of forming a photoelectric conversion portion above the semiconductor substrate. The second step includes a step of forming a first film containing hydrogen. The third step includes a step of forming a first electrode, a step of forming a photoelectric conversion film, and a step of forming a second electrode. The method includes a step of performing heat treatment between the step of forming the first film and the step of forming the photoelectric conversion film.
US09917137B1
A method is presented for forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes depositing a barrier layer, such as a tantalum nitride (TaN) layer, over a dielectric incorporating magnetic random access memory (MRAM) regions, forming magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stacks over portions of the TaN layer, patterning and encapsulating the MTJ stacks, forming spacers adjacent the MTJ stacks, and laterally etching sections of the TaN layer, after spacer formation, to form an electrode under the MTJ stacks. The electrode protects the MRAM regions. The electrode can be recessed from the spacers.
US09917135B2
A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor is provided. The method comprises: depositing a gate electrode film above the semiconductor layer; etching the gate electrode film to form a first gate electrode patterned in a pixel region, leaving the gate electrode film in a peripheral region; depositing a first insulating film above the semiconductor layer after the forming the first gate electrode; removing the first insulating film formed in the peripheral region; etching the gate electrode film left in the peripheral region to form a second gate electrode patterned in the peripheral region after the removing the first insulating film; forming a second insulating film above the semiconductor layer after the forming the second gate electrode; and forming a side wall on side surface of the second gate electrode by etching the second insulating film.
US09917134B1
A method of fabricating an image sensor includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. A first infrared filter is formed on a first region of the substrate. A second infrared filter is deposited on the substrate and the first infrared filter. The deposited second infrared filter covers the first infrared filter. The second infrared filter is lowered to expose the first infrared filter. The lowered second infrared filter is on a second region of the substrate and neighbors the first infrared filter.
US09917130B2
Among other things, one or more image sensors and techniques for forming image sensors are provided. An image sensor comprises a photodiode array configured to detect light. The image sensor comprises an oxide grid comprising a first oxide grid portion and a second oxide grid portion. A metal grid is formed between the first oxide grid portion and the second oxide grid portion. The oxide grid and the metal grid define a filler grid. The filler grid comprises a filler grid portion, such as a color filter, that allows light to propagate through the filler grid portion to an underlying photodiode. The oxide grid and the metal grid confine or channel the light within the filler grid portion. The oxide grid and the metal grid are formed such that the filler grid provides a relatively shorter propagation path for the light, which improves light detection performance of the image sensor.
US09917128B2
A semiconductor device having a first semiconductor section including a first wiring layer at one side thereof; a second semiconductor section including a second wiring layer at one side thereof, the first and second semiconductor sections being secured together with the respective first and second wiring layer sides of the first and second semiconductor sections facing each other; a conductive material extending through the first semiconductor section to the second wiring layer of the second semiconductor section and by means of which the first and second wiring layers are in electrical communication; and an opening, other than the opening for the conductive material, which extends through the first semiconductor section to the second wiring layer.
US09917117B2
A method of fabricating a display device including forming one or more thin-film transistors (“TFTs”) each configured to include an active layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode on a substrate. A storage capacitor including a first storage electrode and a second storage electrode overlapping the first storage electrode with the gate insulating layer interposed there between is also formed on the substrate. A top surface of the first storage electrode may include hillocks and the gate insulating layer is formed between the first storage electrode and the second storage electrode to conform to the shape of the top surface of the first storage electrode with the hillocks.
US09917113B2
An array substrate including a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area. The non-display area includes a pad portion including one or more first pads that each have a parallelogram shape.
US09917109B2
A semiconductor device includes a wiring embedded in an insulating layer, an oxide semiconductor layer over the insulating layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode provided to overlap with the oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulating layer provided between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode. The insulating layer is formed so that part of a top surface of the wiring is exposed. The part of the top surface of the wiring is positioned higher than part of a surface of the insulating layer. The wiring in a region exposed from the insulating layer is electrically connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode. The root-mean-square roughness of a region which is part of the surface of the insulating layer and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer is 1 nm or less.
US09917102B2
A semiconductor device (1) is manufactured which includes a SiC epitaxial layer (28), a plurality of transistor cells (18) that are formed in the SiC epitaxial layer (28) and that are subjected to ON/OFF control by a predetermined control voltage, a gate electrode (19) that faces a channel region (32) of the transistor cells (18) in which a channel is formed when the semiconductor device (1) is in an ON state, a gate metal (44) that is exposed at the topmost surface for electrical connection with the outside: and that is electrically connected to the gate electrode (19) while being physically separated from the gate electrode (19), and a built-in resistor (21) that is made of polysilicon and that is disposed below the gate metal (44) so as to electrically connect the gate metal (44) and the gate electrode (19) together.
US09917100B2
A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of electrically conductive layers and insulating layers located over a substrate, an array of memory stack structures. A source conductive line structure is provided between the substrate and the alternating stack. The source conductive line structure includes a plurality of parallel conductive rail structures extending along a same horizontal direction and adjoined to a common conductive straddling structure. Each memory stack structure straddles a vertical interface between a conductive rail structure and a support matrix. A semiconductor channel in each memory stack structure contacts a respective conductive rail structure and the support matrix.
US09917091B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: forming an insulating film on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; and forming a hydrogen supply film on a second surface facing the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the hydrogen supply film containing one or more of silicon oxide, TEOS, BPSG, BSG, PSG, FSG, carbon-containing silicon oxide, silicon nitride, carbon-containing silicon nitride, and oxygen-containing silicon carbide.
US09917088B2
A device comprises a substrate comprising a first portion and a second portion separated by an isolation region, a first gate structure over the first portion, a first drain/source region and a second drain/source region in the first portion and on opposite sides of the first gate structure, wherein the first drain/source region and the second drain/source have concave surfaces, a second gate structure over the second portion and a third drain/source region and a fourth drain/source region in the second portion and on opposite sides of the second gate structure, wherein the third drain/source region and the fourth drain/source have the concave surfaces.
US09917062B1
An integrated circuit structure may include an alignment column on a front-side surface of an isolation layer. The alignment column may extend through a backside surface opposite the front-side surface of the isolation layer. The integrated circuit structure may also include front-side transistors on the front-side surface of the isolation layer. The integrated circuit structure may further include backside transistors on the backside surface of the isolation layer. A first front-side transistor is aligned with a first backside transistor according to the alignment column.
US09917061B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a chip ID generation unit, a chip ID transmission unit and a chip stack information generation unit. The chip ID generation unit is configured to generate a chip ID signal. The chip ID transmission unit is configured to output the chip ID signal to a common line on the basis of whether another chip is electrically coupled therewith. The chip stack information generation unit is configured to be electrically coupled with the common line in response to the chip ID signal and generate a stack information signal.
US09917048B2
An interconnect structure and a method of forming an interconnect structure are disclosed. The interconnect structure includes a low-k (LK) dielectric layer over a substrate; a first conductive feature in the LK dielectric layer, wherein the first conductive feature has a first sidewall, a second sidewall facing the first sidewall, and a first bottom surface contacting the LK dielectric layer; a first dielectric feature along an upper portion of the first sidewall, wherein a length of the first dielectric feature is at least 10 percent less than a length of the first sidewall; and a second dielectric feature along an upper portion of the second sidewall. The interconnect structure may also include a second conductive feature adjacent to the first conductive feature in the LK dielectric layer.
US09917047B2
A wiring board of the present disclosure includes a core substrate, insulating layers, signal wiring conductors, ground wiring conductors, power-supply wiring conductors, a first mounting portion on which a first semiconductor device is to be mounted, a second mounting portion on which a second semiconductor device is to be mounted, many first-semiconductor-device connection pads connectable to signal electrodes of the first semiconductor device, many second-semiconductor-device connection pads connectable to signal electrodes of the second semiconductor device, and many signal connection conductors that connect the first-semiconductor-device connection pads to the second-semiconductor-device connection pads. The signal connection conductors include signal connection conductors of a first wiring group that extend only through a region above the top surface of the core substrate, and signal connection conductors of a second wiring group that extend through a region below the bottom surface of the core substrate.
US09917042B2
A dielectric element has a plurality of contacts at a first surface and a plurality of first traces coupled thereto which extend in directions parallel to the first surface. A circuit structure made of a plurality of dielectric layers and electrically conductive features thereon includes a plurality of bumps at a first surface which face the contacts of the dielectric element and are joined thereto. Circuit structure contacts at a second surface opposite the first surface are electrically coupled with the bumps through second traces on the circuit structure, the circuit structure contacts configured for connection with a plurality of element contacts of each of a plurality of microelectronic elements, wherein the microelectronic elements can be assembled therewith such that element contacts thereof face and are joined with the circuit structure contacts.
US09917034B2
A method and an apparatus for cooling a semiconductor device. The method comprises the steps of contacting a surface of the semiconductor device with respective end portions of an array of contact elements thermally coupled to a cooling fluid, and disposing a flexible, heat conductive sheet between the respective end portions of the contact elements and the surface of the semiconductor device for transferring heat generated in the semiconductor device to the cooling fluid via the sheet and the contact elements.
US09917025B2
A printed wiring board includes a first circuit board having a first surface and a second surface, and a second circuit board having a third surface and a fourth surface and having a mounting area on the third surface of the second circuit board. The first circuit board is laminated on the third surface of the second circuit board such that the first surface of the first circuit board is in contact with the third surface of the second circuit board, the first circuit board includes reinforcing material and has an opening portion exposing the mounting area of the second circuit board, and the first circuit board and the second circuit board are formed such that a ratio H1/h1 is in a range that is greater than 0.75 and smaller than 2.4, where H1 represents a thickness of the first circuit board and h1 represents a thickness of the second circuit board.
US09917021B2
A method for forming CMOS devices includes masking a first portion of a tensile-strained silicon layer of a SOI substrate, doping a second portion of the layer outside the first portion and growing an undoped silicon layer on the doped portion and the first portion. The undoped silicon layer becomes tensile-strained. Strain in the undoped silicon layer over the doped portion is relaxed by converting the doped portion to a porous silicon to form a relaxed silicon layer. The porous silicon is converted to an oxide. A SiGe layer is grown and oxidized to convert the relaxed silicon layer to a compressed SiGe layer. Fins are etched in the first portion from the tensile-strained silicon layer and the undoped silicon layer and in the second portion from the compressed SiGe layer.
US09917017B2
Disclosed is a method of forming a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a precursor having a substrate and gate stacks over the substrate, wherein each of the gate stacks includes an electrode layer, a first hard mask (HM) layer over the electrode layer, and a second HM layer over the first HM layer. The method further includes depositing a dielectric layer over the substrate and the gate stacks and filling spaces between the gate stacks; and performing a first chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process to partially remove the dielectric layer. The method further includes performing an etching process to remove the second HM layer and to partially remove the dielectric layer, thereby exposing the first HM layer. The method further includes performing a second CMP process to at least partially remove the first HM layer.
US09917012B2
A semiconductor substrate (1) is provided with integrated circuits. Dicing trenches (7) are formed in the substrate (1) between the integrated circuits, a polyimide layer (8) spanning the trenches (7) is applied above the integrated circuits, a tape layer (14) is applied above the polyimide layer (8), and a layer portion of the substrate (1) is removed from the substrate side (17) opposite the tape layer (14), until the trenches (7) are opened and dicing of the substrate (1) is thus effected. The polyimide layer (8) is severed in sections (18) above the trenches (7) when the tape layer (14) is removed. The semiconductor chip is provided with a cover layer (11) laterally confining the polyimide layer (8) near the trenches (7), in particular for forming breaking delimitations (9).
US09917004B2
Provided are a group III nitride composite substrate having a low sheet resistance and produced with a high yield, and a method for manufacturing the same, as well as a method for manufacturing a group III nitride semiconductor device using the group III nitride composite substrate. A group III nitride composite substrate includes a group III nitride film and a support substrate formed from a material different in chemical composition from the group III nitride film. The group III nitride film is joined to the support substrate in one of a direct manner and an indirect manner. The group III nitride film has a thickness of 10 μm or more. A sheet resistance of a group III-nitride-film-side main surface is 200 Ω/sq or less.
US09917001B2
An aluminum heated substrate support suitable for use in high temperature substrate processing systems and method for fabricating the same are provided. In one embodiment, an aluminum heated substrate support can include an aluminum body, a stem coupled to the body and a heating element disposed in the body. The body has an average grain size less than about 250 μm. In some embodiments, the stem to body joint is a fully penetrated lap weld that promotes service life of the substrate support.
US09916985B2
A chemical mechanical planarization for indium phosphide material is provided in which at least one opening is formed within a dielectric layer located on a substrate. An indium phosphide material is epitaxially grown within the at least one opening of the dielectric layer which extends above a topmost surface of the dielectric layer. The indium phosphide material is planarized using at least one slurry composition to form coplanar surfaces of the indium phosphide material and the dielectric layer, where a slurry composition of the at least one slurry composition polishes the indium phosphide material selective to the topmost surface of the dielectric layer, and includes an abrasive, at least one pH modulator and an oxidizer, the at least one pH modulator including an acidic pH modulator, but lacks a basic pH modulator, and where the oxidizer suppresses generation of phosphine gas.
US09916978B2
The invention provides a method for fabricating a fin field effect transistor (FinFET), comprising: providing a substrate having a logic region and a large region; forming a plurality of fin structures in the logic region by removing a portion of the substrate in the logic region; forming an oxide layer on the substrate filling in-between the fin structures in the logic region; forming an first epitaxial structure in the large region by removing a portion of the substrate in the large region; exposing a portion of the fin structures and a portion of the epitaxial structure by removing a portion of the oxide layer; and forming a gate electrode on portions of the fin structures.
