US10172728B2
A transtibial prosthetic socket frame may include a distal base assembly having a base plate, a carriage configured to support a socket suspension arrangement, and a distal prosthetic component connector. The distal base assembly supports a set of struts that includes two anterior struts and a single posterior strut. The set of struts and distal base assembly collectively define a prosthetic socket cavity having a central longitudinal axis and a residual limb hosting volume. The distal prosthetic component connector has a connecting adapter that is rotatable with respect to the prosthetic socket, and moveable with respect to the base plate between being aligned with the prosthetic socket's central longitudinal axis and a position offset therefrom.
US10172725B2
A jointed mechanical device is provided. The device includes at least one element having a fixed end and a deflectable end. The device also includes at least one actuating structure having a first end coupled to at least the deflectable end of the element, where the actuating structure includes at least one elastic element in series with at least one non-elastic element. The device further includes at least one force actuator configured to apply an actuator force to a second end of the actuating structure. Additionally, the device includes a control system for adjusting an operation of the force actuator based at least one actuation input, an amount of the actuator force, and an amount of displacement generated by the force actuator.
US10172721B2
Implementations described and claimed herein provide a spinal facet cage implant for implantation in a spinal facet joint. In one implementation, the implant includes a distal leading end, a proximal trailing end, a first face, and a second face. The distal leading end has a distal surface generally opposite a proximal surface of the proximal trailing end. The first face has a first surface that is generally parallel with a second surface of the second face. The first and second faces extend between the distal leading end and the proximal trailing end. The first and second surfaces having one or more textured features adapted to provide friction with the spinal facet joint. One or more windows are defined in the first and/or second surfaces, and one or more side windows are defined in the first and/or second side surfaces.
US10172720B2
Tissue spacer implants and surgical methods for inserting the implants are disclosed. The implants may include a first cylindrical body with an outer surface, an axially extending hole, and a first end, a second cylindrical body with an outer surface and an axially extending hole, and an adjustment member with an outer surface, an axial hole, and at least one helical slot. The adjustment member axial hole may be adapted to receive the first cylindrical body and the adjustment member may be configured to be inserted into the axially extending hole of second cylindrical body. The implants may also include a travel mechanism for engaging the first cylindrical body, adjustment member, and second cylindrical body along the at least one helical slot to maintain a space between two bodies of tissue.
US10172712B2
Method and apparatus for measuring contraction characteristics of engineered heart tissue constructs
The invention is directed to a novel method for measuring contraction characteristics of engineered heart tissue constructs (16) which is based on the mechanical coupling of the construct (16) to a support element (8) which comprises or is mechanically coupled to a piezoelectric element (10). An apparatus (1) for carrying out the method of the invention is also provided.
US10172709B2
A delivery system and method for positioning and partially deploying a replacement valve at an implantation site, verifying the location of the replacement valve relative to the implantation site, and retrieving the partially deployed stent for repositioning relative to the implantation site.
US10172707B2
Tubular prostheses are provided for use in airways, upper digestive, and urinary tracts. Each of these uses has its own specific sets of biological specifications, based on what it must contain and exclude and the physical and chemical pressures and stresses to which it is subjected. The prostheses may be made from allogeneic cells. Thus they can be manufactured and stored prior to an individual's personal need arising.
US10172700B2
A prosthesis for repairing a hernia defect includes a patch body, a hoisting frame releasably attachable to the patch body, and a tether attached to the hoisting frame and having a free end extendable through the thickness of the patch body and accessible from the side of the patch body opposite to the side where the hoisting frame is releasably attached. The patch body and/or the hoisting frame includes a self-expanding support member. The hoisting frame includes a frame body and a translation component for directing pulling forces on the tether to the frame body.
US10172687B2
A cannula for a surgical system may include a magnet located in a position to be sensed by the surgical system in a mounted position of the cannula to the surgical system. At least one of a presence of the magnet and a polarity of the magnet is sensed in the mounted position of the cannula to provide identification information relating to the cannula. Exemplary embodiments further encompass a patient side cart for a teleoperated surgical system, the patient side cart including a base, a main column, and an arm connected to the main column. The arm may include a mount to receive a cannula and a reader to sense a magnet of an identification device in the cannula so as to receive identification information relating to a mounted cannula.
US10172683B2
Measuring devices that can be incorporated with gripping tools are described. The measuring devices can be integral to a gripping tool or can be removably attachable to a gripping tool. The measuring devices can be incorporated in conjunction with a gripping tool for use in a medical application such as a clamp, a hemostat, a forceps, or the like. Devices can be utilized to determine a straight length and/or to determine the spread of the jaws a gripping tool associated with the device.
US10172680B2
Example surgical systems include end-effector assembly, arm assembly, and elbow joint assembly. Arm assembly includes proximal and distal ends. Elbow joint assembly secures proximal end of arm assembly to distal end of second arm assembly. Elbow joint assembly includes first and second elbow joint portions. First elbow joint portion includes first end section secured to proximal end of arm assembly, second end section, and first joint joining first and second end sections of first elbow joint portion. Second elbow joint portion includes first end section secured to second end section of first elbow joint portion, second end section secured to distal end of second arm assembly, and second joint joining first and second end sections of second elbow joint portion. First end section of first and second elbow joint portion are pivotable relative to first and second axes, respectively, formed by center line drawn through first and second joints, respectively.
US10172676B2
A first interface for reading image data of an anatomical region obtained by means of a medical imaging method is provided. A modeling module serves for establishing a volumetric biomechanical structure model of the anatomical region on the basis of the image data. Moreover, provision is made of a tracking module, couplable with a camera, for video-based registration of spatial gestures of a user. Furthermore, a simulation module, based on the biomechanical structure model, serves to assign a registered gesture to a simulated mechanical effect on the anatomical region, simulate a mechanical reaction of the anatomical region to the simulated mechanical effect, and modify the biomechanical structure model in accordance with the simulated mechanical reaction. Moreover, provision is made for a visualization module for the volumetric visualization of the biomechanical structure model.
US10172674B2
An intracorporeal marker system includes a tissue marker pellet comprised of a polysaccharide material. The intracorporeal marker system may also include a fibrous marker of bioabsorbable fibers. In one embodiment, for example, an outer layer of bioabsorbable fibers is disposed around at least part of an inner core of bioabsorbable fibers.
US10172672B2
A surgical instrument includes a first shaft, a second shaft, and a hinge. The first shaft includes a proximal handle and a distal jaw member. The second shaft includes a first segment that has a proximal handle and a second segment that has a distal jaw member. One of the first and second shafts is pivotal relative to the other to pivot the jaw members between an open configuration where the jaw members are spaced relative to one another and an activatable configuration where the jaw members are closer to one another and suitable for applying electrosurgical energy to tissue disposed therebetween. The hinge couples the first and second segments to one another. The first and second segments have a straight configuration where the first and second segments align with a longitudinal axis and a pivoted configuration where the second segment is disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
US10172659B2
The present invention relates in certain embodiments to medical devices for treating vertebral compression fractures. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to instruments and methods for controllably restoring vertebral body height by controlling the flow of bone cement into the interior of a vertebra and the application of forces causes by the cement flow. An exemplary system utilizes Rf energy in combination a conductive bone cement for selectively polymerizing the inflow plume to increase the viscosity of the cement. In one aspect of the invention, the system utilizes a controller to control bone cement flow parameters to either allow or disallow cement interdigitation into cancellous bone. A method of the invention includes pulsing the flows of bone cement wherein high acceleration of the flow pulses can apply expansion forces across the surface of the cement plume to reduce a vertebral fracture.
US10172658B2
Provided are a medical insertion apparatus including a screw body to be inserted into a body, and a conductive portion provided in the screw body and including an externally exposed portion, wherein the conductive portion may extend in a longitudinal direction of the screw body and form a single closed loop, and a medical insertion apparatus including a screw body to be inserted into a body, a driver to engage with the screw body to be used to fasten or loosen the screw body, and a conductive portion provided in the screw body and the driver and including an externally exposed portion on one side of the screw body, wherein a portion of the conductive portion disposed in the screw body and another portion of the conductive portion disposed in the driver may be electrically connected to each other.
US10172656B1
A surgical screw configured to expand and prevent or minimize bone growth inside of the surgical screw is provided. Accordingly, the surgical screw is configured to increase the purchase of the surgical screw with respect to the bone, but also to be withdrawn from the bone without damaging the bone as a result of bone ingrowth. The surgical screw includes a center post with an inner bore and an outer sleeve concentric to the center post. An outer surface of the outer sleeve includes a thread to engage bone. The outer sleeve includes a cut pattern defining an expandable region configurable between a first state with a first radius measured from a longitudinal axis of the surgical screw to the outer surface and a second state having a second radius measured from the longitudinal axis to the outer surface.
US10172649B2
A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an integral upper portion receivable in an integral receiver, the receiver having an upper channel for receiving a longitudinal connecting member and a lower cavity cooperating with a lower opening. A down-loadable compression insert with tool receiving arm extensions, a down-loadable friction fit split retaining ring and an uploadable shank upper portion cooperate to provide for pop- or snap-on assembly of the shank with the receiver either prior to or after implantation of the shank into a vertebra. The shank and receiver once assembled cannot be disassembled.
US10172647B2
A fixation system comprises a rod, a fastener including a head and an elongated shank, a yoke and an insert. The yoke includes opposite arms defining a slot to receive the rod, an opening to receive the shank, a surface for supporting the fastener head, and a cross bore through each of the arms. The insert has a base configured for slidable insertion between the yoke arms, and defining a rod supporting surface and an opening sized to receive the fastener shank. The insert further includes a pair of resiliently deflectable fingers extending from the base and including a tab projecting therefrom configured to be received within a cross bore. Each tab defines a beveled face configured to bear against the yoke as the insert is advanced into the yoke slot and to deflect the fingers inward until the tabs are aligned with the cross bores.
US10172641B2
Embodiments of a surgical access port system that comprises a retractor that is adapted for being coupled to a cap and that is particularly useful in natural orifice surgery are described. The retractor comprises an outer ring, wherein the outer ring is configured to be disposed proximate the natural orifice of the patient and substantially surround the orifice; a tubular body; and various stabilizing mechanisms surrounding the tubular body, sized and configured to stabilize and retain the retractor within the orifice. The stabilizing embodiments described herein are useful in all natural orifices and are of particular use in the vaginal surgery.
US10172639B2
Devices and methods for protecting an internal channel of a subject are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a device for protecting an internal channel of a subject includes a first end portion having a first diameter and defining a first opening, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion having a second diameter and defining a second opening that is in communication with the first opening. A body portion is defined between the first end portion and second end portion. The body portion defines an interior passage between the first opening and second opening, and is expandable along a longitudinal axis from a collapsed state to an expanded state.
US10172633B2
The devices and methods described herein relate to improved structures for removing obstructions from body lumens. Such devices have applicability in through-out the body, including clearing of blockages within the vasculature, by recanalizing or removing the obstruction within the body lumen.
US10172630B2
Drill guides and related methods are disclosed herein, e.g., for use in surgical procedures. In some embodiments, a drill guide can include an adjustment mechanism that permits one-handed adjustment of the guide depth and does not require that the drill guide be removed from the patient or that the drill be removed from the drill guide when making an adjustment. The adjustment mechanism can include a trigger that moves first and second detents into and out of engagement with a guide stem to allow step-wise adjustment of the guide depth.
US10172626B2
A tissue microfracture apparatus including a housing having a proximal end and a distal end that includes an aperture. The apparatus also includes an elongated member having proximal and distal ends with at least one tissue microfracture spike protruding from the distal end. The member operates cooperatively with the housing to expose a portion of the spike through the aperture. The apparatus also includes a disposing facility between the elongated member and the housing to dispose the spike in a home position within the housing. The disposing facility may be a spring element positioned at either the proximal or distal end of the housing. The elongated member may include a force receiving surface on the proximal end for receiving a force that facilitates exposing the portion of the spike. An exposure limiting facility limits the exposed portion of the spike.
US10172622B2
An applicator instrument has a body portion that has at least one trigger mechanism and a rod extending from the body portion. The applicator instrument has a folding cap mechanism installed or inserted into an end of the rod. The folding cap mechanism has a plurality of extension arms, each of which have a staple clinch bucket. The extension arms are coupled to a trigger of the triggers and are movable between a collapsed position and an extended position by the trigger.
US10172621B2
Implants or systems of implants and methods apply a selected force vector or a selected combination of force vectors within or across the left atrium, which allow mitral valve leaflets to better coapt. The implants or systems of implants and methods make possible rapid deployment, facile endovascular delivery, and full intra-atrial retrievability. The implants or systems of implants and methods also make use of strong fluoroscopic landmarks. The implants or systems of implants and methods make use of an adjustable implant and a fixed length implant. The implants or systems of implants and methods may also utilize a bridge stop to secure the implant, and the methods of implantation employ various tools.
US10172618B2
A surgical stapler end effector comprises a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a buttress assembly. The staple cartridge comprises a plurality of staples and a deck. The staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the deck. The anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position. The anvil includes an underside having staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck. The buttress assembly comprises a buttress body and an adhesive material. The adhesive material comprises a polymer. The polymer is bioabsorbable. The polymer has glass transition temperature (Tg) at or below 0° C.
US10172614B1
One example of a surgical apparatus may include a feeder belt, a plurality of staples frangibly connected to the feeder belt, and at least one pull tab extending laterally from the feeder belt. An example of a surgical method of treating tissue within the body of a patient may include providing at least one feeder belt and staples frangibly connected thereto, and at least one wedge movable relative to the feeder belt; moving at least one wedge in a first direction to contact and thereby form and shear at least one staple from at least one feeder belt; and moving at least one wedge in a second direction to engage and advance the feeder belt.
US10172612B2
A surgical instrument including a housing, an elongated portion, an end effector, a drive beam and a force applier is provided. The housing includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The elongated portion extends distally from the housing and defines a longitudinal axis. The end effector is disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, and includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The first jaw member has a cavity defined therein. Actuation of the first actuator causes distal translation of the drive beam to move the first jaw member relative to the second jaw member toward the approximated position, which applies a fist force against tissue disposed between the jaw members. Actuation of the second actuator causes distal translation of the force applier such that at least a portion of the force applier moves into the cavity of the first jaw member and applies an additional force against tissue disposed between the jaw members.
US10172609B2
A surgical instrument for treating a patient includes a shaft assembly and a body assembly. The shaft assembly includes an articulation joint that is operable to selectively articulate a distal end portion relative to a proximal end portion. The body assembly includes a joint drive assembly, an actuator, and a clutch lock mechanism. The clutch lock mechanism is operatively connected between the actuator and the joint drive assembly. The actuator is configured to actuate the clutch lock mechanism from a locked state to an unlocked state. In the locked state, the clutch lock mechanism is configured to seize the joint drive assembly and inhibit movement of the articulation joint. In the unlocked state, the clutch lock mechanism is configured to transmit movement of the actuator to the joint drive assembly for moving the distal end portion of the shaft assembly.
US10172605B2
The present subject matter relates to a surgical retractor. The surgical retractor includes: a movable body part which is inserted into a body; a hook part which is connected with the movable body part inside the body and pulls out an object that is inside of the body; and an operating part for operating, from the outside of the body, the movement of the movable body part inside the body.
US10172600B2
An insertion apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject; a bending operation apparatus to be moved by an operator to input an operation instruction; a bending drive section that generates a drive force based on the movement of the bending operation apparatus; a pulling member to be pulled by the drive force from the bending drive section; a bending portion provided in the insertion portion, the bending portion being connected to the pulling member and being bent upon the pulling member being pulled; and a haptic section that connects the pulling member and the bending operation apparatus via an elastic portion.
US10172591B2
An ultrasonic device includes a substrate, a first piezoelectric body, a second piezoelectric body, and an acoustic matching section. The substrate has a first surface that is a flat surface. The first piezoelectric body is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The second piezoelectric body is disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The second piezoelectric body has a different thickness from a thickness of the first piezoelectric body as measured from the first surface of the substrate. The acoustic matching section is disposed on the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body. The acoustic matching section has a first side facing the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body, and a second side opposite from the first side. A surface of the acoustic matching section on the second side is a flat surface parallel with the first surface of the substrate.
US10172586B2
A mobile X-ray imaging apparatus and a method of controlling the mobile X-ray imaging apparatus are provided. The mobile X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray source mounted in a movable main body, a battery configured to supply operating power to the X-ray source, a charger configured to supply charging power to charge the battery, and a controller configured to block charging of the battery while X-rays are radiated.
US10172577B2
The invention relates to an X-ray detector device (10) for detection of X-ray radiation at an inclined angle relative to the X-ray radiation, an X-ray imaging system (1), an X-ray imaging method, and a computer program element for controlling such an X-ray imaging system for performing such method and a computer readable medium having stored such computer program element. The X-ray detector device (10) comprises a cathode surface (11) and an anode surface (12). The cathode surface (11) and the anode surface (12) are displaced by a separation layer (13) allowing charge transport (T) between the cathode surface (11) and the anode surface (12) in response to X-ray radiation incident during operation on the cathode surface (11). The anode surface (12) is segmented into anode pixels (121) and the cathode surface (11) is segmented into cathode pixels (111). At least one of the cathode pixels (111) is assigned to at least one of the anode pixels (121) in a coupling direction (C) inclined relative to the cathode surface (11). At least one of the cathode pixels (111) is configured to be at a voltage offset ΔU relative to an adjacent cathode pixel and at least one of the anode pixels (121) is configured to be at a voltage offset ΔU relative to an adjacent anode pixel (121). The voltage offset ΔU is configured to converge the charge transport (T) in a direction parallel to the coupling direction (C).
US10172574B2
An interventional X-ray system (10), includes a processing unit (30), a table (20) for receiving a patient (44), an X-ray image acquisition device (12) having an X-ray source (16) and an X-ray detector (18) and at least one optical camera (46) adapted for acquiring optical images of a patient (44) situated on the table (20) and for providing image data to the processing unit (30). The processing unit (30) is adapted for segmenting an outline (64) of a patient from an existing three-dimensional model, for receiving acquired images from the at least one camera (46) for determining an optical outline (66) of the patient, for registering the optical outline (66) to the outline (64) obtained in the segmentation and for determining a translation vector (48) representing a required movement of the table for coinciding a center (42) of the anatomy of interest given in the three-dimensional model with the iso-center (38) of a rotational X-ray scan that will be performed. By this process, no X-ray exposure or injection of contrast agent is required.
US10172572B2
A digital breast tomosynthesis system includes an object fixing unit including first and second fixing plates, a first vibration plate moved in linkage with the first fixing plate and a second vibration plate moved in linkage with the second fixing plate, and configured to fix the object between the first and second vibration plates, an X-ray generator configured to project X-ray toward the object; an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray, a vibration generating device configured to vibrate the first and second vibration plates at a set frequency, and a vibration control device configured to control the vibration generating device by generating a vibration signal corresponding to the set frequency, wherein the X-ray generator projects the X-ray at specific time intervals on the basis of the set frequency.
US10172567B2
The present invention describes systems and methods for predicting and detecting a seizure in a subject. The methods of the invention comprise measuring interneuron synchrony in terms of the coherence between interneuron action potentials and local field potential oscillations. In one embodiment, the detection of specific patterns of coherence, correlation and firing rate of interneurons predicts an upcoming seizures.
US10172555B2
Provided is a device for placement on a human subject to detect impacts on the human subject. The device includes a base member, one or more engagement sensors to detect whether the device is properly placed on the human subject, and one or more motion sensors to detect the kinematics of the human subject. The device also includes a processing unit that includes methodology to detect false positives such as chewing, dropping, and throwing.
US10172552B2
The invention refers to a method for the at least partial determination of a movement pattern of a dental treatment means, in particular tooth cleaning, resulting during a dental treatment and comprises at least the steps:Moving the dental treatment means at least in a x-/y-plane for the treatment of surface parts of the teeth, wherein by means of an optical detection device data are recorded with respect to at least one motion parameter, in particular the movement direction or −rotation, the acceleration, the path and/or the velocity, of the dental treatment means with respect to a reference system moving with the head of the treated person and providing the recorded data to a processor device for the determination of the movement pattern.
US10172550B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for assessing a state of an epilepsy disease or a comorbidity thereof are provided. The methods comprise receiving at least one autonomic index, neurologic index, stress marker index, psychiatric index, endocrine index, adverse effect of therapy index, physical fitness index, or quality of life index of a patient; comparing the at least one index to at least one reference value; and assessing a state of an epilepsy disease or a body system of the patient based on the comparison. A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method described above is also provided. A medical device system capable of implementing the method described above is also provided.
US10172547B2
Provided are a sleeping state detection system and method that can detect the sleeping state of a subject such as an inpatient or a tenant without causing the subject stress, and that can ascertain the health state of the subject from the detection results. The sleeping state detection system includes a room or closed space (201) in which the subject sleeps, and a dust counter (206) that measures the dust particles inside the room or closed space (201). In a state where the inside of the room or closed space (201) is kept cleaner than the outside of the room or closed space (201) by using a fan filter unit (208) disposed in the room or closed space (201), while the subject sleeps, the change over time in the number of dust particles inside the room or closed space (201) is measured using the dust counter (206), and thereby the sleeping state of the subject is detected. The inside of the room or closed space (201) is preferably kept at a cleanliness of US 209D Class100 or better.
US10172545B2
Adapter caps for sample collection containers have a monolithic elongate body with an upper neck portion that merges into a larger lower body portion with an open internal cavity. The upper neck portion has an open needle bore that is concentrically aligned with the open internal cavity. The monolithic elongate body has an axially extending centerline. The needle bore has a downwardly extending wall with an inner surface that comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart longitudinally extending flat surfaces.
US10172544B2
A diagnostic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) procedure is applied to measure values of impedance-related parameters for one or more sensing electrodes. The parameters may include real impedance, imaginary impedance, impedance magnitude, and/or phase angle. The measured values of the impedance-related parameters are then used in performing sensor diagnostics, calculating a highly-reliable fused sensor glucose value based on signals from a plurality of redundant sensing electrodes, calibrating sensors, detecting interferents within close proximity of one or more sensing electrodes, and testing surface area characteristics of electroplated electrodes. Advantageously, impedance-related parameters can be defined that are substantially glucose-independent over specific ranges of frequencies. An Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) enables implementation of the EIS-based diagnostics, fusion algorithms, and other processes based on measurement of EIS-based parameters.
US10172541B2
A motion recognition device includes a sensing unit and a processing unit. The sensing unit generates a sense signal in response to a body motion occurring at a specific position on a user's body, wherein the sense signal includes a first sense signal portion and a second sense signal portion different from the first sense signal portion, and the body motion belongs to a motion segment of a motion type. The processing unit processes the sense signal to generate a motion parameter signal structure including a fusion signal of the first and the second sense signal portions, and recognizes the specific position to determine an effective reference signal for recognition of the motion type based on the motion parameter signal structure.
US10172540B2
A multi-activity system may be configured to receive, upload, synchronize and process data for a variety of different activity types and/or recorded using multiple types of activity monitoring devices. In one example, an application interface may be defined with a multiple functions that are each useable by various types of devices and for processing multiple types of data. Additionally or alternatively, data for different activity types and/or recorded using different types of monitoring devices may be processed differently. Synchronization of data may further be handled on a device-by-device basis, device-type basis and/or activity-type basis using various tracking parameters.
US10172537B2
The invention relates to a rod-shaped body comprised of one or more filaments and of a non-ferromagnetic matrix material. The matrix material surrounds the filament(s) and/or adheres them to one another. The rod-shaped body is also comprised of a dopant consisting of particles that generate magnetic resonance tomographic artifacts that is introduced into the matrix material. Rod-shaped bodies of this type can be used to construct guide wires, catheters and other instruments to be used in minimally invasive surgical interventions.
US10172527B2
Method for measuring a physical parameter in soft tissues of a mammal, in which a mechanical shear wave is propagated through the soft tissues and observation of the propagation leads to determine values of a shear wave propagation parameter. The physical parameter is computed on the basis of these values.
US10172523B2
A measurement system includes a light source having semiconductor sources, a multiplexer, and one or more fused silica fibers configured to form an output optical beam having one or more optical wavelengths modulated at a modulation frequency. A light beam set-up includes a monochromator forming a filtered optical beam. A measurement apparatus delivers the filtered optical beam to a sample. A receiver receives a spectroscopy output beam generated from the sample by the filtered optical beam. The receiver is configured to use a lock-in technique that detects the modulation frequency, and to generate first and second signals responsive to light received while the light source is off and on, respectively. The measurement system improves a signal-to-noise ratio of the spectroscopy output beam by differencing the first and second signals. The receiver processes the spectroscopy output beam using chemometrics or multivariate analysis to permit identification of materials within the sample.
US10172522B2
A patient support apparatus includes a control system operable to gather physiological information about a patient supported on the patient support apparatus. The information may be gathered from sensors, a user interface, or a hospital information system. The control system uses the data gathered to predict whether a patient is likely to be in need of care from a caregiver.
US10172520B2
A sensing device allows detection of biological quantities in ways that are minimally invasive. Micrometer or nanometer sized needles allow sensing of bodily fluids in a minimally invasive method. The device comprises electronics and power harvesting. Antennas or coils allow communication and power harvesting from an external device, which can be attached to smartphones to allow operation of a camera and camera light for biosensing.
US10172507B2
A household appliance includes a plurality of walls which delimit a treatment compartment. At least one of the walls, e.g. a rear wall of the treatment compartment, is configured predominantly or entirely with a luminous surface element. The luminous surface element can be sized to occupy at least 50% of a surface of the at least one wall and formed by a plate-shaped or panel-type element.
US10172505B2
A cleaning pad for a robot cleaner includes a back piece, an absorbent sheet, and a water permeable web. The water permeable web has a web body which is of such a dimension as to form a downward draping unit to shield the absorbent sheet. The downward draping unit is embossed toward the back piece and along at least one line oriented in a lengthwise direction to form successive downward draping members each defining a height between a lowermost area thereof and a lower major surface of the back piece. The heights of the successive downward draping members are incrementally decreased from a rearmost one of the successive downward draping members to a frontmost one of the successive downward draping members.
US10172503B2
The present disclosure provides an intelligent closestool including a closestool stand, a closestool seat, a closestool lid, a sensor and a controller. The sensor is configured to sense whether there is an object approaching, or moving away from, the closestool stand, and in the case that there is an object approaching the closestool stand, detect a standing direction of the object relative to the closestool stand. The controller is configured to open/close the closestool lid in the case that the sensor has sensed that the object approaches/moves away from the closestool stand; flip the closestool seat up in the case that the sensor has sensed that the object faces the closestool stand, and flip the closestool seat down in the case that the sensor has sensed that the object turns his or her back to the closestool stand.
US10172502B1
A toilet training device having a flange extending from a cutout in the base assembly that includes an opening that engages an anchoring member located on the underside of a seat assembly and when engaged prevents a child from removing the removable seat assembly from the training toilet base.
US10172497B1
A bread storage dispenser device comprising a housing container made to stand upright having a closed bottom surface and open top end with the housing container further formed having a substantially rectangular chamber extending longitudinally through perimeter walls thereof. A serving drawer assembly is integrally constructed and formed to engage the chamber of the housing container and slide longitudinally therein guided by a pair of side rails on the perimeter walls on opposite sides of the container to a position substantially proximate to the closed bottom surface thereof. The serving drawer assembly includes a top lid member sized to cover and close the open top end of the housing container with a perimeter sealing member secured beneath the lid member, a bottom shelf member having a cross section conforming with the chamber of the housing container and further notched on opposite sides to engage the side rails, and a carriage tray member extending between the top lid and the bottom shelf member configured to retain the slices of bread in a stack held upon the bottom shelf. By raising the serving drawer assembly from its seated position, the stack of bread slices stored within the housing container may be lifted therefrom to allow easy removal of bread slices by the user, and the serving drawer may then be released to descend by itself to a reseated position.
US10172494B2
A semi-automatic food cooking apparatus comprising: a control unit; a communication unit; and a cooking compartment comprising: a cooking cartridge loading tray; a movable press; a movable cooking base; and a cooking cartridge lid guide.
US10172485B2
A decorative and connectable display arrangement that includes a housing of multi-sided form having opposed first and second sides and a bottom, an inner support frame that is disposed within the housing and including a cap member having an open top port, and at least one decorative member that is supported within the housing and extends upwardly through the open top port. The decorative member includes a base piece that is pivotally supported in the housing and a stem piece extending from the base piece and extending through the open top port. A solar energy source or panel is supported in the inner support frame and is effective for driving the at least one decorative member in a predetermined motion direction. The housing has 3 on opposed sides thereof an interlock tongue and groove mechanism that enables adjacent ones of the housings to be engaged together.
US10172472B2
A pocketed spring assembly comprises a plurality of parallel strings of individually pocketed springs. Each string is joined to at least one adjacent string. Each string has first and second opposed plies of fabric and a plurality of pockets formed along a length of the string by transverse segmented seams joining the plies. Gaps between the segments of the seams allow air to pass into and out of the pockets despite the fabric being impermeable to airflow through the fabric. The fabric has at least four layers. The size of the gaps determines the firmness or “feel” of the pocketed spring assembly or portion thereof.
US10172470B1
In various embodiments, a support system includes a multi-layer support system with a number of layers. Systems and methods of removing moisture vapor from an environment surrounding patient are disclosed that accomplish such removal.
US10172468B2
A portable adjustable headrest comprising a base member having on opening and a plurality of tabs, at least two elongated pads having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a tab affixed, and the at least two elongated pads are rotationally attached to the first attachment member and the second attachment member by the tabs, an outer shaft secured to the receiving orifice, an inner shaft having a first end and a second end and a central axis, configured to fit securely within the outer shaft in a telescopic relationship, a locking mechanism coupled to the inner shaft and the outer shaft, a cushion base attached to the first end of the inner shaft, wherein the cushion base has an elongated surface, and a cushion situated on the elongated surface of the cushion base.
US10172456B2
A work and discussion space includes two installation blocks that are positioned opposite one another. Each installation block accommodates two people and includes a vertical partitioning structure, two seats positioned against the vertical structure and separated by at least one module for storing professional and/or personal accessories, and a work surface each associated with a seat. The work surfaces are movable between a position that is distant from, and a position that is close to, the corresponding seat.
US10172451B2
Hanging shelf system comprising one or more vertical posts and one or more shelves fastened to said vertical posts, characterized in that said vertical posts are supporting cables which suspend from at least one support.
