US09313926B2
A server rack sub-assembly includes at least one motherboard having a perimeter; a plurality of heat-generating electronic devices mounted on the motherboard in an area of the motherboard thermally decoupled from the motherboard perimeter; one or more brackets including heat transfer surfaces and attached to the motherboard along at least a portion of the motherboard perimeter; and a heat transfer device thermally coupled to the area of the motherboard that is thermally decoupled from the motherboard perimeter and the one or more brackets. The one or more brackets are adapted to receive a cooling airflow circulated over the bracket and to convectively transfer heat into the cooling airflow and are further adapted to couple the motherboard to a server rack assembly. The heat transfer device is arranged to conductively transfer heat from the one or more electronic devices to the brackets.
US09313925B2
A pluggable module housing assembly comprises a base at least partially surrounding a socket having an entrance sized and dimensioned to receive a pluggable module. At least one guide extends adjacent to the socket. A heat sink assembly includes a riding heat sink having a module-contacting surface facing the socket, and an actuating assembly coupled to the base and to the riding heat sink. The actuating assembly is configured to move the riding heat sink relative to the base between a deployed position a first distance from the at least one guide, and a stowed position a second distance from the at least one guide, the second distance being greater than the first distance.
US09313920B2
Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided facilitating transfer of heat from a working fluid to a coolant. The cooling apparatus includes a vapor condenser which includes a condenser housing with a condensing chamber accommodating the working fluid and coolant, which are in direct contact within the condensing chamber and are immiscible fluids. The condensing chamber includes a working fluid vapor layer and a working fluid liquid layer; and a working fluid vapor inlet facilitates flow of fluid vapor into the condensing chamber, and a working fluid vapor outlet facilitates egress of working fluid liquid from the condensing chamber. A coolant inlet structure facilitates ingress of coolant into the working fluid vapor layer of the condensing chamber in direct contact with the working fluid vapor to facilitate condensing the vapor into working fluid liquid, and the coolant outlet structure facilitates subsequent egress of coolant from the condensing chamber.
US09313919B2
A radiator includes a header including a supply chamber for a coolant to cool an electronic part mounted on a circuit board and a discharge chamber partitioned from the supply chamber, and a plurality of tubes stacked in a heightwise direction of the header, one end of each of the plurality of tubes being connected to the supply chamber and the other end of each of the plurality of tubes being connected to the discharge chamber, and the coolant flowing from the one end to the other end. The plurality of tubes include a first tube at least including a lowermost tube, and a second tube provided over the first tube and having a surface area greater than that of the first tube.
US09313916B2
A cooled electrical assembly is disclosed which includes a plurality of cooled components and a first cooling fan adapted to provide a cooling flow for cooling the cooled components, the first cooling fan including a blade holder and a fan blade, the fan blade having a fixed end stationary mounted to the blade holder and a free end adapted to swing for generating the cooling flow. The plurality of cooled components can include four substantially cylindrical components each having a centre axis, the four substantially cylindrical components being spaced apart and located such that the centre axis of each said substantially cylindrical component passes through a respective vertex of a quadrilateral, the free end of the fan blade being located between the four substantially cylindrical components and inside the quadrilateral.
US09313912B2
An electronic device storage case for use in storing a substrate therein, includes a hollow box-shaped case body. The case body includes an open surface with an opening, a bottom surface opposite to the opening and a sidewall extending upright from the peripheral edge of the bottom surface, wherein the sidewall of the case body including a plurality of deformable ribs each having a slant surface inclined inwards toward the bottom surface, and wherein the substrate is introduced into the case body through the opening and slidingly moves along the slant surface of each of the deformable ribs to make pressure contact with the slant surface.
US09313911B2
A package substrate includes a main package body including a first principal surface on which an IC is mounted, and a second principal surface, opposed to the first principal surface, on which first bonding materials for mounting are provided. An internal circuit is provided within the main package body and connected to the first bonding materials. A sub-package is arranged on the second principal surface and includes electronic components embedded therein. A thickness direction dimension being the distance from the second principal surface to a portion of the sub-package most distant from the second principal surface, is not more than a thickness direction dimension being the distance from the second principal surface to an edge of the first bonding material at the second principal surface.
US09313906B2
An electronic device having a unitary housing is disclosed. The device can include a first housing component having an open cavity, an internal electronic part disposed within the cavity, a second housing component disposed across the cavity, and a support feature disposed within the cavity and arranged to support the second housing component. The first housing component can be formed from metal, while the second housing component can be formed from a plurality of laminated foil metal layers. The second housing component can be attached to the first housing component via one or more ultrasonic welds, such that a fully enclosed housing is created. The fully enclosed housing can be hermetically sealed, and the outside surfaces thereof can be machined or otherwise finished after the ultrasonic welding.
US09313898B2
An electrical component that includes a substrate and a polymeric layer oriented in working relation with the substrate, the polymeric layer including a low molecular mass polyimide.
US09313897B2
A packaged component and a method for making a packaged component are disclosed. In an embodiment the packaged component includes a component carrier having a component carrier contact and a component disposed on the component carrier, the component having a component contact. The packaged component further includes a conductive connection element connecting the component carrier contact with the component contact, an insulating film disposed directly at least on one of a top surface of the component or the conductive connection element, and an encapsulant encapsulating the component carrier, the component and the enclosed conductive connection elements.
US09313882B2
An electronic device and an electronic component thereof include a main body and several pins. One side of the main body has several recesses. Each of the recesses has a first inner width along a first direction. The first direction is substantially parallel to a long side of the main body. The pins are respectively inserted into the recesses. Each of the pins has a first outer width along the first direction. The first outer width is smaller than the first inner width.
US09313876B2
A mounting structure includes a first ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body including internal electrodes and outer electrodes. When a voltage is applied to the outer electrodes, the ceramic body is strained with a first strain amount, and a second ceramic electronic component including a ceramic body including internal electrodes and outer electrodes. When a voltage is applied to the outer electrodes, the ceramic body is strained with a second strain amount greater than the first strain amount. The second ceramic electronic component is arranged above the first ceramic electronic component, and the first and second ceramic electronic components are connected to each other via each other's outer electrodes. The first ceramic electronic component to which the second ceramic electronic component is connected is connected to a land on a circuit substrate via the outer electrodes of at least the first ceramic electronic component.
US09313874B2
An electronic system, and a method of manufacture thereof, including: a substrate; an electrical device over the substrate; and a surface mount heat sink next to the electrical device, the surface mount heat sink having an extruded shape characteristic of being formed using an extrusion mechanism.
US09313860B2
Alight control system (200) comprising a central control engine (120), at least one light sensor (130) and at least one light source (110), wherein said central control engine (120) is configured to: receive illumination data from the light sensor (130), which light data represents an actual light profile; retrieve a target light profile for a user; and adjust an illumination of the light control system based on the target light profile for the individual user.
US09313856B2
An adjustable LED lighting system may allow for a variable lumen output, an estimation of remaining life expectancy, and/or control of lighting intensity, color temperature, and/or wavelength distribution. An LED lighting system may be capable of mimicking externally monitored, remote controlled, pre-defined, user-selected, or other lighting conditions. An LED lighting system may allow for a variable lumen output by monitoring a temperature associated with one or more LEDs and increasing or decreasing current flow to maintain the monitored temperature below a maximum temperature. The remaining life may be estimated based on historical runtime and temperature data.
US09313848B2
In a method of lighting at least part of a space, a light emitting diode (LED) string is used. The LED string comprises a first LED segment and at least one further LED segment, which are connected in series, each LED segment comprising at least one LED. The LED string is powered by a rectified AC voltage. The first LED segment is powered when the rectified AC voltage is above a first voltage level, and the first LED segment and the further LED segment are powered when the rectified AC voltage is above a second voltage level higher than the first voltage level. The first LED segment is arranged to radiate light to a first volume of the space, and the further LED segment is arranged to radiate light to a second volume of the space, the first volume being at least partly different from the second volume. The first volume may at least partly overlap the second volume.
US09313841B2
The present invention provides an LED current balance apparatus, which utilities capacitances coupled to secondary windings of a transformer to store voltage differences between LED strings. Thereby, the driving voltages applied to LED strings are respectively modulated to make the LED strings flowing through a same driving current. A current regulating apparatus is coupled to all LED strings to stabilize total current of the LED strings at a predetermined current.
US09313838B2
Driver circuits (20) for driving light circuits (21) comprising light emitting diodes are provided with converters (22) for converting input signals into output signals comprising pulses per cycle. The converters (22) comprise adapters (33) for, in response to differences between measured amplitude values of the input/output signals and nominal amplitude values of the input/output signals, adapting widths of the pulses. Then, signals having relatively precise amplitudes are no longer required. Said adapting may comprise increasing/decreasing the widths in case the measured amplitude value is smaller/larger, respectively, than the nominal amplitude value. The measured amplitude value divided by the nominal amplitude value is equal to a correction value. An adjusted duty cycle of the output signal may be made equal to a nominal duty cycle of the output signal divided by the correction value. Said adapting may be performed in a production/testing process environment.
US09313831B2
Induction heating apparatus capable of avoiding unstable heating due to limitation of heating output
When the control unit makes both the first and second inverter circuits operational, the control unit controls the first and second inverter circuits by duty control such that an average heating output from the first inverter circuit reaches a predetermined first target heating output, and an average heating output from the second inverter circuit reaches a predetermined second target heating output. When the control unit makes one of the first and second inverter circuits operational in an automatic heating mode for automatic heating control according to a predetermined heating output sequence, the control unit inhibits the first and second inverter circuits from being controlled by the duty control.
US09313830B2
An induction heating cooker and a control circuit therefor are provided. The cooker includes a switch element and an inductive coil, which is coupled between a power voltage and a first terminal of the switch element. A second terminal of the switch element is coupled to a common voltage. The control circuit includes first and second comparators and a pulse generator. The first comparator receives voltages of two terminals of the inductive coil and thus outputs a trigger signal. The second comparator receives a reference voltage and a voltage of the first terminal of the switch element, and enables a fading signal when the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the reference voltage. When the trigger signal is enabled, the pulse generator outputs a pulse to control the switch element. When the fading signal is enabled, the pulse generator reduces a pulse width of the pulse.
US09313826B2
Disclosed is a wireless communication system capable of easily reconnecting a mobile information terminal and a base unit when a user returns home and letting the user know missed incoming call information or the like. To this end, when being unable to receive a signal from the base unit, the mobile information terminal enters into a sleep state, and when a predetermined operation is performed, the mobile information terminal searches for the base unit, and when reconnecting to the base unit, the terminal displays information on an item transmitted from the base unit on an operation display section. Thus, even when the user returns home but forgets switching an operation mode, the mobile information terminal searches for the base unit as soon as the predetermined operation is performed, and can obtain necessary information from the base unit at home by a simple operation when the user desires the information.
US09313825B2
A multi-mode handheld apparatus may incorporate a radio element that is operative in accordance with a plurality of communication standards. A coexistence engine may arbitrate access to resources of the radio element by media access controllers and baseband components.
US09313818B2
A method for converging a call is disclosed. A non IP-Multimedia-Subsystem (IMS) network is provided with a non IMS network interworking device, by which the non IMS network is converged with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network. The method further includes: when the non IMS network determines that a callee receiving a call request is a convergence call user, the non IMS network forwards the call request to the VoIP network; and the VoIP network initiates a call to the callee. A system for converging a call which implements the aforementioned method is further disclosed. The disclosure takes full advantage of the service characteristic of the convergence network, so as to supply users with convenient service access implementation and reduce the service charge.
US09313815B2
Provided are a radio communication terminal capable of causing a communication application to speedily find out whether D2D communication is possible by using a radio access network such as LTE. A terminal 400A includes a terminal finding unit 405 configured to find a candidate terminal capable of executing direct communication with the terminal 400A, a phonebook processing unit 420 configured to obtain direct-communication phonebook data containing an identifier of the candidate terminal found by the terminal finding unit 405, based on regular phonebook data containing an identifier of another radio communication terminal and being associated with the terminal 400A, and a direct communication execution unit 430 configured to execute direct communication with a counterpart terminal (e.g., a terminal 400B) indicated in a communication request from a communication application 410A, 410C, when the counterpart terminal is contained in the direct-communication phonebook data as the candidate terminal.
US09313807B2
Provided are a method and device for random access in a wireless communication system supporting multi-carrier wave. The method includes: transmitting a random access preamble on the first secondary serving cell (SCell) to a base station, receiving a random access response from the base station, transmitting uplink data to the base station by using an uplink grant included in the random access response, and receiving a contention resolution message from the base station on the serving cell on which scheduling information on the first SCell is transmitted.
US09313788B2
The invention relates to a mobile device for wireless data communication, the device comprising the following functional units a central data processing unit, a memory unit, a display element, a user interface, a power supply unit, and a wireless transceiver configured for wireless data communication using the same frequency ranges of the sub 1 GHz frequency band for both sending and receiving data, each of the functional units being functionally connected to at least the central data processing unit. Furthermore, a method for communicating data by wireless data communication in a data communication network is disclosed.
US09313787B2
A communication terminal in a multi-carrier system using a frequency bandwidth including a plurality of resource blocks, each of the resource blocks including one or more sub-carriers. The communication terminal includes a receiving unit configured to receive a signal in which a control channel is multiplexed into a single radio frame based on a number of control channels allocated into the single radio frame to use a lower coding rate by repeating transmitting without changing encoding method in which a channel other than the control channel is multiplexed in accordance with scheduling information for allocating one or more of the plurality of resource blocks to the communication terminal and a processing unit configured to perform a process on the signal received by the receiving unit.
US09313776B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and a device for a terminal to transmit an uplink signal according to a normal HARQ operation in a wireless communication system supporting a carrier merge, the method comprising the steps of: forming a first cell set with a FDD and a second serving cell set with a TDD; receiving a PHICH signal from a subframe #(n−m−p) of the first serving cell, or receiving a PDCCH signal from a subframe #(n−m) of the first serving cell; and transmitting a PUSCH signal from a subframe #n of the second serving cell, in correspondence to the PHICH signal or the PDCCH signal, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 0, m is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and p is an integer greater than or equal to 1.
US09313763B2
A computing system includes: a communication unit configured to: communicate a cell location A without a grid location A for identifying one of grid cells where a current location A is located, communicate a cell location B with a grid location B for identifying one of grid areas with one of the grid cells where a current location B is located, and a control unit, coupled to the communication unit, configured to: generate a grid identification prediction based on predicting a grid identification of one of the grid areas where the cell location A is located nearest to the cell location B, and generate a proximity result based on the grid identification prediction matching the grid location A for determining whether the current location A is near the current location B.
US09313760B2
At the time of registration of a base station, the base station reports to a gateway device list information regarding core networks that are to be connected. At the time of call origination from a user terminal, the base station reports to the gateway device, by means of a message of protocol for termination between a base station and a gateway, network identification information that indicates core networks that are to be connected to the user terminal The gateway device transfers a control message from the user terminal to the core networks indicated by the network identification information that was reported. At the time of call connection to the user terminal, the gateway device selects the base station to which paging from the core network is to be transmitted on the basis of the list information reported from the base station at the time of registration.
US09313748B2
A mobile communication system of an embodiment is a system in which a plurality of radio base stations receive an uplink signal transmitted from a radio terminal coordinated with one another. Each of the plurality of radio base stations comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires a path loss between the radio terminal and the radio base station; and an interface that notifies the path loss acquired by the acquisition unit to another radio base station. At least one the radio base station of the plurality of radio base stations includes a notification unit that notifies the radio terminal of the path loss used in the transmission power control of the uplink signal, in accordance with the path losses between each of the plurality of radio base stations and the radio terminal.
US09313745B2
Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating operation of a radio communication system that provides for multi rate data communications, such as a CDMA 2000 system that provides for 1×EV-DV communication services. A supplemental pilot, or control, signal generator embodied at a mobile station generates a supplemental pilot, or control, signal that is sent on a newly defined supplemental pilot, or control, channel. As the data rates of data communicated upon a reverse supplemental channel changes, corresponding changes are made to the power level of the reverse supplemental pilot, or control, signal.
US09313742B2
New load measures are provided for a base station in a wireless communication network using interference suppression receivers. The new load measures are based on the estimation of neighbor cell interference and reflect the load after interference suppression. The improved load measures are used to monitor the stability of the uplink power control loops of the user terminals served by the base station.
US09313733B2
A cellular communication system and method is described where a low-cost repeater is used to reduce the transmit power of a cell phone. The cell phone transmits a low-power modulated carrier signal to a nearby repeater. The repeater amplifies the signal and transmits it to a cellular base-station. The reduction of cell phone transmit power lowers the exposure of humans to RF radiation and increases the battery life of the cell phone.
US09313712B2
One aspect of the present invention relates to a mobile apparatus, comprising: a first bandwidth measurement unit configured to measure radio conditions of a serving cell and a neighbor cell in a first bandwidth; a second bandwidth measurement unit configured to measure the radio conditions of the serving cell and the neighbor cell in a second bandwidth greater than the first bandwidth; a control unit configured to selectively activate the first bandwidth measurement unit and the second bandwidth measurement unit; and a cell transition unit configured to perform cell transition from the serving cell to the neighbor cell based on the radio conditions of the serving cell and the neighbor cell measured by the first bandwidth measurement unit and the second bandwidth measurement unit, wherein the control unit switches between the first bandwidth measurement unit and the second bandwidth measurement unit at a first switch frequency.
US09313710B2
Provided are a wireless base station apparatus and communication control method whereby a peripheral terminal device immediately hands over to a base station apparatus when said base station apparatus is activated. In response to timer values and the number of terminal units within a coverage area, a controller (504) of an MeNB (500) selects a dormant mode, activation mode or stationary mode for the base station itself and notifies an uplink received signal determiner (505) and transmission power determiner (506) of the selected mode information. In activation mode, the uplink received signal determiner (505) sets the timing for initial connection signals more frequently than dormant mode. In activation mode, the transmission power determiner (506) determines the increase in downlink transmission power over time and notifies the downlink transmission signal processor (507) of the transmission power.
US09313697B2
System and method embodiments are provided for optimizing offloading wireless services to a WLAN in 3GPP-RAT mobility. The embodiments enable changing network priority based on changing network conditions. In an embodiment, a method in a user equipment (UE) for offloading wireless services to a wireless local area network (WLAN) in a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) inter-radio access technology (RAT) handover includes receiving an access network discovery and selection function (ANDSF) policy from an ANDSF server, wherein the ANDSF policy comprises policy rules including a validity condition, wherein the receiving is performed during a procedure in which the UE conducts an inter-RAT handoff from a first 3GPP RAT to a second 3GPP RAT; comparing evaluation condition information for the second 3GPP RAT against the validity condition; and offloading a first wireless service to the WLAN in accordance with the ANDSF policy when the validity condition is satisfied.
US09313696B2
A method and an apparatus for setting up an X2 interface setup are provided. The method includes transmitting, by a first Base Station (BS), an X2 interface setup request to a second BS, wherein the X2 interface setup request comprises an access mode of a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) supported by a cell in the first BS, and transmitting, by the second BS, an X2 interface response message to the first BS, wherein the X2 interface response message comprises the access mode of the CSG supported by the cell in the second BS.
US09313692B2
The present invention relates to a method in a radio equipment unit for downlink radio communication with a UE of a radio network. The radio equipment unit provides radio communication with UE in at least one cell, and is connected to a radio equipment control unit controlling the radio communication. The method comprises receiving (610) from the radio equipment control unit: baseband processed user related data and information indicating a frequency radio resource allocated for a transmission to the UE. The method also comprises generating (620) cell defining signals for the cell of the UE, and transmitting (630) the generated cell defining signals added to the baseband processed user related data to the UE, using the indicated frequency radio resource. The present invention also relates to a corresponding method in the radio equipment control unit and to the units themselves.
US09313678B2
A receiving unit or a transmitting unit of a wireless network, for facilitating noise and interference measurements on an air interface and a method of using the receiving/transmitting unit for measuring noise and interference. The receiving unit includes: a network interface which obtains information relating to a time-varying layout of a silent resource element (RE) grid; an electronic memory having code in communication with the network interface which stores the information; and a processing unit in communication with the electronic memory that takes a presence of a silent RE grid into account in the reception of a control or a data channel.
US09313677B2
A method and system for sending a channel measurement reference signal are provided, said method comprising: sending each port of the channel measurement reference signal in one subframe or two adjacent subframes during one sending period, and repeatedly sending each port of the channel measurement reference signal in full bandwidth with equal space in the unit of a predetermined composition unit.
US09313675B2
A method is provided of configuring nodes of a telecommunications network, in which nodes react to changes in configuration of at least one of their respective neighbor nodes. The method includes the steps of: identifying a cluster of neighboring nodes, identifying which nodes in a cluster are in a frontier region adjacent another cluster, adapting the configuration of nodes in the frontier region in response to the configuration of other nodes in the frontier region, and adapting the configuration of nodes in the cluster in response to the adapted configuration of other nodes in the cluster while considering the configuration of the nodes in the frontier region as set.
US09313671B2
A wireless communication system including: a terminal, and a base station including an antenna configured to perform wireless communication with the terminal, and a processor configured to perform, when a difference between a first throughput at a radio layer for the wireless communication and a second throughput at an upper layer to the radio layer for the wireless communication is larger than a given value, a processing to decrease errors at a radio layer for the wireless communication.
US09313670B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to permit a neighbor list to be updated with a detected set cell such that the detected set cell may thereafter be utilized for determining a frequency quality estimate or for inter-frequency measurements and/or considered for inclusion in a virtual active set. From a network perspective, the method may receive information regarding a detected cell that is not on a neighbor list for a user equipment (UE) and that operates at a non-used frequency and may cause a message to be transmitted to the UE adding the detected cell to the neighbor list. From a UE perspective, the method may cause information to be provided regarding a detected cell that is not on a neighbor list and that operates at a non-used frequency and may thereafter receive a message adding the detected cell to the neighbor list.
US09313667B1
A cellular communication network utilizes cellular communication receivers and cellular communication transmitters in a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles that are deployed or flown in a point to point line or mesh like environment enabling a ground to air, air to air and air to ground cellular datalink communications network.
US09313661B2
A method and system for establishing secure short range wireless communication between devices in a vehicle. The method involves obtaining a vehicle identifier associated with the vehicle and a module identifier associated with a vehicle module. Then, the method determines a secure pin number for the vehicle module and a similar pin for a vehicle telematics unit. Once the secure pin number is determined at both devices then the devices can communicate via short range wireless communication in a secure manner using the secure pin number.
US09313650B2
In order to perform SM swap efficiently, a mobile communication device that performs mobile communication includes: an attachment unit for attaching thereto an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) that stores therein an Operational Profile (OP) and a Provisioning Profile (PP); a PP reception unit for receiving, through a mobile communication network associated with the OP stored in the eSIM, the PP associated with an Subscription Manager (SM) corresponding to a destination mobile communication network, and storing the received PP in the eSIM; and an OP reception unit for performing communication with the SM using the stored PP associated with the SM to receive the OP associated with the mobile communication network, and storing the received OP in the eSIM.
US09313633B2
Methods and systems for integrated communications are provided. In one embodiment, a user input is received via a user interface. Media data is received in response to receiving the user input. The media data is streamed to one or more communication system users. In some embodiments, the media data is posted to a shared virtual space associated with a communication system channel. Other methods and systems are described.
US09313626B2
An electronic communication system provides text or voice messages to remote receiving devices, such as cell phones or PDAs. The receiving devices include a function for determining a message priority, prior to providing any audible alert signal indicating that the message is received. If an incoming message has a priority that is lower than a necessary threshold, the function prevents the audible alert signal from being generated at the time the message is received.
US09313618B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving information from a remote system comprising one or more time periods during which a location of the client device can be tracked and monitoring the location of the client device during each of the time periods by obtaining a plurality of location coordinates from the client device during the time period and persistently storing the location coordinates on the client device.
US09313612B2
A method for mobile wireless access point geolocation services proxying for mobile devices is provided. The method includes providing in a wireless access point, a wireless hotspot for different mobile devices and establishing a cellular communications link between the wireless access point and the Internet. The method also includes routing messages between the mobile devices and the cellular communications link through the wireless hotspot. Finally, the method includes responding to a request from one of the mobile devices for geolocation data by obtaining location data for the wireless access point and transmitting the obtained location data to the one of the mobile devices over the wireless hotspot for use by the one of the mobile devices in acquiring location based services from a remote endpoint server over the Internet.
US09313604B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for throttling requests for a network service. A request for a network service is received from a client application and parameters are extracted from the request. Throttling policies applicable to the parameters are identified and retrieved, and it is determined whether the request should be processed based at least upon the throttling policies and the request parameters.
US09313601B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and method of processing an audio signal to optimize audio for a room environment. One example method of operation may include recording the audio signal generated within a particular room environment and processing the audio signal to create an original frequency response based on the audio signal. The method may also include creating at least two iterative filters based on at least two separate frequency ranges of the original frequency response, calculating an error difference between the frequency response modified by the at least two iterative filters and the original frequency response, and applying the error difference to the audio signal.
US09313594B2
The present invention discloses an impedance detecting device capable of detecting the impedance value of a load, comprising: an AC signal generating circuit for generating an AC signal; an output buffer for generating an output voltage and an output current according to the AC signal and the impedance value of the load; a current mirror for generating a mirror current according to the output current; a detection impedance for generating a detection voltage according to the mirror current; a comparing circuit for generating a comparison result by comparing the output voltage with the detection voltage; and a control circuit for adjusting at least one of a current ratio of the mirror current to the output current and the impedance value of the detection impedance according to the comparison result until the comparison result has satisfied a predetermined requirement.
US09313588B2
Hearing apparatuses should be manufactured as simply as possible and with the closest possible fit. Accordingly, a molding structure is provided, which represents a model for the direct shaping of an otoplastic of a hearing apparatus. The molding structure has a sealing element, which can be positioned in the auditory canal. A molding mass is inserted into the auditory canal to a side of the sealing element facing the outlet of the auditory canal. The molding mass and the sealing element here are connected to form the model of the hearing apparatus and the sealing element has the exact shape of a part of the hearing apparatus.
US09313585B2
A method of operating a hearing instrument for processing an input sound and to provide an output stimulus according to a user's particular needs, and related system, computer readable medium and data processing system. An object is to provide an improved customization of a hearing instrument. The method includes the steps a) providing an estimate of the present cognitive load of the user; b) providing processing of an input signal originating from the input sound according to a user's particular needs; and c) adapting the processing in dependence of the estimate the present cognitive load of the user. The estimate of the present cognitive load of a user is produced by in-situ direct measures of cognitive load (e.g. based on EEG-measurements, body temperature, etc.) or by an on-line cognitive model in the hearing aid system whose parameters have been preferably adjusted to fit to the individual user.
US09313579B2
A sound generator apparatus for a vehicle may include a housing and a elastic member arranged at a lower portion of the housing, a driving part including an internal yoke and a magnet, inserted into the housing and disposed on the elastic member to be slid up and down in the housing, a bobbin, an upper end of which is fixed to an inside upper portion of the housing, extended in a downward direction with wrapping the driving part, wherein a coil is wound along a circumference of the bobbin, and an external yoke fixed to the housing in a cylinder shape wrapping the coil and an outside of the internal yoke therein.
US09313577B2
Each listening device of a binaural listening system comprises a signal processing unit for processing a signal comprising audio and for performing logic actions based on one or more control inputs, and an antenna and transceiver unit for establishing said wireless link. The transceiver unit comprises a transmit control unit allowing the transmission of first data with a first level of transmission power providing a first operating transmission range and the transmission of second data with a second level of transmission power providing a second operating transmission range, wherein said second operating transmission range is larger than said first operating transmission range. Receive control units of the listening devices are adapted to extract the first control signal from the first data received from the respective opposite listening device.
US09313576B2
A data transmitting apparatus is disclosed. The data transmitting apparatus includes a block generator which generates an Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) block regarding multi-channel audio data; and a transmitter which transmits the EDID block to a data receiving apparatus, wherein the EDID block includes at least one of a first sub block representing 3D audio characteristics of the multi-channel audio data, a second sub block representing 3D speaker placement information of the multi-channel audio data, and a third sub block representing multi-stream audio characteristics of the multi-channel audio data.
US09313574B2
This invention relates to a wireless digital transmission system for loudspeakers comprising: compression means for the file representing the digital audio signal of the “compact disc” type, a transmission device comprising means of converting this compressed signal into a series signal moving by packets going to a modulator circuit with phase quadrature and means of transmitting the signals exiting the modulator circuit with phase quadrature to the domestic network for feeding electricity; a receiving device comprising means of connecting to this domestic network and of extracting from the feed electrical signal, by a demodulator with phase quadrature, data packets moving the digital audio signal to convert it into a parallelized digital signal sent to a decompression circuit; means of converting the decompressed digital signals into an analog signal intended to feed a loudspeaker after adequate amplification.
US09313566B2
A distal end of an inserted pole makes contact with a bottom surface or tapering surface of a portion corresponding to a bottom of an insertion hole. A lever rotates about a pivot shaft, and a pressing surface facing from a recessed portion formed in the insertion hole presses a side surface portion of the pole. The pole pressed by the pressing surface is mainly received by ridge portions, particularly the ridge portions positioned on the opposite side with a central axis therebetween in relation to the pressing surface. The ridge portions are positioned on both sides of the pole with the cross section along the line A-A therebetween as viewed in the axial direction. As the lever is rotatably operated in the tightening direction, the pressing position gradually approaches the central axis, thereby increasing the pressing force.
US09313559B2
A multi-mode, preferably dual mode, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is adapted for automatic detection of whether a RFID reader located within communication range of the RFID tag is transmitting a continuous wave (CW) or modulated wave types of RF signal, and accordingly, mandating a response from the tag in read-only (RO) mode or read/write (R/W) mode, respectively. The tag includes means for designating one of the RO and R/W operating modes as a default mode of the tag, and for switching the tag from its default mode to its other operating mode, and vice versa, according to a rule for determining the frequency of occurrence of a selected event related to signal type of the reader. A device-implemented method of this automatic detection, and a method of fabricating the tag, are also disclosed.
US09313548B2
Systems and methods for remote access to personal television service are disclosed. A remote personal TV service center provides centralized program guide information. Users may access the personal TV service center through a digital video recorder which is connected to the personal TV service center via telephone modem or a network server. Users may access the personal TV service center through a remote computer terminal or a personal digital assistant which is connected to a computer network. A user selects program events and programs the digital video recorder using a graphical user interface installed in the digital video recorder in case of local programming, or using a similar GUI which is incorporated into the Web pages presented to remote users by a Web server in case of remote programming. The media stream stored in one digital video recorder may be transferred to another digital video recorder.