US09916977B2
Provided are methods and apparatus for ultraviolet (UV) assisted capillary condensation to form dielectric materials. In some embodiments, a UV driven reaction facilitates photo-polymerization of a liquid phase flowable material. Applications include high quality gap fill in high aspect ratio structures and por sealing of a porous solid dielectric film. According to various embodiments, single station and multi-station chambers configured for capillary condensation and UV exposure are provided.
US09916969B2
A mass analyzer includes a desolvation chamber into which an upstream gas is injected to provide a counter-flow to said downstream flow in the chamber. The counter-flow may slow the downstream flow of solvated ionized particles in the chamber, while allowing lighter desolvated ions to travel toward an outlet aperture of the desolvation chamber.
US09916963B2
A specimen loading method for loading a specimen that contains water into a specimen chamber of a charged particle beam device, includes: a step (S100) of mounting the specimen on a specimen support; a step (S102) of covering a predetermined area of the specimen with a water retention material; a step (S104) of evacuating the specimen chamber in which the specimen having the predetermined area covered with the water retention material is placed; and a step (S106) of exposing the predetermined area covered with the water retention material.
US09916958B1
Methods and systems for fabricating a film, such as, for example, a photocathode, having a tailored band structure and thin-film components that can be tailored for specific applications, such as, for example photocathode having a high quantum efficiency, and simple components fabricated by those methods.
US09916953B2
The present disclosure describes an apparatus for increasing the initial closing force and reducing the final closing force in the actuating mechanism of electromechanical switching devices such as relays or contactors.
US09916951B2
The present invention relates to a contactor, a connector and a contactor component. According to the first aspect of the invention, a contactor relates to a switch mechanism, an iron core, an iron core position sensing circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit can measure the position of the iron core by measuring the variation in inductance by using the property that the coil can produce different inductances when the iron core is in different positions in the coil. According to the second aspect of the invention, a connector and contactor component are provided, wherein a control circuit is arranged on a connector, the control circuit comprises a PWM power-saving circuit. The PWM power-saving circuit is integrated on the connector, so that the average driving current of the contactor is reduced and meanwhile, the size of the contactor is reduced.
US09916949B2
The invention relates to an electric switching device (1), comprising at least one switching-device pole filled with insulating gas and a monitoring apparatus (14). The monitoring apparatus (14) comprises a density monitor (15) and a housing part (16), wherein a gas chamber (17) is contained in the housing part (16), which gas chamber is connected to the switching-device pole and to the density monitor (15) and can be connected to a testing device for the density monitor (15), and wherein the housing part (16) contains a shut-off element (20), which can be actuated into an open position and into a closed position. The actuation of the shut-off element (20) is independent of the connection of the gas chamber (17) to the testing device.
US09916937B2
All-solid-state capacitor includes an inorganic solid electrolyte, and a pair of current collectors disposed so that the inorganic solid electrolyte is interposed therebetween. In the all-solid-state capacitor, the inorganic solid electrolyte has a polycrystalline structure composed of crystal particles and crystal grain boundaries formed between the crystal particles. In a first crystal particle included in the crystal particles, a domain located near the crystal grain boundaries is larger in size than a domain located near the center.
US09916933B2
A ceramic electronic component includes a laminated body including ceramic layers and conductor layers stacked alternately; and first and second external electrodes provided on portions of the laminated body. Each of the first and second external electrodes includes a sintered metal layer provided on the laminated body, a conductive resin layer covering the sintered metal layer, and a plated layer covering the conductive resin layer. The maximum length of the sintered metal layer provided on the second principal surface is shorter than the maximum length of the sintered metal layer provided on each of the first and second side surfaces.
US09916918B2
The invention mainly provides a busbar (BS1) designed to provide an electrical connection between a high-power converter (R) and a disconnector (S), said busbar being characterized in that the busbar (BS1) has a shape defining, at least in part, at least one hollow portion (10).
US09916916B2
The present invention provides a conductive material comprising: (A) a π-conjugated polymer, and (B) a dopant polymer which contains one or more repeating units selected from “a1” to “a4” respectively represented by the following general formula (1) and has a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000, (C) a nanoparticle which is selected from a gold nanoparticle, a silver nanoparticle, and a platinum nanoparticle and has a particle diameter of 1 to 200 nm. There can be provided a conductive material that has excellent film-formability and also can form a conductive film having high transparency and conductivity, superior flexibility and flatness when the film is formed from the material.
US09916914B2
A carbon material comprising pyrolized egg protein characterized by containing mesopores or micropores. The pyrolized egg protein may comprise pyrolyzed eggshell membrane having a continuous conducting core and a porous shell, the pyrolyzed eggshell membrane comprising partially-activated carbon. The porous shell may comprise nitrogen or oxygen. The pyrolized egg protein may comprise mesoporous egg white.
US09916913B2
Embodiments described herein provide for a method of launching atoms in an atom interferometer. The method includes determining a direction of the total effective acceleration force on the atoms, controlling a direction of launch of the atoms for measurement in the atom interferometer based on the direction of the total effective acceleration force, and obtaining measurements from the atoms.
US09916906B2
Log likelihood ration (LLR) values that are computed in a flash memory controller during read retries change over time as the number of program-and-erase cycles (PECs) that the flash memory die has been subjected to increases. Therefore, in cases where an LLR table is used to provide pre-defined, fixed LLR values to the error-correcting code (ECC) decoding logic of the controller, decoding success and the resulting BER will degrade over time as the number of PECs to which the die has been subjected increases. In accordance with embodiments, a storage system, a flash memory controller for use in the storage system and method are provided that periodically measure the LLR values and update the LLR table with new LLR values. Periodically measuring the LLR values and updating the LLR table with new LLR values ensures high decoding success and a low BER over the life of the flash memory die.
US09916901B1
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of using and forming such apparatuses. An apparatus among the apparatuses includes first and second conductive materials located in respective first and second levels of the apparatus, a pillar including a length extending between the first and second conductive materials, memory cells and control lines located along the pillar, a first select gate and a first select line located along the pillar between the first conductive material and the memory cells, a second select gate and a second select line located along the pillar between the first conductive material and the first select line, a first transistor and a first transistor gate line located along the pillar between the first conductive material and the first select line, and a second transistor and a second transistor gate line located along the pillar between the first conductive material and the first transistor.
US09916898B2
A memory cell array includes local blocks disposed in parallel with rows and arrayed along a direction parallel with columns, first selection lines being parallel with the rows and including a couple of first selection lines connected to each of the local blocks, second selection lines disposed in parallel with the columns, and local block selectors disposed between the plurality of local blocks. Each of the local block selectors is disposed between a Qth wherein, “Q” is an odd number local block and a (Q+1)th local block among the local blocks to electrically connect unit cells disposed in any one of the Qth local block and the (Q+1)th local block to the second selection lines. The unit cells in the local blocks are disposed at cross points of the first selection lines and the second selection lines, respectively. Each of the unit cells includes a P-channel MOSFET.
US09916896B1
The present disclosure relates to a pre-charge circuit including a first inverter which receives an early pre-charge signal and outputs an inverted early pre-charge signal, a first gate which receives a late pre-charge signal and a match line output signal and outputs an AND output signal, and a second gate which receives the inverted early pre-charge signal and the AND output signal and outputs an effective pre-charge signal.
US09916895B2
Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for operation of non-volatile memory devices. In one aspect, a non-volatile memory device may be placed in any one of multiple memory states in a write operation by controlling a current and a voltage applied to terminals of the non-volatile memory device. For example, a write operation may apply a programming signal across terminals of non-volatile memory device having a particular current and a particular voltage for placing the non-volatile memory device in a particular memory state.
US09916889B1
An integrated circuit that includes an array of random-access memory cells is provided. Each memory cell in the array may be a single-port or a multiport memory cell. Memory cells in the same column of the array are connected to shared bit lines, whereas memory cells in the same row of the array are connected to shared word lines. The memory cells in the same row may also be connected to a row control line. During normal operations, the row control line may provide a positive power supply voltage to each memory cell along that row. During write operations, the row control line may be driven to ground or tri-stated to help improve the write margin and the write performance of the selected memory cells. The aspect ratio of these memory cells may also be more square-like or balanced to help improve power delivery.
US09916877B2
A packaged semiconductor device includes a data pin, a first memory die, and a second memory die stacked with the first memory die. The first memory die includes a first data interface coupled to the data pin and a first memory core having a plurality of banks. The second memory die includes a second memory core having a plurality of banks. A respective bank of the first memory core and a respective bank of the second memory core perform parallel row access operations in response to a first command signal and parallel column access operations in response to a second command signal. The first data interface of the first die provides aggregated data from the parallel column access operations in the first and second die to the data pin.
US09916868B1
An apparatus comprises a spindle to rotate a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic field generator to expose a track of the medium to a DC magnetic field. The magnetic field generator is configured to saturate the track during an erase mode and reverse the DC magnetic field impinging the track during a writing mode. A laser arrangement heats the track during the erase mode and, during the writing mode, heats the track while the track is exposed to the reversed DC magnetic field so as to write a magnetic pattern thereon. A reader reads the magnetic pattern and generates a read signal. A processor is coupled to the reader and configured to determine an anisotropy parameter using the read signal. The apparatus can further comprise a Kerr sensor that generates a Kerr signal using the magnetic pattern.
US09916866B2
Embodiments of a system and method for emotional tagging are generally described herein. A method may include receiving, at a device, biometric data and a timestamp, analyzing the biometric data to determine an emotional reaction occurred, tagging a portion of content with an emotional content tag based on the emotional reaction, wherein the portion of content was playing during a time corresponding to the timestamp, and sending the portion of content and the emotional content tag to a server. A method may include aggregating content tagged as emotional content, generating an emotional content video segment, and providing the emotional content video segment.
US09916855B2
A bearing portion includes an upper dynamic pressure portion, a lower dynamic pressure portion, and an intra-bearing space defined between a lower surface of a fluid in the upper dynamic pressure portion and an upper surface of a fluid in the lower dynamic pressure portion, and not including the fluid. An airway defined in a shaft includes an inner opening arranged to be in communication with the intra-bearing space, and an outer opening arranged to be in communication with an extra-bearing space. Each of the inner and outer openings is defined in a side surface of the shaft. The extra-bearing space and the intra-bearing space are arranged to be in communication with each other through the airway. The airway is arranged to extend substantially in a straight line or lines, is angled with respect to a central axis, and has no other openings than the inner and outer openings. This contributes to preventing a gas inside of a housing from leaking out of the housing through the airway. In addition, since the airway is arranged to extend substantially in a straight line or lines to join the inner and outer openings to each other, the airway can be defined by a single process using a drill, an EDM, or the like.
US09916843B2
A voice processing apparatus including a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and the processor configured to acquire a first input signal containing a first voice, and a second input signal containing a second voice, obtain a first signal intensity of the first input signal, and a second signal intensity of the second input signal, specify a correlation coefficient between a time sequence of the first signal intensity and a time sequence of the second signal intensity, determine whether the first voice and the second voice are in the conversation state or not based on the specified correlation coefficient, and output information indicating an association between the first voice and the second voice when it is determined that the first voice and the second voice are in the conversation state.
US09916841B2
The invention includes a method, apparatus, and computer program to selectively suppress wind noise while preserving narrow-band signals in acoustic data. Sound from one or several microphones is digitized into binary data. A time-frequency transform is applied to the data to produce a series of spectra. The spectra are analyzed to detect the presence of wind noise and narrow band signals. Wind noise is selectively suppressed while preserving the narrow band signals. The narrow band signal is interpolated through the times and frequencies when it is masked by the wind noise. A time series is then synthesized from the signal spectral estimate that can be listened to. This invention overcomes prior art limitations that require more than one microphone and an independent measurement of wind speed. Its application results in good-quality speech from data severely degraded by wind noise.
US09916840B1
A technology for estimating a delay between a far-end audio signal and a near-end audio signal for acoustic echo cancellation is disclosed. A copy of the far-end signal is stored in a speaker buffer and organized in chunks, and a copy of the near-end signal is stored in a microphone buffer and organized in chunks. Cross correlation is performed on each pair of speaker chunks and microphone chunks based on β-PHAse Transform (“PHAT”) generalized cross correlation (“GCC”). A peak correlation value can be obtained for each pair of the chunks. Offset values corresponding to the peak correlation values are collected and clustered. A best cluster is selected and the offset value represented by the selected cluster is identified as the estimated delay. Acoustic echo cancellation can be performed on the near-end signal based on the estimated delay.
US09916836B2
Replacement of an encoded audio output signal is disclosed. In one example, a data set comprising a first encoded audio output signal and associated pre-stored digital audio input signals captured with a microphone array of an apparatus is received. An intermediate audio signal is produced by applying an audio processing modification to the digital audio input signals. The audio processing modification utilizes apparatus specific information. The specific audio processing modification to use is determined based on user input or other information. The intermediate audio signal is encoded to produce a second encoded audio output signal. The first encoded audio output signal is replaced with the second encoded audio output signal in the data set.
US09916830B1
Techniques for altering audio being output by a voice-controlled device, or another device, to enable more accurate automatic speech recognition (ASR) by the voice-controlled device. For instance, a voice-controlled device may output audio within an environment using a speaker of the device. While outputting the audio, a microphone of the device may capture sound within the environment and may generate an audio signal based on the captured sound. The device may then analyze the audio signal to identify speech of a user within the signal, with the speech indicating that the user is going to provide a subsequent command to the device. Thereafter, the device may alter the output of the audio (e.g., attenuate the audio, pause the audio, switch from stereo to mono, etc.) to facilitate speech recognition of the user's subsequent command.