US10172450B2
Described is an apparatus for positioning an electronic display. The apparatus can be combined with an existing work surface to provide a multi-position workstation. In some cases the apparatus includes a mounting portion configured to support an electronic display and a keyboard. The mounting portion may be movable with respect to the work surface between multiple positions, including for example, a sitting position and a standing position. Methods for positioning an electronic display and a keyboard are also included.
US10172437B2
Disclosed is a dual access-point system for holding an item. The dual access-point system allows a traveler to easily store and retrieve one or more items through two sides of a backpack (e.g., via the top and the side). Additionally, the backpack can be quickly converted into a suitcase; for example, by hiding the straps in the pockets on the backpack. The dual access-point system may be used as a standalone system. Alternatively, the dual access-point system may be integrated with a backpack. The disclosed dual access-point system saves time and money for its users, making their lives easier while making them look good and professional.
US10172433B2
A lipstick cup for securing a lipstick cylinder or bullet, suitable for a soft lipstick formula, having a cylindrical body with a base and a sidewall having axially-arranged ribs distributed substantially evenly around the inner circumference of the sidewall near the base, that extending radially inwardly from the sidewall, and a plurality of shallow undercut structures distributed substantially evenly around the circumference of the sidewall, disposed circumferentially between the pairs of adjacent ribs, and tapering inwardly from the inner surface of the sidewall toward the base to provide an undersurface. The plurality of ribs displace and compress a portion of the material of the lipstick composition circumferentially toward and between the undersurface of the shallow undercut structures, and the base, for preventing the product from being dislodged from the cup.
US10172432B2
An applicator for a stick product, such as lip balm, has a generally tubular housing closed at one end by an elastomeric base cap and at the other by an end cap. The base cap is connected to one end of a plunger shaft, and at the other end the shaft is connected to a tray holding a semi-solid mass of the stick product. The end cap is in the form of a mold so that the stick product may be molded onto the tray in situ. The end cap locks to the housing to cover the semi-solid mass, and when removed the base cap (e. g. durometer 70A), which is bistable, having two relaxed configurations, may be depressed to move the mass out of the housing. The plunger and stick product are easily replaced.
US10172427B2
Systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for multi-segment weighted trekking poles are provided. A typical three-segment trekking (or other) pole may benefit from removable annular-shaped weights that may provide liquid storage and may be retained in position by one or more weight locks. The standard basket and tip protector may be replaced with a combined tip protector and basket element that threads onto a bottom segment of the pole.
US10172426B2
A magnetic band clasp includes a female clasp assembly of a first band segment and a male clasp assembly of a second band segment. The female clasp assembly defines one or more cavities with one or more magnetic elements disposed underneath. The male clasp assembly includes a projection that may include a magnetic element. Magnetic attraction between the magnetic elements couples the first and second band segments when the projection is positioned in the cavity. In implementations where the female clasp assembly includes multiple cavities, changing which of the cavities the projection is positioned in adjusts a combined coupled length of the first and second band segments.
US10172425B2
Portable decorative element with a metal structure (2) made from cutout metal plate with decorative openings, on the back face of which there is a lining forming a plate that can be seen through these openings, that can be elastically bent (4), the back face of the metal plate comprising attachment means (10, 12) holding the lining (4) in place and clamping this lining, pressing it into contact with the back face of the structure.
US10172422B2
An article of footwear may include an upper incorporating a knitted component. An inlaid strand extends through the knitted component. A combination feeder may be utilized to inlay the strand within the knitted component. As an example, the combination feeder may include a feeder arm that reciprocates between a retracted position and an extended position. In manufacturing the knitted component, the feeder inlays the strand when the feeder arm is in the extended position, and the strand is absent from the knitted component when the feeder arm is in the retracted position.
US10172411B2
A base is provided for a ski boot comprising a sole and an outsole element that is positioned in a predetermined position relative to a longitudinal axis (L). The outsole element is positioned on the sole by using two projections that are carried by one or other of the sole and the outsole element and that locate in holes or cavities defined by the other. Preferably, the projections are carried by the outsole element and locate in holes or cavities defined by the sole. The projections may be integrally formed with the outsole element or the sole. Alternatively, they may be formed by injected pins, rivets, fasteners, t-nuts, or screws.
US10172406B2
A head guard is provided. The head guard includes one or more sensors as part of an sensory input and communications system. The head guard wirelessly communicates data to remote computing devices for intelligent data collection.
US10172402B2
In one embodiment, a hand apparatus, such as a glove or a mitten, with attachable securing members is disclosed. The hand apparatus can have a hand receiving portion, one or more finger portions, a thumb portion, and a body portion. The body portion comprises a dorsal side, a palm side, a first securing member, and a second securing member. The body portion can also comprise of a third securing member attached between the far side and near side of the body portion. The securing members can be attachable to the other securing members by fasteners.
US10172388B2
The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic vaporizer, an aerosol delivery device that may include such vaporizer, and methods for forming an aerosol. A microfluidic vaporizer can comprise a substrate that defines: a reservoir configured to hold a liquid; a heater adapted to vaporize the liquid; and a capillary channel configured for movement of the liquid from the reservoir to the heater. An aerosol delivery device can comprise a shell and a microfluidic vaporizer. The microfluidic vaporizer and aerosol delivery device can be used for forming aerosols with precise and reproducible compositions.
US10172386B2
There is provided a smoking article comprising a filter. The filter comprises a hollow tube having an inner surface. The filter further comprises a flow restrictor disposed in the hollow tube, and adapted to divert at least a portion of the flow of mainstream smoke between an outer surface of the restrictor and the inner surface of the hollow tube. Furthermore, the filter comprises a retaining element disposed downstream of the flow restrictor, the retaining element having one or more openings. Each of the openings of the retaining element has at least one cross-sectional dimension that is smaller than the smallest cross-sectional dimension of the flow restrictor to prevent the flow restrictor from moving downstream of the retaining element. The flow restrictor is substantially spherical, at least one cross-sectional dimension of the one or more openings of the retaining element being smaller than the diameter of the flow restrictor.
US10172383B2
A drying device having a travel path along which a web (W) of paper travels, a plurality of drying ovens arranged side by side along the travel path, a plurality of conveyor rolls provided in each of the drying ovens to convey the web (W) along the travel path, a plurality of roll units each constituted by one or more of the conveyor rolls and separated from each other along the travel path, and a plurality of conveyor motors connected to the respective roll units to rotate the conveyor rolls, wherein a downstream one of the roll units with respect to the travel path is rotated at a lower rotating speed than an upstream one of the roll units.
US10172382B2
The present invention provides a bean roasting device, comprising: a drum unit comprising a base, a drum pivotally provided in the base and having a receiving space, and a rotation device provided on one side of the base and configured to drive the drum into rotation relative to the base; a heat lamp unit comprising a positioning seat connected to the base, one or a plurality of heat lamp tubes connected at one end to the positioning seat and extending into the receiving space, and one or a plurality of air inlet ducts each provided around a said heat lamp tube and configured to guide air into the receiving space of the drum; and an air supply/venting unit provided on one side of the base, the air supply/venting unit comprising an air guiding portion in communication with the receiving space of the drum and an air blower/air extractor provided on one side of the air guiding portion and configured to provide a positive pressure/negative pressure to the receiving space of the drum through the air guiding portion.
US10172378B2
Disclosed are compounds that block off-notes in consumables and methods of blocking off-notes in consumables including off-notes provided by sweeteners such as stevioside, swingle extract, glyccerhizin, perillartine, naringin dihydrochalcone, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, mogroside V, rubusoside, rubus extract, and rebaudioside A, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K (Acesulfame potassium), sucralose and cyclamate.
US10172376B2
A method of improving the health of a first group of young monogastric mammals, the first group of young monogastric mammals nursing from a first lactating monogastric mammal during a pre-weaning period, the method including feeding the first lactating monogastric mammal an effective amount of an animal feed during the pre-weaning period, and feeding the first lactating monogastric mammal an effective amount of sugar alcohol during the pre-weaning period.
US10172371B2
Provided is a green tea extract composition, including the following components (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E): (A) non-polymer catechins; (B) a sugar; (C) iron; (D) caffeine; and (E) gallic acid, in which a content of the non-polymer catechins (A) is from 25 mass % to 45 mass %; a content of the sugar (B) is from 4 mass % to 13 mass %; a mass ratio between the sugar (B) and the caffeine (D), [(D)/(B)], is from 0.2 to 0.8; a mass ratio between the gallic acid (E) and the iron (C), [(E)/(C)], is from 55 to 2,500; and (F) a water content is 10 mass % or less.
US10172356B2
A bipyridine compound having an excellent controlling effect against noxious arthropods is provided. In particular, a bipyridine compound of formula (I) or an N-oxide thereof is provided in which the variable groups are as described in the specification. Also provided are compositions containing the bipyridine compound or an N-oxide thereof, and methods of using such compounds and compositions to control noxious arthropods.
US10172354B2
A fungicidal composition containing a fungicidally effective amount of (a) the compound of Formula I, (3S,6S,7R,8R)-8-benzyl-3-(3-((isobutyryloxy)methoxy)-4-methoxypicolinamido)-6-methyl-4,9-dioxo-1,5-dioxonan-7-yl isobutyrate, and (b) fluxapyroxad, provides synergistic control of selected fungi.
US10172353B2
The present invention provides a composition comprising (i) chitosan or chitopoly- or chitooligo-saccharides thereof, wherein said chitosan or chitopoly- or chitooligo-saccharides thereof comprise β-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine monomers and have a degree of acetylation between 0.05 and 0.20 and an average degree of polymerization ≤250 (molecular weight ≤42,000 Da), and (ii) a fungicide not containing chitopoly- or chitooligo-saccharides.
US10172352B1
A method to overcome the unintended effects of repeated glyphosate applications and improve the health and vigor of plants, by remediating the soil with soil remediating microbes and replenishing the amino acid pool by applying foliar essential amino acids.
US10172347B2
The present invention relates to a composition capable of improving storage stability of stem cells. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition which contains a serum or a plasma for improving cold storage stability of stem cells. The composition for improving storage stability of stem cells according to the present invention can maintain a survival rate of over 90% for at least 9 days without changes in the properties, the number or the size of the stem cells, and thus is useful in the long-term transport of stem cells for cell therapy and the preparation of cell therapeutics injection products having an excellent effect.
US10172343B2
A cage-type animal trap with two opposed animal access openings that can operate in a one-door-opening configuration or a two-door-opening configuration. The trap has a set mechanism for holding one or both doors open to allow access through the corresponding trap access openings. The set mechanism includes a set lever that is movable from a set position to a tripped position and that is coupled to the doors of the trap by an actuating member. Upon actuation, the set lever moves from the set to the tripped position to allow movement of the actuating member which enables one of the doors to move from an opened position to a closed position when the trap is operating in a one-door-opening configuration, and both of the doors to move from the opened position to the closed position when the trap is operating in the two-door-opening configuration.
US10172341B2
The invention relates to a barrier for inhibiting the migration of crawling animals such as insects. The barrier comprises a body that is configured to encircle a leg/wheel of a furniture item and thereby intercept any crawling insects. The body has an annular shape defined by an outer boundary and an inner aperture, in which the leg/wheel of the furniture item can be located. The barrier includes inimical means to inhibit the migration of any crawling insects across the body. The barrier further comprises a slit extending radially from the boundary to the aperture so that the body can be reversibly opened and closed. The slit advantageously allows the body to be opened and closed around the leg/wheel of the furniture item during installation. Likewise, the slit allows the device to be reopened and extracted from around the leg/wheel of the furniture item during removal. As a result, the device can be installed, removed, replaced or retrofitted easily and quickly without having to lift, move and/or disassemble the furniture item. The invention further relates to a method of inhibiting the migration of crawling insects by mounting the said barrier around a leg/wheel of a furniture item, relates to a kit comprising a plurality of barriers and relates to a furniture item protected from crawling insects where a said barrier is mounted for use around a leg/wheel of the furniture item.
US10172338B2
A dual-bearing reel includes a reel body and a spool. The reel body includes a first side plate, a second side plate, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second side plates. The spool includes a bobbin trunk, a first flange portion, and a second flange portion. The first flange portion is disposed on a first side plate side of the bobbin trunk, and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the bobbin trunk and a first cylindrical surface disposed face to an inner perimeter portion of the first side plate and extends toward the first side plate side. The second flange portion is disposed on a second side plate side of the bobbin trunk and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the bobbin trunk. The first side plate has a groove portion recessed radially outwardly in at least a portion of an inner perimeter portion.
US10172337B2
A spinning reel includes, a spool, a spool shaft, a pinion gear, a tubular-shaped collar, a tubular-shaped nut, and an elastic member. The spool is configured to have a fishing line wound thereon when accompanied by rotation of a rotor. The pinion gear is disposed around the spool shaft and on which the rotor is non-rotatably mounted. The tubular-shaped collar is rotatably disposed on the spool shaft on an end side of the pinion gear in the axial direction of the pinion gear, and supports the spool shaft. The tubular-shaped nut is disposed to accommodate the collar and configured to screw onto the pinion gear. The elastic member is disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the collar and an inner peripheral surface of the nut.
US10172336B2
A fishing reel including: a main body mounted on a fishing rod; a spool for allowing a fishing line to be wound or unwound, the spool being installed on the main body so as to be rotatable; and a fishing wheel for rotating the spool, the fishing wheel being connected to a spool shaft gearshift which induces rotation of the spool. The fishing wheel is connected to the spool shaft gearshift via angle variation means, and a connection angle between the wheel and the gearshift varies using the angle variation means to reduce strain applied on a user's wrist while rotating the spool.
US10172335B2
This invention relates to a hollow fishing rod assembly with an inventive mounting block that spaces a hollow rod apart from a fishing reel seat such that when the fishing reel is mounted to the seat the fishing line orifice of the reel is axially aligned with the core of the hollow fishing rod. The mounting bracket may be hinged so that the line opening of the fishing rod is moved above the fishing reel for easy access and threading of new or replacement fishing line through the rod.
US10172330B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for sensing and controlling an amount of gas supply and a method for sensing and controlling an amount of gas supply thereby, which can sense a supply amount of the corresponding gas from an optical sensor in real time on the basis of the number of bubbles generated by any set time difference at the time when a target gas flows in a tube in order to differentiate the supply amount more accurately and whether or not the gas supply state is bad, and which can control pressure of the tube in real time by a series of automated devices in order to precisely realize the target supply amount according to gas supply information obtained from the optical sensor, thereby positively preventing malfunction and continuously maintaining the initial set amount of gas supply.
US10172323B2
A feeding dish for an animal to assist in controlling the rate of consumption of a food item may have a series of protrusions in the form of undulating rings or walls. These rings limit animal access to the food based on the configurations and arrangement of the protrusions. The feeding dishes encourage an animal to exert a more calculated effort to retrieve and eat the food item thereby alleviating potential deadly conditions, such as gastric dilatation-volvulus or aspiration, from afflicting the animal.
US10172322B2
A method for distributing feed over multiple separate feeding locations includes determining which feeding locations have a feed requirement; selecting a first feeding location among the feeding locations having a feed requirement; determining a feed composition to be delivered to the first feeding location; determining which further feeding locations have a feed requirement and require the same feed composition; determining a maximum filling amount of the feed delivery device; selecting at least one further feeding location until the required amount of feed exceeds the maximum filling amount with a surplus amount of feed; filling the feed delivery device with the maximum filling amount; and distributing the feed in the feed delivery device. Each selected feeding location receives the respective required amount except the feeding location requiring the most which receives the respective required amount minus the surplus amount.
US10172316B2
The invention relates to the field of Cucumis sativus, in particular to a new variety of Cucumis sativus designated NUN 53016 CUP plants, seeds and cucumber fruits thereof.
US10172314B2
The present invention relates to a Lactuca sativa seed designated 79-06 RZ, which exhibits a combination of traits including resistance to downy mildew (Bremia lactucae) races B1:1-31 and Ca-I to Ca-VIII, resistance to currant-lettuce aphid (Nasonovia ribisnigri), resistance to lettuce mosaic virus (LMV), deeply incised leaves with very strong undulation of the apical margin. The present invention also relates to a Lactuca sativa plant produced by growing the 79-06 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the lettuce cultivar, represented by lettuce variety 79-06 RZ.
US10172312B1
A novel maize variety designated X08M617 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X08M617 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08M617 through backcrossing or genetic transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are described. Maize variety X08M617, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08M617 are provided. Methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08M617 and methods of using maize variety X08M617 are disclosed.
US10172307B2
The present invention provides a method of regenerating a plant, which allows stable regeneration of plants from calli; and a method of reproducing a plant, which allows stable reproduction of plants without being affected by weather, seasons or other factors. The present invention relates to a method of regenerating a plant, including a step of inducing adventitious embryos from calli; and a method of reproducing a plant, including a step of inducing adventitious embryos from calli.
US10172305B2
The present invention is in the field of plant breeding. More specifically, the invention includes a method for breeding and selecting plants that uniform for one or more seed lot purity traits such as, such as distinct flower color, pubescence color, hilum color, and pod wall color. The invention further includes molecular markers associated with distinct flower color, pubescence color, hilum color, and pod wall color for uses in a breeding program.
US10172298B1
Disclosed is a garden planting guide/irrigation system. It serves as simple planting guide assembled in a grid formation creating individual squares to allow planting of one or several plants per square, while surrounding and irrigating plants at their base. This pre-assembled, ready-to-use system connects to an existing pressurized fluid source, and then irrigates by delivering fluid to various points throughout the grid patterned tubing which have a plurality of fluid distribution openings spaced in pre-defined intervals surrounding each planting.
US10172286B2
Stalk rolls are used for a corn harvester or combine having a chassis, an engine, a cab mounted to the chassis with a head mounted at the front of the body. The head includes an auger, row separators, corn stalk gathering assemblies between the row separators and ear removal assemblies. Each ear removal device includes a pair of stalk rolls. Each stalk roll has a core and longitudinally extending flutes about a periphery of the corn extending along the core. Each stalk roll has a straight first section and a tapered second section. The flutes on each stalk roll have different lengths and end at different locations at the front of the stalk roll. The flutes of the stalk roll may also have notches and different shaped leading edges.
US10172279B2
A system for dispensing a volatile fluid includes a container defining an interior space for holding the fluid. The container is configured to separate the fluid into a liquid and a vapor such that at least a portion of the vapor is disposed above the liquid. The system also includes a fluid inlet, a liquid outlet, a vapor valve, a sensor, and a controller. The liquid outlet is disposed above the fluid inlet and below a liquid reference plane defined through the container. The vapor valve is configured to exhaust vapor disposed above the liquid from the container. The sensor is configured to detect a level of the liquid in the container. The controller is configured to determine the level of the liquid and actuate the vapor valve to maintain the level of the liquid at or above the liquid reference plane.
US10172271B2
A rotary plow (1) with pivoting support wheel (2) for mounting on a plow frame (3). The pivoting support wheel (2) is suitable for plows projecting far behind, such as multi-plowbody mounted, reversible plows or semi-mounted reversible plows with a movable rear part. Furthermore, the pivoting support wheel (2) exhibits self-steering characteristics which have different support or steering forces which act on the pivoting support wheel (2) or the plow frame (3) through the pushed or forwardly-directed arrangement of the pivot arm, and thus enables an accurate lateral guidance of the plow.
US10178814B2
The disclosure relates to an inverter, in particular for a photovoltaic system, including a housing with at least one chamber and a cooling air channel formed within the chamber for guiding ambient air as cooling air for electrical and/or electronic components of the inverter disposed along the cooling air channel. The cooling air channel extends through the housing from an air inlet to an air outlet. The inverter includes a further air outlet provided within the cooling air channel between two of the components to be cooled, and is arranged above the air inlet and the air outlet. The disclosure further relates to a method of cooling such an inverter.
US10178812B2
A heat dissipation device includes an air guiding cover and a heat conduction plate. The air guiding cover includes an air duct configured to guide an airflow and including a mounting window formed on a sidewall of the air duct, an air inlet formed at a first end of the air duct, and an air outlet formed at a second end of the air duct. The heat conduction plate is disposed at the mounting window and covers the mounting window.
US10178808B2
A method and an information handling system for selecting or scaling system performance. The method of scaling performance of an information handling system includes a controller receiving component data that identifies a heat removal effectiveness of a cooling component, selecting a performance characteristics of the information handling system based on the received component data, and adjusting the operating parameters of the information system to achieve the selected performance characteristics and heat removal capability. The controller communicates with the cooling component through a serial signal bus. The cooling component includes a cooling device and storage.
US10178805B2
A heatsink with an internal cavity for liquid cooling includes: a first part having a first group of fins extending into the internal cavity; a second part attached to the first part so that the internal cavity is formed, the second part having a second group of fins that extend into the internal cavity and that are configured to fit among the first group of fins; an inlet into the internal cavity on at least one of the first and second parts; and an outlet from the internal cavity on at least one of the first and second parts.
US10178783B2
A display device of this invention, includes a front case including a touch panel; and a rear case including a lock unit, which is configured to regulate movement of the front case, and a display unit, in which the front case is mounted to the rear case by inserting a protrusion that is formed in a peripheral edge portion of the front case into a guide groove that is formed in an outer edge portion of the rear case to bring the front case into contact with the rear case, subsequently moving the front case along the guide groove to engage the protrusion with the guide groove, and moving the lock unit of in the rear case from a first position to a second position, which is different from the first position, to regulate the movement of the front case.
US10178778B2
A transferable film includes a carrier layer and an intermediate film portion. The carrier layer is configured to receive one or more additional layers and to be releasable from the one or more additional layers temporally proximate to an application of the transferable film to an object. The intermediate film portion includes a readable conductive image portion and is configured for application thereto of an adhesive layer. The intermediate film portion is configured to be interposed between the carrier layer and the adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer configured to adhere to the object for the application of the transferable film to the object.
US10178775B2
Provided is a copper foil provided with a carrier which enables, in a laminate produced by laminating a copper foil provided with a carrier on a resin substrate, to peel the ultrathin copper layer from the carrier well. A copper foil provided with a carrier having, in order, a carrier, an intermediate layer, and an ultrathin copper layer, wherein, when the surface of the carrier opposite to the ultrathin copper layer is measured using a laser microscope based on JIS B0601-1994, the ten point average roughness Rz of the surface is 6.0 μm or less.
US10178772B2
A controllable current driver integrated circuit is provided. The controllable current driver includes a multitude of different current value output transistors digitally controlled and combined to provide a controllable current output. The different current value transistors are each provided as single lithographic devices on a same substrate in proximity to each other having weighted drain and source areas corresponding to the different current values. The weighted drivers reduce the implementation area required on the semiconductor die for decoding and driving the output transistors substantially increasing the density of current drivers which can be integrated in one semiconductor die.
US10178765B2
A flexible device is provided according to the present application, which includes a first sliding shaft, a second sliding shaft, a middle sliding shaft group and a connecting member group. The middle sliding shaft group includes multiple middle sliding shafts arranged in rows. The middle sliding shaft group is movably connected to the first sliding shaft and the second sliding shaft by the connecting member group. The flexible device can be bent along an extending direction of the middle sliding shaft group, and a bent portion of the flexible device is always of an arc-shaped structure. The flexible device according to the present application adopts a mechanical structure to realize a bending deformation thus can avoid problems of a degraded bending performance and breakage generated after the flexible device is frequently used in the conventional technology. An electronic device employing the flexible device is further provided.
US10178762B2
A device, in particular a pre-assembled transmission cable, is used to transmit differential data signals in a high-speed data connection. The device contains a circuit board with a conductor pair with two signal conductors for transmitting the differential data signal. An output line which is insulated from the conductor pair is paired with the conductor pair, the output line running parallel to the signal conductors in a non-interrupted manner and additionally being connected to a measuring conductor via at least one damping element. By virtue of the configuration, an undesired common-mode signal component is at least partly coupled into the output line, where the signal component is absorbed during operation.
US10178749B2
An apparatus and corresponding systems and methods for managing electric power, particularly a transformer system and method, and more specifically a transformer for direct current. An example apparatus includes a chamber configured to contain plasma. The apparatus includes input electrodes disposed at least partially within the chamber, and configured to receive a first direct current input into the chamber. The input electrodes are configured to cause the input direct current to induce motion in the plasma. Motion induced in the plasma transforms current flowing there-through. At output electrodes extend from the chamber. The output electrodes conduct a second direct current, from the induced motion in the plasma, for delivery from the chamber.
US10178739B2
The present invention relates to methods and devices for automatically assigning a controllable luminaire device to a control group for commonly controlling controllable luminaire devices assigned to the control group.
US10178733B2
A light emitting assembly includes a first light emitting component, a second light emitting component, and a third light emitting component. The components are arranged such that a first light, a second light and a third light mix to form a mixed light. The assembly includes a control device, which has a first control channel and a second control channel operating the three components and configured such that in a first operating range the first component is driven via the first channel and the second and third components are driven jointly via the second channel. In the first operating range the mixed light is continuously adjustable from the first color to a fourth color, and in a second operating range the second component is driven via the second channel and the first and third components are driven jointly via the first channel.
US10178729B2
A lighting circuit includes a light emitting diode (LED), a transistor that controls a current through the LED, and a lighting controller integrated circuit (IC) that controls the transistor to vary a brightness of the LED. The controller IC has a dimming pin that receives a dimming signal. The controller IC generates a low reference threshold and a high reference threshold that follow the dimming signal. The lighting controller IC controls the transistor by hysteretic control by comparing a sense signal indicative of the current through the LED to the low reference threshold and the high reference threshold.
US10178723B2
A lighting apparatus includes at least two sets of light-emitting devices with overlapping spectra and different chromaticities, such as two sets of blue-shifted yellow (BSY) LEDs producing outputs with different yellow content. The devices may be selectively controlled, e.g., by using selective current bypass circuits, to provide a desired color temperature or other visual performance in response to a dimming control input such that, for example, a light output approximating that of an incandescent lamp may be achieved.
US10178716B2
An LED driver design has a single controller used to drive multiple strings of LEDs. In one aspect there is dynamic threshold voltage setting so that the individual characteristics of the LED strings can be taken into account in the voltage control loop. In another aspect, excess energy is dissipated off-chip in a dedicated heat dissipater, and the routing of current to the heat dissipater is controlled dynamically such that a desired integrated circuit biasing remains stable.
US10178715B2
A system and method transforming AC voltage to a high-frequency AC voltage and providing the high-frequency AC voltage to an AC LED circuit or rectifying the high-frequency circuit to a DC voltage and providing the DC voltage to a DC LED circuit.
US10178714B1
An illuminating circuit includes an EMI filter rectifying circuit, an RC absorption circuit, a PWM control circuit, a DC-to-DC converter circuit, an output rectifier filter circuit and a flickfree automatic detection and shutdown circuit. The EMI filter rectifying circuit, the RC absorption circuit, the DC-to-DC converter circuit and the output rectifier filter circuit are in turn electrically connected in series. The PWM control circuit is electrically connected with the EMI filter rectifying circuit and the DC-to-DC converter circuit respectively. The flickfree automatic detection and shutdown circuit is electrically connected with the output rectifier filter circuit and the PWM control circuit respectively.
US10178713B2
Provided is a portable, thermoelectrically powered device, such as a flashlight or headlamp. The device comprises at least one thermoelectric generator for extracting body heat from a user, the Thermoelectric generator located on and extending through an elongated open ended outer shell, a heat sink in contact with an inner surface of the thermoelectric generator and configured to provide an elongated first cooling channel therethrough, circuitry in electrical communication with the thermoelectric generator, the circuitry comprising a transistor oscillator, a step-up transformer and a decoupling capacitor, the circuitry in electrical communication with a power sink, such that in use, a temperature gradient across the thermoelectric generator is sufficient to result in generation of at least about 25 μW of power.
US10178711B2
Exemplary embodiments include a system having a first wireless audio output device and a second wireless audio output device. One of the first or second audio output devices is configured to one of connect as a slave to a source device in a first piconet and connect as a master to the other one of the first or second audio output devices in a second piconet. The one of the first or second wireless audio output devices determines whether an audio packet transmitted by the source device via the first piconet was received by the first wireless audio output device and the second wireless audio output device, and, when at least one of the first wireless audio output device or the second wireless audio output device did not receive the audio packet, the audio packet is exchanged between the first and second wireless audio output devices via the second piconet.
US10178710B2
A method is provided for interacting with audience members in an event, each of the potential attendees having available thereto a unique identifier. The method comprises creating, for an attendee, a unique ID (UID) on a mobile wireless device (MWD) by the steps of inputting to the MWD one of the unique identifiers, combining the obtained unique identifier with a UID time stamp at the time of creation of the UID; receiving with a server on a first wireless channel communications from the MWD; registering the UID at the physical location of the event; generating a visual query; displaying on the MWD response indicators; receiving at the server from the registered attendee a response, to the query over the first wireless channel; and storing in a database on the server the received response in association with the displayed query.
US10178706B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for associating a user with a group. The method includes: receiving, by a first communications device, a first association request sent by a second communications device, where the first association request includes an identifier of an MCPTT user and identifiers of N MCPTT groups, and N is a positive integer; associating the MCPTT user with M MCPTT groups of the N MCPTT groups according to association subscription information of the MCPTT user; and sending a first association response to the second communications device, where the first association response is used to indicate that the MCPTT user is successfully associated with the M MCPTT groups of the N MCPTT groups, 1≤M≤N, and M is an integer. In this way, the MCPTT user is associated with the M MCPTT groups that the MCPTT user is interested in.
US10178705B2
Methods and apparatus for dynamic channel sensing for direct link in a High Efficiency WLAN (HEW) are provided. The methods include a method for dynamic channel sensing for a direct link by a first station (STA) in a wireless local area network. The method may include determining a first COLOR parameter of an access point to which the first STA is associated, exchanging with a second STA a COLOR parameter related to the direct link, the second STA being a peer STA of the first STA in the direct link, and determining a channel state based on a value of a COLOR field included in a received physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) having a valid SIGNAL (SIG) field, the first COLOR parameter, and the COLOR parameter related to the direct link.
US10178699B2
Various aspects described herein relate to techniques for random access based on scalable signature design in wireless communications systems. A method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. In an aspect, the method may include randomly choosing an array of source symbols, wherein the array has one or more scalable dimensions based on at least one of a capacity requirement or a coverage requirement of a random access channel (RACH), encoding the array of source symbols into a codeword for a RACH signature, mapping the codeword to a serial concatenation of orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal sequences to define the RACH signature, and transmitting the RACH signature within a RACH slot. The techniques described herein may apply to different communications technologies, including 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communications technology.
