US09351433B2
The invention relates to an arrangement for operating a current converter, in particular an inverter, wherein the converter is located at a path of travel of land vehicles or at a parking space of a land vehicle, the converter being adapted to support operation of at least one vehicle, the converter is combined with a cooling device adapted to cool the converter during operation, the cooling device is designed to use a heat transport medium in order to transport heat away from the converter, the arrangement comprises at least one pole and/or at least one supporting structure which is also located at the path of travel or at the parking space, the pole and/or the supporting structure extends upwards from ground, the arrangement comprises a conduct for conducting the heat transport medium and the conduct extends from the cooling device to the pole and/or to the supporting structure and also extends inside the pole and/or inside the supporting structure so that heat can be transferred from the heat transport medium inside the pole and/or inside the supporting structure to the ambiance.
US09351430B2
A data center is cooled through hydronic convection mechanisms, geothermal mechanisms or combinations thereof. The individual computing devices of such a data center are cooled through a thermally conductive interface with a liquid. The liquid's container can extend to a cooling apparatus located physically above such computing devices to provide hydronic convection cooling, or it can extend into the earth, either in the form of a heat pipe, or in the form of conduits through which the liquid is actively pumped. The hydronic convection cooling and geothermal heat pipe cooling operate via temperature differentials and consume no external electrical power. Geothermal cooling avoids heat soak by utilizing multiple different sets of conduits extending into the earth, where at least some of those sets of conduits are not utilized for a period of time. Combinations of hydronic convection mechanisms and geothermal cooling can also be utilized.
US09351422B2
A package 10 includes a housing 1 in which an electronic component 5 is mounted in a recess 1a having an opening on an upper surface and a screwing section 31 that is fixed on a side face of the housing 1 and extends in a lateral direction. The screwing section 31 includes a thin section 34 which is located on a distal end and is provided with a through hole 36 through which a screw is inserted, a thick section 35 which is located between the thin section 34 and the side face of the housing 1 and has a thickness less than that of the side face of the housing 1 and thicker than that of the thin section 34, and a screw fastening hole 37 which extends in the vertical direction in the thick section 35. Even if the housing 1 has warpage when the package 10 is fixed on the external substrate, heat dissipation from the package to the external substrate can be improved.
US09351418B2
According to one embodiment, semiconductor memory device is capable of operating at a first mode and a second mode which is higher in speed than the first mode. The semiconductor memory device comprising: a semiconductor memory; a controller which controls the semiconductor memory; a connector which is provided with terminals for sending and receiving data to and from an external device; and a substrate on which the semiconductor memory, the controller, and the connector are mounted, the substrate comprising a plurality of wiring layers. The controller and the connector are mounted on an identical surface of the substrate. The substrate comprises a wiring which connects a mounting pad for the terminal for data transfer at the second mode of the connector and a mounting pad for a pin for data transfer at the second mode of the controller to each other on the wiring layer on a mounting surface for the connector and the controller.
US09351415B2
A combination sun shade and a protective cover apparatus is provided, which may include a first set of sections which is substantially in a semicircular shape, wherein the semicircular shape may be defined by a first substantially straight line and a first substantially semicircular curve; a first further section connected to the first set of sections along a first portion of the first substantially straight line; a second further section connected to the first set of sections along a second portion of the first substantially straight line; and a third further section connected to the first set of sections along a third portion of the first substantially straight line. The apparatus may be configured so that it can be folded and placed into a first state; wherein in the first state the first further section, the second further section, and the third further section are substantially aligned with each other.
US09351411B2
A fastening mechanism for an electronic device is provided. The electronic device is embedded into a fixed object, and has a display portion and an embedding portion. The fixed object is formed with a receiving space. A connection box is mounted in the receiving space. The fastening mechanism includes a fastening unit, an elastic unit and a transferring bracket. The fastening unit is movably disposed in the embedding portion of the electronic device. The fastening unit has a hook. The elastic unit abuts the fastening unit. The transferring bracket is disposed in the connection box, and has a frame and a blocking portion. When the embedding portion of the electronic device is disposed in the frame of the transferring bracket, the hook engages the blocking portion to fix the electronic device to the fixed object.
US09351406B2
A stencil assembly includes a stencil foil, having a stencil pattern thereon and of a planar configuration, with a peripheral edge, which is a captured by rigid frame. The rigid frame includes a base and a cover attached thereto. The assembly adapts a standard stencil foil for use in a stretch frame that requires an elongated groove. The assembly thereby facilitates mounting the stencil to a stretching machine during printing. Also, the stencil assembly protects a user from injury by preventing contact with the sharp outer edges of the stencil foil. Further, the assembly protects the stencil foil portion from damage and greatly facilitates handling thereof.
US09351396B2
A printed wiring board includes a core insulation layer including a resin and having a via conductor through the core insulation layer, a first conductive layer formed on the core layer and including a copper foil and a plated film, an interlayer insulation layer formed on the first layer and including a resin, the interlayer layer having a via conductor through the interlayer layer, and a second conductive layer formed on the interlayer layer and including a copper foil and a plated film. The first layer includes a conductive circuit, the core and interlayer layers have dielectric constants of 4.0 or lower for signal transmission at frequency of 1 GHz and thermal expansion coefficient of 85 ppm/° C. or lower at or below Tg, and the foil of the first layer has thickness greater than thickness of the foil of the second layer.
US09351388B2
A target supply device may include a reservoir configured to hold a target material in its interior in liquid form, a vibrating element configured to apply vibrations to the reservoir, a target sensor configured to detect droplets of the target material outputted from the reservoir, a control unit configured to set parameters based on a result of the detection performed by the target sensor, a function generator configured to generate an electrical signal having a waveform based on the parameters, and a power source configured to apply a driving voltage to the vibrating element in accordance with the electrical signal.
US09351384B2
A light source drive device includes a supply unit that supplies a high-frequency first drive signal and a second drive signal whose frequency is lower than a frequency of the first drive signal to a discharge lamp which has a pair of electrodes, and a control unit that controls the supply unit so that the second drive signal is supplied during a second period after the first drive signal is supplied during a first period and the second period is lengthened as a voltage between the pair of electrodes is increased. It is preferable that the second period be longer than two minutes.
US09351374B2
A photo-controlled light includes an electrical power input port configured to receive electrical power, a light emitting unit that is connected to the electrical power input port and a photosensitive timer module that connects the light emitting unit to the electrical power input port. The photosensitive timer module includes a photosensitive switch unit including a photosensitive element that is configured to detect a light level that satisfies a luminosity threshold value, a timing switch unit coupled to the photosensitive switch unit that is configured to only connect the electrical power input port to the light emitting unit for a conduction time frame responsive to the photosensitive switch unit detecting that the light level is less than the luminosity threshold value so that the photosensitive timer module transmits electricity during the conduction time frame when the luminosity detected by the photosensitive element is less than the luminosity threshold value.
US09351369B2
A leakage current detection circuit detects a switch current flowing in a switch which is targeted for leakage monitoring, and generates a detection signal to prohibit operation of a control target circuit which is targeted for control when the switch current does not reach a predetermined threshold value.
US09351356B2
An electronic system includes controller to control a switching power converter to provide power to a load. To control the amount of power provided to the load, in at least one embodiment, the controller senses a current value representing a current in the switching power converter and detects when the current value reaches a target peak value. However, due to delays in the controller and/or the switching power converter, the detected target peak value will not be the actual current peak value generated by the switching power converter. In at least one embodiment, the controller adjusts the detected target peak value with a post-detection delay compensation factor to generate a delay compensated current value that more accurately represents an actual peak current value associated with the current in the switching power converter.
US09351354B2
A driver device and a corresponding method for driving a load, in particular an LED unit comprising one or more LEDs. The proposed driver device comprises power input terminals for receiving a rectified supply voltage from an external power supply, power output terminals for providing a drive voltage and/or current for driving a load, a half bridge unit comprising a first and second switching element coupled in series between a high voltage node and a low voltage node and having a switch node between the first and second switching elements, a buck-boost input filter unit comprising a first inductor and a series diode coupled between a power input terminal and the half bridge unit, a buck output filter unit comprising a second inductor coupled between the half bridge unit and a power output terminal, an energy storage unit, and a control unit for controlling the switching elements.
US09351352B2
A converter has a boost portion and a buck portion. The boost portion supplies a boosted voltage and includes a first inductor having a first end coupled to the input terminal, a first switch coupled to a second end of the first inductor to charge the first inductor when the first switch is in its on-state, and a first capacitor for being charged to the boosted voltage. The buck portion supplies an output voltage to a load that is less than the boosted voltage and includes a second inductor in series with the load, and a second switch in series with the second inductor and the load to charge the second inductor during an on-state of the second switch. A single controller IC receives feedback signals and controls the switches to have the same duty cycle to achieve a regulated load current or voltage with low EMI.
US09351328B2
A method for transferring a communication session between a source user device and a target user device in a communication network, where the communication session is established between the source user device and a server is proposed. An identifier of a user device is determined. A session modification request is then sent from the source user device to the server, where the request includes the identifier of the target user device. A capability of the target user device to handle the communication session is then checked. Next, if the target user device is capable of handling the communication session a further communication session between the server and the target user device is established.
US09351326B2
Systems and methods for improved access point discoverability in multi-role multi-channel devices are described. When the multi-role multi-channel device leaves an AP role and then later returns to the AP role, such as when operating in another role, the multi-role multi-channel device sends a unicast probe response to the stations in a predetermined list. The unicast probe response is transmitted even without receiving a corresponding probe request. If one of the stations on the list is in the area and would like to connect to the AP role, it can complete the connection process using information in the response message.
US09351320B2
Techniques for avoiding collision of traffic in a wireless network are described. A station detects for synchronization of its traffic with traffic of other stations. The station may detect for synchronization based on, e.g., percentage of first transmission failures, counters indicative of statistics of transmitted frames, and/or other information. The station may confirm synchronization of its traffic, e.g., by monitoring for traffic from another station during a service period for the station. The station adjusts transmission of its traffic when synchronization is detected to avoid collision with the traffic of the other stations. The station may delay transmission of its traffic by a predetermined amount of time, by a pseudo-random amount, or until after the other stations finish their transmissions.
US09351316B2
A method and apparatus of accessing a channel in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a first frame including configuration information on a channel allocated from a bandwidth including a primary channel, a secondary channel and an extension channel from an access point (AP), and transmitting a second frame to the AP by using the allocated channel. The configuration information includes an extension channel offset element field that sets the extension channel as the offset of the primary channel.
US09351309B1
Examples disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and software to dynamically provide carrier aggregation to wireless communication devices. In one example, a method of operating an eNodeB includes exchanging first wireless communication signals with a wireless communication device using a first carrier aggregation configuration. The method further provides identifying a request from the wireless communication device for a modified quality of service, and determining a second carrier aggregation configuration based on the request. The method also includes exchanging second wireless communication signals with the wireless communication device using the second carrier aggregation configuration.
US09351296B2
A communications node includes a memory configured to store allocation data defining an allocation of persistent downlink resources for use in communicating data between the communications node and another node of a communications system within predetermined transmission time intervals (TTIs), a receiver configured to receive control data relating to a dynamic allocation of resources to be used in a current TTI, and a controller configured to determine if a C-RNTI is present in the control data for a TTI for which a User Equipment (UE) includes persistent downlink resources, determine that the resource allocation indicated on a control channel for the TTI overrides the persistent downlink resources for the TTI, when a C-RNTI is present in the control channel for a TTI for which the UE has persistent downlink resources, and allocate persistent downlink resources for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) transmission.
US09351288B2
A system includes a base station configured to communicate with a plurality of mobile stations. The base station transmits downlink timing synchronization and establishes frequency synchronization with at least one of the plurality of mobile stations. The base station receives, from the mobile station, at least one of: coarse sounding reference signal (SRS), and fine SRS. The base processes at least one of the coarse SRS to enable tracking of the preferred uplink (UL) slice for uplink transmissions, and the fine SRS in order to resolve a short-term small-scale channel state information (CSI), estimate a CSI from at least one of the coarse SRS and fine SRS, and perform uplink scheduling and grant. The mobile station performs uplink scheduling request and uplink data communication.
US09351277B2
Technology for adjusting a receiver timing of a wireless device in a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system is disclosed. One method can include the wireless device receiving a plurality of node specific reference signals (RSs) from a plurality of cooperating nodes in a coordination set of the CoMP system. The coordination set includes at least two cooperating nodes. The wireless device can estimate a composite received RS timing from a plurality of received RS timings generated from the plurality of node specific RSs. The received RS timings represent timings from the at least two cooperating nodes. The wireless device can adjust the receiver timing based on the composite received RS timing. A node specific RS can include a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS).
US09351275B2
Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards a device, mobility management node and/or a serving gateway, and corresponding methods there, for providing application, service or priority based paging. According to some of the example embodiments, the decision whether or not to issue or accept a paging request may be made based on a priority, application or service (or type of service) associated with the paging request.