US09916815B2
An enhanced system and method presents a view of a virtual space on a display based on a position of the display in one or more degrees of freedom. For such a position of the display, a corresponding field of view in the virtual space may be determined. In some examples, as the display rotates about an axis that runs perpendicular to the display through a centroid of the display, the view of the virtual space may shift such that the field of view varies dynamically with the rotational position of the display and the objects in the field of view are maintained fixed in the virtual space. In some implementations, an object of the virtual space may be controlled by the position change of the display in the degrees of freedom such that the objects may be steered according to the display's position in the degrees of freedom.
US09916814B2
A system on chip (SoC) includes a display controller configured to receive data of a current frame and to determine whether the data of the current frame has been updated from data of a previous frame, and a transmitter configured to output a panel self-refresh (PSR) inactive command and the data of the current frame when the display controller determines that the data of the current frame has been updated and to transmit a panel self-refresh (PSR) active command when the display controller determines that the data of the current frame has not been updated.
US09916813B2
An image displaying method including: obtaining an image to be displayed, dividing equally the image into a plurality of first sub-images along a first reference direction, and then obtaining position information of a view point relative to the display device, an angle of sight line and parameter information of a first virtual section line segment of the display device, and then calculating a compensation ratio along the first reference direction for each first sub-image of the image, and then compensating each first sub-image along the first reference direction according to the compensation ratio, and displaying the image on the display device, so that the compensated first sub-images are viewed at the view point as having the same size along the first reference direction.
US09916812B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel, a first timing controller, a second timing controller and a third timing controller. The first timing controller controls an operation of a first region in the display panel, and generates a reference clock signal. The second timing controller controls an operation of a second region in the display panel, and receives the reference clock signal. The third timing controller controls an operation of a third region in the display panel, and receives the reference clock signal. The first, second and third timing controllers are synchronized with one another in response to the reference clock signal and a state synchronization signal, and operate in one of a plurality of states depending on an operation of the display apparatus.
US09916808B2
The invention relates to a distributed display device for a vehicle comprising a set of subsystems, wherein said display device comprises at least one operator station, comprising at least one display unit arranged to receive and present information from at least one subsystem of a set of subsystems of the vehicle, wherein said at least one display unit comprises at least one dedicated safety critical input and at least one shared non safety critical input so as to be able to receive and present information from said at least one predetermined subsystem via at least one dedicated safety critical link and at least one shared non safety critical link.
US09916802B2
A display device includes a data driver, a gate driver, a plurality of first pixel unit and a first low-pass filter. Each first pixel unit includes a first transistor, a first storage capacitor and a first liquid crystal capacitor. The first transistor is electrically coupled to the data driver and the gate driver and from which to receive the first display data and the gate control signal, respectively. The first transistor is configured to output the first display data according to the gate control signal. The first low-pass filter is configured to have its input electrode terminal electrically coupled to the second electrode terminal of one of the plurality of first transistor and its output electrode terminal electrically coupled to the second electrode terminal of the first liquid crystal capacitor of each of the first pixel units. An operation method for the display device is also provided.
US09916801B2
A pixel structure, array substrate, display panel, display device, and driving method of the display device are provided. The pixel structure includes a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scan lines; a plurality of pixel units formed by intersecting the data lines with the scan lines. Each of the pixel units corresponds to one of the data lines and one of the scan lines; and the pixel unit includes a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor therein. In one of two adjacent columns of pixel units, a pixel electrode of each pixel unit is electrically connected with a thin film transistor of the pixel unit; and in the other one of the two adjacent columns of pixel units, a pixel electrode of each pixel unit in a row is electrically connected with a thin film transistor of a pixel unit in an adjacent row.
US09916799B1
An adaptive Vcom level generator circuit generates a variable Vcom voltage level. A variable Vcom voltage can be used for variable refresh rate display technology to prevent flicker on a display panel. The Vcom level can be changed based on the vertical frequency being used or can be changed based on external control signals.
US09916794B2
A display system adapted to use rapid switching techniques to switch between displaying content and displaying a mask for that content so as to provide per-pixel opacity control. The display system may employ rapid synchronized switching of both a non-emissive, transparent display and a transparent backlight. In a first state, the display is operated to display content with the backlight acting as a scattering luminous backlight. In the other or second state, the display is operated to display one or more masks (for some or all objects or items of the content displayed in the first state) with the backlight functioning as a clear and unlit backlight. The display system is capable of producing opaque emissive content on a transparent field to provide a novel display and/or for use in compact spatial augmented reality applications.
US09916793B2
To reduce the effect of external light and to improve the accuracy of detecting the location of a touch. In an image-capture period, light emission from a self-light-emitting element is controlled, and imaging data at the time of displaying white on a display screen and imaging data at the time of displaying black on the display screen are output from each sensor pixel. The location of a sensor pixel where a difference between the two pieces of imaging data output from the same sensor pixel is the greatest is detected. Thus, the location of a touch of the object on the display screen is detected with high accuracy. By utilizing a difference between imaging data at the time of reverse display, the effect of external light can be reduced.
US09916788B2
An organic electroluminescent display device includes: a display unit in which pixels are arranged in rows and columns, the pixels each including an organic electroluminescent element, a drive transistor, and a capacitor; a power supply unit which generates a supply voltage; a gate drive unit which applies a reference supply voltage to the capacitor; and a control unit which carries the supply voltage from the power supply unit to the gate drive unit, wherein the gate drive unit includes a buffer amplifier circuit which suppresses a variable component of the supply voltage carried via the control unit to stabilize the reference supply voltage, and supplies the stabilized reference supply voltage to the pixel.
US09916780B2
Disclosed embodiments relate to a light-emitting assembly and a display device. In some embodiments, the light-emitting assembly includes a lamp bead a lamp bead mounting plate and a lamp bead shading face mask, the lamp bead shading face mask covering the lamp bead, and there is a distance between the lamp bead shading face mask and the lamp bead, at least two side faces of the lamp bead shading face mask including light emergence holes, wherein one side, facing the lamp bead mounting plate, of the lamp bead shading face mask is provided with a first reflecting surface; one side, facing the lamp bead shading face mask, of the lamp bead mounting plate is provided with a second reflecting surface; and light emitted by the lamp bead is reflected by the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface and then emitted out of each of the light emergence holes.
US09916774B2
A wearable device for simulating wounds and injuries received during a trauma event includes a raiment and vest for covering the torso of a person. The raiment has an outer surface with a color and a texture comparable to human skin. Mounted on the outer surface is at least one wound simulator formed with an orifice that is in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. Thus, the person can selectively expel a blood-like fluid from the reservoir, and through the wound simulator orifice, to simulate a trauma event. The vest includes an artificial rib cage and prosthetic internal organs juxtaposed with at least one wound simulator to simulate internal effects of a trauma event.
US09916772B1
A modeling system is provided which comprises a physical atomic modeling system structured for use in conjunction with a computer-implemented application which can execute a vision detection and analysis algorithm. When used to form molecular representations or models, the modeling system can be used to make molecular bonding visible, tangible, and more readily understandable to a student or other user. Various embodiments of the invention leverage the effectiveness of tangible, tactile systems to create a learning experience which increases understanding of atomic bonding at the valence electron interaction level.
US09916765B2
A method is provided for monitoring a landing approach of an aircraft. The method includes receiving instrument landing system (ILS) signals; determining a glideslope deviation from the ILS signals; disabling, when the glideslope deviation is less than a first predetermined threshold, at least one glideslope alert function; evaluating a current glideslope condition by comparing a designated glideslope angle to a glideslope check value; and re-enabling the at least one glideslope alert function when the glideslope check value differs from the designated glideslope angle by more than a second predetermined threshold.
US09916759B2
Systems and methods for requesting modification of traffic flow control systems that combine satellite position navigation systems and dead reckoning technology with secure radio communications to accurately report a vehicle's real-time location and estimated arrival times at a series of signal lights within a traffic grid or at a distant signal light, while enabling signal controllers to accommodate priority requests from these vehicles, allowing for these vehicles to maintain a fixed schedule with minimal interruption to other grid traffic.
US09916754B2
Arrangements related to proximity-based vehicle location alerts are described. A vehicle can include a location signaling mode. In the location signaling mode, an alert is automatically provided by the vehicle responsive to detecting an authorized portable communication device being located within a predetermined alert distance from the vehicle. In the way, an indication of the location of the vehicle is provided to a user of the portable communication device. However, responsive to determining that the vehicle is located in a predetermined special location, the location signaling mode can be altered in one or more respects. In one or more arrangements, altering the location signaling mode can include disabling the location signaling mode. Thus, an indication of the location of the vehicle is not provided responsive to detecting that the portable device is located within the predetermined alert distance from the vehicle.
US09916748B1
A system for detecting and stopping flooding from a residential water heating system. A central controller is coupled to one or more flooding sensors and one or more automatic valves. In response to the sensors' detecting water, the controller causes the automatic valves to close, shutting off flow of water into or out of the water heating system. Advanced modular galvanic sensors and low-voltage, high-torque automatic ball valves may be used to improve the energy efficiency and responsiveness of the system. When flooding is detected, a variety of visual and auditory signals are generated by the controller, providing advance warning to the blind, deaf, or elderly that flooding is occurring and prompt attention is required.
US09916742B2
A notification system, method, and/or computer program product that provides an automatic real-time notification to an owner of a property is provided. Further the notification system, method, and/or computer program determines a location with respect to an electronic lockbox associated with the property and generates a geo-fence environment with respect to the property based on the location. Then, the notification system, method, and/or computer program monitors movements of a user device with respect to the geo-fence environment to determine whether a breach of the geo-fence environment has occurred and outputs the automatic real-time notification to the property owner in response to a determination that the breach of the geo-fence environment has occurred.
US09916740B2
A signal display lamp is provided that is capable of performing display in diverse modes and hence capable of increasing the quantity of transmittable information and capable of improving the reliability of information transmission. The signal display lamp includes a display portion that is capable of performing display in a plurality of display colors and that is capable of changing a position or a size of a display region in each display color, a display color determining means for determining the display color based on first information, a display region determining means for determining a position or a size of a display region in a display color determined by the display color determining means based on second information, and a display portion control means for controlling the display portion based on a display color determined by the display color determining means and based on a position or a size of a display region determined by the display region determining means.
US09916737B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to a method, system and assembly for storing components of a point-of-sale (POS) station while keeping the electronic components live and updated. All non-electronic and electronic components of a POS station are disassembled. The non-electronic components except for a cash box with an open face are removed from the sales floor. The electronic components are stored within the inner cavity of the cash box. The open face of the cash box is securely covered using a shroud. The electronic components are kept live and updated using an network and electricity pole resting in a hollow opening of the cash box.
US09916727B2
A gaming machine, a method of controlling a gaming machine, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a program wherein a first game and a second game are related to each other are provided. In a gaming machine, a first area and a second area sharing virtual reel strips are displayed, only the first area is set as a determination area in a first game, and both the first area and the second area are set as determination areas in a second game. Therefore, the first game and the second game can be provided in a form such that they are related.
US09916721B2
An electronic gaming machine is provided. In an entertainment game, utilization of an entertainment game element by a player may trigger a wager in accordance with a gambling proposition. Based on the outcome of the wager, the player may be awarded an intermediate in-game resource for use in the entertainment game. The intermediate in-game resource may be used by the player to acquire an entertainment game resource or element that may be used to enhance the player's play of the entertainment game.
US09916715B2
A pharmacy medication verification system is particularly useful for verifying medications to be dispensed to hospital patients while minimizing or eliminating verification by a pharmacist. Typically, a technician or robot picks the medications from storage bins in accordance with a medical prescription or stocking order and uses various sensors to ensure that the correct medication was picked and enters a medication container. The system typically provides correct and incorrect medication indicators as well as correct and incorrect entry indicators. Error reports may be generated when appropriate to communicate any relevant errors to the pharmacist, who can then verify that the correct medications are in the container. In one aspect, the containers are in the form of patient drawers which fit within a cart for delivery to hospital rooms. A containment device may be used to secure the drawer of other container during the verification process.
US09916703B2
Various embodiments relate generally to autonomous vehicles and associated mechanical, electrical and electronic hardware, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to provide an autonomous vehicle fleet as a service. In particular, a method may include receiving data associated with a sensor measurement of a perceived object, determining a label associated with the perceived object based on an initial calibration, retrieving log file data associated with the label, determining a calibration parameter associated with the sensor measurement based on the retrieved log file data, and storing the calibration parameter in association with a sensor associated with the sensor measurement. Sensors may be calibrated on the fly while the autonomous vehicle is in operation using one or more other sensors and/or fused data from multiple types of sensors.
US09916701B2
A method and apparatus of performing a task on a system on a platform. A task script is received by a data processing system on the platform. The task script identifies task steps for performing the task on the system. The task script is run by the data processing system to perform the task on the system.
US09916696B2
A method of inspecting a user device of a user of a transport system includes obtaining, by a portable inspection device, identification data of a user device of a user of a transport system; generating an inspection result of the user device, by an inspection system, in dependence on the read identification data and an item in a record within a database, wherein the record comprises a plurality of items each relating to entry data of a respective user device of a respective of users of the transport system; and conveying, by the portable inspection device, the result of the inspection.
US09916686B1
The invention provides a system, apparatus and method for interactively displaying a virtual three dimensional structure representing building information modeling (BIM) data. The displaying of the virtual structure provides a viewing perspective that simulates both internal and external lighting effects upon the virtual structure. Commands being communicated by a viewer of the virtual structure are processed in real time to direct navigation (location and direction) of a virtual camera that is located within the virtual three dimensional structure.