US10178693B2
A method and apparatus for supporting a random access using a random access channel (RACH) are disclosed. The WTRU detects a format of control information in at least one control channel element (CCE) of a common area in a control portion of a downlink transmission. The control information indicates a resource allocation in a data portion of the downlink transmission. The WTRU recovers a random access response assigned to the WTRU from the indicated resource allocation of the data portion on a condition that the at least one CCE has a random access radio network terminal identifier (RA-RNTI) assigned to the WTRU.
US10178690B2
A user equipment is configured for use in a wireless communication system. The user equipment in particular is configured to receive from a base station one or more configuration messages that indicate a pattern of downlink transmission gaps in time. The user equipment is further configured to receive from the base station a scheduled downlink transmission that comprises a downlink data block and one or more repetitions of the downlink data block. The scheduled downlink transmission is received with downlink transmission gaps therein according to the indicated pattern. Alternatively or additionally, the user equipment is configured to transmit a scheduled uplink transmission that comprises an uplink data block and one or more repetitions of the uplink data block. In this case, the scheduled uplink transmission is transmitted with uplink transmission gaps therein according to an uplink transmission gap pattern that specifies a pattern of uplink transmission gaps in time.
US10178686B2
A method of channel contention procedure with CCA level enhancement is proposed. A wireless device initiates an EDCA channel contention procedure to gain access to the wireless medium. The device determines an intended TX channel width and performs primary channel CCA using a set of CCA levels based on the intended TX channel width for determining channel idle or busy condition in the EDCA procedure. Upon gaining access, the device performs secondary channel CCA and thereby determining a final TX channel width. The device transmits radio signals using the final TX channel width and a TX spectral power density, which is adjusted to be corresponding to the intended TX channel width. By raising CCA levels to be based on the intended transmission channel width, the likelihood of wide channel width transmission is increased. As a result, significant network throughput increase can be accomplished in dense deployment scenarios.
US10178674B2
A communication apparatus includes a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) transformer, a mapper, and a signal generator. The DFT transformer transforms a symbol in a time domain into a signal in a frequency domain with a DFT size that is a product of powers of a plurality of values, which are integer numbers greater than 1 and are different from each other. The mapper maps the signal in the frequency domain on a plurality of frequency bands, wherein a vector length corresponding to a size of each of the plurality of frequency bands is a product of two or more powers of prime numbers or a multiple of such product, and wherein the vector length is a number of subcarriers allocated to a corresponding one of the plurality of frequency bands. The signal generator generates a single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) signal in the time domain from the mapped signal.
US10178671B2
A method and an apparatus for supporting multiple frequency bands efficiently in a mobile communication system are provided. The method includes generating first system information including a frequency band indicator indicating a frequency band supported by the base station and an additional frequency band indicator indicating at least one frequency band supported by the base station, and broadcasting the first system information.
US10178670B2
Computing readable media, apparatuses, and methods for signaling UL frame duration in wireless local-area networks. An apparatus of a wireless device is disclosed. The apparatus comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to: encode a trigger frame for an uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) communication, the trigger frame including a media access control (MAC) portion including one or more station identifications and a length field to indicate an UL physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU) (UL-PPDU) length, the MAC portion further including a duration field to indicate a time period for other stations to set network allocation vectors. The processing circuitry further configured to: configure the access point to transmit the trigger frame, and decode UL-PPDUs from one or more stations identified by the one or more stations identifications, where a length of each of the UL-PPDUs is to be in accordance with the UL-PPDU length.
US10178669B2
A method for anchor master selection includes: a device receives a NAN Beacon frame, where the NAN Beacon frame carries first AM information and first TSF information, and the first AM information includes: a first AMR, a first HC, and a first AMBTT; if the NAN Beacon frame is used for AM selection, when the first AMR is less than a second AMR and an MR of the device is greater than the first AMR, switching a role of the device to AM, where second AM information recorded in the device includes: the second AMR, a second HC, and a second AMBTT; and if the NAN Beacon frame is used for AM selection, when the first AMR is less than the second AMR, and the MR of the device is less than the first AMR, updating the second AM information and second TSF information according to the NAN Beacon frame.
US10178665B2
A system includes a packet generator, a preamble generator, and a modulator. The packet generator generates a packet including a preamble for transmission via a sub-1 GHz channel. The preamble generator generates the preamble for the packet. The preamble includes a first signal field and a second signal field. The first signal field and the second signal field conform to a Very High Throughput format specified in a wireless networking standard. The modulator modulates both the first signal field and the second signal field of the preamble using the same modulation scheme in response to the packet being a single user packet. The modulator modulates the first signal field and the second signal field of the preamble using different modulation schemes in response to the packet being a multiuser packet.
US10178663B2
A method for sharing a wireless transmission medium in a terminal device between at least a first wireless communication technology and a second wireless communication technology and a wireless communication device and a wireless communication circuit related thereto, the first wireless communications technology being configured to set at least a first time frame for receiving a first signal via the first wireless communication technology at the terminal device, the first signal comprising a control region and a data region the control region indicating a schedule of the data region the method comprising: receiving at least the control region via the first wireless communication technology in the first time frame; interrupting reception of the first signal at least for the remainder of the first time frame after receiving the control region; and sending signals via the second wireless transmission technology within the first time frame after the reception of the first signal was interrupted.
US10178662B2
A method for communicating data between a base station and a terminal device in a wireless telecommunications system, for example an LTE-based system. The wireless communication system uses plural frequency sub-carriers spanning a system frequency band. Physical-layer control information for the terminal device is transmitted from the base station using sub-carriers selected from across the system frequency band, for example to provide frequency diversity. However, higher-layer data for the terminal device is transmitted using only sub-carriers selected from within a restricted frequency band which is smaller than and within the system frequency band. The terminal device is aware of the restricted frequency band, and as such need only buffer and process data within this restricted frequency band during periods where higher-layer data is being transmitted. The terminal device buffers and processes the full system frequency band during periods when physical-layer control information is transmitted.
US10178659B2
A network of handling a sEPDCCH transmission comprises instructions of determining a duration of a sTTI; determining the number of a plurality of available REs of a plurality of REs in a sSU, nEPDCCH; determining an AL of the sSU, Q; determining the number of a plurality of ECCEs in an aggregated sSU, K; determining the number of a plurality of EREGs in an ECCE, A; numbering a plurality of available REs in the aggregated sSU from 0 to (A*K−1) cyclically; arranging the plurality of EREGs numbered with 0 to (A*K−1) according to a K by A matrix; determining the number of a plurality of aggregated sSUs for performing the sEPDCCH transmission, N; determining the number of a plurality of ECCEs in N aggregated sSUs, N*K; and determining a sEPDCCH position on N*K consecutive ECCEs.
US10178656B2
A method and apparatus for uplink transmission by a user equipment (UE) includes receiving an uplink grant for data transmission in a subframe on an uplink channel, wherein the uplink grant includes an assignment to a resource block. The UE determines a resource block for sending a channel usage beacon signal (CUBS) over a contention-based spectrum based on the assignment included in the uplink grant. The CUBS reserves the uplink channel for the data transmission by indicating that the UE is sending the data transmission in a later subframe according to the assignment. The UE transmits the CUBS in a preceding subframe on the resource block in response to performing a successful clear channel assessment on the uplink channel, the preceding subframe directly preceding the subframe for the uplink data transmission.
US10178654B2
An apparatus and method for transmitting Uplink Control Information (UCI) over a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) in a communication system. A method includes acquiring, by a user equipment (UE), from an evolved Node B (eNB), information for a PUCCH format associated with multiple cells; generating, by the UE, UCI to be transmitted, the UCI being arranged in an order of an index of the multiple cells; encoding, by the UE, the UCI; performing, by the UE, a Fourier transform (FT) operation on the encoded UCI; performing, by the UE, an inverse Fourier transform (IFT) operation on the Fourier transformed UCI; and transmitting, by the UE, the inverse Fourier transformed UCI using the PUCCH format.
US10178653B2
A wireless communication network aggregates wireless network control signaling through a hub User Equipment (UE) using Carrier Aggregation (CA). The wireless access node selects the hub UE and directs the hub UE to aggregate the wireless network control signaling for other UEs by using CA traffic channels with the wireless access node. The hub UE exchanges the wireless network control signaling with the other UEs over wireless links. The hub UE aggregates the wireless network control signaling. The hub UE and the wireless access node exchange the aggregated wireless network control signaling over the CA traffic channels.
US10178643B1
Systems and methods identify placement areas for small cells in a macro cell network environment. A network device collects user equipment (UE) received signal strength measurements for wireless access stations concurrently visible to one or more UE devices and designates signature areas based on groupings of the concurrently visible wireless access stations. The network device identifies time intervals with high RAN usage; extracts, from network data for the identified time intervals, traffic data for each signature area over incremental periods and a number of concurrent UEs for each signature area over the incremental periods. The network device ranks the signature areas based on the extracted uplink traffic and the extracted number of concurrent UEs; and selects a target signature area for small cell placement from the ranked signature areas.
US10178640B2
Methods and devices for adjusting timing of uplink transmissions to a network node in a telecommunications system are provided. A user equipment (“UE”) is configurable with more than one aggregated serving cells that are divided into one or more groups of serving cells based on a timing advance value. The one or more groups of serving cells each comprises a timing reference serving cell. The reception timing of a downlink transmission from a timing reference serving cell is used as an uplink timing reference for the timing reference serving cell. The UE determines a change to a second timing reference serving cell and applies an incremental adjustment of the transmit timing of uplink transmissions for the serving cells in the group of serving cells with respect to a timing reference based on the reception timing of a downlink transmission from the second timing reference serving cell in the UE.
US10178638B1
A system, method and apparatus for configuring a node in a sensor network. A sensor service can enable sensor applications to customize the collection and processing of sensor data from a monitoring location. In one embodiment, sensor applications can customize the operation of nodes in the sensor network via a sensor data control system.
US10178633B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a device for transmitting a power status reporting in a carrier aggregation with at least one SCell operating in an unlicensed spectrum, the method comprising: receiving an uplink grant to transmit data on a cell from an eNB; determining drop of the data transmission on the uplink grant; generating information including an indicator indicating that the data transmission is dropped; and transmitting the information to the eNB.
US10178625B2
Power can be preserved in a tracking device equipped with a GPS receiver and a transceiver by evaluating the proximity of the tracking device to a mobile device and enabling the GPS receiver and transceiver only in the event that the tracking device is out of the range of the mobile device. Once enabled, the location of the tracking device can be determined based on location information received from the GPS receiver. The determined location can be provided to a tracking system associated with the tracking device. The tracking system can then inform an owner of the tracking device of the determined location. Once the tracking device has been found, the GPS receiver and the transceiver can be disabled to save additional power.
US10178623B2
Disclosed herein is a transmitting apparatus for both wireless charging and short range communication. According to an embodiment, the transmitting apparatus for both wireless charging and short range communication includes a power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiver, a communication transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit information to a communication receiver, and a controller configured to control the transmitting apparatus to be selectively switched between a first mode in which the power transmitter is enabled and the communication transmitter is disabled and a second mode in which the communication transmitter is enabled and the power transmitter is disabled. The controller may switch to the first mode when the power receiver is sensed, and may switch to the second mode when the communication receiver is sensed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a power receiver or a communication receiver is sensed and then a power transmitter or a communication transmitter corresponding thereto is selectively operated so that a communication error that occurs when the power transmitter and the communication transmitter are simultaneously operated is prevented and an unnecessary waste of power is reduced.
US10178612B2
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described for utilizing narrow band (NB) synchronization channel(s) for enhanced machine-type communications (eMTC) cell acquisition. The methods, systems, and devices may perform a first portion of cell acquisition using an NB acquisition signal. A second portion of cell acquisition may be performed using an eMTC acquisition signal determined based at least in part on the acquisition signal.
US10178610B2
A smart home control method and system based on Alljoyn technology is provided, the method includes: A, the controller searching a WIFI hotspot having an SSID started with a preset identification field; B, the controller connecting to the WIFI hotspot opened by the smart terminal, and duplicating configuration information of the target home WIFI hotspot network to the smart terminal; C, the controller calling a connection interface of the smart terminals, to connect the smart terminals to the target home WIFI hotspot network.
US10178603B2
A computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a user device, calling activity on the user device; detecting, by the user device and based on the monitoring, that a call has started on the user device; providing, by the user device, a pause instruction to an assistant device based on detecting that the call has started on the user device, causing the assistant device to disable speech response functions; detecting, by the user device and based on the monitoring, that the call has ended on the user device; and providing, by the user device, a resume instruction to the assistant device based on detecting that the call has ended on the user device, causing the assistant device to resume speech response functions.
US10178602B2
A method and apparatus for indicating skipping of access class barring (ACB) in a wireless communication system is provided. An upper layer of a user equipment (UE) receives ACB skip bits, which indicates whether ACB check is skipped for a specific application or service, from a lower layer of the UE, initiates the specific application of service, and transmits an ACB skip indication to the lower layer of the UE, if skipping of the ACK check is allowed for the specific application or service according to the ACB skip bits.
US10178594B1
A relay wireless device is subject to a handoff procedure based on a signal strength and other features of a plurality of neighbor access nodes that are within range of the relay wireless device, and based on their ability to provide services to end-user wireless devices via the relay wireless device. A first access node obtains a plurality of features of the neighbor access nodes to enable determination of an optimal donor access node to provide services to the end-user devices via the relay wireless device. The first access node may obtain the features directly from each neighbor access node or by communicating with an EMS server. The features of the neighbor access nodes include loading information for each node. The loading information may be matched to the requirements of the relay wireless device.
US10178592B2
The present document disclosed an evaluation result reporting method and an evaluation result acquisition method, device and system. Herein, the evaluation result reporting method includes: UE performing an evaluation on a relation between throughputs of data transmission at a WLAN AP and a source serving cell (S402); and the UE reporting an evaluation result (S404). The present document solves the problem that a WLAN-side data flow offloading state and a situation of transmission experience of the UE cannot be obtained in a moving process of the UE in the related art. Thereby, the reasonable resource pre-configuration can be performed for the moving process of the UE, the resource allocation and utilization efficiency are improved, and the user experience is enhanced.
US10178591B2
A method including determining that a device is connected to a first communication network; establishing, via the first communication network, a multimedia session with the device serving as a first endpoint of the multimedia session via the first communication network; determining that the device is connected to a second communication network while the multimedia session is ongoing, wherein the second communication network is different than the first communication network; requesting via the second communication network, in response to determining that the device is connected to the second communication network while the multimedia session is ongoing, that the first endpoint of the multimedia session be replaced with the device serving as a second endpoint of the multimedia session via the second communication network; and continuing, after the request that the first endpoint of the multimedia session be replaced, the multimedia session via the second communication network.
US10178587B2
The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media for offloading data packets from a first radio access network to a second radio access network. The method comprises monitoring first values of first performance parameters of the first radio access network at different instants of time prior to a predetermined transmission time interval. Then the second values of the one or more first performance parameters are predicted based on the first values. Further, the second values are compared against corresponding predetermined threshold values of the one or more first performance parameters and based on the comparison offloading of the data packets are triggered.
US10178583B2
Disclosed is a communication method of a network entity, which comprises: receiving state information from a plurality of neighboring network entities; selecting one network entity, which is not in a congestion state, among the plurality of network entities for a network access of a terminal, on the basis of the state information; and transmitting, to the terminal, a message including information for accessing of the terminal to the selected network entity.
US10178581B2
The disclosed embodiments seek to improve communication rates and lessen transmission errors between nodes in a communication network. The disclosed embodiments seek to improve reception bandwidth using one or more of (1) a MAC wrapper configured to integrate incoming data across sector arrays for use by the existing chipsets, and/or (2) a new interface modification to the chip design facilitating integrated log likelihood ratio processing from across multiple sector arrays. Sector coverage may be deliberately overlapped using the dynamic diversity achieved by the embodiments to compensate for environmental factors.
US10178579B2
An IoT system and method for selecting a secondary communication channel. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: one or more primary communication interfaces to establish a connection between an Internet of Things (IoT) device and an IoT service over one or more primary communication channels; one or more secondary communication interfaces to establish a connection between the IoT device and the IoT service over one or more secondary communication channels; a communication interface selection module to determine whether a primary threshold related to connection attempts over the one or more primary communication channels has been reached; in response to detecting that the primary threshold has been reached, the communication interface selection module to attempt to establish a connection between the IoT device and the IoT service over one of the secondary communication channels; the secondary communication interface to exchange data between the IoT device and the IoT service over the secondary communication channel.
US10178577B2
In a wireless communication terminal in a wireless communication system for performing a control not to transmit signals, or to transmit signals with a reduction in a transmission power by a part of radio resources for a downlink signal in a cell provided by a base station, the terminal receives control information in generating a report related to a measurement result of the cell provided by the base station, monitors a state of a radio link with an own cell, and performs measurement on reception of the downlink signal. If an instruction for restricting the measurement to a part of the radio resources is included in the control information from the base station after the radio link failure occurs, the terminal generates and transmits a radio link failure report including the measurement result in the radio resources as instructed when the radio link failure occurs.
US10178565B2
Provided is a channel simulator having a function of supporting a carrier aggregation and a carrier aggregation block used for the same to support a carrier aggregation function at a minimum path loss without reducing the number of valid connectable terminals. The channel simulator includes: a terminal interface block connected to each of at least four terminals through at least two transmission/reception ports; a carrier aggregation block including unit modules each including one RF coupler and one RF switch, and interposed between the terminal interface block and the terminal to support the carrier aggregation for one to four component carriers; and a management server. The carrier aggregation block includes a front-end carrier aggregation unit and a rear-end carrier aggregation unit.
US10178559B2
A method is disclosed comprising: determining, using a processor, whether a radio model of at least one radio node associated with a data set is incomplete based on a comparison between the coverage area of the radio model of the at least one radio node and a cumulative coverage area generated out of radio models of the at least one radio node associated with a plurality of data sets, wherein a data collection comprises the plurality of data sets and the data collection is indicative to at least one indoor radio map. Further disclosed are a corresponding apparatus, a corresponding system and a corresponding software program.
US10178543B2
A framework of a common mobility management protocol for Q.5/16 includes a high level protocol for performing the functions of address resolution, routing, location update and authentication. The common mobility management protocol can be used by existing and future multimedia applications (MA's) to support mobility management for messaging among mobility management authentication function (AuF), home location function (HLF) and visitor location function (VLF) databases/servers, and the corresponding multimedia application functional entities (MAFEs) of the multimedia applications (MA's). The common mobility management protocol may replace, act in concert with or in sequence with existent interworking protocols for the various multimedia applications. Reference point architectures, functional characteristics, features, and capabilities of the protocol are described including call flows and message syntax. The disclosure presents the scope of Q.5/16 and how H.MMS.1 (H.323 Mobility), H.MMS.2 (Global Mobility), and H.MMS.3 (Presence/Instant Messaging Mobility) can be a part of the same common mobility management protocol.
US10178536B2
According to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method provides update indication information from a radio network node to one or more wireless devices unreachable via a paging channel or a machine-type communication, MTC, control channel. The method comprises generating (112) an update signal comprising a Downlink Control Information, DCI, message by including the update indication information in the update signal, the update indication information comprising at least one indication unrelated to paging the one or more wireless devices, and transmitting (122) the update signal to the one or more wireless devices via a Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH, when the one or more wireless devices are unreachable via the paging channel or the MTC control channel. Further embodiments of the invention includes e.g. methods of handling update indication information and corresponding radio network nodes and wireless devices.
US10178535B2
Embodiments described herein relate to an autonomous emergency system (EMS) for UAVs and UMVs. The autonomy of the emergency system enables the vehicle to self-detect that it is in an emergency state (autonomous detection). When vehicle detects the emergency state the vehicle is configured to implement an improved autonomous emergency system process. The vehicle triggers autonomous state change, and controls its operation (auxiliary, power levels, and so on). The vehicle has beacons to emit pulses over time intervals to communicate with specific vehicles. For example, when known, friendly, other vehicles come into a specific radius, the EMS detects the friendly vehicle(s) and sends safe signals. The EMS implements a pairing communication process based on pre-establish configurations and protocols.
US10178533B2
In one implementation, a wireless security system premises gateway component includes a first local area wireless communication component adapted to communicate wirelessly with plural wireless security system sensors distributed at a premises; a second local area wireless communication component adapted to communicate wirelessly with a general purpose mobile communications device; a communications interface component adapted to communicate with a wide area communications network that is located remotely of the premises; a security system controller component adapted to communicate with the general purpose mobile communications device to provide state information regarding the security system and to provide control inputs to the security system; and a single gateway housing configured and sized to house the first local area wireless communication component, the second local area wireless communication component, the communications interface component, and the security system controller.
US10178530B2
A system and method are described for performing asset and user tracking. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) device or hub (“IoT device/hub”) comprising authorized user detection logic to detect a security IoT device of a user in wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub, the IoT device/hub to be affixed or integrated within a data processing asset; location detection logic to determine a current location of the IoT device/hub based on signals received from one or more wireless devices within its wireless range; wherein the authorized user detection logic is to arm the location detection logic upon detecting that the security IoT device has moved out of wireless proximity to the IoT device/hub; and wherein the location detection logic is to generate an alert and/or notification after being armed by the authorized user detection logic upon detecting that the IoT device/hub has moved outside of a designated protected location, the alert and/or notification being transmitted from the IoT device/hub to an IoT service.
US10178525B2
Systems and methods dynamically adapt network policies for mobile devices by accessing context-based values to allocate or restrict capabilities on the mobile devices or within the network. Context-based values may include position or velocity as well as more general environment features such as proximity of other devices, the presence or absence of other wireless signals or network traffic, parameters measured by local or remote sensors, user credentials, or unique user or signal inputs to the device. Relevant capabilities may include access to hardware and software interfaces and related parameter sets including priority settings.
US10178518B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a system comprising a mobile terminal for a guardian and a mobile terminal for a child. A method for controlling a mobile system comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: transmitting a request message from the first terminal to the second terminal using a user input applied to the first terminal; determining, by the second terminal, whether the transmitted request message satisfies a preset first condition or not; processing, by the second terminal, a control command, which corresponds to the transmitted request message, on the basis of the result of determination regarding the first condition; transmitting a response message, which reflects the result of processing, from the second terminal to the first terminal; determining, by the first terminal, whether the transmitted response message satisfies a preset second condition or not; and processing, by the first terminal, a control command, which corresponds to the transmitted response message, on the basis of the result of determination regarding the second condition, wherein the request message and the response message use a short message service (SMS), and content of the request message and that of the response message are formed on the basis of a preset protocol.
US10178515B2
A system for receiving multiple conversations or messages and for playing the multiple conversations or messages with a mobile device and wireless earpieces. The system may determine various presentation parameters based on various characteristics of the received messages and may play the messages such that audio appears at distinguishing locations around the user. The system may change how messages and/or conversations are played in response to recognize a change in the focus of the user based on detected user inputs, such as body movement gestures.
US10178514B2
A method includes initiating a chat session between a first user of a mobile device in proximity to a field device and a second user remote from the field device. The method further includes receiving, at the mobile device via the chat session, one or more commands for the field device from a computing device used by the second user. The method additionally includes sending, from the mobile device to the field device, the one or more commands for execution by the field device. The method also includes receiving, at the mobile device, information from the field device and sending, from the mobile device to the computing device via the chat session, the information.
US10178511B2
A method including receiving, at a server, vessel AIS information, said AIS information including at least a vessel identifier and a vessel location. Querying a location data store in response to the vessel location, said location data store including port location information. Determining, in response to said querying, whether the vessel is in a port area or port approach area and iteratively receiving, additional AIS information which may be stored as structured data. And calculating port performance metrics in response to the location information, and transmitting those performance metrics through a network.
US10178503B2
A method for controlling and an electronic device processing the method are provided. The electronic device includes a communication module configured to establish a communication link with a second electronic device, and a control module configured to perform a sharing operation based on at least one of a setting state of an execution screen of the electronic device and the communication module sensing the proximity of the second electronic device, in response to the searching of the second electronic device.
US10178499B2
Various embodiments may provide systems and methods for achieving continuous measurements (e.g., continuous video images) of the same spot on the Earth using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations and/or Middle Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellations. Various embodiments may provide a system of Virtual Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Stationary Satellites (VLSSs) over any area of the Earth for a continuous or a periodic amount of time.
US10178497B2
A method for connecting a mobile device with one of a plurality of wireless networks begins by initiating a network selection process of the mobile device with the plurality of wireless networks. A remote server determines a geographic position of the mobile device with respect to at least one of the plurality of wireless networks. The remote server selects one of a first network and a second network of the plurality of wireless networks responsive to the determined geographic position of the mobile device and an associated rule set stored at the remote server.
US10178496B2
A system comprising a mobile computing device that includes a processor and a memory. The memory storing programming executable by the processor to detect an identifier in each of two or more of asynchronous light sources detected by a light sensor, the identifier including a position of the light source and use at least a coordinate system having an origin in the light sensor and the position of the light source, to determine a location of the mobile device.
US10178492B2
Systems and methods are operable to adjust an output audio volume level of presented audio content that is output as sound from one or more speakers in a media presentation environment. An exemplary embodiment detects movement of a user who is listening to the audio content; increases the output audio volume level when the detected user movement is away from a predefined location in the media presentation environment; and decreases the output audio volume level when the detected user movement is closer to the predefined location in the media presentation environment.
US10178489B2
In general, techniques are described for specifying audio rendering information in a bitstream. A device configured to generate the bitstream may perform various aspects of the techniques. The bitstream generation device may comprise one or more processors configured to specify audio rendering information that includes a signal value identifying an audio renderer used when generating the multi-channel audio content. A device configured to render multi-channel audio content from a bitstream may also perform various aspects of the techniques. The rendering device may comprise one or more processors configured to determine audio rendering information that includes a signal value identifying an audio renderer used when generating the multi-channel audio content, and render a plurality of speaker feeds based on the audio rendering information.
US10178488B2
An audio metadata providing apparatus and method and a multichannel audio data playback apparatus and method to support a dynamic format conversion are provided. Dynamic format conversion information may include information about a plurality of format conversion schemes that are used to convert a first format set by an author of multichannel audio data into a second format that is based on a playback environment of the multichannel audio data and that are each set for corresponding playback periods of the multichannel audio data. The audio metadata providing apparatus may provide audio metadata including the dynamic format conversion information. The multichannel audio data playback apparatus may identify the dynamic format conversion information from the audio metadata, may convert the first format of the multichannel audio data into the second format based on the identified dynamic format conversion information, and may play back the multichannel audio data in the second format.
US10178486B2
In embodiments of this invention howling sounds are removed without disturbing speech and music. Microphone signals are converted to the frequency domain where howling frequencies are detected and estimated using howling to noise ratios. A notch filter adaptively designed for the howling frequency is applied to remove the howling.
US10178477B2
A vibrating diaphragm assembly related to the technical field of electroacoustic products is provided. The vibrating diaphragm assembly comprises a vibrating diaphragm, wherein the vibrating diaphragm comprises a middle part and a folding ring part surrounding the periphery of the middle part. The vibrating diaphragm also comprises a vibrating diaphragm substrate layer and a silica gel layer; the silica gel layer being at least partially combined with the vibrating diaphragm substrate layer. The vibrating diaphragm substrate layer is also a high molecular material layer; the silica gel layer is combined on the surface of the folding ring part; and the silica gel layer and the high molecular material layer are formed through injection molding.
US10178476B2
A compliant constrained headband spring for audio headphones includes a headband spring element and a stiffness enhancing element coupled to the headband spring element. The compliant constrained headband spring exhibits a first stiffness in an open position and a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness when closed beyond a predetermined point.
US10178472B1
An omnidirectional acoustic sensor is provided. The omnidirectional acoustic sensor includes first, inner resonators connected to an inner circumference of a supporting frame and second, outer resonators connected to an outer circumference of the supporting frame. The first, inner resonators vibrate in a height direction of the supporting frame and the second, outer resonators vibrate in a lateral direction of the supporting frame.
US10178465B2
A headphone unit comprising a headphone, a headphone pre-amplifier for pre-amplification of an audio signal to be reproduced, and a cable between the headphone pre-amplifier and the headphone. The headphone has two symmetrically designed electrostatic transducers in the push-pull mode of operation. The pre-amplifier is adapted to output an audio signal to be reproduced by way of a first amplifier stage as a voltage-amplified audio signal at an output. The headphone has second amplifier stages which are in the form of high-voltage amplifier stages which are supplied by way of the cable with a pre-amplified audio signal to be reproduced and a high-voltage supply.
US10178455B2
An electronic device including a sound output module and a housing for the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a front case including a display unit, a rear case coupled to the front case and including a mounting space of a battery, a speaker module configured to form at least one side wall of the mounting space of the battery, and a battery cover configured to cover at least the mounting space of the battery.
US10178453B2
Methods and systems for Ethernet fabric protection in a disaggregated OTN switching system that include PIU modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. A first PIU module may detect a fault condition on an Ethernet fabric plane of the Ethernet fabric. In response to the detection, the OTN switching system may transmit the fault condition to other PIU modules to redirect optical data unit traffic away from the fault on the Ethernet fabric plane.
US10178450B2
A high-speed converter includes at least one converter among a first converter for converting an analog signal into a digital value; a second converter for converting a digital value into an analog signal; a third converter for converting an electrical signal into a digital signal; and a fourth converter for converting a digital signal into an electrical signal, and causes the at least one converter to operate by a method based on information acquired via a network.
US10178448B2
An ultra-low pressure monitoring system can include an embedded server comprising a base radio and memory. In some embodiments, the embedded server is communicatively coupled to a third-party database. The system can include a first monitoring device comprising a first ultra-low pressure sensor and a first radio communicatively coupled to the base radio. The embedded server can be remotely located with respect to the first monitoring device whereby the embedded server receives first pressure data from the first monitoring device.
US10178437B2
A network apparatus and a content distribution apparatus are described. The network apparatus is configured to transcode and transmit pre-broadcast content into transcoded content according to a format associated with a content distribution apparatus. The transcoded content includes a distribution indicator to restrict distribution of the transcoded content to one or more remote apparatus. Network apparatus is configured to transmit a “delta file” to content distribution apparatus with transcoded content and instructions to signal modifying the pre-broadcast content. Content distribution apparatus is configured to receive transcoded pre-broadcast content and “delta file” with instructions from network apparatus. Content distribution apparatus removes the distribution indicator from the transcoded pre-broadcast content once the signaling instructions indicates that the broadcast content corresponds with pre-broadcast content. Content distribution apparatus may use the “delta file” to modify the transcoded pre-broadcast content such that the modified pre-broadcast content corresponds with broadcast content with a tolerance.
