US09072210B2
In order to provide a substrate cartridge, a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing system, a control apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a display element capable of preventing foreign objects from being attached to the substrate, there is provided a substrate cartridge including: a cartridge mainframe that has an opening which a substrate is carried in/out and accommodates the substrate through the opening; a mount portion that is provided in the cartridge mainframe and is detachably connected to an external connecting portion; and a blocking unit that blocks the opening depending on a connection state between the mount portion and an external connecting portion.
US09072209B2
A method for forming a conductive pattern on a substrate (208) includes providing an image pattern for imaging on the substrate; imaging the image pattern on the substrate creating imaged areas; spraying functional material (240) on the substrate that diffuse molecules of the functional material into the imaged areas and wherein the functional material is in a form of liquid; and applying electro-less copper coating that builds conductive material traces on the imaged areas on the substrate.
US09072205B1
A surface mounting method includes applying an active resin composition to at least part of a surface of a printed wiring substrate; mounting a surface mount device on the substrate; performing reflow soldering; applying an under-filling resin into a space of interest; before and/or after applying the under-filling resin, performing a vacuum treatment and/or heating at a temperature lower than the curing reaction-initiating temperature of any of the applied active resin composition and the under-filling resin; and subsequently, thermally curing the resin composition and the under-filling resin. The active resin composition contains an epoxy resin in an amount of 100 parts by weight, a blocked carboxylic acid compound in an amount of 1-50 parts by weight and/or a carboxylic acid compound in an amount of 1-10 parts by weight, and a curing agent which can initiate curing reaction at 150° C. or higher, in an amount of 1-30 parts by weight.
US09072204B2
An electronic module 10 includes: a circuit board 12 having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and a plurality of electronic components 14 mounted thereon. The electronic components 14 are sealed at the first surface of the circuit board 12, with a mold body 16 composed of a resin composition. A shield layer 28 is formed on the surface of the mold body 16. The glass transition temperature of a resin included in the mold body 16 is higher than the glass transition temperatures of resins included in the circuit board 12 and the shield layer 28, respectively. The modulus of elasticity of the mold body at 25° C. is 10 to 18 GPa, and the thickness of the circuit board is 0.3 to 1.0 mm.
US09072201B2
A modular cooling system configured to treat IT air generated by a data center includes a frame and a plurality of cooling sub-system modules supported by the frame. The plurality of cooling sub-system modules are configured to operate in parallel to achieve total cooling effect or a lesser cooling effect with some level of redundancy within the data center. Each cooling sub-system module includes a housing configured to support cooling equipment, an air-to-air heat exchanger supported by the housing to cool IT air generated by the data center, the air-to-air heat exchanger having at least one tube configured to direct IT from one end of the air-to-air heat exchanger to an opposite end of the air-to-air heat exchanger and configured so that outdoor air circulates around the at least one tube, and a mechanical cooling system supported by the housing. The mechanical cooling system is configured to receive IT air treated by the air-to-air heat exchanger and to provide further cooling to the treated IT air. Other embodiments of the cooling system and methods of cooling are further disclosed.
US09072195B2
A simple configuration for cooling comprises a front-back air supply and exhaust system. A first circuit board is located in front of a relay circuit board. A cooling unit and a second circuit board are placed behind the relay circuit board in a chassis. A first air passage allows intake air through an intake hole in a front side of the first circuit board unit to pass through the first circuit board and then through an opening in the relay circuit board to the cooling unit. A second air passage allows intake air through an intake hole in a front face of the chassis to pass through a lateral side of the first circuit board and then through a vent hole in a partition provided at the lateral side of the first circuit board. The second circuit board is placed in the second air passage.
US09072189B2
A substrate unit includes a conductive case, an insulating case arranged in the conductive case, a first screw member having conductivity, arranged in the conductive case and fixing the insulating case to an inner wall surface of the conductive case, a circuit substrate provided opposite to the inner wall surface with respect to the insulating case and fixed to the insulating case, and a second screw member having conductivity and fixing the circuit substrate to the insulating case. The first screw member and the second screw member are screwed in toward the inner wall surface. The first screw member and the second screw member are spaced from each other. The first screw member and the second screw member are connected to each other with a connecting member having conductivity.
US09072188B2
A package substrate may include an insulating substrate, a first land array, a second land array, a first plating line and a second plating line. The first land array may be arranged on a first surface of the insulating substrate. The second land array may be arranged on a second surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the first surface. The second land array may be electrically connected to the first land array. The second land array may include outer lands and inner lands. The first plating line may be connected to the outer lands. The second plating line may be connected between the outer lands and the inner lands. The second plating line may have a width narrower than that of the first plating line. The second plating line may be removed by applying a removing current to the first plating line prior to the first plating line.
US09072187B2
Off-plane conductive line interconnects may be formed in microelectronic devices. In one example, such as device includes a first set of metal conductive lines in a dielectric substrate at a first horizontal layer of the substrate, a second set of metal conductive lines in the substrate at the first horizontal layer of the substrate and vertically offset from the first set of metal lines, and a dielectric material insulating the metal lines from each other and the first horizontal layer from other horizontal layers. Vias in the dielectric material to connect both the first and second set of metal lines to metal lines at a second horizontal layer of the substrate.
US09072184B2
An aerospace structure that includes a composite member and a conductive element attached to the composite member wherein the conductive element is configured to conduct electricity across at least a portion of the composite member is provided. The aerospace structure may also include a power distribution system and the conductive element is a part of the power distribution system for the aerospace structure.
US09072171B2
An LED-based light for replacing a conventional fluorescent light in an existing fixture is disclosed. The LED-based light includes an elongated housing, a heat sink extending substantially the length of the housing and having at least one integral retaining portion and a circuit board positioned on the heat sink and having a plurality of LEDs mounted thereon, wherein the at least one integral retaining portion is configured to secure the circuit board to the heat sink.
US09072164B2
A process for fabricating a three dimensional molded feed structure is provided. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a process for fabricating a three dimensional radio frequency (RF) antenna structure, the process including providing a flexible circuit substrate, forming a first preselected pattern of channels in the flexible circuit substrate, depositing a conductive layer on the formed flexible substrate, and removing portions of the conductive layer to form a plurality of conductive traces.
US09072163B2
A housing assembly for a portable electronic device includes a first body, a second body, a first engaging member, a first resilient member and a first housing. The first body has a first space. The second body is installed to the first body and has a first release hole. The first engaging member is movably located in the first space. The first engaging member has at least one first engaging portion. The first resilient member provides a force to the first engaging member to orient the first engaging member toward the first release hole. The first housing is connected to the second body and has at least one first contact portion. When assembling, the first contact portion contacts the first engaging portion. The force of the first resilient member applied to the first engaging member to firmly connect the first housing to the second body.
US09072162B2
An integrated assembly is provided for installation on a housing for electronic components. The integrated assembly includes a shielded window and a bezel overmolded onto the shielded window in an injection molding process. Since both the shielded window and the bezel have EMI resistant properties, the assembly represents an efficient method for providing high quality EMI shielding while eliminating the use of costly parts and assembly procedures.
US09072154B2
An x-ray source for improved electron beam control, a smaller electron beam spot size, and a smaller x-ray spot size with reduced power supply size and weight. A method for improved electron beam control, a smaller electron beam spot size, and a smaller x-ray spot size with reduced power supply size and weight. Grid(s) may be used in an x-ray tube for improved electron beam control, a smaller electron beam spot size, and a smaller x-ray spot size. Control circuitry for the grid(s) can be disposed in electrically insulative potting. Light may be used to provide power and control signals to the control circuitry.
US09072151B2
A high intensity discharge (HID) ballast circuit comprises a trigger circuit, a power half-bridge self-excited oscillation circuit, which is arranged to enable self-excited oscillation by energizing an angle capacitor Cgs with a Miller capacitor Cdg of a power MOSFET when an original single pulse output by the trigger circuit is excited, and then output self-excited oscillation signals; and a filter loop which is arranged to match impedance for the self-excited oscillation signals, thereby converting a low-impedance voltage source to a high-impedance constant current source. The inherent phase relationship of the power MOSFET is utilized, and oscillation signals are generated by a power half-bridge self-excited oscillation circuit, and then impedance matching for the oscillation signals is performed by the filter loop, and finally an HID lamp is triggered. As a result, damages to human eyes caused by stroboscopic effect can be avoided and electro magnetic compatibility test can be passed.
US09072145B2
The present invention relates to a light-emitting diode (LED) driving circuit for lighting, which divides a specific pattern of driving data for a number of sections within one period or a half period of driving power, stores the divided data in a driving data storage device, and drives LEDs connected in series in an LED array unit using the driving data so as to drive the LEDs with high efficiency, a high power factor, and low total harmonic distortion (HTD).
US09072143B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight having at least one light-emitting diode, and an LED drive circuit for driving the at least one light-emitting diode. The LED drive circuit includes a constant voltage circuit for controlling a voltage outputted from an output terminal in such a manner that a voltage inputted to a feedback terminal becomes a constant voltage, and means for driving the at least one light-emitting diode connected to the output terminal of the constant voltage circuit by a constant current. The LED drive circuit has at least one diode provided in a feedback path lying between the output terminal of the constant voltage circuit and the feedback terminal.
US09072139B2
A current driver for a string of LEDs includes a first series connection of a first transistor and a first resistance and a second series connection of a second transistor and a second resistance. The first and second series connections are coupled in parallel between the string of LEDs and a voltage reference. An operational amplifier selectively drives the first and second transistors in response to a clock signal. A switch device driven by the clock signal alternately applies a reference voltage and a respective one of the voltages across the first and second resistances to inverting and non-inverting inputs of the operational amplifier in response to the clock signal. A storage circuit is coupled to the output of the operational amplifier to store the drive signals for the first and second transistors for application to the first and second transistors in the absence of output from the operational amplifier.
US09072138B2
A color correcting device driver is configured to vary the equivalent current into light emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) with the frequency of the AC input current (e.g., 120 Hz). In implementations that include a fly-back controller with a power factor correction (PFC) controller on the primary side, the color correcting device driver performs the method of: 1) turning on the loads (e.g., white and CA strings of LEDs); 2) determining if the voltage supplied to the loads has dropped by a first threshold amount; 3) turning off the loads; and 4) determining if the voltage supplied to loads has recovered by a second threshold amount (or waiting for a fixed amount of time). The method is repeated. In implementations that do not include a PFC controller on the primary side, the color correcting device driver can create a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.
US09072122B2
A non-contact power supply unit including a secondary coil supplies an alternating voltage to multiple heat generation layers provided in a heat generation film. In one of the heat generation layers, a loop is provided as a variable impedance circuit in which the impedance changes according to the frequency. A capacitance element in which the impedance changes according to the frequency is provided in the loop. The heat generation amounts of the heat generation layers are switched by changing the frequency of the alternating voltage generated in the secondary coil according to the size of the recording material that is the heating target.
US09072120B2
Disclosed are methods, circuits and systems for providing cellular base station functionality at one or more nodes of a data network. Baseband traffic and at least a portion of radio unit signaling may be transmitted over a data network from a base station (controller) to a radio equipped network appliance. The network appliance may emulate a native radio unit of the base station controller and may provide cellular base station services to one or more cellular devices. Baseband traffic and at least a portion of the radio unit signaling received from the one or more cellular devices may be transmitted from the network appliance to the base station controller over the data network.
US09072117B1
Disclosed are various embodiments of a telecommunication environment including a wireless transmitter in a first mobile device that enables the first mobile device to communicate over a network infrastructure. An application may be executed in the first mobile device such that the application enables the first mobile device to communicate with a second mobile device over a wireless ad hoc network. The application may further facilitate a requisitioning of a remote computer resource of the second mobile device over the wireless ad hoc network.
US09072111B2
A transmission station includes a communication section configured to perform transmission and reception of data with a receiving station by using a plurality of wireless carriers whose frequency bands differ from one another, and a processor configured to obtain reception qualities of a plurality of wireless carriers which are reported from the receiving station, and configured to assign a gap for each of the wireless carriers, in accordance with the obtained reception quality of the each of the wireless carriers, the gap being a period over which transmission of the data is stopped.
US09072107B2
A wireless network may implement a reduced bandwidth for control information transmitted and/or received on the wireless network. The reduced bandwidth may be used to avoid interference that may be detected from an in-band or adjacent channel. The reduced bandwidth may be used for transmission and/or reception of control information on a cellular or Wi-Fi channel. An eNB or an access point (AP) may signal to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) information associated with the reduced control channel, such as the power and/or the location of the channel in a frequency band. The control channel may be shifted to avoid a change in interference.
US09072096B2
An apparatus and method for allocating resources in an Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) communication system are provided, in which a Node B performs inter-subband hopping on a resource unit for a User Equipment (UE) on a frequency axis along which at least two subbands are defined, at each predetermined hopping time, determines whether to turn on or off mirroring in a subband having the hopped resource unit on a cell basis at the each hopping time, selects a resource unit by selectively mirroring the hopped unit according to the determination, and allocates the selected resource unit to the UE.
US09072092B1
A mesh network management resource receives connectivity status information indicating wireless connectivity amongst multiple wirelessly interconnected access points in a mesh network and multiple clients. Based on the received connectivity status information, the mesh network management resource allocates portions of wireless bandwidth in the mesh network to wirelessly communicate between a root access point in the mesh network and each of the multiple interconnected access points. The root access point transmits messages over the allocated portions of wireless bandwidth from the root access point through the multiple interconnected access points to the multiple clients. According to one configuration, the mesh network management resource allocates use of wireless bandwidth amongst the wirelessly interconnected access points in the mesh network based at least in part on class of service information assigned to different subscribers in the mesh network environment.
US09072089B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transmitting uplink control information in the wireless communication system, which supports carrier aggregation and operates by a TDD, and comprises the steps of: deciding HARQ-ACK bit numbers for each cell from a plurality of cells; composing a HARQ-ACK payload comprising HARQ-ACK bit(s) for each of the plurality of cells; and transmitting the HARQ-ACK payload from a subframe n through a PUSCH.
US09072088B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and instructions for receiving at a user equipment (UE) of a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network an offset value selected from a plurality of offset values in downlink control information. The UE also receives one or more enhanced control channel elements (eCCEs) of an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH). The UE may then determine an allocation of an uplink resource for a transmission on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) based at least in part on the index of a first eCCE and the offset value.
US09072084B2
A method and apparatus for controlling enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) transmissions are disclosed. A plurality of primary absolute grants are received, wherein the plurality of primary absolute grants are associated with a TTI. At least one relative grant is received for E-DCH transmission, wherein the at least one relative grant is associated with the TTI. At least one serving grant for E-DCH transmission is determined. A H-ARQ process is identified for use for the TTI. It is determined whether the identified H-ARQ process is available for scheduled data and whether scheduled data is allowed to be transmitted in the TTI based at least on the identified H-ARQ process. On a condition that the identified H-ARQ process is available for scheduled data and scheduled data is allowed to be transmitted in the TTI, scheduled data is allocated for transmission in the TTI.
US09072083B2
A method of allocating resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) is disclosed. The method includes converting one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain; and partitioning the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB). One or more resource elements are patterned over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS. According to an embodiment, the CSI-RS resource elements with a same subcarrier index for a common cell are code division multiplexed (CDM), with a CDM dimension equal to a number of CSI-RS resource elements with the same subcarrier index for the common cell.
US09072082B2
Systems and methods for improved communications using tunneled direct link setup are described herein. The systems and methods relate to discovery, link setup, channel switching, multicasting, link selection, and quality of service implemented in conjunction with tunneled direct link setup.
US09072071B2
A method and apparatus for allowing a dual-mode mobile device to communicate with a CDMA network without switching from an OFDMA network are provided. For certain embodiments, an OFDMA gateway component may serve as an interface between the OFDMA network and CDMA network, detecting a CDMA message targeting the mobile device and, in response, generating an OFDMA message containing information regarding the CDMA message.
US09072067B2
An example system causing a computer of an information processing apparatus having a wireless communication unit to function as: an installation location designating unit for designating an installation location of a beacon transmitter; an equipment specifying unit for specifying the beacon transmitter based on a field intensity of radio waves received by the wireless communication unit; and an association unit for associating the beacon transmitter specified by the equipment specifying unit with the installation location designated by the installation location designating unit.
US09072061B2
A mobile telecommunications network, such as a GSM, UMTS or LTE network, may include, in addition to the conventional radio access network comprising the base stations, one or more additional access points. An access point may be connected to the network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point may be configured to appear to the mobile terminal as a conventional base station. Arrangements are disclosed which allow the access point to dynamically adjust the power output through its Common Pilot Channel relative to one or more users. In other words, the greater the distance a user is from the access point, the greater the output power.
US09072057B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting a signal suitable for an indoor environment. The method for transmitting a signal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: preprocessing a signal using a signal power to sidelobe power ratio (SSR) parameter defining a signal to sidelobe ratio to minimize an inter-symbol interference and prevent performance deterioration due to reduction in signal strength; and transmitting the preprocessed signal to a receiving apparatus through a predetermined channel.
US09072056B2
Transmission power of a plurality of uplink carrier components used for radio communication by a mobile station device and a base station device is efficiently controlled. The mobile station device communicates by radio with the base station device using a plurality of component carriers. The mobile station device receives, from the base station device, downlink control information that includes information indicating radio resource assignment to a downlink shared channel disposed in any of downlink component carriers, and a TPC command to an uplink control channel in an uplink component carrier in which ACK/NACK to the downlink shared channel is transmitted.
US09072052B2
A communication system may include a plurality of near-field communication (NFC) sensors each associated with a respective location, and a mobile wireless communications device(s) switchable among a plurality of different power consumption modes. The mobile wireless communications device(s) may include a portable housing, an NFC circuit carried by the housing and configured to establish NFC communications with at least one of the NFC sensors when in proximity therewith, and a plurality of different wireless communications circuits carried by the housing. The mobile wireless communications device(s) may further include a controller carried by the housing and coupled to the NFC circuit and the different wireless communications circuits which may be configured to switch to a given power consumption mode based upon the at least one NFC sensor. In particular, some of the different power consumption modes may be associated with selectively powering respective ones of the wireless communications circuits.
US09072034B2
Techniques for use in selecting a base station transceiver system for communication with a mobile station are described. The mobile station is connected to a first base station transceiver system, and scans to identify a second base station transceiver system for communication. The mobile station further identifies that the second base station transceiver system provides a predetermined communication service, and that the first base station transceiver system fails to provide the predetermined communication service. In response to identifying, the mobile station causes the second base station transceiver system to be selected for communication over the first base station transceiver system even if the signal quality of the second base station transceiver system is worse than that of the first base station transceiver system. Identifying whether the first and second base station transceiver system provide the predetermined communication service is based on parameters transmitted from the first and second base station transceiver systems.
US09072032B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described that may provide for femtocells to indicate the proximity of mobile user equipments and/or provide mobile identity to assist in resolving femtocell disambiguation. A femtocell may detect a user equipment in its proximity using an out-of-band link. The femtocell may transmit a proximity indication message to a macro network controller via a core network. The macro network may direct the user equipment to perform a variety of tasks, including directing the user equipment to do a handover to the femtocell. Some embodiments may utilize existing user equipment registrations and femto-to-macrocell outbound handover procedures to address problems such as femtocell ambiguity resolution and triggering frequency searches at a macro network when a current macrocell signal strength is good. These embodiments may utilize dummy identifiers to register the user equipment to facilitate addressing these problems.
US09072030B2
In a mobile communications system exclusive location areas comprising exclusive cells are defined in order to separate cells from the mobile stations not belonging to the user group allowed to camp in the cell and still to allow emergency calls for all mobile stations in these cells. During location update it is checked whether the cell belongs to an exclusive location area (202) and if it does, it is determined whether or not the subscriber is allowed to camp in the cell.
US09072029B2
A mobile communication system includes a control device and a base station device. Data communication between the control device and the base station device is conducted using a fixed-length data size and a variable-length data size. The control device transmits information indicating whether a data size of the data communication has a fixed length or a variable length. The base station device receives the information from the control device.
US09072028B2
The disclosed subject matter relates to an architecture that can leverage Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) features to facilitate more efficient or more robust communication with a femtocell network. In particular, features such as a UMTS localized common pilot channel along with various UTRAN features can enable communications to be directed to specific targets such as to a specific home nodeB (HNB) or to a specific mobile device served by the HNB, while also reducing macro network load.
US09072022B1
A wireless communication device comprises a wireless communication transceiver and a processing system. The wireless communication transceiver is configured to measure reference signal received power (RSRP) values and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) values of a plurality of candidate sectors. The processing system is configured to determine a greatest relative difference between the RSRP values of the candidate sectors. If the greatest relative difference between the RSRP values of the candidate sectors falls below a power threshold, the processing system is configured to direct the wireless communication transceiver to transfer the RSRP values of the candidate sectors and one of the RSRQ values associated with a strongest candidate sector that has a greatest RSRP value of the candidate sectors, and if the greatest relative difference between the RSRP values of the candidate sectors exceeds the power threshold, the RSRP values of the candidate sectors are transferred.
US09072021B2
Methods, systems and apparatus are provided for camping, assisted serving cell addition or removal, and discontinuous reception (DRX) in networks having a macro cell and at least one assisted serving cell. In other aspects, enhancements to Layer 1 channels and uplink timing alignments are provided in networks having a macro cell and at least one assisted serving cell. In further aspects, assisted serving cell Layer 2 architecture and transport channels are provided in networks having a macro cell and at least one assisted serving cell. In further aspects, collaborated HARQ solutions are provided in networks having a macro cell and at least one assisted serving cell.
US09072018B2
A channel management system in a wireless network includes a master radio and a surrogate radio. The master radio performs data communication with one or more clients on a first channel in the wireless network, and the surrogate radio simultaneously scans other channels in the wireless network. A channel manager determines if a channel switch is needed, and the data communication is switched to a second channel based on the scanning of the other channels.
US09072015B2
A method and device for performing handover by a mobile terminal from a source base station to a target base station, the mobile terminal having a RRC layer, a RLC layer and an PDCP layer. The method includes receiving a handover initiation message; and performing handover from the source base station to the target base station, including reassembling RLC SDUs from at least one PDU when possible and delivering the reassembled RLC SDUs from the RLC layer to an upper layer.
US09072012B2
A first method (and related first apparatus) includes transmitting, in a handover request message, an indication of a first protocol version; a second method (and related second apparatus) includes receiving, in the handover request message, the indication, deciding, based on the received indication and a second protocol version, on a value of an information element included in a handover request acknowledgement message to be transmitted, the information element indicating usage of a first or second signaling scheme, and transmitting the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and in the first method receiving the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and a third method (and related third apparatus) including receiving the handover command message including the information element, and configuring according to one of the first and second signaling schemes indicated by the information element.
US09072009B1
Methods and systems are provided for carrier selection based on probable mobility of packet flow. A request is received from an access terminal. The request comprises a packet-flow-type indication, and indicates that the access terminal is requesting a packet flow. If the packet-flow-type indication is associated with a high degree of mobility, the first access terminal is instructed to conduct the packet flow on one of a first set of one or more carriers. If the packet-flow-type indication is associated with a low degree of mobility, the access terminal is instructed to conduct the packet flow on one of a second set of one or more carriers. No carriers are elements of both the first set and the second set.
US09072003B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a power outage report message of M2M device is disclosed. A method for reporting an abnormal power outage event in a wireless access system that supports M2M environment comprises the steps of detecting the abnormal power outage even in an M2M device of a connected state in a normal mode; and transmitting a signaling header from the M2M device to a base station, the signaling header including a power outage indicator for reporting the abnormal power outage event.
US09072000B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives discovery resource information from a base station, sends a discovery signal based on the discovery resource information, and receives from at least one user equipment (UE) a request for relaying with the base station based on the discovery signal. The apparatus may also receive a discovery signal from a relay, and send to the relay a request for relaying with a base station based on the discovery signal. The apparatus may further receive a discovery signal from each of a plurality of relays, determine to select one of the plurality of relays based on the discovery signal from each relay, and send to a selected relay a request for relaying with a base station based on the discovery signal when one of the plurality of relays is determined to be selected.
US09071998B2
A network management system may detect a network condition corresponding to a network and evaluate the network condition to identify types of network performance information corresponding to the network condition. The network management system may prioritize the types of network performance information and communicate priority information to a network device. The priority information may include the types of network performance information identified by the network management system and/or the priority associated with each type of network performance information. The network device may receive the priority information, evaluate the availability of device resources, collect network performance information based on the priority information and the availability of device resources, and communicate the network performance information to the network management system.
US09071989B2
A computer-implemented system is provided that enables automated testing of a plurality of mobile devices residing at a monitor site. The system is comprised generally of a test controller in data communication with the plurality of mobile devices. The test controller transmits a test request over a wireless network to each of the plurality of mobile devices, where the test controller communicates via a persistent data channel using a short range communication protocol such as a Bluetooth. Each of the mobile devices is configured with a test agent that is configured to receive the test request from the test controller and execute a test in response to the test request.
US09071988B2
Apparatus, computer program product, and methods for flexible data unit segmentation and arrangement
Apparatus, computer program products and methods allow inclusion and segmentation of multiple SDUs within a PDU, and generate information (such as header information) necessary to identify, e.g., the position of the segmented SDUs within the PDU. Prior knowledge of the typically used (i.e., predetermined) SDU size is used to perform segmentation operations, hi one exemplary variant, apparatus, methods and computer program products determine if a particular one of a set of input data units (SDUs) is to be segmented in order to fit a portion of the set, including a segment of the particular input data unit, into an output data unit (PDU); segment the input data unit in response to determining the particular input data unit is to be segmented; add the portion of the set to a data portion of the output data unit, and add into the output data unit an indication of a position of the segment in the data portion. In another variant, apparatus, computer program products and methods receive first data units, each of the first data units including a plurality of data portions having a plurality of second data units, each of at least two of the first data units including an indication of a position of a segment of a second data unit in associated ones of the data portions; combine using at least the indications the segments to create a complete second data unit; and output the complete second data unit.
US09071982B2
A method and apparatus for providing local loop information in a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request for local loop information pertaining to a transmission channel, and determines if the transmission channel has one or more local loops. The method retrieves data associated with the one or more local loops if the transmission channel has one or more local loops, and analyzes the data associated with the one or more local loops to determine at least one facility type that supports the transmission channel.
US09071980B2
One aspect of the present invention is method for signal quality measurement that provides significant improvements in accuracy, at least in certain scenarios where conventional approaches to such measurements are vulnerable to inaccuracies. Non-limiting example scenarios include instances where a communication network uses downlink carriers in neighboring cells with overlapping frequencies but with different bandwidths and/or center frequencies. In such cases, there may be uneven interference across the carrier bandwidth, e.g., arising from neighboring carriers operating at different center frequencies and/or at different bandwidths. Thus, making the signal quality measurement for a given carrier depend on a combination of measurements taken at different frequency regions of the carrier provides a clearer, more accurate picture of the interference or loading conditions bearing on that carrier.
US09071966B2
Systems and techniques for wireless client authentication are described. A wireless client seeking access to a network requiring authentication transmits a management frame following a signaling sequence that accomplishes scanning, network discovery, and authentication. An access point receiving the management frame forwards information contained in the management frame to a network and receives and forwards to a client an authentication response frame received from a network.
US09071965B2
A method and apparatus are provided for allocating resources in a communication network including at least one access point exchanging data with at least one terminal connected thereto, and managing at least two communication channels. The method in the access point implements a phase of associating and authenticating a terminal with the access point, including a step of associating a unique identifier with the terminal, and a phase of managing the assembly of channels. The phase of managing includes implementing a reference table associating one of the channels to a terminal identified by the unique identifier thereof, including the following steps: detecting a switching of a terminal connected with the access point, from an initial channel to a destination channel; and updating the reference table to associate the unique identifier of the terminal to the destination channel.
US09071961B2
A method for estimating channel state in a wireless communication system and a mobile station using the same are disclosed. The method includes acquiring cell Identifiers (IDs) of a serving cell and one or more neighbor cells, acquiring information about preset power level patterns for one or more frequency partitions to which FFR is applied according to the cell IDs, and estimating a channel state of the serving cell based on the power level pattern information.
US09071946B2
Concurrent text and voice communications can be maintained with an emergency call taker. An application executing on a mobile communications device in conjunction with a network gateway provide voice communication as well as an interactive Short Messaging System (SMS) session with a public safety answering point (PSAP). The gateway correlates and manages SMS messages with the PSAP and the mobile device. As such, a virtual session is generated over a traffic channel, that provides the advantages of a voice call as well as allowing text based communications.
US09071943B2
The present disclosure provides a method, a server and a system for processing an emergency call in a PoC service. The method includes: receiving, by a PoC server, an emergency call request sent by an initiator; adding, by the PoC server, a mobile terminal as one party to an established emergency call group according to the emergency call request, where a first party of the emergency call group is a dispatcher; and forwarding, by the PoC server, a two-way session between the mobile terminal and the dispatcher. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, an emergency call may be provided in a PoC service.
US09071942B2
An access point of a communications network receives a multicast or broadcast packet from a source. The access point converts the multicast or broadcast packet into a unicast packet addressed to a station associated with the access point. The access point then transmits the unicast packet over the communications network from the access point to the station. The access point further may determine a minimum data rate by which the access point may transmit the multicast or broadcast packet to the station and determines an effective unicast rate for transmitting the unicast packet to the station. If the effective unicast rate does not exceed the minimum data rate, the access point does not transmit the unicast packet to the station and transmits the multicast or broadcast packet.
US09071941B2
A mobile communication system 100 includes a specific cell configured to allow a specific user to be provided with a service and to allow a non-specific user other than the specific user to be provided with a limited service. The mobile communication system 100 includes a management unit 23 configured to manage a presence state of the non-specific user in the specific cell in addition to a presence state of the specific user in the specific cell.
US09071936B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for determining a position of an access terminal within a wireless communication network. In some examples, the access terminal retrieves system information from its current serving cell and stores the retrieved system information in memory along with an associated timestamp. Over time, as the access terminal moves about the network, it can accumulate this system information for a plurality of base stations within its memory. By utilizing the system information for a plurality of base stations rather than only the current serving base station, as well as the associated timestamps, additional position information can be provided to the access terminal. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09071935B2
A self-positioning mechanism is provided that determines and tracks the position of an access point in real time. A location unaware access point determines its location from the locations of location aware stations. The location is determined based on a predicted estimate which is updated based on measured values of the locations of the location aware stations over a time period. The movement of the location is then tracked based on the differences between range measurements of the location aware stations.
US09071931B2
An improved system and method for defining an event based upon an object location and a user-defined zone and managing the conveyance of object location event information among computing devices where object location events are defined in terms of a condition based upon a relationship between user-defined zone information and object location information. One or more location information sources are associated with an object to provide the object location information. One or more user-defined zones are defined on a map and one or more object location events are defined. The occurrence of an object location event produces object location event information that is conveyed to users based on user identification codes. Accessibility to object location information, zone information, and object location event information is based upon an object location information access code, a zone information access code, and an object location event information access code, respectively.
US09071927B2
A collapsed or compact mobile architecture system includes connection nodes each comprising an access interface and at least one network interface; a backhaul network coupled to each of the connection nodes; and a mobility control unit coupled to the backhaul network. The mobility control unit comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address server. Each of the connection nodes is configured to receive attachment requests from at least one user device. The mobility control unit is configured to receive first control plane signals from the connection nodes based on the attachment requests and transmit second control plane signals to the connection nodes based on the attachment requests. The mobility control unit is further configured to assign an IP address to each of the at least one user devices, based on the receive first control plane signals.