US09916683B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a foldable beam generator produces a foldable beam polyline that approximates a three-dimensional (3D) space curve. The foldable beam generator optimizes the number and position of joints included in the foldable beam polyline to minimize differences between the foldable beam polyline and the 3D space curve while complying with one or more manufacturing constraints. Notably, the foldable beam generator designs each of the joints to act as a living hinge that closes to a fixed angle when heated and solidifies when cooled. By using the foldable beam polyline as a 3D digital model for manufacturing and subsequently applying heat to assemble the manufactured 3D object, defects and/or limitations of complex 3D objects typically associated with traditional manufacturing techniques may be reduced. In particular, support structures designed to buttress three-dimensional (3D) digital models during 3D printing may be minimized.
US09916676B2
The present application discloses a 3D model rendering method and apparatus and a terminal device. The method includes calculating, in a diffuse reflection illumination situation simulated by hardware, dot product operation results of a light vector and a normal line vector of each vertex on a surface of a 3D model, converting the dot product operation results of each vertex to corresponding UV coordinate values, then drawing, according to a preset correspondence between UV coordinate values and a color value of a 3D model basic texture after receiving light, a gradient map having a color value corresponding to the UV coordinate values of the each vertex, and covering the surface of the 3D model with the gradient map. The rendering method according to the present application transfers a conventional process of coloration in a three-dimensional model to drawing a gradient map in a two-dimensional plane and then, further covering the 3D model with the drawn gradient map, has a simpler processing process, and also reduces a performance requirement on an electronic device in a process of performing 3D model rendering.
US09916670B1
A method and apparatus is provided to iteratively reconstruct a PET image for emission data using separable quadratic surrogates (SQS). The quadratic surrogates include a Poisson likelihood surrogate that has a curvature that depends on a back-projection of an inverse of mean-background signal. The method can be used with Nesterov acceleration and ordered subsets to achieve quadratic convergence to an image minimizing a Poisson Likelihood objective function that includes a regularizer that penalizes roughness in the reconstructed image.
US09916669B2
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for correcting projection data generated from a computed tomography (CT) examination of an object and/or for computing or updating a CT value of the object from the projection data. An image generator is configured to generate a CT image of an object under examination. Using this CT image, a set of actions are performed to correct projection data from which the CT image was generated and/or to update a CT value of one or more voxels within the CT image. In this way, the projection data and/or CT image is adjusted to reduce image artifacts and/or otherwise improve image quality and/or object detection.
US09916667B2
A stereo matching apparatus and method through learning a unary confidence and a pairwise confidence are provided. The stereo matching method may include learning a pairwise confidence representing a relationship between a current pixel and a neighboring pixel, determining a cost function of stereo matching based on the pairwise confidence, and performing stereo matching between a left image and a right image at a minimum cost using the cost function.
US09916664B2
A system and method for multi-spectrum segmentation for computer vision is described. A first sensor captures an image within a first spectrum range and generates first sensor data. A second sensor captures an image within a second spectrum range different than the first spectrum range and generates second sensor data. A multi-spectrum segmentation module identifies a segmented portion of the image within the second spectrum range based on: the second sensor data, a subset of the first sensor data corresponding to the segmented portion of the image within the second spectrum range, and a segmented portion of the image at the second spectrum range corresponding to the subset of the first sensor data. The multi-spectrum segmentation module identifies a physical object in the segmented portion of the image within the second spectrum range, and a device generates augmented reality content based on the identified physical object.
US09916659B2
Exterior orientation parameters of a camera are easily determined by, for example, a reference image being obtained by photographing a building 131 with a camera 112, in which exterior orientation parameters are determined, while a vehicle 100 travels, and a comparative image being simultaneously obtained by photographing the building 131 with a camera 113, in which exterior orientation parameters are undetermined. Then, points that match between the reference image and the comparative image are selected, and relative orientation and scale adjustment using a predetermined scale are performed, whereby the exterior orientation parameters of the camera 113 are calculated.
US09916654B2
Method, system and computer-accessible medium for determining at least one of axonal loss or myelin degradation can be provided. For example, it is possible to receive data based on at least one of a measure of diffusion of an axonal structure or a measure of a density of axons, and determine axonal loss and/or myelin degradation based on the data. The determination can be based on axonal geometry of at least one parallel tube.
US09916636B2
Server resources in a data center are disaggregated into shared server resource pools, including a graphics processing unit (GPU) pool. Servers are constructed dynamically, on-demand and based on workload requirements, by allocating from these resource pools. According to this disclosure, GPU utilization in the data center is managed proactively by assigning GPUs to workloads in a fine granularity and agile way, and de-provisioning them when no longer needed. In this manner, the approach is especially advantageous to automatically provision GPUs for data analytic workloads. The approach thus provides for a “micro-service” enabling data analytic workloads to automatically and transparently use GPU resources without providing (e.g., to the data center customer) the underlying provisioning details. Preferably, the approach dynamically determines the number and the type of GPUs to use, and then during runtime auto-scales the GPUs based on workload.
US09916634B2
A mechanism is described for facilitating efficient graphics command generation and execution for improved graphics performance at computing devices. A method of embodiments, as described herein, includes detecting an application programming interface (API) call to perform a plurality of transactions, where the API call is issued by an application at a first command buffer, where the plurality of transactions include a first set of transactions and a second set of transactions. The method may further include creating a second command buffer and appending the second command buffer to the first command buffer, where creating further includes separating the first set transactions from the second set of transactions. The method may further include executing, via the second command buffer, the first set of transactions, prior to executing the first set of transactions.
US09916630B2
An optimized operating schedule is obtained while avoiding a complexity of formulation and optimization in response to an incentive type demand response. A device includes an energy predictor setting a predicted value of energy of a control-target device within a predetermined future period, a schedule optimizer optimizing the operating schedule of the control-target device within the predetermined period in accordance with a predetermined evaluation barometer, an incentive acceptance determiner determining a time with a possibility that an incentive is receivable, an electricity suppressing schedule optimizer optimizing, for a time with a possibility that the incentive is receivable, the operating schedule of the control-target device based on a unit price of electricity fee having a unit price for calculating the incentive taken into consideration, and an adopted schedule selector selecting either one of the operating schedules.
US09916629B2
Methods, products, apparatus, and systems may provide for identifying a set of users associated with one or more collaboration artifacts. Additionally, a set of networks including a plurality of candidate social networks may be identified. Moreover, a relationship strength may be determined between the set of users associated with the one or more collaborations artifacts and each of the candidate social networks to identify one or more relevant social networks from the candidate social networks. Determining the relationship strength may include calculating a similarity metric. In addition, at least one member affiliated with the one or more relevant social networks may become aware of the collaboration artifact.
US09916628B1
Computer-implemented methods, systems and articles of manufacture for modifying the manner in which interview questions are presented to a user of a tax return preparation application to provide a more personalized experience during preparation of an electronic tax return. A selected question that is consistent with a data model or schema is modified or twisted such that the selected question is reworded or rephrased. The modified question, rather than the original question, is presented to the user. The user's answer to the modified question is converted, mapped or “untwisted” to derive a corresponding answer to the original question that is consistent with the data model or schema utilized by the tax return preparation application. The corresponding answer may then be read by a rule engine or logic agent that utilizes a decision table that defines rules to determine which additional or other questions can be presented to the user.
US09916625B2
A mobile insurance architecture includes a wireless communication interface that connects mobile client devices to wireless networks. An insurance server cluster that includes a group of independent network servers operates and appears to mobile client devices as if the group of independent network servers were a single computer server. An adaptive transmission controller communicates with the insurance server cluster and processes content in multiple mobile formats that may be optimized to the screen sizes of the mobile client devices. The insurance server cluster responds to native application clients resident to the mobile client devices. The native application clients contain code stored on a non-transitory media that render insurance quoting services, insurance claims services, on-line insurance policy services, usage based insurance services, mobile monitoring services, or insurance agency management services.
US09916624B2
A scalable, adaptable, modular, and web-centric Insurance Back-Office System (IBOS) for serving the needs of carriers, agencies, agents, and service providers in the insurance industry is disclosed. The IBOS provides a framework for allowing web-centric collaboration among agents, agencies, carriers, and service providers, using applications that manage applicants, cases, and policies in an efficient and secure manner. The IBOS infrastructure is designed to facilitate the creation of a new application, module, tool, or view in a simplified manner. A multi-tiered framework of application, module, tool, and view facilitates ease of navigation for users.
US09916623B2
Methods, devices, and systems for managing electronic messages of an electronic trading system in which orders are extracted from the electronic messages involve executing actions associated with respect to the orders and matching orders to counter orders. Matching orders may be based on a priority determined using a market quality index of the order and an associated market participant.
US09916620B2
The disclosed embodiments include methods and systems for providing account status notifications. The disclosed embodiments include, for example, a device for providing account status notifications including a memory storing software instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the software instructions to perform operations. In one aspect, the operations may include receiving account status notification information for a first account associated with a user. The account status notification information may be generated based on one or more notification rules and account information associated with the first account. The operations may also include generating, based on the received account status notification information, a first account status indicator that provides a status of a first account parameter associated with the first account that is presented, via a device component and within a field-of-view of the user, without a user request to receive the status of the first account parameter.
US09916618B2
A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.
US09916617B2
Systems and methods described herein relate to processing of information, data and database identifiers involving content and/or experiences. According to one exemplary implementation, an illustrative method of computerized information processing may involve handling and/or processing data regarding a product, where the product may be an experience represented by and automatically processed via one or more computer system(s) and/or platform(s) as a function of product type identifiers and/or Boolean flags.
US09916614B2
To guide other products related to a product which is taken out in hand by a customer. The present product display rack system carries out a first step for detecting an RFID number of a product taken by a customer from desired display racks 11 to 14 based upon the detection result of the RFID reader; a second step for acquiring RFID numbers of related products having related product types and functional types relative to the product type of the RFID number from the product related information data base 260 by using the detected RFID number as a key; a third step for acquiring the product display coordinates of the product type from the product coordinate data base 250 by using the acquired RFID number of the related product as a key; and a fourth step for lighting or flickering the lamp of the lamp guiding units 30 to 33 at a position close to the acquired product display coordinates.
US09916607B2
An ink billing system is used between a client company X 200 that prints information and a printer manufacturer that supplies ink cartridges (or toner) to company X 200. Company X 200 has a main server 210, a plurality of in-store servers 220, 230 in communication with the main server, and a plurality of inkjet (or laser) printers 240 each having an ink cartridge 20 (or toner) for printing according to commands from the in-store server 220, 230. When billing company X 200 based on the number of ink shots (or drum charging time) used by the printers 240 and stored on the main server 210, the terminal device 100 of the printer manufacturer changes the billing rate per unit of ink according to the ink shot count (or drum charging time).
US09916603B2
Systems and methods for transmitting content to a client via a communication network are provided. An insertion server, running within a firewall device associated with a private IP network, detects establishment of a transport communication protocol connection between a client associated with the network and a destination located external to the network by examining packets as they pass through the network and pass by the insertion server. A content request of an application protocol initiated by the client and directed to the destination is observed by the insertion server. The content request is negated by the insertion server by causing a canceling message of the transport communication protocol to be sent to the destination. Unsolicited content is caused to be selected for delivery to the client by the insertion server. The unsolicited content is sent by the insertion server to the client via the application protocol.
US09916601B2
An ad-marketplace system manages an exchange for advertisement opportunities from a plurality of content brokers. Each advertising opportunity can include one or more attributes that describe advertisement slots during a broadcast of a data stream. The ad-marketplace system can receive one or more bids for an advertising opportunity associated with a media stream, and can select a matching bid from an advertiser for the advertising opportunity. Each bid can specify one or more advertising requirements that are to be satisfied by the advertising opportunity. When the ad-marketplace system selects the matching bid, the ad-marketplace system establishes a contract between the media broker, and places an initial payment from the advertiser in escrow. The ad-marketplace system can provide a payment to the media broker after confirming that a set of consumers have consumed the advertisement.
US09916588B2
Methods, apparatus and systems for computer-aided determination of quality assessment for locate and marking operations. In one example, information related to a locate and marking operation is electronically analyzed such that a quality assessment is made using assessment parameters that are dynamically selected based at least in part on first information describing at least some aspects of the locate and marking operation as performed by a field-service technician and second information relating to a description of the locate operation to be performed.
US09916586B2
Apparatus and methods for client-side deposit packaging compliance are provided. Apparatus and methods may include deploying a uniform reporting format for clients, banks, armored couriers and vaults. The uniform reporting format may be a XML data feed. The XML data feed may provide for reporting of condition codes associated with a deposit. The condition codes may correspond to one or more attributes of a deposit packaged by a client. The condition codes may be submitted by the client. The condition codes may be verified when a deposit is processed by a vault. Illustrative condition codes may correspond to: armored courier ID, envelope status, counterfeit status. The XML data feed may utilize dynamic online, rule-based forms for clients, banks, armored couriers and vaults.
US09916581B2
A method of reconstructing a packet that includes financial card information from a mobile device uses a card reader. The card reader has a read head, a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card and device electronics that includes a microcontroller with logic resources with code. The card reader has a unique identifier and associated cryptographic key. The same code is used to produce an encrypted and signed signal. The encrypted and signed signal, that includes the card reader identifier, is sent to the mobile device. The mobile device sends an encrypted and signed packet to a back end of a payment system. A cryptographic key is used to decrypt and verify the contents of the packet at the back end. Non-encrypted financial card information is sent to a payment gateway.
US09916576B2
Described are methods and systems for remotely personalizing a payment device. In an embodiment, a trusted service provider (TSP) personalization server receives a payment device personalization request from a remote personalization device (RPD), determines that a hardware security token (HST) permits issuance of the payment device, and transmits a personalization data request to an issuer. The TSP personalization server then receives the requested personalization data from a Mobile Over-the-Air Provisioning Service (MOTAPS) server, generates session keys, converts data from the MOTAPS server into payment device application process data unit (APDU) data, and then transmits the personalization data and APDU data to the RPD to load onto a payment device.