US09313543B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor that includes a memory and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller can be programmed to receive media content from a set top box where the set top box is a separate device from the media processor and where the media content includes video content. The controller can also be programmed to receive supplemental content from a mobile communication device where the supplemental content is based on reading of a two dimensional bar code by the mobile communication device, and where the supplemental content comprises an image. The controller can further be programmed to generate augmented content by overlaying the supplemental content with the media content and to provide the augmented content to a display device for presentation.
US09313542B2
An electronic program guide may be provided. A plurality of encoded content streams may be received along with associated program guide information. The content streams may be re-modulated and associated with new channel assignments. Program guide entries for the content streams may be created and/or updated to reflect the new channel assignments. The re-modulated content streams and program guide entries may then be distributed to a plurality of display devices.
US09313541B2
A broadcasting method and a broadcast signal receiving apparatus is provided wherein auxiliary information, such as video and audio data for supplementing broadcast information presented through a broadcasting network in an interlocked manner can be watched and listened to by the viewer. Broadcast information received from a broadcasting network is temporarily stored in a storage means of a broadcast signal receiving apparatus and a recording medium for storing auxiliary information used as a supplement to the broadcast information is mounted on the broadcast signal receiving apparatus. The broadcast information and the auxiliary information are then played back in an interlocked manner with a predetermined timing. As a result, a function to present information which cannot be accommodated in a broadcast frame and a parental function can be implemented.
US09313540B2
Described herein are techniques for transferring content authorization information between television receivers. Authorization information for content and features associated with a television receiver is securely stored on a portable storage device. The portable storage device may be moved and connected to a different television receiver in order to transfer the authorization information to the different television receiver. The other television receiver accesses information on the portable storage device and allows the user to access the content and features that are authorized on the home television receiver.
US09313539B2
An approach is provided for providing embedding of local identifiers. The incorporation platform causes, at least in part, a detection, at a device, of presence of one or more other devices. Next, the incorporation platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of wireless signal information, from the one or more other devices, to determine one or more identifiers associated with the one or more other devices. Then, the incorporation platform causes, at least in part, an incorporation of at least one of the one or more identifiers in one or more captured content items.
US09313538B2
Methods and systems are also provided herein for establishing a mode of communication between a first user and a second user when a media asset is in a lull. Control circuitry may determine that a first user perceives a segment of the media asset as a lull based on a first user profile. The control circuitry may retrieve a second user profile associated with a second user, and may determine that the second user also perceives the segment of the media asset to be a lull based on the second user profile. The control circuitry may responsively establish a mode of communication (e.g., a chat window) between the first user and the second user.
US09313535B2
Methods, video terminals, and systems are disclosed for generating a montage of video segments for display by a video terminal. At least one video viewing preference associated with the video terminal is identified. Metadata associated with video segments in at least one video file is searched to identify video segments that correspond to the identified at least one video viewing preference. A montage of the identified video segments is generated for display by the video terminal.
US09313534B2
A rapid authorization system (22) for subscriber programming authorization with high levels of security can include entitlement management messages (23) that direct fluctuation of an existing package with a communication structure that may involve a primary service directive indicator (3) that is altered, transformed, or fluctuated by a secondary service directive indicator (4) or more. Terse, high entropy directives and entitlement management messages can be transmitted and a multi-channel broadcast programming fluctuation processor (9) at a multichannel broadcast receiver (8) can act to achieve the proper authorization. A conditional access system can be provided through existing, even one-way or SSL, communication pathways with high levels of security. Large subscriber base a la carte options can be provided with rapid authorization that may include nonce programming collective storage (26) for use with a fluctuation entitlement management message transmission.
US09313532B1
A system for securely communicating callback signals to a head end includes a callback server and a user device communicating a request to open a callback session to the callback server. The callback server opens a first session between the callback server and a user device. The user device communicates an encrypted callback data signal to the callback server through the first session. The callback server opens a second session between the callback sever and a conditional access system associated with a head end, verifies the callback data signal at callback server, and communicates the encrypted callback data signal to the conditional access system through the second session. The conditional access system decrypts the encrypted callback data signal to form decrypted callback data.
US09313530B2
Technique for securely transferring programming content from a first device in a first layer to a second device in a second layer. Upon request to transfer protected content to the second device, the first device authenticates the second device. After authentication, the first device transfers the protected content and a rights file associated therewith to the second device. The rights file specifies the rights of the second device to use the protected content, according to its security level. These rights may concern, the number of times that the second device may subsequently transfer the protected content to other devices, the time period within which the second device may play the protected content, etc. The higher the security level of the second device is, the more rights accorded thereto. The second device may further need to meet a minimum security level in order for it to receive the protected content.
US09313525B2
A video decoding apparatus using an intra prediction, includes: a decoder to decode a bitstream to thereby extract residual signals; an inverse quantizer to inversely quantize the residual signals; an inverse transformer to inversely transform the inversely quantized residual signals; an intra predictor to predict a current block from a plurality of neighboring blocks of the current block; and an adder to add the inversely transformed residual signals to the predicted pixels in the predicted block, wherein the intra predictor includes a weighted pixel calculator to calculate a plurality of weighted pixel values of pixels selected in the neighboring blocks by applying weights to the pixels selected in the neighboring blocks, the weights being decided variably based on a position of a current pixel to be predicted in the current block; and a pixel predictor to derive a predicted pixel value of the current pixel using the weighted pixel values.
US09313520B2
A sub-pel-unit image interpolation method using a transformation-based interpolation filter includes, selecting, based on a sub-pel-unit interpolation location in a region supported by a plurality of interpolation filters for generating at least one sub-pel-unit pixel value located between integer-pel-unit pixels, one of a symmetric interpolation filter and an asymmetric interpolation filter from among the plurality of interpolation filters; and using the selected interpolation filter to generate the at least one sub-pel-unit pixel value by interpolating the integer-pel-unit pixels.
US09313515B2
There are provided methods and apparatus for the use of slice groups in encoding and decoding multi-view video coding (MVC) information. An apparatus and method are described which encodes at least two views corresponding to multi-view video content using multiple slice groups. Furthermore, an apparatus and method are described for decoding at least two views corresponding to multi-view video content using multiple slice groups.
US09313514B2
Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for initialization of entropy encoders and decoders.
US09313508B1
An apparatus configured for video telephony includes a receiving device configured to receive video data at a first bitrate; send a request to change the first bitrate to a second bitrate; receive a first intra coded picture in response to the request to change the first bitrate to the second bitrate; in response to detecting the second bitrate, flush the first intra coded picture from a picture buffer; and in response to flushing the first intra coded picture from the picture buffer, send a request for a second intra coded picture.
US09313504B2
A system for encoding a video stream into a processed video signal that includes at least one image, includes a pattern detection module for detecting a pattern of interest in the at least one image and identifying a region that contains the pattern of interest when the pattern of interest is detected, based on an analysis of the image in a plurality of domains. An encoder section, generates the processed video signal and wherein, when the pattern of interest is detected, a higher quality, such as a higher bit allocation or higher computational processing, is assigned to the region than to portions of the at least one image outside the region.
US09313502B2
Disclosed are method and apparatus for encoding and decoding an image which divides a current picture into blocks with various sizes and varies a number of intra prediction modes according to the sizes of the divided blocks.
US09313500B2
Innovations in signaling of reference picture list (“RPL”) modification information. For example, a video encoder evaluates a condition that depends at least in part on a variable indicating a number of total reference pictures. Depending on the results of the evaluation, the encoder signals in a bitstream a flag that indicates whether an RPL is modified according to syntax elements explicitly signaled in the bitstream. A video decoder evaluates the condition and, depending on results of the evaluation, parses from a bitstream a flag that indicates whether an RPL is modified according to syntax elements explicitly signaled in the bitstream. The condition can be evaluated as part of processing for an RPL modification structure that includes the flag, or as part of processing for a slice header. The encoder and decoder can also evaluate other conditions that affect syntax elements for list entries of the RPL modification information.
US09313499B2
An image processing method of performing filtering on image blocks using a plurality of deblocking filters having different filter strengths includes: a first parameter calculating step of calculating a first parameter indicating a boundary strength; a second parameter calculating step of calculating a second parameter indicating a limit value for each of the deblocking filters, based on the first parameter and a quantization parameter; and a selecting step of selecting a deblocking filter to be used in the filtering from among the deblocking filters, using one or more threshold values which are determined based on the second parameter.
US09313494B2
This disclosure presents methods and systems for coding video in merge mode of a motion vector prediction process. A method of coding video data may determining a merge candidate set for a current prediction unit of a current coding unit, wherein the merge candidate set is determined without comparing motion information of a merge candidate in the merge candidate set to motion information of any other prediction units, and performing a merge motion vector prediction process for the current prediction unit using the merge candidate set. The method may further comprise excluding merge candidates from the merge candidate set that are within another prediction unit of the current coding unit.
US09313487B2
An image coding method includes performing: context arithmetic coding to consecutively code (i) first information indicating whether or not to perform SAO processing for a first region and (ii) second information indicating whether or not to use, in the SAO processing for the first region, information on SAO processing for a region except the first region; and bypass arithmetic coding to code other information after the first and second information are coded. The other information includes third information indicating whether the SAO processing is edge or band offset processing. In the performing of context arithmetic coding, an initial bit value in a bit string of a parameter indicating a type of the SAO processing is coded as the first information. In the performing of bypass arithmetic coding, a value of a next bit following the initial bit in the bit string of the parameter is coded as the third information.
US09313465B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for video encoding and decoding with learned transform and compressive sensing. An apparatus includes a video encoder for encoding an image block in a picture by determining from a training data set an adaptive transform for transforming a signal capable of representing the image block into zero coefficients and non-zero coefficients, reconstructing the image block in a pixel domain to obtain a reconstructed version of the image block by minimizing a number of the non-zero coefficients in a transform domain corresponding to the transform responsive to information of the signal and a prediction of the image block, and incorporating the reconstructed version of the image block into a coding mode that is absent from any video coding standards and video coding recommendations.
US09313464B2
A device for detecting objects includes a vessel intended to contain the objects. A sensor is configured to capture at least one image of the vessel. A processing device is configured to process at least one captured image by detecting objects of the at least one captured image, extracting characteristics of each detected object, and generating a list of the characteristics of each detected object. A memory stores the generated list, the memory also configured to store a first reference list of object characteristics. The processing device further generates a second list of characteristics from a captured image. The characteristics of each object of the second list are compared with, respectively, the characteristics of each object of the reference list.
US09313460B2
Estimating a blur kernel distribution for visual iris recognition includes determining a first mathematical relationship between an in-focus position of a camera lens and a distance between the lens and an iris whose image is to be captured by the lens. A second mathematical relationship between the in-focus position of the lens and a standard deviation defining a Gaussian blur kernel distribution is estimated. The first mathematical relationship is used to ascertain a desired focus position of the lens based upon the actual position of the living being's eye at the point in time. The second mathematical relationship is used to calculate a standard deviation defining a Gaussian blur kernel distribution. The produced image is digitally unblurred by using the blur kernel distribution defined by the calculated standard deviation.
US09313452B2
An apparatus is provided in one example and includes a camera configured to receive image data associated with an end user involved in a video session. The apparatus also includes a display and an optics element configured to interface with the camera. The optics element reflects the image data associated with the end user positioned in front of the display. A retracting mechanism is also provided and is configured to retract the optics element in a direction such that the camera moves to an inactive state and the optics element is removed from a view of the display from the perspective of the end user. An effective optical distance from the camera to the end user is increased by manipulating a position of the optics element. In more detailed embodiments, the camera can be configured above the display such that its lens points downward toward the optics element.
US09313442B2
A method of generating a broadcasting bitstream for a digital caption broadcast, the method including: receiving video data in which a video including at least one of a two-dimensional (2D) video and a three-dimensional (3D) video is encoded; determining caption data for reproduction in conjunction with the video, and 3D caption converting information including information relating to a converting speed of an offset for reproducing the caption data as a 3D caption; and outputting a bitstream for a digital broadcast by multiplexing the received video data, the determined caption data, and the determined 3D caption converting information.
US09313441B2
A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal.
US09313434B2
A pixel circuit includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) and a measurement circuit including a capacitance. The circuit is operable to discharge a known portion of the charge on the capacitance upon each detection of a SPAD event within a time period, such that the charge remaining on the capacitance at the end of the time period corresponds to the number of SPAD events detected within the time period. A time resolved imaging apparatus includes an array of such pixel circuits. A method of counting photon detection includes sensing photons with a SPAD device and discharging a known portion of the charge on a capacitance upon each detection of a SPAD event within a time period.
US09313427B2
An image sensor having improved dynamic range includes a signal that is read out for a selection of pixels which act as a calibration to govern the choice of exposure levels to be applied to the rest of the array. In this way, the sensor is operable to adapt to variations in scene intensity. The pixels in the array are vertically and horizontally addressed so as to enable accounted for small areas of intensity variation across an imaged scene.
US09313426B2
A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, and a plurality of signal processing units each associated with a respective one of columns of the pixel array and including an A/D conversion unit configured to convert a signal generated based on the pixels into a digital signal. The photoelectric conversion device further includes a plurality of groups each including a plural ones of signal processing units out of the plurality of signal processing units and a block output unit configured to receive outputs of the plural ones of signal processing units, and a driving signal transmission unit configured to transmit a driving signal for driving a plurality of the block output units. The driving signal transmission unit supplies, to one of the block output units and another of the block output units, the driving signal at respective different timings.
US09313420B2
In some embodiments, an electronic device, comprises an image capture device and logic to receive a first set of input frames from an image capture device, analyze the first set of input frames to determine whether multi-image processing is to be implemented, and in response to a determination that multi-image processing is to be implemented, determine a number of image frames required to capture a dynamic range of a scene, capture at least the number of image frames, align the number of images and merge the number of images into a merged image. Other embodiments may be described.
US09313419B2
An image processing apparatus has: a depth map acquiring unit configured to acquire a depth map that records information indicating a depth distance corresponding to each point on a photographed image; an in-focus position acquiring unit configured to acquire an in-focus position on the photographed image; a reference distance determining unit configured to acquire a depth distance corresponding to the in-focus position from the depth map and sets the acquired depth distance as a reference distance; and an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on the photographed image by using the depth map and the reference distance.
US09313417B2
An imaging apparatus and method enables an automated extended depth of field capability that automates and simplifies the process of creating extended depth of field images. An embodiment automates the acquisition of an image “stack” or sequence and stores metadata at the time of image acquisition that facilitates production of a composite image having an extended depth of field from at least a portion of the images in the acquired sequence. An embodiment allows a user to specify, either at the time of image capture or at the time the composite image is created, a range of distances that the user wishes to have in focus within the composite image. An embodiment provides an on-board capability to produce a composite, extended depth of field image from the image stack. One embodiment allows the user to import the image stack into an image-processing software application that produces the composite image.
US09313413B2
An image processing method includes adjusting a brightness of each of a first image and a second image based on a first exposure time when the first image is captured and a second exposure time when the second image is captured, respectively, the first and second images being generated by capturing a same object under different light conditions, estimating an intensity of light, reaching the object when the second image is captured, based on the adjusted brightness of each of the first and second images, separating the second image into two or more regions according to the estimated intensity of light, determining a target brightness that a final result image is to have, adjusting the brightness of the second image, by different amounts for each of the separated regions, based on the target brightness and generate the final result image based on the adjusted brightness of the second image.
US09313412B2
There is provided an image sensor including a light sensitive device and a digital signal processing circuit. The light sensitive device is configured to output a digital image. The digital signal processing circuit is configured to detect at least one feature point in the digital image and calculate a feature point coordinate of the at least one feature point.
US09313402B2
Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for photographing an object. One or more shooting modes are selected and a photograph is taken in accordance with the one or more selected shooting modes.
US09313401B2
A method comprising receiving video information from a camera module such that the video information has a first frame rate, determining that at least a part of an object of interest is represented in the video information within a frame rate designation region of the video information, causing configuration of the camera module to capture the video information at a second frame rate, receiving the video information from the camera module such that the video information has the second frame rate, determining that at least a part of the object of interest is unrepresented in the video information within the frame rate designation region of the video information, causing configuration of the camera module to capture the video information at the first frame rate, and receiving the video information from the camera module such that the video information has the first frame rate is disclosed.
US09313395B2
A focus evaluation value generation apparatus includes a low frequency image data generation unit configured to generate low frequency image data, a thinned image generation unit configured to generate thinned input image data and thinned low frequency image data, and a focus evaluation value generation unit configured to generate the focus evaluation value based on the thinned input image data and the thinned low frequency image data.
US09313394B2
A waterproof electronic device with a soft polymer embedding enclosure configured to seal components embedded in the soft polymer embedding enclosure from water by direct contact of the soft polymer embedding enclosure with the components, and including an embedded microswitch operated by pressing on an outer surface of the soft polymer embedding enclosure. The apparatus may be built using various degrees of integration of its components.
US09313392B2
Capturing a target image includes activating a first image sensor for capturing the target image. A sequence of images is captured with a second image sensor while the first image sensor remains activated. A determination is made as to whether the sequence of images captured by the second image sensor includes a shutter gesture while the first image sensor remains activated. If a shutter gesture is included in the sequence of images captured by the second image sensor, the first image sensor captures the target image in response.
US09313391B1
Approaches are described for managing the processing of image data via an electronic device. In particular, various embodiments enable a component, or combination of components, such as one or more camera interface components or other such interface components, to be integrated into a computing device (e.g., a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, etc.) to manage the processing of image data captured by one or more cameras of the computing device. For example, one or more camera interface components, such as a camera interface circuit, can allow for coupling at least two cameras to a single input camera port of a processor component.
US09313389B2
A camera assembly, including at least one holder, at least one camera module, and a buffer material, is provided. The holder includes at least one accommodating recess. The camera module is disposed in the accommodating recess, and a gap exists between the camera module and a sidewall of the accommodating recess. The buffer material is filled in the gap to position the camera module in the accommodating recess of the holder. Further, an electronic device including a housing and the camera assembly aforementioned is provided.
US09313386B2
An electronic device may include a substrate, an image sensor IC over the substrate, and a lens assembly above the substrate. The lens assembly may include a spacer above the substrate, a first adhesive layer over the spacer, a lens aligned with the image sensor IC and over the first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer surrounding a peripheral surface of the lens and the first adhesive layer, and a baffle over the lens and the second adhesive layer.
US09313383B2
A device for capturing at least three views of an object with a camera includes a housing having a cavity. A slot in the housing communicates with the cavity and is adapted to accept an object. A plurality of mirrors in the cavity reflects at least three views of the object towards the camera, allowing the camera to capture an image of the views. A system for capturing multiple views of an object includes a housing having a cavity. A slot in the housing communicates with the cavity and is adapted to receive an object. A camera, a light source, and a plurality of mirrors in the cavity reflect at least three views of the object towards the camera, allowing the camera to capture an image three views.
US09313382B2
The application is directed to an image pickup system that includes a lens holder; an image pickup optical system that is secured by a portion of the lens holder; an image pickup device comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is nearer the image pickup optical system than the second surface in an optical axis direction, a light receiving sensor that receives light entering through the image pickup optical system, and a cover glass attached to the first surface of the image pickup device, wherein the cover glass comprising a fitting portion of the cover glass in an outer circumferential face of the cover glass.
US09313378B2
An image processing apparatus and method of a camera is provided for compensating for shutter lag. An image processing apparatus includes an image scaler which scales a camera output image to a viewing image, a buffer which buffers the camera output image, a multiplexer which multiplexes outputs of the image scaler and the buffer, an image processor which processes multiplexed images corresponding to the multiplexed outputs of the image scaler and the buffer, a demultiplexer which demultiplexes an output of the image processor so as to supply the viewing image to a display unit, a codec which encodes the camera output image output by the demultiplexer into a capture image, and a controller which controls the multiplexer and the demultiplexer in a time divisional manner within a frame duration such that the image processor processes the viewing and camera output image sequentially in a capture mode.
US09313375B1
Techniques are described for balancing an exposure of a photograph using a software-implemented Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filter. Portions of a visual representation of a scene may be defined. Camera settings, such as aperture and/or shutter speed, may be set based on characteristics of the software-implemented GND filter and the portions of the visual representation of the scene.
US09313367B2
A method for compressing a digital image to be printed, the image consisting of pixels. It is determined, for blocks of pixels, whether a block contains a graphical structure that is to be maintained without loss because it is of a type that can be accurately perceived by a human observer. The block is encoded losslessly into a less voluminous format, if such a graphical structure has been found. Otherwise, the block is compressed lossily, if no such graphical structure has been found.
US09313366B2
An image processing apparatus determines a position separated by a predetermined distance from an edge of an object included in image data. The position is outer side of the object. The apparatus deforms a shape of the object based on the determined position so that the determined position becomes a new edge of the object. And the apparatus performs predetermined image processing for edge, based on the determined position, on the new edge of the object after the deformation is performed.
US09313365B2
In a case where ink having a relatively high dot height is ejected a small amount, binary data corresponding to ink having a relatively low dot height is quantized so that dot adjacency is increased.
US09313363B2
The invention allows a terminal apparatus to immediately execute print job transmission even if it is impossible to execute a direct print job by a handover. When, therefore, a mobile phone functioning as a mobile terminal performs short distance wireless communication with a printing apparatus, it receives information about peer-to-peer communication via a wireless LAN and information indicating whether the printing apparatus currently executes printing. If it is determined that another user is already executing printing, the mobile phone connects to a mobile telephone line network, and transmits a print job to a printing server for transmitting a print job to the printing apparatus.
US09313362B2
A system and method of transmitting data to each of a plurality of receivers using job processing information regarding image forming jobs sets one or more destinations corresponding to a receiver, generates job processing information including information on the destination of the receiver to which jobs are to be transmitted, and transmitting completed jobs to the one or more destinations corresponding to the receiver using the generated job processing information. Accordingly, when processing information is generated for a particular image forming job, the locations of receivers receiving a document can be designated using only names of the receivers, and without detailed information address information regarding the receivers. Additionally, the destinations can be associated with job processing variables such as transmitters and document formats.
US09313352B2
A communication apparatus is capable of wirelessly communicating with a communication partner apparatus in a peer-to-peer mode. A state of supplying electric power to the communication apparatus is determined, and a group owner intent value indicating the degree of intent to operate as an access point in wireless communication is changed from a default value to a value depending on the state of the supplying electric power.
US09313348B2
A control unit in an MFP determines whether a connection request from a communication device carried by a user has been received. If the control unit determines that the connection request has been received, then the control unit issues network identification information and transmits it to the communication device. When a connection is established, the control unit automatically alters the operation screen to an operation screen related to image processing based on the information transmitted/received to/from the communication device, and accepts an operation to execute image processing.
US09313346B2
An information processing system in which a source information processing apparatus is capable of performing a job cooperatively with a destination information processing apparatus, is provided. The system includes an instruction unit configured to cause the source information processing apparatus to submit a cooperative job to the destination information processing apparatus, and a control unit configured to restrict manipulation of the submitted cooperative job at the destination information processing apparatus and to enable the manipulation of the cooperative job according to an instruction from the source information processing apparatus.
US09313339B2
A network server may be configured to prevent user equipment (UE) from communicating payload information across a telecommunication network without paying for the access or use of the network. This may be accomplished by the network server receiving signaling information relating to the UE from a first network component, receiving data plane information relating to the UE from a second network component, using the received information to determine a ratio between the number of signaling-only connections and the average monthly revenue associated with the user equipment device, determining whether the UE is a signaling-only device based on the ratio, and performing a responsive operation when it is determined that the user equipment device is a signaling-only device. The responsive operation may include applying a policy or charging rule to the signaling communications of the UE when it is determined that the UE is a signaling-only device.
US09313338B2
The present invention includes devices, systems, and methods of Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication. For example, a method includes: receiving a data stream comprising a set of VoIP packets; and modifying a Real Time Protocol (RTP) header of at least one of said VoIP packets to modify a jitter buffer delay of said data stream. Optionally, the method includes decreasing the jitter buffer delay by: dropping at least one packet from said data stream; and decreasing a sequence number and a timestamp value in an RTP header of at least one additional packet subsequent to said at least one packet. Optionally, the method includes increasing the jitter buffer delay by: identifying a pair of consecutive packets in the incoming data stream, the pair of consecutive packets having consecutive sequence numbers; and increasing a sequence number in an RTP header of at least a latter packet in said pair of consecutive packets.
US09313330B1
A method and apparatus of processing a voice call are disclosed. One example method of operation may include recording at least a portion of a conference call and storing the portion of the conference call in memory. The method may also include processing the portion of the conference call to identify at least one segment of interest and processing the at least one segment of interest and creating at least one tag of interest to be associated with a third party application. The method may also include forwarding the at least one tag of interest to a third party computing device responsive to the identified segment of interest.
US09313324B2
A system is disclosed for providing a bell to a call-terminating terminal that includes a call-originating terminal for generating at least one group, setting group list information which includes additional services usable by the generated group and predetermined terminals belonging to the generated group, registering the set group list information, and transmitting a call request to a terminal belonging to the group; a first server for receiving the call request from the call-originating at a midway point of a route of the call request, acquiring the group list information registered by the call-originating terminal, constructing an additional service menu in accordance with the acquired group list information, and providing the constructed additional service menu through a bell; and the call-terminating terminal for receiving information of the additional service menu constructed by the first server, and constructing an additional service menu usable by the call-originating terminal based on the information.
US09313321B2
A screen unlocking method for a mobile terminal, includes: providing an icon on the touch screen that indicates the mobile terminal is in a lock state; receiving an input event of a user on the touch screen, the input event comprising a rotating operation on the icon; detecting whether a rotating angle of the icon equals a unlocking angle preset in a storage system of the mobile terminal; and transitioning the mobile terminal from the lock state to an unlock state upon the condition that the rotating angle equals the unlocking angle. In the screen unlocking method and device for a mobile terminal, the shape, position, and direction of the unlocking identification are allowed to be set according to requirements from different users, thereby meeting users' personalized needs and enriching users' visual effects; in addition, the unlocking angle can be set by users, which improves user experience.
US09313308B2
During the booting process of a mobile device inserted with a smartcard, it is determined whether a link indicated by an index administration phone book elementary file is correct according to data validity of the index administration phone book elementary file and an abbreviated dialing number elementary file. When a valid pointer indicated by index administration phone book elementary file corresponds to invalid data of the index administration phone book elementary file, the index administration phone book elementary file is updated to indicate an invalid pointer, thereby preventing the mobile device from displaying blank contact information.
US09313305B1
A case for portable electronic devices including smartphones includes a feature to prevent glare from a flash from affecting images and video captured by a camera lens and also a battery to extend battery life of the electronic device. Smartphones have telephony, Internet connectivity, and camera and video features. Photos and video can be uploaded through the Internet or sent to other phones. The case has a hole for a camera flash of the smartphone to pass through. The edging of the hole is colored black or another dark color to prevent glare from appearing in the photos or video taken by the smartphone when using the camera flash.
US09313302B2
High-speed processing of packets to, and from, a virtualization environment can be provided while utilizing segmentation offload and other such functionality of commodity hardware. Virtualization information can be added to extension portions of protocol headers, for example, such that the payload portion is unchanged and, when physical address information is added to a frame, a frame can be processed using commodity hardware. In some embodiments, the virtualization information can be hashed and added to the payload or stream at, or relative to, various segmentation boundaries, such that the virtualization or additional header information will only be added to a subset of the packets once segmented, thereby reducing the necessary overhead. Further, the hashing of the information can allow for reconstruction of the virtualization information upon desegmentation even in the event of packet loss.
US09313299B2
A cloud edge appliance (CEA) may augment the providing, by a remote cloud service provider, of cloud applications to a customer. The CEA may be installed at the customer premises and may provide a local access point for the customer. In one implementation, the CEA may provide a cloud-based application to a number of user devices, the cloud-based application being associated with functions, in which at least a first portion of the functions are implemented by the CEA and at least a second portion of the plurality of functions are forwarded, over a wide area network, to the cloud service provider.
US09313293B2
Social networking data is received at the dispersed storage processing unit, the social networking data associated with at least one of a plurality of user devices. Dispersed storage metadata associated with the social networking data is generated. A full record and at least one partial record are generated based on the social networking data and further based on the dispersed storage metadata. The full record is stored in a dispersed storage network. The partial record is pushed to at least one other of the plurality of user devices via the data network.
US09313292B2
The invention discloses a method, apparatus and system for display control and belongs to Flash playing field. The method comprises: receiving an event notification message sent by a terminal; acquiring Flash objects for implementing an event; operating computing objects in the acquired Flash objects to obtain playing data for implementing the event; and sending the playing data to the terminal so that the terminal updates a Flash currently played in accordance with the playing data and plays the playing data. A server acquires and operates the computing objects in the Flash objects for implementing the event after receiving the event notification message and sends the playing data obtained to the terminal for playing. The invention avoids network resource waste due to downloading all the Flash objects to the terminal and thus saves precious network traffic of a user.
US09313284B2
Provided are techniques for smart posting with data analytics. A message is received before the message is posted to a social media service. The message is analyzed using data analytics to obtain analysis results. The obtained analysis results are compared to similar analysis results stored for at least one pre-existing message. For one or more correlations between the message and at least one pre-existing message, one or more contributing terms that have semantic meaning within a context of the social media service are determined. Based on the one or more contributing terms, one or more suggestions for improving the message are generated. The message is modified based on the one or more suggestions.
US09313283B2
A method, computer program product, and system for performing a dynamic social content selection. According to an embodiment, a method may include determining, via one or more computing devices, a plurality of status indicators available to be associated with social content associated with a first user. The method may also include defining one or more rules for the plurality of status indicators based on, at least in part, a recipient characteristic. The method may further include selecting one of the plurality of status indicators to associate with the content for a second user based on the one or more rules. The method may further include providing the content and the selected one of the plurality of status indicators to the second user.
US09313282B2
Managing a co-browsing session of multiple users where there are multiple roles that each user may have, and each respective user has a role. Software manages a computer system to: (i) monitor the co-browsing session to detect a condition; and (ii) responsive to detection of the condition, change the role(s) of at least one user. The change of role(s) is made automatically and without human intervention.