US09071923B2
A mobile device includes an automatic archiver program which configures a processor to identify an unused application which satisfies one or more predetermined archiving criteria, and prompts a user to archive the identified application via a user interface. A user interface is provided such that the user may either confirm or decline archiving of the identified application. Upon receiving user input that confirms archiving of the identified application, the application is archived. Several techniques are disclosed to effectively render the application inaccessible by the operating system, so as to prevent the application from executing any background tasks associated with the archived application. The automatic archiver program has root level access to an operating system of a mobile device such that the program may perform access, create, modify and/or delete operations for archiving private data as part of archiving of the application.
US09071922B2
The base stations in a coordinating set, i.e., CoMP set, implement distributed V-MIMO processing to decode uplink signals transmitted from multiple user terminals over the same time and frequency resources. Each base station uses the extrinsic information received from its coordinating base stations to facilitate demodulation and decoding. In the event that one of the base stations successfully decodes an uplink signal, it may provide the decoded data to the other coordinating base stations in the coordinating set. In this case, the coordinating base stations do not need to decode the uplink signal. Even if the uplink signal is not successfully decoded, the demodulated data received from the coordinating base station increases the likelihood of successfully decoding uplink signal in the next iteration of a HARQ process.
US09071920B2
A binaural decoder for an MPEG surround stream, which decodes an MPEG surround stream into a stereo 3D signal, and a decoding method thereof. The method includes dividing a compressed audio stream and head related transfer function (HRTF) data into subbands, selecting predetermined subbands of the HRTF data divided into subbands and filtering the HRTF data to obtain the selected subbands, decoding the audio stream divided into subbands into a stream of multi-channel audio data with respect to subbands according to spatial additional information, and binaural-synthesizing the HRTF data of the selected subbands with the multi-channel audio data of corresponding subbands.
US09071909B2
A multifunctional electromagnetic transducer includes a bracket, a vibrating unit including a magnetic circuit part receiving in the bracket, and a plurality of helical wound springs assembled to the bracket for sustaining the magnetic circuit part. The magnetic circuit part defines a pole plate, a first magnet disposed at a center portion of the pole plate, and a plurality of second magnets surrounding the first magnet and forming a magnetic gap corporately with the first magnet. Each of the second magnets forms a receiving gap corporately with an adjacent second magnet. A voice coil is partially inserted into the magnetic gap.
US09071907B2
A refrigerator includes a vacuum insulated cabinet structure having side walls that are formed from a tube that has been folded/deformed into a structure having an “O” shape with vertically enlarged front and rear openings. The interior of the tube may be filled with silica powder or other filler, and a vacuum is formed within the tube. An insulated rear panel may be utilized to close off the rear opening of the vacuum insulated cabinet structure.
US09071904B2
An active noise reduction system includes an earphone with a cup-like housing and a transmitting transducer, which converts electrical signals into acoustical signals and is arranged at an aperture of the housing. A receiving transducer converts acoustical signals into electrical signals, and is arranged proximate the transmitting transducer. A duct includes an end acoustically coupled to the receiving transducer, and another end located proximate the transmitting transducer. An acoustical path extends from the transmitting transducer to a listener's ear, and has a first transfer characteristic. Another acoustical path extends from the transmitting transducer through the duct to the receiving transducer, and which has a second transfer characteristic. A control unit generates a noise reducing electrical signal that is supplied to the transmitting transducer. This signal is derived from the receiving-transducer signal and filtered with a third transfer characteristic. The second and third transfer characteristics together model the first transfer characteristic.
US09071903B1
A piece of headgear or hat is capable of holding and storing an audio device and a earphone or headphone assembly either while the headgear or hat is in use or while it is stored. The headgear or hat has a pocket accessible from an exterior layer to accept and store the audio device and allow a user to manipulate and use the audio device without removing the headgear or hat. The headgear or hat also has a plurality of apertures so that the common wire set of the earphones or headphones can be threaded between the interior and exterior layers and contained therein. The left and right wire sets of the earphone or headphone assembly are contained within a series of hangers or a hanging band. The earphone or headphone assembly and the audio device are removable from the headgear or hat for repair, replacement or cleaning.
US09071902B1
A phone case with a retractable headset integrated thereof includes a removable housing, a headset with two earbuds, and a cord for the headset with a pair of free ends and a plug. The housing includes a wire storage slot for the earbud cord, and the wire storage slot includes a spring-loaded reel for automatic retracting of the cord when not used. It further includes an earbud storage slot with an opening at one edge of the housing for storing the earbuds; a plug storage slot with an opening at another edge of the housing for storing the plug close to the headset jack of a mobile phone; and the wire storage slot, earbud storage slot, and plug storage slot are interconnected via said headset cord. A plurality of wheels are positioned inside the case for routing the headset cord through the earbud storage slot, wire storage slot, and plug storage slot. The headset is integrated with the housing with earbuds retractably stored in said earbud storage slot and said headset cord stored in said wire storage slot and plug storage slot.
US09071899B2
Narrow ceiling speaker panels designed to be compatible with Armstrong® TECHZONE™ suspended ceiling systems that include an end-flanged grill box nested in a baffle that supports a loudspeaker and associated electronics and which is nested in a flanged grill that is sized for compatibility. Attachments are though the grill box end flanges and baffle panel and through grill edge flanges and baffle edge flanges. The loudspeaker and associated electronics are fastened to the top side of the baffle through pre-drilled or punched holes. The grill may have a decorative appearance by virtue of edge style, pattern of holes, color, or finish.
US09071898B2
Acoustic loudspeaker comprising: a movable membrane; a source of constant magnetic field, a coil mechanically secured to said membrane and interacting with the magnetic field so as to displace the membrane, when it is traversed by an alternating current, characterized in that the membrane carries the coil at its periphery, and in that the magnetic field source is formed by a set of at least one magnetized element disposed at the periphery of said membrane, around the coil, the magnetic field generated by said at least one magnetized element being in a plane parallel to the membrane.
US09071873B2
A remote storage digital video recorder (RS-DVR) system is disclosed. The RS-DVR system includes a network interface to communicate data between the RS-DVR system and a subscriber system via a network, a file system module coupled to the network interface, an ingest agent coupled to the file system module to receive encoded media segments that represent media content files encoded at a plurality of different bitrates; and a storage architecture coupled to the file system to store the encoded media segments, resulting in stored media segments. The RS-DVR carries out a number of functions and operations to service multiple subscribers and associated subscriber systems, such as various storage device management operations, file structure techniques, assignment of recorded media to subscribers, file system indexing, and supporting shared and per-subscriber content rights.
US09071868B2
A system and method are disclosed that improve the efficiency and performance of an Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) system. Several approaches are described that may be used alone or in combination to reduce total system computational costs related to the manner in which such an ACR means takes samples, called “fingerprints,” of digital content being played by a television display device and transmits said fingerprints to a remote server to be compared to a database of fingerprints from known programming. Methods are described for implementing such system performance enhancement including varying sampling rates and other resolution metrics during the process of creating such fingerprints and transmitting them to the database server. The system and method disclosed also describes how to reduce the probability that, when compared to samples from already-identified programming, such fingerprints are incorrectly identified as being of programming other than that which they are in fact derived from.
US09071867B1
Systems and methods for delaying automatic playing of a video based on visibility of the video are presented. In one or more aspects, a system is provided that includes a visibility component configured to determine degree of visibility of a video, or representation of the video, to a user as displayed in a user interface generated at a client device, and an auto-play component configured to delay automatic playing of the video based in part on the degree of visibility being below a threshold.
US09071856B2
In one embodiment, a method determines an audience rule to be applied for delivering content. The audience rule specifies an audience that is defined based on a combination of device properties, content properties, and digital rights management (DRM) properties. A device group associated with a group of devices is determined where devices in the device group are associated with content authorization properties, device properties, and digital rights management (DRM) properties. The method then applies the audience rule to the device group to determine any devices in the group of devices in which a content authorization for a device should be altered based on analyzing the content authorization properties, device properties, and digital rights management (DRM) properties of the device group and the combination of device properties, content properties, and digital rights management (DRM) properties of the audience rule.
US09071855B1
In one example, a method includes determining a first video being viewed by a user of a computing device and one or more pieces of preview video associated with one or more videos different from the first video. The method further includes outputting for transmission to the computing device, identifying information for a particular video from the one or more videos, and receiving, from the computing device, an indication of user interest in the particular video. The method further includes responsive to determining at a second time, later than the first time, that the particular video is available for public viewing, outputting, for transmission to the computing device, a notification that the particular video is available for public viewing.
US09071854B2
There is provided a system and method for dynamically transmitting a services list to a playback device. The system comprises a display device, a playback device, and a mediator server with a mediator application. The mediator application is configured to receive, from the playback device, a service request for a services list, to send a services list for presenting on a display device in response to receiving the service request, to receive an activation request for at a third-party service listed in the services list, and to activate the third-party service in response to receiving the activation request. By programming a digital video disc such as a Blu-ray disc according to an API and using such a mediator server, a dynamically adjustable list of third-party services may be supported and used by the playback device without changing the disc application code.
US09071842B2
A metric representing the sum of variances for pixel blocks of a region of an image are used to identify the presence a video feature of the image, and a transcoding is performed responsive to identifying the presence of the video feature. The identified video feature can include, but is not limited to, a scene change, the presence of a black border region or a caption region, or the complexity of the image. The transcoding operation can include, but is not limited to, coding the image as an Intra-frame, omitting the content corresponding to the black border region or the caption region from the transcoded image or allocating a relatively lower bit budget for the black border region or a relatively higher bit budget to the caption region during transcoding of the image, or setting the bit budget for rate control during transcoding.
US09071840B2
A video encoder is disclosed, the encoder for encoding image frames that are divisible into macroblocks. The video encoder includes means for generating a QP estimate for the macroblocks of an image frame. The video encoder further includes means for selection of a frame level quantization parameter (QP) for the image frame, using one of mean, median, and mode of QP estimates for the macroblocks. A method for encoding video is disclosed for encoding image frames that are divisible into macroblocks. The method generates a quantization parameter (QP) estimate for the macroblocks of an image frame and selects a frame level QP for the image frame, using one of mean, median, and mode of QP estimates for the macroblocks.
US09071839B2
A method of decoding an image including extracting information that indicates an intra prediction mode applied to a current block to be decoded, from a bitstream; determining one of neighboring pixels adjacent to the current block and filtered neighboring pixels filtered from the neighboring pixels as reference pixels, based on at least one of a size of the current block and an intra prediction mode of the current block; performing intra prediction on the current block using the extracted information and the determined reference pixels, wherein, when the current block has a size of N×N, where N is integer, the neighboring pixels include 2N neighboring pixels adjacent to an upper side and an upper right side of the current block and 2N neighboring pixels adjacent to a left side and a below left side of the current block.
US09071836B2
An image processing apparatus includes a predictive picture generator configured to generate a predictive picture for an encoding target block based on pixel values of pixels included in already-encoded blocks around the encoding target block, a predictive error generator configured to generate predictive error based on a picture expressed by the encoding target block and a weighting unit configured to apply weights to pixel values by conducting a multiplication that multiplies by a constant greater than 1 the pixel values of pixels used to generate a predictive picture for another encoding target block, the pixels being pixels from among a plurality of pixels included in predictive error generated by the predictive error generator.
US09071835B2
A multiview image generating method is provided. The multiview image generating method includes generating a hole image using depth information of an original image, dividing a boundary region in which a hole area of the generated hole image is in contact with a background into at least one patch, selecting an area having the most similar pixel value to a background included in the divided at least one patch, in a preset area of the original image, and filling a hole area on the divided at least one patch with a pixel value of the selected area to generate a first view image.
US09071834B2
A general purpose image and visual effects display apparatus, with associated methods, which is comprised of an array of independently angled reflective or refractive elements wherein the varying angle pattern of each element across said array is designed to reflect or refract specifically designed as well as fortuitously located existing colors, in precisely determined patterns, to make apparent to specific viewing or receiving locations a wide range of complex emergent visual and other effects. In some embodiments very high resolution and high color fidelity image display is possible. In other embodiments moving images akin to video can be displayed, using no electronics or moving parts. In other embodiments true binocular 3D images can be displayed directly to viewers, without the need for special 3D viewing glasses. Many of the embodiments and methods are applicable to non-visible light and other reflectable wave-based phenomena.
US09071811B2
Various embodiments reduce disruptions in recorded programming, by automatically recording retransmissions of prior programming. In one embodiment, a recording manager is provided for execution on a receiving device, such as a set-top box. The recording manager detects a disruption in a recorded program. In response, the recording manager automatically records, or schedules a recording of, a later transmission of the same program. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09071788B2
This document relates to a vehicle entertainment device 1 having a driver safety mode and an enhanced audio playback function. The device 1 detects whether the vehicle in which the entertainment device is situated is in motion, or if the driver is preparing to drive the vehicle momentarily. If either of these conditions is detected, the processor 20 acts to disable the video playback on the screen 3 of the entertainment device. At the same time, the processor 20 causes an audio descriptor track corresponding to the disabled video to be played through the speakers 4 of the entertainment device. The audio descriptor track is in addition to the main audio track accompanying the video and provides a verbal description of the content of the video.
US09071784B2
An image forming method, which includes pre-scanning a page to be scanned, displaying candidate colors that correspond to a preset condition through analysis of color components of the pre-scanned image, selecting a dropout color among the displayed candidate colors, and eliminating the selected dropout color from a main-scanned image if main scan of the page to be scanned is performed.
US09071781B2
An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image sensor including a plurality of pixels each having a microlens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion means, and defective pixel detection means for detecting defective photoelectric conversion means from among the plurality of photoelectric conversion means, wherein the defective pixel detection means determines defective photoelectric conversion means by comparing an output signal output from photoelectric conversion means of a subject, sequentially taken from the plurality of photoelectric conversion means, for detection with first signals from photoelectric conversion means included in pixels neighboring the pixel including the photoelectric conversion means of the subject for detection, each position of the photoelectric conversion means included in the neighboring pixels corresponding to a position of the photoelectric conversion means of the subject for detection with respect to the microlens.
US09071759B2
A composite eye camera has: imaging sections (21A, 21B) that generate plural viewpoint images per frame by imaging a same subject from plural viewpoints; a three-dimensional processing section (30) that acquires a parallax amount on the basis of the generated plural viewpoint images; and a CPU (35) that judges that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in at least one case among a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the acquired parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, and a case in which the parallax amount reaches a predetermined allowed limit value, and a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, and judges that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in a case that is none of these, and, when it is judged that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, carries out first parallax adjustment, and, when it is judged that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, switches to control of a second parallax adjustment, that is different than control of the first parallax adjustment, and carries out parallax adjustment. Accordingly, parallax adjustment is carried out appropriately even when there are problems in the parallax amount itself that is determined from the plural viewpoint images, or when an object of parallax adjustment can no longer be detected.
US09071753B2
An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit that respectively generates, with imaging devices different from one another, a first captured image with a specific direction of a subject set in a longitudinal direction, a second captured image with an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to one side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image, and a third captured image with the orthogonal direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to the other side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image; a detecting unit that detects a state of the imaging apparatus; and a control unit that determines, based on the detected state, a range of a target image as a target of display or recording among the first to third captured images.
US09071739B2
A camera system includes a single pixel photo-sensor disposed in or on a substrate to acquire image data. A micro-lens is adjustably positioned above the single pixel photo-sensor to focus external scene light onto the single pixel photo-sensor. An actuator is coupled to the micro-lens to adjust a position of the micro-lens relative to the single pixel photo-sensor to reposition the micro-lens to focus the external scene light incident from different angles onto the single pixel photo-sensor. Readout circuitry is coupled to readout the image data associated with each of the different angles from the single pixel photo-sensor.
US09071737B2
Embodiments of imaging devices of the present disclosure correct chromatic aberrations present in color images obtained from an image sensor having a color filter mosaic based on a series of several images taken at different focal positions of an optical imaging lens possessing uncorrected chromatic aberration(s).
US09071734B2
A system comprises a generation unit which generates a browsing image by performing image processing for image data acquired by scanning; a holding unit which holds, in a storage unit for each use when the image data was printed out, information which defines image processing for converting the browsing image into image data for printing; a specification unit which specifies a use of image data corresponding to the browsing image upon accepting an instruction to print the browsing image; a conversion unit which converts the browsing image into image data for printing by deciding, in accordance with the information in the storage unit, image processing corresponding to the use of the specified image data, and applying the decided image processing to the browsing image; and a control unit which controls a printing unit to output the image data for printing.
US09071733B2
There is described a Minimal Iterativity Anisotropic Diffusion (MIAD) approach that estimates the required number of iterations N as a function of the image structure-under-noise ρ and the bound of the noise η. The time step λ is related to the image structure-under-noise ρ and to the bound of noise λ. The stopping time is calculated using T=λ·N, and the edge strength σ is determined as a function of T, η, and ρ.
US09071717B2
Provided is Electronic apparatus having a function of first power mode and a function of second power mode where power consumption is smaller than first power mode. A plurality of detecting units detects a plurality of trigger operations in second power mode, each of the trigger operations serving as a trigger that causes Electronic apparatus to return from second power mode to first power mode. Mode switching unit causes Electronic apparatus to return from second power mode to first power mode when any one of the plurality of trigger operations is detected by the plurality of detecting units. Power control unit supplies power to the plurality of detecting units in second power mode while performing control of repeating a supply period where power is supplied to the detecting unit and a non-supply period where power is not supplied to it in respect to each of the plurality of detecting units.
US09071714B2
A method of creating a lenticular imaging article. The method comprises printing an interlaced composite image according to a reference grid of a printer, providing a lenticular lens sheet having a plurality of parallel lenticular lines between a plurality of lenslets, selecting an acute angle for an intersection between the first and second axes according to a function of a resolution of the interlaced composite image and a pitch of the lenticular lens sheet, and positioning the lenticular lens sheet so that the intersection forms the acute angle.
US09071713B2
The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reading unit, first and second original sheet conveyance paths, a common conveyance path in which a recording material or the original sheet is conveyed to form an image, a third original sheet conveyance path that connects the first original sheet conveyance path and the second original sheet conveyance path and is used for conveying the original sheet conveyed in the second original sheet conveyance path to the common conveyance path, and a control unit that controls so as to convey the original sheet conveyed in the second original sheet conveyance path to the common conveyance path via the third original sheet conveyance path, and form an image on the original sheet.
US09071712B2
An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feed portion configured to feed a sheet, an image forming portion configured to form an image on the sheet, a first conveying path configured to guide the sheet fed from the sheet feed portion such that the sheet passes through the image forming portion, a second conveying path configured to guide the sheet on which the image has been formed on one surface thereof by the image forming portion to the first conveying path again, a document feed portion configured to feed a document to the second conveying path, an image reading portion configured to read an image of the document fed by the document feed portion, and a control portion configured to control the sheet feed portion and the document feed portion such that the document and the sheet are conveyed on the second conveying path in a sequence in which the document and the sheet are mixed in a case where an operation of forming images respectively on both surfaces of a plurality of sheets overlaps with an operation of reading images of a plurality of documents.
US09071707B2
Device and methods for acquiring by a host device model information (model ID) of a device assigned in a new range are provided herein. In many embodiments, the device includes a model information storage unit that stores model information from either a first range or a second range outside the first range and a communication unit that communicates with a device that requests model information, receives a model information request, and in response returns the model information if within the first range and returns specific information if the model information is outside the first range. After the specific information is sent, a new request is sent from the host device after which the communication unit provides the model information within the second range, often in a different format from the specific information.
US09071696B2
Devices and methods are disclosed which relate to a wireless communications device comprising a wireless power transmission detector and a wireless power transmission indicator for displaying to a user the current level of wireless power transmission. A voltmeter and ammeter take readings from the wireless transceiver circuit while the wireless communications device is on. A power logic stored on a memory within the wireless communications device converts the readings into a wireless power transmission level. The wireless power transmission level is output to an indicator on the wireless communications device where a user can view it. Exemplary embodiments include a true battery life indicator on the wireless communications device. The true battery life indicator gives an amount of time a battery powering the wireless communications device will last at the current wireless power transmission level.
US09071692B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for managing a mute state of a participant in a teleconference may include detecting, based on analysis of at least one characteristic of audio data received from a microphone associated with the participant or image data received from a camera associated with the participant, whether the participant is attempting to speak to other teleconference participants. The method may also include providing an alert to the participant in response to a detecting that the participant is attempting to speak to other conference participants while the microphone is muted.
US09071690B2
Methods and devices for supervising a transfer of a call or of processing a call set up between first and second terminals in a communications network implementing an SIP type signaling protocol. The method is implemented after sending or receiving, as the case may be, a command to transfer the already-set up call to a call between the first terminal and a third terminal. The supervision method obtains an item of information relating to setting up the call between the first and third terminals and sends a command to resume the call between the first and second terminals as a function of whether at least one non-set up criterion is true. The processing method transmits information relating to setting up the call between the first and third terminals and sets up a call between the first and second terminals as a function of whether the resumption command is received.
US09071687B1
A system and machine-implemented method for automated communication is presented. Outbound communication time window groups associated with one or more ranges of time valid are identified for initiating an outbound communication. A set of outbound communication time window groups for each of which the current time is within its associated ranges of time is identified. Subsequently, a call record associated with one of the outbound communication time window groups in the set is obtained, and an outbound communication session is initiated to a communication address included in the obtained call record. After an outbound communication session is established, it may be transferred to a live agent. If the outbound communication session has failed however, another outbound communication session may be initiated to the communication address within a later time range.
US09071685B2
A method and apparatus for time-based mediation of wireless communications is provided to a user of a wireless communications device. The method involves determining local time information associated with the recipient communication device in response to a user-initiated contact function; determining a mediation condition based at least in part on said local time information; and if the mediation condition satisfies a predetermined criterion: providing, to a user of the wireless communication device, an indication of said mediation condition; presenting, to said user, a menu of two or more options for contacting the recipient communication device using the wireless communication device; and initiating communication in accordance with an option selected from said menu. The method can be implemented on an apparatus such as a wireless communication device.
US09071679B2
Various arrangements for customizing a configuration of a mobile device are presented. The mobile device may collect proximity data. The mobile device may determine that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data. A finger length of the user may be determined using the proximity data. Configuration of the mobile device may be customized at least partially based on the determined finger length of the user.
US09071670B2
A method and apparatus are provided for presenting multimedia content to a caller and/or a called party in association with a telephone call. Content may be presented pre-ring (before the called party's telephone rings), in-call, and/or post-call. Content presented to a party may be related to another party participating in the call or may be related to a third party (e.g., an advertiser that paid for the ability to have its content presented). Presented content may be actuable, to allow a caller to change the destination of a call, take advantage of an offer presented to him or her, redeem a coupon, schedule or queue a subsequent call, etc. To find a desired destination party, a caller may initiate a manual or automatic search of his or her local contacts (on his telephone) and/or a central or global directory or contact list.
US09071663B2
A method of processing an interactive service and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving uncompressed audio contents or uncompressed video contents from an external decoding unit, extracting an identifier of a frame from the received content, sending a request containing the identifier to a server and receiving a trigger for the content from the server based on the request, wherein the trigger indicates the current time of the contents and references a particular interactive event in an application parameter table or signals that the event is to be executed now or at a specified future time and the application parameter table includes information about at least one of applications.
US09071662B2
A computer-implemented method, system and computer readable medium storing software are provided for operating a media service based on a media recommendation network comprising a plurality of devices. Aspects of the method and system include receiving a recommendation of a media item from one of the plurality of devices for a media item that is intended for a recipient; determining if the media item is present in the content repository; requesting, in response to determining that the media item is not present in the content repository, upload of the media item; and storing, in response to the media item being uploaded, the media item in the content repository.
US09071658B2
A method for presenting a meeting in a cloud computing environment is disclosed. The method embodiment includes providing by a server a virtual planning space in a cloud computing environment, wherein the virtual planning space is associated with a meeting and is associated with planning content comprising data objects loaded by a plurality of meeting collaborators. The method also includes receiving by the server an indication to launch the meeting, and in response, generating a virtual meeting room associated with the meeting and an identifier for the virtual meeting room. Thereafter, the server is configured to transmit a message to a plurality of meeting participants that includes an invitation to attend the meeting and the identifier for the virtual meeting room, and to present meeting content comprising at least one data object of the planning content to the meeting participants via the virtual meeting room.
US09071653B2
A system is configured to store a user profile associated with a user, the user profile including: a first time, a time period, a list of content accessed by the one or more devices from one or more servers. The system may further be configured to identify particular content based on the list of content from the user profile; determine an amount of particular content to transfer based on the time period; and automatically transfer at least the amount of particular content from one or more servers to the one or more devices over a local area network, prior to the first time.
US09071651B2
An image service uses a uniform resource locator (URL) or other identifier to retrieve dynamic content presentations from the Internet. The image service uses a set of imaging parameters to render HTML files into a static image, sized appropriately, that can be presented on a static display device. A user enters URLs identifying locations of dynamic content within a configuration interface on the image service. The image service then dynamically pulls the selected content from the identified web sites, converts the web pages, or portions thereof, into static digital image files, and downloads the image files for display on a static display device.
US09071650B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide feature-level access control functionality useful for enforcing access controls to features and subfeatures on uncontrolled, third party Web Applications such as those associated with social networking sites. Specifically, pages of uncontrolled Web applications are programmatically inspected as they are accessed by users of an enterprise computing environment. Specific features on the pages are located and access to these features is enabled or disabled on a per user basis. A modified page is generated if feature(s) on a Web page is/are to be disabled. To block certain feature(s), content may be rewritten on-the-fly. Because embodiments disclosed herein can programmatically inspect a Web page and understand what is on the page at a much finer granularity, it is possible for enterprises to gain benefits that may come from embracing social networking sites without risking the downsides of allowing enterprise users access to uncontrolled Web applications.
US09071649B2
The information in the cloud is available in the form of software-as-a-service is accessible from laptops and personal computers. The system obtains information from multiple sources in the “cloud,” correlates the information, determines a subset of information based on context, and pushes the information to at least one mobile device. An engine extracts a context based subset of information and correlates the context based subset of information based on the same context or a different context. A data push engine makes the information available in real time to a user by pushing the information to the at least one mobile device like a smartphone, tablet, and/or navigation system.
US09071647B2
A codebook creating method involves acquiring amplitude or power of channel state information of channels between the transmission antennas and the reception antenna, mapping elements of a codeword of an initial codebook dynamically to the respective transmission antennas based on the amplitude or power of the channel state information thereby to create a first codebook, and scaling norms of elements corresponding to the respective transmission antennas in a codeword of the first codebook by using norm scale factors of the respective transmission antennas fixed based on the amplitude or power of the channel state information. An initial codebook creating method involves configuring a predetermined element of the codeword of the initial codebook to have a predetermined phase resolution, and configuring other elements of the codeword of the initial codebook to be arranged in an increasing or decreasing order of phase resolution.
US09071644B2
An approach for managing a connection to or from a device is presented. Connections of the device are identified. Based on the connections, the device is determined and classified based on security zones to which the device is or has been connected, a quality of service requirement for one or more applications within the device, or a level of information technology service management for the device. Whether an existing or proposed connection of the device is consistent with the classification of the device is determined, and if not, an indication is displayed or a notification is sent that the existing or proposed connection is inconsistent with the classification of the device.
US09071643B2
A personal security system takes advantage of location determination capabilities of a mobile communication services to provide personal security features to one or more communities of users. One method includes a user initiating a security period from a mobile device and specifying an end condition for that security period. If the user does not terminate the security period, at the end of the security period a notification is sent with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user.
US09071642B2
Secure transmission of electronic information is provided between two parties. Included is a first data communication session between a first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the first data communication session is via a first communication protocol. Further, first information is transmitted via the first communication protocol that is received via the first communication protocol. During the first communication session, a second data communication session is provided between the first computing device and the second computing device. The second communication session is via a second communication protocol, which is more secure than the first communication protocol. Second information is transmitted via the second communication protocol that is received via the second communication protocol. The second information relates at least partially to the first information. Moreover, the second communication session appears to a user of the first computing device to be the first communication session.
US09071641B2
An information providing system includes a terminal and a server. The information providing system includes: an information database configured to record registration data in relation to position data; a position data acquiring section configured to acquire a position data of the terminal; a state acquiring section configured to acquire a state data indicative of a state of the terminal; and a region determining section configured to determine a specified retrieval region of the registration data based on the state data. An information extracting section is configured to extract the registration data in the specified retrieval region from the information database as browser data, and a display section is configured to display the browser data.
US09071624B2
Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with traditional approaches to providing accessibility and redundancy for access controller storage media are provided. A method for providing accessibility for storage media of an access controller in an information handling system may include: (i) emulating the storage media such that the storage media appears to an operating system executing on the information handling system as storage media locally attached to the information handling system; (ii) mounting the storage media such that data may be communicated between the storage media and a processor integral to the access controller; (iii) mounting a portion of a network-attached storage remote to the information handling system such that data may be communicated between the portion of the network-attached storage and the processor; and (iv) maintaining redundancy between the storage media and the portion of network-attached storage in accordance with a redundancy policy.
US09071617B2
A method for disclosing, by a Converged Personal Network Service (CPNS) server, Personal Network (PN) information in a CPNS environment is provided. The method includes receiving a PN registration request message including information indicating an information openness level of a Personal Network Entity (PNE), which has been transmitted from the PNE, from a Personal Network GateWay (PN GW) for PN registration of the PNE; checking and storing the information indicating the information openness level of the PNE from the PN registration request message; receiving a service search request message for requesting information regarding a CPNS service provided by the PNE from a predetermined PN GW connected to a predetermined PNE; and checking the information indicating the information openness level of the PNE and providing the information regarding the CPNS service provided by the PNE to the predetermined PNE via the predetermined PN GW.
US09071609B2
A load balancer coupled between a network and a pool of processing resources utilizes a method for performing automatic, dynamic load balancing with respect to allocating the resources to handle processing requests received over the network. According to the method, the load balancer electronically receives registration requests from the processing resources and registers each resource from which a registration request was received. After the resources have been registered but before they are allocated to handle processing requests, the load balancer receives, from each registered resource, information relating to utilization of the resource. The utilization information may include operational metrics for the resource. Some time thereafter, the load balancer receives a request over the network to perform a server-related processing task. Responsive to the request, the load balancer allocates at least one of the registered resources to perform the requested processing task based at least on the previously received utilization information.
US09071606B2
An illustrative system for managing a plurality of cloud services that includes a first cloud service, a second cloud service, a relational database, a cloud management console, a global user profile, an invitation, and a synchronization module. Each cloud service includes an LDAP directory configured to manage end users accessing the corresponding cloud service. The relational database is communicatively coupled to each LDAP directory. The cloud management console manages the relational database, which identifies a maximum number of end users that can access each cloud service and an end date for accessing each cloud service. The global user profile is stored on the relational database. The invitation communicated from the cloud management console enables an end user to access the cloud service. The synchronization module enables the relational database to synchronize with each of the LDAP directories according to each end user's accepted invitations.
US09071591B2
An authentication method for a network connection for a network device is provided. An embedded system is installed in the network connection, and the network device is free from a web browser. First, the network device connects to an authentication server, and an internet access request is sent to the authentication server. An authentication page is retrieved from the authentication server. User authentication data is obtained by an input unit of the network device, and then the user authentication data is filled in corresponding fields of the authentication page. The authentication page is transferred to the authentication server. After, when authentication of the authentication page is successful, the network device connects to the Internet via the authentication server.
US09071590B2
A method for a Personal Network Entity (PNE) to individually join a desired Personal Network (PN) is provided. When the PNE transmits a PN connection request message to a PN gateway, the PN gateway inserts its information into the connection request message and forwards the connection request message to a Converged Personal Network Service (CPNS) server. The CPNS server, upon receipt of the connection request message through the PN gateway, generates and manages information about a PN related to the PN gateway. The information about the PN is provided to the PNE at execution of authentication with the PNE, such that the PNE can determine whether to join the PN.