US09351273B2
A transmitting communication device may iteratively adjust its transmit power, and may estimate, based on iterative transmit power adjustment, relative location of a receiving communication device. The transmit power may be initialized to a maximum value, and the transmit power may be iteratively reduced until connectivity with the receiving communication device is lost. The loss of connectivity may be determined based on reception of responses to ping messages transmitted by the transmitting communication device. The transmitting communication device may authenticate the receiving communication device and/or a user of the receiving communication device. The authentication may comprises utilizing transmit power adjustment and/or relative location estimation therefrom to ensure that a separation between the devices does not exceed a maximum value. The transmitting communication device may generate location info associated with the receiving communication device based on the relative location estimation, and may communicate the location info to a location server.
US09351271B2
A method, apparatus and electronic device for positioning a device based on a device cooperative system are disclosed. A display screen of a first electronic device is divided into M regions on which N kinds of patterns are displayed; a first cooperative device acquires a pattern of a region where the first cooperative device locates and transmits pattern information to the first electronic device; after receiving the pattern information, the first electronic device judges whether a preset positioning condition is met, and if it is not, adjusts the regions in the display screen to make the first cooperative device continue to acquire the pattern of the region where the first cooperative device locates until the preset positioning condition is met; after the preset positioning condition is met, the first electronic device determines the position where the first cooperative device locates based on the pattern information.
US09351270B2
In a network comprising a cluster of small cells 100-111 underlying a macrocell 112, each small cell served by its own Home Node B 100, 101 is assigned a unique “on the air” Location Area Code so that as a User Equipment 113 moves from the coverage area of one Home Node B to another it will initiate a Location Update. Each time a Location Update is initiated, this triggers a location presence notification message to a presence server 206. The Core Network 203 is unaware of the “on the air” Location Area Codes and so does not need to be informed of User Equipment movement between Home Node B's. The Home Node B network is arranged to handle the registration procedure locally, as from the Core Network perspective, the Location Area Code has not changed. Instead, the Core Network sees a Iu LAC that is shared amongst the several Home Node B's operating through a single Home Node B Gateway. Hence the arrangement offers fine granularity of location presence detection with no additional Core Network load.
US09351259B2
Transmission power for an uplink signal is efficiently set. There are provided a reception unit 105 that receives from a base station device a first transmission power control command, a second transmission power control command, first information indicating whether or not accumulation of first transmission power control commands is enabled and second information indicating whether or not accumulation of second transmission power control commands is enabled, a transmission power setting unit 1015 that sets a first parameter value based on the first information and the first transmission control command, sets a second parameter value based on the second information and the second transmission control command, sets a first transmission power for a first reference signal using at least using a first parameter, and sets a second transmission power for a second reference signal using at least a second parameter, and a transmission unit 107 that transmits the first reference signal at the first transmission power and the second reference signal at the second transmission power to the base station device.
US09351254B2
A method for conserving device and/or network resources is provided herein. The method includes detecting a wakelock operating on a mobile device and determining a consumption of one of a power or radio usage attributed to the detected wakelock. The method further includes determining a criticality related to user experience for the detected wakelock and releasing the detected wakelock based on the determined consumption and criticality. Related systems and mobile devices are also disclosed.
US09351249B2
A wireless transmit/receive unit is configured to receive system level information, including discontinuous reception (DRX) information, cell selection information, and RACH information. The system level information is received as defined parameters assigned to system information blocks or signaled through dedicated RRC signaling.
US09351247B1
An access point configured to be implemented in a wireless network, the access point including a beacon module and a transmit module. The access point is configured to communicate with one or more client stations in the wireless network. The beacon module is configured to generate (i) a first beacon and (ii) a second beacon, wherein the first beacon is shorter in duration than the second beacon. The transmit module is configured to periodically transmit, to the one or more client stations in the wireless network, each of the first beacon and the second beacon. Each time the first beacon and the second beacon are transmitted by the transmit module, the first beacon is transmitted prior to the second beacon.
US09351246B2
Various methods for distributing a single stream of sensor data to one or more services are provided. One example method may include maintaining an association between sensor data and one or more services requesting the sensor data. The method of this example embodiment may further comprise receiving the sensor data. The example method may further comprise generating one or more copies of the sensor data. The example method may also comprise providing for distribution of the copies of the sensor data to the services requesting the sensor data, such that a copy of the sensor data is provided for distribution to each of the services requesting the sensor data. Similar and related example methods, example apparatuses, and example computer program products are also provided.
US09351230B2
A technique for operating a wireless communication apparatus is provided. According to an example embodiment, the technique comprises operating a wireless communication apparatus in one of a plurality of states, said plurality of states comprising at least a discoverable state wherein the wireless communication apparatus is discoverable but not connectable and a connectable state wherein the wireless communication apparatus is both discoverable and connectable, receiving, when operating the wireless communication apparatus in the discoverable state, one or more requests from a remote wireless communication apparatus, and changing from the discoverable state to the connectable state in response to said requests fulfilling predefined criteria.
US09351229B2
A mobile small station including a transceiver, a processor, and a memory having instructions for execution by the processor to exchange measurement information with a macro station, provide a wide area network connection and act as a relay for a small station moving network with the mobile small station, and perform handover of relay responsibilities to another mobile small station in the small station moving network.
US09351228B2
Systems and methods for computing and/or utilizing mutual information based link metrics for a link in a wireless mesh network are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more mutual information values are computed for a link between a transmitter of a first network node and a receiver of a second network node in a wireless mesh network. Each of the one or more mutual information values is computed for a different hypothesized transmission mode for the link. One or more link metrics for the link are computed as a function of the mutual information values, where each link metric is computed based on a different one of the one or more mutual information values. In this manner, a link metric is computed for each of the one or more hypothesized transmission modes for the link. At least one of the link metrics are then provided to a routing update module.
US09351227B2
A wireless communication system includes a plurality of wireless terminals. Each of transmitting terminals executes direct communication or indirect communication. The wireless communication system includes a first obtainer that obtains a reception side terminal number which is the number of the wireless terminals with which the receiving terminal is able to communicate directly, a second obtainer that obtains a transmission side terminal number which is the number of the wireless terminals with which the transmitting terminal is able to communicate directly for each of a target transmitting terminal and a neighboring transmitting terminal, and a setter that selects one of the direct communication and the indirect communication based on the reception side terminal number, the transmission side terminal number for the target transmitting terminal, and the transmission side terminal number for the neighboring transmitting terminal, and executes the selected communication.
US09351226B2
A method of communicating between an access point (AP) and a station (STA) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes receiving an association request (AREQ) frame requesting an association, from a STA, the AREQ frame comprising a common association response (C-ARSP) indicator indicating whether the STA has been received common association information for the association between the STA and the AP, determining an association response (ARSP) type for the STA based on the C-ARSP indicator and performing an association response for the ARSP type to the STA.
US09351225B2
Provided is a method for supporting mobility of a user equipment in a wireless communication system. The method comprises the following steps: receiving Mobility State Estimation (MSE) control information including information for MSE from a network; executing mobility if a mobility condition is satisfied; updating a mobility counter on the basis of the MSE control information; estimating a mobility state of the user equipment on the basis of the updated mobility counter; and scaling a mobility parameter on the basis of the estimated mobility state.
US09351224B2
A system and method for priority scan an association with a desired access point is disclosed herein. In one aspect, a wireless station may be associated with a first access point and communicating with the first access point via a contention-based communication protocol. The wireless station may detect movement of the wireless station. Based at least in part on the motion of the wireless station or information regarding at least a second access point, the wireless station may initiate a selective scan for at least the second access point. Based on the scan, the wireless station may then identify at least the second access point. The wireless station may then associate with the second access point based on the movement, an association priority, or information autonomously detected or received from the first or second access point.
US09351218B2
The present invention relates to an inter-region handover method in a communication system. An inter-region handover method in a communication system according to the present invention comprises a region monitoring step, a region rescanning step, a region redecision step and a CoMP connection reconfiguration step in cases where a terminal moves between regions in a communication environment in which a communication area, in which at least one base station provides a service, is divided into at least two of at least one center region, at least one boundary region and at least one common region.
US09351212B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a public land mobile network PLMN selection method, including: when a mobile terminal is about to hand over from a first cell to a neighboring second cell, selecting, by the mobile terminal, a preferred PLMN after handover to the second cell; and sending, by the mobile terminal, identifier ID information of the preferred PLMN to a base station controller to which the first cell belongs. The embodiments of the present invention further disclose a mobile terminal, a base station controller, and a core network device. By applying the present invention, the PLMN to which the mobile terminal intends to hand over can be determined properly.
US09351210B2
A method and a device for selecting a core network device. The method includes: an access network device determining the equipment type of a user equipment (UE); when the equipment type is a machine type communication (MTC) UE, the access network device determining an MTC group identifier corresponding to the UE; when the MTC group identifier corresponds to a core network device, the access network device selecting the core network device corresponding to the MTC group identifier as a core network device which the UE accesses. In the embodiments of the present application, a plurality of MTC UE corresponding to the same MTC group identifier can select the same core network device to access a mobile communication network, and thus being able to save network resources and reduce signaling overhead using a public bearer.
US09351209B2
Embodiments of computer-implemented methods, systems, computing devices, and computer-readable media are described herein for opportunistically transitioning service flows of mobile devices between being direct and indirect. In various embodiments, a proximity between first and second mobile devices that are in wireless communication with each other may be monitored. In various embodiments, a selective transition of a service flow between the first and second mobile devices from being indirect through the radio network access node using a first radio access technology (“RAT”) to being direct using a second RAT may be facilitated, e.g., responsive to a determination that a first criterion has been met. In various embodiments, a selective transition of the service flow from being direct using the second RAT to being indirect using the first RAT may be facilitated, e.g., responsive to a determination that a second criterion has been met.
US09351200B2
A wireless communication access path exists between an ingress station and an egress station. A logical communication tunnel is established between the ingress and egress stations directly or through any number of intermediate relay stations to handle session flows of PDUs. As PDUs arrive, the ingress station may determine and add information bearing on an identified QoS associated with the PDU to the PDUs before they are delivered to the downstream egress station(s) or intermediate relay station(s). The information may be used by the downstream stations to schedule the PDUs for further delivery. The information may also be used by the egress station to schedule the PDUs for delivery.
US09351197B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to wireless access point assignment. In one embodiment, a client device is assigned to a wireless access point. For example, the client device may be assigned to the wireless access point based on network traffic associated with the client device. The client device may be assigned to the wireless access point based on the communication protocol of the client device. In one embodiment, a radio channel is assigned to a wireless access point based on a time based network traffic pattern associated with the wireless access point.
US09351196B2
Various embodiments provide byte caching in wireless communication networks. In one embodiment, a plurality of data packets are received through an internet protocol (IP) data flow established between a wireless communication device and at least one server. Each of the plurality of data packets are combined into a packet bundle. A determination is made as to whether a second byte caching system is available. The packet bundle is transformed using one or more byte caching operations based on a second byte caching system being available. The transformed packet bundle is sent to the second byte caching system using an IP communication mechanism.
US09351195B2
Methods and apparatus of compression on multiple data flows for communication between a user equipment (UE) and a serving node. The methods and apparatus include receiving multiple data flows for compression, wherein each of the multiple data flows includes a plurality of data packets, with each data packet having a data packet header and a payload. Further, the methods and apparatus include determining a compression state for each of the multiple data flows. Moreover, the methods and apparatus include performing a first compression algorithm on each of the multiple data flows determined to have a compression state set to a do-not-compress state, wherein the first compression algorithm includes compressing the data packet header of each data packet without compressing the payload of each data packet.
US09351178B2
The present invention relates to a digital broadcasting system for transmitting/receiving a digital broadcasting signal and a method of processing data. In one aspect of the present invention provides a method of processing data, the method including receiving a broadcasting signal in which mobile service data and main service data are multiplexed, demodulating the received broadcasting signal, obtaining an identifier indicating that data frame of the broadcasting signal includes service guide information, decoding and storing the service guide information from the data frame; and outputting a service included in the mobile service data according to the decoded service guide information.
US09351173B2
A hierarchical cellular network system having a core and comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein at least one node comprises a relay; and wherein at least one relay includes: a tunneling subsystem; a backhauling link subsystem interfacing between the tunneling subsystem and a node which is closer to the core than the relay; and a base station subsystem, interfacing between the tunneling subsystem and a mobile station or a node which is further from the core than the relay, wherein the tunneling subsystem is operative to perform the following, on data arriving from a base station subsystem belonging to another node from among the plurality of nodes: collecting the data; and encapsulating the results to be sent in an individual session into packets and sending the packets to the Backhauling Link Subsystem.
US09351171B2
A technique for designing and testing drive-test plan for gathering location-dependent RF data is disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, one candidate drive-test plan is chosen for implementation over a second based on an economic cost-benefit analysis of both plans. This is in marked contrast to, for example, a selection of drive-test plans, or the design of a drive-test plan, based on a calibration-cost analysis, in which the data estimated to be the most effective to calibrate a radio-frequency tool is sought for a given cost or the least cost. Although a data-estimated-to-be-most-effective-to-calibrate-a-radio-frequency-tool vs. cost analysis is a species of cost-benefit analyses in general, it is not an economic cost-benefit analysis because a data-estimated-to-be-most-effective-to-calibrate-a-radio-frequency-tool vs. cost analysis has deficiencies that an economic cost-benefit analysis does not.