US10178433B2
Example invertible metering apparatus and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a housing orientation determiner and a stencil orientation determiner. The example apparatus also includes an orientation validator to determine whether a detected orientation of the stencil relative to a detected orientation of the housing is valid.
US10178427B2
The present disclosure provides a method, apparatus and a system of synchronizing audio with video. A receiving device receives a video signal embedded with a video sync signal and an audio signal embedded with an audio sync signal provided by a sending device; searches for the video sync signal in the video signal, searches for the audio sync signal in the audio signal; and processes the video signal and the audio signal according to a time when the video sync signal occurs in the video signal and a time when the audio sync signal occurs in the audio signal to make the processed audio signal synchronized with the processed video signal during playback.
US10178425B1
Centralized storage and playback of user-recorded television programming eliminates the need for expensive DVR devices to be deployed in the field. Further, the methods used to initiate storage and provide playback of stored media respect copyright principles.
US10178421B2
In some aspects, control circuitry detects a plurality of instances in which the number of requests to simultaneously stream media from a subscription service to different devices exceeds a number of streams available to the user from the subscription service. The control circuitry generates a plurality of timestamps corresponding to the plurality of instances, and compares each timestamp to a range of timestamps that corresponds to a subscription period for the subscription service in order to determine a number of instances that occurred during the subscription period. The control circuitry compares the number of instances that occurred during the subscription period to a threshold number for the subscription period. Control circuitry transmits a message, from the server to one of the different devices, if the threshold is exceeded.
US10178415B2
There is described a multimedia processing method comprising: identifying a start and end time ranges in an input multimedia stream; comparing said ranges to an alternate multimedia stream of the same program for regions of similarity; and defining time ranges as representing chapter regions responsive to the content of both streams within the time ranges having high similarities.
US10178411B2
There are provided methods and apparatus for transform selection in video coding. An apparatus includes a video encoder for encoding at least a block in a picture by selecting a transform to apply to a residue of the block from a set of two or more available transforms. The transform is selected based on at least one of an inter prediction mode used to predict at least one reference for the block, one or more values corresponding to a motion vector, a value of a residue of one or more previously encoded blocks, a value of prediction data for the block, one or more transform selections of one or more neighboring reconstructed blocks, and a quantization step applied to transform coefficients for the residue of the block.
US10178403B2
An apparatus configured to construct a reference picture list includes a memory and one or more processors in communication with the memory. The memory is configured to store one or more reference pictures. The one or more processors are configured to determine (i) a first number representative of a total number of reference pictures available for prediction in at least one of inter mode or intra block copy mode and (ii) a second number representative of a total number of reference pictures to be included in the reference picture list, and in response to a determination that the second number is greater than or equal to the first number, refrain from replacing a reference picture in the reference picture list with a current picture to be predicted. The one or more processors may encode or decode the current picture based on the reference picture list.
US10178402B2
A predictive coding system performs predictive encoding by determination of an optimum prediction mode from prediction methods for a pixel signal of a target block. A predicted signal is generated according to the determined mode, and a residual signal is determined. The residual signal and the optimum prediction mode are encoded to generate a compressed signal, which is decoded. The decoded signal is stored as a reconstructed picture sample. During encoding, a candidate prediction mode list is generated that contains elements of optimum prediction modes of previously-reproduced blocks neighboring the target block. A flag indicating whether the list contains an element corresponding to the optimum prediction mode is encoded, and an index to the corresponding element is encoded if the corresponding element is included in the list. The optimum prediction mode can be encoded based on identifying the elements in the list, unless no corresponding element appears on the list.
US10178400B2
A system for decoding a video bitstream includes receiving a frame of the video that includes at least one slice and at least one tile and where each of the at least one slice and the at least one tile are not all aligned with one another.
US10178393B2
The present invention relates to an image encoding and decoding technique, and more particularly, to an image encoder and decoder using unidirectional prediction. The image encoder includes a dividing unit to divide a macro block into a plurality of sub-blocks, a unidirectional application determining unit to determine whether an identical prediction mode is applied to each of the plurality of sub-blocks, and a prediction mode determining unit to determine a prediction mode with respect to each of the plurality of sub-blocks based on a determined result of the unidirectional application determining unit.
US10178390B2
An advanced constant quality rate control algorithm with new features and enhancements. can be applicable to different kinds of video scenes, in addition to static or less motion scenes. Statistical data is calculated at the beginning of encoding for each line of sections of a frame. Based on the statistical data, which case of a plurality of cases to be executed is determined and maximum and minimum QP values are determined according to the determined case. Actual maximum and minimum QP of the current line using is maintained using the maximum and minimum QP and a final QP value is determined for all sections in each line. A lambda value for encoding is determined from the final QP. At the end of encoding the picture, the number of frames encoded using constant quality is counted, the maximum and minimum QP and VBV fullness for each line is updated.
US10178389B2
Systems and methods of performing rate control in scalable video encoders for use in videoconferencing, announcements, and live video streaming to multiple participant devices having diverse bandwidths, resolutions, and/or other device characteristics. The systems and methods can accommodate different target bit rates of the multiple participant devices by operating on scalable video bitstreams in a multi-layer video format, including a base layer having one or more reference video frames, and an enhancement layer having one or more disposable non-reference, predictive video frames. By adjusting the number of disposable non-reference, predictive video frames in the enhancement layer, as well as quantization parameters for the respective base and enhancement layers, the systems and methods can accommodate the different target bit rates for the respective participant devices, while enhancing the spatial and/or temporal qualities of the base and enhancement layers in the respective video bitstreams.
US10178381B2
A method to test the fidelity of a depth-imaging camera to depth-change abruptness of an imaged subject includes digitally generating, with the depth-imaging camera, a machine-readable calibration depth image of a calibration subject arranged in a field of view of the depth-imaging camera. The method includes machine processing the calibration depth image in a spatial domain to obtain a machine-readable measure of the fidelity in the spatial domain, and machine processing the measure of the fidelity in the spatial domain to obtain a measure of the fidelity in a frequency domain.
US10178376B2
A transparent LCD monitor can be layered with a custom optical element that covers a portion of the display surface to create a hybrid solution that is enabled to show 3D content (including both off-screen “pop” in front of the display and an immersive perception of depth behind the display) without the need for any special eyewear while maintaining a high degree of transparency in the unmodified portions of the display.
US10178373B2
Systems and methods for correcting stereo yaw of a stereoscopic image sensor pair using autofocus feedback are disclosed. A stereo depth of an object in an image is estimated from the disparity of the object between the images captured by each sensor of the image sensor pair. An autofocus depth to the object is found from the autofocus lens position. If the difference between the stereo depth and the autofocus depth is non zero, one of the images is warped and the disparity is recalculated until the stereo depth and the autofocus depth to the object is substantially the same.
US10178363B2
HD color video using monochromatic CMOS image sensors integrated in a 3D package is provided. An example 3DIC package for color video includes a beam splitter to partition received light of an image stream into multiple light outputs. Multiple monochromatic CMOS image sensors are each coupled to one of the multiple light outputs to sense a monochromatic image stream at a respective component wavelength of the received light. Each monochromatic CMOS image sensor is specially constructed, doped, controlled, and tuned to its respective wavelength of light. A parallel processing integrator or interposer chip heterogeneously combines the respective monochromatic image streams into a full-spectrum color video stream, including parallel processing of an infrared or ultraviolet stream. The parallel processing of the monochromatic image streams provides reconstruction to HD or 4K HD color video at low light levels. Parallel processing to one interposer chip also enhances speed, spatial resolution, sensitivity, low light performance, and color reconstruction.
US10178356B2
A monitoring apparatus includes a processor, wherein the monitoring apparatus images a monitoring area and outputs a moving image of the monitoring area, and the processor detects all persons appearing in the moving image, performs mask processing of changing inner portions of outlines of all persons into translucent mask images, and superposes the mask images on a background image, to generate a mask-processed moving image, and outputs the mask-processed moving image to a browsing apparatus through a network.
US10178352B2
Techniques to provide a micro-broadcast of an event are described. Video data streams of a live event at a venue may be captured in one or more wireless camera devices. The data streams may be sent to one of a network of wireless access points where they are relayed to a control center. A computer system in the control center may select one of the video data streams to be broadcast as a micro-broadcast. The selected video data stream may then be formatted for the micro-broadcast before a micro-broadcast transmitter broadcasts the formatted selected video data stream.
US10178348B2
An information processing apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive images from other information processing apparatuses via a network; a band information acquirer configured to acquire reception band information of the receiver; a first display number determiner configured to determine a first number of the images to be displayed on a display device according to the reception band information; a second display number determiner configured to determine the first number as a second number of the images to be displayed on the display device, when the reception band information is stable, and determine a present number of the images presently displayed on the display device, as the second number, when the reception band information is unstable; and a display processor configured to display the second number of the one or more images on the display device.
US10178345B2
Media device systems and methods synchronize video content with audio content presented by a plurality of wireless audio headsets. In an exemplary embodiment, a first time delay corresponds to a first duration of time between communication of the audio content from the media device and presentation of the audio content by a first wireless audio headset. A second time delay corresponds to a second duration of time between communication of the audio content from the media device and presentation of the audio content by a second wireless audio headset, wherein the first time delay is greater than the second time delay. Video content communicated to a display is delayed by the first time delay. Audio content communicated to the second wireless audio headset is delayed by a time delay difference between the first time delay and the second time delay.
US10178343B2
A system and method for point to point video enable communication and the provisioning of at least one commodity. The communication between two remote devices may include both video and audio and may be activated by use of at least one touch screen associated with a device for provisioning the at least one commodity, such as, for example, a vending machine.
US10178341B2
A system includes a media device including a processor programmed to receive sensor data indicating a field of view of a user and adjust a field of view of a video capture device in the media device to correspond to the field of view of the user. The processor receives media data from the video capture device and stores the media data, together with metadata including time indicia for each segment in the media data. The processor further receives user input to generate a media content item based on the media data. The user input specifies a start time of the media content item. The processor generates the media content item from the media data, starting with the segment of the media data having a time stamp corresponding to the start time; and stores the media content item.
US10178340B2
A broadcasting signal receiving apparatus includes an input receiver configured to receive a user's input selecting a channel among a plurality of channels; a first tuner configured to tune to the channel selected by the user's input and receive a broadcast signal of the tuned channel; and a controller configured to control the first tuner to tune to a first channel and receive a broadcast signal of the first channel when a user makes the first input, and to control the first tuner to tune to a second channel and receive a broadcast signal of the second channel when a user makes a second input within a predetermined period of time after receiving the first input, wherein the first channel corresponds to the first input, and the second channel corresponds to a combination of the first input and the second input.
US10178339B2
A capturing device includes an image sensor that generates an image signal by performing photoelectric conversion for light from a subject, a control unit that generates a setting value for setting a range where an image resulting from the image signal is cut, based on a first instruction input from a user, a setting value storage unit that stores the setting value generated by the control unit, an image conversion unit that reads the setting value from the setting value storage unit, and cuts a specific region specified by the setting value from the image and enlarges the cut region, when there is a second instruction input from the user, and an output unit that converts a signal of the image cut and enlarged by the image conversion unit into an image signal of a predetermined format and outputs the converted image signal.
US10178336B2
A computational sensing array includes an array of sensing elements. In each sensing element, a first signal is generated from a transducer. A second signal is produced by a collection unit in response to receiving the first signal. The second signal may be modified, in a conditioning unit. A sensing element preprocessing unit generates a word representing the value of the modified second signal, and may produce an indication of change of the first signal. A current value of the word may be stored in a state holding element local to the sensing element, and a previous value of the word may be retained in a further state holding element local to the sensing element.
US10178334B2
Disclosed are image data acquisition methods and systems that utilizes selective temporal co-adding of detector integration samples to construct improved high-resolution output imagery for arrays with selectable line rates. Configurable TDI arrays are used to construct output imagery of various resolutions dependent upon array commanding, the acquisition geometry, and temporal sampling. The image acquisition techniques may be applied to any optical sensor system and to optical systems with multiple sensors at various relative rotations which enable simultaneous image acquisitions of two or more sensors. Acquired image data may be up-sampled onto a multitude of image grids of various resolution.
US10178330B2
A first ramp signal having a potential which is changed with time in a first amplitude range in a first period and a second ramp signal in which a potential is changed with time in a second amplitude range which includes the first amplitude range and which has maximum amplitude larger than maximum amplitude of the first amplitude range and an amount of the change of the potential per unit time is the same as an amount of the change of the potential per unit time of the first ramp signal are generated, and comparison between an optical signal and the first ramp signal and comparison between the optical signal and the second ramp signal are performed in parallel.
US10178323B2
A system, method, and computer program product for generating a digital image. The method comprises receiving a shutter release command and causing a camera module to sample a first image of a photographic scene based on a first set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command. Next, the first image within an image set is stored and a camera module is caused to sample a second image of the photographic scene based on a second set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command. Additionally, the second image within the image set is stored, and a strobe intensity value is specified based on a measured exposure for images in the image set. Lastly, a strobe unit is configured based on the strobe intensity value, and in response to configuring the strobe unit, the camera module is caused to sample a final image.
US10178322B2
A method for adjusting predetermined ISO-dependent image processing parameters for images captured by a digital camera includes measuring the exposure deviation in exposure units from an optimal exposure as determined by the camera during an image capture process, deriving an estimated camera sensitivity from the exposure deviation, and adjusting the ISO-dependent image processing parameters for images captured by the camera as a function of the derived estimated camera sensitivity.
US10178319B2
An imaging apparatus capable of outputting pixel signals to one or more output destinations includes an imager having a plurality of pixels that are arrayed two-dimensionally and respectively can generate pixel signals; an identifier adding unit configured to add an identifier associated with at least one output destination to each of pixel signals of at least a part of pixels among the plurality of pixels and an image processing unit configured to output each of the pixel signals to an output destination that corresponds to an identifier included in each of the pixel signals.
US10178317B2
Provided is an imaging device module including: an imaging device including a first optical element on which a first light is incident and an image sensor; and a first optical image stabilization (OIS) operator configured to move back and forth along an optical axis direction of a second light reflected from the first optical system, wherein a third light having an optical path adjusted by the first OIS operator may be incident on the image sensor.
US10178310B1
An apparatus having an interface and a circuit is disclosed. The interface may be connectable to a plurality of counters and a plurality of pipelines. The circuit may be configured to increment the counters associated with a first data unit in response to the first data unit being available in a buffer, and monitor a plurality of decrements of the counters by the pipelines. Each pipeline may decrement a respective counter when finished with the first data unit in the buffer. The circuit may also be configured to block the pipelines from processing a second data unit in the buffer until all of the counters associated with the first data unit have been decremented.
US10178305B2
Provided is a recommendation apparatus including a determination unit configured to determine an application to be recommended to an imaging apparatus, based on information on an image selected in accordance with an operation mode of the imaging apparatus.
US10178304B1
A method for capturing video or still images at a determined orientation, via a mobile device, including accessing at least some information regarding a desired orientation preference; accessing at least some information regarding an orientation of the mobile device; comparing the information regarding the orientation of the mobile device to the information regarding the desired orientation preference; determining whether the information regarding the orientation of the mobile device matches the information regarding the desired orientation preference, within a degree of variance; disabling, if the information regarding the orientation of the mobile device does not match the desired orientation preference, within the degree of variance, a video or still image capture function of the mobile device; and enabling, if the information regarding the orientation of the mobile device matches the desired orientation preference, within the degree of variance, a video or still image capture function of the mobile device.
US10178301B1
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for improving facial recognition and/or speaker recognition models by using results obtained from one model to assist in generating results from the other model. For example, a device may perform facial recognition for image data to identify users and may use the results of the facial recognition to assist in speaker recognition for corresponding audio data. Alternatively or additionally, the device may perform speaker recognition for audio data to identify users and may use the results of the speaker recognition to assist in facial recognition for corresponding image data. As a result, the device may identify users in video data that are not included in the facial recognition model and may identify users in audio data that are not included in the speaker recognition model. The facial recognition and/or speaker recognition models may be updated during run-time and/or offline using post-processed data.
US10178300B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for generating a focus sweep to produce a focus stack. In use, an image is sampled as image data. Next, a first focus region is identified and a second focus region is identified. Next, first focus target information corresponding to the first focus region is determined and second focus target information corresponding to the second focus region is determined. Further, a focus is adjusted, based on the first focus target information and at least one first image is captured based on the first focus target information. Additionally, the focus is adjusted, based on the second focus target information and at least one second image is captured based on the second focus target information. Lastly, the at least one first image and the at least one second image are saved to an image stack. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.
US10178292B2
A wearable apparatus and method are provided for capturing image data. In one implementation, a wearable apparatus for capturing image data is provided. The wearable apparatus includes at least one image sensor for capturing image data of an environment of a user, wherein a field of view of the image sensor includes a chin of the user. The wearable apparatus includes two or more microphones, and an attachment mechanism configured to enable the image sensor and microphones to be worn by the user. The wearable apparatus includes a processing device programmed to capture at least one image, identify the chin of the user to obtain a location of the chin, select a microphone from the two or more microphones based on the location, process input from the selected microphone using a first processing scheme, and process input from a microphone that is not selected using a second processing scheme.
US10178291B2
A wearable apparatus and method are provided for executing actions based on triggers identified in an environment of a user. In one implementation, a wearable apparatus for storing information related to objects identified in an environment of a user is provided. The wearable apparatus includes a wearable image sensor configured to capture a plurality of images from the environment of the user and at least one processing device. The processing device may be programmed to process the plurality of images to detect an object entering a receptacle, process at least one of the plurality of images that includes the object to determine at least a type of the object, and based on the type of the object, generate information related to an action to be taken related to the object.
US10178290B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for long-range facial and ocular acquisition. One embodiment of a system for acquiring an image of a subject's facial feature(s) includes a steerable telescope configured to acquire the image of the facial feature(s), a first computational imaging element configured to minimize the effect of defocus in the image of the facial feature(s), and a second computational imaging element configured to minimize the effects of motion blur. In one embodiment, the detecting, the acquiring, the minimizing the effect of the motion, and the minimizing the effect of the defocus are performed automatically without a human input.
US10178286B2
A method for forming a color filter array includes a step of exposing a photosensitive color filter film, a step of forming a color filter array from the color filter film by developing the color filter film using a developer, and a step of cleaning the color filter array while rotating the color filter array and moving a nozzle for spraying fluid containing liquid and gas above the color filter array in a direction intersecting with an axis of the rotation. The method reduces variation in thickness of a color filter that is generated in the cleaning step.
US10178283B2
Provided is a dome camera including a housing part configured to accommodate a camera and rotate in multiple directions; a connection cover part configured to cover at least part of the housing part; a first rotation restricting part configured to limit a rotation range of the housing part in a first rotation direction; and a second rotation restricting part configured to limit a rotation range of the housing part in a second rotation direction.
US10178281B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for synchronizing audio and video signals for a listening system. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method including receiving an audio signal and a video signal from an external device. The audio signal is processed and transmitted to a hearing assistance device having a wearer. In various embodiments, the video signal is transmitted to a video display using a delay such that the audio signal and the video signal are synchronized for the wearer.
US10178280B2
According to exemplary methods, a selection of a paper type for producing an image is received. A database of background suppression values associated with paper types is searched. Responsive to not finding a background suppression value associated with the paper type, the database is updated for the paper type. According to the method of updating, a page of the paper type is scanned and image data obtained by scanning the page is analyzed. Background luminance for the page is determined based on analyzing the image data. A background suppression value is calculated for the page based on the background luminance. The paper type and the background suppression value for the page are added to the database. The background suppression value is associated with the paper in the database.
US10178272B2
In an image forming apparatus, a reservation managing unit receives a reservation request from a mobile terminal device of a user, and registers reservation information. The reservation information indicates (a) a usage time zone specified by the received reservation request and (b) the mobile terminal device. The operation restriction unit changes an operation control mode from an operation permission mode to an operation prohibition mode if (a) the mobile terminal device detected by a terminal detecting unit is a mobile terminal device of a reserving user who reserved as the usage time zone a current or a next time zone and (b) there are no currently using users. The operation permission mode is a status where an operation of an unspecified user can be received, and the operation prohibition mode is a status where a user operation is prohibited until a release operation of the reserving user.
US10178271B2
A facsimile apparatus includes a storage unit, a first detection unit, and a second detection unit. The storage unit stores a parameter based on a connection standard of a telephone-line connected to the facsimile apparatus, and an apparatus direct-current resistance of the facsimile apparatus. The first detection unit detects a first voltage that is a voltage at a line-open time of a telephone line connected to the facsimile apparatus. The second detection unit detects a second voltage that is a voltage at a line-capture time of the telephone line. By using the first voltage, the second voltage, the parameter, and the apparatus direct-current resistance, a voltage to be a threshold for determination of line capture is determined. By using a voltage detected from the telephone line and the voltage to be the threshold determined by the first determination unit, whether the telephone line is captured is determined.
US10178264B2
A cable support mechanism has a cable support portion, and supports two flexible cables which are ribbon-shaped and in each of which a plurality of conductors are arranged in parallel to each other in a coating material. The cable support portion includes a first support surface, a second support surface, and a plurality of guide ribs. The first support surface supports one of the two flexible cables. The second support surface is formed on a side reverse to a side where the first support surface is formed, and supports the other one of the two flexible cables. The guide ribs projects from two edges of each of the first support surface and the second support surface, the two edges opposing each other in a flexible-cable width direction, so as to overlap, and be spaced by a predetermined distance from, the first support surface and the second support surface.
US10178261B2
A system includes at least one controlled device that is controlled based on control information output from an external device, and an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material and communicate with the external device and the controlled device, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a transceiver that receives the control information from the external device and transmits the control information to the controlled device, and a transmission controller that stops the transmission of the control information by the transceiver or changes contents of the control information to be transmitted by the transceiver.
US10178260B2
An image forming apparatus includes an application on a framework that is separated into a core logic portion handling basic processing and a user interface frame portion handling rendering processing and operates; and a controller that executes the application and the framework. The core logic portion is implemented with an application programming interface defined by the framework.
US10178257B2
A monitoring device that acquires device information to be collected from a device includes an operation finish notification acquiring section that acquires an operation finish notification indicating that a predetermined operation performed by the device has been finished, and a device information acquiring section that acquires the device information from the device with a trigger of the acquisition of the operation finish notification. A monitoring method for acquiring device information to be collected from a device includes acquiring an operation finish notification indicating that a predetermined operation performed by the device has been finished, and acquiring the device information from the device with a trigger of the acquisition of the operation finish notification.
US10178251B2
Provided is an information processing system including a provided device information acquiring section that acquires provided device information which is information on a device provided in an office room, and an output section that outputs information on a service which is providable to a user in an office room, based on the provided device information acquired by the provided device information acquiring section.
US10178238B2
A method at a user equipment to facilitate activation and splitting of data billing between at least two parties, the method including starting, at the user equipment, a virtual subscriber identity module platform (‘VSP’) service on the user equipment; verifying VSP configuration information with a network server; upon verification, starting a data networking access point name (‘APN’) based on the configuration information on the user equipment; and setting a status indicator on the user equipment to indicate the VSP service is enabled.
US10178216B2
The present invention discloses a method, a device and a mobile browser client for realizing centralized management of intelligent hardware devices by an APP, wherein the method comprising: identifying identification information of an intelligent hardware device via an identification interface provided by an APP on a mobile terminal; based on the information identifying, establishing a bluetooth connection between the mobile terminal and the intelligent hardware device; acquiring, by the APP, hardware controlling information of the intelligent hardware device through the bluetooth connection; and providing, in the APP, a display interaction interface which is based on the hardware controlling information.
US10178213B2
A method and system for delivery and presentation of a message on a communication device. A detection of a connection of a call made by a communication device is detected at the communication device. A further detection that the communication device is operating in a pre-defined mode of operation is performed, a message accessibly stored in memory is accessed, and display or other presentation of the message is initiated on an interface such as a display screen of the communication device. The call connection status is monitored, and the message is presented at least while the call is connected and the device is operating in the pre-defined mode of operation.
US10178211B2
An apparatus may include an inner module, an outer module that substantially surrounds a perimeter of the inner module, a plurality of light emitters, and a light distribution medium. The plurality of light emitters may be positioned under the inner module and project light radially outward. The light distribution medium may transport the light projected from the plurality of light emitters to an edge of the light distribution medium. The edge may include a diffusive surface and traverse a substantial portion of a boundary between the inner module and the outer module.
US10178210B2
Various embodiments of an earpiece for a mobile device. The earpiece is detachably mounted to the mobile device and provides sound amplification for a user.
US10178195B2
An origin server has been registered, or is in the process of being registered, for a proxied service that includes changing Domain Name System (DNS) configurations such that certain network traffic is proxied at a proxy server instead of that traffic being received directly at the origin server. The service checks the configuration and determines if there is any flaw in the configuration that may cause information about the origin server (e.g., the IP address of the origin server) to be leaked. Upon finding a flaw in the configuration, the service may notify the origin server and/or the operator of the origin server that the information may be leaked.
US10178187B2
One or more IoT devices are coupled to a gateway server. The gateway server preferably includes enhanced administrative features for restricting access to IoT devices, and for monitoring IoT device communications. In embodiments of the invention, communications between the gateway server and IoT devices are secured, in part, via IP address restriction, the use of transitory identifiers, and/or encryption.
US10178179B2
An information distribution system in which an electronic device and an information distribution apparatus are connected to each other via a network, includes a device usage information collecting unit configured to collect device usage information of the electronic device; a distribution information generating unit configured to generate, as distribution information, information of an alternative product or an additional product with respect to the electronic device, based on the device usage information; and a distributing unit configured to distribute the distribution information to the electronic device.
US10178175B2
A computer-readable medium is attached to a physical product and triggers an online interaction when communicatively coupled with a computing device having a display to establishes an online connection whereby services or information pertaining to the physical product can be provided to a user of the product. The computer readable medium can be coupled to the computing device alternatively through a Universal Standard Bus (USB), Near Field Communication (NFC), or Matrix Barcode (e.g., QR code) coupling techniques, for example. The established connection uniquely identifies the product to which the medium is attached and calls an Internet service with that identifying information. The Internet service in turn queries a database where each medium was registered prior to product distribution and extracts a dynamic destination where the computing device should connect to. This destination is returned to the displaying computing device and a variety of follow-on actions can ensue.
US10178170B2
An information handling system (IHS) provides graphical user interface (GUI)-controlled virtual media between a networked management IHS and a managed IHS. At least one user input component is capable of manipulating and/or interfacing with one or more items on a GUI presented on a display device. A network interface enables communication with a network and a managed IHS that is in communication with the network and that controls a remote storage device. A browser application: (a) displays a control affordance on the display device; (b) receives from the at least one user input component a selection of the control affordance; (c) starting a network block device (NBD) server on the management IHS and prompting the managed IHS to start an NBD client kernel that communicates with the NBD server; and (d) maps the remote storage device as a virtual storage device on the GUI for read and write operations using the NBD components.
US10178168B2
The disclosure is directed to data replication in a distributed computing system. The system ensures a read-after-write consistency for the replicated data by associating the write requests with unique version numbers, and using them to obtain the data. A server associates a write request with a unique version number, and returns the version number to a client, which can use it in a subsequent read request for the data. On receiving a read request for a first data, the server extracts the version number from the request and ensures a specified write request associated with the version number is processed prior to obtaining the data. If the specified write request is processed, the server obtains the data and returns it to the client, else the server processes the pending write requests up until the version number and then the specified write request, and returns the specified data to the client.
US10178165B2
Provided are methods and systems for distributing application traffic. A method for distributing application traffic may commence with receiving, from a host, a first service request for a first service session. The first service request may be associated with a service request time. The method may continue with relaying the first service request from a service gateway to a server. The method may further include receiving, from the server, a service response. The service response may be associated with a service response time. The method may continue with calculating a service processing time for the first service request based on the service request time and the service response time. The method may further include receiving, from the host, a second service request for a second service session. The method may continue with selectively relaying the second server request to the server based on the service processing time.
US10178158B1
Technology is described for trending media content in an online membership group. A frequency rate and velocity rate for media file interest may be determined for a media file added to one or more virtual collections in the online membership group during a predetermined period of time. Trending media files are identified according to the according to the frequency rate and the velocity rate determined for each media file added to the one or more virtual collections. Ranking information relating to the trending media files may be displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) for the one or more virtual collections in the online membership group.
US10178154B2
The application relates to a method and a system (200) for deploying cloud services to a cloud computing network (230) where the cloud services are to be provided to mobile cloud customers. Current cloud services are not optimized to take into account cloud service customers that are mobile which results in inefficient use of the transmission resources in the network. The problem is solved by a method and a system (200) for pre-deploying the required cloud service to a feasible cloud service processing environment (211-213) that is closest to the location where the cloud customer (221-223) plans to be at a certain estimated time of arrival and duration.
US10178152B2
In a computer-implemented method for configuring a distributed computer system comprising a plurality of nodes of a plurality of node classes, configuration files for a plurality of nodes of each of the plurality of node classes are stored in a central repository. The configuration files include information representing a desired system state of the distributed computer system, and the distributed computer system operates to keep an actual system state of the distributed computer system consistent with the desired system state. The plurality of node classes includes forwarder nodes for receiving data from an input source, indexer nodes for indexing the data, and search head nodes for searching the data. Responsive to receiving changes to the configuration files, the changes are propagated to nodes of the plurality of nodes impacted by the changes based on a node class of the nodes impacted by the changes.
US10178123B2
For improving the protection of a network against denial of service attacks and other hostile attacks, while keeping the operation of the network simple and efficient and considering restricted capacities of single network nodes, a control unit, a system and a method for operating a network with a plurality of nodes are provided, wherein at least one operation parameter of at least one node is adjusted based on a current network phase and a data packet received by the node (10) is processed based on the operation parameter.
US10178117B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying malicious traffic associated with a website. One method includes receiving website traffic metadata comprising a plurality of variables, the website traffic metadata being associated with a plurality of website visitors to the website; determining a total number of occurrences associated with at least two of the plurality of variables of the website traffic metadata; generating a plurality of pairs comprising combinations of the plurality of variables of the website traffic metadata; determining a total number of occurrences associated with each pair of the plurality of pairs of combinations of the plurality of variables of the website traffic metadata; determining a plurality of visitor actions associated with the plurality of variables of the website traffic metadata; clustering each of the plurality of pairs and the plurality of visitor actions associated with the plurality of variables of the website traffic metadata into groups; and determining, based on the clustering of the plurality of pairs and the plurality of visitor actions, whether each of the plurality of website visitors are malicious visitors.