US09071576B1
A system for managing application service requests. The system processes requests using a first processor, stores a record of the requests in memory using a second processor, and counts the total number of requests received over a time interval using the second processor. If the total number of requests are less than a first threshold, the stored records are dropped. Otherwise, the stored records are analyzed to determine if requests from a single source Internet protocol address exceed a second threshold. If the number of requests from a single source Internet protocol address exceeds the second threshold, the subject Internet protocol address is blacklisted to a firewall through which the service requests pass before reaching the first processor. The requests are visible to the second processor before they are processed by the firewall.
US09071564B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products for data synchronization across multiple devices using mail and push notification services is disclosed.
US09071561B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate interpreting Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) data. An interface can obtain MIME data. For instance, a stream of MIME data can be obtained, MIME data can be loaded from a static file, etc. Moreover, any disparate type of RFC 822 data can additionally or alternatively be received by the interface. Also, a MIME reader can analyze the MIME data (and/or normalized RFC 822 data) to interpret encoded structural information and generate at least one primitive based on the encoded structural information. Further, a hierarchical model can be built utilizing the at least one primitive.
US09071560B2
A system and method is provided for tracking and/or organizing email and, in particular, a system and method for tagging email in Web 2.0 applications and using the tags in tag clouds is provided. The system includes a computing system that has first program instructions to generate tag clouds having tags linked to associated emails in a collaborative application. A computer readable media stores the first program instructions and a central processing unit executes the first program instructions.
US09071557B2
As mobile subscribers increasingly employ their wireless devices to perform an ever expanding range of activities, it has become more and more important for all of the different entities in a wireless ecosystem (e.g., wireless carriers, intermediaries, service providers, etc.) to complete their processing activities in the most efficient, expeditious, flexible, etc. manner possible. An intelligent caching mechanism, through which for example various of the results of a preparatory step may be preserved for subsequent reuse, can inter alia incrementally reduce processing time, reduce system and network resource consumption, save money, etc.
US09071555B1
An information packet preclassification system and method are provided. The method receives a packet of information and differentiates the packet into segments. Using a decision tree with multiple levels, segments in the packet are compared to a node at a tree level, where each node includes a plurality of node reference segments and corresponding node comparison operators. The reference segment may be a different segment from the packet, or a predetermined segment value stored in memory. One, or more classification attributes are accessed in response to comparing segments, and the classification attributes are assigned to the packet. Then, the packet is processed in response to the classification attributes.
US09071545B2
A network appliance includes a network processor and several processing units. Packets a flow pair are received onto the network appliance. Without performing deep packet inspection on any packet of the flow pair, the network processor analyzes the flows, estimates therefrom the application protocol used, and determines a predicted future time when the next packet will likely be received. The network processor determines to send the next packet to a selected one of the processing units based in part on the predicted future time. In some cases, the network processor causes a cache of the selected processing unit to be preloaded shortly before the predicted future time. When the next packet is actually received, the packet is directed to the selected processing unit. In this way, packets are directed to processing units within the network appliance based on predicted future packet arrival times without the use of deep packet inspection.
US09071539B2
According to an example, a method for avoiding a loop in a network, which is performed by each ED in each VPN site, comprises: interacting with other EDs in a same VPN site to elect a DED; assigning an authorized forwarding instance to each ED in the same VPN site when the ED is elected as the DED; obtaining the authorized forwarding instance from the DED when the ED is not elected as the DED; allowing traffic of the authorized forwarding instance transmitted from or to a public network, and blocking traffic of unauthorized forwarding instance transmitted from or to the public network.
US09071537B2
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for propagating port state to intermediary devices of a cluster in a static link aggregation environment. The methods and systems include a cluster comprising a plurality of intermediary devices in communication with a network device via a static link aggregation comprising aggregated ports from different intermediary devices of the cluster. A first device of the static link aggregation is configured to detect that a health of the first device is below a predetermined threshold and, responsive to the detection, identify one or more ports in the aggregated ports as down. A second device of the link aggregation is configured to, responsive to the identification, remove the ports from a distribution list for the static link aggregation. Upon detection that a health of a device is above a predetermined threshold, the first device may identify the ports as up.
US09071526B2
The present disclosure presents systems and methods for controlling network traffic traversing an intermediary device based on a license or a permit granted for the intermediary device. The systems and methods control a rate of a traffic of a device in accordance with a rate limit identified by a rate limiting license. A rate limiting manager of an intermediary device that processes network traffic between a plurality of clients and a plurality of servers, may identify presence of a rate limiting license that further identifies a performance level. The rate limiting manager may establish a rate limit based on the performance level of the rate limiting license. A throttler of the intermediary may control a rate of receiving network packets in accordance with the rate limit.
US09071524B2
Network bandwidth is allocated to storage access requests as a function of a client system activities. Client system activities that produce network access requests and remote storage access requests are monitored. The network bandwidth allocation between network access requests and storage access requests is modified as a function of the monitored client system activities.
US09071522B2
A policy engine is situated within the communications path of a cloud computing environment and a user of the cloud computing environment to comply with an organization's policies for deploying web applications in the cloud computing environment. The policy engine intercepts communications packets to the cloud computing environment from a user, such as a web application developer, for example, in preparation for deploying a web application in the cloud computing environment. The policy engine identifies commands corresponding to the communications packets and directs the communications packets to appropriate rules engines corresponding to such commands in order to execute rules to comply with an organization's policies. Upon completion of execution of the rules, the communications packets are forwarded to the cloud computing environment if they comply with the policies.
US09071521B2
A method in a first node of a network comprises computing a packet duration when using a first unicast profile with a first type preamble and a packet duration when using a second unicast profile with a second type preamble; comparing the computed packet durations so as to determine one from the first and second unicast profiles which yields a shorter duration; and sending the packet to a second node by using the determined unicast profile.
US09071517B2
This disclosure involves methods and systems for implementing IBSS networks between peer client devices. Devices function as registrar or enrollee in the network depending upon whether they are in configured or unconfigured mode. The WPS-PBC configuration routine allows the unconfigured enrollee device to obtain the necessary network configuration profile from the configured registrar device upon a successful WPS handshake process. Once a device has received the network configuration protocol, its status is switched to configured, allowing it to function as a registrar for the network for the subsequent addition of new devices. When both devices are initially in an unconfigured state, one is chosen to act as registrar so that it can automatically generate the necessary network configuration profile and pass it along to the other device. Following this process, both devices are set to configured mode.
US09071515B2
A method is provided for the validation of a network by a checking module, the network comprising a plurality of routers, each of the routers comprising a plurality of output ports, each of the output ports of the routers being associated with a bandwidth budget, a priority latency budget and a plurality of network budget grains. The method comprises, for each of the ports of each of the routers, steps of: calculation of a latency consumed on the output port of the router on the basis of the network budget grains and the bandwidth budget; checking of the compatibility of the latency consumed on the output port with the priority latency budget grains of the output port of the router; and, transmission by the checking module of a signal indicating the result of the check.
US09071514B1
An egress network device of a point-to-point (P2P) tunnel can receive an LSP Ping message via the P2P tunnel from an ingress network device of the P2P LSP, wherein the LSP Ping message specifies a label that the egress network device associates with a service provided to the egress network device via the P2P tunnel. In response to receiving the LSP Ping message, the egress network device can store an association between the label and the P2P tunnel. The egress network device also uses a fault detection network protocol session over the P2P tunnel to monitor a state of the P2P tunnel. In response to detecting based on the fault detection network protocol session that the state of the P2P tunnel is down, the egress network device determines the service is unavailable from the ingress network device via the P2P tunnel, and selects a new source to provide the service.
US09071513B2
The disclosure discloses a path switch-back method and apparatus in a transport network, belongs to the field of communications, and is used for avoiding the problem that signals can not be switched back to a working path from a protection path when the links in two directions of the working path between nodes in the transport network are restored from fault simultaneously. The path switch-back method in a transport network provided by the disclosure includes: a local node determines two failed links on the working path between an opposite node and itself are restored to normal simultaneously (S101); the local node enters a Wait To Restore (WTR) state (S102); and the local node switches signals back to the working path when the WTR state ends (S103). The disclosure is used for realizing that signals are switched back to the working path from the protection path when the links in two directions of the working path between nodes in the transport network are restored from fault simultaneously.
US09071509B2
In an example embodiment, logical relationship information describing logical relationships between a first user and other users is recorded, the logical relationship information associated with a social networking service. Then affinity levels for each of the logical relationships between the first user and the other users are calculated. One or more of the logical relationships between the first user and one or more of the other users are displayed in a user interface, wherein the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships is represented graphically in the user interface.
US09071506B2
A method is provided of accessing a web service by means of a service client in an IT-network. The method includes determining a set of access information data indicating different possibilities of how the web service may be accessed. The different access possibilities indicated by the access information data using network management information relating to the access possibilities are evaluated. Access information data according to the evaluation result is selected, and the web service is accessed.
US09071501B2
A gateway (GW) is optimized for security management, when a group member of MTC device changes group. The gateway performs access control to determine if MTC device can move to the target group. When the change is successfully completed, the gateway allocates group key of the target group to MTC devices.
US09071498B2
Systems and methods for fractional routing are described. An exemplary method may include receiving, by a first router, data information regarding routing by a first portion of a third router, receiving, by a second router, data information regarding routing by a second portion of a third router, wherein the data information regarding routing by the first portion and data information regarding routing by the second portion is not the same, routing, by the first router, data associated with the routing by the first portion of the third router, and routing by the second router, data associated with the routing by the second portion of the third router.
US09071491B2
Methods and devices for transmitting or receiving data in a wireless local area network are provided. The method in one embodiment includes transmitting, by a transmitter, a first long training field (LTF) to a receiver; transmitting, by the transmitter, a very high throughput (VHT)-SIG-A field to the receiver; transmitting, by the transmitter, a second LTF for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel estimation to the receiver; transmitting, by the transmitter, a VHT-SIG-B field to the receiver; and transmitting, by the transmitter, a data field to the receiver, wherein the first LTF, the VHT-SIG-A field, the second LTF, the VHT-SIG-B field and the data field are sequentially transmitted, and wherein the second LTF and the data field are mapped to at least one spatial stream based on a mapping matrix but the first LTF and the VHT SIG-A field are not mapped to the at least one spatial stream.
US09071489B2
A method for transmitting a frame includes generating an omni portion of the frame, the omni portion including a non-beamformed long training field and a signal field, the non-beamformed long training field including channel estimation information used to decode the signal field, the non-beamformed long training field configured to be transmitted through one of multiple antennas and multiple streams. The method also includes generating a multi-stream portion of the frame, the multi-stream portion including a data field and a multi-stream long training field, the multi-stream long training field including station-specific decoding information for station-specific data in the data field. The method further includes applying a beamforming indicator to the signal field of the omni portion, and transmitting the frame.
US09071486B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that tracks and compensates for input signal noise at a receiver of a data communication channel. In particular embodiments, the receiver of the data communication link receives an input signal which comprises two signal levels. Next, for each of the two signal levels, the system generates an error signal by comparing the input signal value of the signal level with an expected signal value for the signal level. The system then updates a threshold signal value based on at least one of the two error signals associated with the two signal levels. Finally, the system compensates for input signal noise in the received input signal using the updated threshold signal value.
US09071481B2
A decision feedback equalizer is calibrated to compensate for estimated inter-symbol interference in a received signal and offsets of sampling devices. The decision feedback equalizer is configured so that an output signal of a sampling circuit represents a comparison between an input signal and a reference of the sampling circuit under calibration. An input signal is received over a communication channel that includes a predetermined pattern. The predetermined pattern is compared to the output signal to determine an adjusted reference for configuring the sampling circuit that accounts for both offset and inter-symbol interference effects.
US09071479B2
A decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) can be operated at higher frequencies when parallelization and pre-computation techniques are employed. Disclosed herein is a DFE design suitable for equalizing receive signals with bit rates above 10 GHz, making it feasible to employ decision feedback equalization in silicon-based optical transceiver modules. One illustrative embodiment includes a front end filter to reduce leading intersymbol interference in a receive signal; a serial-to-parallel converter and at least one pre-compensation unit that together convert the filtered signal into grouped sets of tentative decisions, the sets in each group being made available in parallel; a set of pipelined DFE multiplexer units to select a contingent symbol decision from each set of tentative decisions to form groups of contingent symbol decisions based on a presumed sequence of preceding symbol decisions; and an output multiplexer that chooses, based on preceding symbol decisions, one of said groups of contingent symbol decisions.
US09071475B2
Methods and communication terminals for estimating noise in a multicarrier communication system, where multicarrier symbols are received that include pilot signals, channel properties are estimated based on the received multicarrier symbols, wherein the channel properties include channel properties of a subcarrier carrying one of the pilot signals, and the channel properties of the subcarrier carrying one of the pilot signals are mixed with the corresponding pilot signal to calculate a noise power for the corresponding subcarrier.
US09071470B2
A radio integrated circuit includes, in part, an analog front end block, an analog-to-digital converter responsive to the analog-front end block, a digital signal processor responsive to the analog-to-digital converter and adapted to generate in-phase and quadrature signals, and a serial communication interface configured to receive and transmit the in-phase and quadrature signals. The serial communication interface supplies a gain control signal to the analog front end block when a switch disposed in the radio integrated circuit is in a first position. When the switch is in a second position, a gain control block disposed in the radio integrated circuit receives a gain control signal from the analog-to-digital converter and supplies the gain control signal to the analog front end block. The digital signal processor may be configured to interleave the in-phase and quadrature signals.
US09071468B2
A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, transmitting a first request for a name authority pointer to a first in-region name server of a plurality of in-region name servers of a first geographic region responsive to determining that a telephone number of a call is located in the first geographic region, transmitting a second request for the name authority pointer to an out-of-region name server associated with a second geographic region responsive to determining that the telephone number is located in the second geographic region, and receiving the name authority pointer from at least one of the in-region name server or the out-of-region server. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09071467B2
A system, method and apparatus adapted to provide multiple voice communication carriers access to a data network via a single gateway.
US09071461B2
In a telecommunications system, in which a connection comprises a part with an interworking function at both ends, a channel is allocated to the connection between the interworking functions. The required channel capabilities may vary during the connection, whereby the channel capabilities should be changed. When the first interworking function detects that a channel capability must be changed, a first message, which indicates the desired capability change, is transmitted (2-1) to the second interworking function; and the channel capability is changed (2-3,2-5) into the desired one at both ends of the part.
US09071460B1
A network method and apparatus configured to increase bandwidth efficiency using multiple packets cells (“MPC”) is disclosed. MPC, in one embodiment, includes a header, a payload, a first cell packet indicator (“CPI”) and a second CPI. The first CPI includes a first start of packet (“SOP”) field, a first end of packet (“EOP”) field, and a first length field. The first SOP field is used to indicate that the payload contains the first portion of a first packet and the first EOP field indicates that the payload contains the last portion of the first packet. The first length field indicates total number of bytes associated with the first packet that are stored in the payload. Similarly, the second CPI includes a second SOP field, a second EOP field, and a second length field, and it is used to track the second packet.
US09071450B2
Mobile network services are performed at the edge of a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A first service mechanism in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. A second service mechanism in the core network receives data monitored during attach and Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context activation, and establishes sessions with components in the mobile data network that support charging and policy control for sessions broken out by the first service mechanism.
US09071448B2
The invention concerns a system for transferring data related to a calling card function between a server (1001) and a network device (1002, 1003, 1004, 1200, 1201) in a telecommunications network (1000), wherein said server (1001) is adapted to provide said calling card function, and in that said server (1001) is adapted to transfer said data to said network device (1002, 1003, 1004, 1200, 1201) via a packet switched link (1105, 1106, 1107, 1116, 1117).
US09071440B2
Methods for accessing private and public data via a public terminal are disclosed. With respect to accessing private content, a method for authenticating the identity of a user of the public terminal is disclosed. Unique identifiers are transmitted in a pre-defined area adjacent or nearby the public terminal and are monitored by a receiver. This information is utilized to electronically compile and update in real-time a list of identifiers that have recently been monitored by the receiver, and the list of identifiers is used to electronically create and update in real-time a temporary database including identity verification data corresponding only for identifiers in the list of identifiers. Identity verification data input into the public terminal by the user is compared with the set of identity verification data contained in the temporary database to determine whether or not there is a match of identity verification data. Access to private content via the public terminal is granted to the user if a match is found during the comparison. A method for displaying public data and a system by which these methods can be implemented are also disclosed.
US09071435B2
System and method for tuning transmission parameters based on estimated ratio between a signal to an estimated interference plus noise (SINR) of a user, in a multiple-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) communication system, the method including obtaining channel state information (CSI) related to a channel from an access point (AP) to users that participate in a next MU-MIMO transmission, wherein the AP, and the users pertain to the MU-MIMO communication system, obtaining error coefficients related to errors related to channel-ageing and to estimation noise of the CSI, and calculating the estimated SINR, wherein the estimated interference is related to power of the other users and to the estimated channel magnitude the user u, and to the error coefficients, wherein the estimated channel magnitude is derived from the CSI.
US09071434B2
Asynchronous Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) process identities are transmitted in a wireless communication system. A linking scheme is established between at least two sets of process identities of two respective corresponding codewords. When a first process identity is selected from among a first set of process identities of a first codeword, a second process identity may be derived in dependence upon the first process identity and the established linking scheme. Finally, a first packet from the first codeword is transmitted using a first transmission channel indicated by the first process identity, and a second packet is transmitted from the second codeword using a second transmission channel indicated by the second process identity. In addition, a control message including only the first process identity is transmitted.
US09071427B2
A system and method for generating a secret key to facilitate secure communications between users. A first and second and a function between the two monoids are selected, the function being a monoid homomorphism. A group and a group action of the group on the first monoid is selected. Each user is assigned a submonoid of the first monoid so that these submonoids satisfy a special symmetry property determined by the function, a structure of the first and second monoids, and the action of the group. A multiplication of an element in the second monoid and an element in the first monoid is obtained by combining the group action and the monoid homomorphism. First and second users choose private keys which are sequences of elements in their respective submonoids. A first result is obtained by multiplying an identity element by the first element of the sequence in a respective submonoid. Starting with the first result, each element of the user's private key may be iteratively multiplied by the previous result to produce a public key. Public keys are exchanged between first and second users. Each user's private key may be iteratively multiplied by the other user's public key to produce a secret key. Secure communication may then occur between the first and second user using the secret key.
US09071415B2
A frequency tracking loop receives a result from a phase detector that detects an advance and a retard of a phase between input data and an extracted clock signal, and conducts a control to reduce a frequency deviation between the input data and the extracted clock signal. A phase interpolator adjusts a phase of the clock signal subjected to spread-spectrum frequency modulation on the basis result of the frequency deviation in the frequency tracking loop, and outputs the extracted clock signal. In the frequency tracking loop, the frequency deviation between the data signal and the clock signal is corrected to offset a variation of the frequency of the clock signal, on the basis of the frequency modulation information related to the clock signal subjected to the spread-spectrum frequency modulation which is input to the phase interpolator. The frequency of the clock signal seemingly follows the frequency of the data signal.
US09071408B2
A system effective to communicate a message between two devices. A first device may include a plaintext to monoid element module effective to receive a plaintext message and apply a first function to the plaintext message to produce a first monoid element. A monoid element evaluator module may be effective to receive and insert submonoid generators into a monoid expression to produce a second monoid element in response. An encryption device module may be effective to apply a second function to the first monoid element, the second monoid element, the monoid expression, and a third monoid element to produce an encrypted plaintext message. Decryption may be performed on the encrypted plaintext message knowing the private key which includes the first function, the second function, the third monoid element and the submonoid generators list.
US09071406B2
Provided are a communication apparatus and method using a matrix network coding scheme. The communication apparatus includes a reception unit to receive a corrupted packet including a plurality of corrupted words, and a controller to estimate a first decoded word corresponding to the corrupted words based on the corrupted words and a generator matrix. The controller generates a second decoded word corresponding to the corrupted words based on a codebook and the estimated first decoded word. The codebook is based on the generator matrix. The controller generates a message based on a plurality of second decoded words respectively corresponding to the plurality of corrupted words.
US09071400B2
A method of transmitting scheduling information in time-division-duplex (TDD) system is provided. The method comprises configuring a radio frame, the radio frame comprising at least one downlink subframe and at least one uplink subframe, wherein a downlink subframe is reserved for downlink transmission and an uplink subframe is reserved for uplink transmission, and transmitting scheduling information on a downlink control channel in a downlink subframe, the scheduling information comprising an uplink indicator and uplink resource assignment, the uplink indicator indicating which at least one uplink subframe the uplink resource assignment is valid for. Data can be efficiently transmitted by using an uplink indicator which indicates a specific location of a subframe.
US09071399B2
A method for operating a transceiver circuit includes receiving an information indicating at least one of a transmission and a reception in a guard band region of a frequency band supported by a communications network and allocating at least a part of the guard band region of the supported frequency band of the communications network for at least one of a transmission and a reception of at least one physical channel.
US09071396B2
A network element for use in a mobile communications system and a method of using a network element for communicating data to/from mobile communications devices in a mobile communications system. The network element can provide a wireless access interface for communicating data to/from the mobile communications devices, the wireless access interface including: on a downlink a host carrier, the host carrier providing plural resource elements across a first frequency range; transmit data for a first group of mobile communications devices, wherein the data is distributed within the plural resource elements across the first frequency range; a virtual carrier via the wireless access interface, the virtual carrier providing one or more resource elements within a second frequency range which is within and smaller than the first frequency range; and transmit data for a second group of mobile communications devices via the virtual carrier.
US09071395B2
A method and apparatus for changing a frequency band used for communication between first and second devices supporting multiple frequency bands. The method includes transmitting a frequency band change request frame including information regarding a communication capability of the first device and a frequency band change request for requesting to change a frequency band currently being used for communication between the first and second devices, to the second device; receiving a frequency band change response frame corresponding to the frequency band change request frame, from the second device; and selectively changing the frequency band currently being used to another frequency band based on the received frequency band change response frame.
US09071392B2
There are provided a method of generating a ranging signal of a wireless terminal and a device for generating a ranging signal of a wireless communication system that can generate the ranging signal using one IFFT engine independently from a mode of the ranging signal transmitted in uplink in a wireless communication system in which a frequency interval of subcarriers used to generate an initial ranging signal and a frequency interval of subcarriers using periodic ranging are different. In this way, it is possible to decrease complexity of hardware and design of the wireless terminal, and decrease power consumption of the wireless terminal through hardware simplification.
US09071391B2
Provided are a pilot transmitting apparatus and method capable of selectively using an OFDMA scheme and an SC-FDMA scheme. The pilot transmitting apparatus includes a pilot inserter for inserting a pilot signal in a modulated symbol and inserting a cyclic prefix code for the inserted pilot signal, an FFT processor for receiving symbols with a pilot inserted thereto from the pilot inserter and performing an FFT process on the received symbols, an IFFT processor for receiving the transformed data from the FFT processor and performing an IFFT process on the transformed data, a mapping processor for mapping the output of the FFT processor to input positions of the IFFT processor to load the frequency domain transformed data on predetermined sub-carriers, and a cyclic prefix inserter for inserting a cyclic prefix code for the output of the IFFT processor.
US09071380B2
A method of registering a coax network unit (CNU) in a network is performed at an optical-coax unit (OCU). In the method, a first discovery message is broadcasted to a plurality of CNUs. In response, a first registration request is received from a first CNU of the plurality of CNUs. In response to the first registration request, a proxy entity corresponding to the first CNU is implemented in the OCU. A second discovery message is received from an optical line terminal (OLT). In response to the second discovery message, a second registration request is transmitted to the OLT requesting registration of the proxy entity with the OLT.
US09071376B2
A bandwidth adjusting method and a communication node are provided. The adjusting method includes: sending, by an upstream ingress unit, a group of multi-channel parallel basic switch cells in which adjustment signaling is carried to all downstream branch egress units; sending normal signaling when determining that adjustment response statuses returned by all the downstream branch egress units are reception acknowledgment; after receiving the normal signaling by the downstream branch egress unit, adding or removing the basic switch cell into or from a next group of multi-channel parallel basic switch cells according to the adjustment signaling; and adjusting a time slot of an HO ODU sent by the downstream branch egress unit to a downstream node, and instructing the downstream node to adjust the time slot of the HO ODU. Through the method and the communication node, lossless bandwidth adjustment in a point-to-multipoint OTN asymmetric bandwidth carrier system is implemented.
US09071364B1
An optical communication system provides coherent optical transmission for metro applications. Relative to conventional solutions, the optical communication system can be implemented with reduced cost and can operate with reduced power consumption, while maintaining high data rate performance (e.g., 100 G). Furthermore, a programmable transceiver enables compatibility with a range of different types of optical networks having varying performance and power tradeoffs. In one embodiment, the optical communication system uses 100 Gb/s dual-polarization 16-point quadrature amplitude modulation (DP-16QAM) with non-linear pre-compensation of Indium Phosphide (InP) optics for low power consumption.
US09071363B2
An apparatus comprising a transmitter configured to generate an optical signal comprising a carrier modulated with at least two sidebands modulated with information, wherein the information introduces a separation gap in a frequency domain between the sidebands and the carrier, wherein one of the sidebands is an undesired sideband and another one of the sidebands is a desired sideband with a higher power intensity than the undesired sideband. A method comprising receiving an optical carrier from a light source and modulating the optical carrier with at least two sidebands modulated with information, wherein the information introduces a separation gap in a frequency domain between the sidebands and the optical carrier, wherein one of the sidebands is an undesired sideband and another one of the sidebands is a desired sideband having a higher power intensity than the undesired sideband.
US09071355B2
A dynamic dispersion detecting method and apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a tunable dispersion compensation module (101), a demodulator (102), a receiver (103), a partial band radio frequency power detecting unit (104), and an electrical signal ratio calculating unit (105). The method includes: demodulating a phase of a received optical signal; converting the demodulated optical signal into an electrical signal; sampling radio frequency power of the electrical signal to obtain an radio frequency signal; obtaining an electrical signal ratio of the radio frequency signal; and comparing a value of a currently detected electrical signal ratio with the values of the previously detected electrical signal ratios, tuning a dispersion compensation value according to a comparison result to find a peak electrical signal ratio, and obtaining a residual dispersion value of a system according to the peak electrical signal ratio.
US09071352B2
A novel free space optics transceiver is disclosed comprising at least one light source, at least one photodetector, corresponding positioning means that can independently adjust the position of the light source and the photodetector, and a controller that can send and receive alignment frames conforming to a communications protocol to and from a remote optical transceiver and can use information in the incoming alignment frames from the remote optical transceiver to appropriately adjust the position of the light source and the photodetector thereby maximizing the received power of light signals sent by the remote optical transceiver. Also, an alignment method is disclosed wherein the controller continuously adjusts the positions of the light source and the photodetector until a light signal is acquired from a remote optical transceiver. Then, the incoming alignment information is used to adjust the light source position to achieve bi-directional communication with the remote optical transceiver.
US09071347B2
An electronic device configured for transferring at least one on board application program to a second electronic device, includes a processor employing software for performing an analysis of real-time operating characteristics of the electronic device, including any anomalous operating characteristics, in relation to on board application programs in the electronic device. A communication link, coupled to the electronic device, is configured for transferring at least one onboard application program from the electronic device to the second electronic device. The transfer of the at least one onboard application program from the electronic device to the second electronic device proceeds only if the software employed by the processor validates that the at least one onboard application program in the electronic device is unlikely to degrade operating characteristics of the second electronic device.
US09071342B1
In accordance with the teachings described herein, system and methods are provided for a GPS acquisition correlation scheme with a reduced memory requirement. An example system may include a memory, a local PRN code generator, correlators, adder trees, an accumulator, and an output memory. The memory may be used to store an input PRN code. The local PRN code generator generates a replica PRN code and outputs a replica PRN code. The local PRN code generator may also shift the replica PRN code for each output epoch. One or more correlators receive the input PRN code and the replica PRN code and compare a bit of the input PRN code to a bit of the replica PRN code and generates a comparison. The adder trees add the comparisons and generate a comparison output. An accumulator accumulates the comparison output and outputs an accumulated output to an output memory.
US09071336B2
An electronic device such as a portable electronic device has wireless communications circuitry. Antennas in the electronic device may be used in transmitting radio-frequency antenna signals. A coupler and antenna signal phase and magnitude measurement circuitry may be used to determine when external objects are in the vicinity of the antenna by making antenna impedance measurements. In-band and out-of-band phase and magnitude signal measurements may be made in determining whether external objects are present. Additional sensors such as motion sensors, light and heat sensors, acoustic and electrical sensors may produce data that can be combined with the proximity data gathered using the antenna-based proximity sensor. In response to detecting that an external object such as a user's body is within a given distance of the antenna, the electronic device may reduce transmit powers, switch antennas, steer a phased antenna array, switch communications protocols, or take other actions.
US09071333B2
A method for canceling crosstalk, the method includes the steps of: filtering the signal corresponding to a far end crosstalk source in the frequency domain according to adaptive filter parameter; combining the received signal corresponding to a far end sending signal and the filtered signal in frequency domain corresponding to the far end crosstalk source. A device for canceling crosstalk and a signal processing system.
US09071330B2
Apparatus and methods for pairing communication devices are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes at least one sensor to produce a data signal responsive to sensing physical characteristics of an environment of the communication device, and a capture component to capture portions of the data signal to generate local data indicative of the physical characteristics. A peer interface component receives, via the wireless transceiver, remote data from at least one other communication device that is indicative of physical characteristics of an environment of the other communication device. A data correlation component compares the local data with the remote data and initiates, when the comparison indicates the communication device and the other communication device are sensing the same physical characteristics, a pairing of the communication device with the other communication devices.
US09071327B2
Methods are presented herein for estimating at least a frequency (offset) for a block of received symbols using two or more estimation stages. These methods may allow reducing the computational complexity of a frequency estimator while maintaining large frequency offset coverage and high frequency estimation accuracy. Also presented herein are satellite communication systems employing a burst transmission or continuous transmission, and configured to estimate at least a frequency (offset) for a received burst or a block of received symbols using two or more estimation stages. In some embodiments, a received burst or a received block of symbols may include a Unique Word located at or about the center of the received burst or the block of symbols.
US09071319B2
A circuit and method for filtering adjacent channel interferers. One embodiment of an adjacent channel filtering circuit for reducing adjacent channel interference with an in-band signal, includes: (1) a radio frequency (RF) circuit configured to receive and down-convert an RF signal to a baseband signal containing an in-band signal and adjacent channel components, (2) a controlled single pole filter electrically coupled to the RF circuit and configured to reject the adjacent channel components and cause a predetermined attenuation in the in-band signal, (3) a baseband circuit coupled to the controlled single pole filter and configured to condition the baseband signal for conversion to a digital signal, and (4) a digital circuit coupled to the baseband circuit and configured to receive the digital signal and compensate for the predetermined attenuation.
US09071318B2
A method includes providing a plurality of sets of equalizer taps, wherein each set is coupled to a respective one of a plurality of antenna ports; assigning a first plurality of equalizer taps of the sets of equalizer taps to a first subset; determining a first covariance measure associated with the first plurality of equalizer taps of the first subset based on a first correlation criterion; assigning a second plurality of equalizer taps of the sets of equalizer taps to a second subset; and determining a second covariance measure associated with the second plurality of equalizer taps of the second subset based on a second correlation criterion.