US09313280B2
Systems and methods relating to communication within a fabric network are presented. The fabric network includes one or more logical networks that enables devices connected to the fabric to communicate with each other using various profiles known to the devices. A device sending a message may follow a general message format to encode the message so that other devices in the fabric may understand the message regardless of which logical networks the devices are connected to. Within the message format, a payload of data may be included for the receiving device to forward, store, or process the message. The format and the contents of the payload may vary according to a header within the payload that indicates a profile and a message type within the profile. Using the profile and message type, the receiving devices may decode the message to process the message.
US09313275B2
In one embodiment, an energy-harvesting communication device of a communication network accumulates energy, e.g., electromagnetic energy. Upon detecting that the accumulated energy surpasses a sufficient threshold, the communication device may transmit a message into the communication network using the accumulated energy as an unreliable and unsynchronized broadcast transmission to any available receiver within the communication network.
US09313269B2
Architecture that maintains the user experience as close as possible to the user experience when dealing with the usual/regular forms and data provided in an office application when dealing with hybrid forms and hybrid data. Synchronization of the hybrid data to single-master and multi-masters systems is accomplished when the associated hybrid client goes offline, changes are made to the hybrid data, and then the client comes back online. For example, where the single-master system is a line-of-business (LOB) server system and the multi-master system is an officer server that employs collaboration capability, the architecture allows office users to access, manipulate, and share LOB entity information using collaborative means, while at the same time, ensuring data and business process consistency for the LOB entity in the LOB system.
US09313266B2
A computer-program causing a computing device to transmit a command to a data storage cluster for multiple data transfer threads thereof to request assignment of a data transfer from a distribution thread; await receipt of a request for assignment from a data transfer thread; compare the quantity data transfer threads to the quantity of computation threads of a data processing cluster; assign to the data transfer thread an exchange of a block of data with a single computation thread in response to receipt of the request and to the multitude of data transfer threads comprising a greater quantity of threads than the multitude of computation threads; and assign to the data transfer thread exchanges of multiple blocks of data with multiple computation threads in response to receipt of the request and to the multitude of data transfer threads comprising a lesser quantity of threads than the multitude of computation threads.
US09313265B2
In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for providing individualized portable asset applications may generally include providing access to a master geospatial asset and receiving a user input associated with generating a portable geospatial asset based on the master geospatial asset, wherein the portable geospatial asset corresponds to a data subset of the master geospatial asset. The method may also include generating the portable geospatial asset based on the user input and embedding the portable geospatial asset within an asset application, wherein the asset application includes computer-readable instructions for rendering the portable geospatial asset. In addition, the method may include transmitting the asset application containing the portable geospatial asset to a separate computing device.
US09313264B2
One object is to provide a system for facilitating posting for digital contents. The system according to an embodiment includes: a service control unit; an information storage unit a determination unit for determining whether a user is a fan of an artist a user information updating unit for storing a determination result by the determination unit in the information storage unit a use history information sending unit for sending reproduction history information; a posting information reception unit for receiving posting information including musical piece specifying information; a posting information registration unit for storing received posting information in the information storage unit; a posting information sending unit for sending the posting information to the terminal; a reproduction screen sending unit for sending, to the terminal, screen data of a musical piece reproduction screen; and a recommended user information sending unit for sending information on recommended users to the terminal.
US09313259B2
A method for updating an application program on a wireless terminal in a controlled manner is disclosed. When, a server receives an inquiry from a wireless terminal for updating an application program, the server determines whether there is an updated program available for updating the application program based on information included in the inquiry from the wireless terminal. The server also determines whether updating the application program of the wireless terminal which sent the inquiry is permitted or not at the time of receiving the inquiry based on the information included in the inquiry and criteria information stored in the server. When the server determines that updating the application for the wireless terminal is available and is permitted, the server sends information necessary for updating the application program to the wireless terminal. Then, the wireless terminal updates the application program.
US09313258B2
In example embodiments, a system and method for managing switching between devices are provided. A consolidated catalog of applications available on devices coupled to a master device is maintained. The consolidated catalog of applications is graphically presented on a screen controlled by the master device. A selection of an application from the consolidated catalog of applications is received via a control device. Based on the selected application being located at a device coupled to the master device, input is automatically switched from the master device to the device having the selected application. As a result, a display corresponding to the selected application is presented on the screen.
US09313249B2
Systems and methods for determining available bandwidth and performing initial stream selection when commencing adaptive bitrate streaming using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes measuring network bandwidth using a playback device, determining an initial network bandwidth estimate using the network bandwidth measurements, selecting an initial stream from said plurality of streams of encoded media that are encoded at different maximum bitrates rates using the playback device based upon the maximum bitrates of the plurality of streams and the initial bandwidth estimate; and commencing streaming of encoded media by requesting portions of the encoded media from the initial streams using the playback device.
US09313246B2
A STUN message is received at a router device in a network from a client device in the network along a network path. The STUN message is evaluated for information that indicates to the router device to modify media that is subsequently sent along the network path. If the evaluating indicates that the router device is to modify the media, the media is modified in accordance with information in the STUN message that indicates attributes of the network.
US09313243B2
A client device receives streamed encoded content data, such as encoded video data, which has been encoded at a constant perceptual quality. Several different versions of the content are available to be streamed to the device, at different perceptual quality levels. In order to decide which quality level to request from a content server at intervals the device calculates the delivery rates that would be required for each level of quality. The delivery rates are calculated in dependence on so-called critical points, which are points at which a piecewise constant bit rate delivery schedule is just equal to the decoding schedule. There are two classes of critical points, being a first class of critical points, referred to herein as “additional critical points”, which are points on the decoding schedule where, for any particular other point on the decoding schedule before an additional critical point, and assuming that a minimum threshold amount of data is buffered when delivery occurs from the particular point, a constant bit rate delivery schedule that is calculated for the particular point taking into account the buffered minimum amount of data and of such a rate such that buffer underflow does not occur is substantially equal to the decoding schedule. A second class of critical points, referred to herein as “downstairs critical points”, is also defined, which are derived from the decoding schedule as a whole, and which are the points at which a piecewise monotonically decreasing constant bit rate delivery schedule (the so-called “downstairs” schedule), which is calculated such that when delivering the encoded content data from the start buffer underflow does not occur, is substantially equal to the decoding schedule of the encoded content data. When the actual delivery rate received is ahead of the so-called “downstairs” schedule, then the delivery rate required for a particular quality level can be calculated from the second class of critical points. However, when the actual delivery rate received is behind the downstairs schedule, then the delivery rate required is calculated from the first class of critical points.
US09313230B1
A customer of a policy management service may use an interface with a configuration and management service to interact with policies that may be applicable to the customer's one or more resources. The customer may create and/or modify the policies and the configuration and management service may notify one or more other entities of the created and/or modified policies. The one or more other entities may be operated by user authorized to approve the created and/or modified policies. Interactions with the configuration and management service may be the same as the interactions with the policy management service.
US09313224B1
A method of protecting connectivity in a network is provided. The method includes monitoring a client communication received from a client on the network, and determining, based on the monitoring, to buffer the client communication. Next, to avoid a flood block response from a node on the network, based on the determining the client communication is buffered, whereby the connectivity of the client is protected.
US09313221B2
In one embodiment, an edge network device may monitor a network service that is provided at a network service device. Information related to the monitored network service may be temporarily stored at the edge network device and transmitted to a remote network device. In one embodiment, an administrative device may compare current extracted information with stored historical information to determine if a unique machine identifier of an end user device has been spoofed.
US09313218B1
The disclosed computer-implemented method for providing information identifying the trustworthiness of applications on application distribution platforms may include (1) monitoring event notifications generated by an accessibility service that provides user interface enhancements for disabled individuals on an operating system installed on a computing device, (2) determining, based on an analysis of an event notification generated by the accessibility service, that a user is viewing at least one application for download on an application distribution platform, (3) in response to determining that the user is viewing the application on the application distribution platform, identifying the application based at least in part on an analysis of an active window of the computing device, (4) once the application is identified, retrieving information from a third party that identifies the trustworthiness of the application, and (5) before the user downloads the application, displaying the information identifying the trustworthiness of the application to the user.
US09313214B2
A method (100) and an apparatus (e.g., a network node (210)) for providing enhanced security using service provider authentication. In addition to authenticating an application signature (245) against a root certificate (235) stored on the network node (210), a first carrier identification (250) associated with the application (240) is compared to a second carrier identification (255). If the first and second carrier identifications match, then the application can be assigned to a trusted protection domain and granted permissions which provide privileged access to the network node. For example, the application can be granted permission to be installed and/or executed on the network node. Otherwise the application can be denied privileged access. Accordingly, a carrier's applications will be only installed onto network nodes that are intended recipients of the applications.
US09313202B2
A communication apparatus, which is connected to a relay apparatus, and transmits data to a server apparatus connected via the relay apparatus, includes a determination unit which determines whether the communication apparatus or the relay apparatus holds authentication information used in authentication processing required to access the server apparatus, a decision unit which decides, according to the determination result, a transmission method required to transmit the data by controlling an authentication processing unit of the apparatus that holds the authentication information to execute the authentication processing, and a transmission unit which transmits the data by the decided transmission method.
US09313197B2
A method of assessing risk in an electronic transaction involves assignment of quality attributes to cryptographic identities presented in a digital transaction. The quality assignment supports assessment of risk in the transaction. The evaluation of risk in the transaction is made by assessing machine readable attributes of the digital identities along with transaction details. The digital identity attributes may be constructed using extensions of existing standards. A guarantee against risk of loss may be obtained by procuring insurance on the transaction before execution. Third party insurers may analyze the risk of loss in a transaction by assessing the attributes of digital identities along with transaction details and may provide a requestor with an insurance premium quote. Based on the value of the quote, the transaction participants may decide whether or not to execute the transaction.
US09313195B2
A client receives sensitive data to be tokenized. The client queries a token table with a portion of the sensitive data to determine if the token table includes a token mapped to the value of the portion of the sensitive data. If the mapping table does not include a token mapped to the value of the portion of the sensitive data, a candidate token is generated. The client queries a central token management system to determine if the candidate token collides with a token generated by or stored at another client. In some embodiments, the candidate token includes a value from a unique set of values assigned by the central token management system to the client, guaranteeing that the candidate token does not cause a collision. The client then tokenizes the sensitive data with the candidate token and stores the candidate token in the token table.
US09313182B2
A technique and system protects documents at rest and in motion using declarative policies and encryption. Encryption in the system is provided transparently and can work in conjunction with policy enforcers installed at a system. A system can protect information or documents from: (i) insider theft; (ii) ensure confidentiality; and (iii) prevent data loss, while enabling collaboration both inside and outside of a company.
US09313179B1
Processing a query, includes, at a client, receiving a user-generated query having a plurality of recognizable terms, securing the user-generated query to generate an encrypted query, so that the plurality of recognizable terms generated by the user-generated query cannot be determined by a server, transmitting the encrypted query to the server, to perform the query on encrypted data comprising a mix of regular data and secure data previously provided by the client, wherein at least one of selection criteria of the query and identities of selected records of the query result cannot be determined by the server, and interpreting a result of the query provided by the server, and providing an output of the query to the user having the plurality of recognizable terms.
US09313176B2
A communication system automatically provides a secure communication link between a device and a network. A switch initiates a wireless link between the switch and the network. Then, a secure communication path is created between the switch and the network. When a device is linked to the switch, the device is automatically granted access to the secure communication path created by the switch.
US09313175B2
A system capable of automated mapping between a connectivity request and an ordered security rule-set and a method of operating thereof. The system includes an interface operable to obtain data characterizing at least one connectivity request; a module for automated recognizing at least one rule within the rule-set, the rule controlling traffic requested in the at least one connectivity request, wherein the recognizing is provided by comparing a set of combinations specified in the connectivity request with a set of combinations specified in the rule and matching connectivity-related actions specified in the connectivity request; a module for automated evaluating relationship between traffic controlled by the recognized at least one rule and traffic requested in the at least one connectivity request; and a module for automated classifying, in accordance with evaluation results, the at least one connectivity request with respect to the at least one rules and/or vice versa.
US09313171B2
A device and method are provided to provide multi-exit firewall capabilities for cloud server or cloud service deployments without prior knowledge of reachability information of a client device where the client device may belong to one of several networks accessing the cloud server or cloud service. The reachability information may be derived based on flow of data to and from the client device in response to a data transfer initiation request. A firewall connection table may be updated to record routability to the client device comprising the derived reachability information. The recorded reachability information in the connection table may be used for the data transfer with the client device instead of a default route in a routing table.
US09313167B1
The embodiments describe an apparatus for accessing a remote object. The apparatus includes a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to transmit a Domain Name Service request of the remote object to a Domain Name Service server and receive a Domain Name Service response comprising an Internet Protocol of the remote object. The transceiver is further configured to connect to the Internet Protocol of the remote object based on the Domain Name Service response.
US09313165B2
A method, system and computer program product for providing contextual relevance of an unposted message to an activity stream after a period of time elapses. A comparison is made between the current state of the activity stream at a second point in time with respect to the state of the activity stream at a first point in time, which includes an unposted message. The relevance of the unposted message with respect to a current topic of interest in the activity stream at the second point in time is quantified. If the contextual relevance of the unposted message with respect to the current topic of interest in the activity stream at the second point in time is less than a threshold, then the user is presented with an indication of the contextual relevance of the unposted message to the activity stream.
US09313161B2
The invention relates to a method and system for booking reservations in a booking system and synchronizing bookings among several booking systems. The system comprises at least one booking system; at least one service provider; a mediator service; a client, and at least one client terminal device that can be a mobile device and that includes a dialog. The client uses the dialog to enter information into the system and the mediator receives inquiries and answers from the at least one booking system, the at least one service provider, and the at least one client. The mediator transfers and adapts information between them. The method and system are particularly suited for use with mobile phone users by Small Message Service messages.
US09313144B2
An illustrative example computing system includes a parallel computing controller configured to communicate control information with a plurality of computing nodes over a virtual private network. A cloud computing controller is configured to receive a communication from the parallel computing controller. Based at least in part on the received communication, the cloud computing controller allocates cloud computing resources to facilitate data traffic communication involving at least one of the plurality of computing nodes.
US09313141B2
In general, in one aspect, computer program instructions are to cause, when executed, at least one processor to determine a transmit queue from many transmit queues to associate with a connection, store an identifier of the transmit queue in a connection socket structure associated with the connection, and access the identifier of the transmit queue from a connection socket structure associated with a connection of an egress packet.
US09313133B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing latency in processing data sets in a distributed fashion. A job-queue operable for queuing data-processing jobs run on multiple nodes in a cluster may be communicatively coupled to a job analyzer. The job analyzer may be operable to read the data-processing jobs and extract information characterizing those jobs in ways that facilitate identification of resources in the cluster serviceable to run the data-processing jobs and/or data to be processed during the running of those jobs. The job analyzer may also be coupled to a resource warmer operable to warm-up a portion of the cluster to be used to run a particular data-processing job prior to the running of the job. In some embodiments, mappers and/or reducers may be extracted from the jobs and converted into compute node identifiers and/or data units identifying blocks for processing, informing the warm-up operations of the resource warmer.
US09313129B2
Some embodiments provide a network controller for managing a logical network implemented across several managed network elements. The logical network includes at least one logical router. The network controller includes an input interface for receiving configuration state for the logical router. The network controller includes a table mapping engine for generating data tuples for distribution to the managed network elements in order for the managed network elements to implement the logical router. The network controller includes a route processing engine for receiving a set of input routes from the table mapping engine based on the configuration state for the logical router, performing a recursive route traversal process to generate a set of output routes, and returning the set of output routes to the table mapping engine. The table mapping engine uses the set of output routes to generate the data tuples for distribution to the plurality of managed network elements.
US09313128B2
In a flow-based network such as an open flow network system, even when a network appliance such as NAT and NAPT for translating a packet header is passed through, a correspondence relation of two flows before and after the passing can be grasped to make it possible to trace the flow in end-to-end. Specifically, a packet is encapsulated in a switch (or in a controller requested from the switch). By encapsulating by using the same header as a current header, two kinds of headers before the translation and after the translation are attached to the packet after the packet phases through the network appliance.
US09313119B2
A system for network routing based on resource availability. A network switching element (NSE) may be configured to provide status information to a controller. The controller may be configured to utilize the status information in determining control information that may be provided to the NSE. The NSE may further be configured to assign processing of information flows to processors in the NSE based on the control information. For example, the control information may contain minimum and maximum percent utilization levels for the processors. Information flows may be reassigned to processors that have available processing capacity from processors whose operation is determined not to be in compliance with the minimum and maximum levels. Moreover, inactive processors may be deactivated and alerts may be sent to the controller when the NSE determines that no available processing capacity exists to reassign the flows of processors whose operation is determined to be noncompliant.
US09313118B2
The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for intercepting a multicast protocol packet and a switch. The method for intercepting a multicast protocol packet includes: acquiring multicast work information of a router; acquiring a multicast protocol parameter of the switch according to the multicast work information of the router, where the multicast protocol parameter includes an interval of sending general query packets, a robustness variable, and a query response interval; acquiring port aging time of the switch according to the multicast protocol parameter of the switch; and aging a port if no multicast protocol packet is received on the port within the port aging time. The present disclosure further provides a corresponding apparatus and a switch including the apparatus.
US09313108B2
A method and apparatus is described for configuring a network element for providing services for subscribers by dynamically generating a set of one or more internal network attributes based on a set of relatively simple attributes passed from a server.
US09313106B2
An approach is presented for providing automatic and manual rule setting rule setting by online service providers. A content programming platform receives a first input for defining one or more automatic rules for a plurality of landing spots in a content repository, the content programming platform will further receive a second input for defining at least one override rule for at least one of the landing spots, the at least one override rule superseding the automatic rule corresponding to the at least one landing spot. Based, at least in part, on the entries the landing spots are populated with respective content items.
US09313102B2
Techniques for validating configuration changes in a mixed node topology are provided. In one embodiment, a device can identify a link to be removed from a topology comprising a plurality of nodes, where the plurality of nodes includes one or more nodes of a first type and one or more nodes of a second type. The device can then determine whether the removal of the link from the topology would require data traffic between two nodes of the first type to pass through a node of the second type.
US09313095B2
Techniques are provided for enabling multicast traffic for a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) Modular Headend Architecture (MHA) system. The techniques allow a single modular CMTS core Media Access Control (MAC) domain to service a plurality of physical layer devices. When combined with an independent control plane, Downstream External physical layer (PHY) Interface (DEPI), and Upstream External physical layer (PHY) Interface (UEPI), a downstream PHY device becomes a completely independent and scalable network element.
US09313093B2
Ethernet fault management systems and methods using programmable Type-Length-Value (TLV) offsets combine software-based Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) protocol support with hardware-based fault management support to delegate generation and processing of OAM protocol messages to hardware devices with the software-based protocol support used to program hardware based on fixed offsets in the OAM protocol messages. The hardware can be designed to be flexible since the hardware can be agnostic to the logic within the OAM protocol which would reside in the software. The Ethernet fault management systems and methods combine the flexibility of software-based approaches with the speed and efficiency of hardware-based approaches.
US09313092B2
The method and apparatus of the present invention concern the enablement and disablement of at least one identifier of a network device, which is capable of allowing connecting to a plurality of wide area network (WAN) connections through at least one wireless local area (WLAN) network connection. When a first WAN network connection does not meet at least one condition, the at least one corresponding identifier of said first WAN network connection are disabled and other identifiers not corresponding to said first WAN network connection are not affected. When first WAN network connection meets all said conditions again, said at least one corresponding identifier of said first WAN network connection are enabled again.
US09313083B2
Technologies are generally described for reducing lag time via, predictive caching in cloud-based gaming. In one example, a cloud-based gaming system may identify game paths that can be taken during real-time game play and may break down the game paths into subsets of path segments a player can select. The system may determine a probability of the player taking a subset of the path segments based on real-time actions by the player and a game history of the current player and past players. The system may assign probabilities of being selected to the subsets of path segments and may render the subsets of path segments based on their respective probabilities. The system may transmit the rendered game content data for the subsets of path segments to a game client for caching on the local cache so that the game content data may be available when needed during real-time game play.
US09313082B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, including actions of, for each user of a plurality of users of a social networking service, determining a user activity score, the user activity score being based on activity of each user within the social networking service, determining that a first user activity score of a first user is greater than or equal to a first threshold user activity score and that a second user activity score of a second user is less than a second threshold user activity score, and, in response to the first user activity score being greater than or equal to the first threshold user activity score and the second user activity score being less than the second threshold user activity score, transmitting instructions to display a prompt to the first user to encourage the first user to interact with the second user.
US09313079B2
A system provides closed-loop gain control in a WCDMA mode and open loop control in an EDGE/GSM mode. Gain control is distributed across analog devices and a digital scaler in a wireless receiver. In the WCDMA mode, a loop filter generates an error signal that is forwarded to analog and digital control paths. The analog control path includes a first adder, a programmable hysteresis element, and a lookup table. The analog control signal is responsive to thresholds, which when used in conjunction with a previous gain value determine a new gain value. The digital control path includes a second adder, a programmable delay element, and a converter. A control word is responsive to a difference of the error signal, a calibration value, and the analog control signal. Blocker detection is provided in the WCDMA mode of operation. A controller sets system parameters using a state machine.
US09313078B1
A method relates generally to data transmission. In such a method, a peak detector detects a signal peak of an input signal exceeding a threshold amplitude. This detecting includes sampling the input signal at a sampling frequency to provide a sampled signal. The sampling frequency is in a range greater than a bandwidth frequency of a carrier signal used for providing the input signal and less than twice the bandwidth frequency. Samples of the sampled signal proximate to the signal peak are interpolated to provide a reconstructed peak. A cancellation pulse is applied by a cancellation pulse generator to the samples to reduce the signal peak. A version of the input signal is output after application of the cancellation pulse.
US09313076B2
An antenna modulation method applicable to a transmitter comprising a processing unit which is configured to execute functions including at least but not limited to receiving a symbol represented by a bit stream; converting the bit stream into a coordinate point of a signal constellation comprising a horizontal-axis component and a vertical-axis component; converting, from the horizontal-axis component of the coordinate point, a first vector having at least a first entry and a second entry; converting, from the vertical-axis component of the coordinate point, a second vector having at least a third entry and a fourth entry; generating a third vector having at least a fifth entry and a sixth entry by summing the first vector and the second vector; and activating at least one of the first antenna and the second antennas based on one or more non-zero entries of the third vector.
US09313072B2
An ASIC for monitoring wideband GHz spectrum to sense respective frequency components present in the spectrum. The ASIC implements Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) techniques to facilitate identification of one or more frequency components of a sparse signal after the signal is sub-sampled at a rate below the Nyquist criterion. The ASIC computes a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of a first sub-sampled set of samples of a time-varying signal representing the monitored spectrum and sampled at a first sampling rate, and further computes a second FFT of a second sub-sampled set of samples of the time-varying signal sampled at a second sampling rate different from the first sampling rate. In one example, each of the first FFT and the second FFT is a low-radix FFT to facilitate a low-power and low-cost ASIC implementation of wideband spectrum sensing.
US09313064B2
A method and apparatus for synchronization in an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system including at least one base station and a plurality of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs). A secondary synchronization channel (S-SCH) symbol is generated to include cell-specific information. The S-SCH symbol is mapped to the center of the available bandwidth of the system. In one embodiment, the S-SCH symbol is transmitted on different subcarriers at different sectors in the system. In another embodiment, the S-SCH symbol is transmitted on the same subcarriers at different sectors in the system.
US09313059B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for mitigating an unwanted increase in a coding rate of a wireless communication signal. A plurality of symbols including a transmitted codeword is received. The plurality of symbols including a first group of data symbols with a first modulation and coding scheme and a second group of data modulated pilot symbols with a second modulation and coding scheme. Applicable demodulation schemes are adaptively switched for each group of the plurality of symbols. The second group of data modulated pilot symbols are used in lieu of pilot symbols. The second modulation and coding scheme is a more reliable modulation and coding scheme than the first modulation and coding scheme.
US09313054B1
A circuit for filtering inter-symbol interference in an integrated circuit is described. The circuit comprises a first stage coupled to receive digital samples of an input signal. The first stage generates first decision outputs based upon the digital samples. A second stage is coupled to receive the digital samples of the input signal. The second stage comprises a filter receiving the first decision outputs and generating second decision outputs based upon the digital samples of the input signal and detected inter-symbol interference associated with the first decision outputs. A method of filtering inter-symbol interference in an integrated circuit is also described.
US09313050B2
A method and a gateway for extending a network are disclosed. A method by which a gateway extends an EtherCAT network to a wireless network according to an embodiment of the invention includes: receiving first data from the EtherCAT network and converting the first data by a protocol conversion to second data suitable for the wireless network, and transmitting the converted second data to the wireless network, where the transmitting of the converted second data may include reducing the difference in communication speed between the EtherCAT network and the wireless network by using an internal buffer.
US09313045B2
The present invention relates a system and method for providing an avatar with variable appearance. When a user is connected through a network, information on the avatar provided to the user is collected. The avatar has at least two exposed units. The user's location on the network is determined, at least one exposed unit is selected from among the plurality of exposed units according to the determined location, and an avatar for displaying the selected exposed unit is generated to the user. The exposed units configuring the avatar are respectively modified according to the user's selection. Therefore, the avatar can be easily displayed on any place on the Internet by controlling the exposed units of the avatar depending on the user's location on the network. Further, the user can combine and modify the avatar in various ways by respectively controlling the exposed units.
US09313042B2
A self-healing communications network including a network bus that connects a plurality of field controllers. Each field controller is configured to operate an element of a system installed in a building or similarly large structure, and each is connected to the network bus. An end-of-line resistor can be automatically enabled in any field controller to designate that field controller as a terminal device on the network bus. In an embodiment, a parent controller detects each field controller on the network bus, and monitors and controls operation of the plurality of field controllers via commands transmitted over the network bus. The parent controller has first and second receiver/transmitter ports, both connected to the network bus. The parent controller is configured to automatically repair a break in the network bus by enabling at least one end-of-line resistor in one of the plurality of field controllers in order to properly terminate the network.
US09313040B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system, and computer program product for validating a computer environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a signature file denoting the infrastructure requirements of a computing environment to support a computer program to be installed in the computer environment of multiple different computing devices disposed in multiple different network domains can be loaded. Administrative network privileges to access the multiple different network domains in the computing environment can be acquired. Further, at least one deficiency in the infrastructure requirements corresponding to one of the network domains can be identified and the identified deficiency can be remediated. The identified deficiency can be reported.
US09313038B2
The access node includes first transmit/receive circuitry with digital signal processing logic and digital-to-analog/analog-to-digital conversion logic, and second transmit/receive circuitry with transmit/receive amplifiers and line adaptation units for connection to a transmission line. The access node further includes an analog switch for dynamically connecting one of the first transmit/receive circuitry with one of the second transmit/receive circuitry according to a transmit/receive cross-connect table, and transmit/receive control logic for updating the transmit cross-connect table according to a transmit/receive traffic pattern over the respective transmission lines.
US09313034B2
The invention discloses a method and a system for power-fail protection of communication equipments, and a power controller. The method is applied to a system comprising a power controller, a power detection unit, and an energy storage conversion unit. The method includes: a power controller acquires the information of one or more circuit boards requiring protection in an equipment; when the power controller determines the equipment is currently in power-fail status, the power controller indicates to gate the switches between an energy storage conversion unit and one or more circuit boards, and provides the pre-stored electric energy to the one or more circuit boards. According to the technical solution provided by the present invention, the problems in the related art that the power consumption is large, the cost is high and it is difficult to implement when the power-fail protection is performed for all circuit boards of a frame are solved, so the power consumption is effectively reduced and the cost is saved.
US09313032B2
A system and method for signing and authenticating electronic documents using public key cryptography applied by one or more server computer clusters operated in a trustworthy manner, which may act in cooperation with trusted components controlled and operated by the signer. The system employs a presentation authority for presenting an unsigned copy of an electronic document to a signing party and a signature authority for controlling a process for affixing an electronic signature to the unsigned document to create a signed electronic document. The system provides an applet for a signing party's computer that communicates with the signature authority.
US09313027B2
The calculation, by an electronic circuit, of a result of an integral number of applications of an internal composition law on elements of an abelian group, by successive iterations of different steps according to the even or odd character of a current coefficient of a polynomial representation of said integer, the degree of which determines the number of iterations, each iteration including whatever the even or odd character of the current coefficient, updating of at least one variable conditioning the final calculation result.
US09313025B2
A method and system for generating and processing an authenticity certificate. A request for a step certificate is received from a requester entity. The step certificate authenticates an involvement of the requester entity about an object. The request includes an object identifier, a requester entity type of the requester entity, and a requester identity certificate of the requester entity. The object identifier is hashed. A signature is created and includes the hashed object identifier, the requester entity type, a certifier identity certificate, and the requester identity certificate. A hashing result is generated by hashing a concatenation of the object identifier, the requester entity type, the certifier entity certificate, the requester identity certificate, and the signature. The step certificate is generated and includes the hashing result. The step certificate is encrypted. The encrypted step certificate is sent to the requester entity for subsequently storing the step certificate on a media.
US09313023B1
A format-preserving cipher including an encryption and a decryption scheme supporting non-linear access to input data by allowing the selection of portions of data from a potentially larger dataset to be encrypted, thus avoiding a necessarily sequential access into the input plaintext data. The cipher first defines a forward mapping from the allowable ciphertext values to an integer set of the number of such allowable ciphertext values, and a corresponding reverse mapping. It also supports exclusion of a certain set of characters from the ciphering process. Further, the encryption algorithm can encrypt the input plaintext data while preserving its original format and length and a corresponding decryption algorithm. The cipher advantageously embodies the encryption and decryption of multi-byte values or strings of data, thus fitting a variety of industrial needs.
US09313019B2
The present invention discloses a multi-channel timing recovery device capable of generating a common clock for processing a plurality of data channel signals, comprising: a first channel timing recovery circuit, and a second channel timing recovery circuit. The said first channel timing recovery circuit includes a first detecting circuit capable of detecting phase and/or frequency, an oscillation control circuit, an oscillator and a feedback circuit, and is operable to generate the common clock according to a first channel signal which could be a clock signal or a data signal. The said second channel timing recovery circuit includes a second phase detecting circuit, a second phase control circuit and a second clock output circuit, and is operable to generate a second clock according to the common clock and determine the phase of the second clock according to a second channel signal which is a data signal.