US10178112B2
Systems and methods are provided for automated retrieval, processing, and/or distribution of cyber-threat information using a cyber-threat device. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, the cyber-threat device may receive cyber-threat information in first formats from internal sources of cyber-threat information using an accessing component of the cyber-threat device. The cyber-threat device may receive cyber-threat information second formats from external sources of cyber-threat information using an accessing component of the cyber-threat device. The cyber-threat device may process the received cyber-threat information in the first formats and the second formats into a standard format using a processing component of the cyber-threat device. The cyber-threat device may provide the processed items of cyber-threat information to a distributor using a distributing component of the cyber-threat device. The cyber-threat device may automatically report information concerning the processed items of cyber-threat information to a device of a user with a reporting component of the cyber-threat device.
US10178108B1
The present disclosure describes a system, method, and computer program for identifying and classifying service accounts in a network based on account behavior. For each evaluated account in the network, a plurality of behavior indicators are calculated. The behavior indicators correspond to service account behaviors and, for each account, are calculated based on network events associated with the account. Each behavior indicator is compared to a threshold specific to the corresponding behavior. If one or more behavior indicators for an account satisfies the applicable threshold, the account is deemed to display service account behavior. Consistency in which an account displays service account behavior is factored into classifying accounts as service accounts.
US10178106B1
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium has instructions executed by a processor to collect mobile device environment parameters. Identity attributes including real identity attributes for a real individual and at least one set of synthetic identity attributes are stored. An electronic communication attempt by a designated entity corresponding to either the real identity attributes or the at least one set of synthetic identity attributes is monitored. The electronic communication attempt is analyzed in connection with the mobile device environment parameters and identity attributes to identify a rule transgression. A warning is supplied in connection with the electronic communication attempt in response to the rule transgression.
US10178096B2
Embodiments describing an approach to receiving user data, and monitoring a user data transaction. Monitoring a user data transaction. Identifying a plurality of attribute elements associated with the user data and the user data transaction. Creating benchmark data based on one or more identified attributes and user data gathered from a user data transaction, and storing, by the one or more processors, benchmark data.
US10178088B2
A method and system has been provided in which the security of passwords in general and offline passwords in particular can be enhanced and which can enable users to be authenticated into secure network systems via network elements (NEs) in case of non-availability of centralized authentication system (CAS). The overall security of network or CAS or systems operating in isolated yet secured environment can be prevented from compromise even if the offline password is compromised. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are described.
US10178080B1
The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for electronic design automation. Embodiments may include providing an initial electronic circuit design and receiving an initial parts list configured to include at least one of logical parts and physical parts associated with the initial electronic circuit design. Embodiments may further include providing authorization to at least one user to edit the initial parts list via a graphical user interface, wherein the at least one user is a subset of all possible users. Embodiments may also include receiving an update to the initial parts list from the at least one user via the graphical user interface and generating an updated parts list based upon, at least in part, the update. Embodiments may further include allowing access to the updated parts list to one or more additional users.
US10178076B2
Dynamic key cryptography validates mobile device users to cloud services by uniquely identifying the user's electronic device using a very wide range of hardware, firmware, and software minutiae, user secrets, and user biometric values found in or collected by the device. Processes for uniquely identifying and validating the device include: selecting a subset of minutia from a plurality of minutia types; computing a challenge from which the user device can form a response based on the selected combination of minutia; computing a set of pre-processed responses that covers a range of all actual responses possible to be received from the device if the combination of the particular device with the device's collected actual values of minutia is valid; receiving an actual response to the challenge from the device; determining whether the actual response matches any of the pre-processed responses; and providing validation, enabling authentication, data protection, and digital signatures.
US10178069B2
The present disclosure relates generally to internet technology and more specifically to managing Top-level domain (TLD) name based on blockchain. An example method of managing Top-level domain name comprises the following steps: A. Using TLD nodes to form alliance network in the blockchain; B. Layering the system architecture in the alliance network to separate operations and data; and C. Reaching consensus among all nodes in the alliance network through consensus mechanism. A more effective and efficient consensus mechanism will increase the safety and reliability of the system and improve the efficiency of the system. Layering the system structure will ensure the efficiency and portability of the system.
US10178051B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a data transmission method and apparatus for a terminal. The terminal exchanges data of an application with a server through a first port by using a first access node; when one port in a second port set is in an enabled state, the terminal accesses one access node in a candidate access node set through the enabled port in the second port set, and exchanges, based on the Multipath TCP, the data of the application with the server by using an access node corresponding to the enabled port.
US10178039B2
A transmitter arrangement using randomization is disclosed. The arrangement includes one or more randomizers, a measure component and a frame select component. The one or more randomizers are configured to generate one or more randomized frames from an original frame. The measure component is configured to measure a criterion for the original frame and the one or more randomized frames. The frame select component is configured to select a frame for transmission from the one or more randomized frames and the original frame. The selection is performed according to the measured criteria, such as frame duration.
US10178033B2
Embodiments provide a virtual queue management system within the cluster of gateways. When a network message arrives at the gateway cluster, it is processed by one of the gateways within the cluster. The gateway that is processing the network message obtains identifying parameters. The identifying parameters can include, but are not limited to, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a port number, and/or an HTTP command. The gateway creates a virtual queue identifier based on the obtained identifying parameters. The first gateway to receive a network message with a given virtual queue identifier assumes the role of virtual queue manager for that virtual queue. The virtual queue manager gateway informs other gateways within the cluster of the proper sequence for sending network messages to the server such that messages are transmitted to the server in the proper temporal order.
US10178025B2
Methods and apparatus to route traffic in a virtual private network are disclosed herein. Example methods include replacing, by executing an instruction with a processor at a first provider router, a first next hop address included in first route information with a second next hop address. The first next hop address identifies a first edge router of a plurality of edge routers in a first region and the second next hop address identifies the first provider router. The provider router is not at an edge of a provider network included in the virtual private network and the first route information identifies a first route to a customer address in a customer network coupled to the first edge router. The methods also include advertising the first route information having the second next hop address to the plurality of edge routers if data traffic is to access a service.
US10178022B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for segment routing using a remote forwarding adjacency identifier. In one embodiment, a first node in a network receives a packet, wherein the packet is received with a first segment-ID and another segment ID attached thereto. The first node detaches the first and the other segment IDs from the packet. Then the first node attaches a first label to the packet. Eventually, the first node forwards the packet with the attached first label directly to a second node in the network. In one embodiment, the other segment ID corresponds to a forwarding adjacency or tunnel label switched path between the first node and another node.
US10178020B2
A first layer one link aggregation master comprises a first port coupled to receive customer traffic; a first channel; a second channel; an aggregation engine coupled to the first and second channels; a first switch circuit coupled to the first port and to the first channel, and configured to communicate the customer traffic from the first port over the first channel to the aggregation engine, the aggregation engine including a splitter circuit configured to use layer one information to segment at least a portion of the customer traffic into a first virtual container and a second virtual container, the aggregation engine further including an encapsulation circuit configured to encapsulate the second virtual container using Ethernet standards for transport over the second channel; a radio access card configured to generate an air frame based on the first virtual container for wireless transmission over a first wireless link of a link aggregation group to the receiver; and a second switch circuit coupled to the second channel, and configured to communicate the Ethernet-encapsulated second virtual container over an Ethernet cable to a slave for wireless transmission over a second wireless link of the link aggregation group to the receiver.
US10178009B2
Disclosed herein is a method, a computer program product, and a carrier for indicating one-way latency in a data network (N) between a first node (A) and a second node (B), wherein the data network (N) lacks continuous clock synchronization, comprising: a pre-synchronisation step, a measuring step, a post-synchronisation step, an interpolation step, and generating a latency profile. The present invention also relates to a computer program product incorporating the method, a carrier comprising the computer program product, and a method for indicating server functionality based on the first aspect.
US10178003B2
Metadata associated with client application instances running in virtual machine (VM) platforms within virtual processing environments is collected by monitor applications also running within the VM platforms. The instance metadata is transmitted to and received by a monitor control platform which in turn stores the instance metadata within a monitor instance registry. The instance metadata is updated through solicited or unsolicited updates. The instance metadata is used to identify groups of application instances, and these groups are used to determine targets instances for monitoring or management actions based upon later detected network events such as network security or threat events. Further, trust scores can be determined for components of the metadata stored in the instance registry, and composite trust scores can be generated and used to identify on or more groups of application instances.
US10177990B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing a subset of user contacts on a telecommunications device are provided. In one embodiment, a software application executed by a processor of a telecommunications device identifies a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of the telecommunications device. The subset of contacts includes a portion of the user's contacts accessible by the telecommunications device. The software application executed by the processor of the telecommunications device then causes display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in an arrangement on a display of the telecommunications device about an axis positioned external to the display of the telecommunications device. Aspects of systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for further arranging the graphical identifiers are also provided. Even further, aspects of systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for providing functionality associated with the graphical identifiers are provided.
US10177989B1
In an embodiment, a data processing method providing an improvement in computer efficiency in transmitting data poll messages to another computer, the method comprising: using a first computer, transmitting a first plurality of data poll messages to a second computer, receiving event data from the second computer, and storing the event data in event history storage; based upon the event data in the event history storage, calculating a first estimate of a probability of a particular event occurring in a first specified time period; in response to determining that the first estimate is greater than 0, calculating a total number of times to check for the same particular event in the same specified time period; based upon the event data in the event history storage, calculating a second estimate of a probability distribution of the same particular event during the same specified time period; creating and storing a schedule of a plurality of times at which to transmit a second plurality of data poll messages to the second computer, based upon dividing the specified time period by the second estimate; transmitting the second plurality of data poll messages to the second computer at the plurality of times specified in the schedule, receiving responsive event data from the second computer, and updating the event history storage using the responsive event data; wherein the method is performed using one or more computing devices.
US10177981B2
Remote configuration ensures compliance of remote devices. A server polls a device for a configuration file. The server compares the configuration file to a compliance policy. If the configuration file fails the compliance policy, the server retrieves a compliant configuration file that conforms to the compliance policy. The server sends the compliant configuration file to the device with an instruction to replace the configuration file.
US10177963B2
With exponential growth in virtualized traffic within physical data centers, many end users (e.g., individuals and enterprises) have begun moving work processes and data to cloud computing platforms. However, accessing virtualized traffic traversing the cloud computing platforms for application, network, and security analysis is a challenge. Introduced here, therefore, are visibility platforms for monitoring virtualized traffic traversing a cloud computing platform, such as Amazon Web Services, VMware, and OpenStack. A visibility platform can be integrated into a cloud computing platform to provide a coherent view of virtualized traffic in motion across the cloud computing platform for a given end user. Said another way, a visibility platform can intelligently select, filter, and forward virtualized traffic belonging to an end user to a monitoring infrastructure, thereby eliminating traffic blind sports.
US10177962B2
Example network management systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method identifies at least one network resource to be managed and identifies at least one domain to be managed. The method further identifies at least one service provider to be managed. A fusion object is created that defines the network resource, the domain, and the service provider to be managed.
US10177948B2
Provided is a transmission method that contributes to an increase in data reception quality when iterative detection is performed at a receive apparatus side. A transmit apparatus alternates between two types of modulation scheme that each shift amplitude and phase, performs mapping to constellation points according to a selected modulation scheme, and transmits a modulated signal obtained by mapping.
US10177941B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for estimating and correcting the phase error in 5G or pre-5G communication systems providing much higher data rates compared to existing 4G communication systems including LTE systems. The existing phase error estimation scheme using a cyclic prefix in the time domain may fail to prevent performance degradation due to inter-carrier interference. In the present invention, it is possible to enhance reception performance of the receiver by estimating and correcting the phase error multiple times within a symbol using a time domain signal and by reducing the influence of inter-carrier interference.
US10177924B1
A physically unclonable function unit includes and anti-fuse transistor and a control circuit. The anti-fuse transistor has a first terminal, a second terminal, and a gate terminal. The control circuit is coupled to the anti-fuse transistor. During an enroll operation, the control circuit applies an enroll voltage to the gate terminal of the anti-fuse transistor and applies a reference voltage to the first terminal and the second terminal of the anti-fuse transistor. The enroll voltage is higher than the reference voltage, and is high enough to create a rupture path on the gate terminal to the first terminal or to the second terminal.
US10177918B2
A user permission check system with less CPU throughput while ensuring non-repudiation is provided. In order to solve the above-described problem, in the present invention firstly, a MAC function that does not require a CPU to have high processing power is utilized. Additionally, a message is encrypted with a plurality of secret keys and the plurality of keys are distributed to a plurality of servers to make them have the keys in order to ensure validity of the message as a proof of non-repudiation. Subsequently, each server proves the validity of the message within its own range and the validity of the message is ensured by aggregating these individual results, thereby implementing the non-repudiation.
US10177907B2
Storing a file to prevent unauthorized reconstruction of the file, including: generating an index of the file; partitioning the file into a plurality of chunks, wherein the index of the file includes an assigned routing path for each of the plurality of chunks; and routing each chunk into an assigned storage provider through the assigned routing path. Key words include partitioning and index.
US10177902B2
Systems and methods for processing data including a first and second component are described. An example circuit includes a processing stage arranged to calculate absolute values of the first component and the second component, and to output, at a first output, a maximum value of the absolute value of the first component and the absolute value of the second component, and, at a second output, a minimum value of the absolute value of the first component and the absolute value of the second component. The circuit includes a processing stage arranged to output, in response to the maximum value being greater than the minimum value times four, a value corresponding to the maximum value, and to output, in response to the maximum value being smaller than the minimum value times four, a value corresponding to a sum of seven times the maximum value and four times the minimum value.
US10177895B2
Methods and system for using a multifunctional filter to minimize insertion loss in a multi-mode communications system are described. Specifically described is a multifunctional filter that is configurable to operate in a band-pass mode when a first type of signal is propagated through the multifunctional filter, and to operate in a low-pass mode when a second type of signal is propagated through the multifunctional filter. The multifunctional filter presents a lower insertion loss to the second type of signal when operating in the low-pass mode than in the band-pass mode.
US10177891B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus including at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following report a maximum supported radio frequency bandwidth, report a number of supported carriers, and receive data on non-adjacent carriers.
US10177877B2
A receiver is provided. The receiver includes: a first decoder configured to decode a superposition-coded signal by using a parity check matrix to generate Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) information word bits and first parity bits corresponding to a first layer signal; an encoder configured to encode the LDPC information word bits and the first parity bits to generate second parity bits, or encode the LDPC information word bits to generate the first parity bits and the second parity bits, by using the parity check matrix; and a second decoder configured to decode a signal which is generated by removing the first layer signal, corresponding to the LDPC information word bits, the first parity bits, and the second parity bits, from the superposition-coded signal, to reconstruct bits transmitted through the second layer signal.
US10177873B1
A radio frequency (RF) receiver, for example a satellite positioning system receiver, can be configured to use a single phase locked loop for generating an oscillator signal to perform downconversion of signals in two different frequency bands using two or more local oscillators. A first RF signal portion includes a first signal band and undergoes double downconversion using a first mixer and a second mixer, while a second RF signal portion includes a second signal band and undergoes single downconversion using a single mixer. A controller is configured to determine a first oscillator divider value and a second oscillator divider value to avoid a jammer frequency and frequency dividers are used to generate the two or more local oscillators.
US10177872B1
An example system may include a first vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) that includes a first integrated polarization locking structure to produce a polarized optical data signal. The system may also comprise a second VCSEL that includes a second integrated polarization locking structure, the second integrated polarization locking structure orthogonal to the first integrated polarization locking structure, to produce an orthogonally polarized optical data signal. Lenses may be disposed on the substrate opposite the first VCSEL, to collimate the polarized optical data signal, and opposite the second VCSEL to collimate the orthogonally polarized optical data signal. A polarization division multiplexer may combine the first collimated polarized optical data signal and the second collimated orthogonally polarized optical data signal.
US10177869B2
There is provided a method of decoding an encoded uplink signal, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The method comprises a network node receiving an encoded uplink signal from a receive point, and decoding the encoded uplink signal using an estimated interference signal as side information input. The encoded uplink signal was encoded with a practically disconnected many-to-one encoding scheme. There is also provided a network node comprising a decoder. The decoder is configured to receive an encoded wireless uplink signal from a receive point, and decode the encoded wireless uplink signal using an estimated interference signal as side information. The encoded uplink signal was encoded with a practically disconnected many-to-one encoding scheme.
US10177864B2
An information processing apparatus is provided for communicating with another information processing apparatus in a different site by using at least one of a plurality of communication platforms. The information processing apparatus includes: a receiving unit configured to receive a transmission image that has been transmitted from the another information processing apparatus in the different site; a displaying unit configured to display on a display device the transmission image that has been received by the receiving unit; and a reading unit configured to read an image to be displayed from an image storing unit configured to store the image to be displayed. For at least a certain period while the one of the communication platform is being switched to another one, the displaying unit displays, in place of the transmission image, the image to be displayed that has been read by the reading unit.
US10177861B2
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a waveguide system that includes a transmission device having a coupler positioned with respect to a transmission medium to facilitate transmission or reception of electromagnetic waves that transport communications data. The electromagnetic waves propagate along an outer surface of the transmission medium. A training controller detects an impairment on the transmission medium adverse to the transmission or reception of the electromagnetic waves and adjusts the electromagnetic waves to reduce the effects of the impairment on the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US10177859B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving ultrasound frequency sweeps in a sound receiving device. Each of the plurality of ultrasound frequency sweeps is centered on one of at least two predetermined frequencies. The method also includes converting the ultrasound frequency sweeps into an ultrasound message based on a central frequency of each of the ultrasound frequency sweeps received, and placing the ultrasound message into a receive buffer. Then at least a network address is extracted from the ultrasound message, and the network address is used to establish a communication session over a data network with a telecommunications device.
US10177848B1
A system, method and portable device are provided in which rolling shutter images containing visible light communication (VLC) transmissions from one or more light sources carrying information data in dark or low surrounding lighting in an indoor or outdoor setting are captured. The captured rolling shutter images are analyzed to determine whether the modulated visible light output from the light devices is a predetermined size within the captured rolling shutter image. When the modulated visible light output is not the predetermined size, adjustments are made to settings of the image sensor to scatter, defocus or overexpose the image to cause the modulated visible light output in a new captured rolling shutter image to be at least the predetermined size. The modulated visible light output of the predetermined size or larger is decoded to provide information data for a communication application.
US10177843B2
A network control apparatus includes a processor. The processor calculates a first OSNR corresponding to an allowable limit BER from an OSNR yield strength curve of a transmission end in a node of a transmission end. The processor acquires a reception BER of a second node of a reception end, and calculates a second OSNR corresponding to the reception BER from the OSNR yield strength curve of the transmission end. The processor calculates a first noise intensity corresponding to the allowable limit BER from the first OSNR. The processor calculates a second noise intensity corresponding to the reception BER from the second OSNR. The processor calculates a noise intensity margin, based on the first noise intensity and the second noise intensity.
US10177842B2
Methods and apparatuses for optical communications are provided. By way of example, an optical transceiver includes a processing device coupled to a memory, an optical subassembly, and a programmable device. The optical subassembly is configured to receive and modulate a first signal carrying high speed user data for transmission to a remote device over an optical link. The programmable device is coupled to the processing device and configured to receive data relating to digital diagnostic monitoring information (DDMI) of the optical transceiver from the processing device, perform forward error correction encoding on the DDMI data to produce a remote digital diagnostic monitoring (RDDM) signal, and send the RDDM signal to the optical subassembly as a second signal to modulate for transmission. The optical subassembly is configured to current modulate the second signal on the first signal to produce a double modulated optical signal for transmission to the remote device.
US10177839B2
A wireless network with at least one base station and a plurality of associated terminals for the exchange of payload data and control data and at least one common transmission channel which is available for access to several terminals is described. The base station is configured to control access to the common transmission channel and the terminals are configured to send at least an access signal to the base station for the purpose of obtaining access to the common transmission channel. Different start moments and different preambles can be assigned to the terminals for transmitting their respective access signals.
US10177837B2
A satellite system comprises LEO satellites and MEO satellites, and a control plane protocol architecture. The PHY, MAC, MAC/RLC and RRC layers are optimized for satellite environment. When the satellites are not processing satellites, eNB functions are implemented in a satellite gateway, and, when the satellites are processing satellites, protocol architecture in the control plane differ from LTE, as follows: PHY layer is moved to the communicating LEO/MEO satellite on the user link, MAC/RLC, RRC and PDCP are be located in satellite or gateway depending on satellite complexity, and the need to have mesh connectivity between UTs. When the RRC is implemented in the satellite, the RRC is divided into RRC-Lower and RRC-Upper layers. The RRC-L is satellite-based, and handles UT handover. The RRC-U is eNB-based, and handles resource management functions. The RRC-U communicates with the PDCP layer in the eNB to configure security, header and data compression.
US10177819B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus, including a first near field communication unit that transmits a first wireless signal for performing first near field communication with a first communication object, a second near field communication unit that transmits a second wireless signal for performing second near field communication with a second communication object that is capable of being the first communication object, and a communication controller that controls the first and second near field communication units to perform the first or second near field communication with the first or second communication object when the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal are alternately transmitted, and existence of the first or the second communication object is continuously detected plural times through transmission of one of the first and second wireless signals.
US10177817B2
A non-contact power supply system is provided employing an electric power transmitting device which can improve the transmission efficiency of electric power, suppressing the circuit scale. The electric power transmitting device is configured with a resonance circuit including a resonance capacity and a resonance coil acting as a transmitting antenna, and a first coil arranged magnetically coupled with the resonance coil. The electric power transmitting device transmits electric power in a non-contact manner using resonant coupling of the resonance circuit. When transmitting the electric power, the electric power transmitting device controls the first coil to connect or disconnect both ends thereof so as to bring a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit close to a frequency of an electric power transmission signal outputted as the electric power to be transmitted.
US10177816B2
It is presented a method, performed in a one time password, OTP, generating device. The OTP device comprises an NFC/RFID, Near Field Communication/Radio Frequency Identification, interface. The method comprises the steps of: upon the OTP generating device being inserted into the RF field, generating a new OTP code; formatting the OTP code into a static message; responding to interrogation requests from an RFID/NFC reader; and responding to read requests from the RFID/NFC reader with the OTP code being part of a message as if it were a static message, using standardized methods. A corresponding device OTP generating device is also presented.
US10177811B2
A method is provided in one example and includes receiving a data signal, receiving an interference signal, wherein the interference signal is copied to create a reference data interference signal, combining the data signal and the interference signal to create a combined signal, using an analog echo cancellation engine on the combined signal to create an analog echo cancellation signal, and using a digital echo cancellation engine on the analog echo cancellation signal to create a data with echo cancellation signal. The data with echo cancellation signal can be communicated using a coaxial cable.
US10177808B2
The communication process for high-sensitivity and synchronous demodulation signals between a transmitter (2) and a receiver (3) comprises a first synchronisation phase followed by a modulation and demodulation phase of the data. To achieve this, the transmitter transmits a pseudo-periodic chirp signal to the receiver, where a frequency conversion of the chirp signal is performed in a mixer (33) by an oscillating signal (So) at constant frequency of a local oscillator (34) to supply an intermediate signal, which is filtered and sampled for a logic unit (37). An assembly (38) of m pairs DFT blocks phase-shifted in relation to one another and operating in parallel is provided in the logic unit. A processing unit (39) receives the result of the pairs of the assembly to determine frequency and phase errors between the transmitter and the receiver on the basis of two peaks detected by one of the pairs above a threshold to synchronise the receiver.
US10177798B2
The present invention discloses an electronic apparatus and an antenna setting method for electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a metal appearance surface; the metal appearance surface consists of a plurality of mutually separated metal pieces; an insulating piece is provided between the two adjacent metal pieces; each metal piece is provided thereon with one or more antennas, each antenna is connected with a communication module on a master chip of the electronic apparatus. The technical proposal provided by the present invention provides a solution for a multi-frequency antenna for an electronic apparatus having a metal appearance surface, the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus is divided into a plurality of metal pieces, these metal pieces are used directly to achieve multi-antennas, effectively utilizing the physical size of the metal pieces, solving the contradiction between an antenna body and the metal pieces in the antenna design in the prior art, reducing the design restriction of the metal pieces, achieving the visual effect that the metal appearance surface of the electronic apparatus maintains the unity, and realizing the design of the multi-frequency antenna without affecting the appearance surface integrity of the electronic apparatus.
US10177797B2
Apparatus and method are provided for estimating the shortest time of arrival or the shortest round-trip time (RTT) of radio signals between communication devices in a wireless network. Filtering is performed by adaptive filters with suppressed side lobes adjustable in the time domain and widths of main lobes adjustable in the frequency domain to improve detection of signals on the shortest path of arrival or line-of-sight (LOS) path while mitigating the effects signals received from longer paths of arrival or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths.
US10177789B2
A receiver receives a signal including an interleaved symbol stream. The receiver includes a convolutional deinterleaver including a plurality of delay portions each of which is arranged to delay symbols from the symbol stream from an input to an output by a different amount, the delay portions being arranged in a sequence. An input selector inputs the symbols from the symbol stream to the delay portions so that successive symbols are input in accordance with the sequence of the delay portions. An output selector configured to read the symbols from the delay portions by successively selecting the symbols from the outputs of the delay portions in accordance with the sequence of the delay portions to form a deinterleaved symbol stream.
US10177784B2
A packet transmission/reception apparatus and method is provided. The packet transmission method of the present invention includes acquiring a source payload including partial source symbols from a source block, generating a source packet including the source payload and an identifier (ID) of the source payload, generating a repair packet including a repair payload corresponding to the source payload and an ID of the repair payload, generating a Forward Error Correction (FEC) packet block including the source and repair packets, and transmitting the FEC packet block. The source payload ID includes a source payload sequence number incrementing by 1 per source packet. The packet transmission/reception method of the present invention is advantageous in improving error correction capability and network resource utilization efficiency.
US10177783B1
Lossless compression of a content item using a neural network trained on content item cohorts. A computing system includes a neural network that is used to train a plurality of symbol prediction models. Each symbol prediction model is trained based on a corresponding cohort of content items. A particular symbol prediction model of the models trained is selected based on an intrinsic characteristic of a particular content item to be losslessly compressed such as, for example, the type or file extension of the content item. The content item is then losslessly compressed based on a set of symbol predictions fed to an arithmetic coder that are generated using the particular symbol prediction model selected.
US10177774B2
A digital to time converter (DTC). The DTC includes a lookup table, a divider, a thermometric array and a switched capacitor array. The lookup table is configured to generate one or more corrections based on thermometric bits of an input signal. The divider is configured to generate a plurality of divider signals from an oscillator signal based on the one or more corrections. The thermometric array is configured to generate a medium approximation signal from the plurality of divider signals based on the one or more corrections. The switched capacitor array is configured to generate a digital delay signal from the medium approximation signal based on the one or more corrections and switched capacitor bits of the input signal.
US10177772B2
Fractional-N phase locked loop delta sigma modulator noise reduction using charge pump interpolation
A phase locked loop has a frequency divider included in a feedback path. The frequency divider generates a first output and a delayed output. The phase locked loop also includes a charge pump to generate an output current based on the first output and the delayed output of the frequency divider.
US10177768B2
Disclosed are various embodiments providing circuitry that includes camouflaged gates that each have multiple switches arranged in a predefined format. A switch at a specific position in one camouflaged gate can have a different threshold voltage than a switch at the specific position in another camouflaged gate. The logical function performed by the camouflaged gate can be based on which of the switches have a low threshold voltage and which of the switches have a high threshold voltage.
US10177766B1
Logic elements (LE) that can provide a number of features. For example, the LE can provide efficient and flexible use of look up tables (LUTs) and input sharing. The LE may also provide for flexible use of one or more dedicated adders and include register functionality to provide various modes of operation that enable the various features of the LE.
US10177765B2
An apparatus is provided which comprises: a clock node; a test node; an enable node; and an AND-OR-INVERT (AOI) static latch coupled to the clock node, test node, and enable node, wherein the AOI static latch has embedded NOR functionality. Another apparatus comprises: a critical timing path having a pass-gate based integrated clock gate; and a non-critical timing path electrically coupled to the critical timing path, wherein the non-critical timing path includes an AND-OR-Inverter (AOI) based integrated clock gate with embedded NOR functionality.
US10177764B2
A circuit includes an output node, a set of first transistors, a set of second transistors, and a first and second power node. The first power node is configured to carry a first voltage level, and second power node is configured to carry a second voltage level. Set of first transistors is coupled between the first power node and output node. Set of second transistors is coupled between the second power node and output node. The first control signal generating circuit is coupled to a gate of a first transistor of the set of first transistors and a gate of a first transistor of the set of second transistors. The first control signal generating circuit is configured to generate a set of biasing signals for the gate of the first transistor of the set of first transistors and the gate of the first transistor of the set of second transistors.
US10177763B1
A level shift circuit receives an first input logic signal and a second input logic signal, and generates a first output logic signal and a second output logic signal. The level shift circuit includes a first current mirror module, a second current mirror module, and a latch module. The first current mirror module and the second current mirror module respectively output a first control logic signal having a phase performance following the first input logic signal and a second control logic signal having a phase performance following the second input logic signal. The latch module is coupled to the first current mirror module and the second current mirror module. The latch module receives the first control logic signal and the second control logic signal, and updates correspondingly and stores the output logic signal and the complementary output logic signal.
US10177745B2
Provided is a semiconductor circuit which includes a first circuit configured to determine a voltage level of a feedback node based on a voltage level of input data, a voltage level of a latch input node, and a voltage level of a clock signal, a second circuit configured to pre-charge the latch input node based on the voltage level of the clock signal, a third circuit configured to pull down the latch input node based on the voltage level of the feedback node and the voltage level of the clock signal, a latch configured to output output data based on the voltage level of the clock signal and the voltage level of the latch input node, and a control circuit included in at least one of the first to third circuits and the latch and configured to receive the control signal.
US10177743B2
An inductive synthesis circuit that mimics an ideal inductor over a wide range of inductance values, from less than 1 mH to more than 100 H, can be used in place of an inductor in any electrical circuit. One application of a synthesized inductor is in an integrated circuit in which it is impractical to construct a coil of wire. The inductive synthesis circuit is suitable for use in a calibration instrument for testing an inductance meter. The inductive synthesis circuit, together with a resistive synthesis circuit and a capacitive synthesis circuit, can be used to calibrate a multi-meter. Alternatively, the inductive synthesis circuit can be used to mimic an ideal inductor in a filter circuit that includes an inductor component, such as a high pass filter, a notch filter, or a band pass filter.