US09071317B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a transceiver for nullification of a noise component in a transmitter comprises a noise nullification module loading a selected node in the transmitter. The noise nullification module comprises a mixer that receives inputs from the selected node and a local oscillator, where the mixer is also coupled to a filter such that the noise nullification module presents a low impedance at an approximate frequency of a noise component so as to nullify the noise component. In one embodiment, the noise nullification module results in band-pass filtering of an approximate receive signal frequency so as to nullify a noise component at the receive frequency. In another embodiment, the noise nullification module results in notch filtering of an approximate transmit signal frequency so as to nullify a noise component at a receive signal frequency.
US09071313B2
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for demodulating discrete-time desired signals in a period-Td bandpass desired signal in the presence of interference that results from a period-T bandpass interference signal that has been nonlinear distorted. Estimation of the nonlinear-distorted interference and subsequent cancellation from a received signal, that includes the interference and desired signal, produces residual-interference signals. The demodulation of the residual-interference signals uses an equalization technique when Td is not equal to T. The estimation, cancellation, and demodulation are adapted for changing nonlinear distortion effects.
US09071307B2
A wireless communication system includes a first wireless communication apparatus, which includes a plurality of transmission antennas and transmits signals in an MIMO scheme, and a second wireless communication apparatus, which receives the signals. The first wireless communication apparatus performs the same frequency allocation for transmission antennas from which the same data is transmitted in case that transmission is performed in a rank less than the number of transmission antennas.
US09071301B2
A method of precoding implemented in a base station used in a wireless communications system having codebooks for multiple transmission ranks is disclosed. The method includes precoding data in one or more layers with a precoding matrix obtained from one of the codebooks, and transmitting the precoded data to a user equipment, wherein entries of said one of the codebooks are accessed through a first description and a second description, wherein the precoding matrix is determined according to the first description and the second description, which are unique to the precoding matrix, and wherein the second description provides a finer description of said one of the codebooks than the first description. Other methods, systems, and apparatuses also are disclosed.
US09071299B1
A wireless access point including: a station grouping module for selecting station nodes for concurrent multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication links, for retrieving ‘sounding’ packets therefrom which characterize the associated communication channels; a precode selector for determining whether an aggregate number of receive antennas on the at least two station nodes exceeds in number the plurality of antenna on the WAP; a post-equalization precoder responsive to an affirmative determination by the precode selector to perform a similarity transform of the inner products of the associated communication channels using ‘Q’ as a transform matrix where ‘Q’ block diagonalizes the associated communication channels; and a spatial mapper for precoding all concurrent transmissions to the selected at least two station nodes using “Q” as a precode matrix.
US09071286B2
A method for modulating data for transmission within a communication system. The method includes establishing a time-frequency shifting matrix of dimension N×N, wherein N is greater than one. The method further includes combining the time-frequency shifting matrix with a data frame to provide an intermediate data frame. A transformed data matrix is provided by permuting elements of the intermediate data frame. A modulated signal is generated in accordance with elements of the transformed data matrix.
US09071285B2
A system and method of providing a modulated signal useable in a signal transmission system. The method includes transforming, perhaps with respect to both time and frequency, a data frame including a plurality of data elements into a transformed data matrix. The transformed data matrix includes a plurality of transformed data elements where each of the plurality of transformed data elements is based upon each of the plurality of data elements. The method further includes generating the modulated signal in accordance with the transformed data elements of the transformed data matrix.
US09071277B1
Correction of structured burst errors in data is provided by a system that includes an encoder and is configured for performing a method. The method includes receiving data that includes a plurality of subsets of data. The data is encoded by an encoder using a combination of a first error correcting code and a second error correcting code. The first error correcting code is configured to provide error recovery from a structured burst error in one of the subsets of data, the structured burst error having a length less than a specified maximum length. The second error correcting code is configured to extend the first error correcting code to provide error recovery from the structured burst error in any of the subsets of data. The encoded data is output.
US09071273B2
Some embodiments include apparatus and methods to prevent at least one of misidentifying and ignoring multiple-bit errors if the multiple-bit errors include a plurality of erroneous data bits that belong to only one specific group of a plurality of groups of data bits and if none of the other groups of the plurality of groups have errors.
US09071268B1
A processing system may include multiple selectable processing paths for processing an analog signal in order to reduce noise and increase dynamic range. Techniques are employed to transition between processing paths and calibrate operational parameters of the two paths in order to reduce or eliminate artifacts caused by switching between processing paths.
US09071266B2
An array f(n) is received for n=1, . . . , N where N is a length of a codeword. An array g(n) is received for n=1, . . . , N where N is a length of a codeword. Input data is encoded to satisfy an MTR constraint and a RLL constraint using the array f(n) and the array g(n).
US09071257B2
The derivative of an input signal is level-crossing-sampled and the resulting samples are transmitted. At the receiver, the resulting samples are fed to a zero-order hold followed by an integrator, which results in piecewise-linear reconstruction. The systems and methods are further refined to reduce the number of samples generated per unit of time, compared to methods based on zero-order-hold reconstruction, for a given signal-to-error ratio, without significant hardware overhead.
US09071256B1
The present disclosure relates to a method for use with a serializer/deserializer comprising. The method may include grouping one or more lane modules associated with an integrated circuit (IC) together to form a link, wherein each of the one or more lane modules includes a reset state machine and a high speed reset generator. The method may also include providing a common module having a common reset release state machine and a reset release synchronizer and pulse generator, the common module and one or more lane modules being configured to communicate therebetween. The method may further include resetting each link independently using the one or more lane modules.
US09071252B2
According to one embodiment, an analog unit performs frequency conversion of a reception signal. A digital unit performs demodulation processing of the reception signal subjected to the frequency conversion by the analog unit. A PLL circuit generates a clock of the digital unit. A PLL-setting changing unit performs, based on the reception signal, a setting change of parameters of the PLL circuit to thereby control the jitter of the clock.
US09071251B2
In some examples, a circuit is described. The circuit may include a voltage-controlled oscillator that may be configured to generate an output signal. The circuit may also include a control signal generation unit that may be configured to generate a control signal based on the output signal. The control signal generation unit may also be configured to provide the control signal to the voltage-controlled oscillator. The voltage-controlled oscillator and the control signal generation unit may be part of a phase-locked loop (PLL) included in the circuit. The circuit may also include a feed-forward network. The feed-forward network may be configured to provide a portion of the control signal to the voltage-controlled oscillator. The voltage-controlled oscillator may generate the output signal based on the control signal from the control signal generation unit and the portion of the control signal from the feed-forward network.
US09071250B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a user circuit and a power supply noise suppression circuit. The user circuit includes a plurality of circuit modules each containing an operation ratio control circuit. The power supply noise suppression circuit judges an amount of current fluctuation occurring in the user circuit by monitoring an operation ratio of each of the plurality of circuit modules, and controls, via each of the operation ratio control circuits, the operation ratio of a corresponding one of the circuit modules in accordance with a result of the judgment of the amount of current fluctuation.
US09071248B2
A circuit having an active mode and a sleep mode includes a power transistor, an amplifier, and a protection circuit. The power transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply terminal, a second current electrode as an output of the circuit for coupling to a load, and a control electrode, wherein the power transistor is characterized by having a threshold voltage and a leakage current, wherein the leakage current occurs between the control electrode and the first current electrode during the sleep mode. The amplifier has an output coupled to the control electrode of the power transistor that provides an active output during the active mode. The protection circuit detects the leakage current and prevents the leakage current from developing a voltage on the control electrode of the power transistor that exceeds the threshold voltage of the power transistor.
US09071245B2
A system for controlling gate power includes a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) configured to supply power to a load according to a gate control voltage applied to a gate of the MOSFET. The system includes a gate control circuit configured to turn on and off the gate control voltage supplied to the gate of the MOSFET. The system also includes a ramping circuit configured to perform at least one of ramping up a voltage applied to the gate of the MOSFET based on the gate control circuit turning on power to the gate of the MOSFET and ramping down the voltage applied to the gate of the MOSFET based on the gate control circuit turning off power to the gate of the MOSFET.
US09071237B2
A digital duty cycle correction circuit includes a duty cycle controller and a digital duty control code generator. The duty cycle controller generates first and second output clock signals by compensating duty cycles of first and second input clock signals based on a digital duty control code. The digital duty control code generator generates the digital duty control code based on a frequency value obtained by converting duty cycle information of the first output clock signal and the second output clock signal.
US09071234B2
Embodiments of a high-resolution link-path delay estimator and method are generally described herein. The high-resolution link-path delay estimator may estimate a signal-path delay of a signal path between a master and remote device. The high-resolution link-path delay estimator may phase-shift a transmit signal of alternating symbols by phase-shift values and may sample a loopback signal. A noise-reduced version of the sampled signal output may be correlated with a step function to generate a correlation value for each of the phase-shift values. One of the phase-shift values may be selected to generate a fine-delay estimate which may be added to a coarse delay estimate to determine the signal-path delay. The coarse delay estimate may be an estimate of the signal-path delay to a nearest symbol period of the transmit signal and the fine-delay estimate may be an estimate to within a fraction of the symbol period.
US09071231B2
Apparatuses and methods have been disclosed. One such apparatus includes a plurality of gates coupled together in series. A first pull-down circuit can be coupled to a node between two adjacent gates of the plurality of gates and controlled responsive to a first control signal. A second pull-down circuit can be coupled to an output of one of the gates and controlled responsive to a second control signal. A duty cycle of a signal provided by the plurality of gates can be increased responsive to the first control signal and can be decreased responsive to the second control signal. The plurality of gates and the first and second pull-down circuits can make up a duty cycle adjuster circuit that can adjust the duty cycle of the signal by adjusting only a single type of edges of the signal.
US09071227B2
A high-frequency module has a structure including balanced terminals, with high design flexibility and good transmission characteristics. Wiring patterns to be connected to balanced terminals of SAW filters of SAW duplexers are located on a second layer to a sixth layer of a layered body. The characteristic impedances of first wiring patterns defining a pair of parallel or substantially parallel lines match, the characteristic impedances of second wiring patterns defining a pair of parallel or substantially parallel lines match, the characteristic impedances of third wiring patterns defining a pair of parallel or substantially parallel lines match, and the characteristic impedances of fourth wiring patterns defining a pair of parallel or substantially parallel lines match.
US09071223B2
A temperature compensated resonator including a body used in deformation, the core of the body including a first material. The body includes at least a first and second coating allowing the resonator to have substantially zero first and second order temperature coefficients. The temperature compensated regulator can be used in the field of time and frequency bases.
US09071221B1
A composite RF current attenuator for a medical lead includes a conductor having a distal electrode contactable to biological cells, a bandstop filter in series with the lead conductor for attenuating RF currents flow through the lead conductor at a selected center frequency or across a range of frequencies about the center frequency, and a lowpass filter in series with the bandstop filter and forming a portion of the lead conductor. The bandstop filter has a capacitance in parallel with a first inductance. In a preferred form, the lowpass filter includes a second inductance in series with the bandstop filter, wherein the values of capacitance and inductances for the composite RF current attenuator are selected such that it attenuates MRI-induced RF current flow in an MRI environment.
US09071219B2
An analog filter is presented that comprises a chain of filter stages, a feedback resistor for providing a negative feedback, and a feedback capacitor for providing a positive feedback. Each filter stage has an input node and an output node. The output node of a filter stage is connected to the input node of an immediately succeeding filter stage through a resistor. The feedback resistor has a first end connected to the output node of the last filter stage along the chain of filter stages, and a second end connected to the input node of a first preceding filter stage. The feedback capacitor has a first end connected to the output node of one of the chain of filter stages, and a second end connected to the input node of a second preceding filter stage.
US09071214B2
The present invention relates to an audio signal controller adapted to receiving first and second digital audio signals and estimating a signal feature of the first or second digital audio signal. The estimated signal feature is compared with a predetermined feature criterion and the audio signal controller switches from conveying the first digital audio signal to conveying the second digital audio signal to a controller output, or vice versa, at a zero-crossing of the first digital audio signal or the second digital audio signal based on the comparison between the estimated signal feature and the predetermined feature criterion.
US09071210B2
An efficient power transfer power amplifier (PA) architecture is disclosed that includes a first PA, a first impedance transformation network (ITN) coupled to the first PA, a second PA, and a second ITN coupled to the second PA. A switching network having a plurality of load outputs along with a first switch input coupled to a first impedance output of the first ITN and a second switch input coupled to a second impedance output of the first ITN, a third switch input coupled to a third impedance output of the second ITN, and a fourth switch input coupled to a fourth impedance output of the second ITN. A control system is adapted to control the switching network to switch signals at the first, second, third, and fourth switch inputs such that select ones of the signals travel paths having matching impedances to loads coupled to the plurality of load outputs.
US09071209B1
Disclosed are systems, apparatus, and methods for sensing currents conducted via an electrode. In various embodiments, an apparatus may include an operational amplifier including a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminal may be configured to electrically couple with the electrode. The apparatus may further include a feedback circuit coupling the output terminal of the operational amplifier to the first input terminal. The feedback circuit may comprise a plurality of transistor devices configured to generate a feedback current based on a voltage value of the output terminal. The plurality of transistors may be further configured to provide the feedback current to the first input terminal. The apparatus may also include a voltage source coupled to the second input terminal and configured to maintain a substantially constant voltage at the second input terminal.
US09071201B2
A low dissipation, low distortion amplifier includes a driver amplifier stage and a main output stage, with a plurality of impedance networks providing, among other things, feedback paths from outputs of the driver and main output stages to the input of the driver stage. The impedance networks also provide coupling paths from the outputs of the driver and main output stages to the load. The impedance networks can all be formed of resistors, capacitors, or network combinations thereof. An additional feedback path can be added from the load to the driver stage to flatten out the frequency response at low frequencies. The driver and main output stages may be operated in Class AB and B modes respectively, and/or in Class G or H modes. An intermediate amplifier driver stage may be added between the driver and main output stages.
US09071199B2
A high frequency power amplifier includes an FET chip, a wire connected at a first end to the FET chip, an input-side matching circuit substrate, a resistive element on the input-side matching circuit substrate and connected in series with the FET chip, a transmission portion of a conductive material on the input-side matching circuit substrate, in contact with one end of the resistive element, and connected to an input electrode, a wire connection portion of a conductive material on the input-side matching circuit substrate, in contact with a second end of the resistive element, and connected to a second end of the wire, and a shorting portion of a conductive material having a smaller width than the resistive element and on the resistive element, connecting the transmission portion to the wire connection portion.
US09071194B1
An oscillator and method for generating a signal are provided. The oscillator comprises an electro-mechanical resonator and a reconfigurable oscillator driver. The reconfigurable oscillator driver starts the oscillator in single-ended mode to avoid latching and transitions the oscillator to differential mode in such a manner as to sustain oscillations therein. The reconfigurable oscillator driver comprises two back-to-back banks of inverters and an adjustable feedback resistor. In single-ended mode, one bank is disabled and the other bank is enabled. To transition to differential mode and improve the quality of the signal, the number of enabled inverters is equalized in both banks.
US09071192B2
An oscillator (100) for providing an oscillating voltage for a powder spray coating device (200) is specified. With the aim of improving operational safety, the oscillator (100) as claimed in the invention has a first signal generator (10) for generating an intermediate circuit voltage (11), a second signal generator (20) for generating a modulation signal (21) and a modulation signal isolating element (61), connected to the second signal generator (20), while a first voltage monitoring device (60) is also provided, designed for continuously measuring the oscillator voltage (34), comparing it with at least one specified or specifiable oscillator voltage reference value and, if a first comparison criterion is satisfied, outputting a modulation isolating signal (80) to the modulation signal isolating element (61).
US09071177B2
A method is disclosed to produce a supply voltage (B+) in an on-board system of a vehicle in response to an excitation current (I_ROTOR) applied to a rotor of the alternator. The method is of the type that consists in: limiting the resisting torque by determining a maximum cyclic ratio (DC_C_LIMIT) of the excitation current as a function of variables taken from a group containing a rotational speed (V_ROTOR) of the rotor, a temperature of the rotor, the excitation current and the supply voltage (B+). The maximum cyclic ratio is determined as a function of at least two of the variables in the group. According to one specific embodiment, the variables are rotational speed and temperature. According to another embodiment, the variables are rotational speed and excitation current.
US09071166B2
A motor drive system wherein an LC circuit exists between an inverter and a motor is such that switching of semiconductor switching elements Su to Sw and Sx to Sz configuring the inverter is controlled by an on-signal formed of a first on-signal, a second on-signal, and an off-state period of a time the same as the first on-signal provided between the first on-signal and second on-signal, and by an off-signal formed of a first off-signal, a second off-signal, and an on-state period of a time the same as the first off-signal provided between the first off-signal and second off-signal, and surge voltage applied to an input terminal of the motor is suppressed by the time of the first on-signal and the time of the second off-signal being set to one-sixth of a resonance cycle specific to the LC circuit.
US09071162B2
An AC-AC converter includes a first semiconductor switch series circuit, a second semiconductor switch series circuit, and a capacitor series circuit are connected in parallel. A first inductor is connected between one end of an alternating current input and a series connection point of the first semiconductor switch series circuit. A bidirectional switch is connected between the one end of the alternating current input and a series connection point of the second semiconductor switch series circuit. A second inductor is connected between the series connection point of the second semiconductor switch series circuit and one end of an alternating current output. A series connection point of the capacitor series circuit is connected to the other end of the alternating current input and the other end of the alternating current output.
US09071159B2
A power converter includes a power converter section (4) (e.g., an inverter circuit) having a plurality of switching elements (Sp, Sn) in which a current can flow in a reverse direction, and a control section (10) which determines on-state time of each of the switching elements (Sp, Sn) according to an output voltage of the power converter section (4), thereby switching on/off states of the switching elements (Sp, Sn). The control section (10) instructs the power converter section (4) to perform synchronous rectification, and corrects the on-state time according to a drop of an on-state voltage of each of the switching elements (Sp, Sn).
US09071153B2
A controller includes a control, a sensor, and a fault detector. The control is configured to control a switch to regulate an output of the power converter. The sensor receives a signal from a terminal of the controller that is representative of an input voltage during an ON state of the switch and is representative of an output voltage during an OFF state of the switch. The sensor is configured to sample the signal from the terminal during the ON state to generate a first sample signal and to sample the signal from the terminal during the OFF state to generate a second sample signal. The fault detector detects a fault condition in response to either the first or the second sample signals. The control inhibits the switching of the switch to reduce a power output level of the power converter in response to the fault condition.
US09071147B2
The embodiments herein describe a power converter including a controller that estimates input current of the power converter. The controller estimates the input current without explicitly sensing the input current. The estimated input current can be used in various applications such as regulating power factor and total harmonic distortion as well as estimating current required to maintain proper operation of a dimmer switch in light emitting diode lamp systems.
US09071145B2
A power stealing circuit for stealing power to operate a control device is disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, power may be periodically or intermittently diverted from a power source to a power stealing block. When power is diverted to the power stealing block, the power stealing block may steal power from the power source and store the stolen power on a storage device. The storage device may then provide operating power to a control device. In some embodiments, the power stealing block may include a first path for charging the storage device when a switch is ON, and a second path for charging the storage device when the switch is off.
US09071142B2
The present invention discloses a multi-phase switch-mode power supply (SMPS). The multi-phase SMPS may comprise a plurality of comparing circuits and a controller. Wherein each comparing circuit comprises a first input coupled to a threshold voltage, a second input coupled to a feedback signal of the output voltage, and an output configured to provide a load indication signal. The controller may have a plurality of inputs coupled to the outputs of the comparing circuit, and a plurality of outputs configured to provide control signals for driving a plurality of switches of the multi-phase SMPS. And the controller is configured to selectively turn on a plurality of the switches according to the load indication signals.
US09071138B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to control a buck converter by performing adaptive digital pulse width modulation (ADPWM) with a plurality of upper power transistors each uniquely controlled to enable greater than 100% duty cycle for the buck converter and a lower power transistor coupled to the plurality of upper power transistors; and driving an inductor having one end coupled to the lower power transistor and the upper power transistors.
US09071134B2
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of switching between synchronous and nonsynchronous ramp control. An embodiment may include a power supply controller that has a trigger circuit configured to generate an RPM trigger, a timer circuit configured to generate a clock signal, and a switching circuit configured to switch a modulation mode responsively to the clock signal and the RPM signal.
US09071133B2
Switched-mode power supply device having an input for receiving an AC voltage input signal, an output for providing a DC voltage signal and/or a direct-current signal to a downstream consumer, a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, and resonant converter means assigned to the primary side of the transformer, which resonant converter means form an LLC topology with inclusion of the primary winding and can be actuated with a variable-frequency control signal on the primary side by means of a control unit, wherein the control unit, which is realized by means of an integrated and/or programmable circuit component, generates the control signal in reaction to and as a function of a zero-crossing detection signal generated from the AC voltage input signal, a current flowing in the transformer windings, in particular on the secondary side, and a constant and/or predeterminable preset signal for an output current flowing at the output, in such a way that regulating means associated with the control unit regulate the output current to the preset signal, and a phase of an input current flowing in the input is synchronized to the phase of the AC voltage input signal, wherein means for generating a sinusoidal signal profile are associated with the regulating means, which signal profile-generating means are independent of the AC voltage input signal and act independently thereof.
US09071132B2
A disturbance on an electric signal at an electric connection between an electric power generating system and a power grid is decomposed into a first disturbance with a first strength assigned to the electric power generating system and a second disturbance with a second strength assigned to the power grid. A voltage value of a voltage of the electric signal is measured. A current value of a current of the electric signal is measured. A value of an open circuit voltage of an equivalent voltage source is calculated based on the measured voltage value, the measured current value and a characteristic equivalent impedance of the electric power generating system so that the electric power generating system is in a harmonic model. The strength of the first disturbance is determined based on the calculated value of the open circuit voltage of the equivalent voltage source.
US09071118B2
An axial motor includes a rotor arranged between a pair of stators with coils. In the rotor, a plurality of permanent magnets sandwiched between pairs of first magnetic materials and a plurality of second magnetic materials are alternately arranged in a rotation direction while gaps are provided therebetween. Since the permanent magnets are sandwiched by the first magnetic materials in the thus constructed axial motor, a field-weakening control can be performed. Since the second magnetic materials are provided, a reluctance torque can be generated. Further, since the gaps are provided, more magnetic fluxes generated from the permanent magnets can be caused to flow toward the coils. Therefore, the thus constructed axial motor can achieve a higher output, higher torque, higher efficiency, and miniaturization.
US09071113B2
A motor includes a stator having a winding wire wound thereon, a rotor, and a shaft. The motor is housed in a motor case, where the motor case has a cylinder part and a bottom part. A first terminal is disposed on the motor case, and has one end coupled to an end of the winding wire, such that the wire passes through a first opening on the bottom part. A controller case is disposed detachably on the bottom part. The controller case has a controller housed therein, and has a second terminal that has one end electrically coupled to a power module and the other end engages with the first terminal to electrically couple the motor and the controller. A terminal holder is attached on the motor case to hold and support the first terminal.
US09071111B2
The blower apparatus includes a motor; a fan; a motor drive circuit for electrically driving the coil; a microprocessor for controlling the motor drive circuit; and a motor case integrally incorporating the motor, the motor drive circuit, and the microprocessor. The blower apparatus further includes an internal power line for supplying power supply voltage Vig supplied to power supply input terminal Tv1, to the motor drive circuit and the microprocessor in the motor case; a smoothing capacitor connected to the internal power line; and a cut off control circuit for cutting off supply of the power supply voltage to the internal power line according to a command from the microprocessor.
US09071106B2
The present invention relates to armature windings for DC electrical machines, and in particular to those that use electronic commutation and have relatively few slots per pole-pair. The armature windings are particularly well suited for use with rotating DC electrical machines that have a large diameter and a large number of poles such as those that might be directly coupled to the turbine blade assembly of a wind turbine. The armature winding is arranged in relation to the magnetic field generated by a field winding or by permanent magnets such that a number of commutation events during the time taken for the relative movement between the armature and the field system of one pole-pair is much larger than the number of coils per pole-pair.
US09071103B2
A color wheel driving motor includes a magnet arranged radially outward of a rotor holder. The ring-shaped magnet includes n number of N-pole and n number of S-pole and magnetic pole changeover portions arranged between the poles. The magnetic pole changeover portions are arranged at an angular interval of 360°/2n, the n being a positive integer. On an imaginary plane perpendicular to the center axis, a first straight line passing through the center axis and at least one of the 2n magnetic pole changeover portions makes a specified angle θ with respect to a second straight line extending from the center axis toward the ring-shaped magnet. A first mark is arranged in a region of a surface of the ring-shaped magnet where the second straight line overlaps with the ring-shaped magnet, the specified angle θ being equal to or larger than 0° and equal to or smaller than 360°/2n.
US09071099B2
The invention relates to a blower (99), in particular for an engine cooling blower in a motor vehicle, comprising a housing (10) having a cooling air guide device (200), wherein the housing (10) is designed for mounting a drive unit (102, 103) and the cooling air guide device (200) in the motor vehicle, and for guiding a cooling air flow (20, 30, 31, 32) to the drive unit (102, 103), wherein the cooling air guide device (200) is designed as one piece with the housing (10).
US09071086B2
An inverter communication system is provided. The system includes a plurality of inverters connected to each other through a communication line, and assigned with different original identifiers for mutual distinction, wherein each of the plurality of inverters: receives a data frame transmitted through a previous inverter; selectively transmits the received data frame to a subsequent inverter; generates a data frame to be transmitted when data to be transmitted to a specific inverter occur; and transmits the generated data frame to a subsequent inverter.
US09071085B2
A wireless power transmitter and receiver using an in-band communication and a method thereof are provided. In one embodiment, a wireless power transmitter using an in-band communication may include: a source resonance unit including a source resonator that is configured to transmit wireless power to one or more in-band resonators; a source controller configured to control a resonance frequency and an impedance of the source resonator, to detect an in-band resonator located in a location corresponding to a wireless power receiver among the in-band resonators, and to generate a control signal of the detected in-band resonator; and an in-band resonance unit configured to receive and demodulate identification information associated with the wireless power receiver via the one or more in-band resonators, and to transmit the wireless power and transmission data via the in-band resonator corresponding to the wireless power receiver.
US09071083B2
Super capacitor supplemented server power is described. In embodiments, a power system manager is implemented to monitor the capability of one or more power supplies to provide power for a server system. The power system manager can determine that the capability of the power supplies to provide the power is deficient, and then engage one or more super capacitor power modules to provide supplemental power for the server system to mitigate the power deficiency.
US09071064B2
A wireless energy transfer system and an associated method for feeding an electric load are provided. The system includes a transmitter which includes a generator adapted to generate a radiofrequency signal at a first frequency and a first resonant circuit adapted to transmit the radiofrequency signal; and a receiver adapted to receive the radiofrequency signal and comprising a second resonant circuit. The second resonant circuit is adapted to be located in the non-radiative near field generated by the first resonant circuit, and the transmitter includes frequency sweeping functionality, which imposes on the radiofrequency signal generator a cyclic excursion of the first frequency in the neighborhood of a nominal frequency of the generator so that, when the first frequency matches the resonant frequency of the second resonant circuit, a non-radiative energy transfer occurs.
US09071060B2
A battery case for a mobile device is provided comprising a case, electrical components, a port, and an aperture size to contain at least one rechargeable battery. Also provided is a charger including a mount to receiving a rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery may be configured to fit inside of the battery case. The charger may be figured to fit inside of the battery case.
US09071059B2
A protective device against corrosion for an onboard electrical system, in particular thermal corrosion. The protective device includes at least one sensor for detecting a shunt and a switching device which is controllable by the sensor and outputs a switching pulse for the activation of a control unit upon control by the sensor. Also described is a method for the control of the onboard electrical system.
US09071053B2
An electrical safety system with an integrated timer is disclosed. The electrical safety system may have an input line connected to an output via one or more communication paths. The electrical safety system may also have a ground fault circuit interrupter module including a sensor coil for monitoring current passing from the input line to the electrical load and producing a current signal and a ground fault circuit interrupter circuit. Further, the electrical safety system may have one or more switches for opening or closing the one or more communication paths between the input line and the output, and a solenoid for operating the one or more switches. Additionally, the electrical safety system may have a timer module comprising a timer circuit configured to generate a timer signal and a selector switch in electrical communication with the timer circuit and a visual display.
US09071044B2
An improved mechanism for retaining screws for a conduit body cover is disclosed. The screws are retained by a layer of PVC lining the inner surface of holes in the cover.
US09071041B2
A cable management system includes a panel with a plurality of openings, each opening defining a similar configuration, each opening defining a first dimension and a second dimension, the first dimension being longer, than the second dimension. A cable management structure is removably coupled to the panel, the cable management structure including a plurality of latching elements, each latching element defining a retaining portion received through each opening of the panel, each retaining portion having a first dimension that is smaller than or equal to the second dimension of the opening and a second dimension that is greater than the second dimension of the opening, wherein the cable management structure is coupled to the panel by inserting the retaining portion of each latching element through each opening and rotating the cable management structure in a first direction with respect to the panel.
US09071038B2
The present invention provides for a semiconductor laser having a narrow linewidth and low power consumption for optical communication applications. According to various embodiments of the invention, a semiconductor laser is provided which includes a grating layer comprising a plurality of segmented gratings, each including a non-grating portion and a grating portion. The segmented gratings are configured to enhance a fundamental mode of the semiconductor laser while sufficiently suppressing modes other than the fundamental mode, providing a narrow linewidth for example. The segmented gratings are also configured to provide an effective length longer than an actual length of the semiconductor laser, leading to smaller device areas and corresponding lower power consumption. A photonic integrated circuit is also provided which includes a plurality of semiconductor lasers, consistent with the present invention, as well as additional optical elements, all provided on a single substrate.
US09071036B2
A laser apparatus may include an optical resonator, a laser chamber, an optical loss adjustment mechanism, and a spectral line width adjustment mechanism. The optical resonator includes a mirror configured to reflect a part of light and a grating. The laser chamber is provided in the optical resonator and contains a laser gain medium, configured to emit a laser beam. The optical loss adjustment mechanism is provided in the optical resonator and configured to adjust an optical loss of the laser beam. The spectral line width adjustment mechanism is provided in the optical resonator and configured to adjust a spectral line width of the laser beam.
US09071035B2
An optical amplifier comprising: a pumping light source supplying a pumping light to an optical fiber as an amplification medium; an ASE light power detector detecting an ASE light power including an external ASE power flowing from an upstream side outside an amplification signal band; and a control unit setting a gain within the amplification signal band by using the ASE light power detected by the ASE light power detector outside the amplification signal band. The control unit controls the pumping light source by compensating for an influence of the external ASE power, obtained by measuring a relationship between the gain within the amplification signal band and the ASE light power outside the amplification signal band, to set initially the gain within the amplification signal band.
US09071034B2
The invention relates to a laser device comprising at least three linear laser gain volumes (12) for a gas to be excited, connecting elements (20) for connecting adjacent laser gain volumes, the laser gain volumes being mechanically coupled to other, and forming a common volumetric space, excitation means (50) for the laser gain volumes for exciting the gas in the laser gain volumes for generating a laser light, mirrors (22) arranged in the connecting elements for reflecting laser light between the laser gain volumes, a totally reflecting rear mirror (44), and a partially reflecting output coupler (42) for coupling out a laser beam. The laser gain volumes are arranged in the shape of an open or closed ring surrounding a free central space (8) between them. The invention also relates to a method for marking an object.
US09071032B2
A sub-mount having a photodiode region, includes a photodiode which has a first conductivity-type layer arranged in a surface portion of the sub-mount of the photodiode region to form a light-receiving surface and a second conductivity-type region arranged below the first conductivity-type layer and is configured to receive at the light-receiving surface a light emitted from a light-emitting element and convert the light into a photocurrent. A peak light-receiving wavelength at which the photocurrent of the photodiode becomes its maximum value is more than or equal to a minimum emission wavelength of the light-emitting element and less than or equal to a maximum emission wavelength of the light-emitting element.