US09351170B2
It is provided a renewable energy base station, which is used in a wireless cellular system, including: an adjustment request determining part for determining whether an adjustment to a coverage area is required; an adjustment request transceiver in case where it is determined that the adjustment to the coverage area is required, sending a coverage area adjustment request to neighboring base stations in the wireless cellular system, and receiving an adjustment request response from the neighboring base stations; an adjustment request responding part for determining whether the coverage area adjustment request from the one of the neighboring base stations is allowed in case where receiving the coverage area adjustment request from one of the neighboring base stations; and a response transmitter for sending the adjustment request response to the neighboring base stations based on a result of the determination made by the adjustment request responding part.
US09351162B2
A network with a set of servers can support authentication from a module, where the module includes an embedded universal integrated circuit card (eUICC). The network can send a first network module identity, a first key K, and an encrypted second key K for an eUICC profile to an eUICC subscription manager. The second key K can be encrypted with a symmetric key. The module can receive and activate the eUICC profile, and the network can authenticate the module using the first network module identity and the first key K. The network can (i) authenticate the user of the module using a second factor, and then (ii) send the symmetric key to the module. The module can decrypt the encrypted second key K using the symmetric key. The network can authenticate the module using the second key K. The module can comprise a mobile phone.
US09351159B2
The disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for binding a UICC and an MTC device to solve a problem of restriction to a binding relationship imposed by a life cycle of a pre-shared key Ks_local when binding of the MTC device and the UICC is implemented by way of GBA-U. With the disclosure, after a binding relationship between the MTC device and the UICC is established on the UICC, when a stored key shared by the MTC device and the UICC expires, a key Ks_local shared by the UICC and the MTC device can be re-established through a process of establishing the shared key Ks_local based on the GBA-U according to the established binding relationship, such that the binding relationship between the UICC and the MTC device is not restricted by the life cycle of a shared key Ks_local.
US09351146B2
A technique for registering a mobile terminal with an anchor node and for handling data packets after registration is provided. A method implementation of this technique comprises the steps of providing support for a plurality of mobility management protocols, wherein the mobility management protocols are deployed in parallel within a protocol stack of an anchor node, receiving, from a mobile terminal, a registration message, and selectively handling the registration message in accordance with the mobility management protocol associated with the registration message.
US09351144B2
Aspects disclosed herein relate to improving NFC RF discovery through monitoring RF activity associated with one or more RATs. In one example, a first NFC device may be configured to use both a first RAT and NFC. The first NFC device may monitor RF activity on a first RAT to determine whether there is at least a greater probability that a second NFC device is within a threshold. The NFC device may be also configured to modify at least an interval between polling modes in a NFC RF discovery loop based on the determination.
US09351143B2
Techniques are provided for efficient peer-to-peer (P2P) service discovery and group formation, as well as maintenance of P2P session continuity. In one example, there is provided a method, operable by an originating user equipment (UE), that may involve transmitting a request for P2P service discovery and group formation assistance to a discovery server via a serving node over an air-interface channel. The method may involve receiving scoped information from the discovery server for participating in a P2P communication session, and establishing the P2P communication session with at least one terminating UE based at least in part on the received scoped information. The method may involve maintaining P2P communication session continuity by reverting to bearer signaling via a packet core.
US09351141B2
Operating conditions for a headset computer are used to detect a situation where an emergency response mode should be activated. In emergency response mode, the headset computer may then broadcast location, live (real time) audio and video/data streams, and record other information concerning a possible theft and/or other situation of interest to law enforcement and/or security services.
US09351132B2
The present invention is directed towards providing event-triggered communication in a half duplex communication environment of a wireless communication network (10). A first end terminal (12) sends a selection of an end terminal (14) in a group of terminals to act as an event notifying device to a server (22). The event notifying device (14) compares an event with a threshold and sends an event notifier to the server if the event exceeds the threshold. If it receives the event notifier, the server prioritises data from the event notifying device over ongoing communication sessions for other devices in the group, receives data from the event notifying device associated with the event notifier and transports data indicative of the event to other devices of the group, in order to inform them of the event.
US09351118B2
A method for visually finding and interacting with people, operable on a computing system including a server and a mobile device comprising a processor, a display and a camera, the method comprising: detecting the current location of members of a group, which a user of the mobile device has created or is a member of, if the group members have similar mobile devices and if they have set to permit their visibility when the user or other group members wish to locate them by scanning their surroundings with the camera of their mobile device; and, for each group member detected while the user is scanning user's surroundings, and having a position falling in the direction the mobile device's camera points to at a particular moment, displaying on the mobile device's display a group member representation associated with the group member's position.
US09351117B2
The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and apparatuses for determining the distance between two wireless scans of a mobile computing device. The distance is determined by scanning for wireless networks with a computing device. The scanning includes a receiving a plurality of network attributes for each wireless networks within the range of the mobile computing device. Further, the distance is determined by comparing the plurality of network attributes from the scanning with a reference set of network attributes. The comparing of network attributes is used to determine an attribute comparison. Finally, the distance between a position associated with the reference set of network attributes and the computing device, based on the attribute comparison, determines a position associated with the network.
US09351108B2
The present invention is to facilitate finding of a user expected to have a high relevance among other users present in the same living area when identification information of these other users is displayed as a list. A location information acquirer acquires location information showing a location measured in an information processing terminal. A display controller (70) carries out control to make identification information of a plurality of users be displayed on a specific terminal. The display controller (70) carries out control to make the identification information of the plurality of users be displayed in order according to timing when a reference location is measured by the specific terminal or the number of times of existence of a location shown by location information acquired from the information processing terminal corresponding to a user as a subject of display control in an area including the reference location about a case in which the location shown by the location information acquired from the information processing terminal corresponding to the user as the subject of the display control exists in the area including the reference location.
US09351105B2
A server provides location-based applications to an application of a mobile device based on a geographic location of the mobile device. The server receives an application definition and metadata comprising a geographic area associated with the application definition. The server generates a location-based application based on the application definition and metadata. The server identifies a geographic location of the mobile device and one or more location-based applications based on the geographic location of the mobile device. One or more location-based applications are provided within the application in the mobile device.
US09351103B2
A communication device includes transmission paths on a plurality of channels, operable to transmit a signal between the communication device and a communication partner device in communication with the communication device in such a manner that the communication device and the communication partner device are brought into contact with or in close proximity to each other. Electric fields of signals in the transmission paths on the plurality of channels are oriented orthogonal to each other.
US09351100B2
The present invention concerns wearable electronic communication devices (100) for control of data transfer in a personal area network. The wearable device is adapted for Body Coupled Communication in close proximity to a person's body. The wearable device comprises an antenna adapted for Body Coupled Communication and a capacitance sensor indicating that the wearable device is in close proximity to the body of the person or even in contact with the body or not. The invention also concerns a portable electronic communication device comprising the inventive wearable device for cooperation with at least a second portable electronic communication device in a personal area network.
US09351093B2
Multichannel sound source identification and location techniques are described. In one or more implementations, source separation is performed using a collaborative technique for a plurality of sound data that was captured by respective ones of a plurality of sound capture devices of an audio scene. The source separation is performed by recognizing spectral and temporal aspects from the plurality of sound data and sharing the recognized spectral and temporal aspects, one with another, to identify one or more sound sources in the audio scene. A relative position of the identified one or more sounds sources to the plurality of sound capture devices is determined based on the source separation.
US09351068B2
A portable electronic device has an acoustic port having an aperture in a housing having a speaker and pressure sensing transducer incorporated therein. During normal use of the portable electronic device, the aperture of the acoustic port may become obstructed during handling, holstering or surface placement, resulting in reduced sound quality and a waste of energy from a battery powering the device. The pressure sensing transducer detects an obstruction of the acoustic port by detecting an increase in acoustic pressure within the housing or within an acoustic chamber coupling the aperture of the acoustic port to the speaker. In response, acoustic characteristics of the obstructed port speaker's audio are altered to conserve power or enhance audio. Furthermore, acoustic characteristics of speakers of unobstructed acoustic port apertures of the device may also be altered in response to detection of the obstruction.
US09351063B2
A system and methods for providing a wireless earplug system are described. An earplug includes a wireless receiver/transmitter, a battery, a speaker, a sound canal and an on/off switch. The system also includes a controller including a wireless receiver/transmitter used to transmit wireless signals to the earplug. The earplug receives the wireless signals from the controller and plays audio sounds through the speaker and into the user's ear canal, thus enabling the user to hear the transmitted audio signals while ambient noises are blocked. The controller is also used to control the parameters of the time, duration and type of audio sounds.
US09351057B2
A service provisioning enabled management in Service Interoperability in Ethernet Passive Optical Network (SIEPON) switching subsystem. The delivery of network services to each of a plurality of subscribers coupled to an optical network unit (ONU) can be defined individually by the service provider. The service-specific functions within the ONU can be configured based on knowledge of the levels of provisioning of network services.
US09351050B2
A web-based service which provides a notification such an email to a user to facilitate managing the recording of broadcast content using a personal video recorder (PVR). The user can agree to participate in the service in exchange for emails which can provide information such as a summary of programs recorded over a few days, missed recordings, and scheduling conflicts. The notification can include targeted recommendations, targeted advertising and information about recording habits of members of a social network of the user. A notification can be provided on an urgent basis if program schedule conflicts or hardware or software problems with the user's equipment are detected. The user's equipment can include a PC-based PVR, or a PC which communicates with a separate PVR device. PC-related information such as events thrown can also be reported up to the web service.
US09351044B1
A communications device dynamic interface system is provided. The system comprises an at least one communications device and a dynamic interface application, that when executed on the at least one communications device, arranges a plurality of selectable, viewable panes in a virtual carousel format. The system also displays at least one of data and interactive content within the panes, the data and interactive content received from external sources. The system also changes the viewing sequence of the panes on demand and places less frequently viewed panes in a background area of the interface. The system also archives panes not viewed for a predetermined period of time and deletes panes not viewed for a predetermined period of time.
US09351043B2
Novel tools and techniques to enable more robust electronic program guides in television distribution systems. Some solutions can obtain data (e.g., from the Internet) about a program listed on an electronic program guide and integrate that data with electronic program guide. In some cases, this information can be obtained and/or updated dynamically, in real-time or near real-time, for example to provide, up-to-date information can be provided in the electronic program guide, rather than requiring the viewer to tune to an information channel. In some cases, the system can provide a generalized electronic program guide that can be rendered by the system to be displayed on a plurality of different devices.
US09351042B2
A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.
US09351040B2
A system and method for operating a user receiving device includes a head end associating a first user device with a user account having first user settings. A first user device communicates a device identifier associated with the user receiving device to the head end. The head end communicates the first user settings associated with the user account to the user receiving device. The user receiving device operates with the first user settings.
US09351029B2
A set top/back box and system and method for providing a remote control device are disclosed. In one embodiment, one or more wireless transceivers are located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes television input/output, a processor, and memory. The set top/back box may establish a pairing with a programmable device, such as a proximate wireless-enabled interactive handheld device having a touch screen display, whereby formatted parallel audiovisual experience instructions, including virtual buttons, may be transmitted to the programmable device for display on the touch screen display to create an experience parallel to the experience on the television. The set top/back box receives and processes virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the programmable device to control amenities associated with the set top/back box.
US09351020B2
A method includes receiving a request at a media server from a computing device for a portion of a particular rendition of content that is available for adaptive streaming. The request received while the media server has access to a single rendition of the content. When the portion is part of the single rendition, the media server sends the portion retrieved from the single rendition to the computing device in response to the request. When the portion is not part of the single rendition, the media server generates the portion by transcoding a corresponding portion of the single rendition of the content, stores the generated portion in a cache of the media server, and sends the generated portion to the computing device in response to the request. The method further includes removing portions of one or more outdated renditions from the cache while maintaining the generated portion in the cache.
US09351018B2
A method for receiving a viewing-restricted channel is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, if a user makes a request for receiving a viewing-restricted channel, a command requesting decoding and transmitting broadcast signals of the viewing-restricted channel is generated and transmitted to a broadcast receiver equipped with a CAS module through a network, and broadcast data decoded at the broadcast receiver is received through the network and played after being processed as audio/video signals. If broadcast signals transcoded in a different bit rate at the broadcast receiver is received, the transcoded broadcast data can be decoded in an appropriate way and played.
US09351015B2
A video decoding method and apparatus and a video encoding method and apparatus based on a scanning order of hierarchical data units are provided. The decoding method includes: receiving and parsing a bitstream of an encoded video; extracting from the bitstream information about a size of a maximum coding unit for decoding a picture of the encoded video, and encoding information about a coded depth and an encoding mode for coding units of the picture, wherein the size of the maximum coding unit is a maximum size of a coding unit which is a data unit for decoding the picture; and determining a hierarchical structure of the maximum coding unit and the coding units into which the picture is divided according to depths, and decoding the picture based on the coding units, by using the information about the size of the maximum coding unit and the encoding information about the coded depth and the encoded mode.
US09351008B2
An apparatus for encoding image information using a tree structure performs a method by: encoding a partition flag indicating whether each node, starting from a node of an uppermost layer of the tree structure, is divided into nodes of a lower layer; encoding image information of a block corresponding to a node which is not further divided; and encoding additional information including first information on a minimum block size and second information on a difference between the minimum block size and a maximum block size, wherein the first and second information are used for identifying the maximum block size corresponding to the node of the uppermost layer.