US09313018B1
Apparatus and method for performing low cost analog clock recovery within a high bandwidth radio frequency communications system. An analog data source is passed through a squaring loop typically utilized for carrier recovery. A squaring loop consists of an analog mixer to multiply one component of the complex signal with itself, a bandpass filter and phase lock loop. The addition of nonlinear gain compression enables clock recovery for higher order modulation schemes to exploit the fundamental phase differences of the individual components that construct the received signal. The output of the phase lock loop drives the Analog-to-Digital converter. It is desired that this signal converges to the symbol clock's frequency and phase of the transmitter, thereby sampling the received baseband signal at the desired symbol levels.
US09313010B2
Measures for controlling uplink antenna selection in a user equipment comprising at least two antennas. At the user equipment, at least two radio wave signals are received, fading conditions in relation to the received at least two radio wave signals are detected and uplink antenna selection in the user equipment is controlled at least on the basis of the detected fading conditions.
US09313008B2
An allocation of downlink resources is received, which are monitored on l layers for data. A resource-specific bit (ACK/NACK) is generated for each of those resources. From a pattern of those resources is selected an algorithm from among a first algorithm that bundles them in a first mode and a second algorithm that bundles them in a second mode. The selected algorithm is used on the generated resource-specific bits that correspond to the downlink resources, bundled according to the selected mode, to generate l reply bits which are then transmitted. At the network side a NACK reply bit is received, based on a pattern of the allocated downlink resources, a first algorithm that bundles them in a first mode or a second algorithm that bundles them in a second mode is selected. A bundling window and layer combination are determined from the selected algorithm, which gives the resource for retransmitting the NACK'd data.
US09313004B2
One example method is provided for dynamic allocation of air interface resources in a cellular network. The method can include at least three wireless cells located within a geographical proximity of each other. The method can include determining, by a central managing entity, one or more classification rules for classifying each of said plurality of mobile devices according to the one or more classification rules. The method can also include providing, by the central management entity, to a group of base stations associated with the at least three cells, information that can include, at least in part, information that relates to the determined one or more classification rules and information that relates to semi-static allocation of blocks of air interface resources for use by one or more specific members of the group of base stations.
US09313000B2
Disclosed are a method for transceiving a reference signal in a wireless connection system and a terminal therefor. More particularly, the method comprises the steps of: generating a plurality of uplink reference signal sequences; mapping the generated plurality of uplink reference signal sequences to each of three symbols in one frame; and transmitting the mapped uplink reference signals to a base station. The plurality of uplink reference signal sequences is generated by applying an orthogonal cover code having a length of 3.
US09312977B1
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing channel access synchronization in a time division multiple access (TDMA) multi-hop network employing a plurality of time slots defined within a frame structure which repeats. The system and method includes nodes which have local clock variables. The local clock variables generate an expected arrival time of signals from other nodes in the network. Each node then determines whether the local clock variable needs adjusting after receiving a transmission and comparing the expected arrival time with the actual arrival time. Thus, time synchronization across the network is distributed and updated locally at each node. Networks may be merged by casting out nodes in one network and joining those cast out nodes with the other network. Newly joined nodes are thereafter time synchronized into their new network by comparing actual and expected arrival times and updating their clock accordingly.
US09312974B2
A master apparatus repeatedly executes an offset value calculation notification sequence in which a calculation of an offset value for correcting a transmission path delay is implemented after communications with the plurality of slave apparatuses, and a notification of the offset value calculated to the plurality of slave apparatuses is implemented Every time the offset value calculation notification sequence is executed, the master apparatus notifies the slave apparatuses of a sequence identifier which is the identifier of the offset value calculation notification sequence. Furthermore, the master apparatus selects a sequence identifier from among two or more sequence identifiers already notified to each slave apparatus, notifies the selected sequence identifier to each slave apparatus, and instructs each slave apparatus to use, for time-synchronization, an offset value notified in the offset value calculation notification sequence corresponding to the selected sequence identifier.
US09312970B2
Techniques for sending and receiving broadcast information are described. In an aspect, broadcast metadata may be generated for broadcast information and may include location and time criteria used by terminals to filter the broadcast information. Each location and time criterion may include (i) a location criterion given by a target location and a presence or absence requirement and (ii) a time criterion given by a time period in which the location criterion applies. A terminal may receive the broadcast metadata prior to or with the broadcast information, obtain location and time criteria from the broadcast metadata, and filter the broadcast information based on the location and time criteria. The terminal may evaluate each location and time criterion by determining its location within a specified time period and determining whether its location is within or outside a specified target location, as indicated by the presence or absence requirement.
US09312965B2
An optical receiver module capable of increasing the range in which the error in distance between a collecting lens and a light receiving section is allowed is provided. In the optical receiver module according to the invention, the optical receiver includes a semiconductor substrate to which the light from the collecting lens is input, and through which the light passes, and a light receiving section disposed on a side (a reverse side) of the semiconductor substrate, the side being further from the collecting lens, and adapted to receive the light transmitted through the semiconductor substrate, and then convert the light into an electrical signal. On a side (an obverse side) of the semiconductor substrate, the side being nearer to the collecting lens, there is formed a lens surface adapted to converge light from the collecting lens toward the light receiving section.
US09312964B2
A digital version of both amplitude and phase of a received optical is developed by employing direct differential detection in conjunction with digital signal processing. The signal is split into three copies. An intensity profile is conventionally obtained using one of the copies. Phase information is obtained by supplying each remaining copy to a respective one of a pair of optical delay interferometers that have orthogonal phase offsets, followed by respective balanced intensity detectors. The output of each of the balanced intensity detectors, and the intensity profile, are each converted to respective digital representations. Signal processing is used to develop the phase information from the digital representations of the output of the balanced intensity detector outputs.
US09312956B2
A fiber-optic communication apparatus includes first and second communication devices interconnected by an optical fiber cable. The first communication device converts one of a calibration signal with a predetermined power level and a radio frequency (RF) signal into an optical signal. The second communication device converts the optical signal, which is transmitted through the optical fiber cable, into an electrical signal, detects a power level of the electrical signal associated with the calibration signal, obtains a power attenuation ratio based on the power level detected thereby and the predetermined power level, and adjusts the power level of the electrical signal associated with the RF signal based on the power attenuation ratio.
US09312955B2
Raman interference (also known as Raman scattering) during an idle frame transmission state in a passive optical network (PON) having radio frequency video overlay is reduced by generating and transmitting data packets having both random data and random length. Randomly varying both the packet data content and the packet length can achieve significant improvement in Raman interference reduction. The random packet data and length in effect spreads the interference across a spectrum wide enough that there is no interference effect perceptible to a television viewer.
US09312950B1
A method and apparatus for wirelessly communicating data that receives electromagnetic (“EM”) radiation incident upon an antenna of a mobile device from a base station is described. The antenna is an element of the mobile device that serves an additional purpose than just as a reflective antenna for backscatter communications. A radar cross-section of the antenna is modulated between two or more states using a backscatter tag coupled to the antenna. Data is encoded onto a backscatter channel of the EM radiation via the modulating. The data is transmitted to the base station over the backscatter channel.
US09312947B2
A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.
US09312944B2
According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations. One of these operations comprises transmitting, from a first device to a second device, a first plurality of frames using a first polarization configuration for a first antenna corresponding to the first device. Based on feedback information associated with the first plurality of frames, a second polarization configuration, which is different than the first polarization configuration, is selected for transmitting a second plurality of frames. Thereafter, the second plurality of frames is transmitted from the first device to the second device using the second polarization configuration for the first antenna.
US09312942B1
A diversity receiver includes a local oscillation (LO) signal generator that generates LO signals, each having a phase different from one other; a first frequency converter that includes a first switching mixer controlled by at least one of the LO signals and converts a frequency of a first input signal to generate a first output signal by combining the first input signal with the LO signals; a second frequency converter that includes logic circuits, each of which delivers a corresponding LO signal, and a second switching mixer controlled by an output of the logic circuits, and converts a frequency of a second input signal to generate a second output signal by combining the second input signal with the LO signals, each output of the logic circuits being activated or deactivated in accordance with a corresponding phase control signal; and a combiner that combines the first output signal from the first frequency converter and an output signal and the second signal from the second frequency converter.
US09312940B2
To enable high-speed learning of an antenna directionality to be used for millimeter-wave communication, there is provided a communication device including a first radio communication unit capable of radio communication in accordance with a first communication method, and a second radio communication unit capable of radio communication in accordance with a second communication method using a higher frequency band than the first communication method, in which, upon receiving an instruction signal instructing to learn a beam directionality, the first radio communication unit determines a reception start time point of a beam reference signal based on the instruction signal, and the second radio communication unit starts reception of the beam reference signal from the reception start time point determined by the first radio communication unit and determines a parameter value for specifying an optimum beam pattern based on the received beam reference signal.
US09312926B2
A reader device may generate a first identifier. The reader device may transmit the first identifier to a mobile device. The reader device may receive encrypted data and unencrypted data from the mobile device in which the encrypted data includes a second identifier. The reader device may evaluate whether the first identifier and the second identifier correspond to one another.
US09312925B2
To realize a wireless communication apparatus with high transceiver coil mounting density, provided is a wireless communication apparatus comprising a plurality of differential coil pairs that respectively transmit and receive differential signals to and from a plurality of external differential coil pairs, through magnetic coupling, wherein one coil in a first differential coil pair among the differential coil pairs is provided at a distance from each of two coils of a second differential coil pair among the differential coil pairs that is less than or equal to a distance between the two coils of the second differential coil pair, and the other coil of the first differential coil pair is provided at a distance from each of the two coils of the second differential coil pair that is greater than the distance between the two coils of the second differential coil pair.
US09312920B2
A method for configuring a first near-field communication device according to a modulation type transmitted by a second device, wherein: a decoder of the first device is configured to decode an overcoded type-B modulation; a signal received during a first time slot corresponding to the duration of a symbol of an initialization frame is decoded; and the first device is configured according to the value of the decoded symbol to determine the modulation type.
US09312918B2
In one embodiment, a device receives connected phase data from a neighboring device indicative of one or more electrical phases to which the neighboring device is connected. A determination is made, based on the connected phase data for the neighboring device, whether to transmit the message to the neighboring device over a single electrical phase at a higher output power or over a plurality of electrical phases at a lower output power. The message is then transmitted to the neighboring device over the determined one or more electrical phases.
US09312916B2
In one embodiment, the method includes determining at least one value that depends on an attenuation of a signal transmitted over a telecommunication line to a DSL modem or received over the telecommunication line from the DSL modem; detecting depending on the value that the DSL modem is coupled with the telecommunication line via a DSL splitter in such a way that the DSL modem is connected to a different connector of the DSL splitter than a modem connector of the DSL splitter, which modem connector is intended for being connected with the DSL modem; determining a loop length value of the telecommunication line; and determining a threshold depending on the loop length value, wherein the detecting is based on comparing the threshold with the value.
US09312914B2
A method and system for reducing crosstalk among subcarriers of a super-channel may involve adjusting power levels of the subcarriers. In one example, power levels of edge and/or intermediate subcarriers may be reduced relative to center subcarriers in the super-channel band. The adjustment in power level may lead to overall reduction in optical signal-to-noise ratio degradation.
US09312898B2
An apparatus for handling a received signal comprises a reception device, a mixer unit and a compensating unit. The reception unit can receive a received signal. The received signal has at least one signal component at a first frequency. Furthermore, the mixer unit can combine the received signal and a compensating signal using at least one active element in order to obtain a compensated received signal. In addition, the mixer unit can produce a mixer output signal on the basis of the compensated received signal and a local oscillator signal. In this case, the mixer output signal has a signal component, corresponding to the at least one signal component of the received signal, at a second frequency. The first frequency is higher than the second frequency. Furthermore, the compensating unit can produce the compensating signal on the basis of an analysis of the mixer output signal, as a result of which it is possible for noise components that the mixer output signal contains to be reduced on the basis of the compensating signal.
US09312894B2
The amount of distortion of the output signal increases due to a difference in delay times in a plurality of paths in a radio transmitting device transmitting RF signals in a plurality of bands, therefore, a radio transmitting device according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes: a multi-band RF signal generator making each of a plurality of input baseband signals carried by a carrier wave with each of different frequencies, and outputting the carrier wave as a radio frequency signal; a power amplifier amplifying and outputting the radio frequency signal; a distortion compensation control signal generating unit applying a distortion compensating function, which compensates a distortion characteristic of the power amplifier, to the each of the plurality of input baseband signals; and a transmitter delay correction unit correcting a difference in delays which the plurality of input baseband signals receive respectively in the multi-band RF signal generator.
US09312888B2
Techniques for supporting data transmission and reception on multiple bands for carrier aggregation are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device) includes first and second antenna interface circuits coupled to first and second antennas, respectively. The first antenna interface circuit includes a first transmit (TX) filter for a first band, which may be part of a first triplexer or duplexer. The first TX filter filters a first radio frequency (RF) signal prior to transmission via the first antenna. The second antenna interface circuit includes a second TX filter for a second band, which may be part of a second triplexer or duplexer. The second TX filter filters a second RF signal prior to transmission via the second antenna. The first and second RF signals may be transmitted simultaneously on the first and second bands for carrier aggregation.
US09312868B2
A semiconductor device includes a buffer suitable for receiving an input signal, a clock buffer suitable for receiving a clock, a delay locked loop (DLL) suitable for delaying the clock to generate a delay locked clock, a code generation unit suitable for generating a digital code corresponding to 1/N of the clock cycle where N is an integer equal to or more than two, a delay unit suitable for delaying the clock corrected by the DLL by a value corresponding to the digital code to output a delayed clock, and a strobing unit suitable for strobing the input signal using the delayed clock.
US09312867B2
A phase lock loop (PLL) device with correcting function of loop bandwidth and method thereof is related to the method including generating an output signal by a PLL circuit according to a reference signal and a feedback signal, modulating a feedback coefficient to unlock the feedback signal and the reference signal, detecting two valid crossovers of a phase difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal, calculating an oscillation frequency according to the two valid crossovers, and setting a control parameter of the PLL circuit according to the oscillation frequency. The feedback signal is related to the output signal, and there is the feedback coefficient between the feedback signal and the output signal.
US09312866B2
A clock signal generation circuit provides an output clock signal to a digital system. The digital system is powered by a power supply voltage, VDD, that may include transients associated with the impedance of the packaged digital system. The clock signal generation circuit dynamically scales an output clock frequency based on monitored changed to VDD. The output clock frequency may be selected to approximate a maximum (margin-less) system Fmax for the monitored VDD. The average clock frequency may be improved compared with operating at a fixed output clock frequency.
US09312861B2
Disclosed is a novel circuit able to generate any logic combination possible as a function of the input logic signals. The circuit is described as a 2 input logistic map circuit but may be expanded to 3 or more inputs as required. Further disclosed is a universal logic array with variable circuit topology. A metallization layer and/or a via interconnection between cells in the array elements produce a circuit topology that implements a Boolean function and/or chaotic function and/or a logic function. The novel circuit provides a circuit topology for secure applications with no obvious physical correspondence between control signal values and input to output mapping. Further disclosed is a network which has a power signature independent of input signal state and output transition. This provides a very useful circuit to protect data from decryption from power signature analysis in secure applications.
US09312860B1
A gated differential logic circuit can include a header device having a first terminal coupled to a supply voltage, and a second terminal; a second header device having a third terminal coupled to the supply voltage, and a fourth terminal; a footer device having a fifth terminal coupled to ground, and a sixth terminal; and a second footer device having a seventh terminal coupled to ground, and an eighth terminal. The circuit further includes a driver circuit having a first supply terminal coupled to the second terminal and a first ground terminal coupled to the sixth terminal, and a second driver circuit having a second supply terminal coupled to the fourth terminal and a second ground terminal coupled to the eighth terminal. A capacitor can couple the first supply terminal to the second ground terminal, while a second capacitor may couple the second supply terminal to the first ground terminal.
US09312848B2
A driver circuit includes detectors responsive to the operating region that a driven switch is operating in. The driver circuit is operative to drive the gate of the driven switch at a speed responsive to the output of the detectors.
US09312847B1
A high-voltage switching device is formed by: connecting a number of normally-on transistors, such as JFETs, in series with each other, where the drain of each transistor is connected to the source of the next; connecting the chain of normally-on transistors in series with a normally-off switch component, such as a MOSFET, where the drain of the normally-off switch component is connected to the source of the first transistor in the chain in the chain; and, for each transistor, connecting a voltage-clamping device, such as a diode, with the anode of the voltage-clamping device connected to the source of the transistor and the cathode of the voltage-clamping device connected to the gate of the next transistor in the chain.
US09312842B2
Aspects of the invention may comprise receiving a first input signal and a second input signal via respective first and second input transistors. A biasing signal, generated by a cascode bias generator, that tracks the first input signal, where the biasing signal has a fixed offset with respect to the first input signal. The biasing signal may be applied to the first and second cascode transistors that may be cascoded to the first and second input transistors, respectively.
US09312841B2
Aspects of the invention may comprise receiving a first input signal and a second input signal via respective first and second input transistors. A biasing signal, generated by a cascode bias generator, that tracks the first input signal, where the biasing signal has a fixed offset with respect to the first input signal. The biasing signal may be applied to the first and second cascode transistors that may be cascoded to the first and second input transistors, respectively.
US09312840B2
This disclosure describes techniques and methodologies of using passive continuous time (CT) delay line for high-speed CT analog-to-digital converter (ADC) applications. In a continuous-time residual producing stage common to these CT ADCs, a proper delay between the analog input and DAC output is crucial. Specifically, using an inductor-capacitor (LC) lattice based delay element to enable high-performance CT pipeline ADC and CT delta-sigma (ΔΣ) ADC. The use of an LC lattice based delay element provides wide-band group delay for continuous-time signals with well-controlled impedance. This will be an essential circuit component to build a high-performance CT ADCs especially in architectures where the generation of a low-noise and low-distortion residual between the CT signal and its digitized version is needed. LC lattice based delay element enables noise-free, distortion-free wideband delay that is required for high speed continuous-time pipeline ADC and delta-sigma ADC.
US09312837B2
Embodiments of a method that may allow for selectively tuning a delay of individual logic paths within a custom circuit or memory are disclosed. Circuitry may be configured to monitor a voltage level of a power supply coupled to the custom circuit or memory. A delay amount of a delay unit within the custom circuit or memory may be changed in response to a determination that the voltage level of the power supply has changed.
US09312835B2
A power control device can generate control signals to control operation of power sources. Additional control signals control operation of load switches that can be connected to the power sources to provide secondary sources of power. The load switches can be turned in a gradual manner at rates that depend on the power sources to which they are connected. The outputs of the load switches can be monitored for overvoltage and undervoltage conditions relative to the power sources to which they are connected.
US09312831B2
In one aspect, reduced power consumption and/or circuit area of a discrete time analog signal processing module is achieved in an approach that makes use of entirely, or largely, passive charge sharing circuitry, which may include configurable (e.g., after fabrication, at runtime) multiplicative scaling stages that do not require active devices in the signal path. In some examples, multiplicative coefficients are represented digitally, and are transformed to configure the reconfigurable circuitry to achieve a linear relationship between a desired coefficient and a degree of charge transfer. In some examples, multiple successive charge sharing phases are used to achieve a desired multiplicative effect that provides a large dynamic range of coefficients without requiring a commensurate range of sizes of capacitive elements. The scaling circuits can be combined to form configurable time domain or frequency domain filters.
US09312827B2
A device for receiving an Internet radio broadcast is provided. The device comprises a communication interface, at least one input control mounted on the device. a display, and at least one processor in communication with the communication interface, the at least one input control, and the display, and memory containing software executable by the at least one processor. The device is operative to: access through the communication interface an Internet radio having a list of Internet radio broadcast stations; store a list of preferred Internet radio broadcast stations; in a first display mode and in response to a physical manipulation of the at least one input control, scroll through and display on the display at least one Internet radio broadcast station from the list of available Internet radio broadcast stations; in a second display mode and in response to a physical manipulation of the at least one input control, scroll through and display on the display at least one preferred Internet radio broadcast station from a list of user-preselected preferred Internet radio broadcast stations; send information identifying a selected Internet radio broadcast station from either the first or second display mode; and receive the Internet radio broadcast provided by the selected Internet radio broadcast station.
US09312821B2
Methods and systems for a configurable low-noise amplifier with programmable band-selection filters may comprise a low-noise amplifier (LNA) with a low pass filter coupled to a first input of the LNA and a high pass filter coupled to a second input of the LNA. The low pass filter and the high pass filter may also be coupled to a signal source input. Signals may be received in a pass band of the high pass filter and a pass band of the low pass filter. Input signals in the pass band of the one filter (but not signals in the pass band of the other filter) may be amplified by coupling the one input of the LNA to ground and coupling the other filter to ground utilizing a shunt resistor. The filters may be configurable and may each comprise at least one inductor and at least one capacitor.
US09312820B2
A novel and useful radio frequency (RF) front end module (FEM) circuit that provides high linearity and power efficiency and meets the requirements of modern wireless communication standards such as 802.11 WLAN, 3G and 4G cellular standards, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. The configuration of the FEM circuit permits the use of common, relatively low cost semiconductor fabrication techniques such as standard CMOS processes. The FEM circuit includes a power amplifier made up of one or more sub-amplifiers having high and low power circuits and whose outputs are combined to yield the total desired power gain. An integrated multi-tap transformer having primary and secondary windings arranged in a novel configuration provide efficient power combining and transfer to the antenna of the power generated by the individual sub-amplifiers.
US09312817B2
A single semiconductor device package that reduces electromagnetic coupling between elements of a semiconductor device embodied within the package is provided. For a dual-path amplifier, such as a Doherty power amplifier, an isolation feature that separates carrier amplifier elements from peaking amplifier elements is included within the semiconductor device package. The isolation feature can take the form of a structure that is constructed of a conductive material coupled to ground and which separates the elements of the amplifier. The isolation feature can be included in a variety of semiconductor packages, including air cavity packages and overmolded packages. Through the use of the isolation feature provided by embodiments of the present invention a significant improvement in signal isolation between amplifier elements is realized, thereby improving performance of the dual-path amplifier.
US09312812B2
An oscillation circuit includes a terminal XO which is connected to one end of a resonator, a terminal XI which is connected to the other end of the resonator, an oscillation unit which is electrically connected to the terminal XO and the terminal XI, a control voltage generation circuit, and a switch. The oscillation unit includes a variable capacitive element having one end which is connected to the terminal XO or the terminal XI. The switch controls electrical connection between the other end of the variable capacitive element and an output terminal of the control voltage generation circuit.
US09312799B2
This motor control device generates a voltage command value from a current command value and performs feedback control by means of a detected current flowing through a motor. The motor control device is provided with: a speed control unit that causes the motor to rotate at a set speed, and performs speed control of the motor on the basis of a speed command value that causes the flow of a d-axis current that is a set amount of current; a current measurement unit that measures a current command value that is on the basis of the output of the speed control unit when the motor is rotated at the set speed and the set amount of d-axis current is flowing; and a correction value calculation unit that calculates a correction value for the rotational position of the motor on the basis of the measured current command value.
US09312796B2
The invention relates to a method for operating a brushless electric motor, the windings of which are controlled by an inverter using six switches, wherein the inverter comprises three outputs, which are associated with the windings of the electric motor, and wherein a respective power semiconductor switch is arranged between the output of the inverter and the windings, and wherein a detection unit for detecting defective switches, a unit for measuring the voltage at the outputs of the inverter, and a microcontroller for controlling switches are provided. The invention further relates to a device operating a brushless electric motor. In order not to damage the power semiconductor switches, according to the invention of the inverter is switched off by the microcontroller after a defective switch has been detected, such that no additional power is introduced in the windings (U, V, W) of the electric motor and the power semiconductor switches are opened in a predetermined motor angle position (φU, φv, φw). For said purpose, the motor angle positions (φu, φv, φw) are associated with a respective winding (U, V, W) and the power semiconductor switches thereof and are selected such that the associated power semiconductor switches are not damaged during opening.
US09312794B2
A motor position controller includes a temporary setting portion, a position command generating device, a motor controlling part, and a second conformity determination portion. The motor position controller drives a motor based on an input of a command pulse signal and a setting of a desired pulse form. The temporary setting portion is configured to consecutively temporarily set a plurality of the pulse form settings following a predetermined order. The position command generating device is configured to generate a position command signal from the command pulse signal in accordance with the desired pulse form setting. The motor controlling part is configured to supply power to the motor based on the position command signal. The second conformity determination portion is configured to input the command pulse signal, input the pulse form setting temporarily set by the temporary setting portion.
US09312790B2
A motion control system that includes a base, a stage supported by the base and movable with respect to the base, and a motor coupled to the base and operable to move the stage. The motor includes a mounting base arranged to connect the motor to the base, a friction pad engageable with the stage, and a coupling portion including a first end connected to the mounting base and a second end. The friction pad is connected to the coupling portion between the first end and the second end. A piezoelectric element is disposed between the mounting base and the second end and is operable in response to an electrical signal to move the friction pad and the stage. A mounting screw is accessible from an exterior of the base and engages the coupling portion. The mounting screw is the sole attachment mechanism between the motor and the base.
US09312784B2
A variable switching frequency power supply apparatus includes a main transformer, a voltage detection unit, a pulse width modulation control unit and a switch unit. The voltage detection unit is electrically connected to the main transformer. The pulse width modulation control unit is electrically connected to the voltage detection unit. The switch unit is electrically connected to the pulse width modulation control unit and the main transformer. The main transformer transforms an input voltage into an output voltage according to a switching frequency of the switch unit. The voltage detection unit detects the input voltage and then informs the pulse width modulation control unit. The pulse width modulation control unit is configured to control the switching frequency of the switch unit according to a voltage absolute value of the input voltage.
US09312773B2
A power converter having a bootstrap refresh control circuit and a method for controlling the power converter. The bootstrap refresh control circuit is configured to monitor a bootstrap voltage across a bootstrap capacitor and to provide an enhanced high side driving signal to a high side switch of the power converter. The bootstrap refresh control circuit is further configured to controlling the charging of the bootstrap capacitor through regulating the on and off switching of the high side switch and a low side switch based on the bootstrap voltage. The bootstrap refresh control circuit can refresh the bootstrap voltage in time to support driving the high side switch normally, without causing large spikes in an output voltage of the power converter and without influencing the power conversion efficiency of the power converter.
US09312758B2
A control logic of a switched DC-to-DC converter allows continuous switching to bring the DC-to-DC converter to a final output value during a startup phase, it allows skipping of clock switching pulses if they are not needed and allows burst mode of switching pulses dependent on a load applied to the output voltage of the DC-to-DC converter. No digital or analog regulator is required for the control logic.
US09312753B2
The present invention relates to a power converter with low common mode noise, at least comprising: a ground terminal, a power converting unit, a capacitor unit of common DC bus, a filtering capacitor unit, a filtering inductor unit, and a compensation unit. In the present invention, a filtering inductor unit including three primary windings and three auxiliary windings is used for making the power converting unit couple to three phase terminals of an external electrical apparatus. Moreover, the three auxiliary windings are further formed a compensation circuit by way of being connected with the compensation unit, such that the engineer is able to easily and effectively suppress the common mode noise occurring near the resonant frequency of the power converting apparatus through selecting a suitable turns ratio of the primary windings and the auxiliary windings.
US09312751B2
A anti-wiretapping device includes a power input, a power output for energizing anti-wiretapping electronic equipment, at least two dischargeable power storage units, and a control unit for selectively connecting the power storage units to the power input and to the power output, such that when one of the power storage units is connected to the power output it is switched off from the power input. At least one power storage unit is connected to the power input for charging during a connection of the other power storage unit to the power output for energizing the electronic equipment.
US09312743B2
Provided is a motor for a washing machine including: an inner rotor connected to a dehydrating tub rotating shaft and rotated together; an outer rotor connected to a pulsator rotating shaft and rotated together; and a double stator having a first coil arranged to leave a gap between the inner rotor and the outer rotor and which interacts with the outer rotor, to thereby form a first magnetic circuit and a second coil which interacts with the inner rotor to thereby form a second magnetic circuit, in which a first drive signal is applied to the first coil and a second drive signal different from the first drive signal is applied to the second coil.
US09312741B2
A wind power generator has a nacelle; a hub rotatable about an axis of rotation with respect to the nacelle; at least two blades fitted to the hub; an electric machine which is fitted to the nacelle, is bounded by an inner surface extending about the axis of rotation, and has a rotor and a stator; and a cooling system for airflow cooling the electric machine, and which has a deflector body for defining a gap between the deflector body and the electric machine and guiding the airflow into the gap.
US09312740B2
The invention relates to devices including rotary units and rotary mechanisms that are suitable for use in numerous applications. Rotary units typically include rotational components that are configured to rotate. In some embodiments, for example, multiple rotary units are assembled in rotary mechanisms such that neighboring pairs of rotational components counter-rotate or contra-rotate relative to one another during operation of the rotary mechanisms. Rotational components generally include one or more implements that are structured to perform or effect one or more types of work as the rotational components rotate relative to one another in a given rotary mechanism. In certain embodiments, implements are configured to rotate and/or to effect the movement of other components as rotational components rotate.
US09312736B2
An electric machine has in a machine housing, a stator and a rotor which is arranged on a motor shaft which is supported on a non-drive side in a bearing unit which has a ball bearing arrangement and is arranged within the machine housing in a radially elastic and axially displaceable manner. The electric machine is preferably coupled on the drive side without a bearing via a rigid shaft coupling to a work machine, in particular to a hydraulic pump.
US09312733B2
An electromagnetic machine stator has a common pole and a plurality of excitation poles. Each excitation pole has a coil wound around it for inducing a magnetic flux through the excitation pole. The common pole that does not have a coil wound around it for inducing a magnetic flux. A flux barrier, disposed within the common pole, inhibits the flow of flux from one part of the common pole across the flux barrier to another part of the common pole. The flux barrier is less conducive to the flow of flux than is the common pole.
US09312729B2
A contactless power transfer core used for a power transmission coil or a power reception coil of a contactless power transfer apparatus includes: a winding core part wound by an electric wire; and a magnetic pole core part constituting a magnetic pole portion provided at both sides of the winding core part. A height of the uppermost part of a ferrite plate arranged on a face of the magnetic pole core part at a side opposing a counterpart coil is equal to or greater than a height of an outer circumference of the electric wire wound around the winding core part, and a height of the ferrite plate of a face at a side not opposing the counterpart coil is lower than the height of the outer circumference of the electric wire wound around the winding core.