US09071028B2
The disclosure relates to an electrical connection between two busbars made of flat conductors and an insulating layer disposed between the conductors at the opposite longitudinal edges of the two busbars. The two conductors of each busbar run parallel to each other at a distance on the longitudinal edge thereof, wherein a molded part made of electrically insulating material bridges the distances between the conductors of the two busbars. Electrically conductive contact elements, forced against each other but electrically insulated from each other, each contact one of the conductors of each busbar by means of structured contact surfaces and clamp the same between the element and the molded part, wherein the contact surfaces for the conductors of the two busbars including clamping protrusions running parallel to the longitudinal edges.
US09071025B2
A socket for electronic components includes a shield plate assembly that is formed by combining first shield plates with second shield plates in the form of a lattice and has conductivity, and contact units electrically connected to electrode terminals of electronic components are disposed in openings of the lattice of the shield plate assembly so that the electrode terminals are electrically connected to the wiring of a wiring board. The shield plate assembly is formed in a shape where lines where openings of the lattice are lined up in a first direction are arranged side by side in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the openings of the adjacent lines are formed so as to be shifted relative to the openings of the next lines in the first direction by a half of the length of the side of the opening that extends in the first direction.
US09071022B2
A power plug includes a main body, at least two prongs, and a cable. The main body has a universal serial bus port for receiving a universal serial bus plug. The prongs are disposed on the main body for receiving a power, and the prongs are configured to be insertable into an alternating current source. The cable is disposed on the main body and electrically connected to the prongs, and the cable is electrically connected to the power input end of the electrical appliance.
US09071021B2
A spring lock connector has a male connector (M) with a cylindrical front receptacle (52) and a female connector (F) with a terminal accommodating portion (12) to be fit into the front receptacle (52) and on an outer peripheral side of the front receptacle (52). A spring (40) is mounted on the female connector (F) and spreads as the female connector (F) is connected to the male connector (M). The spring (40) includes engaging portions (43) arranged in an entrance path for the front receptacle (52). Guides (57) are provided on an opening edge of the front receptacle (52) and move onto the engaging portions (43) if a connecting operation is performed in proper connecting postures. Parts of the opening edge of the front receptacle (52) other than the guides (57) contact the engaging portions (43) to prevent connection if the connecting operation is performed in improper connecting postures.
US09071019B2
A cable connector comprising a coupler and a retainer having a base with an internal channel and a latching assembly is disclosed. The coupler has a first end, a second end, and a bore extending therethrough. The latching assembly comprises a beam having a first end and a second end. The latching assembly pivotably connects to the base and has a plurality of teeth extending radially inwardly through a latch slot towards the bore of the coupler. A spring clip radially inwardly biases the coupler. The coupler has at least one compression slot that responds to the radially inwardly bias of the coupler, compressing the coupler radially inwardly and, thereby, providing a resiliently friction fit function to the coupler.
US09071018B2
A removable case is provided with a latch that allows users to remove the case from a memory card slot or peripheral interface slot of an electronic device. The removable case can be used to enclose removable media or peripheral devices, such as wireless network interface controllers. When inserted into the memory card slot or peripheral interface slot, the removable case is designed to sit flush with the surface the electronic device.
US09071016B2
An electrical connector configured to retain an electrical terminal including a terminal lock nib that projects inward into a terminal cavity from a first cavity wall for retaining the electrical terminal in the connector body and a flexible cantilever beam that projects axially into the terminal cavity from a fixed end of the cantilever beam. The cantilever beam is located opposite the terminal lock nib and is configured to push the terminal against a second cavity wall and into retaining engagement with the terminal lock nib. The connector also includes a support ridge that projects into the terminal cavity and is configured to contact and restrict movement of a free end of the cantilever beam during insertion of the terminal into the terminal cavity. The terminal has a laterally spaced lock surface engageable with the lock nib and is configured to prevent withdrawal of the terminal from the cavity.
US09071009B2
Aesthetically pleasing strain-relief members for cables and methods for making the same are disclosed. The strain-relief members are constructed to have one or more tuning members that provide selective strain relief for the cable. Each tuning member can vary the wall thickness of the strain relief member, and depending on several factors such as how many tuning members are present, their shape, and their positions within the strain-relief member, the strain-relief member can be specifically tailored to meet desired strain relief characteristics.
US09071005B2
To improve airtightness while reducing a usage amount of a resin for a sealing operation. A terminal block 20 of an electronic device 100 includes a resinous portion 21, a terminal member 23, and a connection member 25. Then, since a first area A1 and a second area A2 are divided by a partition wall 273 in the terminal block 20, it is possible to individually charge a charging resin 29A for blocking a through-hole A22 and a charging resin 29B for blocking a boundary portion between the terminal member 23 and the resinous portion 21. Thus, since the charging amounts of the charging resins 29A and 29B may be respectively adjusted, it is possible to appropriately charge the charging resin for improving the airtightness and to reduce the usage amount of the charging resin for a sealing operation.
US09071001B2
An electrical connector includes a plurality of electrical cable terminations for mating with a corresponding plurality of contact pins and a planar insulative connector body. Each of the electrical cable terminations includes a tubular housing, an inner housing, and at least one electrical contact. The tubular housing is of electrically conductive material and has inner walls defining an opening and first and second opposed open ends. The inner housing is of electrically insulating material and is inserted into the tubular housing from at least one of the open ends thereof. The inner housing comprises at least one inner space configured to receive an electrical contact in a fixed relative position. The electrical contact is positioned in the inner housing and configured to be connected to an electrical cable. The planar insulative connector body has an upper surface and an opposing lower surface. The upper and lower surfaces are defined by a front edge, a back edge, and two longitudinal side edges. The upper surface includes a plurality of longitudinal channels. Each channel contains one of the plurality of electrical cable terminations. The front edge of the connector body has a plurality of openings for guiding the contact pins into the mating electrical cable terminations positioned within the channels. An electrical connector assembly may include a plurality of the electrical connectors secured in a stacked configuration.
US09070999B2
An electric connector includes a housing including a groove into which a terminal is inserted, and a first engagement portion engageable to a first engagement section formed at the terminal, a rear holder including a second engagement portion engageable to a second engagement section formed at the terminal, the rear holder being formed integrally with the housing such that the rear holder is rotatable at one end thereof relative to the housing, and a connector system for detachably fixing the housing and the rear holder to each other when the rear holder is rotated onto the housing.
US09070976B2
An antenna apparatus is proposed, which can be operated outside in the vicinity around the antenna apparatus despite a shielding effect of an electrically conducting frame or electrically conducting housing. In the process, the electrically conducting frame or electrically conducting housing encloses a housing volume inside the housing, within said volume an electrically conducting connection being produced from a first to a second location of the electrically conducting frame or the electrically conducting housing. The first and the second locations are selected such that a radio resonance chamber is separated by a parallel radio resonance at a working frequency of the electronic device inside the enclosed housing volume by means of the electrically conducting connection.
US09070972B2
A beam forming device and method as well as to a beam steering device and method are described. The imaging beam forming device comprises a wideband transmit unit comprising at least one transmit antenna, a receiver unit comprising at least two receive antennas and at least one receive element that receive radiation from said scene and that generate receive signals from said received radiation, and a beam forming unit that performs beam forming to form a receive beam and obtain beam formed output signals from said receive signals by use of beam forming weights. For different samples or groups of subsequent samples of a receive signal, a sample representing said receive signal at a different frequency, a frequency-dependent weight is used for beam forming, which frequency-dependent weights are adapted to result in a predetermined shape of said receive beam.
US09070971B2
A dual circularly polarized antenna is described. In some embodiments, the antenna includes a waveguide having an aperture at a first end and a conducting component at a second end, the conducting component shorting the waveguide. A first driven dipole is substantially orthogonal to a second driven dipole, and both the first and second driven dipoles are located near the aperture of the waveguide. The first and second driven dipoles are connected to the conducting component by one or more plates and configured to be fed in quadrature. A resonator is positioned near the first and second driven dipoles.
US09070969B2
An electronic device has wireless communications circuitry including an adjustable antenna system coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver. The adjustable antenna system may include one or more adjustable electrical components that are controlled by storage and processing circuitry in the electronic device. The adjustable electrical components may include switches and components that can be adjusted between numerous different states. The adjustable electrical components may be coupled between antenna system components such as transmission line elements, matching network elements, antenna elements and antenna feeds. By adjusting the adjustable electrical components, the storage and processing circuitry can tune the adjustable antenna system to ensure that the adjustable antenna system covers communications bands of interest.
US09070967B2
Provided are an antenna and a combination antenna having a wide directivity in a predetermined plane direction. The antenna 100 is configured to have rims 111, 112 at left and right ends of a dielectric substrate 101 in the X direction in such a manner as to sandwich antenna elements 10. The rims 111, 112 may be metal plates or EBGs. As the rims 111, 112 are thus provided at both sides to sandwich the antenna elements 10, it is possible to reduce the width of the dielectric substrate 101 of the antenna 100 required for realizing wide coverage. As a result, it is possible to create a greater space for integration of another RF circuit and improve the space factor.
US09070952B2
The present disclosure provides a cable-type secondary battery, comprising: an inner electrode supporter; and a sheet-form laminate of inner electrode-separation layer-outer electrode, spirally wound on the outer surface of the inner electrode supporter, wherein the laminate of inner electrode-separation layer-outer electrode is formed by carrying out compression for the integration of an inner electrode, a separation layer for preventing a short circuit, and an outer electrode. In the cable-type secondary battery of the present disclosure, since the electrodes and the separation layer are adhered to each other and integrated, the separation layer coming into contact with the electrodes absorbs an electrolyte solution to induce the uniform supply of the electrolyte solution into the outer electrode active material layer, thereby enhancing the stability and performances of the cable-type secondary battery.
US09070950B2
Disclosed is a power storage element including a positive electrode current collector layer and a negative electrode current collector layer which are arranged on the same plane and can be formed through a simple process. The power storage element further includes a positive electrode active material layer on the positive electrode current collector layer; a negative electrode active material layer on the negative electrode current collector layer; and a solid electrolyte layer in contact with at least the positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer. The positive electrode active material layer and the negative electrode active material layer are formed by oxidation treatment.
US09070941B2
[Object] The object is to provide a negative electrode material for a lithium secondary battery, wherein a sulfide-based negative electrode with water-resistant properties can exert excellent cycle characteristics and high output performance while maintaining a high discharge capacity and there is no precipitation of lithium dendrites during charge at low temperature.[Means for Solving Problems] A negative electrode material for a lithium secondary battery comprising sulfur and sulfide glass including the following components (i) and (ii):(i) at least one or more elements selected from a group consisting of Sb, As, Bi, Ge, Si, Cu, Zn, Pd, In and Zr; and(ii) at least one or more elements selected from a group consisting of Se, Te, Ga, Sn, Pb, Cd, Al, Fe, Mg, Ca, Co, Ag, Sr, P and Ba, wherein the ratio of the above components is sulfur: 40-80 mol %, (i): 1-50 mol % and (ii): 1-50 mol %, respectively.
US09070933B2
A negative electrode active material of lithium secondary battery includes: at least one of a petroleum-derived green coke and a coal-derived green coke, and at least one of a petroleum-derived calcined coke and a coal-derived calcined coke within a mass ratio range of 90:10 to 10:90, and a phosphorous compound within a range of 0.1 to 6.0 parts by mass in amount equivalent to phosphor relative to 100 parts by mass of the at least one of the green cokes and the at least one of the calcined cokes.
US09070931B2
A cathode, a method of forming the cathode and a lithium battery including the cathode. The cathode includes a current collector and a cathode active material layer disposed on the current collector; the cathode active material layer includes a lithium transition metal oxide having a spinel structure, a conductive agent, and a binder; and at least a portion of a surface of the cathode active material layer is fluorinated.
US09070929B2
Disclosed is a secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is accommodated in a battery case, wherein the battery case is made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer and hermetically sealed through sealing of an outer circumferential surface thereof in a state of accommodating the electrode assembly, and at least one of sealing parts at the outer circumferential surface of the battery case is provided with at least two continuously formed recessed portions.
US09070924B2
An assembly can include a chassis that includes a processor, a memory device with memory accessible by the processor, a battery bay and a cover seat; a cover securable in a seated state with respect to the cover seat to cover the battery bay; and an automatic release mechanism automatically actuatable by an increase in battery volume of a lithium battery disposed in the battery bay to release the cover from its seated state. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US09070923B2
Disclosed is an electric vehicle battery attaching/detaching device including a battery having incision recesses formed on lateral portions, respectively, each incision recess having a lower engaging ledge; a battery mounting unit adapted to detachably mount the battery, the battery mounting unit having grasping holders formed on a bottom portion and adapted to engage with or disengage from the lower engaging ledges of the battery incision recesses; and a controller adapted to rotate the grasping holders in response to an electric signal so that the grasping holders engage with or disengage from the lower engaging ledges of the battery incision recesses.
US09070922B2
There is provided an electronic device includes a lock member disposed at a part of a peripheral wall of a battery pack loading section so as to be freely shift between a lock position for locking a loaded battery pack and an unlock position for releasing the lock; an unlock restricting member provided so as to be freely shift between a restriction position for restricting the lock member from being shifted to the unlock position and a non-restriction position for releasing the restriction; and a restricting member abutting portion provided at the outer surface of the battery pack, for abutting against the unlock restricting member to shift the unlock restricting member to the non-restriction position, when the unlock restricting member is located at the restriction position even though no battery pack is loaded in the battery pack loading section.
US09070920B2
The present invention is a solid oxide fuel cell 1 including a reforming section 94, disposed inside a fuel gas supply flow path 20 above a vaporizing section 86 to surround the upper portion of a fuel cell stack 14, for steam reforming raw fuel gas F introduced from a fuel gas introducing portion 90a using steam S produced in a vaporizing section; and a circulating flow path portion 156 disposed in a fuel gas supply flow path between the vaporizing section and the reforming section for circulating rising raw fuel gas introduced from a fuel gas introducing section into a fuel gas supply flow path and rising steam produced in the vaporizing section along the circumferential direction of the fuel gas supply flow path so as to form a flow supplying mixed raw fuel gas and steam uniformly over the entire circumference of the reforming section.
US09070911B2
Disclosed herein is a top cap assembly mounted to a battery cell having an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure disposed in a battery case together with an electrolyte in a sealed state, the battery case being provided at an upper end thereof with a first electrode terminal and a second electrode terminal, the top cap assembly including a protection circuit module (PCM) and an electrically insulative top cap housing mounted to the upper end of the battery cell while surrounding an outside of the PCM, wherein the PCM includes a protection circuit board (PCB) having a protection circuit formed thereon, the PCB being coupled to a mechanical coupling part of a terminal block, connecting parts connected to the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal, a safety element, and the terminal block mounted to the PCM, the terminal block including connectors.
US09070906B2
A battery assembling apparatus is disclosed. The battery assembling apparatus comprises: first and second rotary tables arranged to face each other at points on respective outer circumferences and rotate in forward directions relative to each other; a battery holding part provided on the outer circumference of the first rotary table to hold a battery; a frame holding part provided on the outer circumference of the second rotary table to hold a frame; a battery supplying part for supplying batteries to the battery holding part at a position different from a facing position between the first and second rotary tables; a frame supplying part for supplying frames to the frame holding part at a position different from the facing position; and a discharging part for taking out an assembly of a battery and a frame assembled together from the facing position.
US09070899B2
An organic electroluminescent element in accordance with the present invention includes: a transparent electrode; a blue light-emitting layer containing a blue light-emitting material having a maximum emission wavelength 460 nm or less; a first green light-emitting layer containing a first green light-emitting material having a maximum emission wavelength in the spectrum between 460 nm and 610 nm; a red light-emitting layer containing a red light-emitting material having a maximum emission wavelength of 610 nm or more; a second green light-emitting layer containing a second green light-emitting material having a maximum emission wavelength in the spectrum between 460 nm and 610 nm; and a reflecting electrode. The maximum emission wavelength of the first green light-emitting material is located on a short wavelength side of the spectrum. The maximum emission wavelength of the second green light-emitting material is located on a long wavelength side of the spectrum.
US09070896B2
An OLED display includes: a substrate; a first signal line provided on the substrate; a second signal line crossing the first signal line; a thin film transistor connected to the first signal line and the second signal line; a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor; an emission layer formed on the pixel electrode; a common electrode formed on the emission layer and formed of a reflective material; and a capacitor overlapping the pixel electrode.
US09070894B2
The present invention provides a light-emitting device comprising a first light-emitting element that emits red light, a second light-emitting element that emits green light, a third light-emitting element that emits blue light, and a color filter, where the color filter comprises a first coloring layer that selectively transmits red light, a second coloring layer that selectively transmits green light, and a third coloring layer that selectively transmits blue light, the first to third light-emitting elements respectively correspond to the first to third coloring layers, wherein each of the first to third light-emitting elements has a first electrode, an electroluminescent layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the electroluminescent layer, and wherein the electroluminescent layer includes a layer in contact with the second electrode, and a metal oxide or a benzoxazole derivative is included in the layer in contact with the second electrode.
US09070890B2
A pixel of an organic light emitting display device includes a transistor configured to output a first source voltage, an organic light emitting diode coupled to the transistor, and a wiring configured to be applied with a reference voltage to ground a leakage current of the transistor. The organic light emitting diode includes a first electrode configured to receive the first source voltage, a first common layer on the first electrode, an organic light emitting layer on the first common layer, and a second electrode on the organic light emitting layer and configured to be applied with a second source voltage different from the first source voltage. The first common layer is coupled to the wiring.
US09070882B2
A compound of formula (I), formula (II), or a combination thereof, and salts thereof is described. Each A may be independently an optionally substituted conjugated species or an optionally substituted aromatic species. Each R may be independently an optionally substituted C1-C40 linear alkyl chain, an optionally substituted branched alkyl chain, an optionally substituted alkyl chain containing heteroatoms, substituted alkyl chains, or H. Each R2 may be independently an optionally substituted C1-C40 linear alkyl chain, an optionally substituted branched alkyl chain, an optionally substituted alkyl chain containing heteroatoms, substituted alkyl chains, H, or part of a cyclic boronate ester with an other R2. Each n may be independently less than or equal to 3 and greater than or equal to 1. Each x may be independently less than or equal to 3.
US09070879B2
In the method for monitoring flexural vibrations of a piezoactuator, a small-signal spectrum of a piezoactuator, which is provided and mounted for the purpose of exciting longitudinal vibrations, is measured and an excitation of a transverse vibration in the piezoactuator is detected from resonances occurring in the small-signal spectrum.
US09070872B2
The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional semiconductor memory device. In the method, a storage array is divided into a plurality of storage sub-arrays. As a result, a respective via of each storage sub-array can be etched respectively, which is different from the prior art, where a via for a bottom electrode of a plurality of layers of resistive cells is etched at one time. The vias are filled with metal so that storage sub-arrays are connected with each other. The method for manufacturing the three-dimensional semiconductor memory device according to the present disclosure can substantially reduce process complexity and difficulty of etching process in high-density integration, and also improve a number of layers of the resistive cells integrated in the storage array.
US09070863B2
A resonator element includes a piezoelectric substrate that includes a vibration portion, and a thick portion which is integrally formed with an outer edge excluding a partial outer edge in an outer edge of the vibration portion and which is thicker than the vibration portion, and a pair of excitation electrodes that are respectively provided on a first main surface and a second main surface of a vibration region which are in front and rear relationships. In addition, the piezoelectric substrate includes first and second beam portions that are provided along a fourth side of the vibration portion.
US09070862B2
An ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer device includes a transducer array consisting of an array of vibrating elements, and a base to which the array of vibrating elements in the transducer array are attached. The base include integrated electrical interconnects for carrying driving signals and sensed signals between the vibrating elements and an external control circuit. The base can be an ASIC wafer that includes integrated circuitry for controlling the driving and processing the sensed signals. The interconnects and control circuits in the base fit substantially within an area below the array of multiple vibrating elements.
US09070859B1
A method of forming a non-volatile memory device, includes providing a substrate, forming a first dielectric over the substrate, forming a first wiring structure over the first dielectric, forming a first conductor in contact with the first wiring structure, forming a polycrystalline p+ SiGe material over the first conductor at a deposition temperature ranging from about 350 to about 500 Degrees Celsius, forming a polycrystalline silicon conformally over the SiGe material using the SiGe material as a lattice template at a deposition temperature within about 350 to about 500 Degrees Celsius, the polycrystalline silicon having an intrinsic semiconductor characteristic, forming a second conductor over the polycrystalline silicon in physical and electric contact with the resistive polycrystalline silicon, and forming a second wiring structure over the second conductor.
US09070845B2
An optical semiconductor lighting apparatus including: a substrate in which a single LED chip or a plurality of LED chips are disposed; a first mold portion disposed on the substrate to cover the plurality of LED chips; and a second mold portion extending from an edge of the first mold portion and disposed on the substrate. The respective LED chips can improve adhesive strength with respect to the substrate through the first and second mold portions. Peeling, surface cracking and damage caused by moisture permeation can be prevented by the first and second mold portions. A fluorescent material included in the second mold portion can improve a wavelength conversion rate.
US09070843B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor light-emitting device which emits light with high chroma, and an exhibit-irradiating illumination device, a meat-irradiating illumination device, a vegetable-irradiating illumination device, a fresh fish-irradiating illumination device, a general-purpose illumination device, and a semiconductor light-emitting system which include the semiconductor light-emitting device. A semiconductor light-emitting device 1 comprises an LED chip 10 as a semiconductor light-emitting element and a phosphor 20 which uses the LED chip 10 as an excitation source to emit light. The phosphor contains at least a green phosphor and a red phosphor, and a value of intensity of light with a wavelength of 660 nm in a spectrum of beam-normalized light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting device 1 is 170% or more and 300% or less of a value of intensity of light with a wavelength of 660 nm in a spectrum of beam-normalized reference light for color rendering evaluation.
US09070839B2
A method (100) of making a semiconductor device, for example a light emitting diode. The method (100) includes providing (105) a semiconductor wafer, and providing (110) a protective layer over the semiconductor wafer. Preferably the protective layer comprises indium-tin oxide. Processing steps are performed on the wafer and the protective layer is arranged to protect the wafer during the processing steps. The processing steps may include forming a mask layer (115) over the protective layer, which is used for etching through the protective layer and into the semiconductor wafer, removing the mask layer, or etching filling materials (150) provided over the selectively etched semiconductor wafer.
US09070827B2
An optoelectronic device comprising: a substrate; and an epitaxial stack including a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity-type impurity, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity-type impurity formed in sequence on the substrate; a hollow component formed inside the active layer or the second semiconductor layer, wherein the layer with the hollow component is doped with an additional impurity.
US09070826B2
In one embodiment, a thermoelectric generator for a vehicle is provided. In particular, a thermoelectric generator is provided that includes a thermoelectric generating unit which is mounted between an exhaust gas inlet pipe through which an exhaust gas flows within and an exhaust gas outlet pipe through which the exhaust gas is discharged. The thermoelectric generating unit also includes a coolant inlet formed on one side thereof and a coolant outlet formed on the other side. More specifically, the thermoelectric generator is formed by assembling a plurality of unit modules which each have thermoelectric elements.
US09070820B2
The invention relates to a method for treating a silicon substrate for the production of photovoltaic cells against reduction in yield during the illumination of said photovoltaic cells. The invention also relates to a method for producing photovoltaic cells from the treated substrate. To said end, the invention relates to a method for treating a silicon substrate for the production of photovoltaic cells, said method including the following steps: a) providing a silicon substrate obtained from a metallurgically purified load, and b) annealing said substrate by heating the substrate to a temperature between 880° C. and 930° C. for a duration of between one and four hours, preferably at a temperature of 900° C., give or take 10° C., for two hours, give or take 10 minutes.
US09070815B2
A photonic device is provided. The photonic device includes: a semiconductor layer including first and second regions; an insulating layer covering the semiconductor layer; and first and second plugs extending to pass through the insulating layer and electrically connected to the corresponding first and second regions. The first plug is in a rectifying contact with the first region, and the second plug is in an ohmic contact with the second region.
US09070808B2
A supplemental solar energy collection system including a photovoltaic panel which converts incident radiation into electricity. A housing includes a top thermally conductive surface mated with the photovoltaic panel and serving as a thermal collector. Open channels behind the thermally conductive surface carry fluid in contact with the top thermally conductive surface for removing heat from the photovoltaic panel.
US09070806B2
Provided is a self-powered solar tracker, which is a solar tracker for adjusting the altitude of and horizontally rotating a solar collector panel such that the solar collector panel on which a plurality of solar cells are provided can face the sun, wherein the self-powered solar tracker comprises: an altitude adjustment optical sensor unit which has one or more first optical sensors formed by being uniformly spaced on the upper side of convex support surfaces to face the sun and one or more second optical sensors formed by being uniformly spaced on the lower side of the convex support surfaces, and which senses the sunlight so as to adjust the altitude of the solar collector panel; a horizontal rotation optical sensor unit which has one or more third optical sensors formed by being uniformly spaced on the left side of the convex support surfaces to face the sun and one or more fourth optical sensors formed by being uniformly spaced on the right side of the convex support surfaces, and which senses sunlight so as to horizontally rotate the solar collector panel; a passive element circuit which has one or more first comparison circuits for comparing the difference in the quantity of output light between the first optical sensors and the second optical sensors and one or more second comparison circuits for comparing the difference in the quantity of output light between the third optical sensors and the fourth optical sensors, and which outputs a driving value for adjusting the altitude of and horizontally rotating the solar collector panel in the direction having a larger light value; an altitude adjustment driving unit for receiving a driving power source from the solar cells of the solar collector panel and for adjusting the altitude of the solar collector panel according to the driving value of the passive element circuit; and a horizontal rotation driving unit for performing the horizontal rotation.
US09070802B2
The present invention provides an image sensor and a fabricating method of the image sensor. The image sensor comprises: a first type epitaxial layer, a photodiode region, a first type well region, a gate region of a source follower transistor, and a first type implant isolation region. The first type well region is formed within the first type epitaxial layer with a first horizontal distance to the photodiode region and a vertical distance to a surface of the first type epitaxial layer. The gate region of a source follower transistor is formed on the surface of the first type epitaxial layer and above the first type well region, and has a second horizontal distance to the photodiode region. There is a distance between the first type implant isolation region and the first type well region as an anti-blooming path.
US09070795B2
A method for forming a light emitting device includes forming a monocrystalline III-V emissive layer on a monocrystalline substrate and forming a first doped layer on the emissive layer. A first contact is deposited on the first doped layer. The monocrystalline substrate is removed from the emissive layer by a mechanical process. A second doped layer is formed on the emissive layer on a side from which the substrate has been removed. The second doped layer has a dopant conductivity opposite that of the first doped layer. A second contact is deposited on the second doped layer.
US09070794B2
A method for making light emitting diode, the method includes the following steps. A substrate having an epitaxial growth surface is provided. A carbon nanotube layer is suspended above the epitaxial growth surface. A first semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second semiconductor layer are grown on the epitaxial growth surface in that order. A third semiconductor layer is formed on a surface of the second semiconductor layer, wherein the third semiconductor layer includes a plurality of spaced protrusions. A portion of the first semiconductor layer is exposed by etching a portion of the third semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, and the active layer. A first electrode is formed to electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer and a second electrode is formed to electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer.
US09070788B2
An circuit supporting substrate includes a transistor and a capacitor. The transistor includes a first semiconductor layer and a gate stack located on the first semiconductor layer. The gate stack includes a metal layer and a first high-k dielectric layer. A gate spacer is located on sidewalls of the gate stack. The first high-k dielectric layer is located between the first semiconductor layer and the metal layer and between the gate spacer and sidewalls of the metal layer. A first silicide region is located on a first source/drain region. A second silicide region is located on a second source/drain region. The capacitor includes a first terminal that comprises a third silicide region located on a portion of the second semiconductor. A second high-k dielectric layer is located on the silicide region. A second terminal comprises a metal layer that is located on the second high-k dielectric layer.
US09070784B2
The invention relates to integrated circuit fabrication, and more particularly to a metal gate structure. An exemplary structure for a CMOS semiconductor device comprises a substrate, an N-metal gate electrode, and a P-metal gate electrode. The substrate comprises an isolation region surrounding a P-active region and an N-active region. The N-metal gate electrode comprises a first metal composition over the N-active region. The P-metal gate electrode comprises a bulk portion over the P-active region and an endcap portion over the isolation region. The endcap portion comprises the first metal composition and the bulk portion comprises a second metal composition different from the first metal composition.
US09070779B2
A metal oxide thin film transistor includes a metal oxide semiconductor channel with the metal oxide semiconductor having a conduction band with a first energy level. The transistor further includes a layer of passivation material covering at least a portion of the metal oxide semiconductor channel. The passivation material has a conduction band with a second energy level equal to, or less than 0.5 eV above the first energy level.
US09070776B2
The circuit includes a first wiring for supplying a power supply potential to a signal processing circuit, a transistor for controlling electrical connection between the first wiring and a second wiring for supplying the a power supply potential, and a transistor for determining whether or not the first wiring is grounded. At least one of the two transistors is a transistor whose channel is formed in the oxide semiconductor layer. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption due to cutoff current of at least one of the two transistors.
US09070775B2
A thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor layer; first and second dielectric layers disposed on opposite sides of the semiconductor layer; a first metal layer forming first and second terminals on the opposite side of the first dielectric layer from the semiconductor layer, one of said first and second terminals extending through said first dielectric layer into contact with the semiconductor layer, the first and second terminals and the first dielectric layer forming a capacitor; and a second metal layer forming a third terminal on the opposite side of the second dielectric layer from the semiconductor layer. The first and second terminals may be source and drain terminals, and the third terminal may be a gate terminal. The first metal layer may be divided to form the first and second terminals. The third terminal may be shared with one of the first and second terminals.
US09070774B2
A semiconductor device includes a gate stack; an air-gap under the gate stack; a semiconductor layer vertically between the gate stack and the air-gap; and a first dielectric layer underlying and adjoining the semiconductor layer. The first dielectric layer is exposed to the air-gap.
US09070771B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a material stack on a semiconductor substrate, the material stack including a first dielectric layer on the substrate, a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, and a third dielectric layer on the second dielectric layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is a high-k dielectric. Openings are formed through the material stack to expose a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor material is formed in the openings through the material stack. The first dielectric layer is removed selectively to the second dielectric layer and the semiconductor material. A gate structure is formed on a channel portion of the semiconductor material. In some embodiments, the method may provide a plurality of finFET or trigate semiconductor device in which the fin structures of those devices have substantially the same height.
US09070770B2
A disposable gate structure straddling a semiconductor fin is formed. A source region and a drain region are formed employing the disposable gate structure as an implantation mask. A planarization dielectric layer is formed such that a top surface of the planarization dielectric layer is coplanar with the disposable gate structure. A gate cavity is formed by removing the disposable gate structure. An epitaxial cap layer is deposited on physically exposed semiconductor surfaces of the semiconductor fin by selective epitaxy. A gate dielectric layer is formed on the epitaxial cap layer, and a gate electrode can be formed by filling the gate cavity. The epitaxial cap layer can include a material that reduces the density of interfacial defects at an interface with the gate dielectric layer.
US09070766B1
Provided is a semiconductor device including a substrate, an isolation structure, a gate structure, source and drain regions and a conductive layer. The source and drain regions are disposed in the substrate. The isolation structure is disposed between the source and drain regions. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate between the source and drain regions. The conductive layer is disposed on the substrate, extends from above the source region to above the isolation structure and is electrically connected to the source region. The substrate has first and second areas. The source region in the second area has a border curvature greater than that in the first area. The width of the portion of the conductive layer covering the isolation structure in the second area has a width greater than that in the first area.