US10177739B2
An elastic wave device includes an IDT electrode disposed on a LiNbO3 substrate and an aluminum nitride film or a silicon nitride film is stacked to cover the IDT electrode and utilizes a leaky elastic wave. The IDT electrode includes a metal selected from a group consisting of Cu, Al, Au, Pt, and Ni. Euler angles of the LiNbO3 are (0°±5°, θ, 0°±5°), and when X denotes a wavelength-normalized thickness of the IDT electrode and Y denotes θ of the Euler angles, Y is set in a specific range depending on the range of the wavelength-normalized thickness of the IDT electrode, the range of the wavelength-normalized thickness of the aluminum nitride film or the silicon nitride film, and the kind of metal of which the IDT electrode is composed.
US10177729B1
Systems and methods to process a digital audio broadcast signal having a plurality of digital audio signals can be implemented in a variety of applications. The digital audio broadcast signal having a main program service and a set of supplemental program services can be received at a digital audio system and processed to provide an audio signal to a set of speakers. The processing can include calculation of audio levels of audio signals of the main program service and the supplemental program services. One of the services can be selected with the audio signal of the selected service adjusted based on the calculated level of the selected service and a reference signal, prior to sending the audio signal to the set of speakers. In various embodiments, the reference signal can be an analog audio signal in the digital audio broadcast signal. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US10177725B2
A differential amplifier comprises: a long tailed pair transistor configuration comprising a differential pair of transistors and a tail transistor; and a replica circuit configured to vary a feedback current in the replica circuit to match a replica voltage to a reference voltage, wherein varying the feedback current in the replica circuit provides a bias voltage to the tail transistor in the long tailed pair which controls a tail current through the tail transistor to determine a common mode voltage in the long tailed pair.
US10177719B2
A method for predistorting an input signal of an amplifier device comprises evaluating a selection criterion for a computational model of the amplifier device. The computational model provides an output signal of the amplifier device for the input signal of the amplifier device. Further, the method comprises selecting between a first computational model of the amplifier device and a second computational model of the amplifier device based on the evaluated selection criterion. Additionally, the method comprises predistorting the input signal of the amplifier device using the selected computational model.
US10177714B1
A circuit includes a first amplifier path configured to carry a first radio frequency signal, a second amplifier path configured to carry a second radio frequency signal, a first resonator connected to the first and second amplifier paths, the first resonator being configured to resonate at a radio frequency to isolate the first and second radio frequency signals from one another and further configured to pass signals at a baseband frequency, and a second resonator coupling the first resonator and a reference voltage node, the second resonator being configured to pass signals at the baseband frequency to the reference voltage node.
US10177711B2
Multi-band power amplification system having enhanced efficiency through elimination of band selection switch. In some embodiments, a power amplification system can include a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs), with each PA being configured to receive and amplify a radio-frequency (RF) signal in a frequency band. The power amplification system can further include an output filter coupled to each of the PAs by a separate output path such that the power amplification system is substantially free of a band selection switch between the plurality of PAs and their corresponding output filters. Each PA can be further configured to drive approximately a characteristic load impedance of the corresponding output filter by, for example, the PA being operated with a high-voltage (HV) supply.
US10177705B2
A composite solar cell comprises a spectroscopic element, a first photoelectric conversion element, and a second photoelectric conversion element. The first photoelectric conversion element is positioned in a first direction of the spectroscopic element and the second photoelectric conversion element is positioned in a second direction of the spectroscopic element. The first photoelectric conversion element is a perovskite-type photoelectric conversion element containing, in a light absorbing layer, a perovskite crystal structure material represented by a general formula R1NH3M1X3. A band gap of a light absorbing layer of the second photoelectric conversion element is narrower than the band gap of the light absorbing layer of the first photoelectric conversion element. The spectroscopic element preferentially outputs the short wavelength light of the incident light in the first direction and preferentially outputs the long wavelength light of the incident light in the second direction.
US10177698B1
A main field circuit of an electrical generator and associated system and method are disclosed. The main field circuit comprises a main field winding configured to conduct a main field current, and a counter-field winding arranged proximate to the main field winding. The main field circuit further comprises a switch element configured to selectively couple at least a portion of the main field current into the counter-field winding to reduce a magnitude of the main field current. Coupling at least a portion of the main field current into the counter-field winding may be performed responsive to one or predefined conditions, such as a predefined load fault condition and enabling a predefined field weakening operation.
US10177686B2
A piezoelectric motor includes at least two piezoelectric actuators. Each actuator includes two piezoelectric elements on opposite sides of a coupling element, the sides being main sides of the piezoelectric actuators and having a larger area than other surfaces or sides of the piezoelectric actuators. The main surfaces of each of the piezoelectric actuators connect with at least four side surfaces of the piezoelectric actuator. The motor includes an elastic element coupled to and spacing the first and second piezoelectric actuators from each other and there is also a frictional element that couples the first and second piezoelectric actuators for frictional contact for driving an object. The first and the second piezoelectric actuators are adapted to deform in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the side surface to which the elastic element is attached using a longitudinal piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric elements.
US10177673B2
Generally speaking, a timing circuit helps determine diode conduction time of an LLC converter. In some examples, the circuit includes an LLC converter having a secondary side and a timing circuit, the timing circuit coupled to the LLC converter on the secondary side. The timing circuit includes a first branch, second branch, gate, and microprocessor. The gate is configured to receive an output of the first branch's comparator and a blanking signal from the second branch. The microprocessor is configured to receive, from the gate, a signal and determine, based at least in part on the signal, a diode conduction time for the LLC converter.
US10177668B2
A converter includes a transformer, a main switch, an active clamp circuit, and a control circuit. The transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, and is configured to receive an input voltage and output an output voltage to a load. The main switch is coupled between the primary winding and a primary ground terminal. The active clamp circuit includes an auxiliary switch and a clamp capacitor. The auxiliary switch is coupled to the clamp capacitor in series, and the active clamp circuit is coupled in parallel to the two terminals of the primary winding or the main switch, and is configured to clamp the voltage across the main switch when it is OFF. The control circuit outputs an auxiliary switch control signal to turn on the auxiliary switch when the voltage across the main switch is at its first peak of the resonant voltage.
US10177659B2
A switching mode power converter circuit and a method are presented. The circuit comprises a first transistor switch and a second transistor switch coupled in series between an input voltage level and ground. There is a control circuit for controlling switching operation of the first transistor switch and the second transistor switch. There is a detection circuit for sensing a voltage at an intermediate node arranged between the first transistor switch and the second transistor switch, for deriving an indication of a slope of the sensed voltage, and for generating a switching control signal for the control circuit on the basis of the derived indication of the slope of the sensed voltage. The control circuit sets a first timing for activating the first transistor switch and/or a second timing for activating the second transistor switch on the basis of the switching control signal.
US10177656B2
The control circuit for a DC-DC converter includes a differential amplifier and an oscillator, and also a multiplier and a voltage divider circuit. The multiplier has a first input terminal receiving a feedback voltage derived from an output voltage of the DC-DC converter through the voltage divider circuit, a second input terminal receiving a parameter compensation value, and an output terminal connected to a first input terminal of the differential amplifier. A second input terminal of the differential amplifier receives a reference voltage. The differential amplifier provides a differential signal to the oscillator. The oscillator is connected to a switch driver module of the DC-DC converter so as to provide an output signal whose frequency is proportional to the differential signal. The control circuit is able to effectively reduce response time, achieve fast transient transition, and significant enhance system reliability.
US10177648B2
A circuit for converting DC to AC power or AC to DC power comprises a storage capacitor, boost and buck inductors and switching elements. The switches are controlled to steer current to and from the storage capacitor to cancel DC input ripple or to provide near unity power factor AC input. The capacitor is alternately charged to high positive or negative voltages with an average DC bias near zero. The circuit is configured to deliver high-efficiency power in applications including industrial equipment, home appliances, mobility devices and electric vehicle applications.
US10177646B2
A power factor correction circuit for a power electronic system includes a series-pass device arranged to control an input characteristic of a power converter, and a control mechanism arranged to control an operation of the series-pass device during a power conversion process. The correction circuit increases a power factor of the power electronic system and/or reduces a harmonic distortion generated by the power converter to an electrical current supplied by a power source in the power electronic system.
US10177645B2
A circuit includes a drain detect circuit. The drain detect circuit receives a sense signal from a secondary side of a power converter circuit, determines, using voltage values of the sense signal, whether a primary side switch of the power converter circuit has been turned on, and assert a switch on detect signal in response to determining that the primary side switch has been turned on. The circuit may assert an enable signal in response to the assertion of the switch on detect signal, and de-asserts the enable signal in response to an assertion of a control signal. The control signal may only allowed to be asserted when the enable signal is asserted. The control signal may control a Synchronous Rectifier device. The power converter circuit may be a flyback converter, and the primary side switch may control a current into a primary-side coil of a transformer.
US10177643B2
A semiconductor switching circuit, for use in a HVDC power converter, comprising: a main semiconductor switching element, including first and second connection terminals between which current flows from the first connection terminal to the second connection terminal and an auxiliary semiconductor switching element electrically connected between the first and second connection terminals thereof, and a control unit, operatively connected to auxiliary semiconductor switching element and programmed to control the switching element to create an alternative current path between the first and second connection terminals by at least two of: a fully-on mode in which the switching element is operated at its maximum rated base current or gate voltage; a pulsed switched mode in which the switching element is turned on and off; and an active mode in which the switching element is operated with a continuously variable base current or gate voltage.
US10177634B2
Provided is a structure for a slip ring and a brush of a WRSM capable of reducing an axial length of a motor by increasing a contact area between the slip ring and the brush and improving reliability for smoothly implementing performance of the motor by stably supporting a shaft of the motor, the structure including: an inner slip ring combined with a rotation shaft of a motor; a brush disposed at a circumference of the inner slip ring and having a plurality of wrinkles contacting an outer circumferential surface of the inner slip ring formed therein; an outer slip ring disposed at a circumference of the brush and making in contact with the plurality of wrinkles of the brush; and a holder that supports the outer slip ring.
US10177632B2
A brushless motor includes: a columnar rotor including magnets; a stator including at its center a space for placing the rotor; a housing member that houses the rotor and the stator; and a detector that detects a signal dependent on a rotational position of the rotor based on variation in a magnetic field associated with a rotation of the rotor.The housing member includes a front bell that supports a portion of the rotating shaft of the rotor and a housing body that supports another portion of the rotating shaft of the rotor. The front bell includes a mount fitted with the detector. The mount projects from the base toward an end face of the rotor.
US10177630B2
An induction motor may include a housing, a stator, a rotor, and/or cooling fins on an outside surface of the housing. The rotor may include inner air ducts configured to allow passage of airflow therethrough. The motor may include outer air ducts in fluid communication with the inner air ducts to form an air-circulation circuit. The outer air ducts may be arranged radially outside the cooling fins.
US10177618B2
Some embodiments provided rotor assemblies, comprising: a rotor core barrel comprising a wall extending, and at least two compression bridges each formed in the wall proximate one of the lateral ends and separated by a distance; an array of a plurality of magnets positioned on and spaced along the wall between the compression bridges and about a circumference of the rotor core barrel; and one or more pre-stress wraps wrapped over the plurality of magnets and about the rotor core barrel along at least a portion of a length of the rotor core barrel between the compression bridges, wherein the compression bridges enable radial compression deflection, induced by radial compression of the rotor core barrel by the one or more pre-stress wraps, of the wall of the rotor core barrel at the compression bridges relative to the wall of the rotor core barrel proximate the lateral ends.
US10177614B2
A rotor includes an inner wall and an outer wall, where the inner wall forms a space and is radially centered along a central longitudinal axis of the rotor. The rotor further includes a first magnetic pair of legs corresponding to a first pole. The first leg and a second leg of the first magnetic pair of legs are disposed within the rotor, and a first angular distance between the first leg and the second leg decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall. A second magnetic pair of legs corresponding to a second pole that differs from the first pole, a third leg and a fourth leg of the second magnetic pair of legs being disposed within the rotor to extend radially inward from the outer wall toward the inner wall, a second angular distance between the third leg and the fourth leg decreases from the outer wall to the inner wall.
US10177609B2
Far field telemetry operations are conducted between an external device and an implantable medical device while power is being transferred to the implantable medical device for purposes of recharging a battery of the implantable medical device. The far field operations may include exchanging recharge information that has been collected by the implantable medical device which allows the external device to exercise control over the recharge process. The far field operations may include suspending far field telemetry communications for periods of time while power continues to be transferred where suspending far field telemetry communications may include powering down far field telemetry communication circuits of the implantable medical device for periods of time which may conserve energy. The far field operations may further include transferring programming instructions to the implantable medical device.
US10177590B2
Electronic device having auxiliary battery embedded therein and method of charging auxiliary battery
An electronic device is provided including: a display for displaying a UI element; a processor for processing an application; a Printed Board Assembly (PBA) having the processor mounted thereon, and arranged to be substantially parallel to the display; a main battery which supplies power to the electronic device, and is rechargeable and detachable; an auxiliary battery for supplying power to the electronic device; a first frame which houses the main battery, fixes the PBA, and is arranged to be substantially parallel to the display; a second frame for fixing the display and the first frame; and a cover coupled to the second frame, wherein the first frame includes a hole for housing the auxiliary battery, and the electronic device can receive power supplied from the auxiliary battery when power supply from the main battery is terminated.
US10177581B2
A semiconductor device includes a serial resistance element section including plural resistance elements connected in series, each resistance element provided so as to correspond to one of a plural battery cells connected in series; a comparison section that compares a voltage of a connection point of the plural battery cells connected in series to a voltage of a connection point between the resistance elements that correspond to the battery cells; and a measurement section that measures a voltage of one of the plural battery cells.
US10177580B2
An energy storage stack balancing circuit may balance a set of serially connected energy storage devices. An electronic switching system may control the delivery of energy into and out of the inductor. A controller may control the electronic switching system so as to cause energy to be transferred: from one of the energy storage devices into the inductor and then out of the inductor and into a different one, a subset, or all of the energy storage devices; or from a subset of the energy storage devices into the inductor and then out of the inductor and into one, a different subset, or all of the energy storage devices; or from all of the energy storage devices into the inductor and then out of the inductor and into one or a subset the energy storage devices.
US10177574B2
Aspects of the present disclosure describe methods and systems for improved control strategies for Dynamic Frequency Control (DFC) of Energy Storage (ES) devices which may be used to determine an amount of intertial support required from ES to provide frequency regulation based on type of disturbance and frequency control system of a microgrid. A case study showing the control strategy for DFC scheme is presented.
US10177569B2
According to an embodiment, a power compensation circuit is configured to be coupled to a power supply. The power compensation circuit includes a measurement circuit and a compensation circuit. The measurement circuit is configured to receive a power supply signal from the power supply, and determine a variation of the power supply signal. The compensation circuit is coupled to the measurement circuit and configured to generate a compensation power consumption based on the variation of the power supply signal, where the compensation power consumption is controlled inversely with the variation of the power supply signal.
US10177566B2
Apparatus and methods for actively-controlled trigger and latch release thyristor are provided. In certain configurations, an actively-controlled protection circuit includes an overvoltage sense circuit, a thyristor or silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) that is electrically connected between a signal node and a discharge node, and an active trigger and latch release circuit. The overvoltage sense circuit controls a voltage of a dummy supply node based on a voltage of the signal node, and the active trigger and latch release circuit detects presence of a transient overstress event at the signal node based on the voltage of the dummy supply node. The active trigger and latch release circuit provides one or more trigger signals to the SCR to control the SCR's activation voltage, and the active trigger and latch release circuit activates or deactivates the one or more trigger signals based on whether or not the transient overstress event is detected.
US10177564B2
An overcharge protection circuit comprises a first series of first terminals a second series of second terminals, a first overvoltage protection device connected between each consecutive pair of first terminals, a current balancing device connected between each consecutive pair of second terminals, and a second overvoltage protection device connected between a first terminal and a second terminal. The second overvoltage protection device is configured to pass a current if a voltage over the second overvoltage protection device exceeds a threshold. The second overvoltage protection device may comprise a bidirectional ESD diode, while both the first overvoltage protection device and the second overvoltage protection device may comprise a unidirectional ESD diode.
US10177562B2
A base element and a surge protection system incorporating the base element are provided. The base element includes a housing having a front portion and a rear portion. Apertures in the rear portion provide access to contacts secured within the housing, and a receiving portion extending from the front portion includes at least one receiving section for receiving a surge protection cartridge. Plug receptacles in the receiving portion are in electrical communication with the contacts to incorporate the surge protection device in a circuit when the surge protection cartridge is inserted. The base element is configured to mount orthogonally to a case such that conductors secured to the contacts extend through the apertures and into an enclosure defined by the case in a substantially linear direction. The system includes a case configured to be attached to a rack mount system and a plurality of base elements secured to the case.
US10177559B2
An electrically-driven working apparatus in one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a battery; an abnormality detection unit; a power supply path; a first disconnection unit; a second disconnection unit; and a control unit. The control unit activates the first disconnection unit to disconnect the power supply path if either of an overload or an over discharge of the battery is detected by the abnormality detection unit, and subsequently determines whether discharge from the battery has stopped after activating the first disconnection unit, and activates the second disconnection unit to disconnect the power supply path if discharge from the battery has not stopped.
US10177557B2
A passive electronic fuse for protecting a DC application in the event of a fault includes a first leg including a first winding of a mutual inductor and a switch device connected in series, a second leg including a second winding of the mutual inductor. The first leg and the second leg are connected in parallel and a self-inductance of the second winding is lower than a self-inductance of the first winding. The second leg further includes a capacitor connected in series with the second winding of the mutual inductor, and the switch device is a thyristor or a switch device with switching properties of a thyristor.
US10177554B2
A method and circuit for a power supply unit (PSU) suitable for use in an information handling system to detect an inrush current reaching an inrush current threshold, to fully turning off, by a control circuit of the PSU, a series transistor to block the inrush current, to transfer, while the series transistor is fully turned off, magnetic energy stored in a boost choke to a bulk capacitor, and to fully turn on, by the control circuit of the PSU, the series transistor again immediately after the series transistor was in a fully turned off state, wherein the fully turning on occurs after the magnetic energy stored in the boost choke has been transferred to the bulk capacitor.
US10177553B2
A power switching control apparatus includes a current measurement unit that measures the current of a main circuit; a current estimation unit that detects a fault current on the basis of a current measurement value and estimates a future current waveform on the basis of a current waveform measured in a given duration after the detection; a target opening time determination unit that uses a current zero point obtained from the estimated current waveform, a predicted opening time, and a given minimum arc duration so as to determine a time by subtracting a sum of the opening time and the minimum arc duration from the current zero point as the target opening time; and an opening control unit that waits until the nearest one of the target opening times is reached and transmits an interruption control signal when the target opening time is reached.
US10177545B2
A rotating conductor holder includes at least a first and second conductor retainer, which are mounted to and spaced apart along a rotating base member at a distance substantially corresponding to the separation distance between the two or more existing sub-conductors that are to be replaced during a restringing procedure. The base member is rotatably attached to a support, which may be mounted on at least one insulator. The at least one insulator may be mounted on an arm on the end of a boom. An actuator and linkage may be provided to rotate the base member about its support.
US10177530B2
An optical sensor, an optical examination device, and a method of detecting optical properties. The optical sensor includes an irradiation system including light irradiator to irradiate a test object with light, and a detection system to detect the light that is emitted from the irradiation system to the test object and has propagated through the test object. The light irradiator includes a multilayered structure having an active layer, and the multilayered structure includes a surface-emitting laser element and a photo-sensing element optically connected to the surface-emitting laser element. The optical examination device includes the optical sensor, and a controller to calculate optical properties of the test object based on a detection result of the optical sensor. The method includes performing optical simulation to obtain a detection light quantity distribution for an optical model and performing inverse problem estimation.
US10177525B2
A passive mode-locked laser method and system, the system comprising a nonlinear optical loop comprising a resonant nonlinear element, coupled to an amplification section by a beam splitter, the beam splitter splitting a light beam from the amplification section into light beams propagating in opposite directions around the nonlinear optical loop, the resonant nonlinear element acting as both a nonlinear element and a narrow bandwidth filter for the laser system, allowing mode-locking operation of the system on a single resonance of the resonant nonlinear element.
US10177519B2
A connector demating tool can include first and second jaws moveable relative to one another. First and second separators can be supported about the first and second jaws. The first and second separators can be configured to engage first and second connector portions of a connector. An actuating mechanism can be operable to actuate at least one of the first and second jaws and the first and second separators. The actuating mechanism can facilitate application of, by the first and second separators, an equal separation force to the first and second connector portions of the connector to demate the connector.
US10177516B2
Disclosed is a high density (HD) cable to accommodate HD jacks. The HD bridge adapter acts as a single cable coupler between two HD jacks. The bridge can be formed with two connectors having a predetermined space between them, or be separated by a flexible extended cable for remote positioning of the connectors. In one embodiment each connector having 200 pins comprising 20 rows of 10 pins each. In an alternative embodiment, each connector having 192 pins comprising 24 rows of 8 pins each.
US10177513B1
A bus bar includes a conductive portion with a first face and an opposed second face. The first face and second face extend between a first edge and a second edge. The bus bar includes an insulation surrounding the conductive portion. The insulation includes a cut out where a portion of the insulation is removed to expose a terminal on the bus bar. The terminal includes part of the first face of the bus bar and part of the second face of the bus bar. The terminal is located between the first edge and the second edge of the bus bar.
US10177511B2
An electrical connector includes an insulating body having a base, and multiple upper row terminals and multiple lower row terminals fixed in the insulating body. Each terminal has a soldering portion respectively extending out of the base. The upper row terminals include at least one upper row signal terminal, and the lower row terminals include at least one lower row signal terminal. The soldering portion of the upper row signal terminal is in contact with the soldering portion of the lower row signal terminal. By means of contact between the soldering portions of the upper row and lower row signal terminals, a transmission signal of the upper row signal terminal and a transmission signal of the lower row signal terminal are directly combined, and the signals do not need to be combined by other means. The transmission current is larger due to more conducted parts in the electrical connector.
US10177510B2
A mounting plate for an electrical outlet includes a central region having a front surface, a rear surface, and an opening for accessing an outlet. A first mounting tab and a second mounting tab extend from the central region at an angle. The mounting plate may be used to attach an outlet to an outlet housing having a wiring compartment and a panel at least partially enclosing the wiring compartment. The panel has a front wall and an opening for receiving an outlet.
US10177506B2
A connecting-conductor is disclosed. The connecting-conductor may have a first conductor-element and a second conductor-element. Each conductor-element has a first end that is mechanically-connected and electrically-conductively connected to a resistor-element. The resistor-element has an electrical-insulating substrate, and a resistive material annularly disposed on at least part of the electrical-insulating substrate. The first end of each conductor-element is electrically-conductively connected to the resistive material. The first conductor does not touch the second conductor, and an electrical pathway is created via the resistive material from one of the conductor-elements to the other of the conductor-elements.
US10177501B2
The present disclosure relates to a telecommunications jack including a housing having a port for receiving a plug. The jack also includes a plurality of contact springs adapted to make electrical contact with the plug when the plug is inserted into the port of the housing, and a plurality of wire termination contacts for terminating wires to the jack. The jack further includes a circuit board that electrically connects the contact springs to the wire termination contacts. The circuit board includes a multi-zone crosstalk compensation arrangement for reducing crosstalk at the jack.
US10177489B1
A connector device includes: a first connector having a first terminal provided in a connector fitting chamber; and a second connector having a second terminal that is accommodated in a connector fitting portion to be fitted to the connector fitting chamber and has a terminal receiving portion to which the first terminal is inserted when fitting the connector fitting portion to the connector fitting chamber. The terminal receiving portion is accommodated in the connector fitting portion with a gap. The connector fitting portion is provided with slits on an upper surface and a lower surface positioned with the terminal receiving portion interposed therebetween.
US10177484B2
The disclosure relates to a holding frame for holding plug connector modules, in particular for installation in plug connector casings and/or for screwing onto wall surfaces. In order to allow improved handling and more reliable populating and assembly of the holding frame comprising frame halves, it is proposed that the holding frame in the plug-in state has a stop for stopping the plug connector module on insertion into the holding frame, wherein the stop is so designed that when a plug connector module is stopped in the plug-in state, holding frame holding devices and plug module holding devices engage in each other in the holding state.
US10177482B2
In a connector, a connector housing includes a terminal accommodating chamber in which a female terminal is to be accommodated, an elastic locking piece configured to lock the female terminal accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber, and a wall surface. A male terminal insertion hole and a male terminal release hole are formed in the wall surface. A male terminal of a counterpart connector is to be inserted into the male terminal insertion hole so as to be connected to the female terminal, when a fitting operation between the connector and the counterpart connector is performed in a regular fitting posture. The male terminal is to enter the male terminal release hole, when the fitting operation is performed in an irregular fitting posture. The male terminal release hole forms a space which is continuous from the wall surface to the elastic locking piece.
US10177480B2
The present invention relates to a connector which is a component of a high-voltage power supply connecting device, and which is capable of being prevented from being easily separated inadvertently or by an inexpert operator to prevent the occurrence of an electric shock accident, is capable of preventing the occurrence of an electric arc or the like during separation of the connector to improve safety, is capable of being easily and stably fixed and mounted on a desired location in an installation path inside an electric equipment chamber of an electric car, has a simple structure, and is capable of improving workability of an operator; and the high-voltage power supply connecting device including the same.
US10177477B2
A connector assembly comprises a first connector and a second connector. The first connector consists of a first monolithically formed conductive terminal adapted to be soldered onto a first circuit board. The second connector consists of a second monolithically formed conductive terminal adapted to be soldered onto a second circuit board. The first connector mates with the second connector to electrically connect the first circuit board to the second circuit board.
US10177476B1
A card edge connector assembly includes a pluggable module having a paddle card with a card edge and a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving the card edge. The housing holds contacts in the card slot to electrically connect to corresponding contact pads of the paddle card. Support hardware is coupled to the pluggable module and includes first and second mounting legs. The first mounting leg has a first mounting foot and the second mounting leg has a second mounting foot configured to be mounted to the host circuit board to support the pluggable module on the host circuit board independent of the card edge connector.
US10177471B2
An electrical wiring system comprises a plurality of electrical conduits, each of which comprises a plurality of electrically conductive wires, a carrier encapsulating and electrically insulating the wires from each other, the carrier being composed of a rigid material, and at least connector carried by the carrier in electrical communication with the wires. The electrical wiring system further comprises a junction box comprising a plurality of interconnecting wires and a plurality of connectors electrically coupled together by the interconnecting wires. The plurality of connectors of the junction box are coupled to the plurality connectors of the electrical conduits.
US10177469B2
A connector (20) for a coaxial cable (10). The cable comprises an outer conductor (11), an inner conductor (12) and an insulating medium (13) located between the outer and the inner conductors, wherein the connector comprises a connector front body (21) and a connector rear body (22) inserted therein; the connector front body comprises a hollow shell (30); the connector rear body comprises a flare ring (50), a slot finger and a lock nut (70) which are inserted into the shell, wherein the flare ring at one end thereof rests against a shoulder (37) in the shell, the slot finger is mounted on the flare ring, and the lock nut is mounted on the slot finger and engages the inner surface of the shell; the flare ring is provided with adjacent the first incline (54) and the first plane (55), and the slot finger is provided with adjacent the second incline (67) and the second plane (66), wherein the first incline is used for insertion between the outer conductor and the insulating medium of the coaxial cable, and the first incline and the first plane respectively cooperate with the second incline and the second plane, so as to simultaneously flare and crush the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. The cable connector can gain excellent third order intermodulation performance and high frequency transmission performance.
US10177462B2
A broadband multi-bay antenna array comprising an upper antenna element group and a lower antenna element group. Each of the upper antenna group and lower antenna group comprises a pair of antenna elements separated by a distance of one-half wavelength at mid-band wavelength. Radiating elements of the first antenna in each pair are positioned in a first orientation and radiating elements of the second antenna in each pair are positioned in a second orientation which differs from the orientation of the first antenna by 180 degrees (flipped over). A center feed input port is positioned between the upper antenna element group and the lower antenna element group and is electrically coupled to each of the first, second, third and fourth antenna elements.
US10177455B2
A power combiner system for use in a single-mode waveguide includes an input waveguide, an output waveguide, at least one power amplifier module that includes a plurality of amplifiers, and at least one input dipole antenna extending into the input waveguide. Each input dipole antenna includes two input dipole antenna arms, and each input dipole antenna arm is coupled to an input of a corresponding one of the plurality of amplifiers. The system further includes at least one output dipole antenna extending into the output waveguide. Each output dipole antenna includes two output dipole antenna arms, and each output dipole antenna arm is coupled to an output of a corresponding one of the plurality of amplifiers. Each power amplifier module is disposed in a plane that runs parallel with the direction of propagation.
US10177452B2
Compact low-loss antennas and methods for long range two-way communication are provided. In one example, a mechanical antenna includes a first material having first embedded electric charge carriers, a second material having second embedded electric charge carriers, and an actuator coupled to at least one of the first material and the second material, the actuator being configured to generate a monopole current and transmit a low frequency signal by causing kinematic motion of the first material relative to the second material.
US10177448B2
An adapter (10) comprises a single adapter output (45) connectable to at least one antenna line device (100a-c), at least two base station inputs (30a-c), the at least two base station inputs (30a-c) being individually connectable to a base station (110a-c) or a primary control device (460c) and at least one microcontroller (40a-c), the microcontroller (40a-c) being connected between one of the base station inputs (30a-c) and the single adapter output (45). An antenna system (5) comprising such an adapter (10) and a plurality of antenna line devices (100a-c) connected to the single adapter output (45) of the adapter is also disclosed. A method for operating the radio antenna (10) having a plurality of antenna line devices (100a-c) from at least two base stations (110a-c) is disclosed.
US10177444B2
A scanned antenna (1000) is a scanned antenna including antenna elements (U) arranged together, the scanned antenna including: a TFT substrate (101) including a first dielectric substrate (1), TFTs, gate bus lines, source bus lines, and patch electrodes (15); a slot substrate (201) including a second dielectric substrate (51) a slot electrode (55); a liquid crystal layer (LC) provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate; and a reflective conductive plate (65). The slot electrode includes slots (57) arranged so as to correspond to the patch electrodes. As seen from the normal direction to the first dielectric substrate, a plurality of spacer structures (75) provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate are arranged so as not to overlap with first regions (Rp1) and/or second regions (Rp2), where the first regions are regions that are within a distance of 0.3 mm from edges of the slots and the second regions are regions that are within a distance of 0.3 mm from edges of the patch electrodes.