US09312728B2
A wireless charging system is disclosed. The wireless charging system includes a detector configured to identify device information related to a device to be powered at a location, a location processor coupled with the detector and configured to deliver location-specific information related to the location to the device to be powered based on the detected device information, a power supply in communication with the location processor configured to wirelessly provide power to the device based on the detected device information, such that the location processor is configured to deliver the location specific information to the device via a first channel, and wherein the power supply is configured to wirelessly provide power to the device via a second channel.
US09312716B2
A battery charging system includes a battery, a load and a controller to control supply power to be supplied from an external power source to the battery and the load, in accordance with a request charging power and a request load power. The controller limits power supplied from the external power source to the battery to an allowable battery power, and distributes the supply power from the external power source between the battery and the load in a state holding limitation of limiting the supply power from the external power source to the allowable battery power when a request for the supply of power to the load is generated.
US09312715B2
An electronic device and a method of operating the same are disclosed, where the electronic device includes a main system, a battery, and a battery device power protection and reset circuit. The battery device power protection and reset circuit includes a charging circuit and a switch device. The switch device connects the battery and the main system. The charging circuit turns off the switch device when operating under a first trigger mode, so that the switch device can electrically isolate the main system from the battery.
US09312712B2
A method of charging a battery and a battery pack utilizing the same, is disclosed. The method enhances the battery life characteristic of a battery cell by varying the charging parameters (e.g., charging voltage, charging current, rate of charge, relative state of charge, and battery capacity) based a temperature of or around the battery cell is in a normal, extended, or abnormal temperature range when the battery cell is fully charged. The charging method includes determining whether a battery cell is being charged, and if the battery cell is being charged, determining whether the battery cell is fully charged; if the battery cell is fully charged, determining whether a temperature of or around the battery cell is in a normal range or in an extended range; and if the temperature is in the normal range, selecting a first charging parameter set, and if the temperature is in the extended range, selecting a charging condition of the battery cell as a second set value.
US09312707B2
An apparatus for providing electrical power, including an electrically non-conductive generally cube-shaped housing, an electrical power supply operationally connected and positioned in the housing, a first plurality of power outlets electrically connected to power supply for connecting three-prong plugs, a second plurality of power outlets for connecting male USB connectors, and a power cord operationally connected to the power.
US09312698B2
A system and method for controlling the distribution of energy from a plurality of energy resources to a load. The system includes an energy system controller to control the distribution of energy to an electric load provided by a plurality of energy resources. The energy resources include dispatchable sources of energy such as diesel generators and combined heat and power generators; renewable sources of energy including photo-voltaic cells, wind turbines, and geothermal sources; and storage resources such as electrochemical batteries or pumped hydro reserves.
US09312693B2
A power supply system for supplying power to a chipset of an electronic device is provided. The power supply system includes a voltage converter, converting a supply voltage of a power supply into a predetermined voltage and supplying the predetermined voltage to the chipset, and a power control circuit connected between the voltage converter and the power supply. The power control circuit further includes a switch and a switch controller. The switch has a first terminal connected to the power supply, a second terminal connected to the voltage converter and a control terminal The switch controller, connected to the control terminal of the switch and the chipset, controls the switch to couple the power supply to the voltage converter according to the turning-on of the power supply system.
US09312653B2
A rotatable power center is configured for installation along a work surface or the like, and includes an outer housing and a pivotable inner housing having one or more electrical or data outlets. The inner housing is positionable between a use position in which the outlets are accessible along the work surface, and a non-use position in which the outlets are generally not accessible. The outer housing defines an upper opening through which different surfaces of the inner housing are exposed or accessible, depending on the inner housing position. Spindles or spindle caps are used to pivotable mount the inner housing to the outer housing, and may also serve to secure two inner housing pieces together. A separate latch may be provided to secure the inner housing at the use or non-use position. Optionally, a detent arrangement holds the inner housing at the use or non-use position.
US09312651B2
A plug set that consists of an adapter, which is provided with a mouth socket, a cantilevered tongue, a plurality of horizontally disposed terminals, a swivel connector, and a movable connected device. The plug set uses the mouth socket provided on the adapter to enable assembling the swivel connector to the adapter through a swiveling motion, thereby achieving electrical contact and an antimagnetic effect, and the antimagnetic components are used to carry out wedge positioning. Moreover, both the adapter and the swivel connector can be used independently after separation.
US09312650B1
A plug connector, a receptacle connector and an electrical connector assembly are disclosed. When the plug connector is engaged with the receptacle connector, the power mating bodies and the signal mating body of the receptacle connector respectively enter into the corresponding plug power ports and the plug signal port of the plug connector, and the plug power contacts and the plug signal contacts respectively enter into the receptacle power ports and the receptacle signal ports. The vertical blade-shaped mating end of the plug power contact is inserted between the elastic pieces of the corresponding two receptacle power contacts, and the head of the plug signal contact is inserted into the forked head of the corresponding receptacle signal contact.
US09312648B2
A multipolar single-head plug having a bar electrode exposed at a tip thereof, tubular electrodes concentrically arranged on an outer circumference of the bar electrode and exposed at the outer circumference on a side closer to a root than the exposed part of the bar electrode at the tip and an insulator composed of a first insulating part, and second insulating parts. A middle section of at least one of the insulating parts is provided with an insulating material such as an electrodeposition coating part or an insulating tube separate from the insulating resin for insert molding. The separate insulating material is provided so as to cover a given area of the outer circumference of the bar electrode or a given area of an outer circumference of the tubular electrode.
US09312641B2
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, the tongue portion defines a first surface and a second surface disposed oppositely. A first terminal module is retained in the insulative housing and exposed on the first surface. And a shielding member is embedded in the tongue portion of the insulative housing and located between the first surface and the second surface. The first terminal module defines at least one grounding contact, the grounding contact defines a connecting portion projecting toward and contacting with the shielding member.
US09312639B2
A controlled-impedance cable termination that minimizes the effects of cable expansion and contraction on impedance matching. The terminator has an anchor block, an expansion/contraction compensator (ECC) attached to the cable, a compliant signal contact for making the electrical connection between the cable center conductor and the electrical device. The ECC has an electrically-conductive ferrule with a bore. The ferrule bore may be formed in the anchor block instead of in a separate ferrule. The cable shield is attached at the bore. A solid dielectric insert fits into the ferrule bore. An electrically-conductive center pin fits into a bore in the dielectric insert and has a bore that accepts the center conductor such that the center conductor can expand and contracting while maintaining electrical contact with the center pin. A plate abuts the anchor block face and holds the compliant contacts through apertures.
US09312633B1
A connector for an electronic device has a housing with a peripheral surface and guides defining first and second paths. The second path extends from a first location proximate the peripheral surface to a second location farther from the peripheral surface and closer to the first path. A magnetic contact assembly in the housing is magnetically movable along the first path between a first position for joining the connector in data communication with an adjacent connector, and a second position withdrawn from the peripheral surface. A magnet in the housing and is movable by attraction to an adjacent connector along the second path, to magnetically hold the connector to an adjacent connector. The guides are configured so that the magnet and the magnetic contact assembly magnetically bias one another inwardly along the first and second paths.
US09312631B2
The invention relates to an electrical connector for electrical cable sections with a connecting sleeve (103) for receiving a first cable section and a fastening element (101) with a first fastening mandrel (105) for the form-fitting fastening of a first cable section in the connecting sleeve (103), wherein the fastening element (101) can be placed on the connecting sleeve (103) in order to fasten the first cable section in the connecting sleeve with a form fit by means of the first fastening mandrel (105).
US09312629B2
A plug connector includes a back shell defining a sleeve having a projection and a locking bale. A connector shell defining a collar is configured to receive the sleeve of the back shell. The collar includes an axial channel to receive the projection of the back shell and a circumferential channel coupled to the axial channel to allow rotation of the back shell relative to the connector shell. A resilient latch is located over the circumferential channel and arranged to be resiliently deflected by the bale when the back shell is rotated about the longitudinal axis between an inserted position and a locked position. The latch including a retention mechanism to retain the bale when fully rotated into the locked position.
US09312615B2
In a contact element for direct electrical contacting of a contact surface on a circuit board, a front insertion portion is constituted by a metal sheet having two multiple-ply lateral edges located opposite one another, and having a center portion located therebetween and having fewer plies, in particular one ply, the two lateral edges extending with their outer peripheral edges parallel to one another and each being turned over at least once; and at least one of the two outer lateral edges having a projecting contacting protrusion for direct electrical contacting of a contact surface.
US09312608B2
A coplanar waveguide fed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna device is provided in the present invention. The coplanar waveguide fed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna device includes a grounding metal piece; a grounding plane; a first radiation element connected to the grounding plane; and a second radiation element connected to the grounding plane through the grounding metal piece.
US09312607B2
A package for active electronics is provided. The package includes a housing structure configured to house the active electronics, a connector element and an interposer element disposed to define a tie point between the housing structure and the connector element such that the tie point is remote from respective edges of the housing structure and the connector element.
US09312603B2
An antenna includes a slot feed on the radiator itself (On Radiator Slot Fed Antenna or ORSFA) instead of the slot feed being a separate element. One of the advantages of having the slot feed integrated onto the radiator is that the antenna is less dependent on the adjacent conductive parts, since the feed is coupling to the radiator rather than to ground (as is done in a standard slot feed antenna concept). The Q of the radiator can also be reduced for a given volume, since the coupler is removed from the antenna volume. In an embodiment the antenna can include a transmission line and an impedance match circuit directly on the radiator.
US09312600B2
A stylus includes a conductive rod, a circuit board, and an antenna. The conductive rod has a first opening. The circuit board is disposed in the conductive rod and includes a ground portion, wherein the conductive rod is electrically connected to the ground portion. The antenna includes a radiating portion and a feeding portion. The feeding portion is electrically connected to the circuit board and extends to the outside of the conductive rod via the first opening. The radiating portion is disposed at the outside of the conductive rod and is electrically connected to the feeding portion.
US09312597B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a communication system. Particularly disclosed are systems and methods for locating and tracking radio frequency signals and for automatically positioning an antenna to receive a desired radio frequency signal. The system may comprise an antenna module comprising a receive antenna and a plurality of tracking antennas, a base, one or more motors configured to rotate the antenna module and/or tilt the receive antenna relative to the base, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may include a spectrum analyzer and may be configured to receive inputs from the tracking antennas and provide outputs to control the motors. The method may comprise selecting a center frequency for signal reception, receiving a signal at or near the center frequency at a plurality of tracking antennas, detecting the strength of the signal at the tracking antennas, determining whether the strength of the signal is equal at each of the tracking antennas, moving the plurality of tracking antennas and the receive antenna if the strength of the signal is not equal at the tracking antennas, and repeating the steps of detecting, determining, and moving until the strength of the signal at the tracking antennas is equal.
US09312593B2
A signal carrier for carrying a signal in a direction within the X-Y plane of a multilayer composite electronic structure comprising a plurality of dielectric layers extending in an X-Y plane, the signal carrier comprising a first transmission line comprising a lower continuous metallic layer and further comprising a row of metallic via posts coupled to the continuous metal layer, wherein the transmission line is separated by a dielectric material from an underlying reference plane.
US09312582B2
A battery pack includes at least one serpentine fluid circulation tube that extends around part of the periphery of a plurality of electric cells. First and second segments of the tube are disposed adjacent a first and a second edge of a first set of the plurality of electric cells. The sets of electric cells are disposed in an alternating arrangement. A first fin and a second fin are provided between each of the electric cells. The fins have a reverse turn wrapped around the segments of the tube. The fins have internal ends that are disposed between the electric cells and the tube segments. The battery pack may be assembled by folding the fins around the electric cells and the tube or by preforming folded sheets that define thermal fins and assembling the folded sheets over segments of the tube from opposite sides of the electric cells.
US09312578B2
A battery module includes a metal casing and a battery cell accommodated in the casing. The casing is provided on its outer surface with an insulation layer and a conductive portion.
US09312575B2
A battery testing system includes a battery test module configured to couple to a battery. The battery test module is further configured to measure battery parameters and transmit the measured battery parameters. The battery testing system also includes a portable tablet device configured to receive the transmitted measured battery parameters. The portable tablet device is further configured to determine a battery test result from the measured battery parameters and display the battery test result.
US09312573B2
A battery pack includes a battery cell; an insulation holder coupled to the battery cell, the insulation holder having a fixing hole; and a protection circuit module coupled to the insulation holder, the protection circuit module having a fixing tab, wherein the fixing tab is fixed to the battery cell through the fixing hole.
US09312566B2
The electrolyte includes a magnesium salt having the formula Mg(BX4)2 where X is selected from H, F and O-alkyl. The electrolyte also includes a solvent, the magnesium salt being dissolved in the solvent. Various solvents including aprotic solvents and molten salts such as ionic liquids may be utilized.
US09312560B2
A secondary battery assembly includes: a secondary battery including a wound electrode body enclosed in a flat rectangular case; a contact member partly contacting a side surface as a pressed surface having a maximum area of outer surfaces of the secondary battery; and a binding member for binding the secondary battery and the contact member to partly press against the pressed surface. The contact member includes: contact parts arranged discretely in contact with the pressed surface; and a connecting part connecting the contact parts. The contact parts are formed to protrude from the connecting part toward the pressed surface, and into an arrangement or a shape to press more weakly both one-side regions of the pressed surface in a winding axis direction and more strongly a central region between the one-side regions.
US09312559B2
A main object of the present invention to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high durability towards charge and discharge cycles, by preventing buckling of a wound electrode body. The secondary battery provided by the present invention comprises: a nonaqueous electrolyte; and a wound electrode body 80 configured by superposing on each other, and winding a positive electrode sheet 10 having a positive electrode collector formed to a sheet shape and a positive electrode active material layer formed on that collector, a, negative electrode sheet 20 having a negative electrode collector formed to a sheet shape and a negative electrode active material layer formed on that collector, and a separator 40 formed to a sheet shape. The negative electrode active material contained in the negative electrode active material layer is oriented in a predetermined direction. The positive electrode sheet 10, negative electrode sheet 20 and separator sheet 40 all have a tensile elongation at break of 2% or higher.
US09312558B2
In a fuel cell, a cell 105 including an anode 109, a solid electrolyte film 111 and a cathode 113 on an outer peripheral surface of a substrate tube 103 is formed in a circumferential direction of the substrate tube 103. A plurality of the cells 105 are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the substrate tube 103, and an interconnector 107 connecting the cells 105 electrically in series is formed between the adjacent cells 105. A thickness of an end portion of the cathode 113 in the longitudinal direction, the portion being in contact with the interconnector 107, is larger than a thickness of a center portion of the cathode 113 in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, high power generation performance can be achieved.
US09312557B2
A rechargeable power system comprising: a drill string configured to operate in a well bore, the drill string comprising: a fuel cell system; a generator in electrical communication with the fuel cell system; a turbine, configured to rotate due to an impingement of drilling mud on one or more turbine blades, the turbine in operable communication with the generator; and where the fuel cell system is configured to provide power at least when drilling mud is not circulating in the well bore, and further configured to be recharged by the generator when drilling mud is circulating in the well bore. A method for operating a rechargeable downhole fuel cell. The method comprises: monitoring a fluid supply pressure; determining whether the fluid supply pressure is below a threshold value; and stopping a fuel cell discharge if the fluid supply pressure is below the threshold value.
US09312553B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus for controlling a fuel cell system, including: a plurality of stack state detecting units for detecting respective states of a plurality of fuel cell stacks; a switching unit for connecting at least parts of the plurality of fuel cell stacks to each other in series or in parallel; and a control unit for detecting at least one degraded stack based on the states of the stacks detected by the plurality of stack state detecting units, and forming at least one degraded stack unit including the detected at least one degraded stack by controlling the operation of the switching unit, so the apparatus can quickly and easily connect the stacks to each other in series, in parallel or in series-parallel using cheap electric switches instead of using a plurality of power conditioning system (PCS).
US09312549B2
The grill shutter is disposed between the front grill and the air intake duct. The grill shutter is capable of opening or closing shutter members and regulating positions of the shutter members when being opened. When a maximum supplied flow rate of air provided by the wind during running is greater than a flow rate of air required for the hydrogen fuel battery, the required flow rate of air is established only by opening/closing control of the shutter members through a grill shutter opening instruction. If this is not the case, the grill shutter members are opened fully through the grill shutter opening instruction to maximize the volume of the wind during running taken in from the front grille. Additionally, a shortfall in the required flow rate of air for the hydrogen fuel battery is compensated for by actuating the blower through a blower speed instruction.
US09312548B2
An example method of securing a bond film to a fuel cell component includes positioning the bond film adjacent the fuel cell component and melting the bond film using thermal energy from an injection molded seal.
US09312539B2
According to one embodiment, a negative electrode active material includes monoclinic system titanium dioxide having an average pore diameter falling within a range of 8 nm to 25 nm. A volume of pores having a diameter of 10 nm or less falls within a range of 10% to 30% of a total pore volume.
US09312536B2
According to one embodiment, a negative electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a titanium oxide compound having a crystal structure of monoclinic titanium dioxide. When a monoclinic titanium dioxide is used as the active material, the effective capacity is significantly lower than the theoretical capacity though the theoretical capacity was about 330 mAh/g. The invention comprises a titanium oxide compound which has a crystal structure of monoclinic titanium dioxide and a (001) plane spacing of 6.22 Å or more in the powder X-ray diffraction method using a Cu-Kα radiation source, thereby making an attempt to improve effective capacity.
US09312530B2
Prevention of interference between an electric wire and a terminal in a wiring part, and downsizing of the wiring part are achieved. A battery connection member, includes a plurality of housings accommodating a bus bar connecting in series a plurality of batteries, and one or more terminals electrically connected to the bus bar; and a wiring part arranged in parallel along the plurality of housings in a direction intersecting a connecting direction of the electric wire relative to the terminals. The wiring part includes: a communication part formed to communicate with inside the wiring part, and positioning an end of a swaging part of the terminal therein; and an electric wire protection part continuing to the communication part, projecting toward inside the wiring part, and formed to prevent contact of the terminal positioned inside the communication part and the electric wire connected to the other terminal.
US09312526B1
A system and method for installing a battery in an electronics module is presented. A battery mount includes an elongated battery can with first and second ends and receives a battery through the second end. An insulating sleeve with first and second ends is fitted around the first end of the battery can. A metallic cap is placed over the first end of the insulating sleeve and around a portion of the insulating sleeve. A non-conductive housing is mounted in the electronics module to receive the battery can and the battery. The metallic cap is attached to a front panel of the electronics module when the battery can and the battery are inserted into the housing. The insulating sleeve and non-conductive housing isolates terminals of the battery from a surface of the electronics module and the metallic cap provides for electromagnetic interference shielding of the battery.
US09312524B2
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a mobile battery module for high power applications. The mobile battery module includes a case having a chamber therein, wherein one or more engagement elements are disposed on an inner surface of the case. A number of blocks removably engage the one or more engagement elements, wherein each block includes a pair of opposing sidewalls. Within each block, a number of end caps extend from the opposing sidewalls to cooperatively hold a number of respective cells there between.
US09312521B2
Disclosed is a cell including: a closed-end tubular case for accommodating a power generation element; a lid for the case; a terminal electrode disposed outside of the case and used for connection with another cell; an extraction electrode passing through the lid and used to extract power of the power generation element to the outside of the case; and a stepped connection electrode disposed outside of the case, the stepped connection electrode having a first flat portion to which the terminal electrode is connected and a second flat portion which is located at a level different from the level of the first flat portion and to which the extraction electrode is connected. The first and second flat portions have regions overlapping each other as viewed in a direction orthogonal to the thickness of the first and second flat portions.
US09312499B1
Compounds having a structure of Formula I, where G1 has the formula having the structure are described. In the structure of Formula I: Z1 to Z24 are each independently selected from group consisting of carbon and nitrogen; p is an integer from 1 to 10; adjacent carbazole groups G11, G12, and G13 are each bonded together either by a 9N-2C bond or a 9N-3C bond; G1 can include at least one 9N-2C intercarbazole bond and at least one 9N-3C intercarbazole bond; L and G2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl, which may be further substituted; m and n are both integers; and m+n ranges from 1 to the maximum number of possible substituents on L. Formulations and devices, such as an OLEDs, that include the compound of Formula I are also described.
US09312498B2
A novel organic compound is provided. In addition, a novel organic compound with high heat resistance is provided. In the organic compound, a dibenzoquinoxaline skeleton and a 4,4-bidibenzofuran skeleton or a 4,4′-bidibezothiophene skeleton are connected to each other through an arylene group.
US09312492B2
The present invention relates to all-polymer blends including an electron-acceptor polymer and an electron-donor polymer, capable of providing improved device performance, for example, as measured by power conversion efficiency, when used in photovoltaic cells.
US09312488B2
A method of forming an upper electrode in an organic electroluminescent element is provided. A first film made of a material for the upper electrode is formed on an organic functional layer by magnetron sputtering under a first condition. Thereafter, a second film made of the material for the upper electrode is formed on the first film by magnetron sputtering under a second condition different from the first condition. The second film has a lower film stress than the first film.
US09312486B2
A method for fabricating an organic light emitting display device includes forming a first electrode on a substrate; forming a pixel-defining film having an opening exposing the first electrode; forming an ink non-reactive solvent portion by discharging of an ink non-reactive solvent at the opening and forming an organic light emitting layer by discharging an organic light emitting ink on the ink non-reactive solvent portion; and forming a second electrode on the organic light emitting layer.
US09312478B2
Magnetic devices, and methods of manufacturing the same, include a stack structure including at least one magnetic layer, etched using an etching gas including at least 70 volume percent of a hydrogen-containing gas and at least 2 volume percent of CO gas.
US09312473B2
In one aspect, a vertical Hall effect sensor includes a semiconductor wafer having a first conductivity type and a plurality of semiconductive electrodes disposed on the semiconductor wafer. The plurality of semiconductive electrodes have the first conductivity type and include a source electrode, a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode, arranged such that the source electrode is between the first sensing electrode and the sensing electrode and a first drain electrode and a second drain electrode, arranged such that the first sensing electrode, second sensing electrode, and source electrode are between the first drain electrode and the second drain electrode. The vertical Hall effect sensor also includes a plurality of semiconductor fingers disposed on the semiconductor wafer and interdigitated with the plurality of semiconductive electrodes, the semiconductor fingers having a second conductivity type.
US09312470B2
A method of fabricating an ultrasound transducer includes providing a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. A bottom electrode is formed over the first side of the substrate. A piezoelectric element is formed over the bottom electrode. The piezoelectric element has a chamfered sidewall. A top electrode is formed over the piezoelectric element. A step metal element is formed over a portion of the top electrode proximate to the chamfered sidewall of the piezoelectric element.
US09312469B2
The present invention relates to a ceramic comprising (or consisting essentially of) a solid solution containing Bi, K, Ti and Fe (and optionally Pb) which exhibits piezoelectric behavior.
US09312466B2
A thermoelectric energy harvesting system may include a thermoelectric generator that may produce a voltage in response to a temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator. The thermoelectric generator may be captured between the housing and the base member. The system may include at least one mechanical fastener coupling the housing to the base member and including a shoulder spacer formed of thermally-insulating material and positioned under the mechanical fastener.
US09312459B2
A light emitting device having a vertical structure and a package thereof, which are capable of damping impact generated in a substrate separation process, and achieving an improvement in mass productivity. The device and package include a sub-mount, a first-type electrode, a second-type electrode, a light emitting device, a zener diode, and a lens on the sub-mount.
US09312458B2
Provided is a lighting device, comprising: a light source module comprising: at least one light source disposed on a printed circuit board; and a resin layer disposed on the printed circuit board so that the light source is embedded; an indirect light emission unit which is formed in at least any one of one side and another side of the light source module, and which reflects light irradiated from the light source; and a diffusion plate having an upper surface formed on the light source module, and a side wall which is integrally formed with the upper surface and which is adhered onto an outer side surface of the indirect light emission unit, wherein a first separated space is formed between the light source module and the upper surface of the diffusion plate, whereby flexibility of the product itself can be secured, and durability and reliability of the product can be also improved while indirect light emission using a flare effect can be implemented.
US09312455B2
A method for fabricating light emitting diode (LED) dice includes the step of providing a wavelength conversion layer on a substrate on an adhesive layer configured to have reduced adhesiveness upon exposure to a physical energy, such as electromagnetic radiation or heat. The method also includes the step of exposing the adhesive layer on the substrate to the physical energy to reduce the adhesiveness of the adhesive layer, removing the wavelength conversion layer from the substrate, and attaching the wavelength conversion layer to the light emitting diode (LED) die.
US09312451B2
The efficiency and color contrast of a lighting device may be improved by using wavelength shifting material, such as a phosphor, to absorb less desired wavelengths and transmit more desired wavelengths. A double-notch reflective filter may pass desired wavelengths such as red and green, while returning or reflecting less desired wavelengths (blue and yellow) away from an optical exit back toward wavelength shifting material and re-emitted as light of more desirable wavelengths.
US09312449B2
An electrode structure for effectively improving the stability of a semiconductor LED includes a reflecting layer capable of current spreading. In such an electrode structure, the current injects from the side surface of the reflecting layer to form a certain potential gradient over the contact surface between the electrode and the LED contact surface, thereby inhibiting the metal ion of the reflecting layer from migration due to electric field during usage, thereby improving device stability. In addition, the electrode portion for current injection can include a high-reflectivity material yet not vulnerable to ion migration, thereby increasing the entire reflecting area and improving luminous efficiency.
US09312440B2
An epitaxy structure of a light emitting element includes a gallium nitride substrate, an N-type gallium nitride layer, a quantum well unit, and a P-type gallium nitride layer. The gallium nitride substrate includes a gallium nitride buffer layer, a gallium nitride hexagonal prism, and a gallium nitride hexagonal pyramid. The gallium nitride hexagonal prism extends from the gallium nitride buffer layer along an axis. The gallium nitride hexagonal pyramid extends from the gallium nitride hexagonal prism along the axis and gradually expands to form a hexagonal frustum. The N-type gallium nitride layer is located on the gallium nitride hexagonal pyramid. The quantum well unit includes an indium gallium nitride layer located on the N-type gallium nitride layer and a gallium nitride layer located on the indium gallium nitride layer. The P-type gallium nitride layer is located on the gallium nitride layer.
US09312435B2
An optoelectronic semiconductor device includes a first light source that emits green, white or white-green light and includes a semiconductor chip that emits in the blue spectral range, and a first conversion element attached directly to the semiconductor chip, a second light source that emits red light, having a semiconductor chip, that emits in a blue spectral range, and having a second conversion element attached directly to the semiconductor chip, and/or having a semiconductor chip that emits in a red spectral range, a third light source that emits blue light and has a semiconductor chip emitting in the blue spectral range, and a filler body having a matrix material into which a conversion agent is embedded, wherein the filler body is disposed downstream of the light sources collectively.
US09312424B1
A photovoltaic module can be produced by suspending a photovoltaic cell with a front side of the photovoltaic cell facing upward, positioning a backsheet and a first encapsulant layer underneath the suspended photovoltaic cell, lowering the suspended photovoltaic cell into contact with the first encapsulant layer wherein a back side of the photovoltaic cell contacts the first encapsulant layer, applying a second encapsulant layer over at least the front side of the photovoltaic cell, positioning a front transparency onto the second encapsulant layer, and curing the first encapsulant layer and the second encapsulant layer.
US09312413B2
A colored substrate and a method for producing a substrate having a colored interference filter layer containing a polycrystalline metal oxide or polycrystalline metal oxides with the aid of physical or chemical vapor deposition using a coating system, in particular with the aid of a sputtering gas, in which at least two, in particular at least six, coating layers are vapor deposited one on top of the other forming polycrystalline metal oxides in each case.
US09312408B2
The disclosure relates to an image sensor comprising a substrate region in a semiconductor material; an active layer in contact with the substrate region; and a photodiode array formed in the active layer. The substrate region has a doping level such that the resistivity of the substrate region is less than 6 mOhm·cm.
US09312401B2
An imaging sensor system includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) imaging array including N pixels formed in a first semiconductor layer of a first wafer. Substantially an entire thickness of the first semiconductor layer of each pixel is fully depleted such that a multiplication region included in each pixel near a front side is configured to be illuminated with photons through a back side and through the substantially entire thickness of the fully depleted first semiconductor layer. Deep n type isolation regions are disposed in the first semiconductor layer between the pixels to isolate the pixels. N digital counters are formed in a second semiconductor layer of a second wafer that is bonded to the first wafer. Each of the N digital counters is coupled to the SPAD imaging array and coupled to count output pulses generated by a respective one of the pixels.
US09312400B2
Techniques are described to harvest power from a single current carrying conductor to furnish power to a powered device. The techniques employ a power harvesting device that is coupled to the conductor. In implementations, the conductor has a first path and a second path. The power harvesting device includes a first switch coupled to the second path. An energy storing element is coupled to the first path and configured to store energy based upon the direct current flowing through the first path. The power harvesting device also includes a power condition and management device coupled to the energy storing element configured to switch the first switch to a closed configuration when the energy storing element is measured to have a predefined high voltage threshold, and to switch the first switch to an open configuration when the energy storing element is measured to have a predefined low voltage threshold.
US09312393B2
An object is to obtain a semiconductor device with improved characteristics by reducing contact resistance of a semiconductor film with electrodes or wirings, and improving coverage of the semiconductor film and the electrodes or wirings. The present invention relates to a semiconductor device including a gate electrode over a substrate, a gate insulating film over the gate electrode, a first source or drain electrode over the gate insulating film, an island-shaped semiconductor film over the first source or drain electrode, and a second source or drain electrode over the island-shaped semiconductor film and the first source or drain electrode. Further, the second source or drain electrode is in contact with the first source or drain electrode, and the island-shaped semiconductor film is sandwiched between the first source or drain electrode and the second source or drain electrode. Moreover, the present invention relates to a manufacturing method of the semiconductor device.
US09312384B2
A semiconductor device may include body contacts on a finFET device for ESD protection. The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor fin, a source/drain region and a body contact. The source/drain region and the body contact are in the semiconductor fin. A portion of the fin is laterally between the source/drain region and the body contact. The semiconductor fin is on a substrate.