US09351004B2
A method for coding a dependent view picture based on a reference picture includes selecting a reference picture from a base view picture list if a metric of intra macroblocks in an evaluated picture is greater than a first threshold, selecting a reference picture from a dependent view picture list if a metric of skipped macroblocks in the evaluated picture is greater than a second threshold, and coding a dependent view picture using the selected reference picture. An application-controlled weighting mechanism may be used if both of the thresholds are not met.
US09351003B2
A video encoder may include a context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) encode component that converts each syntax element of a representation of a block of pixels to binary code, serializes it, and codes it mathematically, after which the resulting bit stream is output. A lookup table in memory and a context cache may store probability values for supported contexts, which may be retrieved from the table or cache for use in coding syntax elements. Depending on the results of a syntax element coding, the probability value for its context may be modified (e.g., increased or decreased) in the cache and, subsequently, in the table. After coding multiple syntax elements, and based on observed access patterns for probability values, a mapping or indexing for the cache or the table may be modified to improve cache performance (e.g., to reduce cache misses or access data for related contexts using fewer accesses).
US09351002B2
An image processing apparatus that compresses image data according to a compression parameter, includes: a data acquisition section that acquires information on whether photographing condition data is added to the image data inputted or not and content of the photographing condition data; a compression parameter determination section that determines the compression parameter according to an acquisition result of the photographing condition data in the data acquisition section; and a compression processing section that applies compression processing to the image data according to the determined compression parameter, wherein the photographing condition data includes information related to presence or absence of an optical low-pass filter at time of photographing an image of the image data.
US09350998B2
A video coder determines, based at least in part on a distance between a current sub-block of a transform coefficient block and a sub-block that contains a last significant coefficient (LSC) of the transform coefficient block, coding contexts for significance flags for transform coefficients of the current sub-block. Furthermore, the video coder entropy codes, based on the coding contexts for the significance flags for the transform coefficients of the current sub-block, the significance flags for the transform coefficients of the current sub-block.
US09350984B2
A system may include a camera module having error generation circuitry, and processing circuitry that processes image data from the camera module. The processing circuitry may include error detection circuitry that monitors or otherwise processes the image data to verify correct operation of the camera module. To test for correct operation of the error detection circuitry, the processing circuitry may provide a control signal to the camera module that enables error generation and selects a type of fault for the error generation circuitry to emulate. In response to receiving the control signal, the error generation circuitry may emulate the fault at the camera module to produce faulty image data. The error generation circuitry may emulate the fault by modifying control signals at the camera module or modifying the digital image data stream produced by the camera module.
US09350982B2
An image display device includes: a feature value calculating section which calculates an image feature value related to the brightness of image data using parallax between image data for a right eye and image data for a left eye which form 3D image data; an expanding coefficient calculating section which calculates an expanding coefficient, which is related to brightness expand processing, on the basis of the image feature value; a brightness expanding processing section which performs brightness expanding processing on the image data for the right eye and the image data for the left eye on the basis of the expanding coefficient; and an image display section which displays an image on the basis of the image data for the right eye and the image data for the left eye subjected to the brightness expanding processing.
US09350978B2
A method for efficiently manipulating 3D scenes recorded by a virtual camera using a computer system comprised of projectors, graphics accelerators, one or more CPUs, instances of 3D rendering software, and a MIDI interface, includes receiving from the MIDI controller camera parameters, defining left camera and right camera parameters based on the camera parameters, determining left and right images based upon left and right camera parameters, projecting left and right images, viewing left and right images, integrating left and right images to represent a 3D scene, manipulating the 3D scene until the user is satisfied, and storing the left and right camera parameters, and storing the left and right images.
US09350977B1
An optical imaging system having an aperture comprised of a plurality of concentric annuli. The outer radius of each annulus is proportional to the square root of the number of annuli. Each annulus also having an azimuthally linearly increasing phase profile comprising for a given light wavelength.
US09350970B2
A device performs a disparity vector derivation process to determine a disparity vector for a current block. As part of performing the disparity vector derivation process, when either a first or a second spatial neighboring block has a disparity motion vector or an implicit disparity vector, the device converts the disparity motion vector or the implicit disparity vector to the disparity vector for the current block. The number of neighboring blocks that is checked in the disparity vector derivation process is reduced, potentially resulting in decreased complexity and memory bandwidth requirements.
US09350966B1
In one aspect, a method involves (i) selecting a log-entry, wherein the log entry corresponds to a streaming-video source; (ii) causing streaming video to start being channeled from the streaming-video source to an air-chain system; (iii) making a determination that the log-entry includes a special identifier; (iv) responsive to making the determination, causing a recording device to start recording the streaming video; (v) causing a set of commercial VCs to be sent to the air-chain system; (vi) causing the recording device to stop recording the streaming video; (vii) determining a beginning and an ending position of at least two show-segment VCs included in the recorded video, wherein the at least two show-segments are separated by a commercial break; and (viii) for each of the show-segment VCs included in the recorded video, assigning a corresponding segment identifier and the corresponding determined beginning and ending positions to the recorded video.
US09350952B2
A drive video recording device is provided. The drive video recording device creates a summarized moving image in which the inputted video is culled such that a playback speed of the video of the time period during which the amount of information is smaller is faster than a playback speed of the video of the time period during which the amount of information is larger, and stores the summarized moving image in a storage section.
US09350948B2
A method and a system for providing a video service for distributing a plurality of multipoint control units (MCU) in an MCU cluster to forward the video service via a controller are provided. The method includes, through a first MCU among the MCUs, receiving the video service published by the publisher terminal. The method also includes forwarding the video service from the first MCU to at least one second MCU among the MCUs, and establishing at least one nice connection corresponding to the video service in the second MCU. In addition, at least one subscriber terminal receives the video service through the at least one nice connection. Accordingly, the method can provide sufficient resources of the video service to the subscriber terminals by dynamically distributing system resources of a plurality of the MCUs.
US09350947B2
A communication management system includes: a storage unit configured to store destination information of a first communication terminal that establishes a first session with a relay device that relays communication data, destination information of a conversion system that performs mutual conversion between communication schemes of communication data transmitted from the first communication terminal and a second communication terminal and establishes a second session with the relay device, and destination information of the second communication terminal that establishes a third session with the conversion system; a receiving unit configured to receive start request information to start communication between the communication terminals from the first communication terminal; an extracting unit configured to extract destination information of each communication terminal and the conversion system stored in the storage unit, based on the received start request information; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the extracted destination information to the relay device.
US09350939B2
Methods and apparatus to detect content skipping by a consumer of a recorded program are disclosed. An example disclosed apparatus includes a segment identifier to identify a first number of times a media segment was fast-forwarded and a second number of times the media segment was rewound; and a recapture identifier to determine whether the media segment was recaptured based on a comparison of the first number of times and the second number of times.
US09350917B2
A method of misregistration correction in a line scanning imaging system includes: generating a model of scan motion over a focal plane of the imaging system, using a coupled system of scan equations with constant coefficients; estimating programmed motion positions across a plurality of detector junction overlap regions via a state transition matrix solution to the scan equations; at each detector junction overlap region, measuring actual motion positions via image correlation of overlapping detectors; generating differences between the actual motion positions and the estimated programmed motion positions; estimating updates to the constant coefficients based on the generated differences; generating corrections from the estimated updates to remove unwanted motion; and applying the updates to the constant coefficients.
US09350913B2
Various approaches provide for detecting and recognizing text to enable a user to perform various functions or tasks. For example, a user could point a camera at an object with text, in order to capture an image of that object. The camera can be integrated with a portable computing device that is capable of taking the image and processing the image (or providing the image for processing) to recognize, identify, and/or isolate the text in order to send the image of the object as well as recognized text to an application, function, or system, such as an electronic marketplace.
US09350907B2
There are provided a drive device that is detachably mounted on a lens barrel making time, which is required until the position of a zoom ring is detected, uniform, a method of controlling initial processing for storing a result of initial processing in a memory, and a method of adjusting an angular position. A series of pulses are output from an encoder 45 according to the rotation of a zoom ring. A reference signal is output from a photo interrupter 40 at an intermediate position of a movable range of the zoom ring. The present position of the zoom ring is calculated from the pulses of the encoder that are generated after the rising or falling of the reference signal. Time, which is required until the position of the zoom ring is detected, is made uniform.
US09350906B2
The invention provides an encapsulant module for an image sensor device. The module includes an outer frame, a set of optical elements, and an opaque coating. The outer frame includes an enclosing wall and a first opening surrounded by the enclosing wall. The set of optical elements connects to and is disposed in the enclosing wall. The opaque coating overlies the enclosing wall.
US09350903B2
Because the ejection state of a printing element in a printing apparatus may vary at all times, an inspection item for inspecting a printed image may be set in consideration of the ejection state of the printing element. An inspection item for inspecting a printed image may be set based on information including a temperature characteristic of a printing head and a state of ink such as an elapsed time from the last ejection. This allows image inspection that matches with variations in the ejection state of the printing element.
US09350902B2
An image reading device includes: a reading unit in which light receiving elements are arranged in a line along a second direction; and a light source control section that controls emission of the light source members, the light source control section performing control such that light is emitted in a cycle order of the first, second, and third colors on the basis of a reference signal which is output at a preset time interval, and to make a time of emission of the light with the first color close to a time of start of emission of the light with the second color and to make a time of emission of the light with the third color close to a time of end of emission of the light with the second color.
US09350896B2
An MFP determines, based on a set destination, whether it is necessary to establish a plurality of communications to transmit image data. If it is not necessary to establish the plurality of communications, the MFP executes first transmission control that starts transmission of the image data before the MFP finishes reading all of a plurality of documents. If it is necessary to establish the plurality of communications, the MFP executes second transmission control that starts transmission of the image data after the MFP finishes reading all of the plurality of documents.
US09350895B1
A camera system includes a first microphone, a second microphone, and a microphone controller. The first microphone and the second microphone are configured to capture audio over a time interval to produce a first captured audio signal and a second captured audio signal, respectively. The second captured audio signal is dampened relative to the first captured audio signal by a dampening factor. The microphone controller is configured to store the first captured audio signal in response to a determination that the first captured audio signal does not clip. In response to a determination that the first captured audio signal clips, the microphone controller is configured to identify a gain between the first captured audio signal and the second captured audio signal representative of the dampening factor, amplify the second captured audio signal based on the identified gain, and store the amplified second captured audio signal.
US09350891B2
An image forming apparatus and a user terminal apparatus are connected to a network. In the image forming apparatus, an input device receives an input of an identification code unique to the user terminal apparatus on the basis of a user operation, and an apparatus information transmitting unit searches for a user terminal apparatus on the network using the identification code and transmit apparatus information on this image forming apparatus to the found user terminal apparatus. In the user terminal apparatus, an identification code managing unit displays an identification code unique to this user terminal apparatus on the display device, an apparatus information acquiring unit receives the apparatus information transmitted from the image forming apparatus to which the identification code was inputted, a driver setup unit sets up the driver program on the basis of the received apparatus information.
US09350889B2
An image forming apparatus that uses a Web application and is capable of performing image processing without delay and reducing power consumption. The image forming apparatus communicates with a Web server. A scanner unit reads an image, and a printing unit prints the image. Power is supplied to at least one of the scanner unit and the printing unit. A user interface unit displays an operating screen based on data transmitted from the Web server, and based on the data, power is supplied selectively to the scanner unit or the printing unit.
US09350885B2
There is disclosed an image processing apparatus provided with a reader for reading an original image, a connection unit for connection with a network to which plural computers are connected, and a transfer units for transferring the image data, read by the reader, to a computer through the connection unit, the apparatus comprises a specifying unit for specifying desired one among the computers connected through the connection unit, and a designation unit for designating image reading by the reader, wherein the transfer unit is adapted to transfer the image data, read by the reader in response to the designation by the designation unit, to a computer specified by the specifying unit.
US09350884B2
A communication apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a control apparatus, which has a recording unit and executes processing in accordance with a command written to the recording unit, an accepting unit configured to accept selection of a command by a user, and a writing unit configured to write the selected command to the recording unit, and the communication apparatus comprises: a sensing unit configured to sense connection to the control apparatus via the communication unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether the recording unit has been set to a write inhibit state if the connection has been sensed by the sensing unit; and a notification unit configured to notify the user of the fact that the recording unit has been set to the write inhibit state, if the determination unit determines that the recording unit has been set to the write inhibit state.
US09350882B2
The present invention is directed to a technique for preventing accidental removal of a print product, including the case of one portion of the print product being pulled out, without keeping a user waiting for print output. An image processing system includes an output unit configured to output, to a monitoring tray, an output result of a print job to which a monitoring attribute is allocated, an imaging unit configured to capture a video of the monitoring tray, a detection unit configured to detect motion in an output product region of the monitoring tray, based on the video captured by the imaging unit, and a warning information output unit configured to output warning information in a case where the detection unit detects motion in the output product region.