US09070759B2
A method of making a semiconductor device is disclosed. A device is fabricated on a semiconductor body. A gate electrode is disposed over the semiconductor body with a gate dielectric between the gate electrode and the semiconductor body, wherein the gate dielectric has a length greater than the gate electrode. A first source/drain region is disposed within the semiconductor body adjacent to the first edge of the gate with the gate dielectric at least partially overlapping the first source/drain region, and a second source/drain region is disposed within the semiconductor body adjacent to the first edge of the gate with the gate dielectric at least partially overlapping the second source/drain region.
US09070756B2
A group III nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device comprises a source electrode (112), a drain electrode (111), a main gate (116), a top gate (118), an insulating dielectric layer (117) and a heterostructure, wherein the source electrode (112) and the drain electrode (111) are electrically connected via two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed in the heterostructure; the heterostructure comprises a first semiconductor (113) and a second semiconductor (114); the first semiconductor (113) is disposed between the source electrode (112) and drain electrode (111); the second semiconductor (114) is formed on the surface of the first semiconductor (113) and is provided with a band gap wider than the first semiconductor (113); the main gate (116) is disposed at the side of the surface of the second semiconductor (114) adjacent to the source electrode (112), and is in Schottky contact with the second semiconductor (114); the dielectric layer (117) is disposed on the surfaces of the second semiconductor (114) and the main gate (116) and between the source electrode (112) and the drain electrode (111); the top gate (118) is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer (117), at least one side edge of the top gate extends towards the direction of the source electrode (112) or the drain electrode (111), and the orthographic projection of the top gate overlaps with the two side edges of the main gate (116). When the HEMT device is at work, the main gate (116) and the top gate (118) are respectively controlled by a control signal. The device can effectively inhibit the “current collapse effect”.
US09070753B1
Provided is a method for fabricating a memory device. A stack layer, including a storage layer, a first conductive layer and a first mask layer, is formed on the substrate in a first region and a second region. The stack layer is patterned to form a plurality of first patterned stack layers extending along a first direction and from the first region to the second region. Two sides of each first patterned stack layers have openings respectively. A filling layer is formed on the substrate, and filled in the openings. A second mask layer is formed on the second region, and does not cover the filling layer in the second region. Then, using the second mask layer and the filling layer as mask, the first patterned stack layers and part of the substrate are removed, and a plurality of trenches are formed in the substrate in the second region.
US09070750B2
Method and apparatus for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces are disclosed. Metal oxide surfaces are reduced to form a film integrated with a metal seed layer on a substrate by exposing the metal oxide surfaces to a reducing gas atmosphere comprising radicals of a reducing gas species. The radicals of the reducing gas species can form from exposing the reducing gas species to ultraviolet radiation and/or a plasma. The substrate is maintained at a temperature below a temperature that produces agglomeration of the metal seed layer during exposure to the reducing gas atmosphere, such as below 150° C. for copper. In some embodiments, the reducing gas species can include at least one of hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, diborane, sulfite compounds, carbon and/or hydrocarbons, phosphites, and hydrazine.
US09070747B2
Structures and methods provide a dielectric bridge for use in electroplating. A method comprises: providing a semiconductor wafer with a plurality of die, wherein a first die is adjacent to a second die, and the first die and second die are separated by a dicing street area; forming a patterned dielectric layer overlying the semiconductor wafer, the dielectric layer including a dielectric bridge that crosses the dicing street area; forming a conductive layer (e.g., a metal seed layer) overlying the dielectric layer, wherein a portion of the conductive layer is overlying the dielectric bridge to provide a current pathway from the first die to the second die; and electroplating targeted areas of the conductive layer by providing current to the second die using the current pathway. Other such bridges formed from the dielectric layer provide current pathways to other die on the wafer.
US09070746B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a plurality of first semiconductor regions arranged each via a space in a direction crossing a first direction; a plurality of control gate electrodes; and a select gate electrode extending in a second direction, and the select gate electrode aligned with a control gate electrode located on an outermost side out of the plurality of control gate electrodes via the space; a first insulating layer covering the plurality of control gate electrodes and the select gate electrode, the first insulating layer provided on a side wall of the select gate electrode via the space, and a portion of the first insulating layer bridged between adjacent ones of the plurality of control gate electrodes protruding toward the space between adjacent ones of the plurality of control gate electrodes.
US09070745B1
In one embodiment, a method for forming a direct fusion bond between fractional components of a semiconductor laminate structure can include generating one or more direct bonding surfaces on each of a plurality of semiconductor wafers. A first fractional component and a second fractional component can be cut from at least one of the plurality of semiconductor wafers. A second direct bonding surface of the second fractional component can be placed into contact with a first direct bonding surface of the first fractional component to define an initial contact area. An angle of approach between the second direct bonding surface of the second fractional component and the first direct bonding surface of the first fractional component can be closed to create a direct fusion bond of a semiconductor laminate structure. The direct fusion bond can be larger than the initial contact area.
US09070743B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory includes a memory cell in a memory cell array which is provided in a semiconductor substrate and which includes a first active region surrounded by a first isolation insulator, a transistor in a transistor region which is provided in the semiconductor substrate and which includes second active regions surrounded by a second isolation insulator. The second isolation insulator includes a first film, and a second film between the first film and the second active region, and the upper surface of the first film is located closer to the bottom of the semiconductor substrate than the upper surface of the second film.
US09070741B2
A semiconductor device is manufactured in a semiconductor substrate comprising a first main surface, the semiconductor substrate including chip areas. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor substrate comprises forming components of the semiconductor device in the first main surface in the chip areas, removing substrate material from a second main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the second main surface being opposite to the first main surface, forming a separation trench into a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the separation trench being disposed between adjacent chip areas. The method further comprises forming at least one sacrificial material in the separation trench, and removing the at least one sacrificial material from the trench.
US09070738B2
An SCR-type component of vertical structure has a main upper electrode formed on a silicon region of a first conductivity type which is formed in a silicon layer of a second conductivity type. The silicon region is interrupted in first areas where the material of the silicon layer comes into contact with the upper electrode, and is further interrupted in second areas filled with resistive porous silicon extending between the silicon layer and the main upper electrode.
US09070730B2
A system and method are disclosed for removing vertically oriented substrates from a cassette. A lifter includes a lifter notch and a stabilizer notch for holding a substrate. The lifter notch engages and lifts the substrate along the substrate ID, while the stabilizer notch captures the substrate OD to prevent lateral movement of the substrate during lifting. In use, the cassette is tilted to bias all substrates to one side and ensure consistent spacing. The lifter moves up into the cassette until the notches are adjacent, but beneath, the ID and OD of a substrate. The lifter is moved laterally to position the notches directly below the ID and OD. Upward movement of the lifter causes the lifter notch to lift the substrate along the ID. The lifter continues upward with the substrate until the substrate clears the top of the cassette. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09070723B2
An apparatus for cleaning a surface of wafer or substrate includes a plate being positioned with a gap to surface of the wafer or substrate, and the plate being rotated around an axis vertical to surface of wafer or substrate. The rotating plate surface facing surface of the wafer or substrate has grooves, regular patterns, and irregular patterns to enhance the cleaning efficiency. Another embodiment further includes an ultra sonic or mega sonic transducer vibrating the rotating plate during cleaning process.
US09070711B2
One method disclosed herein includes forming an etch stop layer above recessed sidewall spacers and a recessed replacement gate structure and, with the etch stop layer in position, forming a self-aligned contact that is conductively coupled to the source/drain region after forming the self-aligned contact. A device disclosed herein includes an etch stop layer that is positioned above a recessed replacement gate structure and recessed sidewall spacers, wherein the etch stop layer defines an etch stop recess that contains a layer of insulating material positioned therein. The device further includes a self-aligned contact.
US09070709B2
The substrate successively includes a support substrate, an electrically insulating layer, a semiconductor material layer, and a gate pattern. The semiconductor material layer and gate pattern are covered by a covering layer. A first doping impurity is implanted in the semiconductor material layer through the covering layer so as to place the thickness of maximum concentration of the first doping impurity in the first layer. The covering layer is partly eliminated so as to form lateral spacers leaving source/drain electrodes free.
US09070708B2
A semiconductor device including a substrate, a heterojunction body, a passivation layer, a source contact, a drain contact, and a gate contact. The heterojunction body disposed on or above the substrate includes a first semiconductor layer, a mask layer, a regrowth layer, and a second semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on or above the substrate. The mask layer is disposed on or above a portion of the first semiconductor layer. The regrowth layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and adjacent to the mask layer includes a main portion and at least one inclined portion. The second semiconductor layer is disposed on the mask layer and the regrowth layer. The passivation layer is disposed on the second semiconductor layer. The gate contact is disposed on the passivation layer, between the source contact and the drain contact, and at least above the inclined portion of the regrowth layer.
US09070707B2
A semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a semiconductor layer composed of GaN-based compound semiconductor on the substrate; a source electrode, a gate electrode, and a drain electrode on the substrate; and an additive substance added to the semiconductor layer. The additive substance serves as a luminescent center within the semiconductor layer. Charge trapped at an energy level in the semiconductor layer is released and recombined by light generated from the luminescent center.
US09070693B2
There are provided a semiconductor package and a manufacturing method thereof, capable of increasing integration by mounting electronic devices on both surfaces of a substrate. The semiconductor package includes a first substrate having mounting electrodes on both surfaces thereof; a plurality of electronic devices mounted on both surfaces of the first substrate; and a second substrate exposed in cavities and bonded to a bottom surface of the first substrate so as to accommodate the electronic devices mounted on the bottom surface of the first substrate in the cavities.
US09070692B2
Chip packages are described with soft-magnetic shields that are included inside or attached externally to the package containing a MRAM chip. In one group of embodiments a single shield with vias for bonding wires is affixed to the surface of the MRAM chip having the contact pads. The limitation of shield to chip distance due to bonding wire is eliminated by VIA holes according to the invention which achieves minimal spacing between the shield and chip. A second shield without vias can be positioned on the opposite side of the chip from the first shield. In one group of embodiments a hardened ferro-fluid shield can be the only shield or the structure can include a shield with or without vias. One group of embodiments includes an external shield with vias for solder access to the package contact pads affixed to the outer surface of the package.
US09070688B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first active region in the semiconductor substrate, and a second active region in the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a first conductive line over the semiconductor substrate electrically connected to the first active region and having a first end face adjacent to the second active region, and the first end face having an image log slope of greater than 15 μm−1.
US09070686B2
An integrated circuit, including a substrate, at least one metal wiring layer disposed above the substrate. The metal wiring layer including a wiring switch and a plurality of patterned conductors. The wiring switch including a back gate field effect transistor (BGFET).
US09070681B2
The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate with a first region and a second region, forming a high-k dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate, forming a metal layer over the high-k dielectric layer, the metal layer having a first work function, protecting the metal layer in the first region, treating the metal layer in the second region with a de-coupled plasma that includes carbon and nitrogen, and forming a first gate structure in the first region and a second gate structure in the second region. The first gate structure includes the high-k dielectric layer and the untreated metal layer. The second gate structure includes the high-k dielectric layer and the treated metal layer.
US09070674B2
A silicon interconnect structure includes a peripheral outer via in a silicon substrate, a solid core inner via in the silicon substrate, the solid core inner via coaxial with the peripheral outer via to form a coaxial via structure, a metal interconnect stack formed over a first surface of the peripheral outer via and the solid core inner via, at least portions of the metal interconnect stack forming an electrical connection with the peripheral outer via and the solid core inner via, first contact pads on a surface of the metal interconnect stack, and second contact pads on an exposed surface of the peripheral outer via and the solid core inner via.
US09070667B2
Various embodiments of mechanisms for forming a die package using through sidewall vias (TsVs), which are formed by sawing through substrate via (TSV) in half, at edges of dies described enable various semiconductor dies and passive components be electrically connected to achieve targeted electrical performance. Redistribution structures with redistribution layers (RDLs) are used along with the TsVs to enable the electrical connections. Since the TsVs are away from the device regions, the device regions do not suffer from the stress caused by the TSV formation. In addition, electrical connections between upper and lower dies by the TsVs increases the efficiency of the area utilization of the die package.
US09070661B2
The reliability of a power MISFET made of a nitride semiconductor material is improved. A strain relaxation film is disposed between a polyimide film and a gate electrode, to suppress a stress exerted on an electron supply layer and a channel layer from the polyimide film, and suppress a stress strain generated in the electron supply layer and the channel layer. As a result, a change in channel electron concentration in the channel layer is suppressed to prevent a threshold voltage or an on-resistance of the power MISFET from fluctuating.
US09070659B2
[Object] A semiconductor device is configured to release heat from semiconductor chips more efficiently. [Means for Solution] A semiconductor device includes: a die pad 11 which has a die pad main surface 111 and a die pad rear surface 112; a semiconductor chip 41 mounted on the die pad main surface 111; a sealing resin portion 7 formed with a recess 75 for exposure of the die pad rear surface 11 and covering the die pad 11 and the semiconductor chip 41; and a heat releasing layer 6 disposed in the recess 75. The recess 75 has a recess groove 753 outside the die pad 11 in a direction in which the die pad rear surface 112 extends, and the recess groove 753 is closer to the die pad main surface 111 than to the die pad rear surface 112. The heat releasing layer 6 has a junction layer which is in contact with the die pad rear surface 112 and having part thereof filling the recess groove 753.
US09070653B2
A microelectronic assembly (100) and a microelectronic device (4100) include a stacked structure (101). The stacked structure includes a heat spreader (104), at least one die (106) thermally coupled to at least a portion of one side of the heat spreader, at least one other die (108) thermal coupled to at least a portion of an opposite side of the heat spreader, at least one opening (401) in the heat spreader located in a region of between the two die, an insulator (603) disposed in the at least one opening, and electrically conductive material (1308, 1406) in an insulated hole (705) in the insulator. The heat spreader allows electrical communication between the two die through the opening while the insulator isolates the electrically conductive material and the heat spreader from each other.
US09070652B2
A monitoring method of a semiconductor process includes the following steps. A semiconductor substrate is provided, and a test structure is formed thereon. The method of forming the test structure includes the following steps. A first doped region and a second doped region are formed in the semiconductor substrate, and an insulating layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Subsequently, a conductive layer is directly formed on the insulating layer to complete the formation of the test structure, in which the conductive layer in a floating state partially overlaps the first doped region and partially overlaps the second doped region. Then, a voltage signal is applied to the test structure and the breakdown voltage (Vbd) between the first doped region and the second doped region is measured.
US09070644B2
Embodiments of mechanisms for testing a die package with multiple packaged dies on a package substrate use an interconnect substrate to provide electrical connections between dies and the package substrate and to provide probing structures (or pads). Testing structures, including daisy-chain structures, with metal lines to connect bonding structures connected to signals, power source, and/or grounding structures are connected to probing structures on the interconnect substrate. The testing structures enable determining the quality of bonding and/or functionalities of packaged dies bonded. After electrical testing is completed, the metal lines connecting the probing structures and the bonding structures are severed to allow proper function of devices in the die package. The mechanisms for forming test structures with probing pads on interconnect substrate and severing connecting metal lines after testing could reduce manufacturing cost.
US09070643B2
A semiconductor device including: a base material portion that includes a semiconductor substrate and an insulating film that is formed on one face of the semiconductor substrate and on which a vertical hole is formed along the thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate; a vertical hole wiring portion that includes a vertical hole electrode formed on a side wall of the base material portion that forms the vertical hole; a metallic film that is formed within the insulating film and that is electrically connected to the vertical hole wiring portion; and a conductive protective film that is formed to be in contact with the metallic film within the insulating film and that is formed in a region that includes a contact region of a probe during a probe test that is performed in the middle of manufacture on a film face of the metallic film.
US09070640B2
A method of forming fine patterns includes patterning a hard mask layer and a buffer mask layer sequentially stacked on a lower mask layer to form first openings, forming sacrificial patterns filling the first openings and protruding from a top surface of the buffer mask layer, forming a spacer pattern filling a space between two adjacent sacrificial patterns and having gaps each of which exposes a portion of the buffer mask layer between at least three adjacent sacrificial patterns, etching portions of the buffer mask layer exposed by the gaps of the spacer pattern to form enlarged holes, etching portions of the hard mask layer exposed by the enlarged holes to form second openings, and subsequently etching the lower layer using the hard mask layer as an etch mask.
US09070633B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to method and apparatus for providing processing gases to a process chamber with improved plasma dissociation efficiency. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a baffle nozzle assembly comprising an outer body defining an extension volume connected to a processing chamber. A processing gas is flown to the processing chamber through the extension volume which is exposed to power source for plasma generation.
US09070629B2
Methods and systems for altering the electrical resistance of a wiring path. The electrical resistance of the wiring path is compared with a target electrical resistance value. If the electrical resistance of the wiring path exceeds the target electrical resistance value, an electrical current is selectively applied to the wiring path to physically alter a portion of the wiring path. The current may be selected to alter the wiring path such that the electrical resistance drops to a value less than or equal to the target electrical resistance value.
US09070628B2
According to the invention, a method of manufacturing an esterified substance including a process in which a copolymer is obtained by copolymerizing a 1-alkene having 5 to 80 carbon atoms and maleic anhydride, and a process in which an esterification reaction of the copolymer and an alcohol having 5 to 25 carbon atoms is caused in a presence of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in order to obtain a reaction mixture containing an esterified substance including at least one repetition unit selected from formulae (c) to (f) is provided, and, in the formulae (c) to (f), R represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 78 carbon atoms, R2 represents a hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms, m represents the copolymerization molar ratio X/Y of the 1-alkene (X) to the maleic anhydride (Y) and is 1/2 to 10/1, and n is an integer of more than or equal to 1.
US09070625B2
A chemical solution including an aqueous solution, an oxidizing agent, and a pH stabilizer selected from quaternary ammonium salts and quaternary ammonium alkali can be employed to remove metallic materials in cavities for forming a semiconductor device. For example, metallic materials in gate cavities for forming a replacement gate structure can be removed by the chemical solution of the present disclosure with, or without, selectivity among multiple metallic materials such as work function materials. The chemical solution of the present disclosure provides different selectivity among metallic materials than known etchants in the art.
US09070623B2
Methods of forming a semiconductor structure and the semiconductor structure are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a gate dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a gate electrode layer over the gate dielectric layer, and etching the gate electrode layer and the gate dielectric layer to form a horizontal gate structure and a vertical gate structure, wherein the horizontal gate structure and the vertical gate structure are connected by an interconnection portion. The method further includes forming a photoresist covering the horizontal gate structure and the vertical gate structure, with the photoresist having a gap exposing the interconnection portion between the horizontal gate structure and the vertical gate structure, and then etching the interconnection portion.
US09070614B2
A semiconductor device simplifies the manufacturing process. The device includes a protective chip which has a surface Zener diode to protect a light emitting chip with an LED formed therein from surge voltage. The protective chip is mounted over a wiring electrically coupled through a metal wire to an anode electrode coupled to a p-type semiconductor region whose conductivity type is the same as that of the semiconductor substrate of the chip. The anode electrode of the protective chip is electrically coupled to the back surface of the chip without PN junction, so even if the back surface is in contact with the wiring, no problem occurs with the electrical characteristics of the Zener diode. This eliminates the need to form an insulating film on the back surface of the chip to prevent contact between the back surface and the wiring, thus simplifying the manufacturing process.
US09070613B2
A light emitting device includes a first section and a second section. The first section includes a first semiconductor layer doped with a first dopant, a second semiconductor layer doped with a second dopant, and a first active layer between the first and second semiconductor layers, and the second section includes a third semiconductor layer disposed on the first section, and the third semiconductor layer having an exposed region, a fourth semiconductor layer disposed on the third semiconductor layer except for the exposed region, and a second active layer between the third and fourth semiconductor layers, a first electrode disposed on the first semiconductor layer, a second electrode disposed on the fourth semiconductor layer and a third electrode inserted into a hole in the exposed region and disposed on the exposed region and the second semiconductor layer, the third electrode electrically connected to the second and third semiconductor layers.
US09070612B2
A method for fabricating an image sensor, wherein the method comprises steps as follows: Firstly, a transparent substrate is formed on a working substrate. Pluralities of micro lens are formed in the transparent substrate, wherein the lenses have a refraction ratio differing from that of the transparent substrate. Subsequently, a color filter is formed on the lenses. Afterward, the color filter is engaged with an image sensing device by flipping around the working substrate.
US09070609B2
A solid-state imaging device that includes at least one pixel. The pixel includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion element in a region of the photodiode and a read out gate electrode at least partially surrounding the floating diffusion element in plan view.
US09070602B2
Method for manufacturing a thin film transistor liquid crystal display is provided. A substrate is provided. A gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a passivation film are formed on the substrate in sequence. The passivation film has a contact hole to expose a part of the drain electrode. A conductive layer is formed by coating nano metal material on the passivation film and in the contract hole from which the drain electrode is exposed. A pixel electrode is formed by patterning the conductive layer.
US09070597B2
A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a channel overlapped with the gate electrode, a source electrode contacting the channel, and a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode and contacting the channel. The channel includes indium-zinc-tin oxide sourced from a source including a single phase indium-zinc-tin oxide.
US09070586B1
A method of forming surface protrusions on an article, and the article with the protrusions attached. The article may be an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip, a test probe for the IC chip or any suitable substrate or nanostructure. The surface protrusions are electroplated to a template or mold wafer, transferred to the article and easily separated from the template wafer. Thus, the attached protrusions may be, e.g., micro-bumps or micro pillars on an IC chip or substrate, test probes on a probe head, or one or more cantilevered membranes in a micro-machine or micro-sensor or other micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) formed without undercutting the MEMS structure.
US09070576B2
Semiconductor device structures and related fabrication methods are provided. An exemplary method of fabricating a semiconductor device on a doped region of semiconductor material having a first conductivity type involves forming a first region having a second conductivity type within the doped region, forming a body region having the first conductivity type overlying the first region, and forming a drift region having the second conductivity type within the doped region, wherein at least a portion of the drift region abuts at least a portion of the first region. In one embodiment, the dopant concentration of the first region is less than the dopant concentration of the body region and different from the dopant concentration of the drift region.
US09070563B2
A semiconductor device comprises a thin film transistor provided over a substrate having an insulating surface, and an electrode penetrating the substrate. The thin film transistor is provided between a first structural body and a second structural body, which has a higher rigidity than the first structural body, which serve as protectors because the structural bodies have resistance to a pressing force such as a tip of a pen or bending stress applied from outside so malfunction due to the pressing force and the bending stress can be prevented.
US09070557B2
A semiconductor structure including a double patterned structure and a method for forming the semiconductor structure are provided. A negative photoresist layer is formed on a positive photoresist layer, which is formed over a substrate. An exposure process is performed to form a first exposure region in the positive photoresist layer and to form a second exposure region in the negative photoresist layer in response to a first and a second intensity thresholds of the exposure energy. A negative-tone development process is performed to remove portions of the negative photoresist layer to form first opening(s). The positive photoresist layer is then etched along the first opening(s) to form second opening(s) therein. A positive-tone development process is performed to remove the first exposure region therefrom to form a double patterned positive photoresist layer.
US09070551B2
A library of cells for designing an integrated circuit, the library comprises continuous diffusion compatible (CDC) cells. A CDC cell includes a p-doped diffusion region electrically connected to a supply rail and continuous from the left edge to the right edge of the CDC cell; a first polysilicon gate disposed above the p-doped diffusion region and electrically connected to the p-doped diffusion region; an n-doped diffusion region electrically connected to a ground rail and continuous from the left edge to the right edge; a second polysilicon gate disposed above the n-doped diffusion region and electrically connected to the n-doped diffusion region; a left floating polysilicon gate disposed over the p-doped and n-doped diffusion regions and proximal to the left edge; and a right floating polysilicon gate disposed over the p-doped and n-doped diffusion regions and proximal to the right edge.
US09070547B2
A metal film is formed on at least a surface of a second substrate composed of ceramic (step c), and a first substrate composed of a group nitride is bonded to the second substrate through the metal film (step d). Since the metal film generally has higher thermal conductivity than oxide films, a composite substrate having high heat dissipation can be produced as compared with a case where the first substrate is bonded to the second substrate through an oxide film. In addition, a step of out diffusion is not required because of nonuse of an oxide film, thereby simplifying the process.
US09070543B2
An ion mobility separator or spectrometer is disclosed comprising an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder defining an annular volume through which ions are transmitted. Spiral electrodes a-f are arranged on a surface of the inner cylinder and/or on a surface of the outer cylinder. A first device is arranged and adapted to maintain a DC electric field and/or a pseudo-potential force which acts to urge ions from a first end of the ion mobility separator or spectrometer to a second end of the ion mobility separator or spectrometer. A second device is arranged and adapted to apply transient DC voltages to the one or more spiral electrodes in order to urge ions towards the first end of the ion mobility separator or spectrometer. The net effect is to extend the effective path length of the ion mobility separator.
US09070522B2
One embodiment is directed to an apparatus comprising one or more front connectors, wherein each front connector comprises a respective interface configured to read a storage device associated with a connector that is adapted to be connected to the front connector. The apparatus further comprises one or more rear connection points and one or more switches. The apparatus is configured to automatically configure the apparatus at least in part based on information read from the storage device.
US09070520B2
An illuminated keyboard includes a first housing and a second housing having a slot, and between the first housing and the second housing, an illumination module, a circuit board, a shield member and a plurality of keys are disposed therein in sequence. The illumination module includes a cover and a luminescence unit, light generated by the luminescence unit is transmitted into a trough of the cover and then travels from a light incident surface to a light emitting surface of the cover. The keys respectively are inserted in a plurality of openings of the shield member, and the light from the light emitting surface is projected on the keys through the circuit board and the openings of the shield member and then passes through the slot of the second housing. This prevents brightness non-uniformity of keys and light leakage between adjacent keys of the keyboard.
US09070517B2
Switchgear which combines a visible disconnect switch and a circuit breaker or interrupter capable of interrupting fault currents. The switchgear includes a carriage and a switch actuator connected to the carriage for moving the carriage between a switch-closed position and a switch-open position. A circuit breaker module includes circuit breaker contacts, as well as first and second contactor terminals. The circuit breaker module provides selective electrical connection between the contactor terminals depending on the state of the circuit breaker contacts. A fixed disconnect switch contact us attached to or comprises one of the first and second contactor terminals, and a movable disconnect switch contact is mounted to the carriage so as to move with the carriage. The fixed disconnect switch contact and the movable disconnect switch contact are positioned for selective engagement with each other as the carriage moves to the switch-closed position.
US09070502B2
An electronic component includes a first magnetic substrate provided with a first notch portion and a second notch portion, a multilayer body, a coil which includes a coil portion, a first lead portion, and a second lead portion. The first lead portion and the second lead portion are connected to the two end portions of the coil portion and overlap the first notch portion and the second notch portion, respectively. The electronic component further includes a first outer electrode and a second outer electrode, a first connection portion and a second connection portion which connect the outer electrodes to the lead portions. Particles are disposed at joint portions of the lead portions and the connection portions and have a coefficient of linear expansion smaller than the coefficients of linear expansion of the first lead portion, the second lead portion, the first connection portion, and the second connection portion.
US09070500B2
The present invention provides a permanent magnet whose magnetic properties will not be significantly decreased and which is excellent in the temperature properties compared to the existing R-T-B based permanent magnet. In the R-T-B based structure, a stacked structure of R1-T-B based crystallizing layer and (Y, La)-T-B based crystallizing layer can be formed by alternatively stacking R1-T-B and (Y, La)-T-B. In this way, a high magnetic anisotropy field of the R1-T-B based crystallizing layer can be maintained while an improved temperature coefficient of the (Y, La)-T-B based crystallizing layer can be obtained. Further, the lattice distortion in the total stacked structure is moderated by setting the rare earth elements in the (Y, La)-T-B based crystallizing layer as both of Y and La, and a high residual flux density can be obtained accordingly.
US09070497B2
An arrangement is provided with at least one superconductive cable and a cryostat surrounding the cable is disclosed. The cryostat includes at least one thermally insulated pipe which encloses the superconductive cable and a hollow space for conducting a cooling agent therethrough. The cryostat is constructed in the same manner as the superconductive cable located in the cryostat for connection to stationary parts of a transmission path for electrical energy. At each of the ends of the cryostat (KR) constructed for connection to the stationary parts of the transmission path, two spaced apart bellows are mounted in the cryostat (KR), and between the two bellows each of the two ends of the cryostat (KR) a thermally insulated and curved pipe piece is mounted belonging to the cryostat (KR).
US09070493B2
A wire structure defined between a first plane and a second plane is provided. The first plane and the second plane are parallel to each other. The wire structure includes a main body and at least three convex portions. The main body has a center defined by its centroid and a periphery defined by the perimeter of the main body. The convex portions protrude from and are adjacently arranged around the periphery. At least one convex portion is tangent to the first plane, and at least two convex portions are tangent to the second plane. The number of the at least one convex portion tangent to the first plane is not equal to the number of the at least two convex portions tangent to the second plane.
US09070489B2
Mixed phase complex lithium metal oxides are described with an overall stoichiometry represented by a formula Li1+aNibCocMndOx, −0.05≦a≦0.14, 0.1≦b≦0.25, 0≦c≦0.2, 0.45≦d≦0.8, a+b+c+d=1 and (1+a)/(b+c+d)≦1.325. The compositions are generally very high in manganese content. The compositions can have x-ray diffractograms and differential capacity profiles suggesting the presence of a layered (Li2MnO3)—layered (LiMetalO2)—spinel crystal structure. The compositions can exhibit surprisingly low first cycle irreversible capacity losses while maintaining high specific discharge capacities, even at high discharge rates. Stabilizing coatings have been found to further significantly improve performance.
US09070477B1
A method can include applying a device power supply voltage to an integrated circuit including a static random access memory (SRAM) with transistors having at least a first threshold voltage (Vt); applying an array power supply voltage to cells of the SRAM that is near or below Vt; and in a write operation, reading data from at least a first group of the cells that is interleaved with a second group of the cells, and applying the read data to the bit lines of the first group of cells, while write data is applied to the bit lines of the second group of cells.
US09070474B2
An erase verify operation is executed divided into at least a first erase verify operation and a second erase verify operation. The first erase verify operation is an operation that applies a verify read voltage only to a first group of memory cells among the plurality of memory cells included in the NAND cell unit, and applies a first read pass voltage to memory cells other than the first group of memory cells. The second erase verify operation is an operation that applies the verify read voltage to a second group of memory cells different from the first group of memory cells, and applies a second read pass voltage different from the first read pass voltage to memory cells other than the second group of memory cells.
US09070472B2
A non-volatile memory has its cells' thresholds programmed within any one of a first set of voltage bands partitioned by a first set of reference thresholds across a threshold window. Hard bits are obtained when read relative to the first set of reference thresholds. The cells are read at a higher resolution relative to a second set of reference thresholds so as to provide additional soft bits for error correction. The soft bits are generated by a combination of a first modulation of voltage on a current word line WLn and a second modulation of voltage on an adjacent word line WLn+1, as in a reading scheme known as “Direct-Lookahead (DLA)”.
US09070467B2
A memory system is provided including a host configured to generate data bit inversion (DBI) information of data according to a major bit of the data, and a nonvolatile memory device configured to invert one or more bits of the data according to the DBI information, and to program the DBI information and the data. A control method of a memory system comprises generating DBI information according to the number of “1” bits of data relative to the number of “0” bits of the data, transferring the data and the DBI information, and inverting bits of the data according to the DBI information, the inverted bits of the data being programmed at the nonvolatile memory device.