US09916575B2
A method for wireless communication is described. The method includes using a routing table for multiple secure elements. The routing table assigns a preferred secure element for a transaction type. The method also includes selecting a first secure element for a transaction based on the routing table. The method further includes updating the routing table based on a received command to use a second secure element to complete the transaction.
US09916567B1
Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed for remote management of payment terminals. Public keys, or other security elements can be received from a certification authority and distributed to the payment terminals. A merchant, or other entity affiliated with the payment terminals, can monitor the status of the software and security elements of the payment terminals.
US09916566B2
An apparatus can be employed as a mobile wireless order point and pick-up station. The apparatus can be configured to house a display device and to allow the display device to be used in many different locations for the purpose of receiving and/or picking up orders. To facilitate its mobility, the apparatus can include an integrated pallet jack and be configured with wireless communication capabilities and a portable power source. The apparatus may also include a retractable awning which can serve to provide shading to the display device to facilitate its use and to reduce heating when the apparatus is used in an outdoor environment.
US09916562B1
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer-readable media related to competitive merchandise fulfillment delivery speed monitoring. Competitor merchants for a geographic region may be identified. Data for merchandise from sources associated with the competitor merchants may be obtained. A set of policies may be retrieved. The obtained data may be analyzed based at least in part on the policies to identify merchandise and an associated delivery speed available via the one or more competitor merchants. One or more suggested inventory management actions affecting the identified merchandise available via an online retailer may be generated based at least in part on the analyzed data. Implementation of at least one of the suggested inventory management actions may be facilitated. A website of the online retailer may be updated for the identified merchandise based at least in part on the implementation of the at least one of the one or more suggested inventory management actions.
US09916560B2
The present disclosure extends to maintaining an item inventory status at an inventory cache management system. The inventory cache may be refreshed regularly by a threshold-based triggering mechanism. In embodiments, as item inventory breaches certain thresholds, the inventory cache may be refreshed with increased frequency to mitigate overselling or underselling scenarios and reduce overall network traffic for items having relatively high inventory levels.
US09916554B2
A method of assessing a risk level of an enterprise using cloud-based services from one or more cloud service providers includes assessing provider risk scores associated with the one or more cloud service providers; assessing cloud service usage behavior and pattern of the enterprise; and generating a risk score for the enterprise based on the provider risk scores and on the cloud service usage behavior and pattern of the enterprise. The risk score is indicative of the risk of the enterprise relating to the use of the cloud-based services from the one or more cloud service providers.
US09916542B2
A machine learning method operates on training instances from a plurality of domains including one or more source domains and a target domain. Each training instance is represented by values for a set of features. Domain adaptation is performed using stacked marginalized denoising autoencoding (mSDA) operating on the training instances to generate a stack of domain adaptation transform layers. Each iteration of the domain adaptation includes corrupting the training instances in accord with feature corruption probabilities that are non-uniform over at least one of the set of features and the domains. A classifier is learned on the training instances transformed using the stack of domain adaptation transform layers. Thereafter, a label prediction is generated for an input instance from the target domain represented by values for the set of features by applying the classifier to the input instance transformed using the stack of domain adaptation transform domains.
US09916541B2
An information processing apparatus includes a history acquisition section configured to acquire history data including a history indicating that a plurality of selection subjects have selected selection objects; a learning processing section configured to allow a choice model to learn a preference of each selection subject for a feature and an environmental dependence of selection of each selection object in each selection environment using the history data, where the choice model uses a feature value possessed by each selection object, the preference of each selection subject for the feature, and the environmental dependence indicative of ease of selection of each selection object in each of a plurality of selection environments to calculate a selectability with which each of the plurality of selection subjects selects each selection object; and an output section configured to output results of learning by the learning processing section.
US09916536B2
Certain relationships representing material insights are identified from among a set of discovered relationships. Cognitive discovery of relationships in a knowledge base, or corpus, are ranked according to one or more metrics indicative of material insights, including recentness and degree of alignment.
US09916528B2
A control circuit determines a reception parameter for an RFID tag that is attached to an object (such as an ice pack) and then determines a frozen state of the object as a function of that reception parameter. By one approach the RFID tag provides a transmission to support the aforementioned determinations, which transmission provides no data that explicitly represents temperature. The reception parameter can comprise, for example, an indication of received signal strength. So configured, a relatively higher indication of received signal strength can serve to determine that the object is and/or remains at least substantially frozen while a relatively lower indication of received signal strength can serve to determine that the object is not at least substantially frozen.
US09916527B2
A method is disclosed for creating a 2D barcode. In an embodiment, the method includes: embedding primary information that can be read by a 2D-barcode-reader in a primary information pattern, and embedding secondary information that is made difficult to reproduce without alteration in a visible pattern. In an embodiment, the visible pattern is embedded within the barcode in at least one area that does not contain any primary information.
US09916508B2
The disclosure includes a method that receives a real-time image of a road from a camera sensor communicatively coupled to an onboard computer of a vehicle. The method includes dividing the real-time image into superpixels. The method includes merging the superpixels to form superpixel regions. The method includes generating prior maps from a dataset of road scene images. The method includes drawing a set of bounding boxes where each bounding box surrounds one of the superpixel regions. The method includes comparing the bounding boxes in the set of bounding boxes to a road prior map to identify a road region in the real-time image. The method includes pruning bounding boxes from the set of bounding boxes to reduce the set to remaining bounding boxes. The method may include using a categorization module that identifies the presence of a road scene object in the remaining bounding boxes.
US09916507B1
A network device determines an exposure time associated with an image sensor coupled to a spacecraft for capturing an image of a target object orbiting the Earth. The network device computes a maximum relative angular velocity associated with the target object based on the exposure time and a dimension of a pixel of the image sensor. The network device identifies a first pointing direction of the image sensor for initiating a search for the target object. The network device generates a first angular velocity probability distribution map for the target object and divides the first angular velocity probability distribution map into a first set of angular velocity regions (AVRs). The network device selects a first AVR from the first set of AVRs for scanning by the image sensor and generates a search schedule that includes a first entry for informing the spacecraft to scan the first AVR.
US09916506B1
An example system includes a robotic device, at least one invisible fiducial marker on the robotic device that is detectable within a particular band of invisible light, a camera that is configured to detect the particular band of invisible light, and a control system. The control system may be configured to receive an image of the robotic device within an environment, identify at least one position within the image of the at least one invisible fiducial marker on the robotic device, determine a position of the robotic device relative to the camera, determine one or more positions within the image to overlay one or more virtual annotations, and provide for display of the image of the robotic device within the environment with the one or more virtual annotations overlaid at the one or more determined positions within the image.
US09916504B2
A user terminal and a providing method thereof are provided. The method includes acquiring an iris image, determining a capturing condition of the iris image, converting the acquired iris image to an iris code and performing iris recognition by comparing the converted iris code with an iris code corresponding to a determined capturing condition among pre-registered iris codes, determining a physical condition of a user who is subject to the iris recognition on the basis of an iris recognition matching rate being within a preset range, and providing a determined physical condition result.
US09916500B2
A mobile computing device-implemented method of imaging an object to read information, includes capturing, by running an image capturing thread, a plurality of raw images of the object by an image capturing component of the mobile computing device and placing in an image queue in a first memory location; processing, by running an image processing thread, one or more raw images to extract one or more potential machine readable zone (MRZ) candidates and placing in a MRZ candidate queue in a second memory location; analyzing, by running an image analysis thread, an MRZ candidate to detect an MRZ and placing in an MRZ queue in a third memory location; and creating a composite MRZ if a timer has expired, or the MRZ queue has reached a predetermined threshold.
US09916487B2
Methods and system for encoded information processing are described. In one embodiment, an encoded pattern may be optically detected from source media. Gaming data and associated synchronization data may be decoded from the encoded pattern. The gaming data may be synchronized for use during gaming based on the synchronization data. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
US09916481B2
The invention is directed to systems and methods for detecting the loss, theft or unauthorized use of a device and/or altering the functionality of the device in response. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting that a security compromise event has occurred for a mobile device. The method also includes altering a function of the mobile device in response to the security compromise event to mitigate loss of control by an authorized user. Altering the function of the mobile device includes denying access to data stored on the mobile device.
US09916475B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for extending security of an application-based computer operating system are disclosed. One system includes a memory. The system also includes an application-based operating system security module bridge implemented using the memory. The application-based operating system security module bridge is for receiving, from a reference monitor, a registration for at least one security authorization hook, for receiving a callback when a protected event occurs, for communicating with the reference monitor that registered the at least one security authorization hook corresponding to the callback, and for receiving, from the reference monitor, an access control decision associated with the protected event.
US09916473B2
Technologies are generally described for privacy protection for a life-log system. In some examples, a method performed under control of a life-log system may include receiving, from a user account, a request to change one or more real life-log data entries relating to a real event that are stored in a first part of a database; removing the one or more real life-log data entries relating to the real event from the first part of the database; and storing, in the first part of the database, one or more misleading life-log data entries relating to a false event corresponding to the real event.
US09916466B2
The present application discloses systems and methods for systems and methods of creating, administrating, assigning, and managing lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures and other safety compliance procedures.
US09916455B2
The disclosed principles describe systems and methods for assessing the security posture of a target device, wherein the assessment is performed by a scanning computer in communication with the target device via a communication network. By employing a system or method in accordance with the disclosed principles, distinct advantages are achieved. Specifically, conducting such a remote scan allows for the scanner computer to perform a remote scan of the remote device without installing client software to the remote device. Thus, the disclosed principles reduce the need for internal IT resources to manage the deployment and updates of client software on the target device. Also, conducting a remote scan according to the disclosed principles allows for the remote scan to be performed even if the scanner computer and remote device run different operating systems.
US09916452B2
A device-local key derivation scheme generates, during a first boot session for an electronic device, a sealing key that is derived at least in part from a device-generated random seed and an internal secret that is unique to the electronic device. After generating the sealing key, access to the internal secret is disabled for a remainder of the first boot session and until a second boot session is initiated. At runtime, the sealing key is used to sign a module manifest that describes the software that is authorized to access the sealing key, and the module manifest containing the sealing key is persisted in non-volatile memory of the electronic device. The module manifest can be used to validate software during a subsequent boot session and to authorize software updates on the electronic device without relying on an external entity or external information to protect on-device secrets.
US09916451B2
Pre-validation of bootloader certificates for firmware bootloaders of an operating system boot list during a setup mode of BIOS boot initiation provides the end user with a tool to address boot certification problems associated with the firmware bootloaders before the operating system boot precludes execution of bootloaders that lack a valid certificate. For example, re-configuration of a boot list to address certification problems before exit of boot setup prevents boot to an inoperative state caused by lack of firmware execution during boot due to a failed certificate, such as a failure to load an unsigned option ROM.
US09916442B2
Systems and methods may include monitoring data input to and output from an application on a mobile device. Such systems and methods may include storing meta-data, which describes a behavior of the data input to and output from the application, on the mobile device. Such systems and methods may include determining whether a behavior of the application is anomalous based on the meta-data stored on the mobile device. Such systems and methods may include providing detailed data, which includes the data input to and output from the application, to another device in response to determining that the behavior of the application is anomalous based on the meta-data stored on the mobile device.
US09916440B1
A computerized system and method is described for classifying objects as malicious by processing the objects in a virtual environment and monitoring behaviors during processing by one or more monitors, where the monitoring is conducted in an electronic device that is different than the electronic device within which an analysis of attributes of the objects is conducted beforehand. The monitors may monitor and record selected sets of process operations and capture associated process parameters, which describe the context in which the process operations were performed. By recording the context of process operations, the system and method described herein improves the intelligence of classifications and consequently reduces the likelihood of incorrectly identifying objects as malware or vice versa.
US09916432B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided securing information. In some example embodiments, there is provided a method, which may include receiving, at a user equipment, biometric data from a user of the user equipment; receiving, at the user equipment, sensitive data to be encoded and/or decoded; encoding, based on at least one feature detected in the biometric data, the sensitive data, when the user equipment is in a storage mode; and decoding, based on at least the at least one feature detected in the biometric data, the sensitive data, when the user equipment is in a read mode. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US09916428B2
Systems, methods, and devices for detecting infections in a clinical sample are provided. Small-volume clinical samples obtained at a point-of-service (POS) location and may be tested at the POS location for multiple markers for multiple diseases, including upper and lower respiratory diseases. Samples may be tested for cytokines, or for inflammation indicators. Dilution of samples, or levels of detection, may be determined by the condition or past history of a subject. Test results may be obtained within a short amount of time after sample placement in a testing device, or within a short amount of time after being obtained from the subject. A prescription for treatment of a detected disorder may be provided, and may be filled, at the POS location. A bill may be automatically generated for the testing, or for the prescription, may be automatically sent to an insurance provider, and payment may be automatically obtained.
US09916424B2
A system and method for predicting an onset of an exacerbation in a patient is provided. The method includes monitoring core body temperature of the patient; monitoring breath temperature of the patient; calculating a relationship, or a change in relationship, between the core body temperature and the breath temperature of the patient; and detecting the onset of the exacerbation, when the calculated relationship, or a change in relationship, satisfies a predetermined criteria.
US09916423B2
Random human eye generators are provided for use in evaluating aspects of treatment in refractive surgery or other therapeutic vision modalities. Exemplary random eye generators include an optical parameter such as a manifest refractive sphere parameter or a wavefront sphere parameter, and incorporate a Rayleigh distribution for such parameters.
US09916417B2
A medical image evaluation and diagnosis system to dynamically connect clinical tools, clinical applications and clinical findings includes a work context auto alignment manager (WAALM). The WAALM extracts, from a clinical application and tool initiation request, clinical application and tool information for a first clinical taskflow, and connects, with at least a first clinical application initiated in response to the clinical application and tool initiation request, at least a first clinical tool based on the extracted clinical application and tool information, the first clinical tool being independent of the first clinical application.