US09312382B2
Technologies are generally described for reduction of the characteristic on resistance for a transistor device. In some examples, a transistor device may include a source region, a drain region, an n-type epitaxial region between the source and drain regions, a p-type body region, and a deep p-type trench region formed below the body region. The trench region may be configured to charge compensate the n-type epitaxial region. In other examples, the characteristic on resistance may be reduced by replacing the silicon below the body region with lower resistance conductive material. A backside of a wafer that includes the transistor device may be thinned by using a support or carrier on the front side of the wafer to provide mechanical support, and etching trenches in both the substrate silicon and the epitaxial silicon located below the body region of the transistor device. The trenches may be subsequently filled with conductive material.
US09312379B2
A screen oxide film is formed on an n-drift layer (2) that is disposed on an anterior side of an n-type low-resistance layer (1), and a nitride film is formed on the screen oxide film. The nitride film is photo-etched using a first mask and thereby, a nitride shielding film (61) is formed. N-type impurity ions at a concentration higher than that of the n-drift layer are implanted through the nitride shielding film (61) from an anterior side of a semiconductor substrate and are thermally diffused and thereby, an n counter layer (7) is formed. The screen oxide film is removed. A gate oxide film (3a) is formed. A gate electrode (9) is formed on the gate oxide film (3a). P-type impurity ions are implanted from the anterior side of the semiconductor substrate using the gate electrode (9) and the nitride shielding film (61) as a mask and thereby, p- well regions (10) are formed. N-type impurity ions are implanted from the anterior side of the semiconductor substrate using the gate electrode (9) and the nitride shielding film (61) as a mask and thereby, n source regions (11) are formed.
US09312376B2
Semiconductor device, method for fabricating the same and electronic devices including the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device comprises an interlayer insulating layer formed on a substrate and including a trench, a gate electrode formed in the trench, a first gate spacer formed on a side wall of the gate electrode to have an L shape, a second gate spacer formed on the first gate spacer to have an L shape and having a dielectric constant lower than that of silicon nitride, and a third spacer formed on the second gate spacer.
US09312373B2
An electrode (109) insulated from a compound semiconductor layer (102) and being in contact with an electrode (101) and a compound semiconductor layer (103) is provided. A lattice constant of the compound semiconductor layer (103) is smaller than both of a lattice constant of the compound semiconductor layer (102) and a lattice constant of a compound semiconductor layer (104), and a lattice constant of a compound semiconductor layer (107) is smaller than both of the lattice constants of the compound semiconductor layer (102) and the lattice constants of the compound semiconductor layer (104). A conduction band energy of the compound semiconductor layer (103) is higher than a conduction band energy of the compound semiconductor layer (104).
US09312362B2
Variation resistant metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) are manufactured using a high-K, metal-gate ‘channel-last’ process. A cavity is formed between spacers formed over a well area having separate drain and source areas, and then a recess into the well area is formed. The active region is formed in the recess, comprising an optional narrow highly doped layer, essentially a buried epitaxial layer, over which a second un-doped or lightly doped layer is formed which is a channel epitaxial layer. The high doping beneath the low doped epitaxial layer can be achieved utilizing low-temperature epitaxial growth with single or multiple delta doping, or slab doping. A high-K dielectric stack is formed over the channel epitaxial layer, over which a metal gate is formed within the cavity boundaries. In one embodiment of the invention a cap of poly-silicon or amorphous silicon is added on top of the metal gate.
US09312359B2
A semiconductor structure includes a gate structure disposed on a substrate and having an outer spacer, a recess disposed in the substrate and adjacent to the gate structure, a doped epitaxial material filling up the recess, a cap layer including an undoped epitaxial material and disposed on the doped epitaxial material, a lightly doped drain disposed below the cap layer and sandwiched between the doped epitaxial material and the cap layer, and a silicide disposed on the cap layer and covering the doped epitaxial material to cover the cap layer together with the outer spacer without directly contacting the lightly doped drain.
US09312356B1
The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a first interlayer dielectric, a first mask layer, a second mask layer and a second interlayer dielectric. The first interlayer dielectric surrounds the periphery of the gate electrode, and the first mask layer is disposed on the gate electrode. The first mask layer and the gate electrode have at least one same metal component. The second mask layer is disposed on the sidewalls of the first mask layer, and the second interlayer dielectric is disposed on the second mask layer and in direct contact with the first interlayer dielectric.
US09312355B2
A method is provided for fabricating stripe structures. The method includes providing a substrate; and forming a to-be-etched layer on the substrate. The method also includes forming a hard mask pattern having a first stripe on the to-be-etched layer; and forming a photoresist pattern having a stripe opening on the to-be-etched layer and the hard mask pattern having the first stripe. Further, the method includes forming a polymer layer on a top surface and side surfaces of the photoresist pattern to reduce a width of the stripe opening; forming hard mask patterns having a second stripe by etching the hard mask pattern having the first stripe using the photoresist pattern having the polymer layer as an etching mask; and forming the stripe structures by etching the to-be-etching layer using the hard mask pattern having the second stripe as an etching mask until the substrate is exposed.
US09312350B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer formed of a nitride semiconductor on a substrate, a second semiconductor layer formed of a nitride semiconductor on the first semiconductor layer, a gate trench formed in the second semiconductor layer or in the second and first semiconductor layers, a gate electrode formed at the gate trench, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the second semiconductor layer. The gate trench has terminal parts of a bottom of the gate trench formed shallower than a center part of the bottom. A part of a sidewall of the gate trench is formed of a surface including an a-plane. The center part of the bottom is a c-plane. The terminal parts of the bottom form a slope from the c-plane to the a-plane.
US09312347B2
A circuit including a semiconductor device having a set of space-charge control electrodes is provided. The set of space-charge control electrodes is located between a first terminal, such as a gate or a cathode, and a second terminal, such as a drain or an anode, of the device. The circuit includes a biasing network, which supplies an individual bias voltage to each of the set of space-charge control electrodes. The bias voltage for each space-charge control electrode can be: selected based on the bias voltages of each of the terminals and a location of the space-charge control electrode relative to the terminals and/or configured to deplete a region of the channel under the corresponding space-charge control electrode at an operating voltage applied to the second terminal.
US09312339B2
Methods of fabricating semiconductor structures include forming a plurality of openings extending through a semiconductor material and at least partially through a metal material and deforming the metal material to relax a remaining portion of the semiconductor material. The metal material may be deformed by exposing the metal material to a temperature sufficient to alter (i.e., increase) its ductility. The metal material may be formed from one or more of hafnium, zirconium, yttrium, and a metallic glass. Another semiconductor material may be deposited over the remaining portions of the semiconductor material, and a portion of the metal material may be removed from between each of the remaining portions of the semiconductor material. Semiconductor structures may be formed using such methods.
US09312332B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type selectively formed in the main surface of the semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type so as to be between a front surface structure of a first semiconductor element and a front surface structure of a second semiconductor element and so as to surround the front surface structure of the first semiconductor element and the front surface structure of the second semiconductor element; a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type in the main surface of the semiconductor substrate outside the first semiconductor region and separated therefrom; and at least one trench filled with an insulating layer in the first semiconductor region between the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element, forming an isolation structure isolating the front surface structure of the first semiconductor element from the front surface structure of the second semiconductor element.
US09312330B2
Provision of a super-junction semiconductor device capable of reducing rises in transient on-resistance at the time of repeated switching operation. A super-junction structure is provided that has a striped parallel surface pattern, where a super-junction stripe and a MOS cell 6 stripe are parallel, and a p column Y2 over which no MOS cell 6 stripe is arranged and a p column Y1 over which the MOS cell 6 stripe is arranged are connected at an end.
US09312328B2
A method is provided for fabricating small pitch patterns. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, and forming a target material layer having a first region and a second region on the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of discrete first sacrificial layers on the first region of the target material layer and a plurality of discrete second sacrificial layers on the second region of the target material layer, and forming first sidewall spacers on both sides of the discrete first sacrificial layers and the discrete second sacrificial layers. Further, the method includes removing the first sacrificial layers and the second sacrificial layers, and forming second sidewall spacers. Further, the method also includes forming discrete repeating patterns in the first region of the target material layer and a continuous pattern in the second region of the target material layer.
US09312325B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device includes forming a capacitor bottom plate and a metal interconnect feature on a substrate. A dielectric layer having a predetermined thickness is then formed. The dielectric layer has a first portion overlying the capacitor bottom plate and a second portion overlying the metal interconnect feature. A thickness of the first portion of the dielectric layer is adjusted by either reducing the thickness or depositing additional dielectric material. A capacitor top plate is formed over the first portion of the dielectric layer.
US09312319B2
Disclosed are an organic light emitting diode device, and a method for fabricating the same. The organic light emitting diode device comprises a non-active area formed outside an active area of a substrate; a switching thin film transistor and a driving thin film transistor at each of the pixel regions; a planarization layer on the substrate; a first electrode on the planarization layer; a bank formed in the non-active area outside each pixel region; an organic light emitting layer on the first electrode; a second electrode on an entire surface of the substrate; a first passivation layer on the substrate; an organic layer on the first passivation layer; a second passivation layer on the organic layer and the first passivation layer; a barrier film disposed to face the substrate.
US09312313B2
An organic light emitting device includes an organic light emitting element and a sensor. The organic light emitting element includes an organic layer between an anode and cathode. The sensor detects a quality that provides an indication of the degradation of the organic layer of the light emitting element. The sensor may be a chemical sensor or another type of sensor. The sensor may be fixed permanently within or outside the light emitting element, and electronic measures may be taken to reduce performance loss as a result of the detected degradation of the organic layer.
US09312304B2
A light emitting device includes: a ceramic substrate; a plurality of LED chips; a printed resistor(s) connected in parallel with the plurality of LED chips; a dam resin made of a resin having a low optical transmittance; a fluorescent-material-containing resin layer; and an anode-side electrode and a cathode-side electrode, (a) which are provided on a primary surface of the ceramic substrate so as to face each other along a first direction on the primary surface and (b) which are disposed below at least one of the dam resin and the fluorescent-material-containing resin layer. With the configuration in which a plurality of LEDs, which are connected in a series-parallel connection, are provided on a substrate, it is possible to provide a light emitting device which can achieve restraining of luminance unevenness and an improvement in luminous efficiency.
US09312301B2
A solid-state image sensor including a substrate having a photoelectric conversion element disposed therein, the photoelectric conversion element converting an amount of incident light into a charge amount, a memory unit disposed at a side of the photoelectric conversion element, the memory unit receiving the charge amount from the photoelectric conversion element, a first light-shielding section formed at a first side of the memory unit and disposed between the charge accumulation region and the photoelectric conversion element, and a second light-shielding section formed at a second side of the memory unit such that the second side is opposite the first side.
US09312298B2
According to one embodiment, in a solid-state imaging device, a signal storage portion in each of a plurality of pixels includes a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region. The first semiconductor region is of a first conductive type. The first semiconductor region coveres a side wall of an element isolation portion on a side of the signal storage portion. The second semiconductor region is of a second conductive type. The second conductive type is an opposite conductive type to the first conductive type. The second semiconductor region is arranged vertically in a depth direction from a deeper position than a front surface in a semiconductor substrate and extending in a plate shape along the first semiconductor region.
US09312290B2
A sensor and its fabrication method are provided, wherein the sensor includes: a base substrate, a group of gate lines and a group of data lines arranged as crossing each other, and a plurality of sensing elements arranged in an array and defined by the group of gate lines and the group of data lines, each sensing element comprising a TFT device and a photodiode sensing device, wherein the TFT device is a top gate TFT. The photodiode sensing device includes: a receiving electrode connected with a source electrode, a photodiode disposed on the receiving electrode, a transparent electrode disposed on the photodiode, and a bias line disposed on and connected with the transparent electrode, the bias line is disposed as parallel to the gate line. In comparison with the conventional technology, the method for fabricating the sensor of the invention reduces the number of mask as well as the production cost and simplifies the production process, thereby significantly improves the production capacity and the defect free rate.
US09312289B2
A light guide portion includes a low refractive index portion and a high refractive index portion. The low refractive index portion has a refractive index equal to or lower than that of an insulating layer. The high refractive index portion has a refractive index higher than that of the low refractive index portion. The low refractive index portion is located above a separating portion, and is sandwiched by the high refractive index portion in a first direction. A width in the first direction of the low refractive index portion at a first position distant from the separating portion in a second direction is narrower than a width in the first direction of the low refractive index portion at a second position closer to the separating portion than the first position in the second direction.
US09312283B2
In a method for producing a display panel, a base substrate having an upper surface on which an electrode is located is prepared. A first layer having a first opening overlapping with the electrode in plan-view is formed on the base substrate. A second layer having a second opening overlapping with the first opening in plan-view is formed on the first layer. The second opening has a smaller area than the first opening in plan-view. A wiring layer is formed in the first opening and the second opening, in contact with the electrode. The second layer includes a portion located on an upper surface of the first layer and a portion located in the first opening. The portion of the second layer located in the first opening covers an internal side surface of the first layer located around the first opening.
US09312277B2
An array substrate for a display device includes: a substrate; first and second gate electrodes of impurity-doped polycrystalline silicon on the substrate; a gate insulating layer on the first and second gate electrodes; first and second active layers of intrinsic polycrystalline silicon on the gate insulating layer, the first and second active layers corresponding to the first and second active layers, respectively; an interlayer insulating layer on the first and second active layers and including first to fourth active contact holes, the first and second active contact holes exposing side portions of the first active layer, the third and fourth active contact holes exposing side portions of the second active layer; first and second ohmic contact layers of impurity-doped amorphous silicon on the interlayer insulating layer, the first ohmic contact layer contacting the first active layer through the first and second active contact holes, the second ohmic contact layer contacting the second active layer through the third and fourth active contact hole; first source and drain electrodes on the first ohmic contact layer and second source and drain electrodes on the second ohmic contact layer; a data line on the interlayer insulating layer, the data line connected to the first source electrode; a first passivation layer on the first source and drain electrodes, the second source and drain electrodes and the data line; a gate line on the first passivation layer, the gate line connected to the first gate electrode and crossing the data line to define a pixel region; a second passivation layer on the gate line; and a pixel electrode on the second passivation layer, the pixel electrode connected to the second drain electrode.
US09312275B2
An finFET structure including a plurality of fins etched from a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of gates above and perpendicular to the plurality of fins, each comprising a pair of spacers on opposing sides of the gates, and a gap fill material above the semiconductor substrate, below the gate, and between the plurality of fins, wherein the gate separates the gap fill material from each of the plurality of fins.
US09312274B1
Merged fin structures for finFET devices and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method of forming the structure includes forming a plurality of fin structures on an insulator layer. The method further includes forming a faceted structure on adjacent fin structures of the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes spanning a gap between the faceted structures on the adjacent fin structures with a semiconductor material.
US09312270B2
Methods of manufacturing a three-dimensional semiconductor device are provided. The method includes: forming a thin film structure, where first and second material layers of at least 2n (n is an integer more than 2) are alternately and repeatedly stacked, on a substrate; wherein the first material layer applies a stress in a range of about 0.1×109 dyne/cm2 to about 10×109 dyne/cm2 to the substrate and the second material layer applies a stress in a range of about −0.1×109 dyne/cm2 to about −10×109 dyne/cm2 to the substrate.
US09312267B2
In a memory cell array region and a source contact region defined in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, a memory cell transistor including a floating gate electrode and a control gate electrode is formed. In a gate contact region, a dummy floating gate electrode is arranged to partially be superimposed on a dummy element formation region in a two-dimensional view. In a first interlayer insulating film and a second interlayer insulating film covering the memory cell transistor, a contact plug is formed to penetrate the first interlayer insulating film and a via is formed to penetrate a second interlayer insulating film.
US09312266B2
Memories and their formation are disclosed. One such memory has a first array of first memory cells extending in a first direction from a first surface of a semiconductor. A second array of second memory cells extends in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from a second surface of the semiconductor. Both arrays may be non-volatile memory arrays. For example, one of the memory arrays may be a NAND flash memory array, while the other may be a one-time-programmable memory array.
US09312265B2
A ROM cell comprises a first first-level contact formed on a first active region of a transistor of a memory cell, a second first-level contact formed on a second active region of the transistor of the memory cell, wherein the second first-level contact is coupled to a first VSS line and a second VSS line formed in a first interconnect layer, wherein the second VSS line is electrically coupled to the first VSS line, and wherein the second VSS line is of a direction orthogonal to a direction of the first VSS line. The ROM cell further comprises a first bit line formed in the first interconnect layer, wherein the first bit line is formed in parallel with the second VSS line and a second bit line formed in the first interconnect layer, wherein the second bit line is formed in parallel with the second VSS line.
US09312263B2
A SRAM cell and a forming method thereof are provided. The SRAM cell includes: a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor, a pass gate transistor, a tensile stress film which covers the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor, and an interlayer dielectric isolating layer which covers the tensile stress film and the pass gate transistor. The method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor and a pass gate transistor on the semiconductor substrate; forming a tensile stress film covering the pull-up and pull-down transistors; and forming an interlayer dielectric isolating layer covering the tensile stress film and the pass gate transistor. Write margin of the SRAM cell may be increased and an area of the SRAM cell may be reduced.
US09312254B2
The embodiment provides a semiconductor MP wafer process including processing a plurality of MP wafers in a lot or batch with a first process step. The plurality of the MP wafers is split into an MP wafer group-1 and an MP wafer group-2. At least one of the MP wafers of the MP wafer group-1 is processed with a second process step-1 and at least one of the MP wafers of the MP wafer group-2 is processed with a second process step-2 to form different device components on the MP wafers of the MP wafer group-1 and group-2, respectively. At least one of the MP wafers of the MP wafer group-1 is processed with a third process step-3 and at least one of the MP wafers of the MP wafer group-2 is processed with a third process step-4 to form a substantially same characteristic device component on the MP wafers.
US09312251B2
A display panel including an array substrate and a COF substrate is provided. The COF is provided with a plurality of welded lead lines. The array substrate includes a metal layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, a silicon nitride layer disposed on a surface of the metal layer, and a plurality of terminal wires disposed in a spaced arrangement in a welding region on a surface of the second silicon nitride layer. The welding region between the adjacent terminal wires is provided with through holes, which expose the metal layer. The risk of corrosion and breakage of the welded lead lines on the COF substrate is effectively reduced.
US09312249B2
In a semiconductor light emitting device, a light emitting structure includes a first-conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second-conductivity type semiconductor layer, which are sequentially formed on a conductive substrate. A second-conductivity type electrode includes a conductive via and an electrical connection part. The conductive via passes through the first-conductivity type semiconductor layer and the active layer, and is connected to the inside of the second-conductivity type semiconductor layer. The electrical connection part extends from the conductive via and is exposed to the outside of the light emitting structure. An insulator electrically separates the second-conductivity type electrode from the conductive substrate, the first-conductivity type semiconductor layer, and the active layer. A passivation layer is formed to cover at least a side surface of the active layer in the light emitting structure. An uneven structure is formed on a path of light emitted from the active layer.
US09312248B1
A light-emitting diode (LED) lighting device includes a substrate, a first bottom electrode, a bottom transparent isolation layer, a first vertical LED, a second vertical LED, a first top transparent electrode, and a second top transparent electrode. The substrate has a first recess therein. The first bottom electrode is disposed in the first recess and is reflective. The first vertical LED and the second vertical LED are disposed in the first recess and on the first bottom electrode. The first bottom transparent isolation layer is disposed in the first recess. The first top transparent electrode is electrically connected to the first vertical LED. The second top transparent electrode is electrically connected to the second vertical LED. The first top transparent electrode, the second top transparent electrode, and the first bottom electrode cooperate to electrically connect the first vertical LED and the second vertical LED in series.
US09312243B2
A semiconductor package may include a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a plurality of first electrical connections disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a first material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The plurality of first electrical connections may electrically couple the first substrate and the second substrate to each other. The first material may surround each of the plurality of first electrical connections, and a width of the first material proximal the first substrate may be smaller than a width of the first material proximal the second substrate.
US09312242B2
A dense-pitch small-pad copper wire bonded double IC chip stack package comprises a plastic package body, in which a lead frame carrier and a frame lead inner pin are arranged; the upper surface of the lead frame carrier is fixedly connected with a first IC chip; a second IC chip is stacked on the first IC chip; the upper surface of the first IC chip and the upper surface of the second IC chip are respectively provided with a plurality of pads which are arranged as two lines of pad groups in parallel; the two pad groups are respectively a first pad group and a second pad group; a metal ball is implanted on each pad; each metal ball is connected with a first copper bonding ball; and a third copper bonding wire is formed by looping and arching on a corresponding metal ball between the second IC chip and the first IC chip. The preparation process of the present invention comprises thinning, scribing, loading the chip, performing pressure welding, plastic packaging and post-curing, trimming, electroplating, printing, forming and separating, and packaging. The package and the preparation method of the invention avoid the hidden danger of open circuit of a plastic packaging punching wire caused by the crater on the pad, the short circuit of adjacent welding spots, and the easy damage of a previous wire.
US09312241B2
A semiconductor device includes an operation circuit formed on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, a memory array formed over the operation circuit, an inner pad group formed on an intermediate layer between the operation circuit and the memory array and coupled to the operation circuit, a first outer pad group formed on a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a wiring structure passing through the semiconductor substrate, and coupling the inner pad group to the first outer pad group.
US09312239B2
A microelectronic assembly includes a first unit and a second unit overlying the first unit. Each of the units include a dielectric element that includes first and second apertures, first and second microelectronic elements, first leads extending from contacts of the first microelectronic element through the first aperture, and second leads extending from contacts of the second microelectronic element through the second aperture. The microelectronic assembly further includes a heat spreader that is thermally coupled to at least one of the first microelectronic element or the second microelectronic element of the first unit. The heat spreader may be a monolithic structure having apertures substantially aligned with the contacts of the first and second microelectronic elements of the first unit.
US09312230B2
A conductive pillar structure for a die includes a passivation layer having a metal contact opening over a substrate. A bond pad has a first portion inside the metal contact opening and a second portion overlying the passivation layer. The second portion of the bond pad has a first width. A buffer layer over the bond pad has a pillar contact opening with a second width to expose a portion of the bond pad. A conductive pillar has a first portion inside the pillar contact opening and a second portion over the buffer layer. The second portion of the conductive pillar has a third width. A ratio of the second width to the first width is between about 0.35 and about 0.65. A ratio of the second width to the third width is between about 0.35 and about 0.65.
US09312223B2
The present invention relates to an interconnection structure and a method for fabricating the same. According to the present invention, cavities are formed between the interconnection dielectric by using a sacrificial layer, carbon nanotubes are used as the interconnection material for local interconnection between via holes, graphene nanoribbons are used as the interconnection material for metal lines, and cavities are included in the interconnection dielectric. In addition, the conventional CMOS BEOL Cu interconnection technique is applied to the intermediate interconnection level and the global interconnection level. In this way, the high parasitic resistance and parasitic capacitance in the Cu interconnection technique, which may occur when the local interconnection is relatively small in size, can be effectively overcome.
US09312217B2
The invention relates to a method of making a starting substrate wafer for semiconductor engineering having electrical wafer through connections (140; 192). It comprises providing a wafer (110; 150) having a front side and a back side and having a base of low resistivity silicon and a layer of high resistivity material on the front side. On the wafer there are islands of low resistivity material in the layer of high resistivity material. The islands are in contact with the silicon base material. Trenches are etched from the back side of the wafer but not all the way through the wafer to provide insulating enclosures defining the wafer through connections (140; 192). The trenches are filled with insulating material. Then the front side of the wafer is grinded to expose the insulating material to create the wafer through connections. Also there is provided a wafer substrate for making integrated electronic circuits and/or components, comprising a low resistivity silicon base (110) having a high resistivity top layer (122) suitable for semiconductor engineering, characterized by having low resistivity wafer through connections (140).
US09312215B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory system includes a substrate, a plurality of elements and an adhesive portion. The substrate has a multilayer structure in which wiring patterns are formed, and has a substantially rectangle shape in a planar view. The elements are provided and arranged along the long-side direction of a surface layer side of the substrate. The adhesive portion is filled in a gap between the elements and in a gap between the elements and the substrate, where surfaces of the elements are exposed.
US09312212B2
A method for housing an electronic component in a device package includes providing a first substrate, wherein the electronic component is arranged in a component area on a first main surface of the first substrate, and wherein first contact pads are arranged outside of the component area, forming an open top frame structure around the component area on the first main surface of the first substrate, providing a second substrate having second contact pads, arranged symmetrically to the first contact pads and electrically and mechanically connecting the first main surface of the first substrate with the first main surface of the second substrate, so that the frame structure and the second substrate from a cavity or recess around the electronic component on the first substrate.
US09312211B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor device has a plurality of power units placed in parallel in a predetermined direction, wherein each of the power units includes a plurality of semiconductor elements placed on a metal plate having predetermined gaps with each other. The semiconductor elements of each of the two power units include a near-sided semiconductor element that is closer to an inlet of the resin among the two semiconductor elements having the predetermined gap therebetween. A structure is positioned on a passage and downstream in a resin flow direction relative to a predetermined position that corresponds to end parts of the near-sided semiconductor elements. The structure is a joint to connect the two power units placed adjacent to each other in the predetermined direction, and to be integrally sealed with the resin, along with the power unit.
US09312203B2
A dual damascene structure with an embedded liner and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a dual damascene structure in a substrate. The method further includes reflowing a seed layer such that material of the seed layer flows into a via of the dual damascene structure. The method further includes forming a liner material on the material over or within the via of the dual damascene structure. The method further includes filling any remaining portions of the via and a trench of the dual damascene structure with additional material.
US09312182B2
One method disclosed herein includes forming an opening in a layer of material so as to expose the source/drain regions of a transistor and a first portion of a gate cap layer positioned above an active region, reducing the thickness of a portion of the gate cap layer positioned above the isolation region, defining separate initial source/drain contacts positioned on opposite sides of the gate structure, performing a common etching process sequence to define a gate contact opening that extends through the reduced-thickness portion of the gate cap layer and a plurality of separate source/drain contact openings in the layer of insulating material, and forming a conductive gate contact structure and conductive source/drain contact structures.
US09312172B2
One or more embodiments relate to a semiconductor device that includes: a conductive layer including a sidewall; a conductive capping layer disposed over the conductive layer and laterally extending beyond the sidewall of the conductive layer by a lateral overhang; and a conductive via in electrical contact with the conductive capping layer.
US09312161B2
A receiving means for receiving and mounting of wafers. The receiving means includes a mounting surface. A mounting means is provided for mounting a wafer on the mounting surface. A compensation means is provided for active, especially locally controllable, at least partial compensation of local and/or global distortions of the wafer.
US09312160B2
A method of attaching a wafer by suction, includes a step of mounting a wafer on a right arm and a left arm of a transfer jig, moving the transfer jig toward a wafer suction stage in such a manner that a facing right arm surface of the right arm slides along and in contact with a first side surface of the wafer suction stage and a facing left arm surface of the left arm slides along and in contact with a second side surface of the wafer suction stage until the wafer comes to lie directly above a mounting surface of the wafer suction stage, mounting the wafer on the mounting surface by moving the transfer jig downward toward the wafer suction stage while maintaining the contacts, and attaching the wafer to the mounting surface by suction.
US09312158B2
An article transport vehicle is provided which can prevent a lid from falling from the container gripped by grip portions and which can prevent increase in the size of the device. A lid fall prevention member is provided which can be moved between a near position in which the lid fall prevention member is close to the lid on the side the outer surface of the lid is located, to prevent the lid from falling, and an away position in which the lid fall prevention member is farther away from the lid to allow the lid to be detached and attached. An operatively connecting mechanism is also provided which moves the lid fall prevention member from the near position to the away position as a pair of the grip portions are moved from gripping positions to grip release positions by grip actuator portion, and which moves the lid fall prevention member from the away position to the near position as the pair of the grip portions are moved from the grip release positions to the gripping positions by the grip actuator portion.
US09312156B2
A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode; a gate insulating layer which is provided to cover the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer which is provided over the gate insulating layer to overlap with the gate electrode; an impurity semiconductor layer which is partly provided over the semiconductor layer and which forms a source region and a drain region; and a wiring layer which is provided over the impurity semiconductor layer, where a width of the source region and the drain region is narrower than a width of the semiconductor layer, and where the width of the semiconductor layer is increased at least in a portion between the source region and the drain region.
US09312154B2
Embodiments of the invention provide improved apparatus for depositing layers on substrates, such as by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The inventive apparatus disclosed herein may advantageously facilitate one or more of depositing films having reduced film thickness non-uniformity within a given process chamber, improved particle performance (e.g., reduced particles on films formed in the process chamber), chamber-to-chamber performance matching amongst a plurality of process chambers, and improved process chamber serviceability.
US09312153B2
A substrate processing system is provided with: a first transfer unit, which extends from a loader module to a first processing chamber for processing substrates, to transfer the substrates; and a second transfer unit, which is provided below or above the first transfer unit and extends from the loader module to a second processing chamber for processing substrates, to transfer the substrates. The first processing chamber and the second processing chamber do not overlap in the vertical direction, and are disposed at positions separated from each other in a plan view. At the same time, at least a part of the first transfer unit and at least a part of the second transfer unit overlap each other in the vertical direction.
US09312152B2
Methods and systems to reduce the consumption of purge gas for semiconductor substrate containers. The recirculation purging system recycles purge gas back to substrate containers by filtering and purifying gas flow from substrate containers, receiving gas flow from load port, or including a recirculation tank.
US09312147B2
A method of forming an on-chip heat sink includes forming a device on a substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of insulator layers over the device. The method further includes forming a heat sink in at least one of the plurality of insulator layers and proximate to the device. The heat sink includes a reservoir of phase change material having a melting point temperature that is less than an upper limit of a design operating temperature of the chip.
US09312141B2
A method for polishing a carbon overcoat of a magnetic media that results in a smooth surface free of carbon cluster debris. The method involves forming a magnetic disk having a carbon overcoat formed thereon. The carbon overcoat is then polished in the presence of ozone (O3). The heat from the polishing process along with the presence of the ozone, cause any carbon particles removed by the polishing to form CO2 gas so that there is no remaining carbon particle debris on the surface of the disk.
US09312134B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, includes: a stacked structural unit including a plurality of insulating films alternately stacked with a plurality of electrode films in a first direction; a selection gate electrode stacked on the stacked structural unit in the first direction; an insulating layer stacked on the selection gate electrode in the first direction; a first semiconductor pillar piercing the stacked structural unit, the selection gate electrode, and the insulating layer in the first direction, a first cross section of the first semiconductor pillar having an annular configuration, the first cross section being cut in a plane orthogonal to the first direction; a first core unit buried in an inner side of the first semiconductor pillar, the first core unit being recessed from an upper face of the insulating layer; and a first conducting layer of the first semiconductor pillar provided on the first core unit to contact the first core unit.