US09070466B2
The invention relates to methods and systems for reading a memory cell and in particular, an STT MRAM. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method for reading a memory cell includes combining a cell current from a memory cell with a reference current from a reference source to create an average current, enabling the average current to flow through a first mirror transistor in a sense path and a second mirror transistor in a reference path, storing the current mismatch on a capacitor coupled to the gates of the first mirror transistor and the second mirror transistor, disconnecting the memory cell from the reference path and disconnecting the reference source from the sense path, enabling the cell current only to flow through the sense path, and determining the output level of the memory cell.
US09070461B2
A NAND flash memory bank having a plurality of bitlines of a memory array connected to a page buffer, where NAND cell strings connected to the same bitline are formed in at least two well sectors. At least one well sector can be selectively coupled to an erase voltage during an erase operation, such that unselected well sectors are inhibited from receiving the erase voltage. When the area of the well sectors decrease, a corresponding decrease in the capacitance of each well sector results. Accordingly, higher speed erasing of the NAND flash memory cells relative to a single well memory bank is obtained when the charge pump circuit drive capacity remains unchanged. Alternately, a constant erase speed corresponding to a single well memory bank is obtained by matching a well segment having a specific area to a charge pump with reduced drive capacity. A reduced drive capacity charge pump will occupy less semiconductor chip area, thereby reducing cost.
US09070457B2
In magnetic tunnel junctions manufactured with use of a ferromagnetic material having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, a difference in record retention time depending on stored information due to an imbalance in thermal stability between a parallel state and an anti-parallel state of magnetization, which correspond to bit information, is alleviated. A reference layer and a recording layer which constitute a magnetic tunnel junction are made different in area from each other so as to correct the difference in record retention time corresponding to stored information.
US09070446B1
A semiconductor device includes first memory strings coupled between a first common source line formed on a substrate and bit lines formed over the first common source line, and second memory strings coupled between the bit lines and a second common source line formed over the bit lines, wherein each of the bit lines includes a stacked structure of a conductive layer and a silicon layer formed on the conductive layer.
US09070437B2
Junction diodes fabricated in standard CMOS logic processes can be used as program selectors with at least one heat sink or heater to assist programming for One-Time Programmable (OTP) devices, such as electrical fuse, contact/via fuse, contact/via anti-fuse, or gate-oxide breakdown anti-fuse, etc. The heat sink can be at least one thin oxide area, extended OTP element area, or other conductors coupled to the OTP element to assist programming. A heater can be at least one high resistance area such as an unsilicided polysilicon, unsilicided active region, contact, via, or combined in serial, or interconnect to generate heat to assist programming. The OTP device has at least one OTP element coupled to at least one diode in a memory cell. The diode can be constructed by P+ and N+ active regions in a CMOS N well, or on an isolated active region as the P and N terminals of the diode. The isolation between P+ and the N+ active regions of the diode in a cell or between cells can be provided by dummy MOS gate, SBL, or STI/LOCOS isolations. The OTP element can be polysilicon, silicided polysilicon, silicide, polymetal, metal, metal alloy, local interconnect, metal-0, thermally isolated active region, CMOS gate, or combination thereof.
US09070436B2
A method is provided to manage access to a memory array. The method includes encoding a bit string with a rank metric encoder to generate an encoded binary array, modifying the encoded binary array so each row has at most half of the row with a bit value and each column has at most half of the column with the bit value, and storing the modified binary array into corresponding memory devices of the memory array.
US09070426B2
A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment is provided with a plurality of first latch circuits that latch setting-data at different timings, a plurality of hold circuits provided corresponding to the respective plurality of first latch circuits, each holding data latched by the corresponding first latch circuit, and an address decoder that decodes an address that specifies a destination to hold data. Each of the plurality of hold circuits has one or more holding parts that hold data latched by the corresponding first latch circuit based on a decode signal decoded by the address decoder.
US09070423B2
A microelectronic package can include a support element having first and second surfaces and substrate contacts at the first or second surface, zeroth and first stacked microelectronic elements electrically coupled with the substrate contacts, and terminals at the second surface electrically coupled with the microelectronic elements. The second surface can have a southwest region encompassing entire lengths of south and west edges of the second surface and extending in orthogonal directions from the south and west edges one-third of each distance toward north and east edges of the second surface, respectively. The terminals can include first terminals at a southwest region of the second surface, the first terminals configured to carry address information usable by circuitry within the microelectronic package to determine an addressable memory location from among all the available addressable memory locations of the memory storage arrays of at least one of the zeroth or first microelectronic elements.
US09070422B2
A sense amplifier includes four sub-circuits: pre-charge, sense enable, sense output, and buffer. The pre-charge sub-circuit provides a voltage between zero volts and the positive power supply (denoted VDD) to the sense enable sub-circuit. The sense enable sub-circuit is configured to adjust the received voltage based on the sensed value of bit lines and sends the adjusted voltage to the sense output sub-circuit. The sense output sub-circuit removes interference, inverts and amplifies the adjusted voltage, and sends an output voltage to the buffer sub-circuit. The buffer sub-circuit amplifies the output voltage of the sense output sub-circuit and provides it to an output bus.
US09070419B1
An electronic device includes a chassis, first and second sliding tray modules, first and second cables, and first and second cable-protecting members. The chassis includes a main sliding rail and has a bottom surface. The first and second sliding tray modules respectively contain a plurality of first and second storage modules. The first and second cables are respectively electrically connected to the first and second storage modules. The first cable-protecting member includes a plurality of first connecting units pivotally connected one by one. The first connecting units retain the first cable to move at a first height relative to the bottom surface. The second cable-protecting member includes a plurality of second connecting units pivotally connected one by one. The second connecting units retain the second cable to move at a second height relative to the bottom surface. The first height is different from the second height.
US09070418B2
A cutting jig cuts bonding material of a terminal joint between a magnetic head's slider and a flexure's wiring terminal. A base of the jig receives the slider. A blade moves along the base and faces a front side wall of the slider in a moving direction. An upright portion of the jig is formed on the base and has a stop face that faces a rear side wall of the slider in the moving direction. The blade moves toward the slider to come into contact with the bonding material, and is pressed to the front side wall of the slider. The bonding material is interposed in the moving direction while the rear side wall of the slider is brought into contact with and is stopped by the stop face when the slider is set on the base and the bonding material is cut.
US09070415B2
In an approach, a method of spotting music for a motion picture comprises: receiving music editor (MXE) cue related data defining a plurality of cues each having a start timecode value and an end timecode value; based on the MXE data, creating and storing an MXE timecode path, a composer (CMP) timecode path, and a cue sheet timecode path; copying one or more of the MXE cue related data to CMP cues in the CMP timecode path in a CMP spotting dataset; receiving one or more changes to the CMP cues without also modifying the MXE cue related data; applying an editing lock to the CMP cues; auto-populating the CMP cues to cue sheet cues in the cue sheet timecode path; receiving one or more changes to the cue sheet cues without also modifying the CMP cues; finalizing and distributing a cue sheet based on the cue sheet cues; wherein the method is performed by one or more special-purpose computing devices.
US09070413B2
A recording head for use in magnetic storage devices is disclosed. The recording head includes a transducer that is bi-directionally movable with respect to a surface of the magnetic storage medium, thereby enabling improved positioning of the transducer during recording head read and write operations. Various structures are disclosed to bi-directionally actuate the recording head transducer. In one embodiment, an interleaver assembly having a plurality of flexure assemblies employs a motor including magnetic portions for selective, bi-directional actuation. In another embodiment, electrostatic charges are employed in the flexure assemblies for selective actuation. In yet another embodiment, piezoelectric elements are included to provide for selective actuation.
US09070410B2
According to various embodiments, a recording medium may be provided. The recording medium may include a dedicated servo layer configured to provide servo information. The dedicated servo layer may include a plurality of tracks. A first track may include a first servo signal. The first servo signal may include first servo bursts of a pre-determined frequency. A second track adjacent to the first track may include a second servo signal. The second servo signal may include second servo bursts of the pre-determined frequency.
US09070408B2
A system, device, and method for recording audio with the character and sonic benefits of a genuine analog recording is disclosed. More specifically, an electro-mechanical-software controlled closed loop analog signal processor (“CLASP”) system which is comprised of a CLASP unit containing firmware, a latency detection module, and CLASP hardware display and controls. The CLASP system further comprises CLASP software operably running on a digital audio workstation (“DAW”) which is also in operable communication with the CLASP unit. The CLASP unit is also in operable communication with an analog recordable medium. An analog audio signal is recorded on the analog recordable medium, which may consist of a coated tape, cup, cylinder, drum, or disk, and then immediately played back and routed to the DAW via an analog to digital converter, thus providing for digitally recorded analog audio. The CLASP system may also include converters and a mixing console.
US09070407B2
A data storage system according to one embodiment includes a head, a drive mechanism for passing a medium over the head, a controller electrically coupled to the head, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller. The logic is configured to: update a first value based on a current position error signal sample, determine whether the first value exceeds a predetermined threshold, determine a stopwrite threshold based on the first value when the first value exceeds the predetermined threshold, determine whether the current position error signal sample exceeds the stopwrite threshold, disable writing when the current position error signal sample exceeds the stopwrite threshold, and enable writing when the current position error signal sample does not exceed the stopwrite threshold.
US09070406B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, and a head comprising a first read element and a second read element. A spacing of the first and second read elements is measured, and based on the measured spacing, the tracks are grouped into radial bands that define at least one one-dimensional recording area on the disk and at least one two-dimensional recording area on the disk. When the head is within a first two-dimensional recording area, data recorded on the disk is detected by processing a first read signal generated by the first read element and by processing a second read signal generated by the second read element using a two-dimensional demodulation algorithm. When the head is within a first one-dimensional recording area, data recorded on the disk is detected by processing the first read signal using a one-dimensional demodulation algorithm.
US09070402B2
An interactive 3D presentation system that utilizes a collection of shots or motion views where each shot can include a combination of a camera view and camera action. A visual transition, such as a fade, can be presented at the end and beginning of sequential shots. Between the end point of a first shot and the beginning of a sequential shot, the scene is not shown. The system allows interactive authoring and/or viewing a 3D visual experience composed by defining a collection of shots where each shot is a combination of a camera view point of interest (POI) plus a camera motion path. The POI is placed on the path in a variety of ways where it can be at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the path. A collection of predefined, cinematically styled camera motion paths, such as a crane and track shots, can be made available to the author. The pacing and duration of each shot can be adjusted. A graphical user interface showing the scene is provided and includes thumbnails of the POI or sets of POIs where the user can select a thumbnail to play an associated shot or set. The interface allows for the arrangement and ordering of shots to be used in a presentation. The system allows a shot to be retrieved from a collection of shots by indexing the 3D locations of each shot's camera path and using this index to find the nearest neighbors to a user specified mouse cursor position. Variations in the scene can also be selected using the interface.
US09070396B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of self-servo writing, the method comprising actions of positionally tracking a selected timing track of a data storage disk, wherein the selected timing track has one or more timing segments; synchronizing an angular position signal to rotation of the data storage disk based on at least one of the one or more timing segments of the selected timing track; specifying servo sector positions relative to the synchronized angular position signal; writing servo sectors to the data storage disk at the specified servo sector positions relative to the synchronized angular position signal; detecting one or more positional errors in timing segments of a next timing track of the data storage disk based at least in part on the synchronized angular position signal; and accounting for the detected one or more positional errors in writing subsequent servo tracks. Other embodiments are also described.
US09070394B1
A PZT microactuator such as for a hard disk drive has a restraining layer on its side that is opposite the side on which the PZT is mounted. The restraining layer is a stiff material. The restraining layer reduces bending of the PZT as mounted and hence increases effective stroke length, or reverses the sign of the bending which increases the effective stroke length of the PZT even further. For simplicity of construction and assembly to the suspension, the PZT microactuator may be a multi-layer PZT with the top layer being unpoled or otherwise inactive PZT material, and having a wrap-around electrode so that the microactuator can be mechanically and electrically bonded to the suspension using a single adhesive dispense and cure step.
US09070393B2
One aspect of the present invention is a three-dimensional structure in which a wiring is formed on a surface, the three-dimensional structure having an insulating resin layer that contains a filler formed from at least one element selected from typical non-metal elements and typical metal elements, wherein a recessed gutter for wiring is formed on a surface of the insulating resin layer, and at least a part of a wiring conductor is embedded in the recessed gutter for wiring.
US09070386B2
A polarization rotator comprises a first waveguide configured to be coupled to an input coupler at a first end and a second waveguide, wherein the first waveguide is offset from the second waveguide and a second end of the first waveguide is coupled to a second end of the second waveguide.
US09070376B2
A method for evaluating a reproduction performance which reproduces a specific pattern recording signal to measure a reproduced signal noise, and calculates an evaluated value of a reproduction performance on the basis of a frequency characteristic of the measured reproduced signal noise.
US09070372B2
A voice processing apparatus includes a voice signal acquiring unit that acquires a voice signal converted to plural frequency bands from an input signal having a narrowed band; an expanding unit that generates based on a narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, an expansion band component expanding the band of the voice signal; a correcting unit that corrects the power of the expansion band component by a correction amount determined based on a noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit; and an output unit that outputs the voice signal of which the band has been expanded based on the expansion band component corrected by the correcting unit and based on the narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit.
US09070370B2
A coefficient train processing section, which sequentially generates per unit segment a processing coefficient train for suppressing a target component of an audio signal, includes a basic coefficient train generation section and coefficient train processing section. The basic coefficient train generation section generates a basic coefficient train where basic coefficient values corresponding to frequencies within a particular frequency band range are each set at a suppression value that suppresses the audio signal while coefficient values corresponding to frequencies outside the particular frequency band range are each set at a pass value that maintains the audio signal. The coefficient train processing section generates the processing coefficient train, per unit segment, by changing, to the pass value, each of the coefficient values corresponding to frequencies other than the target component among the coefficient values corresponding to the frequencies within the particular frequency band range.
US09070369B2
Audio content is converted to text using speech recognition software. The text is then associated with a distinct voice or a generic placeholder label if no distinction can be made. From the text and voice information, a word cloud is generated based on key words and key speakers. A visualization of the cloud displays as it is being created. Words grow in size in relation to their dominance. When it is determined that the predominant words or speakers have changed, the word cloud is complete. That word cloud continues to be displayed statically and a new word cloud display begins based upon a new set of predominant words or a new predominant speaker or set of speakers. This process may continue until the meeting is concluded. At the end of the meeting, the completed visualization may be saved to a storage device, sent to selected individuals, removed, or any combination of the preceding.
US09070364B2
An audio signal processing method is disclosed. The audio signal processing method includes receiving a residual and long term prediction information, performing inverse frequency mapping with respect to the residual to generate a synthesized residual, and performing long term synthesis based on the synthesized residual and the long term prediction information to generate a synthesized audio signal of a current frame, wherein the long term prediction information comprises a final prediction gain and a final pitch lag, the final pitch lag has a range starting with 0, and the long term synthesis is performed based on a synthesized audio signal of a frame comprising a preceding frame.
US09070357B1
A method for using speech analysis to detect speech pathologies can begin with registration of a patient with a speech-based health monitor. A speech segment baseline representing an initial state of the patient's speech system can be established for the patient. When prompted, the patient can submit a speech segment representing a current state of the patient's speech system to the speech-based health monitor. The speech-based health monitor can analyze the submitted speech segment using the established speech segment baseline and/or a speech segment history that comprises speech segments previously submitted by the patient. Based upon said analysis, satisfaction of a health alert definition can be determined. A health alert definition can define an action performed by the speech-based health monitor when its associated triggering conditions are satisfied. The action associated with the at least one satisfied health alert definition can then be executed.
US09070338B2
A display device includes a pixel portion to which a non-inverted video signal is input in a first period and an inverted video signal is input in a second period, and a signal line driver circuit comprising a switch circuit portion for controlling output of the non-inverted video signal and the inverted video signal to the pixel portion. The switch circuit portion is controlled by a first signal serving as a first high power supply potential and a first low power supply potential in the first period and is controlled by a second signal serving as a second high power supply potential and a second low power supply potential in the second period, so that the switch circuit portion controls output of the non-inverted video signal and the inverted video signal to the pixel portion.
US09070334B2
A display device includes a plurality of gate lines, data lines, first external gate tracking lines, and second external gate tracking lines. The first external gate tracking lines are substantially disposed in a border region of a substrate, and electrically connected with corresponding gate lines. The second external gate tracking lines are substantially disposed in the border region of the substrate, and electrically connected with corresponding gate lines. One of the first external gate tracking lines and a corresponding second external gate tracking line at least partially overlap with each other.
US09070332B2
A display device includes: an insulation substrate; a plurality of gate lines on the insulation substrate and divided into a first group and a second group; a plurality of data lines insulated from and intersecting the gate lines; a gate driver which applies a gate-on voltage to the gate lines and operates in one of a first mode and a second mode; and a data driver which applies a data voltage to the data lines, where the first group and the second group of the gate lines are applied with the gate-on voltage when the gate driver is in the first mode, and where the first group of the gate lines is applied with the gate-on voltage and the second group of the gate lines is in an off state when the gate driver is in the second mode.
US09070331B2
A liquid crystal display and a method for driving the same, which improve image quality by increasing data line charge speed, are provided. In the display, a preparatory charging controller receives current image data to be provided to m current pixels of an nth horizontal line and a current vertical polarity-reversal control signal for vertically controlling polarities of the current image data, compares current image data with previous data provided to m corresponding previous pixels of an n−1th horizontal line, compares the current control signal with a previous one, and determines a logic value of a preparatory charging control signal based on the comparison. A data driver performs either a first operation for connecting and separating m data lines connected respectively to m current pixels, or a second operation for maintaining the m data lines separated, according to the logic value and provides the current data to the m pixels.
US09070330B2
A display apparatus includes a display section including an array of pixels in a two-dimensional matrix, wherein each of the pixels of the display section includes a pair of a subpixel displaying a first primary color, and a subpixel displaying a second primary color being different from the first primary color.
US09070327B2
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for driving an electric field driven cell array including a plurality of electric field driven cells, in which each of the electric field driven cells includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, which are provided on a substrate and insulated from one another, and an actuator movable between the first electrode and the second electrode, the apparatus including, a common voltage supply unit for supplying common voltage, a gate driver for supplying gate voltage, and a data driver for supplying data voltage.
US09070326B2
A backlight unit according to one embodiment includes an LED array having a plurality of LEDs; a voltage generating unit for generating a driving voltage to drive the plurality of LEDs in response to a switching signal; an amplifying unit for feeding the driving voltage back and amplifying the fed driving voltage, to output an amplification signal; a stabilizer for stabilizing the amplification signal; a comparator for comparing the amplification signal with a reference waveform to apply the switching signal to the voltage generating unit; a first switching unit for switching a current of the LED array in response to a PWM dimming signal from a timing controller; and a second switching unit for switching the switching signal from the comparator in response to the PWM dimming signal.
US09070321B2
The present invention discloses a tablet computer and a method for controlling the same. The method includes steps of receiving a first video signal outputted from an external device; converting the first video signal into a first low voltage differential signal; receiving a second video signal outputted from a processor; converting the second video signal into a second low voltage differential signal; making the tablet computer selectively operate in a tablet computer mode or an external device mode; outputting the second low voltage differential signal to a display module to display corresponding data when the tablet computer operates in the tablet computer mode; and outputting the first low voltage differential signal to the display module to display corresponding data when the tablet computer operates in the external device mode.
US09070316B2
A display has a spatial light modulator for dynamically controlling a luminance of each pixel according to an input signal, the spatial light modulator having a non-uniform spatial characteristic, the display also having an optical filter having a spatial pattern to alter the luminance to compensate at least partially for the non-uniform spatial characteristic. An electronic signal processing element applies some pre ompensation predominantly of higher spatial frequencies for the non-uniform spatial characteristic. Such dynamic and optical compensation can enable tuning for different optimizations or for compensating for variations over time. A backlight has an optical source and an optical filter, the source having a color output which has a non-uniform spatial characteristic, and the optical filter having a spatial pattern to alter the color to compensate in part at least for the non-uniform spatial characteristic.
US09070312B2
Hybrid signage capable of self illumination and having an active backlight. The signage includes a turning film having a structured surface for redirecting light in order to passively illuminate a printed graphic or shaped sign when the backlight is off. In the shaped sign, the shape provides the content, such as letters, to be conveyed to the viewer instead of a graphic. The signage can be actively illuminated when the backlight is on to supplemental the passive illumination.
US09070310B2
An LED Signage system having an LED cabinet and top and bottom plates secured along the top and bottom of the cabinet, and each having a channel aligned towards each other configured to receive a safety screen to protect the LED screen. A base supports the bottom plate and has pairs of rearwardly and forwardly extending arms each with a roller. Rear hinges secure the bottom plate to the base, such that when a force impacts the system the cabinet is configured to move at the rear hinges from an upright position to a collapsed position. Pads are positioned along the top and/or rear of the cabinet and/or secured by front hinges to a front edge of the bottom plate to help protect the system if collapsed from an impact. The system may include a platform with tracks configured to support the base and rollers.
US09070301B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for improving human learning by providing multi-sensory stimulus. A system narrates a text to a user at a narration pace, while determining a focal point of the user's gaze using both a camera and eye tracking analysis. The system determines a user pace based on a shift in the gaze focal point during narration of the text, then adjusts the narration pace based on the user pace. The adjustment is performed based on a selection of a retention mode and a development mode. The retention mode maintains the narration pace with the user pace for maximal user retention of the text. The development mode increases the narration pace with respect to the user pace for user reading rate acceleration.
US09070298B2
In one embodiment, a vehicle model is disclosed. The vehicle model includes a main vehicle module including a primary base and a number of components. The number of main vehicle module components is moveably mounted to the main vehicle module primary base. The vehicle model also includes a secondary vehicle module including a number of components. The main vehicle module and secondary vehicle modules are relatively positionable relative to one another to obtain a first and second vehicle configuration. The first and second vehicle configurations are different from each other.
US09070294B2
Methods and systems for preventing collisions between vehicles and moving hazards include the use of active signs, a network of sensors, and a controller. Such sensors can be placed adjacent to a roadway and are used to detect the presence of animals. The active signs display a local speed limit. The controller accepts the sensor signals as input and outputs display commands to the active signs. The controller maintains a rolling window of recent detections in histogram form. The recent data, together with a control law specified by the municipal authority, can be used to specify updated local speed limits to influence driver behavior.
US09070275B1
Method and apparatus for mobile entity tracking and analysis. In some embodiments, a multi-dimensional geophysical area is divided into a first layer of zones. Each zone encompasses a contiguous portion of the geophysical area and has at least one rule assigned thereto. Geoposition values from a sensor attached to a mobile entity are accumulated in a memory, the geoposition values indicative of successive geopositions of the mobile entity. For each accumulated geoposition value, the associated zone in which the geoposition of the mobile entity is located is identified, and the at least one rule assigned to the zone is applied. A second layer zone is subsequently generated responsive to an input signal, and an alarm limit is output based on a subsequently accumulated geoposition value indicating the geoposition of the mobile entity is located within the second layer zone.
US09070270B2
Methods, systems, and products track equipment used during surgical procedures. An allowable zone associated with a surgical procedure is identified. The allowable zone determines where surgical items may be used during the procedure. A location of a surgical item is determined. When the location is outside the allowable zone, an alarm is triggered to indicate the surgical item is moving outside the allowable zone towards an area in which the surgical item may not be used.
US09070265B2
Systems (100) and methods (1500) for operating a security tag (132) of an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system. The methods involving: attaching a clip (210) to a curved sidewall (202) of an article (102) such that a central body (304) of the security tag is vertically aligned with a central axis of the curved sidewall; maintaining the vertical alignment by locating first and second flanges (306, 502) of the security tag against respective opposing surface areas of the curved sidewall; wrapping a securement member (212) of the security tag around an elongate structure (204) of the article which is offset from the curved sidewall in at least one direction and which protrudes away from a main body (218) of the article; and locking the securement member in a position wrapped around the elongate structure of the article using a mechanical locking mechanism (214) of the security tag.
US09070263B1
A communication device comprises a processing circuit having at least two modes, a sleep mode and an awake mode, a wireless communications circuit that can wirelessly send a message as to whether an alarm has been triggered, and a passive sensor, powered by audio signals impinging on the passive sensor, that provides at least an approximation of an audio signal to the processing circuit so as to cause the processing circuit to switch between the at least two modes. The communication device can be housed in a housing sized to fit into a battery compartment.
US09070260B2
A method for outputting an alternative output through an electronic gaming device output device has been developed. The invention includes an electronic gaming device with game logic circuitry that commands a gaming device output device to generate an output. The electronic gaming device output is interrupted before it is output and the output device generates an alternative output.
US09070258B1
An automated Bingo caller assembly includes a remote unit that may be positioned proximate a user. A remote processor is coupled to the remote unit. A remote transceiver is coupled to the remote unit. The remote transceiver selectively transmits a caller signal. An optical disk is provided to store data. A base unit is provided that may read the optical disk. A base processor is coupled to the base unit. A base transceiver is coupled to the base unit. The base transceiver receives the caller signal from the remote transceiver. A display is operationally coupled to the base processor so the display selectively displays the data. A master actuator may be positioned proximate the user. A master transceiver is coupled to the master actuator and operationally coupled to the base transceiver. A card is provided that may be positioned proximate the user. A marker is selectively positionable on the card.
US09070252B2
The invention relates to systems and methods of selecting and placing real-world wagers responsive to one or more wager triggers, obtaining outcomes of the real-world wagers, facilitating user interactions with various interactive media, and revealing the outcomes of the real-world wagers through the interactive media to give an appearance that the outcomes of the real-world wagers resulted from the user interactions. Alternatively or additionally, the system may provide mock reveals that are not driven by wagering mechanics. For example, the system may provide reveals that are tied to promotions provided by a partner promotions provider, virtual items (e.g., certain in-game items) that the system is promoting to sell, and/or other item that is not tied to a real-world wager. The system may provide such mock reveals to facilitate promotional campaigns, retain users, and/or otherwise make the gaming experience more enjoyable for the user.
US09070251B2
A multi-tiered static chain of trust is established in a computer system which utilizes a first authentication program stored on a first memory device to authentic data stored on a second memory device. If the data stored on the second memory device is authenticated, then a second authentication program stored on the second memory device authenticates data stored on a third memory device. If the data on the third memory device is authenticated the computer system is allowed to utilize the data stored on the third memory device. The data stored on the third memory device is indirectly authenticated while the data is being used by authenticating the data stored on the first memory device.
US09070248B2
Electronic gaming machines having mechanical or electro-mechanical wheel devices are described herein. The gaming machines include a cabinet, a display coupled to the cabinet, and a wheel coupled to the cabinet. The wheel includes a plurality of wheel segments positioned axially about a center point of the wheel. The plurality of wheel segments may be configured to rotate about the center point and to transform an appearance of the wheel. The wheel further includes an indicator configured to indicate an indicated wheel segment. The indicator may be configured to rotate about the center point.
US09070245B2
The invention relates to a cash box (10) which comprises a housing (12) with an opening (16) for supplying notes of value to a storing compartment for storing notes of value and/or for removing notes of value from the storing compartment. Moreover, the cash box (10) has a closing unit (18) that comprises a jalousie part (32) and a plate-shaped part (34). The plate-shaped part (34) has a first engaging element (38) which is shaped in such a manner that, when the cash box (10) is being inserted in a device (102) for handling notes of value, the first engaging element (38) engages with the second engaging element (126) of the device (102) so that the closing unit is moved from a closing position to an open position. Moreover, the invention relates to a device (102) for handling notes of value.
US09070244B2
An automatic banking machine operates responsive to data read from data bearing records corresponding to authorized user or financial account data. The machine includes a card reader for reading data from user cards. The automated banking machine causes financial transfers related to financial accounts that correspond to data read from user cards. The automated banking machine also includes devices that control the supply of power to included devices to avoid exceeding power supply capacity.
US09070243B1
A mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.
US09070239B2
According to one embodiment, a paper sheets inspection apparatus includes a transfer mechanism configured to transfer paper sheets through an inspection position, a guide member including a guide surface opposed to the paper sheet at the inspection position, a standard plate on the guide member, including a reflection surface exposed on the guide surface at the inspection position, an air supply device configured to spout air flowing from a lateral position of the standard plate along the reflection surface, and form an air curtain between the standard plate and the paper sheet, a light source configured to radiate inspection light toward the reflection surface, and a photoreceptor configured to receive the inspection light reflected from the reflection surface of the standard plate and the inspection light reflected from a surface of the paper sheet at the inspection position.
US09070235B2
An apparatus and a method determines a short-term driving tendency. The apparatus may include a driving information collecting unit configured to collect driving information for determining the short-term driving tendency, a short-term driving tendency calculating module configured to receive input variables for determining the short-term driving tendency and calculate a short-term driving tendency index using a fuzzy control theory, and a calculation prohibition control module configured to check an accelerator position sensor (APS) signal of the vehicle and prohibit calculation of the short-term driving tendency index when an APS opening degree is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value.
US09070233B2
In an example embodiment, there is disclosed an apparatus comprising a lock box having an input device, circuitry, and a lock for holding a key to gain access to an area. The apparatus further comprises an alarm system for protecting the area and a proximity reader coupled with the alarm system, the proximity reader is located within the area. The circuitry is operable to determine if an input received by the input device is for an authorized user. The lock box is operable to provide access to the key in response to the circuitry determining that the input received by the input device is for an authorized user. The proximity reader is operable to receive data from a wireless token. The alarm system is operable to deactivate for at least a portion of the area responsive to the proximity reader receiving the data from the wireless token.
US09070232B2
A wireless communication system for a vehicle has a portable device that transmits a wireless signal and a vehicle-mounted device that receives the wireless signal from the portable device. Each time a switch in the portable device is turned on, the portable device updates a portable device rolling code and transmits a wireless signal including the portable device rolling code. The vehicle-mounted device receives the wireless signal through a receiver and authenticates the portable device through comparison between the portable device rolling code included in the wireless signal and the vehicle rolling code. The vehicle-mounted device locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the portable device is authenticated. When the wireless signal is received through the receiver after the most recent locking or unlocking of the vehicle door has been carried out using the mechanical key, the vehicle-mounted device locks or unlocks the vehicle door if the switch is turned on for n (n is an integral number greater than or equal to 2) times or more.
US09070229B2
One or more graphical objects are displayed in a fixed orientation with reference to a sensed reference direction. Manipulation is achieved by fixing the orientation or position of a displayed graphical object with reference to an apparatus, such as the display itself or a proxy device, detecting a change in orientation of that apparatus and editing the orientation of the graphical object based on the detected change.
US09070215B2
If the size of an error portion within an image of the frame of interest is equal to or larger than a threshold and it is determined that no error portion exists within an image of a frame immediately before the frame of interest, a display unit (115) is caused to display the image of the frame immediately before the frame of interest as the image of the frame of interest. If the size of an error portion within the image of the frame of interest is smaller than the threshold and it is determined that an error portion exists within the image of the frame immediately before the frame of interest, the display unit (115) is caused to display a result obtained by correcting the error portion within the image of the frame of interest using a pixel group surrounding the error portion.
US09070214B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for image reconstruction and enhancement, using a computer system. One method includes acquiring a plurality of images associated with a target anatomy; determining, using a processor, one or more associations between subdivisions of localized anatomy of the target anatomy identified from the plurality of images, and local image regions identified from the plurality of images; performing an initial image reconstruction based on image acquisition information of the target anatomy; and updating the initial image reconstruction or generating a new image reconstruction based on the image acquisition information and the one or more determined associations.