US09916406B2
A processor may receive a transistor level integrated circuit (IC) design to be modelled. The processor may determine that the transistor level IC design has a first stage and a second stage. The processor may determine a first cross-current effective capacitance of the first stage and a second cross-current effective capacitance of the second stage. The processor may then determine a cross-current effective capacitance for the transistor level IC design by accumulating the first and second cross-current effective capacitances.
US09916405B2
A method, system, and computer program product perform distributed timing analysis of an integrated circuit design. Aspects include dividing the integrated circuit design into non-overlapping design partitions, each design partition including nodes and edges, each edge interconnecting a pair of the nodes. Aspects also include identifying speculative nodes among the nodes, each speculative node having at least one and less than all timing inputs available and being associated with a speculative processing task, and identifying non-speculative nodes among the nodes, each non-speculative node having all timing inputs available and being associated with a non-speculative processing task. Assigning each of the non-speculative processing tasks to a respective processor of a processing system specific to each design partition for timing analysis processing is done prior to assigning any of the speculative processing tasks.
US09916403B1
An improved approach is provided for determining differential voltages for driver and receiver pairs as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD) events including identifying circuits of interest, re-characterizing the circuits of interest into a system for evaluating differential voltages, determining the differential voltages for ESD pin locations, and outputting results after iterating through all the ESD pin locations. In some embodiments, re-characterizing may include performing a resistance only extraction of a net, attaching a resistance to any node in the circuit and to ground, formulating a conductance matrix and distributing the total current I as source points. In some embodiments, determining differential voltages for ESD pin locations may include, stamping a first ESD pin location with a total current, solving for the system using previously computed values, mapping the driver and receiver pairs to the nodes in the system, computing the differential voltage, and recording the lowest differential voltage.
US09916399B2
A method and system for creating a customized package design. Package design and preference information related to a shape of the package design is received. The preference information includes user-specified information related to one or more levels of one or more structural attributes of the package design. A detailed design is generated that incorporates the user-specified information and a detailed design file is generated and output. Generation of the detailed design includes identifying functional elements associated with the package that correspond to the user-specified information and altering at least one physical characteristic of the identified functional elements based upon the preference information, and incorporating the altered physical characteristic into the detailed design. A determination can be made as to whether the altered detailed design satisfies any constraints associated with the package being design, and the detailed design file can be updated accordingly.
US09916398B2
A 3D CAD model of a plant, a factory, refinery, or facility is re-built from laser scan data of the plant, a factory, refinery, or facility. Through a rules-based analysis, CAD model objects are identified in the laser scan data. The rules map laser scan data to CAD model objects based on shape, size and/or sequence of connection of objects in the plant, a factory, refinery, or facility grouping. Design logic of equipment and process facilities are also utilized by the rules.
US09916397B2
Embodiments relate to generating a retrieval condition for retrieving a target character string from texts by pattern matching. An aspect includes dividing a first text into words. Another aspect includes generating a converted character string by performing at least one of appending at least one character in at least either one of previous and subsequent positions of the target character string. Another aspect includes replacing at least one character of the target character string. Another aspect includes generating the retrieval condition for retrieval candidates in the words of the first text, the retrieval condition comprising determining that a retrieval candidate matches the target character string and does not match the converted character string based on a ratio of a part of the retrieval candidate which matches the converted character string and corresponds to the target character string is less than or equal to a reference frequency.
US09916392B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of computer technologies, and discloses a method, system, and storage medium for displaying media content applicable to a social platform. The method includes: detecting an input operation about a dynamic area located around a media content displaying area; and responding to the input operation, and scrolling to display, according to a layout direction of media content loaded in the media content displaying area, the media content in the media content displaying area, where a width of the media content in a direction that is perpendicular to the layout direction of the media content is consistent with a width of the media content displaying area. Embodiments of the present invention do not need to intercept the media content, and also do not need to display a clear and complete picture by using a large picture floating layer, so as to reduce a workload of the system effectively.
US09916389B2
A method and system. A framework, which is generated, is a table including N+1 columns and M+1 rows. A two-dimensional array within the table includes N×M intersections of the N remaining columns and the M remaining rows. A first row of the table identifies a filter including a list of K dimensions consisting of K dependent variables, and wherein N, M and K are each an integer of at least 2. The framework is transmitted to an end-user. A user-defined data collection tool is received and includes the table with the N×M intersections in the table each containing a measure of a dependent variable selected by the end-user independently from the K dependent variables. The dependent variable for each intersection is a function of the two dependent variables characterizing each intersection.
US09916386B2
A method and apparatus for presenting a search result. The method comprises: receiving a current search term input by a user; determining user information about a user, and determining a pre-established first model corresponding to the user according to user information, the first model recording historical data of the user, and the historical data comprising a historical search term and a corresponding historical selection result; determining, in the historical data, a historical search term matched with the current search term, determining a historical selection result corresponding to the matched historical search term, and determining an online recommendation result according to the historical selection result; and presenting a search result to the user, the search result comprising the online recommendation result or a result obtained by processing the online recommendation result. The disclosed method can provide a personalized search service, so that the search result better meets the user's needs.
US09916383B1
A system and method dynamically analyzes documents to determine the relevancy of a document relatively quickly and efficiently. Potentially relevant documents can be determined using a search string and then converted into corresponding document data structures for analysis. Keywords can be used to identify documents of interest from the document data structures. Tools are provided to assess the relevancy of documents, including tools to determine the frequency of keywords in the documents, to compare documents, and to contrast documents. Algorithms are provided that use prior searches to determine sets of relevant documents. Adaptive search methods are provided that refine searching during analysis to reduce a number of documents that are not sufficiently relevant. A dynamic relevancy matrix can be generated that provides access to keyword frequency and associated keyword frequency for a plurality of documents.
US09916382B1
Provided are systems and methods for determining a first subject of a first content item corresponding to a first storyline, determining a second subject of a second content item corresponding to a second storyline, determining first data associated with the first subject, determining second data associated with the second subject, comparing at least a portion of the first data to at least a portion of the second data, determining that the first subject is related to the second subject, and associating the first content item with the second content item.
US09916377B2
A base query having a plurality of base query terms is obtained. A plurality of problem log files are accessed. Words, contained in a corpus vocabulary, are extracted from the plurality of problem log files. Based on the words extracted from the plurality of problem log files, a first expanded query is generated from the base query. The corpus is queried, via a query engine and a corpus index, with a second expanded query related to the first expanded query.
US09916375B2
Embodiments of the present invention enable users to generate a summary for a document with respect to a concept, making use of inherent hierarchies present in a text document based on subject-object relationships of the sentences in the text document. In one embodiment, a text document is parsed into sentences, and a tuple is created for each sentence, the tuple comprising a subject and an object found in the sentence. The tuples may then be searched for a specified topic to identify matching tuples, as well as tuples that are related to the matching tuples based on relationships between their respective subjects and objects. A summary focused on the specified topic may then be generated using the sentences corresponding to the matching tuples and the tuples related to the matching tuples.
US09916369B2
The present invention includes a method, system, and computer-readable medium for calculating a social graph using a social utility grid interface. The method includes the following steps. First, collecting one or more types of communication data. Next, inputting the one or more types of communication data into a social utility grid infrastructure. The social utility grid infrastructure analyzes the input data to determine a multi-dimensional first-order social graph by: (1) normalizing each of the one or more types of communication data; (2) representing the each of the one or more types of communication data as a vector; (3) calculating a Euclidean Norm; and (4) generating the multi-dimensional first-order social graph. Then, providing the multi-dimensional first-order social graph to one or more software applications.
US09916363B2
An approach is provided for diversifying recommendation results. A diversification manager determines one or more recommendation scores associated with one or more items. The one or more recommendation scores are for determining a sort order of the one or more items. The diversification manager then determines similarity information associated with the one or more items, and processes and/or facilitates a processing of the similarity information to cause, at least in part, an adjustment of the one or more recommendation scores, the sort order, or a combination thereof.
US09916360B2
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).
US09916356B2
A memory controller receives request(s) to perform a plurality of memory operations on a datastore. The memory controller batches, into a set of leaf node operations, memory operations of the plurality of memory operations that are associated with keys in a range of keys, where a leaf node in a tiered data structure stored in the datastore is assigned the range of keys. The memory controller determines whether a condition is satisfied, and, in accordance with a determination that the condition is satisfied: locates the leaf node in the datastore; stores a copy of the leaf node in a cache; modifies the cached copy of the leaf node according to the set of leaf node operations so as to obtain one or more modified leaf nodes; and writes the one or more modified leaf nodes to one or more locations in the datastore with one or more write operations.
US09916355B2
A structured file includes information to bind a web data source to a web data query system. Code is embedded within the structured file and is in a code language understood by the web data query system. The code is unrestricted in function. Code language objects are exposed within the web data query system for use by the code to interface with the web data query system and the web data source. A URL is associated with the structured file to enable access of the structured file through the Internet. A unit-based quota method is implemented to manage execution of code in the structured file. The unit-based quota method collapses multiple dimensions of computing resource control into a single unit value, tracks a number of units expended by the code, and stops execution of the code when the number of units expended by the code reaches a set limit.
US09916354B2
A database management system (DBMS) runs on scalable production system. The DBMS includes a first operating mode, wherein the scalable production system runs on a first set of computing resources, and a second operating mode, wherein the scalable production system runs on a second set of computing resources. The DBMS in the first mode determines that with respect to the first set of resources a first query access plan for executing a query satisfies optimization criteria. A determination is made that with respect to the second set of resources the first plan fails preliminary criteria. In response to this failure determination, a second query access plan for executing the query is generated. Prior to having the DBMS receive a request to execute the query while in the second mode, a determination is made that with respect to the second set of resources the second plan satisfies the optimization criteria.
US09916353B2
A database management system (DBMS) runs on scalable production system. The DBMS includes a first operating mode, wherein the scalable production system runs on a first set of computing resources, and a second operating mode, wherein the scalable production system runs on a second set of computing resources. The DBMS in the first mode determines that with respect to the first set of resources a first query access plan for executing a query satisfies optimization criteria. A determination is made that with respect to the second set of resources the first plan fails preliminary criteria. In response to this failure determination, a second query access plan for executing the query is generated. Prior to having the DBMS receive a request to execute the query while in the second mode, a determination is made that with respect to the second set of resources the second plan satisfies the optimization criteria.
US09916343B2
Optimizing approximation of an earliest access time of objects in a datasharing environment by maintaining a global exception list for objects that are accessed by transactions that commit infrequently. The global exception list comprises a time value representing the earliest access time for each object in the global exception list, and an object identifier. The system references the global exception list to determine whether the object is in the global exception list. If the object is in the global exception list, the system uses the time value associated with the object when determining the earliest access time for the object. If not, the system approximates the earliest access time of the object by selecting the most recent access time value from the global exception list, providing more recent access times for objects accessed by transactions that commit frequently.
US09916342B2
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for managing and implementing an asset license reclamation program across a network. The status of an asset, such as computer software, is automatically determined and if the asset does not meet particular use criteria, the asset may be flagged for reclamation and/or redeployment, either within the same network segment or in a separate network segment.
US09916331B2
A method and device for automatically processing static test data of a rail transit vehicle are provided. A target operation step is determined in accordance with a commissioning template. Information about a commissioning task step is sent to a terminal device, for prompting that the target operation step needs to be executed. After the information about a commissioning result corresponding to the target operation step is received, it is judged whether test data in the information is correct. If it is judged that the test data is correct, the information is sent to the terminal device, the judgement result is filled into the commissioning template, and a step of determining the target operation step is executed. If it is judged that the test data is incorrect, the information is sent to the terminal device, and the judgement result is filled into the commissioning template.
US09916330B2
A method for analyzing an image of a real object, generated by at least one camera includes the following steps: generating at least a first image by the camera capturing at least one real object, defining a first search domain comprising multiple data sets of the real object, each of the data sets being indicative of a respective portion of the real object, and analyzing at least one characteristic property of the first image with respect to the first search domain, in order to determine whether the at least one characteristic property corresponds to information of at least a particular one of the data sets of the first search domain. If it is determined that the at least one characteristic property corresponds to information of at least a particular one of the data sets, a second search domain comprising only the particular one of the data sets is defined and the second search domain is used for analyzing the first image and/or at least a second image.
US09916328B1
Systems and methods are provided for providing user assistance on a mobile device. For example, a method may include receiving a first image of a screen captured on a mobile device, determining key content in the first image by performing recognition on the first image, and using the key content as a query to an index that associates key items with screen capture images previously received from the mobile device. The method may further include determining that a search result of the query includes at least one key item with a rank that exceeds a relevancy threshold, determining a portion of a second image from the screen capture images that is associated with the at least one key item, generating annotation data that includes the portion of the second image, and providing the annotation data for display with the screen on the mobile device.
US09916327B2
A document processing system for remote processing an image frame of a document and methods of using thereof. The system includes a remote server, having a processing unit and a data repository unit. The system further includes a personal mobile device having an image acquisition device for acquiring at least one image frame of a document, a communication unit adapted to communicate with the processing unit and an image-transmission-management module. Upon receiving the at least one image frame of a document by the remote server from the personal mobile device, via the wireless network, the processing unit extracts textual data, image data or both from the received at least one image frame to thereby create extracted data; associates an access code to the extracted data; and stores the at least one image frame, the extracted data and the associated access code in the data repository unit.
US09916324B2
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for protecting data. A file modification is identified. A previous file entry is modified where the previous file entry is stored in a key value database. A new file entry is created in the key value database. The previous file entry modification includes modifying the end version of the entry.