US09312133B2
A bonded wafer structure having a handle wafer, a device wafer, and an interface region with an abrupt transition between the conductivity profile of the device wafer and the handle wafer is used for making semiconductor devices. The improved doping profile of the bonded wafer structure is well suited for use in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The bonded wafer structure is especially suited for making radiation-hardened integrated circuits.
US09312132B2
A method for forming nanostructures includes bonding a flexible substrate to a crystalline semiconductor layer having a two-dimensional material formed on a side opposite the flexible substrate. The crystalline semiconductor layer is stressed in a first direction to initiate first cracks in the crystalline semiconductor layer. The first cracks are propagated through the crystalline semiconductor layer and through the two-dimensional material. The stress of the crystalline semiconductor layer is released to provide parallel structures including the two-dimensional material on the crystalline semiconductor layer.
US09312130B2
A method of introducing a bandgap in single layer graphite on a SiO2 substrate comprising the steps of preparing graphene flakes and CVD grown graphene films on a SiO2/Si substrate and performing hydrogenation of the graphene. Additionally, controlling the majority carrier type via surface adsorbates.
US09312123B2
Provided is a technique including forming a film by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes: (a) forming a discontinuous first layer including the first element and having a thickness of less than one atomic layer on the substrate by supplying a gas containing the first element into a process vessel accommodating the substrate; and (b) forming a second layer including the first element and the second element by supplying a gas containing the second element into the process vessel to modify the first layer under a condition where a modifying reaction of the first layer by the gas containing the second element is not saturated.
US09312115B2
Flanges (10a) of an attachment plate (10) integrally combined with an ion detector (5) are fixed to an inner surface of a vacuum chamber (1) via cushioning members (12), such as O-rings. Although the vacuum chamber (1) mechanically vibrates due to a turbomolecular pump attached to it, this vibration is absorbed by the cushioning members (12), whereby the vibration of the ion detector (5) is suppressed. As a result, the noise which occurs with a vibration of the ion detector (5) and is superposed on the detection signal is reduced. Thus, the quality of the detection signal can be improved by a simple and inexpensive structure.
US09312114B2
A method of ejecting ions to be analyzed from a quadrupole ion trap in which a trapping field is created by one or more RF voltages applied to one or more electrodes of the trap, the method comprising the steps of cooling the ions to be analyzed within the quadrupole ion trap until the ions are thermalized, reducing the amplitude of one or more RF voltages applied to the quadrupole ion trap and applying the reduced amplitude RF voltages for one half cycle after the one or more RF voltages have reached a zero crossing point, turning off the RF voltages applied to the quadrupole ion trap, and ejecting the ions to be analyzed from the quadrupole ion trap.
US09312112B2
In one general aspect, a sample is transferred into a mass spectrometer by capturing a sample on a collector, inserting the collector into a sample chamber coupled to the mass spectrometer and a vacuum pump, evacuating the sample chamber using the vacuum pump to reduce an internal pressure of the sample chamber to a level less than atmospheric pressure, heating the collector to release the sample from the collector, and introducing the sample into the mass spectrometer from the evacuated sample chamber.
US09312107B1
A disk handling apparatus for supporting a disk during material deposition at a deposition station, comprising a disk vacuum paddle having a centrally disposed groove, and a vacuum source disposed within the groove, wherein the paddle contacts the disk only at disk corners on opposing major surfaces of the disk, and wherein the disk remains spaced from the groove at its outer diameter during material deposition.
US09312104B2
A low inductance coil antenna for a plasma reactor has plural conductor lobes extending radially from respective RF supply connections.
US09312102B2
A method of processing a substrate in an apparatus including a substrate holder which holds the substrate, an ion source which emits an ion beam, a neutralizer which emits electrons, and a shutter which is arranged between a space in which the ion source and the neutralizer are arranged and a space in which the substrate holder is arranged, and configured to shield the ion beam traveling toward the substrate, includes adjusting an amount of electrons which are emitted by the neutralizer and reach the substrate holder during movement of the shutter.
US09312097B2
A novel specimen holder for specimen support devices for insertion in electron microscopes. The novel specimen holder of the invention provides mechanical support for specimen support devices and as well as electrical contacts to the specimens or specimen support devices.
US09312096B2
A sample holder according to an embodiment is a sample holder on which a sample to be observed with an electron microscope is mounted. The sample holder includes a support unit, a holder body, and a rotation mechanism. The support unit has a longitudinal direction and has a first end on which the sample can be mounted. The holder body holds the support unit at a second end on the opposite side from the first end. The rotation mechanism is provided inside the holder body and rotates the support unit with the longitudinal direction serving as an axis. A central axis of the holder body and a rotation axis of the support unit are axes in substantially same directions.
US09312079B2
A key switch disposed on a base of a keyboard includes a key cap, a linkage bar, an edge plate and a recess portion. The key cap is disposed above the base. The linkage bar connects the key cap and the base. The edge plate is connected to the base. A slot is formed on the edge plate, and an end of the linkage bar is slidably latched in the slot. The recess portion is formed on the base and adjacent to the slot. A step is between a holding surface of the recess portion and a top surface of the base. The end of the linkage bar is caved in the recess portion and held on the holding surface of the recess portion when the end of the linkage bar is slidably latched in the slot.
US09312076B1
A very high energy-density ultracapacitor apparatus and method includes more than one carbon electrode with an outer surface and an inner surface. A conductive metallic surface is connected with the outer surface. A ceramic is connected with the inner surface of at least one of the more than one carbon electrodes. A separator is provided between the more than one carbon electrode and an electrolyte is provided.
US09312075B1
Tantalum powders produced using a tantalum fiber precursor are described. The tantalum fiber precursor is chopped or cut into short lengths having a uniform fiber thickness and favorable aspect ratio. The chopped fibers are formed into a primary powder having a controlled size and shape, narrow/tight particle size distribution, and low impurity level. The primary powder is then agglomerated into an agglomerated powder displaying suitable flowability and pressability such that pellets with good structural integrity and unifrom pellet porosity are manufacturable. The pellet is sintered and anodized to a desired formation voltage. The thusly created capacitor anode has a dual morphology or dual porosity provided by a primary porosity of the individual tantalum fibers making up the primary powder and a larger secondary porosity formed between the primary powders agglomerated into the agglomerated powder.
US09312069B2
A laminated body that contains a perovskite-type compound containing Sr, Ba, Zr, and Ti and containing; Si; Mn; Al; and V. When the total content of Zr and Ti is 100 parts by mol, the total content m of Sr and Ba meets 100≦m≦105, the Si content a meets 0.1≦a≦4.0, the Mn content b meets 0.1≦b≦4.0, the Al content c meets 0.01≦c≦3.0, the V content d meets 0.01≦d≦0.3, the molar ratio w of Sr and Ba to Sr meets 0.60≦w≦0.95, the molar ratio z of the total of Zr and Ti to Zr meets 0.92≦z≦0.98, w and y meets and the crystal grains are 1.2 μm or less in average grain size.
US09312066B2
A method for efficiently machining magnets with curved surfaces is disclosed. The use of machining equipment capable of making curved cuts through magnetic material can allow significant cost and material savings, particularly when machining magnets with complementary surfaces. A process for using a series of cutting wires to simultaneously cut magnetic material into conformally shaped magnets is described.
US09312059B2
An improved low cost and highly consistent inductive apparatus. In one embodiment, the low cost and highly consistent inductive apparatus addresses concerns with so called conductive anodic filament (CAF) that occurs within these laminate structures. These conditions include high humidity, high bias voltage (i.e. a large voltage differential), high-moisture content, surface and resin ionic impurities, glass to resin bond weakness and exposure to high assembly temperatures that can occur, for example, during lead free solder bonding application. In a variant, mixed mode coupling techniques are utilized in order to extend the underlying operating bandwidth of the substrate inductive device. Methods of manufacturing and using the aforementioned substrate inductive devices are also disclosed.
US09312052B2
Superconducting wire material, superconducting wire material connection structure, superconducting wire material connection method, and treatment method of superconducting wire material end are shown. According to one implementation, a superconducting wire material connection structure includes, a first superconducting wire material, a second superconducting wire material, and a third superconducting wire material. The first superconducting wire material and the second superconducting wire material each include an end provided with a concave section in which at least a superconducting layer is removed and a filling section in which filling material is filled in the concave section. The first superconducting wire material and the second superconducting wire material are positioned so that the ends oppose to each other. A third superconducting wire material is connected to both the first superconducting wire material and the second superconducting wire material.
US09312050B2
A tinsel wire is formed of a central fiber and at least one metallic lead wire combined with the central fiber. The central fiber is made of graphene.
US09312036B2
In a jet pump measurement pipe repair method according to the present embodiment, a breakage part of a measurement pipe horizontally fixed to a lower part of a jet pump provided in reactor water in a reactor pressure vessel is repaired. The method has: a step of cutting and removing the measurement pipe including the breakage part; a step of retaining a connection pipe for connecting the remaining measurement pipe on the jet pump by means of a clamp; and a step of connecting ends of the remaining measurement pipe by means of the connection pipe.
US09312028B2
An embodiment of a method for detecting permanent faults of an address decoder of an electronic memory device including a memory block formed by a plurality of memory cells, including the steps of: selecting an address, which identifies a selected set of memory cells; writing at the selected address a code word generated on the basis of an information word, of the selected address, and of an error-correction code; and then detecting an error within a word stored at the selected address. The method moreover includes the steps of: selecting a set of excitation addresses; writing a test word at the selected address, and then writing an excitation word at each excitation address; and next comparing the test word with a new word stored at the selected address.
US09312026B2
In a three-dimensional nonvolatile memory, when a block erase failure occurs, zones within a block may be separately verified to see if some zones pass verification. Zones that pass may be designated as good zones and may subsequently be used to store user data while bad zones in the same block may be designated as bad and may not be used for subsequent storage of user data.
US09312016B2
A read method of a multi-level cell memory device includes receiving a first read command, and reading first and second hard decision data by performing first and second hard decision read operations using a first hard decision read voltage and a second hard decision read voltage, respectively, the second hard decision read voltage being higher than the first hard decision read voltage. The method further includes selecting one of the first and second hard decision read voltages, reading first soft decision data by performing a first soft decision read operation using a plurality of soft decision read voltages having voltage levels which are different from that of the selected one of the first and second hard decision read voltages, and providing the first soft decision data to a memory controller for first error correction code (ECC) decoding.
US09312015B1
Methods for reducing an increase in the threshold voltage of a transistor due to the body effect and increasing the junction breakdown voltage for junctions of the transistor are described. The transistor may comprise an NMOS transistor that transfers a programming voltage (e.g., 24V) to a word line of a memory array during a programming operation. In some cases, a first poly shield may be positioned within a first distance of a gate of the transistor and may comprise a first polysilicon structure that is directly adjacent to the gate of the transistor. The first poly shield may be arranged in a first direction (e.g., in the channel length direction of the transistor). The first poly shield may be biased to a first voltage greater than ground (e.g., 10V) during the programming operation to reduce an increase in the threshold voltage of the transistor due to the body effect.
US09312011B1
A data writing method, a memory storage device, and a memory control circuit unit are provided. The method includes: writing data into at least one first logical unit and at least one second logical unit, and the data includes first data and second data; storing first data into at least one first physical erasing unit and filling the first physical erasing unit with the first data; storing second data into at least one second physical erasing unit; determining whether a remaining space of each second physical erasing unit is less than a threshold; if the remaining space of one of the at least one second physical erasing unit is less than the threshold, selecting at least one fourth physical erasing unit from a spare area and writing the second data into the at least one second physical erasing unit and the at least one fourth physical erasing unit.
US09312007B2
A non-volatile memory device programs memory cells in each row in a manner that minimizes the coupling of spurious signals. A control logic unit programs the cells in a row using a set of bit state assignments chosen by evaluating data that are to be written to the cells in the row. The control logic unit performs this evaluation by determining the number of cells in the row that will be programmed to each of a plurality of bit states corresponding to the write data. The control logic unit then selects a set of bit state assignments that will cause the programming level assigned to each bit state to be inversely proportional to the number of memory cells in the row that are programmed with the bit state. The selected set of bit states is then used to program the memory cells in the row.
US09312006B2
A scheme for non-volatile ternary content-addressable memory with resistive memory device is proposed. The non-volatile ternary content-addressable memory comprises five transistors including a pair of search transistors with a first search transistor and a second search transistor, a read transistor, a write transistor and a match line transistor, wherein a match line is coupled to the match line transistor; and a pair of variable resistances have a first variable resistance and a second variable resistance. The pair of search transistors is coupled to the pair of variable resistances.
US09311998B2
Apparatus to store data and methods to read memory cells are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves, during a read cycle of a memory cell, applying a current across the memory cell to read a content of the memory cell. During a subsequent read cycle of the memory cell, a subsequent current is applied across the memory cell in the opposite direction to read the content of the memory cell.
US09311985B2
A memory includes a plurality of word lines, a target address generation unit generating one or more target addresses by using a stored address, a refresh control section activating a refresh signal in response to a refresh command that is periodically inputted and periodically activating the refresh signal in a self-refresh mode, a target refresh control section activating a target refresh signal when the refresh signal is activated M times, wherein the M is a natural number, and deactivating the target refresh signal in the self-refresh mode, and a row control section sequentially refresh a plurality of first word lines in response to the refresh signal and refreshing a second word line corresponding to the target address in response to the refresh signal when the target refresh signal is activated.
US09311983B2
A refresh voltage control engine selectively applies different high voltages to use in refresh operations. The control engine can detect that a portion of a memory device needs to be refreshed, and determine that the refresh cycle time is too short for a state of the portion of the memory device. The memory device typically has an associated refresh cycle time or time between refreshes based on the device and system architecture. The control engine can generate one or more control signals to cause the system to apply an overcharge refresh to overcharge the portion of the memory device with a refresh operation to extend the refresh cycle time for the portion of the memory device.
US09311970B2
A method of writing data includes receiving a data page to be stored in a data storage device and initiating an encode operation to encode the data page. The encode operation generates first encoded data and a first portion of the first encoded data is stored to the first physical page of the data storage device. The method includes initiating storage of a second portion of the first encoded data to a second physical page of the data storage device. The method also includes initiating a decode operation to recover the data page. The decode operation uses a representation of the first portion of the first encoded data that is read from the first physical page without using any data from the second physical page.
US09311968B2
A read time tracking mechanism (RTTM) for ensuring sufficient read time is provided. The read time tracking mechanism includes a read tracking circuit, which includes a tracking bit line (TBL) tracking circuit with one or more tracking cells, and a tracking word line (TWL). The RTTM also includes a sense amplifier enable (SAE) timing device configured to change the logic threshold of tracking WL (TWL) to delay the timing of signal change of TWL when necessary to ensure sufficient read time. The read time tracking mechanism is used to provide sufficient read time for memory arrays with various configurations, prepared under various process conditions, and operated under various voltages, and temperatures.
US09311959B1
Apparatus and method for optimizing read channel parameters in a storage device. In some embodiments, a method includes obtaining raw error rate data for different read channel parameter values in each of a plurality of zones of a memory. The raw error rate data for each of the different reach channel parameter values are filtered to provide a sequence of second order polynomial curves with smoothed data points in each of the zones. A second order regression is applied to the smoothed data points in each of the zones to provide a sequence of regression curves. An optimal read channel parameter value for each of the zones is selected using the sequence of regression curves, and the optimal read channel parameter values are used during subsequent read operations to retrieve data stored in the zones.
US09311957B2
A multi-channel audio signal converting device using a time-varying digital filter, an electronic system including the same, and a method of converting an audio signal using the time-varying digital filter are provided. The multi-channel audio signal converting device includes a first signal channel and a second signal channel configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion using a first clock signal; and a first time-varying filter configured to synchronize a digital audio signal synchronized with a second clock signal different from the first clock signal with the first clock signal and to input the digital audio signal to the second signal channel when digital-to-analog conversion is performed or to synchronize an output signal of the second signal channel with the second clock signal when analog-to-digital conversion is performed.
US09311939B1
Write-through media caching for a Data Storage Device (DSD) including at least one disk for storing data. A write command is received for storing data in the DSD and the data is written for the write command in a first region of the at least one disk with a first track density. The data for the write command is also written in a second region of the at least one disk with a second track density greater than the first track density without reading the data for the write command from the first region.
US09311930B2
A method of determining contexts for a vehicle, each context corresponding to one or more events associated with the vehicle, for example that the radio is on and a window is open. The method comprises detecting sound activities in an audio signal captured in the vehicle, and assigning context to the vehicle based on the detected sound activities. Non-audio data such as the operational status of a vehicle system or device is used to help assign contexts.
US09311927B2
The present invention relates to a device and a corresponding method for audible transient noise detection in an audio signal. To avoid the detection of false positives or at least reduce the number of detected false positives a device is proposed comprising a detector configured to detect a set of transient noise candidates in time or frequency domain among a plurality of samples of said audio signal, and a selector configured to select audible transient noise candidates from said set of transient noise candidates by use of one or more selection criteria, wherein the selection criteria used for said selection are selected and/or whose parameters are at least partly set based on characteristics of said audio signal.
US09311925B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus in which samples of at least a part of an audio signal of a first channel and a part of an audio signal of a second channel are used to produce a sparse representation of the audio signals to increase the encoding efficiency. In an example embodiment one or more audio signals are input and relevant auditory cues are determined in a time-frequency plane. The relevant auditory cues are combined to form an auditory neurons map. Said one or more audio signals are transformed into a transform domain and the auditory neurons map is used to form a sparse representation of said one or more audio signal.
US09311915B2
A processing system receives an audio signal encoding a portion of an utterance. The processing system receives context information associated with the utterance, wherein the context information is not derived from the audio signal or any other audio signal. The processing system provides, as input to a neural network, data corresponding to the audio signal and the context information, and generates a transcription for the utterance based on at least an output of the neural network.
US09311914B2
The subject matter discloses a method two phase phonetic indexing and search comprising: receiving a digital representation of an audio signal; producing a phonetic index of the audio signal; producing phonetic N-gram sequence from the phonetic index by segmenting the phonetic index into a plurality of phonetic N-grams; and producing an inverted index of the plurality of phonetic N-grams.
US09311909B2
Sounds sensed by a microphone of a device include sounds from a cooling fan of the device that varies based on the speed of the cooling fan, and other sounds used by a program of the device such as voice inputs. The sound level of sounds used by the program is determined, and the speed of the fan is adjusted so that a desired cooling level is attained while keeping the fan speed low enough that the noise from the fan does not interfere with the sounds used by the program.
US09311884B2
A disclosed portable terminal includes: an inclination measurement unit that measures an inclination of the portable terminal; a change unit that change a display direction of contents to be displayed on a display screen of the portable terminal according to a state of a user holding the portable terminal; an operation interval setting unit that sets an operation interval of the change unit based on change of the inclination over time, which was measured by the inclination measurement unit; and an operation controller that causes the change unit to operate at intervals that were set by the operation interval setting unit.
US09311880B2
A GOA circuit structure comprises multiple twined GOA units cascaded with each other, each said twined GOA unit comprises the (2N−1)-level GOA unit and the 2N-level GOA unit, which has a first pull-down holding circuit, a second pull-down holding circuit, a third pull-down holding circuit, and a fourth pull-down holding circuit connected with the (2N−1)-level gate signal point (Q(2N−1)) and the 2N-level gate signal point (Q(2N)). By inputting the first clock signal, the second clock signal, the third clock signal, and the fourth clock signal to make the four pull-down holding circuits work alternately. The GOA circuit structure makes each portion work for ¼ time and take rest for ¾ time by sharing the pull-down holding circuit, to reduce the TFT stress of the pull-down holding circuit.
US09311877B2
A liquid crystal display includes: a liquid crystal capacitor; a first switching element which transmits a data voltage to the liquid crystal capacitor; a second switching element connected to the liquid crystal capacitor; and a transformation capacitor connected to the second switching element. A difference between a first time when the first switching element is turned on and a second time when the second switching element starts is turned on is greater than 1 horizontal period and less than 1 frame period.
US09311872B2
A display device (1) includes (i) refresh rate changing means (15) for changing a refresh rate of a display panel (2) and (ii) a polarity reversal controlling section (20) for changing, in accordance with a change in the refresh rate, at least one of a temporal cycle and a spatial cycle of a polarity reversal of a source signal.
US09311866B2
The present invention provides a method for selecting FRC pattern, which includes (1) providing a display device, which includes a display panel, a signal controller including a look-up table and a data processor, and a data driver; (2) the display panel displaying an image and the signal controller supplying and expanding polarity distribution charts of two adjacent frames of the image; (3) establishing matrixes A, B corresponding to the frames; (4) the data processor retrieving and expanding one FRC pattern from the look-up table into matrixes C, D; (5) the data processor making operation on matrixes A, B, C and D to obtain a two-dimensional chart; and (6) determining if bright/dark strips occur according to the two-dimensional chart, whereby if the strips occur, then repeat steps (4)-(6) and if no such strips occur, then the FRC pattern is kept for subsequent use.
US09311862B2
A light source unit that uses white light LEDs in a backlight apparatus is provided with a plurality of white light LEDs that can individually provide white light illumination. Each of the white light LED units respectively corresponds to partition areas in the vertical direction of the screen and is illuminated by scanning in sequence in conformity to the display screen of an LCD display unit. LED units that carry out white light display by RGB color mixing are continuously illuminated. In addition, in another embodiment, white light LEDs are continuously illuminated in a low power consumption mode, and ELD units that carry out white light display by RGB color mixing are illuminated by scanning in sequence in conformity to the display screen of the LCD display device.
US09311855B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device includes a substrate including a circular arc portion and a driving circuit connecting portion connected to the top of the circular arc portion. The circular arc portion is substantially circular around a center point. A display area is formed in the circular arc portion. The display area has a circular shape centered around the center point. A driving power supply line is formed in the circular arc portion and configured to provide a driving voltage for OLED pixels of the OLED display device. The driving power supply line formed to at least partially surround the display area. A number of power lines electrically connect the driving power supply line to the OLED pixels. A number of bridge lines are formed outside of the display area, where each bridge line connecting one of the power lines with at least one adjacent power line.
US09311851B2
A pixel circuit includes: an organic light emitting diode (“OLED”); a threshold circuit which generates an output signal based on an input signal, where the threshold circuit has a hysteresis characteristic with respect to the input signal; a first transistor including a first electrode connected to a data line, a second electrode connected to an input terminal of the threshold circuit, and a gate electrode connected to a scan line; and a second transistor including a first electrode connected to a first power, a second electrode connected to an anode of the organic light emitting diode, and a gate electrode connected to an output terminal of the threshold circuit, where the second transistor controls a current amount that flows to the organic light emitting diode from the first power based on the output signal of the threshold circuit.
US09311844B2
A source driver and a method to reduce peak current of the source driver are provided. The source driver includes a latch circuit, a level shifter and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit. The latch circuit latches current bit-data. The latch circuit is coupled to an input terminal of the level shifter. The DAC circuit is coupled to an output terminal of the level shifter. When the current bit-data is not a complement of previous bit-data, the latch circuit selects and outputs the current bit-data to the input terminal of the level shifter, and the DAC circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to the output data of the level shifter. When the current bit-data is the complement of the previous bit-data, the latch circuit selects and outputs the previous bit-data to the input terminal of the level shifter, and the DAC circuit outputs a voltage corresponding to the current bit-data.
US09311841B2
This multi-primary-color display device (100) includes a multi-primary-color display panel (10) and a signal converter (20). The display device assigns a plurality of subpixels that form each pixel to a plurality of virtual pixels and is able to conduct a display operation using each of the plurality of virtual pixels as a minimum color display unit. The signal converter (20) includes: a low-frequency multi-primary-color signal generating section (21) which generates a low-frequency multi-primary-color signal; a high-frequency luminance signal generating section (22) which generates a high-frequency luminance signal; and a rendering processing section (23) which performs rendering processing on the plurality of virtual pixels based on the low-frequency multi-primary-color signal and the high-frequency luminance signal. The signal converter (20) further includes a magnitude of correction calculating section (24) which calculates, based on an input image signal, the magnitude of correction to be made on the high-frequency luminance signal during the rendering processing.
US09311839B2
A method for driving a liquid crystal panel, a method for testing flicker and a liquid crystal display apparatus are disclosed. They relate to the technical field of liquid crystal display. By changing the driving mode of polarity inversion, it is achieved that the flicker test is performed on the liquid crystal panel with the Z inversion array arrangement on basis of the flicker test pattern of 1+2H. In two adjacent columns of pixel units in the plurality of pixel units, one column common data line is connected with the pixel electrodes located at the opposed sides of the common data line alternatively through the thin film transistors. The method for driving the liquid crystal panel comprises: applying the data line driving signals with opposed polarities to the odd columns of data lines and the even columns of data lines within one frame of picture, wherein the polarities of the data line driving signals are inversed, each time two rows of the gate lines have been scanned, to form a specific polarity arrangement, the initial data line driving signals for two adjacent frames of pictures have opposed polarities.
US09311830B2
A labeling article and a method of use and assembly of the labeling article, where the labeling article comprises a label, an elastic securing band, and a release liner, and where the elastic securing band is configured to be stretched to define a loop between the elastic securing band and the release liner.
US09311827B1
A wearable assistive device or system utilizing touch as a sensory modality to assist the ambulation of the visually impaired. The wearable assistive device or system is worn on a user's leg, and includes a pair of robotic arms that grip the ankles upon the detection of an object by an ultrasonic sensor within a predetermined distance. The device is also GPS-enabled to assist the navigation of a user from one place to another. The wearable assistive device is controlled by a computing device that is worn on the same foot or other foot of the user.
US09311826B2
An energy consumption estimator includes a body motion sensor, a first calculation unit, an acquisition unit, and a second calculation unit. The body motion sensor detects body motion by a user. Based on the body motion detected by the body motion sensor, the first calculation unit calculates the user's total energy consumption. The acquisition unit acquires the user's energy consumption derived from fats and lipids. Based on the energy consumption derived from fats and lipids and on the total energy consumption, the second calculation unit calculates the user's total energy derived from carbohydrates.
US09311822B2
An interactive book assembly has first and second page portions, and a plurality of uniquely-shaped workpieces. The first page portion removably retains the workpieces in a plurality of first receiving areas. The second page portion has a plurality of second receiving areas that have unique shapes that each match a respective one of the workpieces so as to receive and retain a mating. Each second receiving area has a switch area located to correspond to the position of an indicia area of the mating workpiece when the mating workpiece is positioned in the respective second receiving area. Membrane switches are positioned adjacent to a switch area of each second receiving area to align with the indicia area of the workpiece inserted into the matching second receiving area. When a reader presses the activation indicium on the workpiece, the workpiece will press against the switch area, causing activation of the associated membrane switch and generation of a sound relating to the workpiece.
US09311810B2
A system includes a standard functionality hosting device. The hosting device includes standard functionality hosting logic that includes machine-readable instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium configured to implement, control, or implement and control management functionalities defined by a standard, for one or more devices that are not independently enabled to implement, control, or implement and control the management functionalities. Further, the hosting device includes a processor configured to implement the alarm standard hosting logic.
US09311809B2
A hand hygiene module and method of instructing and monitoring compliance of a hand hygiene event include a sanitizer dispensing device and the steps of identifying an initiation of a use of the sanitizer dispensing device and actively sequentially providing a plurality of stimuli to a user during the use of the sanitizer dispensing device, the plurality of stimuli including at least one of an audible signaling and a visual signaling and actively sequentially instructing each of a plurality of hygiene steps.
US09311803B2
A network includes a supervisory sensor in communication with a wireless network and a non-supervisory sensor in communication with the supervisory sensor, wherein the non-supervisory sensor communicates with the wireless network through the supervisory sensor. The supervisory sensor may be configured to receive downloads from a server communicating through the wireless network and to collect data from the non-supervisory sensor. The supervisory sensor may be configured to transmit the collected data to a server on the wireless network. Moreover, the non-supervisory sensor and the supervisory sensor each have an active state and an inactive state and wherein the supervisory sensor may be in the active state while the non-supervisory sensor is in the inactive state.
US09311800B2
The disclosure relates to a safety device and a method for detecting and evaluating the degree of attention of an operator of a technical installation or a technical process, which includes a first module which records values of predefined physiological parameters of the operator and determines a first characteristic number from the recorded values, compares the determined first characteristic number with a predefined first characteristic value, which activates a second module which records further values provided by a checking or triggering mechanism. The second module determines a second characteristic number for the degree of attention of the operator from the recorded further values, compares the second characteristic number with at least one second predefined characteristic value, which triggers an activation module in order to take countermeasures which increase the attention of the operator of the installation.
US09311799B2
A technique for modifying radio frequency identification (RFID) system operation using movement detection includes an RFID scanner disposed within an environment and operable to obtain RFID data from RFID tags located within the environment. An imaging device captures video of the environment, and a processor analyzes the captured video from the imaging device to detect and locate movement within the environment. If movement is detected within the environment, the processor modifies operation of the RFID scanner that is proximal to the location of the movement, increasing or decreasing interrogation rate, for example.
US09311793B2
Disclosed is a motion detection system for use in entryways or areas wherein a user may wish to monitor activity, comprising a wireless emitter and detector or system thereof. The emitters utilize a plurality of infrared or other media sensors to emit outgoing signals detecting an object blocking a pathway prescribed by an area between the emitter and a predetermined barrier. Reflections of the outgoing signals are received by the detector and an internal processor calculates an action based on the received input. An automatic calibration is conducted to match the physical reflectivity of the area to minimize false alarms, while the direction of a passing object is determined by a calculated reflection strength gradient and/or time-delay in signal reflectivity. The emitters may be programmed to emit certain alerts based on their input or send signals to a base station, which is communicated to via wireless transmission.
US09311792B2
An apparatus including an elongated apparatus structure configured to fit around a body part of a user and an actuator configured to change shape of the elongated apparatus structure. The actuator is configured to change tightness of the elongated apparatus structure around the body part of the user based on an action the apparatus is performing.
US09311781B2
A gaming system including a cascading symbol or tumbling reel game which utilizes zero, one or more upgrades in association with zero, one or more shifting symbols. Upon an occurrence of an upgrade event, the gaming system upgrades one or more aspects or attributes of one or more games played. In certain embodiments, such upgrades pertain to upgrading one or more symbols displayed at one or more symbol display positions of one or more symbol display position grids. In certain other embodiments, such upgrades pertain to upgrading the award evaluation of one or more symbols displayed at one or more symbol display positions of one or more symbol display position grids. In certain other embodiments, such upgrades pertain to upgrading one or more attributes or features of one or more bonus or secondary games which are subsequently triggered.