US09350879B2
Methods and systems are provided to connect telephone calls, such as international phone calls, using both the data network and telephone network of a mobile communication device such as a cellular phone. These systems initially route a call to the destination phone number through a non-international temporary phone number, thereby saving the cost of an international phone call on the mobile phone's service plan. An application on the mobile phone uses the data network to automatically request and receive the substitute termination number, and automatically sets up a call on the telephone network to the substitute termination number, which routes the call to the desired international telephone number. These systems reduce the cost of an international call, permit mobile phone users without international calling plans to make international calls, and automatically connect to an international number through a temporary non-international number using dual networks.
US09350878B2
The present specification provides a system and method for real time rating and billing across distributed sites with poor link connectivity. The method includes receiving a request for initiate a connection with a mobile device; at a rating module, determining a rating associated with the connection request, based on (i) an identifier of the mobile device, and (ii) a quality of a link between the rating module and a billing engine; at a balance module connected to the rating module, determining whether a billing criterion associated with the connection request is satisfied, based on (i) an identifier of the mobile device, and (ii) a quality of a link between the balance module and the billing engine; and when the billing criterion is satisfied, sending a response to the request for completing the connection with the mobile device.
US09350873B2
Computer media and methods for providing emergency services protocols to an emergency service call taker are disclosed herein. A public safety answering point receives an emergency service phone call from a caller. The caller is placed in voice communication with an emergency call handler. The system monitors the voice communication between the caller and the emergency call handler. In response to detecting one or more known keyword in the voice communication, the system provides the emergency call handler with one or more defined protocols for guiding additional communications between the caller and the emergency call handler.
US09350869B1
A conference call system and method thereof for controlling audio channels in a conference call. In particular, the conference call system enables a common communication session in which multiple participants may control audio settings associated with other participants. Selective audio control of the associated channel may be used for muting or unmuting a specific communication device, adjusting the volume level of an audio signal received from a specific communication device, altering various additional parameters of an audio signal received from a specific communication device, and the like.
US09350866B1
Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for setting up a callback for a party placed on hold. In particular embodiments, speech analytics is used to listen in on a party once the party has been placed on hold for a keyword spoken by the party indicating the party would like to receive a callback. In response to detecting the keyword spoken by the party, a notification is sent to a component such as an IVR and in turn, the IVR interacts with the party to obtain information from the party with respect to placing a callback to the party. Accordingly, this information is recorded so that a callback can be placed to the party at a later time by some type of call handler component such as, for example, a dialer or PBX.
US09350861B1
Telemarketing calls may originate from a call center based on processing a telephone number record which includes a telephone number. The telephone number record may also include other information pertaining to the telephone number, including whether it is a wireline or wireless number. Further information may indicate whether the solicitation call is being originated on behalf of a wireless carrier serving the wireless subscriber associated with the telephone number. The call center may use location information associated with the wireless number to ascertain a location of the wireless subscriber and to then ascertain a time zone of the wireless subscriber, so as to originate the telemarketing call within the appropriate regulatory calling time window. A dialer may originate calls for an agent using a list of wireline numbers and then using a list of wireless numbers.
US09350857B1
A system and method for use with an assisted user's communication device that includes a display and a speaker, the method comprising the steps of providing a processor programmed to perform the steps of, upon placement of an emergency call to a hearing user, recognizing the call as an emergency call, automatically initiating a captioning service to provide text transcription of voice messages from the hearing user and maintaining the captioning service for at least a time out period irrespective of actions by the assisted user and, upon placement of a non-emergency call, only starting the captioning service after a request for the captioning service from the assisted user is received.
US09350850B2
A home entertainment device eliminates the need to use multiple remote's. The device is connected (by wired and/or wireless links) to electronic consumer devices (ECDs) to be controlled. A user uses a portable display device to view pages served by the device, and thereby to communicate with the device and indirectly control the ECDs. In a first aspect, a HDMI-CEC communication is used to identify a codeset from a codeset database. In a second aspect, the codeset of a remote is identified by serving pictures of remotes to the user. The user selects a picture and the system looks up its codeset. In a third aspect, keys on an illustration of a remote are dragged and dropped to create a new custom remote. In a fourth aspect, the user supplies a digital photograph of a remote. The system performs optical recognition and identifies the type of remote and its codeset.
US09350849B2
According to one embodiment, a communication apparatus includes a communication unit that establishes at least one proximity wireless connection with a communication partner apparatus. The communication apparatus includes a connection monitoring unit that monitors the communication unit and detect establishment of the wireless connection. The communication apparatus includes an execution control unit that identifies an establishment history of a plurality of the wireless connections based on a result of monitoring by the connection monitoring unit and, based on the establishment history, controls a process execution unit that executes at least one process.
US09350847B2
Mobile devices and methods are disclosed for providing privacy and confidentiality of information through the provision of multiple profiles that control access to the information, and operation of the mobile device in accordance with a profile chosen by entry of an associated access code.
US09350842B2
A voicemail receptionist system includes a memory and a processor. The memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail receptionist system and provided with functionality based upon a user's preferences, for example. The data stored by the voicemail receptionist system can be updated at any time, or automatically updated upon updating of the data, or upon occurrence of a trigger event. Voicemail receptionist functionality can include standard voicemail system functionality as well as functionality relating to email, text messaging, MMS messaging, calendar features, schedule announcements, location data, as well as other features.
US09350841B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a system for reconfiguring touch controls on a device, such as a cell phone, in reaction to a user's changing mode of operation. For example, a standard display of icons that works well in two-handed operation may not work as well for one-handed operation where the user tries to operate the controls with a thumb of the holding hand. In such a case, a device can detect that the user is trying to operate the controls with a thumb of the holding hand and the controls can be reconfigured to be more suitable for thumb operation. Reconfiguration can also occur in other modes of operation, such as when the user is using a stylus, multiple fingers of a second (non-holding hand), fingers on both hands, etc. In some embodiments, detection of the mode of operation can be automatic such as where a camera takes an image to determine the mode.
US09350837B2
Provided is a communication device that facilitates hearing even in an environment in which hearing of sound is difficult only with air conduction sound, and requires fewer components, facilitates implementation. The communication device 100 includes: a protecting panel 101 serving as a contact member disposed at a position at which at least a part of the contact member is brought into contact with a user's ear and/or a human body around the ear; and an transducer 111 surface joined to the protecting panel 101, and configured to vibrate in a frequency band of an audible range such that vibration is not conducted from the protecting panel 101 to an auditory organ of the user via bones of a skull of the user.
US09350836B2
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a flexible display; at least one sensor arranged in a prescribed form on the flexible display and configured to convert a flex state of the flexible display into an electric signal; and a controller configured to determine the flex state of the flexible display using the electric signal input from the at least one sensor, and control a visual effect corresponding to the determined flex state and output the visual effect on the flexible display.
US09350834B2
The portable telephone of the invention comprises two housings having a display screen on one of the housings, a first connection section that connects the two housings such that the housings can be opened and closed in a first direction, and a second connection section that connects the two housings such that the housings can move from an overlapped state in a second direction that is different than the first direction such that step is formed on the end sections of the housings. When the portable telephone is placed on a flat surface such as a desk, the portable telephones stably stands on its own by way of the step with the display screen facing upward at an angle. Therefore, the angle between the display screen and the line of sight of the user becomes nearly perpendicular, so the display screen is easy for the user to see.
US09350831B2
A system and method for enabling a dual-wire protocol (DWP). A low-power alternative to the single wire protocol (SWP) is provided that uses an extra wire. DWP can reduce the NFC chip's current requirement to almost zero, while enabling higher transmission rates.
US09350829B2
A transparent TCP proxy device intercepts TCP connection requests received from a TCP client and destined for a TCP server as if acting as the TCP server in a handshake with the TCP client. Only after completing the handshake with the TCP client, the transparent TCP proxy participates in a handshake with the TCP server as if acting as the TCP client. After the handshake with the TCP server is complete, the transparent TCP proxy intercepts and translates subsequent TCP packets received from the TCP client and destined for the TCP server into a form expected by the TCP server including updating an acknowledgement number and TCP checksum; and intercepts and translates subsequent TCP packets received from the TCP server and destined for the TCP client into a form expected by the TCP client including updating an acknowledgement number and TCP checksum.
US09350828B2
Techniques for a network interface controller (NIC) capable of performing general-purpose computing tasks without intervention from a central processing unit (CPU) are disclosed herein. The network interface controller includes a circuit board, a network interface, a computer bus interface and a processor. The network interface is operatively coupled to the circuit board for receiving network packets. The computer bus interface is operatively coupled to the circuit board for receiving a general-purpose program. The processor is operatively coupled to the circuit board and capable of executing the general-purpose program to process the network packets.
US09350824B2
A social networking system offers a variety of device service and support functions via automated social network (SNET) group associations. Such functions can include, for example, device registration and warranty services, update and upgrade services, maintenance and testing services, resource utilization reporting services, cloning services, usage tutorials and user group interactions, targeted advertising, etc. In various embodiments, support services may be offered upon automated docking of a social device with a SNET group, such as a manufacturer's SNET group. Selection of available services may be automated based on device profile data. Alternatively, services may be manually selected through a user interface provided by a member device or support service. In other embodiments, all or portions of a first device may be cloned on a second device, either on a persistent or temporary basis.
US09350801B2
Processes and systems are disclosed for leasing a consumer system access to a producer system. The consumer system can communicate with a set of leasing agents to obtain the identity of a number of producer systems capable of providing the consumer system with access to a service. Each leasing agent may provide the consumer system with access to a producer system for a period of time. If the consumer system requires further access to a particular producer system, the consumer system can request renewal of the lease from the leasing agent that provided the initial lease of the producer system to the consumer system.
US09350799B2
A content delivery system and method for use with plurality of digital multimedia data processing systems and legacy systems spanning across one or more network environments. The system and method enable users with freedom of mobility while maintaining access to the user's selected content while the user transitions from one device in one location to a different device in a difference location, substantially without interruption and without the need for user action to turn on and off these target data processing systems. The Instant Invention can provide high bandwidth content delivery solutions based upon hardware and software components by activating a target device while the system is proximate to the target device and, in one embodiment, automatically redirecting the content while the system is proximate to a new target device without user intervention. The target devices include digital multimedia data processing systems and legacy systems including, but not limited to, HDTVs, TV, Personal Computers, digital music systems, printers, radios, and fax machines.
US09350798B2
Various arrangements for transitioning between data visualizations are presented. A first and second general path may be determined that define a first and second shape, respectively. A plurality of pairs of drawing commands may be created such that each pair of the plurality of pairs of drawing commands includes a first drawing command from the first general path and a second drawing command from the second general path. The plurality of pairs of drawing commands may be modified such that each pair of the plurality of pairs of drawing commands includes a single type of drawing command. A visual transition may be output for presentation between the first shape and the second shape using the modified plurality of pairs of drawing commands.
US09350797B2
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer programs for facilitating communication between a client application and a server application. A client application initiates an asynchronous communication with the server application by sending a request via a communication manager. The communication manager sends the request synchronously to the server application. Responsive to the communication manager not having received a final response from the server application, the communication manager responds to the client application that the sending the request was unsuccessful. Responsive to the communication manager having received a final response from the server application, the communication manager retains the response from the server application and responds to the client application that the sending a request was successful. The client application requests a final response from the communication manager and the communication manager provides the previously retained response.
US09350792B2
A hosting provider may host a website at a first hosting location based on initial business information received from a hosting customer, perhaps while the hosting customer created an account. The initial business information may include, as non-limiting examples, whether the business is a local or non-localized business, business addresses and/or registered domain names. A domain name, particularly if it resolves to the website, may be analyzed for incorporated words, spelling, characters and/or top-level domain that may point to, or be more commonly used in, one or more geographical regions. The website may be moved to a second location based on the initial business information combined with subsequently collected business information, such as, as non-limiting examples, updated address information, marketing campaigns aimed at particular locations and/or based on the originating location of traffic to the website.
US09350788B2
The invention comprises music and information delivery systems and methods. One system comprises a portable communication device configured to receive a piece of music from an audio source and transmit the piece of music via a first communication medium to a host computer. The host computer is configured to receive the piece of music from the portable communication device and search a storage medium to identify and access the piece of music from the storage medium. The host computer is configured to transmit the piece of music via a second communication medium to one or more reception units that are configured to receive the piece of music from the host computer via the second communication medium.
US09350776B2
A computer-implemented method and system allows a remote computer user to listen to teams in a race event. The method includes receiving audio signals from a plurality of audio sources at the race event; transmitting at least some of the audio signals to a remote computer; and filtering the audio signals as a function of the source of at least some of the audio signals so that at least some of the audio signals are not played by the remote computer and heard by the user.
US09350771B2
A method of Inter-User Equipment (UE) Transfer (IUT) for use in a Home enhanced-Node B (H(e)NB), the method comprising receiving a transfer command from a first IMS capable WTRU via IMS signaling, translating the transfer command to a non-IMS based message, and transmitting the translated non-IMS based message to a Service Centralization and Continuity Application Server (SCC AS).
US09350768B2
A method is provided for establishing a new communication leg of a communication session in an IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, network architecture that includes CAMEL services. The method enables IMS network nodes to selectively invoke or suppress invocation of CAMEL services based on signaling received in SIP requests.