US09916317B2
There are provided methods and systems for transferring requested data over a node chain from a source node to a destination node through at least two intermediate nodes. A method includes identifying, at a file system level, at each of the at least two intermediate nodes, prior data previously sent to or received from a subsequent node in the node chain that matches at least a portion of the requested data. The method also includes transmitting, to the subsequent node, at least one pointer to the prior data and a reconstruction recipe for reconstructing the requested data at the subsequent node based on at least the at least one pointer, when the prior data matches at least the portion of the requested data.
US09916316B2
To provide a shortcut creating apparatus which creates folder shortcuts for a plurality of folders in a single flow without move to a target folder, and stores the created folder shortcuts in a selected folder. The shortcut creating apparatus according to the present invention includes: (1) a one-way shortcut creating unit configured to create a folder shortcut of a reference folder under a related folder, (2) a one-way shortcut creating unit configured to create a folder shortcut of the related folder under the reference folder, (3) a two-way shortcut creating unit configured to create a folder shortcut of the reference folder under the related folder, and create a folder shortcut of the related folder under the reference folder, and (4) a multiple-shortcut creating unit configured to create respective folder shortcuts of the reference folder and the related folders under folders except under the currently selected folder.
US09916315B2
A computer implemented system for comparing at least two visual programming language files, the system comprising an intransient repository, a user interface, an authentication module, a menu driven selector module, an extractor module, a transient repository, a processor and a report generation module. A computer implemented method for comparing at least two visual programming language files, the method comprising the steps of verifying login credentials of a user, identifying a file type, identifying a file format, identifying file path to the files stored in an intransient repository, extracting files from the intransient repository, creating a copy each of the files in a transient repository, carrying out iterations of node-wise comparison between the files using a DOM parser and generating a report in a chosen file format.
US09916308B2
Provided is a document management service that accepts a request for sharing a document from a user of client terminal so as to determine whether or not the document to which the sharing request was made has been successfully registered in a document management server as a sharing target among users. If the document has failed to be registered, the document management service posts the document to a microblog service.
US09916301B2
Click logs are automatically mined to assist in discovering candidate variations for named entities. The named entities may be obtained from one or more sources and include an initial list of named entities. A search may be performed within one or more search engines to determine common phrases that are used to identify the named entity in addition to the named entity initially included in the named entity list. Click logs associated with results of past searches are automatically mined to discover what phrases determined from the searches are candidate variations for the named entity. The candidate variations are scored to assist in determining the variations to include within an understanding model. The variations may also be used when delivering responses and displayed output in the SLU system. For example, instead of using the listed named entity, a popular and/or shortened name may be used by the system.
US09916300B2
For updating a character hint list based on a number of additional strokes, an apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus may include a touch-sensitive input panel for receiving handwritten character, a processor, and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The executable code may cause the processor to: determine a hint list based on the handwritten character, the hint list comprising at least one entry, receive at least one additional stroke relating to the handwritten character, and update the hint list based on a number of received additional strokes. The processor may identify a number of post-character strokes corresponding to each entry in the hint list and remove, from the hint list, each entry whose number of post-character strokes is less than the received number of additional strokes.
US09916296B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for updating annotator collections using run traces are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes generating one or more alternate versions of one or more document annotators selected from a set of multiple document annotators; executing, on one or more document data sets, (i) one or more document annotators from the set of multiple document annotators and (ii) the one or more alternate versions to generate log information for each document annotator in the set and each alternate version of the one or more alternate versions; and outputting an instruction to modify, based on the generated log information for each document annotator in the set and each alternate version, at least one document annotator from the set with at least one alternate version from the one or more alternate versions.
US09916294B2
An e-book system receives and stores different versions of an e-book supporting different consumption modes. Additionally, the e-book system stores signposts for the e-book. The signposts include corresponding locations in different versions of the e-book. When a user switches from a first version to a second version, the e-book system determines based on the signposts a location in the second version of the e-book that corresponds to the current location in the first version. The e-book system then presents the content in the second version from the determined location.
US09916289B2
Methods and systems for passively relating data to metadata are disclosed. Associations are created, at a first computer system, that relate data in a first database to metadata in a second database. The associations are syndicated at the computer system to a first software application associated with the data. The syndicating to cause the first software application executing at a second computer system to display a visual clue to a user in a graphical interface associated with the first software application wherein the visual clue is visually associated with a visual representation of the data. Upon detecting a user interaction with the visual clue, cause the first software application to display a first portion of the metadata in the graphical interface.
US09916284B2
A method for generating an appendix from document content is provided. Included is analyzing a structure of a document to identify at least one logical element in a content of a page of the document; identifying at least one relation within the identified at least one logical element to determine an appendix topic; determining a degree of relevance of the at least one relation identifying the appendix topic; extracting an appendix content from at least one source document, based on determining a relevance of the source document to the appendix topic; and formatting the appendix based on the extracted appendix content.
US09916283B2
A method for solving a problem involving a hypergraph partitioning is disclosed, the method comprising receiving an indication of a problem involving a hypergraph partitioning; obtaining at least one property associated with a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization solver operatively coupled with the digital computer; formulating a partitioning problem of the hypergraph as an unconstrained binary optimization problem; reducing the unconstrained binary optimization problem into a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem; mapping the quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem into the quadratic unconstrained binary optimization solver; obtaining from the quadratic unconstrained binary optimization solver at least one solution to the quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problem; applying a refinement procedure and translating the refined at least one solution to provide an indication of the partitioning and providing a solution to the problem.
US09916280B2
A method for testing a client service locally using a shared memory transport is presented. The method may include recording a plurality of interactions between the client service located in a local host and a real server. The method may include generating a virtual server based on the recorded plurality of interactions. The method may include deploying the generated virtual server in the local host. The method may include executing the client service. The method may include receiving a TCP/IP request from the client service. The method may include converting the received TCP/IP request to a shared memory request. The method may include sending the shared memory request to the virtual server. The method may include receiving a shared memory reply from the virtual server. The method may include sending the shared memory reply to the client service.
US09916279B1
A distributed storage system including memory hosts and at least one curator in communication with the memory hosts. Each memory host has memory, and the curator manages striping of data across the memory hosts. In response to a memory access request by a client in communication with the memory hosts and the curator, the curator provides the client a file descriptor mapping data stripes and data stripe replications of a file on the memory hosts for remote direct memory access of the file on the memory hosts.
US09916277B2
A Universal Armament Interface (UAI) translator for a legacy military standard-1760 (MIL-STD-1760) messaging interface can include a legacy interface, a UAI, and a processor. The legacy interface can transmit a legacy receive message (‘R’ message) and receive a legacy transmit message (‘T’ message). The legacy interface can include a MIL-STD-1760 remote terminal (RT) messaging interface. The UAI can receive a UAI ‘R’ message and transmit a UAI ‘T’ message. The processor can translate the legacy ‘R’ message to the UAI ‘R’ message, and translate the UAI ‘T’ message to the legacy ‘T’ message.
US09916276B2
A data selector circuit divides a group of data including a plurality of types of data into the plurality of types of data. A first compression circuit and a second compression circuit respectively compress the plurality of types of data in parallel with each other in accordance with each of the plurality of types of data. The first compression circuit compresses data and obtains compressed data. The second compression circuit compresses data and obtains compressed data. The data transmission circuit-transmits the compressed data and the compressed data to a terminal.
US09916275B2
Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include configuring distributed storage system resources for a distributed storage system. Examples of the storage system resources include a plurality of network segments, one or more network devices coupled to the network, and multiple nodes coupled to the network, the nodes including both frontend and backend nodes. Upon receiving, by a given frontend node in the distributed storage system, an input/output (I/O) request, one or more of the distributed storage system resources required to process the I/O request are identified, and a respective load that the I/O request will generate on each of the identified distributed storage system resources is calculated. The distributed storage system processes the I/O request upon detecting that the respective loads are less than respective available capacities of the identified distributed storage system resources.
US09916274B2
An on-chip crossbar of a network switch comprising a central arbitration component configured to allocate packet data requests received from destination port groups to memory banks. The on-chip crossbar further comprises a Benes routing network comprising a forward network having a plurality of pipelined forward routing stages and a reverse network, wherein the Benes routing network retrieves the packet data from the memory banks coupled to input of the Benes routing network and route the packet data to the port groups coupled to output of the Benes routing network. The on-chip crossbar further comprises a plurality of stage routing control units each associated with one of the forward routing stages and configured to generate and provide a plurality of node control signals to control routing of the packet data through the forward routing stages to avoid contention between the packet data retrieved from different memory banks at the same time.
US09916273B2
Obtaining data about a peripheral device deployed in a computing environment. A method includes transmitting a primary data stream across a shared communication channel between the peripheral device and a host hosting the peripheral device. The method further includes transmitting on the shared communication channel, a secondary state information stream of consecutively occurring messages with peripheral device state information.
US09916267B1
Migrating interrupts from a source I/O adapter of a source computing system to a destination I/O adapter of a destination computing system, includes: collecting, by a source hypervisor of the source computing system, interrupt mapping information, were the source hypervisor supports operation of a logical partition executing on the source computing system and the logical partition is configured to receive interrupts from the source I/O adapter; configuring, by the destination hypervisor of the destination computing system, the destination computing system with the interrupt mapping information collected by the source hypervisor; placing, by a destination hypervisor of the destination computing system, the destination I/O adapter in an error state; migrating the logical partition from the source computing system to the destination computing system; and restarting the logical partition on the destination computing system, including recovering, by the logical partition, from the error state.
US09916266B2
Re-initialization of a link can take place without termination of the link, where the link includes, a transmitter and a receiver are to be coupled to each lane in the number of lanes, and re-initialization of the link is to include transmission of a pre-defined sequence on each of the lanes.
US09916262B2
A method and system encrypts data in a least privileged operating system. The method includes determining a first encryption scheme to be used with software code to be mapped to a virtual memory. The method includes mapping a first portion of the virtual memory with the software code for access by a processor using the first encryption scheme. The method includes receiving a call for an entry point of the operating system. The method includes determining a second encryption scheme to be used with the entry point when mapped to the virtual memory. The method includes mapping a second portion of the virtual memory for executing entry point code associated with the entry point for access by the processor using the second encryption scheme. The processor executing the software code is permitted to access only data from the first and second portions of the virtual memory.
US09916259B1
A system and method for low latency and higher bandwidth communication between a central processing unit (CPU) and an accelerator is disclosed. When the CPU updates a copy of data stored at a shared memory, the CPU also sends an “invalidate” command to a cache coherent interconnect (CCI). The CCI forwards the invalidate command to a dedicated cache register (DCR). The DCR marks its copy of the data as “out-of-date” and requests an up-to-date copy of the data from the CCI. The CCI then retrieves up-to-date data for the DCR. When the DCR receives the up-to-date data from the CCI, the DCR replaces the out-of-date data with the up-to-date data, and marks the up-to-date data with the status of “valid.” The DCR can then provide data to an accelerator with a status of “out-of-date” or “valid.”
US09916254B2
A logical address key is generated based at least in part on a logical address. Encoded data is generated by systematically error correction encoding the logical address key and write data. One or more physical addresses are determined that correspond to the logical address where the physical addresses that correspond to the logical address are dynamic. At the physical addresses, the encoded data is stored with the logical address key removed.
US09916252B2
Cache memory mapping techniques are presented. A cache may contain an index configuration register. The register may configure the locations of an upper index portion and a lower index portion of a memory address. The portions may be combined to create a combined index. The configurable split-index addressing structure may be used, among other applications, to reduce the rate of cache conflicts occurring between multiple processors decoding the video frame in parallel.
US09916251B2
A cache managing method of a display driving apparatus may be provided. The display driving apparatus including an encoder to generate compressed data by compressing raw data, a memory to store the compressed data, and a decoder to restore the compressed data and including a payload cache may be provided. The cache managing method including requesting an access to the compressed data, and managing the payload cache using a linked list according to the access request to the compressed data may be provided.
US09916247B2
A method is provided for cache coherence being based on a hybrid approach relying on hardware-and software-implemented functionalities. In case a processor core is requested to perform a write operation on a memory line missed in the local cache of said core, a hardware-implemented coherence directory ensures that said processor core becomes assigned exclusive write permissions to indicate that the memory line in said local cache is up-to-date after said write. In case the processor core is requested to perform a read operation on a memory line missed in the local cache of said processor core, the coherence directory updates the coherence directory to indicate that none of the processor cores of the system has exclusive write permission on the memory line and relies on software executed on said processor core to ensure that the cached memory line is up-to-date before performing the read operation.
US09916245B2
Accessing partial cachelines in a data cache including storing a first portion of a cacheline in a cache entry of the data cache; relaunching a load instruction targeting a second portion of the cacheline, wherein the second portion of the cacheline is not stored in the data cache; determining that the load instruction targets a portion of the cacheline not stored in the cache entry; storing the second portion of the cacheline in the data cache; and reading the second portion of the cacheline from the data cache according to the load instruction.
US09916243B2
A method and apparatus for performing a bus lock and a translation lookaside buffer invalidate transaction includes receiving, by a lock master, a lock request from a first processor in a system. The lock master sends a quiesce request to all processors in the system, and upon receipt of the quiesce request from the lock master, all processors cease issuing any new transactions and issue a quiesce granted transaction. Upon receipt of the quiesce granted transactions from all processors, the lock master issues a lock granted message that includes an identifier of the first processor. The first processor performs an atomic transaction sequence and sends a first lock release message to the lock master upon completion of the atomic transaction sequence. The lock master sends a second lock release message to all processors upon receiving the first lock release message from the first processor.