US09311778B2
Methods and apparatus for playing video games in a network environment are provided. One method includes receiving a request to initiate a game for a player of a first network connected device and enabling a second player from a second networked connected device to play the game. The method also enables transfer of currency between the first and second players using the network for playing the game. The method debits an account of a player that transferred the currency and credits an account of a player that that received the currency. The method then enables purchases in the game using the credited currency and displays an avatar of the first player on a display of the second networked connected device, and displays an avatar of the second player on a display of the first networked connected device.
US09311776B2
A local game-area network includes a plurality of gaming devices and local game-area servers. Each local game-area server is associated with a corresponding gaming device. Each local game-area server in the local game-area network is operatively associated with every other local game-area server in the local game-area network. Additionally, one of the local game-area servers is a host local game-area server while the remaining gaming devices and associated local game-area servers are clients. Furthermore, the host status of the host local game-area server moves dynamically to an available local game-area server in the local game-area network in response to the host local game-area server becoming non-operational.
US09311775B2
A secure architecture can provide a bridge between the utility and entertainment value of online properties. An architecture that employs an internal entity that controls import and export of data (“import/export controller”) and an external entity that operates as a liaison (“data liaison”) between the import/export controller and one or more other online properties allows this bridge in a secure manner. The import/export controller and the data liaison handle data transmissions (e.g., data feeds, data updates, etc.) between the online properties without exposing resources of the online properties. The import/export controller applies rules that regulate import and export of data, and the data liaison allows the import/export controller to operate in obscurity.
US09311769B2
A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. Via E-mailing or texting, a server can mediate communications between a user-controlled device, such as a mobile device, and an EGM. In one embodiment, for a transaction involving interactions with a user-controlled device and an EGM, the server can be configured to create a temporary e-mail or text message address. In particular embodiments, a transaction can involve transferring credits to or from the EGM or transferring game play related information from the EGM to a user specified location.
US09311768B2
Certain examples provide gaming systems and methods. An example gaming system includes a display and a game controller arranged to: cause the display to display a plurality of game displays in which a plurality of games will be carried out; receive a player selection of a game of the plurality of games; carry out the plurality of games in their respective game displays; and make an award upon a comparison of an outcome of the player selected game with an outcome of a non-selected game or games satisfying an award criteria.
US09311756B2
Techniques are provided for efficiently generating 3D information from a set of digital images. Techniques are also provided for displaying groups (or clusters) of digital images using 3D information associated with the digital images. In one technique, a group of digital images are displayed as a stack of thumbnail images where the thumbnail images are aligned on a display with respect to each other based on common features identified in the digital images, camera position, and/or camera pose. In another technique, a group of digital images are organized on a display in either a 3D layout or a 2D layout based on 3D information associated with each digital image in the group. In another technique, a transition effect is generated based on projections of two digital images onto a common scene plane and blending (or cross fading) one of the 3D projections with the other of the 3D projections.
US09311754B2
An image acquisition unit acquires an image captured by a first imaging device provided in a HMD for presenting an image observed when a three-dimensional image in a virtual three-dimensional space is projected onto a real-world setting, the first imaging device being configured to visualize an area including a field of view of a user wearing the HMD. A marker detection unit detects a marker included in the image captured by the first imaging device and acquired by the image acquisition unit. The image acquisition unit acquires an image captured by a second imaging device having an angle of view that at least partially overlaps an angle of view of the first imaging device. If the marker is not captured in the image captured by the first imaging device, the marker detection unit detects the marker in an image captured by the second imaging device.
US09311751B2
Various embodiments are disclosed that relate to the presentation of images of shadows cast over a real-world background by images of objects displayed on a see-through display. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of operating a display device having a see-through display screen. The method comprises displaying on the see-through display screen an image of an object, and while displaying the image of the object, displaying an image of a shadow cast by the object onto the background scene by acquiring an image of a background scene, determining a location of the shadow in the image of the background scene, rendering an enhanced image of the background scene by increasing a relative brightness in a region adjacent to the shadow compared to a brightness within the shadow, and displaying the enhanced image of the background scene.
US09311745B2
Systems and methods are described for performing mechanical analysis of particulate systems by describing particle morphology of particles within the system using Non-Uniform Rational Basis Spline (NURBS). One embodiment includes generating a NURBS description for the particle morphology of a plurality of particles within a particulate system, determining contact points between at least two particles based on the NURBS description, determining a magnitude of the contact between the at least two particles based on the NURBS description, determining normal forces and associated moments based upon the contact points and the magnitude of the contact between the at least two particles, determining tangential forces and associated moments based upon the contact points and the magnitude of the contact between the at least two particles, and performing mechanical analysis of the particulate system based on the contact between the at least two particles and the resulting forces and associated moments.
US09311741B2
Systems and methods of rendering a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment rendering are disclosed. The system comprises a central processing device, a plurality of user devices in data communication with the central processing device, a plurality of application servers in data communication with the central processing device, and software executing on the central processor. The software creates and renders a 3D virtual environment, receives user data from each of the plurality of user devices, renders the user data received from each of the user devices in the 3D virtual environment, receives application data from each of the application servers, renders the application data received from each of the application servers in the 3D virtual environment, and outputs the rendered 3D virtual environment to each of the user devices. The 3D virtual environment serves as a direct user interface with the Internet by allowing users to visually navigate the world wide web.
US09311739B2
A ray tracing core comprising a ray generation unit and a plurality of T&I (Traversal & Intersection) units with MIMD (Multiple Instruction stream Multiple Data stream) architecture is disclosed. The ray generation unit generates at least one eye ray based on an eye ray generation information. The eye ray generation information includes a screen coordinate value. Each of the plurality of T&I units receives the at least one eye ray and checks whether there exists a triangle intersected with the received at least one eye ray. The triangle configures a space.
US09311728B2
Methods are provided for creating dynamic lists from selected areas of a power system of a utility company. The utility company has an energy management system with a control panel. The energy management system is used to access one or more source displays of a site. Rubber-banding or lassoing is used to create selected areas from at least a portion of the source displays. Lists are dynamically created. Operator defined information is displayed for each element type in a list of network elements from the selected areas that have been rubber-banded or lassoed.
US09311721B1
Systems and methods for decompressing compressed data that has been compressed by way of a lossless compression algorithm are described herein. In a general embodiment, a graphics processing unit (GPU) is programmed to receive compressed data packets and decompress such packets in parallel. The compressed data packets are compressed representations of an image, and the lossless compression algorithm is a Rice compression algorithm.
US09311720B2
Computer-implemented methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program stored therein are provided to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of modeling a core sample from two-dimensional images of the core sample. Embodiments of the invention include, for example, image registering a plurality of images of transverse sections of a core sample to produce aligned transverse sections and performing a saw cut correction on the aligned images to adjust the images for a slab cut. Embodiments of the saw cut correction can include, for example, identifying the saw cut line, approximating the slab cut boundary, and moving a portion of the representation of the image to the periphery of the approximated slab cut boundary. Embodiments can further include, generating three-dimensional models of the core sample and the internal composition of a borehole related to the core sample using the adjusted saw cut line images and multipoint statistics calculations.
US09311714B2
An image manipulation process is controlled by a spatial periodicity measure formed for an image or an image block by measuring the sparseness of the two-dimensional spatial frequency spectrum of the image on a scale of zero to unity in which a two-dimensional spatial frequency spectrum having all equal values has a sparseness of zero and in which a two-dimensional spatial frequency spectrum having only one non-zero value has a sparseness of unity. Sparseness may be measured by allocating values of the spectrum to frequency bins and counting the number of bins that contain non-zero values; comparing values of the spectrum with a threshold and counting the number of values that exceed the threshold; or forming a function of the mean-square value and the mean value of the spectrum values.
US09311701B2
An image processing apparatus includes a display controller. The display controller is configured to arrange a foreground image in a three-dimensional space and display, on a display device, the foreground image as an inspection status image representing an inspection status by an ultrasonic wave. The foreground image includes a linear image being as an image including a plurality of linear images that change in accordance with a status of a probe and connect the center of a circle and a circumference of the circle with each other, a probe image that is located at the center of the circle and has a shape of the probe, and a spherical image being as a spherical image that represents a range to which the ultrasonic wave output from the probe is applied and has a cross section as the circle.
US09311693B2
A system and method for enhancing the rendering of one or more objects based on payment and account options. The system includes a computer infrastructure configured to control enhancement rendering of an object in a virtual universe by providing at least one augmentation attribute to a tag of the object. The method includes providing enhancement rendering of an object in a virtual universe by augmenting the object based on a status of a user viewing the object.
US09311685B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for providing a geolocation check-in system. An exemplary apparatus is configured to collect positioning data related to a user. After collecting position data the apparatus may be configure to determine, based at least partially on the positioning data that the user has crossed a threshold of a geofence associated with a merchant's location. Based at least partially on this determination the apparatus may be configured to initiate a merchant check-in associated with the user and transmit user information to the merchant.
US09311683B1
In one implementation, data that reveals a user identity's engagement with an electronic social networking platform is extracted from the electronic social networking platform. A numeric measure of the user identity's engagement with the platform then is calculated based on the extracted data.
US09311679B2
Managing an enterprise social media management platform includes: receiving a request by a user to perform an action on a social media asset that is maintained at an external social media platform; checking whether the user has permission to perform the action on the social media asset, based at least in part on a mapping of the social media asset and a permission level associated with the user; in the event that the user is determined to have permission to perform the action, allowing the user to proceed with the action on the social media asset; and in the event that the user is determined not to have permission to perform the action, disallowing the user to proceed with the action on the social media asset.
US09311667B2
A method for managing an electronic purchase of items. Multiple modes of fulfillment are identified for the items of the electronic purchase. A schedule for the multiple modes of fulfillment is also identified. Payment is received for the electronic purchase. Responsive to receiving the payment, the electronic purchase of the items is processed based on the schedule.
US09311666B2
An apparatus and method to facilitate finding complementary recommendations are disclosed herein. One or more fashion trend or pleasing color combination rules are determined based on data obtained from one or more sources. One or more template images and rule triggers corresponding to the fashion trend or pleasing color combination rules are generated, each of the rule triggers associated with at least one of the template images. A processor compares a first image attribute of a particular one of the template images to a second image attribute of each of a plurality of inventory images corresponding to the plurality of inventory items to identify the inventory items complementary to the query image. The particular one of the template images is selected based on the rule trigger corresponding to the particular one of the template images being applicable for a query image.
US09311664B2
A method of collecting data from multiple sources in a multi-tenant system is provided. The method includes obtaining data corresponding to a first tenant in the multi-tenant system and a second tenant in the multi-tenant system from a first source, obtaining data corresponding to the first tenant in the multi-tenant system and the second tenant in the multi-tenant system from a second source, and aggregating the data obtained from the first and second sources into a single database and associating each entry of the obtained data with at least one of the tenants of the multi-tenant system.
US09311662B2
A computer-implemented method and system for managing keyword bidding prices are disclosed. An example method comprises: determining revenue parameters associated with a keyword; obtaining automatic bid controls associated with the keyword and the revenue parameters; automatically generating a bid value for the keyword based on the bid controls and the revenue parameters, the automatic bid controls including a gap position target value, the gap position target value representing a position in a gap between a first next higher bid and a second next higher bid, the gap position target value corresponding to a specific monetary value between the first next higher bid and the second next higher bid; and transmitting the bid value to an online service via a data network communication.
US09311658B2
There is provided a media content server for inserting a location-based advertisement into an online media content. The media content server comprises a memory including an online media content for online access; a processor configured to receive a request from a client for the online media content; determine an IP address of the client based on the request; map the IP address to a local advertisement server serving an area corresponding to the IP address; request a local advertisement from the local advertisement server; provide the local advertisement to the client; and provide the online media content from the memory to the client. The online media content has a first and second sequential segments, and the local advertisement may be provided to the client after the first segment is provided and before the second segment is provided.
US09311656B2
Systems and methods facilitate entry into an access-controlled location using a mobile communication device. The method comprises receiving at the mobile communication device via a communication network an entry code that facilitates access to the access-controlled location, storing the entry code in a memory associated with the mobile communication device, and, in response to determining that the mobile communication device is within the predetermined distance of the access-controlled location, transmitting the entry code from the mobile communication device to an entry-control computer system, which determines whether the entry code is valid. The method may further comprise receiving at the mobile communication device an indication that the entry code is valid, and, in order to gain entry into the access-controlled location at an entrance to the access-controlled location, providing to the entry-control computer system via the mobile communication device the indication that the entry code is valid.
US09311653B1
The present disclosure includes a system, method, and article of manufacture for measuring the effectiveness of an advertisement. In various embodiments, the system may compare exposed data indicating that a first customer was exposed to a targeted advertisement to a first spending activity associated with the first customer. The system may further compare unexposed data indicating that a second customer was exposed to a neutral advertisement to a second spending activity associated with the second customer. Further still, the system may, in various embodiments, generate a spend report based on the comparing the exposed data to the first spending activity and the comparing the unexposed data to the second spending activity.
US09311652B2
A method, an apparatus, and a system for generating and verifying a color barcode are provided. The method for verifying the color barcode is adapted to an electronic apparatus to execute verification with use of a color barcode certificate. In the method, direction information of a plurality of boundaries among a plurality of serially connected symbolic elements in the color barcode certificate is read to retrieve first authentication information of a first party. Each of the symbolic elements is one of at least two polygons, and colors of adjacent symbolic elements are different. Color information of the symbolic elements is then read to retrieve second authentication information of a second party. An identity of a holder of the color barcode certificate is verified according to the first authentication information and the second authentication information.
US09311645B2
Techniques for checkout security using video surveillance are provided. A customer is video tracked while in a store, the pauses made in aisles and the arm movements are recorded. Expected purchased items, based on movements and pauses by the customer within the store, are then compared to actual purchased items and a determination is made whether a checkout audit is needed for the customer.
US09311644B2
Techniques for categorizing item listings based on parsing item listing titles are described. According to various embodiments, listing titles of one or more item listings on a marketplace website are accessed, the item listings being associated with a particular product category in a product category structure of the marketplace website. Words in each of the listing titles may then be converted to semantic tokens in a token symbol space, based on a tokenization process. Thereafter, n-gram modeling may be performed on the tokens corresponding to each of the listing titles of the item listings in the particular product category. One or more dominant n-gram models associated with the listing titles of the item listings in the particular product category may then be identified.
US09311643B2
At each of a plurality of merchant Point Of Service terminals (POS), for each of a plurality of consumers, where each consumer seeks to conduct a transaction with the merchant for a good or service by using a payment device issued by an issuer in a payment system, data is read from the payment device. The data can include an identifier for an account issued by an issuer. The consumer is permitted to receive the good or service from the merchant prior to validating the account with the issuer. Transaction information for each transaction is stored during a predetermined aggregation criteria, such as time period, number of transactions, monetary volume, etc., into an aggregation set of said transactions. During the predetermined aggregation criteria, an evaluation is made, by communication with the corresponding issuer, whether the accounts in the aggregation set of transactions are valid.
US09311634B1
A system for bill pay enrollment may comprise at least one subsystem that scans a paper a bill into a digital image, at least one subsystem that recognizes information on the digital image, and at least one subsystem that uses at least some of the recognized information to enroll a payee into a bill pay system.
US09311633B2
In one embodiment, a method for transferring digital files is provided. The method includes: downloading an application for facilitating the transfer of used digital files; storing the application at the client; receiving an indication of a used digital file that a user desires to sell; searching, using the application, storage on the client to determine any instances of the digital file; deleting any instances of the digital file if they are determined; transferring a forwarded file of the used digital file to a second entity; and deleting, using the application, the used digital file from the client upon transfer of the forwarded file.
US09311611B2
A method for service level management comprises identifying connected enterprise application components and, under control of an automated system, relating historical performance for the connected enterprise application components and electronically creating a service level agreement based on the historical performance relation.
US09311608B2
A teaching system includes an image generating unit, a projecting unit, a work line generating unit, an arithmetic unit, and a job generating unit. The image generating unit generates a virtual image including a robot and a workpiece having a processed surface to be processed by the robot. The projecting unit generates a projection plane orthogonal to a normal direction of a desired point on the processed surface selected on the virtual image and projects the processed surface onto the projection plane. The work line generating unit generates a work line for the robot based on setting contents received via the projection plane. The arithmetic unit calculates a teaching value including the position and the posture of the robot at each point of the target points. The job generating unit generates a job program for operating the robot in an actual configuration based on the teaching value.
US09311605B1
A modeling framework for evaluating the impact of weather conditions on farming and harvest operations applies real-time, field-level weather data and forecasts of meteorological and climatological conditions together with user-provided and/or observed feedback of a present state of a harvest-related condition to agronomic models and to generate a plurality of harvest advisory outputs for precision agriculture. A harvest advisory model simulates and predicts the impacts of this weather information and user-provided and/or observed feedback in one or more physical, empirical, or artificial intelligence models of precision agriculture to analyze crops, plants, soils, and resulting agricultural commodities, and provides harvest advisory outputs to a diagnostic support tool for users to enhance farming and harvest decision-making, whether by providing pre-, post-, or in situ-harvest operations and crop analysis.
US09311603B2
A system and method assesses and manages risk of an operation of a user. A rules engine of computer executable instructions stored in the storage device determines at least one of a safety risk measurement based on key performance indicators, an operational safety risk measurement for the operation as a function of the operational safety risk measurement information stored in a storage device and/or a conditional safety risk measurement for the operation as a function of the conditional safety risk measurement information stored in the storage device. A processor connected to the storage device executes the rules engine. An output interface connected to the processor indicates the determined safety risk for the operation.
US09311598B1
A system monitors a network or web application provided by one or more distributed applications and provides data for each and every method instance in an efficient low-cost manner. The web application may be provided by one or more web services each implemented as a virtual machine or one or more applications implemented on a virtual machine. Agents may be installed on one or more servers at an application level, virtual machine level, or other level. The agent may identify one or more hot spot methods based on current or past performance, functionality, content, or business relevancy. Based on learning techniques, efficient monitoring, and resource management, the present system may capture data for and provide analysis information for outliers of a web application with very low overhead.
US09311597B2
While at least one candidate solution of a first generation of candidate solutions remains to be evaluated in accordance with a fitness function for an optimization problem, a plurality of candidate solutions is selected from the first generation of candidate solutions to participate in a tournament. It is determined whether each of the plurality of candidate solutions selected to participate in the tournament have been evaluated in accordance with the fitness function. If all have been evaluated, then one or more winners of the tournament are selected from the plurality of candidate solutions of the first generation of candidate solutions. A candidate solution of a second generation of candidate solutions is created with the selected one or more winners of the tournament in accordance with a genetic operator.
US09311595B1
Described is a system for searching a continuous data stream for exact matches with a priori stored data sequences. The system includes a neural network with an input and an output layer. The input layer has one neuron for each possible character or number in the data stream, and the output layer has one neuron for each stored pattern. Importantly, the delays of the connections from input to output layer are engineered to match the temporal occurrence of an input character within a stored sequence. Thus, if an input sequence has the proper time gaps between characters, matching a stored pattern, then the delayed neural signals result in a simultaneous activation at the receiving neuron, which indicates a detected pattern. For storing a pattern, only one connection for each pair of input character and output neuron has to be specified resulting in sparse coding and quick storage.
US09311594B1
Sensory encoder may be implemented. Visual encoder apparatus may comprise spiking neuron network configured to receive photodetector input. Excitability of neurons may be adjusted and output spike may be generated based on the input. When neurons generate spiking response, spiking threshold may be dynamically adapted to produce desired output rate. The encoder may dynamically adapt its input range to match statistics of the input and to produce output spikes at an appropriate rate and/or latency. Adaptive input range adjustment and/or spiking threshold adjustment collaborate to enable recognition of features in sensory input of varying dynamic range.
US09311592B1
A system for tracking identifying and detecting a tamper evident closure assembly for a pre-filled syringe, as well as multiple components associated therewith, along various points of a distribution route, including the location where the syringe is being accessed. A predetermined identifying code is applied to each or predetermined ones of a plurality of components of the same closure assembly in the form of electronically, visually or optically readable coded indicia. Alternatively, the predetermined identifying code can be one or more RFID structures each disposed on a predetermined one of the multiple components. The predetermined identifying code enables one to determine the identity and distinguish each of a plurality of closure assemblies and their multiple components from one another. The occurrence of tampering with a closure assembly can be accomplished by reading, detecting and/or comparing the predetermined identifying code on any of the multiple components of a closure assembly.
US09311590B2
The present invention relates to a magnetic antenna for information communication using a magnetic field component which is a magnetic antenna or an RF tag capable of satisfying both reduction in size and improvement in communication sensitivity. More specifically, the present invention relates to an RF tag comprising a magnetic antenna for transmitting and receiving information using an electromagnetic induction method, and an IC mounted to the magnetic antenna, said magnetic antenna comprising a magnetic core and a plurality of coils formed on the magnetic core in which the coils each have an inductance L1 satisfying the specific relational formula, and are formed with bank winding when the coils are lap-wound so as to prevent increase in parasitic capacitance thereof, connected in parallel to each other in an electric circuit, and disposed in series on the magnetic core; and a combined inductance L0 of the magnetic antenna satisfies the specific relational formula.
US09311581B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for entering into a computer in an automated manner the fulfillment status of requirements for completing an objective, such as an award offered by an organization. A computer-readable form includes a form identifier and a separate set of response fields for each person whose requirement fulfillment status is contained on the form, with the response fields adapted to receive a scanably detectable mark indicating completion of a requirement. The form can further include an indicator of each requirement for the objective and a name or identifier for each person seeking to complete the objective. A completion schema may be employed to determine whether a person had completed the objective. The invention enables the completion status of an award or other objective to be entered into a computer without typing and thereby saves personnel time, improves recordkeeping, and better facilitates reporting.
US09311559B2
A device and method for the hardware detection of local edges in an image, comprised of a plurality of elemental cells for mixed signal processing, locally interconnected with each other, comprising in each cell a first switch configured to enable the pre-charging of a condenser at the supply voltage; and where once said condenser is pre-charged, it discharges via a second switch connected to a power source which varies in a monotonically increasing manner with the analog voltage representing the value of the pixel concerned; and where the value of the pixel is compared asynchronously with the neighboring pixels of the neighboring cells via two inverters, a digital NOR gate, a digital NAND gate, a third and fourth switch and a memory feature to store the result.
US09311556B2
A computer-implemented image analysis process including accessing image data and range data representing an image of an animal, measuring an object volume from the range data and estimating the animal's weight using the dimensions representing the animal's size. A database containing relative volume and weight information can then be used to accurately predict the animal's weight from calculating its volume.
US09311545B2
A mobile computing device may include a biometric sensor in proximity with a color-controlled layer. Where the color of the color-controlled layer may be changed, a processor of the mobile computing device may control the color of the color-controlled layer responsive to sensing various conditions. For example, the color of the color-controlled layer may be controlled, by default, to match the housing of the mobile computing device. Responsive to sensing an approaching user finger, the color-controlled layer may be controlled to change color. The color-controlled layer may be controlled to change color again upon contact of the finger, upon removal of the finger and upon determining authentication success. The color-controlled layer may be structured as a mix of heating elements and thermochromic polymer elements.
US09311544B2
A device in an automobile includes a camera that takes images of drivers while they are driving. It detects and reports when eyes are not on the road for longer than a glance with automated image processing. It also reports how much the car is driven, by whom, when, where, carrying what load, at what speed compared to the speed limit, with what pattern of hard breaking or hard cornering, whether the driver looked into the blind spot before changing lanes, and whether the driver allowed their phone to enter a restricted state while driving. The device may be built in or retrofit. The retrofit device can detect if it is depowered or removed from the vehicle and report this to the insurance company, rental company, parents, and employers.
US09311543B2
Disclosed herein are a speed limit sign recognition system and method using a front camera which can track a traffic sign continuously appearing in images which are obtained by a photographing speed limit sign located in front of a driver using a camera mounted on the front of the vehicle, recognize an internal numeral of the traffic sign, and inform the driver of an actual limit speed through the recognized numeral, including: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a front image using a front camera; a traffic sign detector for detecting a traffic sign from the acquired front image; a recognition unit for recognizing an internal numeral in the detected traffic sign; a tracking unit for tracking a traffic sign continuously appearing in the front image, and eliminating a temporarily misrecognized object; and a decision unit for determining a result of speed limit recognition on the recognized traffic sign.
US09311540B2
A patient fall prediction system receives video image frames from a surveillance camera positioned in a patient's room and analyzes the video image frames for movement that may be a precursor to a patient fall. In set up phase, the viewpoint of the camera is directed at a risk area associated with patient falls, beds, chairs, wheelchairs, etc. A risk area is defined graphically in the viewport. The patient fall prediction system generates a plurality of concurrent motion detection zones that are situated proximate to the graphic markings of the risk areas. These motion detection zones are monitored for changes between video image frames that indicate a movement. The pattern of detections is recorded and compared to a fall movement detection signature. One fall movement detection signature is a sequential detection order from the motion detection zone closest to the risk area in the frames associated with patient falls, to the motion detection zone farthest away from the risk area. The patient fall prediction system continually monitors the motion detection zones for changes between image frames and compiles detections lists that are compared to known movement detection signatures, such as a fall movement detection signature. Once a match is identified, the patient fall prediction system issues a fall warning to a healthcare provider.
US09311538B2
An image processing device includes: an inputting unit for performing a click on an object image contained in an image to obtain a clicked point; a calculating unit for calculating an edge map of the image; an estimating unit for estimating a color model of the object image based on the clicked point and the edge map; an object classifying unit for classifying each pixel in the image, based on the edge map and the color model, so as to obtain a binary image of the image; and a detecting unit for detecting a region containing the object image based on the binary image. The image processing device and method according to the present disclosure can improve the accuracy of detecting the boundary of an object image such as a finger image, thus facilitating removal of the object image from the image and making the processed image more nice-looking.
US09311532B2
A server 2 includes an extraction unit 21, an analysis unit 22, a first estimating unit 24, an information acquisition unit 25 and a second estimating unit 26. The extraction unit 21 extracts an image area for each article. The analysis unit 22 analyzes the image area to acquire analysis information. The first estimating unit 24 narrows down candidates estimated to correspond to the article in the image area based on the analysis information. When the candidates were able to be narrowed down, the information acquisition unit 25 acquires additional information additional information of a reference article. The second estimating unit 26 attempts a narrowing process based on the additional information of the reference article in addition to the analysis information, for the image area including a spine, which is an image area in which candidates were unable to be narrowed down.
US09311529B2
An image processing apparatus includes an extractor that receives sheet image data that is generated by reading an image on a medical record sheet onto which basic medical information and encoded information of the basic medical information are printed, and extracts, from the sheet image data, information image data representing a portion where the basic medical information is printed, an image generator that generates reference image data representing the basic medical information, based on the encoded information represented in the sheet image data, and a detector that detects a correction that is to be performed on the basic medical information printed on the medical record sheet, based on a difference between the information image data and the reference image data.
US09311519B2
A method and apparatus for recognizing a fingerprint in an electronic device includes recognizing a fingerprint that is input through a touch-based device, determining whether the recognized fingerprint is a white image, and when the recognized image is determined to be a white image, displaying on a display screen a request for a fingerprint retouch.
US09311517B2
Systems and methods for reducing the likelihood of false positive decodes within a set of barcodes are disclosed. The method can be implemented in a computing device, which includes: providing a list of barcode configurations that meet damage tolerance criteria; reducing, if possible, each configuration list to barcode configurations that have a compatible configuration pair between sets; and comparing all possible combinations of barcode type configurations to find at least one set of configurations that are resistant to false positives decodes between barcode types during decoding processes.
US09311516B2
A computer can comprise a housing, a microprocessor disposed within the housing, a display, and a communication interface communicatively coupled to the microprocessor. The computer can be configured, responsive to locating decodable indicia within content viewable on the display, to decode the decodable indicia to produce at least one decoded message. The computer can be further configured to display the content with decoded message data being embedded into the content. The decoded message data can be provided by at least one decoded message, data derived from the decoded message.
US09311513B2
Methods and systems for tracking heavy machine teeth. One system includes a heavy machine tooth configured to be mounted on a bucket of a heavy machine, an active RFID tag coupled to the heavy machine tooth to move with the tooth, and an RFID reader configured to read data from the RFID tag, The RFID reader is further configured to provide an indication regarding the location of the tooth when the tooth separates from the bucket based on the data read from the RFID tag and provide diagnostic information regarding the heavy machine tooth based on the data read from the RFID tag.
US09311510B2
A method for protecting a volatile memory against a virus, wherein: rights of writing, reading, or execution are assigned to certain areas of the memory; and a first list of opcodes authorized or forbidden as a content of the areas is associated with each of these areas.
US09311503B2
Activity data is analyzed or evaluated to detect behavioral patterns and anomalies. When a particular pattern or anomaly is detected, a system may send a notification or perform a particular task. This activity data may be collected in an information management system, which may be policy based. Notification may be by way e-mail, report, pop-up message, or system message. Some tasks to perform upon detection may include implementing a policy in the information management system, disallowing a user from connecting to the system, and restricting a user from being allowed to perform certain actions. To detect a pattern, activity data may be compared to a previously defined or generated activity profile.
US09311501B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using different secure erase algorithms to erase chunks from a file associated with different security levels. A request is received to secure erase a file having a plurality of chunks stored in at least one storage device. A determination is made of a first secure erase algorithm to apply to a first chunk in the file in response to the request and of a second secure erase algorithm to apply to a second chunk in the file in response to the request. The first secure erase algorithm is applied to erase the first chunk and the second secure erase algorithm is applied to erase the second chunk. The first and second secure erase algorithms use different processes to erase the chunks to which they are applied.
US09311488B2
A system and method for processing electronic devices to determine removal of customer personal information (CPI). An electronic device is connected to a test device. A number of electronic devices including the electronic device are received for determining that the CPI is removed from a number of sources. The number of electronic devices include a number of makes and models of electronic devices. A determination of whether CPI is included on the electronic device is made. An identification of the electronic device is recorded in response to determining that CPI is included on the electronic device. The CPI is cleared form the electronic device in response to determining that the CPI is included on the electronic device. The identification of the electronic devices and metadata is reported in response to determining the CPI was included on the electronic device.