US10177443B2
A communication antenna, a method for controlling a communication antenna and a terminal are provided. The communication antenna includes a first passive unit, a stimulation receiving unit, and a second passive unit. The first passive unit and the second passive unit are respectively coupled to ground. The stimulation receiving unit is electrically coupled to a radio frequency module so as to receive an electrical signal transmitted by the radio frequency module. The first passive unit includes a regulating circuit that includes a switch, a controller, and a regulating assembly. The regulating assembly includes a plurality of electronic components. The controller is configured to control the switch to connect one or more electronic components of the regulating assembly to the circuit. The connected electronic components make the communication antenna resonate in one of a plurality of frequency ranges.
US10177441B2
An antenna module suited for a portable electronic device is provided. The antenna module includes a heat dissipation unit, a first antenna and a second antenna. The heat dissipation unit contacts a heat source of the portable electronic device. The first antenna and the second antenna are disposed at different side portions of the heat dissipation unit. The heat dissipation unit has a slot with at least one bending portion. An orthogonal projection of at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna on a projection plane of the heat dissipation unit is partly overlapped with an orthogonal projection of the slot on the projection plane.
US10177430B2
An apparatus and a method for electromagnetic signal transition, comprising the steps of receiving an electromagnetic signal having a first physical characteristic arranged to be compatible for the electromagnetic signal to be transmitted on a transmission structure, and transmitting the electromagnetic signal to a substrate integrated waveguide, wherein during the transmission of the electromagnetic signal to the substrate integrated waveguide, the first physical characteristic is converted to a second physical characteristic arranged to be compatible for the electromagnetic signal to be transmitted on the substrate integrated waveguide.
US10177429B1
A hybrid harmonic slide screw tuner uses the forward injection technique, also called Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU) cascaded with two independent tuning probes in the same slabline and housing. The wave-probes used in the GBU sample a portion of the forward travelling signal, adjusts its phase, amplifies it, adjusts its amplitude (attenuation) and couples it back, in reverse direction into the main signal path. In the present active tuner technique as is herein implemented, the passive tuners and the signal couplers are mounted on the same double carriages which move each carriage horizontally and the wave- and tuning probes vertically, independently. Appropriate calibration and tuning algorithms ensure independent hybrid (active and passive) harmonic tuning.
US10177427B2
An electrochemical cell includes a bifunctional air cathode, an anode, and a ceramic electrolyte separator disposed substantially between the bifunctional air cathode and the anode. The anode includes a solid metal and a liquid electrolyte phase. The liquid electrolyte phase includes at least one of an alkali oxide, boron oxide, a group V transition metal oxide, and a group VI transition metal oxide.
US10177409B2
In the present invention, a compound represented by Formula (1) is used as an additive of electrolytic solution for a lithium secondary battery, (where, in Formula (1), R1 to R3 respectively denote any of hydrogen, an alkyl group and a functional group containing halogen; R4 to R8 respectively denote any of hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group, a functional group containing halogen and BF3X; X denotes alkali metal or alkali earth metal; and at least any of R4 to R8 is BF3X).
US10177403B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that contains a silicon material as a negative-electrode active material has improved cycle life. A negative-electrode active material particle (10) according to an embodiment includes a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) {0
US10177401B2
A method of establishing a physical and electrical connection between a battery and a circuit board are described. The methods include applying a texture formed from conductive material to a portion of a battery exterior surface. The texture is a region populated by a plurality of protrusions. Protrusions may be configured to partially perforate and lodge within a contact surface secured to a circuit board. The battery with a texture surface may be pressed against the circuit board resulting in perforation of the contact surface by the region of protrusions. The methods may result in a battery and circuit board in electrical communication, and suitable for use within a variety of medical devices.
US10177391B2
A fuel cell system including a fuel cell that receives a supply of an anode gas and a cathode gas and generates power is provided. The fuel cell system includes a water content calculation unit configured to calculate a water content of the fuel cell, an internal impedance calculation unit configured to calculate an internal impedance of the fuel cell, and a starting temperature calculation unit configured to calculate a fuel cell temperature at a start of the system, based on the water content of the fuel cell as of a last time the system was stopped, and the internal impedance of the fuel cell at the start of the system.
US10177390B2
In a method for controlling a fuel cell system, a shutoff valve is opened to supply a fuel gas from a storage container to a fuel cell after a fuel cell system shutdown instruction is sent to the fuel cell system so that the fuel cell generates and discharges electricity. The storage container is supplied to the fuel gas supplied from a fuel supply source provided outside the fuel cell system in response to a filling instruction to supply the fuel gas to the storage container. A data signal indicating a state of the storage container is transmitted to the fuel supply source. The shutoff valve is closed and the storage container is supplied to the fuel gas supplied from the fuel supply source if the filling instruction is output while opening the shutoff valve after the fuel cell system shutdown instruction is sent.
US10177387B2
Provided is a bipolar battery current collector that includes a conductive resin layer formed in such a manner as to, when at least part of the conductive resin layer reaches a predetermined temperature, interrupts a flow of electric current through the at least part of the conductive resin layer in a vertical direction thereof. Also provided is a bipolar battery using the current collector. It is possible by the use of the current collector to suppress local heat generation in the bipolar battery and improve the durability of the bipolar battery.
US10177385B2
A nickel-hydrogen secondary battery includes an electrode group including a separator, a positive electrode and a negative electrode, the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material, the positive electrode active material includes a composite particle including a compound of Co and a compound of Ni, and the ratio R represented by A/B satisfies a relationship of R≥0.3, when the amount of jumping in the X-ray absorption fine structure spectrum of the Co in 7600 to 7800 eV and the amount of jumping in the X-ray absorption fine structure spectrum of the Ni in 8300 to 8500 eV obtained by measurement according to a conversion electron yield method are defined as A and B, respectively.
US10177384B2
A positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a positive active material compound including a metal compound for intercalating and deintercalating lithium, a coating particle having an embedded portion embedded into the active material compound and a protruding portion protruding from the surface of the active material, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the positive active material.
US10177375B2
Cathode active materials for alkaline cells are disclosed. In particular, the cathode structures encompass conductive carbons introduced to the cathode so as to have a specific spatial orientation and/or a multi-carbon structure. The overall intent is to leverage the conductor(s) provided to the cathode structure to improve electronic and ionic conductance and, by extension, improve battery discharge performance.
US10177360B2
Disclosed are battery separators comprising glass fibers and having a basis weight (gsm), a specific surface area (m2/g), a density (gsm/mm) and a mean pore size (μm), which satisfy the equation disclosed herein, provided that: the specific surface area is less than 1.5 m2/g, or the density is greater than 180 gsm/mm. Also disclosed are batteries comprising the battery separators, and processes for making the separators.
US10177354B2
The present disclosure is directed to an energy storage device having improved thermal performance. More specifically, the energy storage device includes a housing with side walls that define an internal volume. The side walls include bottom and front side walls, with the front side wall having an air inlet and outlet configured to circulate cooling air therethrough. The energy storage device also includes a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix within the internal volume atop the bottom side wall. Further, the cells define a top surface. Further, the energy storage device includes an exhaust manifold adjacent to the front side wall between at least a portion of the cells and the air inlet. Thus, the exhaust manifold is configured to direct airflow from the top surface towards the bottom side wall and then to the air outlet so as to provide an airflow barrier between cooling air entering the air inlet and the cells.
US10177352B2
A battery module has battery cells. The battery cells are arranged side by side while being separately held by battery holders. The battery cells are connected in series with bus bars. Each bus bar has a bent portion. Each battery holder includes a protruding wall that is provided between connection terminals adjacent to each other in the direction in which the battery cells are arranged. The protruding walls protrude further than the connection terminals in the direction in which the connection terminals protrude from the cases.
US10177348B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a wound electrode body housed in a battery case. The wound electrode body is positioned to the battery case with a positioning member. Among a spatial volume excluding the wound electrode body in the battery case, in a direction of a winding axis of the wound electrode body, a spatial volume X on a negative electrode side of the battery case is larger than a spatial volume Y on a positive electrode side of the battery case. Here, the spatial volume X and the spatial volume Y satisfy 2.1≤(X/Y)≤5.7.
US10177345B2
An organic light-emitting device and a method for producing an organic light-emitting device are disclosed. In an embodiment, the OLED includes a substrate, a first electrode disposed on the substrate, at least one first organic functional layer stack disposed on the first electrode, the first organic functional layer stack configured to emit radiation in a first wavelength range, a second electrode disposed on the first organic functional layer stack and a filter layer arranged in a beam path of the first organic functional layer stack, wherein the first wavelength range comprises a low-energy sub-range and a high-energy sub-range and wherein the filter layer comprises an absorption range containing the low-energy or the high-energy sub-range of the first wavelength range.
US10177340B2
An optoelectronic device includes a covering layer, a first electrode, a functional layer stack arranged between the covering layer and the first electrode and a plurality of spacers, wherein the functional layer stack has an organic active layer that generates electromagnetic radiation; the first electrode has conductor tracks with branching points, the spacers are each arranged on one of the branching points, and the functional layer stack is arranged in places between the covering layer and the spacers.
US10177338B2
The present invention provides a glass powder blend comprising glass powder and additives, wherein the additives comprise copper powder, and the copper powder accounts for 2-3 mass % based on the total amount of the glass powder blend in 100 mass %. The present invention also provides a glass powder paste and a photoelectric package. Due to the addition of copper powder to the glass powder, the melting point of the glass powder blend can be decreased, thereby lowering the temperature for melting the glass powder blend by using laser, and reducing the thermal stress generated during encapsulation.
US10177327B2
Provided are an organic light emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the organic light emitting display device. The method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device includes forming a sacrificial layer on a lower mother substrate in which a plurality of cells is defined, forming a flexible substrate on the sacrificial layer, forming a display unit including a circuit unit and an organic light emitting diode in each of the plurality of cells on the flexible substrate, removing the lower mother substrate, bonding a supporting film to the flexible substrate, irradiating a portion of the supporting film corresponding to a boundary of a bending area of the flexible substrate, removing a portion of the supporting film corresponding to the bending area of the flexible substrate, performing a process for enhancing adhesion of the supporting film remaining after removing a portion of the supporting film, irradiating a boundary between a non-display area extended from the bending area and a pad area extended from the non-display area, and separating the plurality of cells into cell units by irradiating boundaries of the plurality of cells.
US10177316B2
A novel compounds useful as hosts for phosphorescent emitters in OLEDs is disclosed.
US10177312B2
The present application relates to a compound of a formula (I), to the use of this compound in an electronic device, and to an electronic device comprising one or more compounds of the formula (I). The invention furthermore relates to the preparation of the compound of the formula (I) and to a formulation comprising one or more compounds of the formula (I).
US10177308B2
The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a memory cell that includes a magnetic memory element electrically connected to a two-terminal selector. The method includes the steps of depositing a magnetic memory element film stack on a substrate; depositing a selector film stack on top of the magnetic memory element film stack; etching the selector film stack with an etch mask formed thereon to remove at least a switching layer in the selector film stack not covered by the etch mask, thereby forming a selector pillar; depositing a first conforming dielectric layer over the selector pillar and surrounding surface; etching a portion of the first conforming dielectric layer covering the surrounding surface to form a first protective sleeve around at least the switching layer of the selector pillar; and etching the magnetic memory element film stack using the etch mask and the first protective sleeve as a composite mask to form a memory cell pillar.
US10177303B2
A magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction device (ME-MTJ) that permits direct driving of ME-MTJ devices by a prior ME-MTJ device is the unipolar magneto-electric magnetic tunnel junction (UMMTJ) device. The UMMTJ device enables full logic circuitry to be implemented without level shifting between each logic element.
US10177297B2
The present disclosure relates to semiconductor based Josephson junctions and their applications within the field of quantum computing, in particular a tuneable Josephson junction device has been used to construct a gateable transmon qubit. One embodiment relates to a Josephson junction comprising an elongated hybrid nanostructure comprising superconductor and semiconductor materials and a weak link, wherein the weak link is formed by a semiconductor segment of the elongated hybrid nanostructure wherein the superconductor material has been removed to provide a semiconductor weak link.
US10177296B2
Provided is a thermoelectric conversion element having a greater Seebeck coefficient (S) than the conventional ones. In a thermoelectric conversion element: a nonmagnetic Heusler alloy film (10), a ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film (11) and a nonmagnetic layer (12) are stacked in the named order; a pair of electrodes (23, 24) are disposed for deriving, in accordance with a temperature gradient occurring in parallel to the direction of magnetization (41) of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film, an electromotive force occurring perpendicularly to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film; a pair of electrodes (21, 22) are disposed for deriving an electromotive force occurring in parallel to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film; and the electromotive forces occurring due to an ordinary Seebeck effect and a spin Seebeck effect are simultaneously derived.
US10177288B2
An optoelectronic device including a semiconductor substrate having a face, light-emitting diodes arranged on the face and including wired conical or frustoconical semiconductor elements, and an at least partially transparent dielectric layer covering the light-emitting diodes, the refractive index of the dielectric layer being between 1.6 et 1.8.
US10177286B2
A light-emitting element package, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a circuit board including first and second regions having different heights; light-emitting elements respectively disposed in the first and second regions; and phosphor layers respectively disposed on the light-emitting elements, wherein the light-emitting elements are disposed within a 100-μm distance in the horizontal direction.
US10177279B2
Provided are a horizontal light emitting diode (LED) device and a method for fabricating the same. The horizontal LED device includes a sapphire substrate; an n-type GaN layer disposed on the sapphire substrate; an activation layer disposed on the n-type GaN layer; a p-type GaN layer disposed on the activation layer; a current spreading layer disposed on the p-type GaN layer; a p-electrode disposed on the current spreading layer; a plurality of holes exposing the n-type GaN layer through the current spreading layer, the p-type GaN layer, and activation layer; and an n-electrode disposed on the exposed n-type GaN layer and being in ohmic contact with the exposed n-type GaN layer at a plurality of positions on bottom surfaces of the plurality of holes.
US10177278B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes: a multilayer semiconductor body having a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer between the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and at least one recess exposing the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and an insulating part on an internal sidewall of the at least one recess and an upper surface of the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The insulating part has an insulating spacer on the internal sidewall of the recess, and a lateral surface of the insulating spacer has a surface without an angular point from an upper end to a lower end thereof.
US10177272B2
A method for manufacturing a light-emitting diode (LED) is provided. The method includes following steps. A LED wafer including a substrate and a plurality of light-emitting units formed thereon is provided. At least a portion of the substrate is removed. The LED wafer is fixed on an extensible membrane, wherein the light-emitting unit faces the extensible membrane. The LED wafer is broken to form a plurality of LED dices separated from each other, wherein each LED dice includes at least one light-emitting unit. The extensible membrane is expanded to make a distance between any two of the LED dices become larger.
US10177271B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to photodetectors. In one aspect, a photodetector device comprises a substrate, a polycrystalline layer disposed on the substrate, and a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the polycrystalline layer. The polycrystalline layer comprises nanograins with grain boundaries between the nanograins. The nanograins comprise a semiconductor material. A doping element comprising a halogen is segregated at the grain boundaries. A length of the polycrystalline layer is between and separating the first electrode and the second electrode.
US10177269B2
A photovoltaic device includes a first contact layer formed on a substrate. An absorber layer includes Cu—Zn—Sn—S(Se) (CZTSSe) on the first contact layer. A buffer layer is formed in contact with the absorber layer. Metal dopants are dispersed in a junction region between the absorber layer and the buffer layer. The metal dopants have a valence between the absorber layer and the buffer layer to increase junction potential. A transparent conductive contact layer is formed over the buffer layer.
US10177267B2
An UV photodetector includes: a substrate, a template layer formed on the substrate, an intrinsic AlGaN layer formed on the template layer, a first n-type AlGaN layer and a second n-type AlGaN layer formed on the intrinsic AlGaN layer side-by-side and separated by a gap, wherein the gap exposes the intrinsic AlGaN layer. Another UV photodetector includes: an UV transparent substrate, an UV transparent template layer formed on the substrate, a first UV transparent n-type AlGaN layer formed on the UV transparent template layer, an intrinsic AlGaN layer formed on the first UV transparent n-type AlGaN layer, a second n-type AlGaN layer formed on the intrinsic AlGaN layer, and a p-type layer formed on the second n-type AlGaN layer.
US10177266B2
A photovoltaic device and method include a substrate coupled to an emitter side structure on a first side of the substrate and a back side structure on a side opposite the first side of the substrate. The emitter side structure or the back side structure include layers alternating between wide band gap layers and narrow band gap layers to provide a multilayer contact with an effectively increased band offset with the substrate and/or an effectively higher doping level over a single material contact. An emitter contact is coupled to the emitter side structure on a light collecting end portion of the device. A back contact is coupled to the back side structure opposite the light collecting end portion.
US10177264B2
A method for transferring an assembly of oriented nanowires from a liquid interface onto a surface including providing a first liquid and a second liquid, wherein the first and second liquids phase separate into a bottom phase, a top phase and an interface between the bottom phase and the top phase, providing nanowires in the first and second liquids such that the majority of the nanowires are located at the interface and providing the nanowires onto a substrate such that a majority of the nanowires are aligned with respect to each other on the substrate.
US10177262B2
Materials and methods for preparing Cu2XSnY4 nanoparticles, wherein X is Zn, Cd, Hg, Ni, Co, Mn or Fe and Y is S or Se, (CXTY) are disclosed herein. The nanoparticles can be used to make layers for use in thin film photovoltaic (PV) cells. The CXTY materials are prepared by a colloidal synthesis in the presence of labile organo-chalcogens. The organo-chalcogens serves as both a chalcogen source for the nanoparticles and as a capping ligand for the nanoparticles.
US10177261B2
A transparent electrode on at least one surface of a transparent substrate may include graphene doped with a p-dopant. The transparent electrode may be efficiently applied to a variety of display devices or solar cells.
US10177259B2
Provided is a solar cell module which has a high anti-glare property and is capable of maintaining power output at a high level. In a solar cell module with a light-incident surface formed by laminating an antireflection film on a plate body made of glass, and a surface of the plate body is roughened. A substance for forming the antireflection film is introduced into a space formed in a crack situated slightly inside from the roughened surface. Formation of a layer of air in the crack is prevented to suppress reflection of light at a portion in which the crack is formed.
US10177256B2
Replacement metal gate structures with improved chamfered workfunction metal and self-aligned contact and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a replacement metal gate structure in a dielectric material. The replacement metal gate structure is formed with a lower spacer and an upper spacer above the lower spacer. The upper spacer having material is different than material of the lower spacer. The method further includes forming a self-aligned contact adjacent to the replacement metal gate structure by patterning an opening within the dielectric material and filling the opening with contact material. The upper spacer prevents shorting with the contact material.
US10177239B2
Heterojunction structure, also referred to as a heterostructure, of semiconductor material, in particular for a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), includes a substrate, a stack of at least three buffer layers of a same semiconductor material with a wide bandgap EG1 based on a column-III nitride, namely an unintentionally doped first buffer layer, a second buffer layer, an unintentionally doped third buffer layer, an unintentionally doped intermediate layer, and a barrier layer arranged on the intermediate layer, said barrier layer being of a semiconductor material with a wide bandgap EG2 based on a column-III nitride; the second buffer layer has constant P+ doping throughout some or all of its thickness; and the third buffer layer includes a first region which is unintentionally doped throughout its entire thickness and at least one second region adjacent to said first region with N+ doping surrounding the first region.
US10177228B2
The present techniques relate to a semiconductor device having resistance which has a positive temperature coefficient and a suitable value, and to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having resistance which has a positive temperature coefficient and a suitable value. The semiconductor device related to the present techniques is a bipolar device in which a current flows through a pn junction. The semiconductor device includes an n-type silicon carbide drift layer, a p-type first silicon carbide layer formed on the silicon carbide drift layer, and a p-type second silicon carbide layer formed on the first silicon carbide layer. Then, the second silicon carbide layer has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance.
US10177225B2
The electronic component includes a semiconductor substrate, a first doped region, a second doped region, a gate structure, a dielectric layer and a conductive portion. The semiconductor substrate has an upper surface. first doped region embedded in the semiconductor substrate. The second doped region is embedded in the semiconductor substrate. The gate structure is formed on the upper surface. The dielectric layer is formed above the upper surface and located between the first doped region and the second doped region. The conductive portion is formed on the dielectric layer.
US10177217B2
A C-plane GaN substrate only mildly restricts the shape and dimension of a nitride semiconductor device formed on the substrate. The variation of an off-angle on the main surface of the substrate is suppressed. In the C-plane GaN substrate: the substrate comprises a plurality of facet growth areas each having a closed ring outline-shape on the main surface; the number density of the facet growth area accompanied by a core among the plurality of facet growth areas is less than 5 cm−2 on the main surface; and, when any circular area of 4 cm diameter is selected from an area which is on the main surface and is distant by 5 mm or more from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, the variation widths of an a-axis direction component and an m-axis direction component of an off-angle within the circular area is each 0.25 degrees or less.
US10177216B2
A metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor is provided in the present invention. The MOM capacitor includes a capacitor element, wherein the capacitor element includes a first electrode and a second electrode. A projection of the first electrode includes a closed pattern in the vertical projection direction. A projection of the second electrode is surrounded by the closed pattern of the projection of the first electrode in the vertical projection direction.
US10177213B2
A magnetic laminating structure and process includes alternating layers of a magnetic material and a multilayered insulating material, wherein the multilayered insulating material is intermediate adjacent magnetic material layers and comprises a first insulating layer abutting at least one additional insulating layer, wherein the first insulating layer and the at least one additional insulating layer comprise different dielectric materials and/or are formed by a different deposition process, and wherein the layers of the magnetic material have a cumulative thickness greater than 1 micron.
US10177209B2
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a plurality of pixels, each including a driving thin film transistor (TFT) formed over a substrate and including a driving gate electrode, a first storage capacitor comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, and a second storage capacitor comprising a third electrode and a fourth electrode. The first electrode is electrically connected to the driving gate electrode and the second electrode is formed over the first electrode and electrically insulated from the first electrode. The third electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode, is formed on a different layer from each of the first and second electrodes, and does not overlap the second electrode. The fourth electrode is formed over the third electrode and electrically insulated from the third electrode.
US10177208B2
A flexible display apparatus including a substrate including a flat surface portion and at least one curved surface portion, and a display including a first display region above the flat surface portion and a second display region above the at least one curved surface portion. The second display region includes a correcting layer including a first point and a second point apart from each other. The second point is farther away from the first display region than the first point. A thickness of the correcting layer at the second point is greater than a thickness of the correcting layer at the first point. The correcting layer includes a curved portion between the first point and the second point.
US10177206B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device that may include an anode electrode and an eave structure under a bank layer and spaced apart from each other, a cathode electrode on the bank layer, and an auxiliary electrode under the eave structure and electrically connected with the cathode electrode, wherein the cathode electrode extends to a contact space under the eave structure, and the extending cathode electrode is connected with the auxiliary electrode in the contact space.
US10177199B2
A method for making a metal oxide semiconductor carbon nanotube thin film transistor circuit. A p-type carbon nanotube thin film transistor and a n-type carbon nanotube thin film transistor are formed on an insulating substrate and stacked with each other. The p-type carbon nanotube thin film transistor includes a first semiconductor carbon nanotube layer, a first drain electrode, a first source electrode, a functional dielectric layer, and a first gate electrode. The n-type carbon nanotube thin film transistor includes a second semiconductor carbon nanotube layer, a second drain electrode, a second source electrode, a first insulating layer, and a second gate electrode. The first drain electrode and the second drain electrode are electrically connected with each other. The first gate electrode and the second gate electrode are electrically connected with each other.
US10177195B2
A micro-light emitting diode (LED) display panel and a method of forming the display panel, the micro-LED display panel having a monolithically grown micro-structure including a first color micro-LED that is a first color nanowire LED, and a second color micro-LED that is a second color nanowire LED.
US10177194B2
A fingerprint identification apparatus including a display device, a first translucent base, photosensitive structures, a first light-guide structure, and a light source is provided. The display device has pixel regions and transmissive regions located between the pixel regions. The first translucent base has photosensitive regions and light-emitting regions located between the photosensitive regions. The photosensitive structures are respectively disposed in the photosensitive regions of the first translucent base. The first translucent base is disposed between the photosensitive structures and the first light-guide structure. The light source is disposed adjacent to the first translucent base.
US10177187B2
An image sensor is disclosed. The image sensor includes an epitaxial layer, a plurality of plug structures and an interconnect structure. Wherein the plurality of plug structures are formed in the epitaxial layer, and each plug structure has doped sidewalls, the epitaxial layer and the doped sidewalls form a plurality of photodiodes, the plurality of plug structures are used to separate adjacent photodiodes, and the epitaxial layer and the doped sidewalls are coupled to the interconnect structure via the plug structures. An associated method of fabricating the image sensor is also disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate having a first-type doped epitaxial substrate layer on a second-type doped epitaxial substrate layer; forming a plurality of isolation trenches in the first-type doped epitaxial substrate layer; forming a second-type doped region along sidewalls and bottoms of the plurality of isolation trenches; and filling the plurality of isolation trenches by depositing metal.
US10177180B2
A method for forming a pixel structure is provided. The method includes: forming a gate electrode layer on a substrate; forming a first insulating layer on the gate electrode layer and the substrate; forming a semiconductor layer on the first insulating layer; forming a pixel electrode layer on the first insulating layer and the semiconductor layer; forming a source/drain electrode layer on the pixel electrode layer, the semiconductor layer, and the first insulating layer; forming a second insulating layer on the semiconductor layer, the pixel electrode layer, the source/drain electrode layer, and the first insulating layer; and forming a common electrode layer on the second insulating layer, in which an orthogonal projection of the semiconductor layer on the substrate is complementary to an orthogonal projection of the common electrode layer on the substrate.
US10177175B2
Provided is a display device, including: a plurality of gate lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of source lines extending in a second direction; a gate driver configured to output a gate signal; and a plurality of gate lead-out lines extending in the second direction and being configured to transmit the gate signal to the plurality of gate lines, in which each of the plurality of gate lines is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of gate lead-out lines, and at least one of the plurality of gate lines is electrically connected to at least two of the plurality of gate lead-out lines.
US10177174B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate, a first semiconductor layer located above the insulating substrate, a second semiconductor layer located above the insulating substrate, an insulating layer which covers the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and includes a first contact hole reaching the first semiconductor layer and a second contact hole reaching the second semiconductor layer, a barrier layer which covers one of the first semiconductor layer inside the first contact hole and the second semiconductor layer inside the second contact hole, and a first conductive layer which is in contact with the barrier layer.
US10177172B2
An array substrate, and a display panel and display device including the same are disclosed. An embodiment of the array substrate comprises a display region and a non-display region. The non-display region comprises: abase substrate; and a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer arranged in a direction perpendicular to the base substrate. A transistor and a metal line are arranged in the non-display region. A gate electrode of the transistor is located in the first metal layer. A source electrode and a drain electrode of the transistor are located in the second metal layer. The metal line is located in the third metal layer. The orthographic projection of the transistor onto the base substrate overlaps, at least partially, with the orthographic projection of the metal line onto the base substrate.
US10177168B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises forming a first diffusion stop layer on a bulk semiconductor substrate, forming a doped semiconductor layer on the first diffusion stop layer, forming a second diffusion stop layer on the doped semiconductor layer, forming a fin layer on the doped semiconductor layer, patterning the first and second diffusion stop layers, the doped semiconductor layer, the fin layer and a portion of the bulk substrate, oxidizing the doped semiconductor layer to form an oxide layer, and forming a dielectric on the bulk substrate adjacent the patterned portion of the bulk substrate, the patterned first diffusion stop layer and the oxide layer.
US10177151B1
A method and structure for a semiconductor device that includes one or more fin-type field effect transistors (FINFETs) and single-diffusion break (SDB) type isolation regions, which are within a semiconductor fin and define the active device region(s) for the FINFET(s). Asymmetric trenches are formed in a substrate through asymmetric cuts in sacrificial fins formed on the substrate. The asymmetric cuts have relatively larger gaps between fin portions that are closest to the substrate, and deeper portions of the asymmetric trenches are relatively wider than shallower portions. Channel regions are formed in the substrate below two adjacent fins. Source/drain regions of complementary transistors are formed in the substrate on opposite sides of the channel regions. The asymmetric trenches are filled with an insulator to form a single-diffusion break between two source/drain regions of different ones of the complementary transistors. Also disclosed is a semiconductor structure formed according to the method.
US10177148B2
An integrated circuit device includes: a plurality of channel regions spaced apart from each other in an active region; a plurality of source/drain regions; an insulating structure on the active region, the insulating structure defining a plurality of gate spaces; a first gate stack structure in a first of the gate spaces, the first gate stack structure including a first work function metal-containing layer; and an isolation stack structure in a second of the gate spaces that is adjacent the first of the gate spaces, the isolation stack structure having a different stack structure from the first gate stack structure and being configured to electrically isolate a portion of the active region.
US10177131B2
Provided are a semiconductor package and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor package comprises a substrate, a semiconductor chip on the substrate, an interconnect substrate spaced apart from the semiconductor chip on the substrate and including a conductive member therein, a solder ball on the interconnect substrate and electrically connected to the conductive member, a polymer layer on the interconnect substrate and the semiconductor chip and including an opening through which the solder ball is exposed, and polymer particles in the solder ball and including the same material as the polymer layer.
US10177123B2
A backplane optionally having stepped horizontal surfaces and optionally embedding metal interconnect structures is provided. First conductive bonding structures are formed on first stepped horizontal surfaces. First light emitting devices on a first transfer substrate are disposed on the first conductive bonding structures, and a first subset of the first light emitting devices is bonded to the first conductive bonding structures. Laser irradiation can be employed to selectively disconnect the first subset of the first light emitting devices from the first transfer substrate while a second subset of the first light emitting devices remains attached to the first transfer substrate. Additional devices on each additional transfer substrate can be bonded to additional conductive bonding structures on the backplane employing the same method provided that the additional devices are not present in positions that would overlap with pre-existing first light emitting devices or devices on the backplane at a bonding position.
US10177120B1
Several embodiments of the present technology are directed to semiconductor devices, systems including semiconductor devices, and methods of making and operating semiconductor devices. In some embodiments, a semiconductor device comprises a substrate, a first die mounted to the substrate and including first inductors, and a second die mounted to the first die in an offset position and including second inductors. The first inductors are at an active side of the first die, and the second inductors are at an active side of the second die. At least a portion of the first inductors are proximate and inductively coupled to the second inductors. The semiconductor device further comprises a first plurality of interconnects electrically coupling the substrate to the first die, and a second plurality of interconnects electrically coupling the second die to the substrate. The first plurality of interconnects extend from an upper surface of the substrate to the active side of the first die, and the second plurality of interconnects extend from the active side of the second die to the lower surface of the substrate.