US09350764B2
A gateway apparatus receives a call control signal and/or a packet with voice data stored therein in a predetermined protocol from a packet transfer apparatus on a mobile high-speed network and converts the received protocol into a circuit-switched protocol used when an RNC connects to a circuit switching equipment on a mobile circuit-switched network, for output to the circuit switching equipment The gateway apparatus, on receipt of a call process signal and/or a voice signal, from the circuit switching equipment, converts the received protocol for output to the packet transfer apparatus.
US09350750B1
Systems and methods for generating rules in a networking environment having one or more sensor computers logically connected to compromised computers are provided. The rules comprise detection data used by a sensor computer to detect a potential security threat and a specified remediation measure that is caused to be performed when the security threat is detected. A security control computer generates the rules from record of series of actions created by the sensor computer, generates a rule, and distributes the rule to the sensor computers. The sensor computers periodically poll a central database for new rules and store a copy of each rule locally. Using the locally stored rules, the sensor computers can more efficiently and accurately respond to security threats.
US09350749B2
Implementations of the present disclosure include methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums for providing application attack monitoring. Actions can include: obtaining a security graph model associated with an attack vulnerability of a distributed application, the security graph model comprising a plurality of rule parts; screening log data obtained by a plurality of connectors to selectively obtain relevant log data corresponding to one or more of the rule parts, each connector being in communication with a respective components of the distributed application; evaluating the relevant log data based on the security graph model to provide an evaluation score; and in response to determining that the evaluation score is greater than a predetermined threshold, providing output indicating an attack on the distributed application.
US09350748B1
Techniques for improving computer system security by detecting and responding to attacks on computer systems are described herein. A computer system monitors communications requests from external systems and, as a result of detecting one or more attacks on the computer system, the computer system responds to the attacks by modifying the behavior of the computer system. The behavior of the computer system is modified so that responses to communications requests to ports on the computer system are altered, presenting the attacker with an altered representation of the computer system and thereby delaying or frustrating the attack and the attacker.
US09350746B2
A transmission network system includes a network terminating device connected to a user terminal and an authentication information device connected to the network terminating device through a transmission network. The transmission network is connected to a reference clock that holds a reference time. The network terminating device includes a terminating internal clock that synchronizes with the reference clock, when receiving a first frame from the user terminal, generates a second frame including a time outputted from the terminating internal clock as a request time on the basis of the first frame, and transmits the second frame to the authentication information device. The authentication information device generates time authentication information based on the request time included in the received second frame, generates a third frame including the generated time authentication information, and transmits the third frame to the transmission network.
US09350743B2
A social networking system includes information identifying a machine (e.g., a robot, a drone, a computer, a thermostat, etc.) and a connection between the machine and an owner of the machine, which is a user of the social networking system capable of authorizing an action by the machine. The owner of the machine associates permissions associated with various actions by the machine, where a permission associated with an action identifies one or more criteria for performing the action. Permissions may specify types of connections between social networking system users and the owner of the machine via the social networking system to allow social networking system users with specific types of connections to the owner of the machine to perform certain actions using the machine. Information describing an action performed by the machine may be communicated to other users of the social networking system via any suitable communication channel.
US09350739B2
An aspect of recovery from rolling security token loss includes storing, in a memory device accessible by a server computer, a token pair (B) transmitted to a client device. The token pair (B) includes an access token (a2) and a refresh token (r2) and is generated as part of a refresh operation. An aspect also includes storing, in the memory device, a refresh token (r1) that was generated by the server computer before generation of the token pair B. The refresh token (r1) and the refresh token (r2) are each tagged as a valid refresh token. An aspect further includes receiving, at the server computer, a request to access a network resource that includes the access token (a2), invalidating the refresh token (r1), and providing the client device with access to the network resource.
US09350735B1
Disclosed are systems and methods for context-based dynamic information rights management (IRM) in a cloud-based document management environment. A system may include a document server configured to store a plurality of documents. The document server is coupled to an information rights server and a plurality of client computer systems via a network. One or more of the document server and the information rights server may be cloud-based. The information rights for a document stored in the document server may be determined by the information rights server based on context parameters associated with a request to download the document from the document server.
US09350733B2
A method and system for emergency server access to offline users may include one or more computing devices receiving a request for offline access of data. The request for offline access of data may contain information to identify the offline user and specific data. An action to provide the specific data may be determined responsive to the identification of the offline user. The action may be executed responsive to the determination. The specific data may be transmitted.
US09350731B2
The invention relates to a secure method of processing data in which method is implemented the evaluation of a function that may be written as a linear combination of sub-functions with two binary inputs, in which a client and a server each possess a binary code, comprising n indexed bits, the method comprising the evaluation of the function with the binary codes of the client and of the server as inputs, without one of the client or the server obtaining information about the code of the other, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: —the server randomly generates n indexed values and calculates the linear combination of these values with the same linear combination as that applied to the sub-functions to obtain the function, —the client implements, for each bit of his binary code, a technique of unconscious transfer to obtain from the server an intermediate data item comprising the randomly generated value of same index as the bit of the code of the client, increased by the value of the corresponding sub-function evaluated at the bit of same index of the code of the server and at said bit of his binary code, and —the client performs a linear combination of the intermediate data for all the bits of his binary code, with the same linear combination as that applied to the sub-functions to obtain the function, in such a way as to obtain a final result comprising the linear combination of the randomly generated values, increased by the evaluation of the function at the two binary codes.
US09350724B2
When authentication processing is performed without requesting a user to input authentication information and receiving the authentication information in response to authentication processing performed in another authentication server system having successfully been performed, a notification is not issued to a terminal to be operated by the user.
US09350721B2
Provided is an air interface security method. In the process of protocol transmission, the method executes: 1) a short-range coupling device sending a security parameter request message to a short-range card; 2) after receiving the security parameter request message, the short-range card conduct security parameter feedback on the short-range coupling device; and 3) the short-range coupling device and the short-range card establish a security link according to a security parameter. Provided are a short-range coupling device, a short-range card, etc. for achieving the method. By introducing a security mechanism, the present invention provides a security protection capability for an air interface, can provide identity authentication for a short-range coupling device and a short-range card to ensure the validity and authenticity of the identities of both sides in the communications, and at the same time, will not bring additional hardware overhead to the short-range coupling device and the short-range card.
US09350713B2
According to embodiments of the present invention a system and method for encrypting traffic on a network is disclosed. Encrypted data is transmitted between a first network element and a second network element by: acquiring an encryption seed at the first network element, the encryption seed being substantially similar to a decryption seed at the second network element; generating at least one encryption key from the encryption seed; receiving data; encrypting the data using the encryption key to generate encrypted data; transmitting the encrypted data from the first network element to the second network element via a network; and updating the encryption seed at the first network element in response to an event trigger.
US09350707B2
A digital security threat management system is disclosed. The system detects the presence of a computing system, on a network, that has been compromised by an undetected and/or unknown digital security threat. The digital security threat management system recognizes characteristic emanations from a computer system that has been compromised. Because the characteristic emanations that result from a known threat can be the same as the characteristic emanations that result from an undetected and/or unknown threat, the digital security threat management system can learn to detect a computing system that has been compromised by an unknown threat if the security threat management system recognizes characteristic emanations from a previous attack, based on a known threat, of the computing system. In this way, the system can detect the presence of a compromised computing system, even if the cause of the compromise remains undetected and/or unknown. Appropriate remedial action may be taken upon detection.
US09350706B1
Novel tools and techniques for filtering network traffic in an anycasting environment includes receiving network traffic addressed to a plurality of anycasted servers at an edge router, the plurality of anycasted servers comprising one or more anycasted servers. The network traffic is received from the edge server at least one data scrubbing appliance. The at least one data scrubbing appliance filters out undesirable traffic from the network traffic. The at least one data scrubbing appliance “on-ramps” the filtered network traffic to the plurality of anycasted servers. The filtered network traffic is transmitted to the plurality of anycasted servers in a load balanced manner.
US09350692B1
Systems, methods and computer readable media for persistent conversation and email integration are described. Some implementations can include a method comprising receiving a persistent conversation communication message sent from a first user to at least one other user, and adding the message to an email thread associated with the persistent conversation. The method can also include storing the persistent conversation message as part of the email thread, and creating a new email thread associated with the persistent conversation when a predetermined condition is met, wherein the condition is one of an elapsed time or reaching a predetermined number of messages in the email thread. The method can further include rendering a displayable version of the persistent conversation within an email client, the displayable version including a continuous display of email threads associated with the persistent conversation.
US09350675B2
An apparatus and a method for controlling traffic are disclosed. The apparatus for controlling traffic in accordance with the present invention includes: a communication unit configured to receive packets corresponding to a terminal; a service checking unit configured to check for a service corresponding to the packets by analyzing the packets; a terminal checking unit configured to analyze the packets and check a type of the terminal; a policy information storage unit configured to store policy information according to at least one of the service and the type of the terminal; and a traffic control unit configured to adjust a transmission rate of the packets corresponding to the service according to the policy information.
US09350673B2
A computer-implemented method for dynamic adjustment of quality of service parameters is described. In one embodiment, one or more quality of service (QoS) parameters of a client of a mesh network is set based on an expected bandwidth for the mesh network. An actual bandwidth for the mesh network is measured. One or more QoS parameters of the client is automatically changed in response to the actual bandwidth differing from the expected bandwidth. The change in the QoS parameters may be configured to compensate for the difference between the actual bandwidth and the expected bandwidth.
US09350672B2
An example method for performance enhancement in a heterogeneous network environment with multipath transport protocols is provided and includes receiving packets according to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP packets) and packets according to multipath TCP (MPTCP packets) in a network environment, determining that TCP packets are experiencing congestion in comparison to the MPTCP packets, and delaying acknowledgement packets (MPTCP ACK packets) corresponding to the MPTCP packets for a pre-determined time interval. In a specific embodiment, a local MPTCP proxy intercepts the TCP packets and forwards underlying data of the TCP packets according to MPTCP.
US09350656B2
Systems and methods to route packets of information within an integrated circuit, across one or more boards, racks, blades, and/or chassis, and/or across a connected network of packet processing engines include various modes of operation. Packets are routed to their destination, for example an individual packet processing engine. The packets of information include address-mode indicators, one or more destination port indicators, and/or (long-distance) addresses.
US09350649B2
The Residential Communications Gateway (RCG) is a broadband communications device that combines all voice, data and video communications to and from a typical residence or small business for transmission over a single, or a plurality of Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines separately or in conjunction with, a wireless broadband backbone. The RCG does this by employing packetized data with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies combined with RF communications technologies. A key consideration to the design of the RCG is that no additional or special transmission equipment must be installed at the Central Office or anywhere else in the network to enable new calling features provided by the RCG as is the case with DSL and Cable systems. By eliminating the requirement for costly infrastructure enhancements, ubiquitous high speed communications and services can be deployed to every POTS subscriber.
US09350648B2
An embodiment method of loop suppression in a layer-two transit network with multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) encapsulation includes receiving a packet at a provider edge (PE) router for the layer-two transit network. The packet is stored in a non-transitory memory on the PE router. The packet is stored according to a packet data structure having an MPLS label field and a layer-two header. A time-to-live (TTL) attribute is then determined for the packet. The TTL attribute is written to the non-transitory memory in the MPLS label field. The packet is then routed according to information in the layer-two header.
US09350647B2
A method of handling multicast command packets in a ring topology includes transmitting a multicast indication packet indicating that at least one command packet following the multicast indication packet is intended for at least two of a plurality of storage devices connected in the ring topology, determining whether the at least one command packet following the multicast indication packet is intended for each storage device from among the plurality of storage devices based on the multicast indication packet, and operating at least one storage device from among the plurality of storage devices that the at least one command packet is not intended for in a packet bypass mode until the at least one command packet has been processed by the at least two storage devices that the at least one command packet is intended for.
US09350644B2
A method implemented by an agent operating on a mobile device communicating to a cloud-based system includes opening up local listening sockets on the mobile device; redirecting outgoing traffic from all application on the mobile device except the agent to the local listening sockets; and forwarding the outgoing traffic from the local listening sockets to the cloud-based system with additional information included therein for the cloud-based system.
US09350639B2
In an embodiment, an apparatus for forwarding data in a data communications network having as components nodes and links therebetween comprises a network interface configured to couple to a data communications network having as components nodes and links therebetween; first logic which when executed is operable to receive a repair address; second logic which when executed is operable to compute a repair path from a repairing node to the repair address around a failure component on a primary forwarding path between the apparatus and a repairing node; and third logic which when executed is operable to propagate the repair address along a label switched path (LSP), comprising the repair path, to the repairing node. The apparatus offers improved efficiency in computing a repair path in a network around a failed component because unnecessary computations are not performed with the disclosed apparatus and approach.
US09350626B2
The communication management apparatus includes a network-presence-check processing unit that performs network presence check processing for generating network presence information, a token-circulation-order determining unit that determines token circulation order using the network presence information, a setup processing unit that notifies each of communication nodes in the network of token circulation destination information, a token-frame processing unit that, after transmission of a data frame by a data-frame-communication processing unit, transmits, based on the token circulation order, a token frame including information concerning a transmission right acquiring apparatus that acquires a transmission right next and determines whether the transmission right acquiring apparatus of the transmission right acquiring apparatus information of the received token frame is the own apparatus, and the data-frame-communication processing unit that performs transmission and reception processing for a data frame for acquiring the transmission right.