US09916237B2
Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for model based configuration parameter management. An association module is configured to group a plurality of erase blocks of a non-volatile memory medium based on an amount of time since data has been written to the plurality of erase blocks. A read module is configured to sample data of at least two word lines from at least one erase block from each of a plurality of groups of erase blocks. A configuration parameter module is configured to determine different read voltage thresholds for different word lines of groups of erase blocks using different read voltage threshold models for different groups based on sampled data.
US09916236B2
An information processing device includes a plurality of processors each of which is coupled to at least some of the plurality of processors. A first processor from among the plurality of processors is configured to calculate a plurality of communication paths between a second processor and a third processor from among the plurality of processors, identify a communication path that does not pass through a processor that is a target of dynamic reconfiguration, as a path to be used, from among the plurality of calculated communication paths, and transmit information on the identified path to be used, to a processor on the identified communication path. The processor that receives from the first processor the information on the identified path executes communication processing between the second processor and the third processor, by using the communication path that is indicated by the received information on the path to be used.
US09916235B2
A method includes performing an integration test on executable software units. The integration test fails and identifies a symptomatic executable software unit at which the failure of the integration test is detected. One or more modified source code files, including instructions likely responsible for the failure of the integration test, are located from a plurality of modified source code files. The location involves searching a binary change database for change history records relating to both the plurality of modified source code files and the executable software units. Degrees of functional interaction between portions of modified source code files corresponding to the change history records and portions of a source code file corresponding to the symptomatic executable software unit are determined. Based on this determination, the modified source code file(s) including the instructions likely responsible for the failure of the integration test are identified.
US09916233B1
A system and method for software deployment, where the system and method include, at a deployment service, obtaining a software package and determining that a client device is ready to receive at least a portion of the software package. If the client device is ready, providing at least the portion of the software package to the client device, launching at least the provided portion of the software package as set of instructions executing in a test container, and performing a set of tests on the executing set of instructions in the test container. Based at least in part on results of performing the set of tests, determining whether to cause at least the provided portion of the software package to execute in an active container on the client device.
US09916230B1
The source code of a software artifact may be scanned, and a call tree model with leaf nodes may be generated based on the scan. A set of test cases can be executed against the software artifact and log data from the execution can be collected. A set of untested leaf nodes can be detected and a new set of test cases can be generated to test the untested nodes. The new set of test cases are executed and a subset of the test cases which cover the previously untested nodes are added to the existing set of test cases.
US09916209B2
According to an aspect, data asset reconstruction includes receiving a data lineage for a data asset, where the data lineage identifies a data source connected to the data asset by an intermediate process. It is determined whether the intermediate process can be used to reconstruct a lost data asset. Based on determining that the intermediate process can be used to reconstruct the lost data asset, reconstructing the lost data asset with the intermediate process and the data source.
US09916200B2
Fault-tolerant distributed information handling systems and methods, including a method in a system including: a first host configured to store a first fragment of data, a second host configured to store a second fragment of data, a third host configured to store a third fragment of data, and a fourth host configured to store a first code derived at least from the first fragment of data, the second fragment of data, and the third fragment of data, are provided. The method includes: the first agent transmitting via a multicast operation an updated second fragment of data to the second host and the fourth host; a second agent corresponding to the second host transmitting via a unicast operation the second fragment of data to the fourth host; and generating a second code derived from the first code, the second fragment of data, and the updated second fragment of data.
US09916198B2
A cluster receives a request to store an object using replication or erasure coding. The cluster writes the object using erasure coding. A manifest is written that includes an indication of erasure coding and a unique identifier for each segment. The cluster returns a unique identifier of the manifest. The cluster receives a request from a client that includes a unique identifier. The cluster determines whether the object has been stored using replication or erasure coding. If using erasure coding, the method reads a manifest. The method identifies segments within the cluster using unique segment identifiers of the manifest. Using these unique segment identifiers, the method reconstructs the object. A persistent storage area of another disk is scanned to find a unique identifier of a failed disk. If using erasure coding, a missing segment previously stored on the disk is identified. The method locates other segments. Missing segments are regenerated.
US09916197B2
Rank modulation has been recently proposed as a scheme for storing information in flash memories. Three improved aspects are disclosed. In one aspect the minimum push-up scheme, for storing data in flash memories is provided. It aims at minimizing the cost of changing the state of the memory. In another aspect, multi-cells, used for storing data in flash memories is provided. Each transistor is replaced with a multi-cell of mm transistors connected in parallel. In yet another aspect, multi-permutations, are provided. The paradigm of representing information with permutations is generalized to the case where the number of cells in each level is a constant greater than one. In yet another aspect, rank-modulation rewriting schemes which take advantage of polar codes, are provided for use with flash memory.
US09916191B1
A method of efficiently checking a filesystem for errors is provided, the filesystem including a set of data blocks and a set of VBPs, the set of VBPs arranged in a set of VBP blocks, each VBP block storing a plurality of the VBPs. The method includes multiple stages, one stage including iterating through VBP blocks of the filesystem to generate a validity bitmap, and a later stage including traversing a block pointer structure associated with each of a set of files of the filesystem, the traversal making reference to the validity bitmap.
US09916185B2
A facility is provided that, when installed, removes from an architecture a selected architectural function, such that the function is not able to be turned on/off regardless of other controls within the environment. When the facility is installed, the architectural function is not supported when processing in an architectural mode based on the architecture. It is as if the selected architectural function is no longer available in the architecture, and in fact, the code implementing the facility may have been deleted, bypassed, or otherwise eliminated. One such architectural function is virtual address translation, such as dynamic address translation (DAT), and the architecture is, for instance, ESA/390.
US09916183B2
There is provided a method, a system and a computer program product for improving performance and fairness in sharing a cluster of dynamically available computing resources among multiple jobs. The system collects at least one parameter associated with availability of a plurality of computing resources. The system calculates, based on the collected parameter, an effective processing time each computing resource can provide to each job. The system allocates, based on the calculated effective processing time, the computing resources to the multiple jobs, whereby the multiple jobs are completed at a same time or an approximate time.
US09916164B2
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes an instruction profiler to identify a predicated block within instructions to be executed by a hardware processor. The example apparatus includes a performance monitor to access a mis-prediction statistic based on an instruction address associated with the predicated block. The example apparatus includes a region former to, in response to determining that the mis-prediction statistic is above a mis-prediction threshold, include the predicated block in a predicated region for optimization.
US09916156B2
A system for visualizing a congruency of versions of an application across phases of a release pipeline includes a selecting engine to select a phase from a number of phases; a representing engine to represent, via a user interface (UI), a congruency for a number of versions of an application compared against a target version of the application across the phases of a release pipeline, the congruency for the number of versions of the application represented with identifiers; a differentiating engine to differentiate a latest-deployed version of the application against a planned version of the application in a particular environment; and a comparing engine to compare, based on a selection, properties of the versions of the application.
US09916154B2
A system includes reception of a configuration set definition file defining the structure of one or more customizing tables of a software application, reception of a configuration data file including data for the one or more customizing tables, and, during activation of the software application in a run-time system, generation of the one or more customizing tables based on the configuration set definition file, generation of a service to access the configuration data file, and population of the one or more customizing tables with data of the configuration data file.
US09916153B2
In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for supporting patching in a multi-tenant application server environment. The system can associate one or more partitions with a tenant, for use by that tenant, wherein a partition is a runtime and administrative subdivision or slice of a domain. A patching process can take advantage of high-availability features provided by an application server clustering environment, to apply patches in a controlled, rolling restart, which maintains a domain's ability to operate without interruption, or with zero downtime. The process can be used to automate complex or long running tasks, including preserving an unpatched or prior version of an application server, application, or other software component for possible rollback, or providing automatic reversion in the event of an unrecoverable error.
US09916137B2
A system and method for facilitating development of a web service, such as a Representational State Transfer (REST) web service. The example method includes determining one or more characteristics of a service interface and incorporating the resulting information in a file; and automatically generating computer code to implement a REST service based on the file. In a more specific embodiment, the file is an XML file, which may be output from a REST analysis tool applied to the service interface. The web service may leverage or include one or more resources that have been mapped to a REST service via a code generator used to implement the generating step.
US09916126B2
Embodiments described herein provide for smart configuration of audio settings for a playback device. According to an embodiment, while a playback device is a part of a first zone group that includes the playback device and at least one first playback device, the playback device applies a first audio setting. The embodiment also includes the playback device joining a second zone group that includes the playback device and at least one second playback device. The embodiment further includes the playback device applying a second audio setting based on an audio content profile corresponding to the second zone group.
US09916118B2
In a medical imaging system and an operating method therefor, in order to simplify the operation of the medical imaging system, a framework condition for the creation of image information is selected on the basis of one or more acquisition sequences, and a computer of the imaging system automatically preselects multiple parameter sets for the at least one acquisition sequence as a function of the selected framework condition. For each of the preselected parameter sets, at least one characteristic from the acquisition sequence or from image information assigned to the acquisition sequence is visually presented. A parameter set is selected on the basis of the presented characteristic.
US09916108B2
Methods and apparatus for efficient loading of data from memory to registers and storing of data from registers to memory are described. In an embodiment, a processor comprises a data structure to which addresses which are used for load operations are pushed. Instead of independently generating addresses for a store operation, addresses are popped from the data structure and either used directly or an optional offset may first be applied to the popped address. In this way, a store operation and a load operation may be performed in parallel because they do not both require use of the logic which independently generates addresses for load/store operations. In various examples, the data structure is a FIFO structure.
US09916098B2
Example implementations relate to using an alternative memory (AltMem) to reduce read latency of a memory module having a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). In example implementations, write data may be written to the DRAM and to the AltMem. A read command may be issued to the AltMem if a DRAM read latency time for executing the read command is greater than an AltMem read latency time for executing the read command. Data read from the AltMem in response to the read command may be received.
US09916097B1
Promotion and demotion of extents for each storage pool is determined based on a storage pool state defined by demanded activity and demanded capacity. Promotion and demotion of extents for each storage group is determined based on whether the storage group is performing at SLO, above SLO or below SLO. Events are identified and stored in local records using hash tables. The locally stored events are used to update a database of historical extent activity. A moving average of extent activity is used to calculate the demanded activity.
US09916096B2
For increasing data storage capacity using a processor device, increasing logical capacity of data storage having a multiplicity of storage units containing fixed partitioned segments by moving a selected number of the fixed partitioned segments in one or more storage units to a reserved storage unit.
US09916095B2
Methods and systems are provided for fork-safe memory allocation from memory-mapped files. A child process may be provided a memory mapping at a same virtual address as a parent process, but the memory mapping may map the virtual address to a different location within a file than for the parent process.
US09916092B2
Methods and systems are directed to allocating costs of storage arrays to logical disks. A fully loaded cost of storage of a storage area network (“SAN”) is calculated based on capital and operational expenditures of the SAN. Data is stored in the SAN in logical groups partitioned into logical disks. The unit rates of the logical groups are calculated from the capacities and utilization of the storage arrays that form the SAN. The unit rate of a logical disk is the unit rate the logical group to which the logical disk belongs. The storage cost of each logical disk is calculated from the unit rate of the logical disk and the utilized capacity of the logical disk. Methods also calculate cost of unallocated capacities of the logical disks, storage arrays, and the SAN, in order to evaluate efficient use of the SAN storage resources.
US09916084B2
A method, and associated apparatus and system and program product, for enlarging or reducing an image. The image is displayed on a display screen. A pointing operation is detected. The pointing operation points to, with a single-touch gesture using pointing means on the display screen, a first figure indicative of a range of the image to be enlarged or reduced and a second figure indicative of a size of the enlarged or reduced range. In response to the detection of the pointing operation, an enlarged or reduced image is displayed after the enlarged or reduced image is obtained by enlarging or reducing the image at an enlargement or reduction ratio determined based on the first figure and the second figure.
US09916067B2
Embodiments are provided for a system, a computer program product, and/or a method that improves a display of an input selection displayed on a compact screen. To improve this display, embodiments search displayed content for input items, wherein the input items are selections inputted by a user; display different marks, each associated with each of the input items; receive a subsequent input from the user; and change a selection state of each item of the input items corresponding to a mark of the different marks in response to the subsequent input received corresponding to that mark.
US09916062B2
A method for presenting application list is disclosed, which is applied to an electronic device. The method includes activating a list arrangement program which reads several applications and generates categorized application list accordingly. Each application is associated with one of the categories, and includes objects representing the application. The categorized application list includes several groups, each of them includes a category name of one category and the objects associating with one or more applications under the category. The method further includes receiving the control command for displaying one of the groups at the index region of the user interface of the electronic device. The index region is arranged at the side of the user interface. Thus, an application list which is categorized may be provided for improving the convenience of accessing applications.
US09916045B2
A touch sensitive device includes a plurality of sense electrodes arranged in a pattern to receive charge from drive electrodes. The pattern of sense electrodes has extreme portions having worst case charge transfer times, wherein the worst case charge transfer time at multiple extreme portions is substantially equal.
US09916044B2
An information processing device is provided. The device comprises a 3D sensor configured to acquire depth information of a user's hand image and depth information of a background image on an object plane; a storage device in which a character input application is stored; a processor configured to execute the character input application; and a display configured to display a virtual keyboard by executing the character input application.
US09916043B2
An apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect, from an image obtained by capturing a predetermined object, one or more indicated positions indicated by the predetermined object, an extraction unit configured to extract, from the image, feature information indicating a state of the predetermined object, the feature information being different from the indicated positions, a first recognition unit configured to recognize, based on a change in a positional relationship between two or more of the indicated positions, an operation to be input to the apparatus, a second recognition unit configured to, based on a change in the feature information, recognize an operation to be input to the apparatus, and an output unit configured to output either one of recognition results of the first recognition unit and the second recognition unit, the either one of recognition results being selected based on a shift of a number of the indicated positions.