US10177119B2
A semiconductor package is disclosed including a number of stacked semiconductor die, electrically connected to each other with wire bonds. The stacked semiconductor die are provided in a mold compound such that a spacing exists between a top die in the die stack and a surface of the mold compound. The wire bonds to the top die may be provided in the spacing. An RDL pad is affixed to the surface of the mold compound. Columns of bumps may be formed on the die bond pads of the top die in the die stack to electrically couple the RDL pad to the die stack across the spacing.
US10177118B2
To miniaturize metal columns. A semiconductor device includes a metal column (14) that extends in a stretching direction; a polymer layer (16) that surrounds the metal column from a direction crossing the stretching direction; and a guide (12) that surrounds the polymer layer in the crossing direction so as to be spaced from the metal column with the polymer layer interposed therebetween. A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices includes a step of filling a mixture (20) containing metal particles (22) and polymers (24) in a guide (12); and a step of subjecting the mixture to a heat treatment so that the polymers agglomerate to the guide to form a polymer layer (16) that makes contact with the guide and the metal particles agglomerate away from the guide with the polymer layer interposed therebetween to form a metal column (14) that stretches in a stretching direction of the guide from the metal particles.
US10177110B2
An electronic device includes: a substrate having an upper surface (front surface) on which a semiconductor chip is mounted, and a lower surface (back surface) opposite to the upper surface; and a housing (case) fixed to the substrate through an adhesive material. The housing has through-holes each formed on one short side and the other short side in an X direction. The substrate is disposed between the through-holes. A part of the upper surface of the substrate is fixed so as to face a part of a stepped surface formed at a height different from that of a lower surface of the housing. Further, an interval (distance) between a part (stepped surface) extending along a short side of the housing in the stepped surface and the upper surface of the substrate is larger than an interval (distance) between a part (stepped surface) extending along a long side of the housing in the stepped surface and the upper surface of the substrate.
US10177107B2
Methods and apparatus are described for strategically arranging conductive elements (e.g., solder balls) of an integrated circuit (IC) package (and the corresponding conductive pads of a circuit board for electrical connection with the IC package) using a plurality of different pitches. One example integrated circuit (IC) package generally includes an integrated circuit die and an arrangement of electrically conductive elements coupled to the integrated circuit die. In at least one region of the arrangement, the conductive elements are disposed with a first pitch in a first dimension of the arrangement and with a second pitch in a second dimension of the arrangement, and the second pitch is different from the first pitch. The pitch of a given region may be based on mechanical, PCB routing, and/or signal integrity considerations.
US10177104B2
Some embodiments relate to a semiconductor device package, which includes a substrate with a contact pad. A non-solder ball is coupled to the contact pad at a contact pad interface surface. A layer of solder is disposed over an outer surface of the non-solder ball, and has an inner surface and an outer surface which are generally concentric with the outer surface of the non-solder ball. An intermediate layer separates the non-solder ball and the layer of solder. The intermediate layer is distinct in composition from both the non-solder ball and the layer of solder. Sidewalls of the layer of solder are curved or sphere-like and terminate at a planar surface, which is disposed at a maximum height of the layer of solder as measured from the contact pad interface surface.
US10177095B2
A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. As a non-limiting example, various aspects of this disclosure provide a semiconductor device comprising one or more conductive shielding members and an EMI shielding layer, and a method of manufacturing thereof.
US10177092B2
A method for fabricating an advanced metal conductor structure is described. A pattern in a dielectric layer is provided. The pattern includes a set of features in the dielectric for a set of metal conductor structures. An adhesion promoting layer is created over the patterned dielectric. A ruthenium layer is deposited over the adhesion promoting layer. Using a physical vapor deposition process, a cobalt layer is deposited over the ruthenium layer. A thermal anneal is performed which reflows the cobalt layer to fill the set of features to form a set of metal conductor structures.
US10177090B2
A package-on-package semiconductor assembly is characterized by a semiconductor device positioned in a dielectric recess of a core base and surrounded by an array of metal posts. The recess in the core provides lateral displacement control between the device and the metal posts, and the minimal height of the metal posts needed for the vertical connection between two both opposite sides of the core base can be reduced by the amount equal to the depth of the recess. Further, another semiconductor device is disposed over a top surface of the core base and is electrically coupled to the semiconductor device in the dielectric recess through a buildup circuitry under a bottom surface of the core base.
US10177080B2
An intelligent power module (IPM) has a first, second, third and fourth die paddles, a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), a tie bar, an IC, a plurality of leads and a molding encapsulation. The first MOSFET is attached to the first die paddle. The second MOSFET is attached to the second die paddle. The third MOSFET is attached to the third die paddle. The fourth, fifth and sixth MOSFETs are attached to the fourth die paddle. The IC is attached to the tie bar. The molding encapsulation encloses the first, second, third and fourth die paddles, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth MOSFETs, the tie bar and the IC. The IPM is a small-outline package. It reduces system design time and improves reliability. The IC includes boost diodes. It reduces a package size of the IPM.
US10177073B2
Disclosed herein are a device having an embedded heat spreader and method for forming the same. A carrier substrate may comprise a carrier, an adhesive layer, a base film layer, and a seed layer. A patterned mask is formed with a heat spreader opening and via openings. Vias and a heat spreader may be formed in the pattern mask openings at the same time using a plating process and a die attached to the head spreader by a die attachment layer. A molding compound is applied over the die and heat spreader so that the heat spreader is disposed at the second side of the molded substrate. A first RDL may have a plurality of mounting pads and a plurality of conductive lines is formed on the molded substrate, the mounting pads may have a bond pitch greater than the bond pitch of the die contact pads.
US10177071B2
A method of forming an on-chip heat sink includes forming a device on a substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of insulator layers over the device. The method further includes forming a heat sink in at least one of the plurality of insulator layers and proximate to the device. The heat sink includes a reservoir of phase change material having a melting point temperature that is less than an upper limit of a design operating temperature of the chip.
US10177060B2
A chip package structure includes a substrate, a chip, an encapsulant, a plurality of solder balls and a patterned metal layer. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The chip is disposed on the first surface and electrically connected to the substrate. The encapsulant encapsulates the chip and covering the first surface. The solder balls are disposed on the second surface and electrically connected to the substrate. The patterned metal layer s disposed on the encapsulant. The patterned metal layer includes at least one concave portion and at least one convex portion defined by the concave portion. The convex portion faces the encapsulant. The adhesion layer is disposed between the patterned metal layer and the encapsulant. The adhesion layer is filled in the concave portion.
US10177057B2
A semiconductor package is described which meets a plurality of predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirements. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die embedded in or covered by a molded plastic body, the molded plastic body satisfying only a subset of the plurality of predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirements. The semiconductor package further includes a plurality of terminals protruding from the molded plastic body and electrically connected to the semiconductor die, and a coating applied to at least part of the molded plastic body and/or part of the plurality of terminals. The coating satisfies each predetermined electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or environmental requirement not satisfied by the molded plastic body.
US10177027B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate including a substrate and a multilayer film having a step-shaped portion on the substrate; forming a protective layer covering the step-shaped portion of the multilayer film; forming a capping layer having a plurality of steps on the protective layer covering the semiconductor substrate; and removing at least one layer of the multilayer film to form a cavity that is defined by the capping layer and a remaining multilayer film that has the at least one layer removed. The thus formed semiconductor device does not have cracks in the steps of the capping layer when performing an etch process, thereby improving the performance of the semiconductor device.
US10177026B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a sacrificial gate structure, depositing a dielectric material, and implanting the dielectric material using a silicon cluster gas. The silicon cluster gas has two or more silicon atoms.
US10177025B2
A method and apparatus for filling one or more gaps created during manufacturing of a feature on a substrate by: providing a bottom area of a surface of the one or more gaps with a first reactant; providing a second reactant to the substrate; and, allowing the first reactant to initiate reaction of the second reactant in the bottom area of the surface in a stoichiometric ratio of one molecule of the first reactant to multiple molecules of the second reactants leaving a top area of the surface of the one or more gaps which was not provided with the first reactant initially substantially empty.
US10177024B2
A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a showerhead module through which process gas from a process gas source is supplied to a processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a platen, a stem having a side wall defining a cylindrical interior region thereof, a lower surface, and an upper end that supports the platen, and an adapter having a side wall defining a cylindrical interior region thereof and an upper surface that supports the stem. The lower surface of the stem includes a gas inlet in fluid communication with a respective gas passage located in the side wall of the stem and a gas outlet located in an annular gas channel in the upper surface of the adapter. The upper surface of the adapter includes an inner groove located radially inward of the gas outlet and an outer groove located radially outward of the inner groove. The inner groove and the outer groove have respective O-rings therein so as to form a vacuum seals during processing. The platen includes at least one platen gas passage in fluid communication with a respective gas passage in the side wall of the stem through which backside gas can be supplied to a region below a semiconductor substrate when supported on the upper surface of the platen during processing.
US10177018B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, system, and computer program product for monitoring a service life of a chamber component. In one example, the method includes receiving one or more power measurements of a semiconductor processing chamber from one or more sensors positioned about the semiconductor processing chamber. The processor compares the one or more power measurements to one or more threshold values corresponding to the service life of the chamber component. The processor determines whether the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values. If the processor determines that the one or more power measurements exceed the threshold values, the processor takes remedial measures for the service life of the chamber component.
US10177017B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for conditioning a plasma processing chamber to maintain a reliable and predicable processing conditions while performing a oxide removal process on a substrate. In one embodiment, a method for conditioning a plasma processing chamber includes supplying a first gas mixture including an inert gas into a processing chamber a first period of time in absent of a substrate, supplying a second gas mixture including an inert gas, a hydrogen containing gas and a halogen containing gas for a second period of time in absent of the substrate, and supplying a third gas mixture including an inert gas and a hydrogen containing gas for a third period of time in absent of the substrate in the processing chamber.
US10177010B2
A semiconductor device has a substrate. A conductive via is formed through the substrate. A plurality of first contact pads is formed over a first surface of the substrate. A plurality of second contact pads is formed over a second surface of the substrate. A dummy pattern is formed over the second surface of the substrate. An indentation is formed in a sidewall of the substrate. An opening is formed through the substrate. An encapsulant is deposited in the opening. An insulating layer is formed over second surface of the substrate. A dummy opening is formed in the insulating layer. A semiconductor die is disposed adjacent to the substrate. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and substrate. The first surface of the substrate includes a width that is greater than a width of the second surface of the substrate.
US10177007B1
A method for planarizing a polysilicon layer of a low-temperature polysilicon device is provided. The method includes: Step S1: Crystallizing the low-temperature polysilicon device. Step S2: Forming a flat coating layer on an uneven surface of the polysilicon layer of the crystallized low-temperature polysilicon device through a coating process. Step S3: Curing the flat coating layer. Step S4: Removing the cured flat coating layer and the polysilicon protrusion through a removing process to form a flat surface of the polysilicon layer. By the foregoing method, the surface of the rough and uneven polysilicon layer can be well-planarized. As a result, the problems of a broken film, unclean etching, or tip discharge, which would be induced by a rough polysilicon layer, are mitigated. Therefore, the production yield of the low-temperature polysilicon device is improved.
US10177004B2
A method of processing a wafer includes a plasma etching step of supplying an etching gas in a plasma state to the wafer to remove processing strains, debris, or modified layers. The plasma etching step includes turning an etching gas into a plasma state outside of a vacuum chamber which houses the wafer therein and delivering the etching gas in the plasma state into the vacuum chamber through a supply nozzle connected to the vacuum chamber.
US10177003B2
A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A bi-modal process gas composition is supplied to a plasma generation region overlying the substrate. For a first period of time, a first radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate a plasma to cause etching-dominant effects on the substrate. For a second period of time, after completion of the first period of time, a second radiofrequency power is applied to the bi-modal process gas composition to generate the plasma to cause deposition-dominant effects on the substrate. The first and second radiofrequency powers are applied in an alternating and successive manner for an overall period of time to remove a required amount of exposed target material.
US10176981B2
If a SiO2 film is formed on a semiconductor substrate using TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate: Si(OC2H5)4), carbon (C) may be mixed in the SiO2 film in some cases. In a SiO2 film, carbon may function as fixed charges. For example, if carbon (C) is mixed in a SiO2 film as a gate insulating film of a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor), the gate threshold voltage (Vth) may fluctuate. A semiconductor device using a gallium nitride semiconductor layer is provided. The semiconductor device includes: a silicon dioxide film that is provided at least partially in direct contact with the gallium nitride semiconductor layer and has impurity atoms, wherein the silicon dioxide film contains as the impurity atoms: carbon at concentration higher than 0 cm−3 and lower than 2E+18 cm−3; and gallium at concentration equal to or lower than 1E+17 cm−3.
US10176979B2
An amine-free composition and process for cleaning post-chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) residue and contaminants from a microelectronic device having said residue and contaminants thereon. The amine-free composition preferably includes at least one oxidizing agent, at least one complexing agent, at least one basic compound, and water and has a pH in the range from about 2.5 to about 11.5. The composition achieves highly efficacious cleaning of the post-CMP residue and contaminant material from the surface of the microelectronic device without compromising the low-k dielectric material or the copper interconnect material.
US10176975B2
A detector plate includes a carrier plate, especially an injection-molded carrier plate, having a plurality of detector elements for detecting ionizing radiation. The detector elements function according to the principle of a Geiger-Müller counter. To simplify the production process and to save cost, the anode and/or the cathode should be in the form of a metallization on the carrier plate of the detector plate, the metallization(s) not being present in a single plane only. This configuration offers multiple options for designing the interior used as ionization chamber and for arranging the electrodes in this space. The options for contact with additional printed circuit boards also turn out to be highly advantageous. This further has an advantageous effect on the production process and on the qualities of the radiation measurement devices using detector plates of this kind.
US10176973B2
Embodiments disclosed herein include a method for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. The method includes energizing an abating agent, forming a composition by reacting the energized abating agent with gases exiting a vacuum processing chamber, and flowing the composition through a plurality of holes formed in a cooling plate. By cooling the composition with the cooling plate, damages on the downstream pump are avoided.
US10176970B2
A power supply system for a plasma process includes two separate power supplies of essentially identical performance characteristics, including a first power supply and a second power supply, and a data transfer connection operably coupling the two power supplies for data communication between the two power supplies. The first power supply is configured to: receive, in a standby mode, data via the data transfer connection from the second power supply supplying power to a plasma process in a normal operating mode, and supply, in an active backup mode, power to the plasma process in place of the second power supply, as a function of the received data. The first power supply can supply in the active backup mode to the plasma process the power having one or more characteristics that are substantially the same as those of the power provided by the second power supply in the normal operating mode.
US10176969B2
A method for rapid switching between operating modes with differing beam currents in a charged particle system is disclosed. Many FIB milling applications require precise positioning of a milled pattern within a region of interest (RoI). This may be accomplished by using fiducial marks near the RoI, wherein the FIB is periodically deflected to image these marks during FIB milling. Any drift of the beam relative to the RoI can then be measured and compensated for, enabling more precise positioning of the FIB milling beam. It is often advantageous to use a lower current FIB for imaging since this may enable higher spatial resolution in the image of the marks. For faster FIB milling, a larger beam current is desired. Thus, for optimization of the FIB milling process, a method for rapidly switching between high and low current operating modes is desirable.
US10176967B2
A load lock system for charged particle beam imaging with a particle shielding plate, a bottom seal plate and a plurality of sensor units is provided. The sensor units are located above the wafer, the shield plate is designed to have a few number of screws, and the bottom seal plate contains no cable, no contact sensors and fewer screws used. In the invention, the system is designed to improve the contamination particles from components in the load lock system of charged particle beam inspection tool and also to simplify its assembly.
US10176961B2
Night vision systems that are compact in size due to one or more of the design of the optical system and light detector module.
US10176955B2
The present invention relates to a multi-pole molded case circuit breaker, more particularly, to a multi-pole molded case circuit breaker having a safety device (with an isolation function) which prevents a manipulation handle from being moved to an off-position when a fusion occurs on a contact portion.
US10176953B2
In an electromagnetically controlled actuator of an electrical contactor, switching is done by the actuator with a set of fixed contacts and a set of movable contacts. The movable contacts are carried on a movable contact carrier. The movable contact carrier is coupled to and driven by an armature surrounded by a coil. The armature carries a coupling shaft, and the coupling shaft carries at least part of a bistable coupling mechanism which joins the armature to the movable contact carrier and allows the movable contact carrier and armature to keep the fixed and movable contacts separated when a short circuit current creates a contact welding situation.
US10176950B2
A latching relay drive circuit includes a transistor that goes off when an operation switch is open, and a transistor connected in parallel to a capacitor and an operation coil. The transistor comes on when the transistor goes off to allow a reset current to flow into the operation coil. Accordingly, an enough reset current can be supplied, even if a power supply is shut off due to a power failure, to securely recover a single winding latching relay.
US10176946B2
The invention relates to a drive device for an electrical switching device, in particular for a high-voltage switch, having a housing which can be filled with insulating gas, having an energy storage device which is arranged in the housing and has a spring and a stop against which the spring can be tensioned. According to the invention, an adjustment device which can be actuated from the exterior of the housing is provided, by means of which adjustment device a position of the stop in the housing can be adjusted along an axis.
US10176933B2
An energy storage device includes first and second electrodes and a solid state electrolyte. The first electrode includes carbon nanotubes, a conductive polymer, and a metallization on said carbon nanotubes. The second electrode similarly includes carbon nanotubes, a conductive polymer, and a metallization on said carbon nanotubes. The solid state electrolyte is disposed at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In at least some embodiments, the conductive polymer of the first electrode includes polyaniline, and the metallization of the first electrode is a gold metallization.
US10176927B2
A coil portion providing a common mode choke coil and a protection element portion providing ESD protection elements are disposed so as to be aligned in a lamination direction of a component body. The ESD protection elements are composed of a ground electrode and discharge electrodes each located so as to be spaced apart from the ground electrode at a predetermined interval. Capacitor electrodes are provided so as to be opposed to the discharge electrodes thereby to form capacitors, and the capacitors and coil conductors of the common mode choke coil form an LC filter. Accordingly, noise removal characteristics are caused to have higher attenuation and a wider band than with a mere inductor.
US10176925B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for providing a precision laser adjustable (e.g., trimmable) thin film capacitor array. A plurality of individual capacitors are formed on a common substrate and connected together in parallel by way of fusible links. The individual capacitors are provided as laddered capacitance value capacitors such that a plurality of lower valued capacitors corresponding to the lower steps of the ladder, and lesser numbers of capacitors, including a single capacitor, for successive steps of the ladder, are provided. Precision capacitance values can be achieved by either of fusing or ablating selected of the fusible links so as to remove the selected subcomponents from the parallel connection. In-situ live-trimming of selected fusible links may be performed after placement of the capacitor array on a hosting printed circuit board.
US10176923B2
A ceramic electronic component includes a body, a first external electrode, and a second external electrode. The body includes a first end surface and a second end surface that face each other, surfaces each extending between the first end surface and the second end surface, an outer edge that is provided along the surfaces and includes recesses, the recesses extending from the first end surface and the second end surface along ridges of the surfaces, and a functional unit that is disposed inward relative to the outer edge. The first external electrode and the second external electrode respectively cover the first end surface and the second end surface and extend to come close to each other from the first end surface and the second end surface along the surfaces and the recesses.
US10176920B2
This building includes a power supply coil of a contactless power supply system using magnetic resonance type. Then, a construction method for this building includes steps of: linking a plurality of building members to each other respectively provided with split wires into which a power supply coil forming a loop as a whole is split at a plurality of locations along an extending direction of the power supply coil, so as to surround an indoor space; and forming the power supply coil surrounding the indoor space by electrically connecting the respective split wires to each other.
US10176916B2
A multilayer body is formed of a plurality of insulator layers that are stacked on top of one another. A coil is a helical coil provided in the multilayer body and includes a plurality of coil conductor layers that are superposed with one another so as to form a ring-shaped path when seen in plan view from a stacking direction and a plurality of via hole conductors that connect the plurality of coil conductor layers together. The path includes corners that project outward and corners that project inward. Each of the via hole conductors are provided at one of the corners, which project outward.
US10176899B2
Nuclear fuel spacers include a deflection-limited elastic rod contact. Spacers may additionally include a rigid contact without elastic functionality. A degree of deflection may be chosen based on plastic deformation threshold, maximum fuel rod movement, anticipated transverse loads related to fuel assembly, inspection, handling, transportation, operation, accidents, and/or any other operating characteristic. Spacers include deflection-limited elastic contacts and/or rigid contacts in several arrangements within the spacer and/or on a single fuel rod. Spacers are compatible with a simple fabrication method that forms rigid, deflection-limiting, and elastic components from a single substrate. Nuclear fuel spacers are useable with several fuel assembly types.
US10176897B2
A method and device is claimed for preventing reverse coolant flow in a BWR Power Reactor. The device comprises a screen that is free to move between a top plate and a bottom plate in a fuel assembly lower tie plate box. Flow holes are formed and aligned in the top plate and in the bottom plate, creating a path for reactor coolant. Disks at a bottom of the screen are aligned with the flow holes in the bottom plate, and are shaped and formed to cover flow holes in the bottom plate. When flow stagnates or reverses, the screen drops causing the disks to rest on the bottom plate blocking downward flow. Upstanding tabs at the top surface of the screen contact the top plate when normal coolant flow is in the upward direction, allowing flow through the flow holes in the top plate.
US10176889B2
A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to receive a document having multiple section headers, segment the document into at least first and second sections based on the section headers, segment items in the first section into fragments and identify a section type for each of the fragments, determine that the identified section type for at least one of the fragments better matches a type of the second section than it matches a type of the first section, and re-locate the at least one of the fragments to the second section.
US10176885B2
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a comparison circuit generating a detection code in response to stored data and expected data, a counting circuit generating a counting code in response to the detection code, a selection code output circuit outputting one of a plurality of expected codes as a selection code in response to a selection signal, and a plurality of signal storage circuits. A comparison result output circuit including a plurality of signal storage circuits which stores a comparison result of a comparison between the counting code and the selection code in one signal storage circuit among the plurality of signal storage circuits according to the selection signal, and a value stored in one signal storage circuit among the plurality of signal storage circuits is output as a result signal in response to an output enable signal.
US10176864B2
A static random access memory (SRAM) includes a bit cell that receives an operating voltage and a reference voltage, and includes a p-type pass gate. A bit information path is connected to the bit cell by the p-type pass gate, and a pre-discharge circuit is connected to the bit information path. The pre-discharge circuit includes an n-type transistor that discharges the bit information path to the reference voltage.
US10176862B1
Methods and devices for gating an internal data strobe from an input buffer of a memory device. The gating function occurs after a write operation ceases but before an external controller stops driving an external data strobe that is used to generate the internal data strobe. The methods and devices use local counters to count how many pulses have occurred on the data strobe during a write operation. When the local counters indicate that an expected number of cycles for the write operation have elapsed, the local counters indicate that the write operation has completed. This indication causes gating circuitry to cut off the internal data strobe from writing circuitry.
US10176859B2
The present disclosure provides storage elements, such as storage transistors, wherein at least one storage mechanism is provided on the basis of a ferroelectric material formed in the buried insulating layer of an SOI transistor architecture. In further illustrative embodiments, one further storage mechanism is implemented in the gate electrode structure, thereby providing increased overall information density. In some illustrative embodiments, the storage mechanism in the gate electrode structure is provided in the form of a ferroelectric material.
US10176853B2
A pre-processing circuit is used for pre-processing a data-line voltage representative of a data output of a memory device. The pre-processing circuit includes a pre-charging circuit and a clamping circuit. The pre-charging circuit pre-charges a data line to adjust the data-line voltage at the data line that is coupled to the memory device. The clamping circuit clamps the data-line voltage to generate a clamped data-line voltage when the data-line voltage is pre-charged to a level that enables a clamping function of the clamping circuit, wherein the clamped data-line voltage is lower than a supply voltage of the pre-processing circuit. The clamping circuit includes a feedback circuit that feeds back a control voltage according to the data-line voltage at the data line, and further reduces its direct current (DC) leakage when the data-line voltage is clamped, wherein the clamping function of the clamping circuit is controlled by the control voltage.
US10176846B1
Systems and methods are described for determining playback points in media assets based on both a keyword and a context of a current playback point in a media asset. For example, in response to user input of a keyword (e.g., “Matt Damon”) while the user is consuming a media asset, a current playback point in the media asset is determined. Context of the media asset at the current playback point is then determined (e.g., the current playback point involves a car chase). Playback points in the media asset are determined that match both the context and the keyword and are presented to the user (e.g., playback points with Matt Damon in a car chase).
US10176845B2
Techniques and devices for creating a Forward-Reverse Loop output video and other output video variations. A pipeline may include obtaining input video and determining a start frame within the input video and a frame length parameter based on a temporal discontinuity minimization. The selected start frame and the frame length parameter may provide a reversal point within the Forward-Reverse Loop output video. The Forward-Reverse Loop output video may include a forward segment that begins at the start frame and ends at the reversal point and a reverse segment that starts after the reversal point and plays back one or more frames in the forward segment in a reverse order. The pipeline for the generating Forward-Reverse Loop output video may be part of a shared resource architecture that generates other types of output video variations, such as AutoLoop output videos and Long Exposure output videos.
US10176840B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a spindle motor configured to rotate a disk, and a first voice coil motor (VCM) configured to actuate a head over the disk. During at least fifty percent of a seek of the head over the disk, a spindle control signal is generated based on a continuous function of a current flowing through the first VCM, and the spindle control signal is applied to the spindle motor.
US10176826B2
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to source separation in audio content. A method for separating sources from audio content is disclosed, the audio content being of a multi-channel format based on a plurality of channels. The method comprises performing a component analysis on the audio content for each of the plurality of channels to generate a plurality of components, each of the plurality of components comprising a plurality of time-frequency tiles in full frequency band; generating at least one dominant source with at least one of the time-frequency tiles from the plurality of the components and separating the sources from the audio content by estimating spatial parameters and spectral parameters based on the dominant source. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
US10176824B2
Increasing the level of the consonant segments relative to the nearby vowel segments, known as consonant-vowel ratio (CVR) modification, is reported to be effective in improving speech intelligibility by listeners in noisy backgrounds and by hearing-impaired listeners. A method along with a system for real-time CVR modification using the rate of change of spectral centroid for detection of spectral transitions is disclosed. A preferred embodiment of the invention using a 16-bit fixed point processor with on-chip FFT hardware is also presented for real-time signal processing. It can be integrated with other FFT-based signal processing in communication devices, hearing aids, and other systems for improving speech perception under adverse listening conditions.
US10176817B2
The invention provides an audio encoder including a combination of a linear predictive coding filter having a plurality of linear predictive coding coefficients and a time-frequency converter, wherein the combination is configured to filter and to convert a frame of the audio signal into a frequency domain in order to output a spectrum based on the frame and on the linear predictive coding coefficients; a low frequency emphasizer configured to calculate a processed spectrum based on the spectrum, wherein spectral lines of the processed spectrum representing a lower frequency than a reference spectral line are emphasized; and a control device configured to control the calculation of the processed spectrum by the low frequency emphasizer depending on the linear predictive coding coefficients of the linear predictive coding filter.
US10176816B2
Provided are a vector quantization device, a voice coding device, a vector quantization method, and a voice coding method which enable a reduction in the calculation amount of voice codec without deterioration of voice quality. In the vector quantization device, a first reference vector calculation unit (201) calculates a first reference vector by multiplying a target vector (x) by an auditory weighting LPC synthesis filter (H), and a second reference vector calculation unit (202) calculates a second reference vector by multiplying an element of the first reference vector by a filter having a high pass characteristic. A polarity preliminary selection unit (205) generates a polar vector by disposing a unit pulse having a positive or negative polarity, which is selected on the basis of the polarity of an element of the second reference vector, in the position of said element.
US10176812B2
A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels from a downmix signal having three or more downmix channels, wherein the downmix signal encodes three or more audio object signals is provided. The decoder includes an input channel router and at least two channel processing units. Each channel processing unit of the at least two channel processing units is configured to generate one or more of at least two processed channels depending on side information and depending on one or more of the three or more downmix channels received by the channel processing unit from the input channel router.
US10176811B2
A method and an apparatus of extracting voiceprint information based on neural network are disclosed. The method includes: extracting a phonetic acoustic feature from an input voice segment; inputting the phonetic acoustic feature into a voiceprint model trained based on a neural network, and extracting a bottleneck feature of the neural network in the voiceprint model; and mapping frame vectors of the bottleneck feature of the neural network into a single-frame voiceprint expression vector, which serves as voiceprint information corresponding to the input voice segment. The neural network-based voiceprint information extraction method and apparatus extract voiceprint information of a voice segment using a voiceprint model trained based on a neural network, and thus the extraction process is relatively simple, and a short-time voice segment can be processed in a better manner.
US10176808B1
Techniques for integrating a virtual assistant into a spoken conversation session, the techniques including receiving an utterance information that expresses an utterance spoken by a first participant included in a plurality of participants of a spoken conversation session; processing the utterance information using at least one machine-trained model to determine an intent or content for a command or query included in the utterance; selectively identifying a recipient subset of one or more of the plurality of participants based on at least the determined intent or content for the utterance; generating a response for the command or query; and providing, during the spoken conversation session, the response to the identified recipient subset.
US10176807B2
A home assistant device assisting with the setup of devices is described. An assistant device can determine setup instructions for devices. The setup instructions for one device can be determined to include a step requesting information related to the setup of another device. The setup of the devices can be ordered based on that determination. The setup instructions can then be provided.
US10176805B2
A networked visual and audible alarm light system and method with voice command control and base station having alarm for smoke, carbon monoxide, and gas provides illuminating LEDs, audible alerts, a base control, and a voice command control. The system detects and alerts to smoke, carbon monoxide, and gas. Multiple light fixtures audibly and visually alert in different colors, patterns, and intensities, dependent on the type of event detected. A network of systems are monitored and controlled from a base station that facilitates communication therebetween. The system provides speech recognition for powering on and off, dimming, brightening, and adjusting the lighting; including presets and emergency situations. The voice recognition command controls lighting choices, and can silence or suspend alarm-state by verbally commanding SHUT OFF. The base station monitors and programs individual LED and detecting devices that create a network within a home or structure to manage lighting and security.