US09350620B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for creating a ring network label switched path. The method includes: receiving, by a first node, a first Path message used for creating a first label switched path from a second node; allocating a first label to the first label switched path; sending a first Resv message carrying the first label to the second node; and when the first node receives a second Path message and determines that a destination node of the second label switched path is the same as that of the first label switched path, allocating the first label to the second label switched path; and sending a second Resv message carrying the first label to the second node. Solutions of the embodiments of the present invention helps reduce the number of created ring network label switched paths and maintenance complexity.
US09350619B2
Aspects of the present invention include an arbitrary N-Node virtual link trunking (VLT) system comprising a set of N nodes collectively provide a logical fabric-level view that is consistent across the set of N nodes. Embodiments of the arbitrary N-Node VLT system comprise a control plane mechanism to provide Layer 2 multipathing between access network devices (switches or servers) and the core network. The N-Node VLT system provides a loop-free topology with active-active load-sharing of uplinks from access to the core. Accordingly, the N-Node VLT system eliminates the disadvantage of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) (active-standby links) by allowing link aggregation group (LAG) terminations on multiple separate distribution or core switches and also supporting a loop-free topology. Additional benefits of an N-Node VLT system include, but are not limited to, higher resiliency, improved link utilization, and improved manageability of the network.
US09350614B2
A network management system deploys a network profile for a virtual machine to a physical switch after a restart of the physical switch when the virtual machine is downstream of the physical switch and the network profile for the virtual machine has been cached but not saved at the physical switch.
US09350610B2
System and method for agentless computing system configuration management in networked environments. A configuration management service may be implemented as a service on a network with a standard network interface. A client may communicate with the service to specify a configuration for a target system, for example through a browser interface. The specified configuration may be stored by the service. The service may generate a package according to the specified configuration. The package may be delivered to the target system via the network. The package may then install the configuration, for example, one or more software, data, or other digital components, on the target systems in accordance with the specified configuration. The clients may request that the service verify and/or update the installed configuration on the target system. The service may, in response, generate an update package for the installed configuration. Target systems may include computer systems and virtual machines.
US09350604B1
A first service request, on behalf of a wireless communication device (WCD) may be received. The first WCD may be served by a first base station of a first wireless network provider, and may be subscribed to a second wireless network provider. A home packet gateway (PGW) device, with which to establish an inter-provider bearer path for the first WCD, may be identified. The inter-provider bearer path may include the first base station, a first serving gateway (SGW) device, and the home PGW device. The home PGW device may be operated by the second wireless network provider. In response to determining that the home PGW device is unresponsive, a backup PGW device may be identified. The backup PGW device may be operated by the first wireless network provider. The first SGW device may be instructed to establish intra-provider bearer paths that include the backup PGW device.
US09350595B1
The present invention is a system and method for optimizing the storage and transmission of a data object. Specifically, the present invention improves current data object serialization and deserialization methods involving multiple data objects. Current serialization techniques provide for serialization and deserialization using a single data object per transmission, or stream. As such, data objects may be serialized, then streamed to a destination one data object at a time. Unfortunately, present serialization and deserialization techniques require that each object must be streamed on its own binary stream, so many streams may be simultaneously transmitting. This places a toll on the transmission pipeline, and results in an “out of memory” response from the associated software application. The present invention provides a system and method for enabling multiple data objects to be transmitted on a single binary stream, improving the efficiency of the software applications associated with the distributed collaboration environment.
US09350587B1
A method of performing timing recovery in a receiver device includes receiving an oversampled signal corresponding to at least a first portion of a radio frequency signal received by the receiver device from a transmitter device. The oversampled signal is sampled at an oversampling rate that is higher than a baud rate of the receiver device. The method also includes estimating a first timing error using samples of the oversampled signal. Estimating the first timing error includes generating a first timing error signal indicative of the estimated first timing error. The method also includes adjusting, using the first timing error signal, at least one sampling rate at which received signals are sampled in the receiver device.
US09350582B2
A communication device is operative to generate and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol that includes one or more data and ranging modulation symbols. The data and ranging modulation symbols may be included within different sub-carriers of the OFDM symbol. The OFDM symbol is used to generate an OFDM symbol pair in the frequency domain (FDOM). After conversion from the FDOM to the time domain (TDOM), the OFDM symbol pair may then undergoes post-processing in the TDOM before transmission. Such post-processing may include the addition of cyclic prefix (CP) and cyclic suffix (CS) to the OFDM symbol pair in the TDOM as well as filtering using a window function. The OFDM symbol may be generated as an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) symbol, and two were more OFDM symbols or OFDMA symbols may be arranged in a frame.
US09350580B2
An aspect of the solution herein is directed to a receiver arrangement (100) including multiple RF-filters (RF1, RF2, RF3) and RF-attenuators (RF-A1, RF-A2, RF-A3), one for each of multiple frequency bands (RX1, RX2, RX3), where each RF-attenuator (RF-A1, RF-A2, RF-A3) is provided with a respective power splitter (PS1, PS2, PS3) that connects the RF-attenuator to an average power detector (Pave), which is configured to monitor an average power of each frequency band, where all frequency bands share a common antenna arrangement (110), at least one common LNA (112, 112a, 112b) and a common mixer arrangement (114) configured to mix all frequency bands into a common analog signal, and where a peak power monitor arrangement (201) is configured to monitor the peak power of the common analog signal, wherein, the receiver arrangement includes a digitizer arrangement (200) configured to control the gain of each RF-attenuator based on the monitored average power of each band from the average power detector and a detected peak power of the common analog signal from the peak power monitor arrangement.
US09350577B2
The present invention relates to the field of communication and transmission of signals. In particular, the present invention relates to a new communication and/or modulation method. The present invention also relates to improving channel occupancy. The present specification discloses the adoption of phase transitions/changes in a manner that indicates a code by virtue of their position (timing) in the communication. This is referred to as Phase Position Modulation.
US09350574B2
An apparatus comprises a differential equalizer having: a) a first differential input, b) a second differential input, c) a first differential output, and d) a second differential output; a frequency detector coupled to the first and second differential inputs; an amplifier coupled to a first differential output and a second differential output of the differential equalizer; and a logical combiner having a first input coupled to an output of the frequency detector and an output coupled to a control input of the amplifier, wherein the logical combiner can mask at least one received de-emphasis parameter.
US09350568B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for power management in hybrid networks. In one embodiment, a network power manager is configured to manage power consumption in a hybrid network by controlling an operational state of a plurality of ports in a plurality of nodes of the hybrid network. The hybrid network comprises a plurality of interconnected networks, where each interconnected network employs a corresponding one of a plurality of communication mediums, and each of the communication mediums is unique with respect to each other.
US09350563B2
A procedure, apparatus, system, and medium for transferring traffic across a packet network. In the procedure, a network element bundles a plurality of common (Synchronous Transport Signal) STS-Nc services included in a virtual concatenation group. The network element then transfers the traffic in accordance with the bundled plurality of STS-Nc services. In one example embodiment herein, the plurality of STS-Nc services are STS-1 services, and each bundle of STS-1 services is aligned to a timeslot boundary of an STS-3c service.
US09350560B2
A publication-and-subscription mechanism for team rooms, referred to as team room “channels”, through which teams are able to selectively share resources from their team rooms with non-members, and that allows selective contributions, modifications, and discussions from non-members. The team room channels operate as bidirectional information pipelines to other team rooms. The team room channels may either be broadcast to all known teams, or be published selectively to one or more designated “target” teams. The receiving team rooms may then subscribe to specific published channels as appropriate. Information items from a team's team room, such as documents, tasks, representations of team members, and/or other resources, may be added to one or more of a team's published channels. Teams can associate specific permissions with each channel, including Read, Contribute, Modify, and/or Discuss. These permissions apply to all items associated with the channel. Teams can subscribe to those channels published to them, to receive synchronous notifications of changes to the channel items.
US09350557B2
A multipurpose wall outlet that provides electrical power via at least one standard electrical socket(s) and at least one USB port as well as providing a wired and wireless internet connection is disclosed. The multipurpose wall outlet has a housing in which is assembled at least one receiver for receiving a signal from a wireless data network, at least one processor for processing the signal from the wireless data network, at least one electrical socket, at least one USB port, at least one ethernet port, and a transmitter for transmitting a wireless data signal.
US09350555B2
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.
US09350553B1
Aspects of the invention include methods and systems for electronically signing a plurality of documents, such as an insurance application, a loan application, a set of mortgage papers, a bank application, or the like. A customer, or multiple customers, electronically submits the signature once and the customer's one signature is applied to all of the areas where the customer signature is required. The electronic signature may include initials and/or a graphical representation of the customer's handwritten signature. Aspects of the invention include an apparatus comprising a display, a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and programmed with computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for electronically signing a plurality of documents.
US09350550B2
Methods and systems are provided for power management and security for wireless modules in “Machine-to-Machine” communications. A wireless module operating in a wireless network and with access to the Internet can efficiently and securely communicate with a server. The wireless network can be a public land mobile network (PLMN) or a wireless local area network (LAN). The wireless module may include a sensor and may be installed next to a monitored unit. The wireless module may utilize active states for collecting and sending data, and sleep states at other times to conserve a battery and/or energy usage. The wireless module minimize the time spent in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state. Messages between the wireless module and server can be transmitted according to a user datagram protocol (UDP). The wireless module and server can utilize public key infrastructure (PKI) for encryption and digital signatures.
US09350534B1
A cryptographic device includes first and second pipeline stages and a pipeline register. The first pipeline stage includes a first byte substitution module configured to (i) receive a first data block including multiple bytes, (ii) perform predetermined mathematical operations on each of the bytes of the first data block, and (iii) for each of the bytes of the first data block, output an intermediate value based on the predetermined mathematical operations. The pipeline register is configured to store the intermediate values. The second pipeline stage includes a second byte substitution module configured to (i) receive the stored intermediate values from the pipeline register, and (ii) generate an output data block, for each intermediate value of the stored intermediate values, by performing predetermined mathematical operations on the intermediate value to generate a corresponding replacement byte of the output data block.
US09350529B1
A logical transmission system includes a driver configured to receive a source data and output a first voltage at a first node; a transmission line of a characteristic impedance configured to couple the first node to a second node; a three-point three-level slicer configured to receive a second voltage at the second node and output a first ternary signal, a second ternary signal, and a third ternary in accordance with a first reference voltage, a second reference voltage, a first clock, a second clock, and a third clock; and a CDR (clock-data recovery) unit configured to receive a reference clock, the first ternary signal, the second ternary signal, and the third ternary signal and output a recovered data, the first reference voltage, the second reference voltage, the first clock, the second clock, and the third clock.
US09350528B2
Described herein is an apparatus, method and system corresponding to relate to a low power digital phase interpolator (PI). The apparatus comprises: a digital mixer unit to generate phase signals from a series of input signals, the phase signals having phases which are digitally controlled; a poly-phase filter, coupled to the digital mixer unit, to generate a filtered signal by reducing phase error in the phase signals; and an output buffer, coupled to the poly-phase filter, to generate an output signal by buffering the filtered signal. The low power digital PI consumes less power compared to traditional current-mode PIs operating on the same power supply levels because the digital PI is independent of any bias circuit which are needed for current mode PIs.
US09350526B2
Apparatus and method for performing entirely digital timing recovery for high bandwidth radio frequency communications. The received digital data source can be sampled from any (minimum 2×) non-integer oversampled transmitted data. This method re-samples the data through interpolation and phase adjustment. The output phase error adjusts the receiver's Analog-to-digital Convertor sampling clock to improve synchronization with the transmitter's Digital-to-analog Convertor clock phase, thus improving transmitted symbol recovery.
US09350517B2
Transceiver node and method therein for enabling dynamic bandwidth assignment in bi-directional Time Division Duplexing (TDD) multicarrier communication over wire lines. The transceiver node is operable to be coupled to a plurality of loops, wherein each loop is terminated by a respective network terminal (NT). The method comprises collecting traffic reports from local and remote queues associated with uplink and downlink traffic on the plurality of loops, and determining an actual demand for upstream and downstream bandwidth, respectively, for each of the plurality of loops, based on the collected traffic reports. The method further comprises deriving an Upstream/Downstream (US/DS) frame partitioning based on the determined actual demand for upstream and downstream bandwidth, and providing an indication of the derived US/DS frame partitioning to the NTs. NTs are then scheduled in accordance with the derived partitioning.
US09350514B2
Multiple full channel quality indication (CQI) reports indicative of received signal quality for multiple carriers in wireless communication are transmitted in multiple time intervals of a CQI channel.
US09350504B2
Using bearer channels for wireless nodes includes initiating communication among the wireless nodes that include a node and one or more neighbor nodes. An adaptive channel operable to communicate messages between the node and the neighbor nodes is established. One or more bearer channels are selected. The one or more neighbor nodes are notified of the one or more selected bearer channels using the adaptive channel. The node and the neighbor nodes communicate over the bearer channels.