US09070211B1
A computer-implemented method executed by at least one processor performs operations for a web browser running a browser process and at least one renderer process on a computing system. The method includes identifying a webview tag in a web page, the web page being associated with the at least one renderer process. The method also includes forking another renderer process responsive to identifying the webview tag, generating a mapping between the at least one renderer process and the other renderer process at the browser process, and using the browser process as an intermediary for communications between the at least one renderer process and the another renderer process based on the mapping.
US09070209B2
A moving control console having a touchscreen, a motor connected to the digital display unit and a housing in which the digital display unit is movable in different stages. The user interface graphics animations on the digital display are matched to the movement of the digital display.
US09070208B2
The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods, and program products for estimating radiant exitance due to subsurface scattering. For example, one or more aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in one or more methods that include distributing a plurality of sample points across the surface of a 3D object model to be rendered into a 2D image and determining a solid angle subtended by a first sample point and a second sample point relative to a region on the 3D object model. Depending on the determined solid angle relative to a threshold value, a previously determined subsurface scattering contribution for the region or a newly determined subsurface scattering contribution for the region may selectively be used for rendering a portion of the 2D image.
US09070205B2
Visualization of an object of interest, such as anatomy like a vessel segment or a stenosis, together with a device, such as balloon/stent markers or a wire tip, inside the object of interest may be accomplished by device detection and anatomy boosting so as to enhance both the device and surrounding anatomy within a registered anatomy referential. A displayed image is a combination of image information of the device and boosted image information of the object of interest. A processor performs the following steps: detecting and segmenting the device on the basis of image information provided by the image formation unit; either wiping out or attenuating the image information of the device; detecting the object of interest on the basis of the provided image information; boosting the image information of the object of interest; and reinserting the image information of the device.
US09070194B2
A planar surface within a physical environment is detected enabling presentation of a graphical user interface overlaying the planar surface. Detection of planar surfaces may be performed, in one example, by obtaining a collection of three-dimensional surface points of a physical environment imaged via an optical sensor subsystem. A plurality of polygon sets of points are sampled within the collection. Each polygon set of points includes three or more localized points of the collection that defines a polygon. Each polygon is classified into one or more groups of polygons having a shared planar characteristic with each other polygon of that group. One or more planar surfaces within the collection are identified such that each planar surface is at least partially defined by a group of polygons containing at least a threshold number of polygons.
US09070187B2
Systems and methods for replacing original media bookmarks of at least a portion of a digital media file with replacement bookmarks is described. A media fingerprint engine detects the location of the original fingerprints associated with the portion of the digital media file and a region analysis algorithm characterizes regions of media file spanning the location of the original bookmarks by data class types. The replacement bookmarks are associated with the data class types and are overwritten or otherwise are substituted for the original bookmarks. The replacement bookmarks then are subjected to a fingerprint matching algorithm that incorporates media timeline and media related metadata.
US09070180B2
A defect detection system for computerized detection of defects in an inspected object based on processing of an inspection image generated by collecting signals arriving from the inspected object, the system including: an interface for obtaining an inspected noise-indicative value and multiple reference noise-indicative values, the inspected noise-indicative value representative of an analyzed pixel and each of the reference noise-indicative values representative of a reference pixel among a plurality of reference pixels; and a processor, including: a noise analysis module, configured to compute a representative noise-indicative value based on a plurality of noise-indicative values which includes the inspected noise-indicative value and the multiple reference noise-indicative values; and a defect analysis module, configured to calculate a defect-indicative value based on an inspected value representative of the analyzed pixel, and to determine a presence of a defect in the analyzed pixel based on the representative noise-indicative value and the defect-indicative value.
US09070178B2
A system, method, and computer program for organizing elements for compression, comprising nesting a hierarchical topological structure having a plurality of elements; arranging said plurality of elements in a pattern to facilitate data compression; representing said pattern as four arrays; and compressing said plurality of elements from said arrays, and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.
US09070177B2
Disclosed are an automatic medicine warehousing and releasing management system and a method of automatically warehousing and releasing medicines thereof. Warehoused medicines are arranged at proper positions on a storage shelf, and released medicines are discharged from the storage shelf. The automatic medicine warehousing and releasing management system includes a medicine holding and transferring unit to arrange warehoused medicines on a storage rack by holding and accommodating the warehoused medicines according to holding priorities of the medicines based on sizes and expiration dates of the medicines, and release the medicines by holding and accommodating the medicines on the storage rack according to the holding priorities of the medicines, and a medicine warehousing and releasing control unit connected with the medicine holding and transferring unit to control the arranging of medicines requested for warehousing on the storage rack and the discharging of medicines requested for releasing from the storage rack.
US09070173B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments for electric power grid and network registration and management of physical and financial settlement for participation of active grid elements in supply and/or curtailment of power, wherein Internet Protocol (IP)-based messages including IP packets are generated by transforming raw data content into settlement grade content. Settlement is provided for grid elements that participate in the electric power grid following initial registration of each grid element with the system, preferably through network-based communication between the grid elements and a coordinator, either in coordination with or outside of an IP-based communications network router. Messaging related to settlement is managed through a network by a Coordinator using IP messaging for communication with the grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS), and with the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operators.
US09070172B2
The invention relates to a method of performing an oilfield operation. The method steps include extracting context information from a host application associated with an oilfield project, sorting the context information into a plurality of dimensions of relevance, generating at least one search profile for each of the plurality of dimensions of relevance, requesting a plurality of searches using the at least one search profile, receiving one or more oilfield data items resulting from the plurality of searches, and selectively adjusting the oilfield operation based on one or more oilfield data items.
US09070170B2
A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product shares information related to passages from an electronic book. An electronic book is opened to a user-selected initial passage. A passage block within the electronic book, which starts at the user-selected initial passage and ends at a community-selected terminal passage, is defined. A determination is made that members of the social community who have read the passage block have input a high incidence of incorrect answers to questions about the passage block, where the high incidence is greater than a predetermined value. Thereafter, additional help is provided to the user of the electronic book, where the additional help is information that members of the social community have deemed to be useful in correctly answering questions that had the high incidence of incorrect answers.
US09070168B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for transmitting telematics data from a vehicle. The systems include a smartphone holder that provides a communications link between a smartphone and a vehicle computer, through the smartphone dataport and the vehicle onboard diagnostics (OBD) port. The smartphone holder is configured to keep the smartphone in a stable, known position and orientation with respect to the vehicle, such that data from an accelerometer in the smartphone can be calibrated. The smartphone accelerometer data and telematics data from vehicle telematics sensors is then transmitted via the smartphone or stored locally.
US09070166B2
A sales portal system supports a plurality of buyer computers used by a corresponding plurality of buyers. The sales portal system supports a first seller's computer to support sales of a first plurality of products a second seller's computer to support sales of a second plurality of products. The sales portal accesses first product data from the first seller's computer and second product data from the second seller's computer and responds to a query received from one of the plurality of buyer computers by delivering selections from the associated first product data and the associated second product data. The sales portal manages a single sales transaction for a first product of a first seller and a second product of a second seller. The sales portal rates sellers. The sales portal apportions payment, fulfillment, delivery instructions, and other sales components to the first and second sellers.
US09070164B2
A request for shopping is placed from inside a procurement system. Intelligent agents are launched to retrieve information from catalog sources web-enabled over the internet or within the intranet. Retrieved catalog information is aggregated and associated with other data items. Business rules are applied to make decisions on what part of aggregated information will be rendered to a User. Sorting/multi-level refining operations are enabled. The User selects one or more catalog results, whereupon an XML shopping cart is created and submitted to the procurement system through published interfaces. The procurement system is enabled to place an order on supplier web-enabled transaction systems.
US09070159B2
Under an embodiment of the invention, a web site system maintains a real estate web page. The web page has an aerial image map of a geographic region that can be navigated by a user. The web site system facilitates online collaboration for real estate transactions. When the user registers, the system creates a user account for real estate information. Real estate agents and/or other real estate service providers selected by the user are granted shared access to the user's account by the web site system.
US09070145B1
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides an improved computer system programmed for rating which includes at least the following components: a specialized computer machine, having: a processor for executing program code stored in memory, where the program code is configured to at least perform upon the execution: causing to display a first graphical user interface to each consumer to obtain personal identifying information to validate an identity of such consumer; and a confirmation that such consumer meets requirements to be satisfied for rating a business, based on the confirmation, causing to concurrently display a second graphical user interface to display a consumer rating survey having a predetermined number of questions for rating a business to evaluate such business in rating categories of: service, value, ethics, competence, environment, and price; based on responses and predictive analytics, calculating or recalculating a rating score in each rating category for each business.
US09070142B2
Interactive custom printed order placement and fulfillment systems and methods for placing, selling, accepting, proofing, transmitting, producing, servicing, and delivering orders for printed products including individualized or personalized information in time-efficient ways. Video conferencing technicians can provide direct access to professional, expert, and knowledgeable help. The interactive custom printed order fulfillment systems and methods further provide opportunities for targeted up-sells, cross-promotion, advertising, marketing, and information management to benefit those placing orders, those facilitating or brokering orders, and those producing and delivering orders, thereby increasing information efficiency.
US09070141B2
Online systems, for example, social networking systems store features describing relations between entities represented in the online system. The information describing the features is represented as a graph. The online system maintains a cumulative feature graph and an incremental feature graph. Feature values based on recent user actions are stored in the incremental graph and feature values based on previous actions are stored in the cumulative graph. Periodically, the information stored in the incremental feature graph is merged with the information stored in the cumulative feature graph. The incremental graph is marked as inactive during the merge and information based on new user actions is stored in an active incremental feature graph. If a request for feature information is received, the feature information obtained from the cumulative feature graph, inactive incremental feature graph and the active incremental feature graph are combined to determine the feature information.
US09070138B2
An identifier associated with a client machine is accessed, and parameters that define a control group of client machines for a particular advertising campaign are accessed. The advertising campaign is associated with one or more standard advertisements. Whether the client machine is a member of the control group based on the identifier associated with the client machine and the parameters that define the control group is determined. If the determination of whether the client machine is a member of the control group indicates that the client machine is a member of the control group, a control advertisement is caused to be presented on the client machine. The control advertisement is an advertisement not associated with the advertising campaign.
US09070135B2
A method for assigning an attribute to an agent for use in an agent-based model, including receiving or selecting a first numerical value for assigning an attribute of an agent in an agent-based model. The method further includes receiving or selecting a random numerical value, blending the first and random numerical values, resulting in an intermediate value, and blending the intermediate result with the first numerical value, or the random numerical value, or with a second numerical value, resulting in an end value. The method further includes utilizing the end value to assign the attribute of the agent in the agent-based model.
US09070134B2
Mechanisms for evaluating companies based on social performance are provided. In some embodiments, systems comprise: at least one processor that: receives data regarding a plurality of companies from a plurality of data sources, wherein the data includes score values regarding the social performance of the plurality of companies; calculates category scores for each of the plurality of companies in each of a plurality of categories based on the score values; calculates a combined score for each of the plurality of companies based on the category scores; compares at least one of the combined score and the category scores for one of the plurality of companies to a threshold; and based on results of the comparison, presents an advertisement to the user that corresponds to the one of the plurality of companies.
US09070133B2
A system for redeeming coupons comprises a network; a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal communicatively coupled to the network; a server communicatively coupled to the POS terminal; wherein the POS terminal transmits first coupon information from a coupon card read at the POS terminal to the server via the network.
US09070125B1
Methods and devices provide mode switching in order to secure cash handling devices. A cash handling device allows a first selection to be input in order to request an exchange transaction. Currency may be inserted into the cash handling device. A display may prompt a user to identify one or more requested denominations of currency. A user may then identify one or more of the requested denominations for the exchange transaction. Elapsed time may be counted after prompting the user to identify denominations. If the elapsed time exceeds a timeout threshold, the transaction may be switched from an exchange transaction to a deposit transaction and the inserted currency may be credited as a deposit into an account. Otherwise, the exchange transaction may proceed and the currency may be provided in the requested denomination.
US09070122B1
A host-managed gift card program may enable merchants to offer and redeem gift cards without integrating a gift card program with a point of sale (POS) system used by the merchant. The merchant may rely on a host, at least in part, to issue gift cards, manage a ledger, assist in redemption of gift cards when the cards are redeemed at the merchant's location, and perform other gift card-related tasks for the merchant.
US09070120B2
A method and apparatus for identifying and displaying a set of high priority contacts on a display device associated with an end user device. In some embodiments, the method includes retrieving high priority contact list configuration settings that include one or more criteria for identifying a set of high priority contacts from a contact list having a plurality of contacts, determining whether information associated with one or more of the plurality of contacts meets the one or more criteria retrieved, identifying the one or more of the plurality of contacts that meet the one or more criteria as a set of one or more high priority contacts, and displaying the set of one or more high priority contacts in a high priority contact list on the display device.
US09070113B2
A system may create a workflow that includes work units, assign values to parameters of the work units, create a specification that associates the work units and the parameter values, generate a work order associated with the stock keeping unit specification, convert the specification into the work units based on the work order, instantiate tasks that correspond to the work units, and execute the tasks by one or more processors.
US09070111B2
A method and system for billing for time spent in an instant message session by a service person for a project for a customer. A name of a sender of an instant message is retrieved from the instant message. The sender is the customer. The service person is a recipient of the instant message from the sender. The name of the sender is correlated to the project based on the name of the sender being listed in project settings previously defined by the service person. Responsive in part to an inability to identify the project based on one or more key words in the instant message, a second project on which the service person has most often worked is determined and a charge to the second project is determined for labor of the service person based on time spent by the service person in the instant message session.
US09070101B2
A method, device and system of an autonomous neighborhood multi-copter commerce network in a community are disclosed. In one embodiment, an autonomous neighborhood multi-copter includes a storage compartment of the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter in which items are storable, a computer system of the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter that is communicatively coupled to a commerce server of a neighborhood communication system through a wireless network to autonomously navigate the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter to a destination in the neighborhood specified by the commerce server using a peer-to-peer network of client side devices in the neighborhood that are geo-constrained to a location of a defined neighborhood, and a navigation server of the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter to provide a remote sensing capability to the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter such that the autonomous neighborhood multi-copter is autonomously navigable to the destination using the peer-to-peer network.
US09070100B2
Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for forecasting travel delays corresponding to streets, street segments, geographic areas, geofenced areas, and/or user-specified criteria. And from the forecasted travel delays, speed and travel times that take into account such travel delays can be determined.
US09070092B2
A method and an apparatus for displaying a weather condition and a recording medium are provided. In the present method, positioning information of a mobile device is detected, and weather information of the current location of the mobile device is inquired. Then, a weather type is determined according to the weather information, and a weather type image corresponding to the weather type is displayed on a screen of the mobile device. Finally, a corresponding weather condition animation is determined according to the weather type and the weather information and played on a background of the screen.
US09070090B2
Scalable string matching as a component for unsupervised learning in semantic meta-model development
A string analysis tool for calculating a similarity metric between a source string and a plurality of target strings. The string analysis tool may include optimizations that may reduce the number of calculations to be carried out when calculating the similarity metric for large volumes of data. In this regard, the string analysis tool may represent strings as features. As such, analysis may be performed relative to features (e.g., of either the source string or plurality of target strings) such that features from the strings may be eliminated from consideration when identifying target strings for which a similarity metric is to be calculated. The elimination of features may be based on a minimum similarity metric threshold, wherein features that are incapable of contributing to a similarity metric above the minimum similarity metric threshold are eliminated from consideration.
US09070085B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to expert modeling in a KM system and provide method, system and computer program product for organically ranked knowledge and categorization for a KM system. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for organically ranked knowledge and categorization in a KM system can be provided. The method can include bookmarking answer content for a first end user of the knowledge management system, suggesting a set of categories previously associated with the answer content by other end users of the knowledge management system, and categorizing the bookmarked answer content with a category selected from the set of categories.
US09070081B2
A feature of the recording device is used to shorten the length of time that a wireless communication link with a recording device is not established for a control device that communicates wirelessly with a recording device when a wireless communication link can be established. A communication control unit 15b of a host computer 10 detects and reports to a recording control unit 15a that printer 11 power was turned off. After receiving this report that the printer 11 power is off from the communication control unit 15b, the recording control unit 15a requests the communication control unit 15b to establish a wireless communication link with the printer 11 and open a virtual COM port during the period until a new wireless communication link with the printer 11 is established.
US09070080B2
An image forming apparatus that can start up with an engine unit being in a non-power-distributed state and a control method for the same are provided. Information indicating the error in an engine unit is stored in a non-volatile memory, the engine unit based on the information stored in the non-volatile memory is power-distributed in a case where the image forming apparatus starts up, and if the error is detected in the engine unit that was power-distributed, notification of the error in the engine unit is made.
US09070075B2
Systems and methods for printing data on a substrate including a color-changeable material are provided. One system includes a processing circuit and a device including an energy source. At least a portion of a printed publication is printed on the substrate using a commercial printing press based on fixed data. The device including the energy source is configured to add variable data to the substrate. The processing circuit is configured to receive the variable data and to control the energy source to change a color of the color-changeable material based on the variable data to provide at least a portion of the printed publication. The processing circuit is configured to control the energy source to change the color of the color-changeable material in-line with a flow of the substrate through one of a printing line, a finishing line, or a packaging line of the commercial printing press.
US09070074B2
An image processing apparatus for printing an image using a plurality of color materials and a colorless material includes a memory which stores information indicating a plurality of dot placements which include different dot placements of the colorless material and correspond to an amount of the colorless material, and an inputting unit configured to input color material amount data indicating amounts of the plurality of color materials and the amount of the colorless material for each pixel. In addition, a first determiner is configured to determine a dot placement of the colorless material from the plurality of dot placements based on the amount of the colorless material indicated by the input color material amount data, so that coloring of specular reflection light on the pixel becomes closer to an achromatic color. A printing unit is configured to print the colorless material on the color materials subsequent to the color materials having been printed, based on the determined dot placement.
US09070072B2
An image forming apparatus that stores print data and retries document information registration when registration of document information of received print data to an external apparatus has failed. If registration of document information to an image forming apparatus with bibliographic server function has failed, print data is stored in the image forming apparatus without setting a storage time limit of the print data and document information registration is retried. The storage time limit of the print data is set and stored, if registration of the document information to the external apparatus has succeeded before the document information registration is retried a predetermined number of times or if the document information registration is retried the predetermined number of times.
US09070066B1
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) assembly includes an IC, a repassivation layer disposed on the IC, and an inductor disposed on the repassivation layer. The IC includes a gapped seal ring. The inductor may couple to an RFID tag antenna, thereby allowing the IC to transmit and receive RF signals.
US09070065B2
According to one embodiment, an IC card which makes a non-contact communication with an external apparatus, includes, a reception module configured to receive a first command transmitted from the external apparatus, a determination module configured to determine whether or not the first command is a switching request command which requests to switch the IC card from a passive mode to an active mode, a command generation module configured to generate a second command which controls other IC card to execute processing when the first command is the switching request command, a command transmission module configured to transmit the second command to the other IC card.
US09070053B2
A metal transaction card is provided having a metal core layer with metal cladding layers connected thereto on opposing sides thereof. The metal core layer may have a density and/or thickness that is significantly greater than the density and/or thickness of the metal cladding layers. The density of the metal core layer may be at least 2.5 times greater than the density of the metal cladding layers. The density of the metal core layer may be at least 7.5. The outward facing lateral surface of one or both of the metal cladding layers may be anodized, or anodized and colorized. The anodized lateral surface(s) may be coated to increase the performance of a one or more hot-stamped elements attached to the coated surface(s).
US09070050B2
Methods and systems are described for providing customized user experiences with media assets created using plenoptic content capture technology. The ability to increase the focus on different objects while the media asset is progressing may allow a user to more easily track the object. Conversely, the ability to decrease the focus on different objects while the media asset is progressing may block, or cloud the display of, the object from being seen by a user.
US09070049B2
A testing system for analyzing a 3D digital volume of a material sample. The testing system defines several test volume sizes with each test volume size including a different numbers of voxels, defining the size of portions of the 3D digital volume to analyze. For each test volume size, the testing system acquires two adjacent portions of 3D digital volume at the test volume size currently being analyzed. The testing system calculates a material property value for the two adjacent portions of the 3D digital volume, and a difference value between the two adjacent portions of the 3D digital volume. The process is repeated over the different test volume sizes. The testing system calculates mean difference values for the different test volume sizes, from which it determines a representative elementary volume.
US09070046B2
Architecture that performs image page index selection. A learning-based framework learns a statistical model based on the hyperlink (URL-uniform resource locator) previous click information obtained from the image search users. The learned model can combine the features of a newly discovered URL to predict the possibility of the newly-discovered URL being clicked in the future image search. In addition to existing web index selection features, image clicks are added as features, and the image clicks are aggregated over different URL segments, as well as the site modeling pattern trees to reduce the sparse problem of the image click information.
US09070044B2
Techniques are disclosed relating to automatically adjusting images. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a regression model trained with a database of raw and adjusted images. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a model trained by both a database of raw and adjusted images and a small set of images adjusted by a different user. In one embodiment, an image may be automatically adjusted based on a model trained by a database of raw and adjusted images and predicted differences between a user's adjustment to a small set of images and a predicted adjustment based on the database of raw and adjusted images.
US09070036B2
At least some aspects of the present disclosure feature systems and methods for note recognition. The note recognition system includes a sensor, a note recognition module, and a note extraction module. The sensor is configured to capture a visual representation of a scene having one or more notes. The note recognition module is coupled to the sensor. The note recognition module is configured to receive the captured visual representation and determine a general boundary of a note from the captured visual representation. The note extraction module is configured to extract content of the note from the captured visual representation based on the determined general boundary of the note.
US09070029B2
System and method for extending range of radio frequency identification (RFID) signal communications
Systems and methods for extending the range of radio frequency identification (RFID) signal communications, including related sensing systems, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system facilitates wireless communications between a RFID reader device and RFID transponder device and includes an extender circuit. The extender circuit includes a first tank circuit including a first inductor connected in parallel with a first capacitor between first and second nodes, and a second tank circuit including a second inductor connected in parallel with a second capacitor between third and fourth nodes. The extender circuit includes a first connection including a resistor, the first connection linking the first and third nodes, and a second connection between the second and fourth nodes, where the second and fourth nodes are at or substantially at a common voltage. In at least some additional systems, the extender circuit is implemented in combination with an RFID reader or transponder device.
US09070012B1
A system and method are provided for uncued discrimination of a bated spatial pattern in an image electronically rendered as a frame of image data points. A reference unit establishes a general dictionary of predefined multi-dimensional reference functions, and a candidate detection unit pre-screens the frame of image data points to identify therein at least one candidate grouping of image data points collectively indicative of a predetermined spatial pattern. A sparse approximation unit coupled to the candidate detection and reference units computes for each candidate grouping an optimal reference function defined with respect to the general dictionary. The optimal reference function of each candidate grouping is projected onto a corresponding portion of the image data frame defined thereby. Each projected portion is extracted from the image data frame to leave a residual image data frame which, during iterative execution, provides the image data frame for the immediately succeeding iteration.
US09070009B2
A nontransitory computer readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations. The operations can include intercepting a request for manual processing of a mail piece image. The request can be transmitted by an originating MPE having failed to resolve the mail piece image. The request can be ignored and the mail piece scan image can be forwarded to an automated mail recognition system (AMRS). If the AMRS successfully resolved the image, a response, including a plurality of addressing data corresponding to the mail piece scan image, can be received from the AMRS. If the AMRS successfully resolved the image, at least a portion of the plurality of addressing data can be transmitted to the originating MPE. If the AMRS did not successfully resolve the image, the request can be forwarded to a manual mail recognition processing system.
US09070008B2
In a personal authentication apparatus that compares input feature information with feature information stored in advance as dictionary data, thereby calculating a similarity and recognition a person, when additionally storing feature information in the dictionary data, the feature information is compared with the feature information of the same person already stored in the dictionary data. Pieces of feature information are put into groups for the same person based on the similarities and stored in the dictionary data.
US09070002B2
The method of performing fingerprint matching includes a matching algorithm that combines affine moment invariants (AMIs) and translation, rotation and scaling invariants (TRS) based on moments analysis without requiring minutiae detection. Preprocessing normalizes the fingerprint image using the Federal Bureau of Investigation's wavelet scalar quantification (WSQ) compression standard definition. Analysis of the orientation field reliably and accurately determines the reference point. The area within a predetermined range around the detected reference point is used as a region of interest (ROI) for feature extraction. A directional filter bank transform (DFB) obtains directional components of the image. An invariant moment analysis on sub-bands of the filtered images extracts features while limiting the effects of noise and non-linear distortions. Absolute distance is used to match the fingerprints.
US09069987B2
A mechanism is provided for secure data access in a data processing system. A database having two tables is provided. A subset of the tables' primary key attributes is considered sensitive. A first user is authorized to access the primary key's sensitive attribute in an unmasked format, while a second user is authorized to access same data in a masked format. Two security views are generated granting the second user access to the primary key's sensitive attribute values of both tables in the masked format. The masked format value is generated from an unmasked format value using a reversible function. A join operation between the two security views is performed by optimizing a query statement corresponding to the join operation.
US09069983B1
A method and apparatus for protecting sensitive information from disclosure through virtual machine files is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes processing virtual machine files using at least one processor to access data objects in memory that are associated with at least one virtual machine, examining the data objects using the at least one processor in accordance with a data loss prevention policy in the memory to identify, using the at least one processor, sensitive information within at least one data object of the data objects and securing, using the at least one processor, the sensitive information within the virtual machine files in the memory.
US09069980B2
Devices, methods, and computer programs are presented for managing data security. One example method includes receiving user identification information from a screen of a device that is connectable to a database of secure information. The method proceeds to authenticating of the user identification information. The authenticating includes capturing image data of a user associated with the user identification information. The method further includes providing access to the database of secure information upon authenticating the user identification information, such that while the access is provided the capturing of the image data of the user is maintained. The method includes recording data of user interactive input and viewed images displayed on the screen while the access provided. The method binds the captured image data of the user to the recorded data to produce audit data for the user when accessing the database of secure information. The method is executed by a processor.
US09069975B2
A method of concealing customer-provided information from an operator during a telephone conversation between the operator and a customer includes receiving dual-tone-multi-frequency-encoded customer information via a telephone connection to a customer telephone and generating a request asking the customer to confirm the information. The method also includes converting the dual-tone-multi-frequency-encoded customer information into an ASCII data stream and sending the ASCII data stream to a computing device, whereby the operator is unable to discern the customer information.
US09069973B2
Disclosed is a method of password protection applied to applications on mobile devices during a remote control session. When a mobile device is connected to a remote support technician providing said remote support technician access to the mobile device, when a user highlights a password field the password is contextually hidden on remote support technician's console. A toast message is displayed on the remote access console and the user's mobile device and the remote support technician is denied the ability to edit the user's password field.
US09069969B2
A computer hardware-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product manages software patches. A computer monitoring hardware system receives a notification of a new release of a software patch. The computer monitoring hardware system scores a security posture of a monitored computer system to generate a security posture value based on a set of computer system parameters for the monitored computer system. In response to patch control logic within the computer monitoring hardware system determining that the monitored computer system is authorized to install the software patch and that the security posture value exceeds the predetermined value, the computer monitoring hardware system retrieves and installs the software patch in the monitored computer system.
US09069965B2
Firmware updates at an information handling system flash memory device, such as provisioning information stored on a USB device, are securely performed by using a buffer memory and a secured code. An application running on a CPU generates a firmware update and a security code, such as a ciphered hash code based on the firmware update, stores the firmware update and security code in a buffer, and informs a management processor of the update. The management processor analyzes the firmware update to authorize copying of the update from the buffer to the flash memory device. For instance, the management processor creates the security code from the firmware update and compares the created code with the security code stored in the buffer to validate the firmware update.
US09069955B2
Immediately upon identifying a potential breach to a file system, a read-only snapshot of one or more file sets of data stored on a storage volume of the file system is created, and one or more file system protection commands are invoked that restrict access to the snapshot of the file set. Generating the snapshot and restricting access to the snapshot data may include immediately opening an administrative shell for the file-system in response to identifying a potential breach, and executing administrative shell commands that invoke creation of snapshot and limit access of the snapshot data to an administrator or super user.
US09069953B2
The invention aims to provide a method and a system on chip able to detect at once hardware and software errors to prevent manipulations for retrieving cryptographic keys, inserting or suppressing instructions to bypass security processes, modifying programs or memory content etc. The system on chip comprises a core including at least two processors, registers, and a data consistency check module. The core is connected to at least one set of memories containing zones for instructions of a first program and of a second program, said instructions being to be executed respectively by the first and second processor, which respectively produce and store result data into the registers and the memories. The data consistency check module is configured to verify conformity of the produced result data by comparing a test result obtained by carrying out a predetermined function F over one of the first or second result data with the corresponding second or first result data and to continue execution of instructions of each program when the comparison is successful, or stop execution when the comparison shows an error.
US09069949B2
An access filtering device includes a receiving unit that receives a URL of a prohibited site or a prohibited page; an executing unit that accesses the page by using the URL; an acquiring unit that acquires page information corresponding to the URL; a prohibited site list that includes character strings of prohibited sites and prohibited pages; a determining unit that determines whether the URL is a character string of a prohibited site or a prohibited page; a display control unit that, when the URL is a character string of a prohibited site or a prohibited page, displays the page in a decreased page-readability state, i.e., in a transparent state.
US09069945B2
A computer implemented method and system is provided for validating a user associated with one or more social networks. A validation platform associated with the social networks is provided. The validation platform identifies a user for the validation from the social networks. The validation platform retrieves social information of the identified user from the social networks. The social information comprises relationship information of and between the identified user and social contacts of the identified user on the social networks. The validation platform acquires feedback on the identified user from one or more of the social contacts. The validation platform generates one or more validation scores, for example, an evaluation score, a feedback authentication score, a user authentication score, a composite score, etc., for the identified user based on the retrieved social information and/or the acquired feedback. The generated validation scores enable validation of the user associated with the social networks.
US09069943B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus may store: a hard token representing identification information of the device, a network token representing the status of a network, and a resource token representing information associated with a resource. The apparatus may further store secured copies of the hard token, network token, and resource token. The apparatus may receive a suspect token indicating a risk that at least one of the device, the network, and the resource has been tampered, and in response, determine to inspect at least one of the hard token, network token, and resource token. The apparatus may then compare the at least one of the hard token, network token, and resource token with its corresponding secured copy. If at least one of those tokens does not match its corresponding secured copy, the apparatus may communicate a revalidation token indicating at least one token has been tampered.
US09069935B2
A system, business methodology and apparatus for facilitating controlled dissemination of digital works is disclosed. An audio and video organizer, entertainment, and communication unit that plays back audio and video media content received from a central storage server. The unit relies on a smartcard, which has a personalized key that unlocks encrypted content. Using the unit, a user can purchase music or other types of media using a appropriate ordering method. The central storage server then transmits a double-encrypted, compressed audio file to the unit, where it is decrypted based on the smartcard key, and available for listening.
US09069929B2
A node card includes a substrate having a connector that communicates a plurality of signals between the substrate and an outside entity. One or more nodes are connected to the substrate, and the one or more nodes receive power from one or more signals communicated over the connector. The one or more nodes also communicate with the outside entity using the one or more signals communicated over the connector.
US09069924B2
A protection cell for a cell library. The protection cell defines a protection circuit for an IC having a driving device with a first supply voltage Vdd1 and an output, and a driven device having an input and a second supply voltage Vdd2. The protection circuit includes a first device from the group consisting of a P-diode and a gate-Vdd PMOS. The first device is coupled between a first power bus connected to Vdd2 and the input of the driven device. The input of the driven device is coupled by way of a resistor to the output of the driving device. A second device corresponding to the first device is provided, from the group consisting of an N-diode and a grounded gate NMOS. The second device is coupled between the input of the driven device and a ground bus.