US09350499B2
A carrier aggregation testing method for a wireless communication system, includes the steps of allocating a primary component carrier between a User Equipment and a carrier aggregation testing apparatus being configured to act as a Base Station with regard to the User Equipment, allocating at least one functionally limited secondary component carrier between the User Equipment and the carrier aggregation testing apparatus, aggregating the at least one functionally limited secondary component carrier with the primary component carrier, executing a carrier aggregation test being based on a functionality of the at least one functionally limited secondary component carrier.
US09350497B2
A Physical Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) Indicator CHannel (PHICH) transmission method performed by a base station is provided. The method includes determining whether any PHICH resources are allocated to a current subframe; allocating, upon a determination that the current subframe does not have any PHICH resources allocated, a new PHICH resource; and transmitting a PHICH through the allocated new PHICH resource.
US09350489B2
An efficient and reliable encoding method suitable for header information in a digital cable television transmission system is provided. An embodiment is shown for FEC frame headers in a DVB-C2 standard, along with the detection algorithm for the FEC header. In the DVB-C2 Standard, Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) or Variable Coding and Modulation (VCM) is applied to each FEC block to provide as much flexibility as possible. As a result, a frame header is attached in front of each FEC frame to inform the coding rate, modulation type and physical layer pipe identifier. Besides the signaling of physical layer related information, the FEC frame header has to provide a structure so that it can be easily and reliably detected in the receiver. Motivated by the need in DVB-C2 Standard, an efficient and reliable method and apparatus to encode the FEC header for DVB-C2 Standard is provided in at least one implementation in this disclosure. In addition, the detection algorithm of the FEC header is described.
US09350485B2
To solve a problem that although the increase of the number of frequency blocks by allocating discontinuous subcarriers (RBs) as in OFDM enables an increase in multi-diversity effect and an improvement in throughput, the number of RB allocation patterns increases with the increase of the number of frequency blocks, resulting in an increase in the amount of information relating to the allocated RBs, the resource block allocation unit is determined when resource blocks discontinuous on the frequency axis are allocated to a terminal, and the number of bits of scheduling information indicating the allocated resource blocks by using Tree Based is set to the number of bits corresponding to the determined allocation unit.
US09350481B2
Transport functions virtualization for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-based optical networks
A method for virtualizing an optical network, comprising: abstracting optical resource information corresponding to resources within the optical network, constructing a plurality of candidate paths for one or more optical reachability graph (ORG) node pairs, determining whether the candidate paths are optical reachable paths, and creating an ORG link between each ORG node pair when at least one optical reachable path exists for the ORG node pair, wherein linking the ORG node pairs creates an ORG. In another embodiment, a computer program product comprising executable instructions when executed by a processor causes a node to perform the following: determine an optical network's optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversion capability, partition a plurality of service sites into one or more electrical reachability graph (ERG) nodes, determine a grooming capability for each ERG node, and construct a plurality of electrical-layer reach paths between the ERG nodes to form an ERG.
US09350468B2
A method and a device for measuring an LF field of an LF transmitter. An LF signal is transmitted with the LF signal intensity by way of the LF transmitter. The LF signal is received by way of an LF receiver installed in a tire of a vehicle, wherein the LF receiver is located in an LF receiver position. An RF signal is transmitted in response to the reception of the LF signal. The RF signal is received by way of an RF receiver. Data representing the LF signal intensity and the LF receiver position are stored. Furthermore, there is provided a method for arranging an LF transmitter for transmitting an LF signal to an LF receiver installed in a tire of a vehicle and/or for arranging an RF receiver.
US09350448B2
Free space optics (FSO) is a wireless technology that utilizes optical frequencies. Previously available FSO transceivers are restricted to point-to-point links because of the high directivity of laser light used to transmit data. By contrast, various implementations disclosed herein include a multi-beam FSO apparatus that is less reliant on point-to-point links, and includes a lens assembly and a planar array of optical communication devices. The lens assembly includes at least one surface shaped to direct ingress light received substantially within a first angular range towards a focal plane, and to direct egress light away from the focal plane into the first angular range. The planar array includes a plurality of optical communication devices arranged in association with the focal plane of the lens assembly, wherein each of the plurality of optical communication devices characterizes at least one of a plurality of optical communication link endpoints.
US09350447B1
A communication system comprises a passive optical network (PON) having an optical line terminal (OLT) coupled to a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) through a power splitter. Each ONT is coupled to the power splitter via a subscriber line. A switch is coupled to each subscriber line, and all of the switches are coupled to a control element. A power element is configured to receive optical signals communicated by the PON and to convert the optical signals into electrical power for use by the control element. The OLT is configured to detect a rogue ONT and to communicate with the control element for opening the switch that is coupled to the subscriber line of the rogue ONT, thereby optically isolating the rogue ONT from the rest of the PON.
US09350443B2
A control apparatus for an earth-distant-platform includes a control unit, which includes with a control input and a control output, and a memory element. The memory element contains a plurality of operating value parameter sets for an RF transmit amplifier unit. The control input receives a control signal and, dependent on the control signal, the control unit selects an operating value parameter set from the memory element. The control output controls an energy supply unit and/or a preamplifier/linearization element using the selected operating value parameter set such that the RF transmit amplifier unit is operable in a defined operating state.
US09350440B2
A method for network coding by a relay node in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises: receiving an information associated with channel estimation from a base station, determining a number of subset for network coding based on the information associated with channel estimation, receiving at least one codeword from at least one user equipment, and generating re-encoded codeword by network coding based on the number of subset, wherein the number of subset is calculated based on a first outage probability and a second outage probability, and wherein the first outage probability is outage probability of the user Equipment to the base station, and the second outage probability is outage probability of the relay node to the base station.
US09350437B2
A system may include at least one antenna for receiving a first receive signal having a first signal diversity property and a second receive signal having a second signal diversity property. A first signal path may include a first frequency converter for downconverting the first receive signal to a first intermediate frequency signal having a first intermediate frequency. A second signal path may include a second frequency converter for downconverting the second receive signal to a second intermediate frequency signal having a second intermediate frequency. A transducer module may route the first receive signal to the first signal path, and route the second receive signal to the second signal path. A first N-plexer may select the first intermediate frequency signal or the second intermediate frequency signal for transmission to a cable, and to provide a data signal based on a selected intermediate frequency signal to the cable.
US09350436B2
A method involves modulation of polarization states at a radio network's transmit antennas and configuration of complementary polarization states at the radio network's receiving antennas such that variations in measured voltages at receivers' antennas convey digital information and provide a multiple access channel to supplement other network communications. A calibration interval may be used, during which the network receivers measure the two distinct voltages from each transmitter during separate time intervals. Each receiver keeps a separate accumulation for each transmitter wherein each received sample is weighted by +1 or −1 according to the column of a Hadamard matrix. After the sample periods and accumulations have been completed, each receiver offsets its accumulation using a normalization term. Each receiver may then decode bits received from each transmitter using the offset completed sum for each respective transmitter.
US09350435B2
The present invention provides a precoding matrix indicator feedback method, a receive end, and a transmit end. The method includes: selecting, by a receive end based on a reference signal, a precoding matrix W from a codebook, where a coefficient α is used to perform phase adjustment on φn in W, φn represents a phase difference between weighted values of a first antenna group and a second antenna group of a transmit end for a transmission signal from a same transmission layer, φ n ∈ { ⅇ j 2 π n Q } , and the first antenna group and the second antenna group belong to a same multi-antenna system; and sending, by the receive end, a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) to the transmit end. In this way, using the coefficient α to perform the phase adjustment on φn can increase a size of a codebook set applicable to different antenna configurations, and improve precision of the receive end to feed back a PMI.
US09350433B2
An acquiring unit acquires a channel matrix, which has elements representing the channel characteristics between a plurality of antennas at a transmitting side and a plurality of antennas at a receiving side, respectively. A first derivation unit derives not only a singular value matrix that is a diagonal matrix where singular values are arranged, by subjecting the channel matrix to the singular value decomposition, but also a weight matrix which is a unitary matrix corresponding to the singular value matrix. A second derivation unit derives the degree of difference between the singular values arranged in the singular value matrix. A determining unit determines whether or not the degree of difference lies within a predetermined range.
US09350427B2
Transmitting physical signals precoded at the physical layer, and transmitting via a physical channel precoded at the physical layer decoding information for use in physical layer decoding of said physical signals; wherein said decoding information is incorporated into one or more data units at a layer higher than the physical layer. Transmitting in a single sub-frame one or more physical reference signals for use in physical layer decoding of a physical channel in a plurality of sub-frames.
US09350426B2
The disclosure involves selecting a receiving antenna in a wireless local area network, comprises: testing each antenna in an antenna array to obtain an antenna quality parameter of each antenna corresponding to a client Station, and determining an optimal receiving antenna corresponding to said Station according to the antenna quality parameter of each antenna corresponding to the Station; setting the optimal receiving antenna corresponding to said Station as the receiving antenna upon receiving a notification transmission message transmitted by said Station.
US09350422B2
A communication system includes multiple communication nodes and a communication line. The multiple communication nodes include a master and multiple slaves. The communication line cascade-connects the communication nodes and supplies electricity. The communication line corresponds to a feeder line. Each of the communication nodes is connected with the communication line through an inductor to be supplied with electricity. The each of the communication nodes is AC coupled to the communication line to transmit and receive a communication signal. The master and the slaves perform a bidirectional communication. A communication slave is provided. The communication slave is connected with a communication line through an inductor to be supplied with electricity. A communication master is provided.
US09350407B1
An interface chip capable of accurate link detection. The interface chip mounted on a first electronic device has a link layer and a physical layer. The link layer outputs data to be transformed and transmitted to a second electronic device by the physical layer. The data transmitted from the second electronic device is received and transformed by the physical layer and then conveyed to the link layer. The link layer includes a state machine, which performs a state modification on the first electronic device to rescue the second electronic device from a trapped state for confirming a link between the first and second electronic devices, wherein data output by the link layer and transformed and transmitted to the second electronic device by the physical layer is changed according to the state modification.
US09350395B2
A transmitting circuit includes a positive differential node, a negative differential node, a voltage mode driver, and a current mode driver. The voltage mode driver generates a first positive differential signal and a first negative differential signal. The voltage mode driver provides the first positive differential signal to the positive differential node and provides the first negative differential signal to the negative differential node. The current mode driver generates a second positive differential signal and a second negative differential signal. The current mode driver provides the second positive differential signal to the positive differential node and provides the second negative differential signal to the negative differential node. A differential signal voltage swing width between the positive differential node and the negative differential node is based at least on the operational state of the current mode driver and/or the voltage mode driver.
US09350392B2
An RFIC configuration for reduced antenna trace loss is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a primary RFIC and a secondary RFIC that is configured to receive analog signals from at least two antennas. The secondary RFIC is configured to process selected analog signals received from at least one antenna to generate an analog output that is input to the primary RFIC.
US09350389B2
Error correction coding across multiple channels is provided in multi-channel transmission systems. Specifically, redundancy is provided by selecting a portion of original data from each of a plurality of original channels, performing at least one encoding operation using the portions of original data to produce at least one portion of redundancy data, including the portion of redundancy data in at least one redundancy channel, and transmitting the redundancy channel along with the original channels. Error correction is achieved by receiving at least one redundancy channel and a plurality of original channels, selecting a portion of redundancy data from the redundancy channel, selecting a portion of original data from each of the original channels, and performing at least one decoding operation using the portion of redundancy data and the portions of original data to correct at least one error in the portions of original data.
US09350383B2
A system, method and data structure for processing a sequential set of data. A set of data is processed such the repetitive sequences of data are represented by a value and an offset of the last array element in the sequence. The resulting compressed array facilitates binary searching of data element values, modification of data element values, and/or addition/deletion of data array elements without requiring a regeneration of the array.
US09350378B2
Provided is a modulation circuit that can correct an output state in real time and reliably modulate an input signal to output the modulated signal. The signal modulation circuit includes a subtracter, an integrator, a chopper circuit, a frequency divider, and a D-type flip-flop. A delay circuit of a sigma delta modulation circuit is not provided to a feedback circuit, and a signal is delayed and quantized in the D-type flip-flop. The chopper circuit inserts a zero level at timing synchronized with a clock signal, so that pulse density modulation is performed.
US09350376B2
A digital to analog converter (DAC) includes a thermometer coder that generates a plurality of micro-current source analog controls on a frame-by-frame or symbol-by-symbol basis and to process digital inputs from symbols or frames of data based on a thermometer coding to generate a plurality of micro-current source inputs. A plurality of micro-current sources generate a corresponding plurality of micro-current source outputs in response to the plurality of micro-current source inputs, wherein first selected ones of the plurality of micro-current sources are powered-off in response to the plurality of micro-current source analog controls for a first symbol or frame of the plurality of symbols or frames of data. A summing circuit generates an analog output based a sum of the corresponding plurality of micro-current source outputs.
US09350371B2
In one aspect, an electrical signal converter is disclosed. The exemplary electrical signal converter may include a plurality of ordered converter elements. Element selection logic may be provided to pseudorandomly select a pointer to a switch matrix, wherein the switch matrix maps converter elements according to a stepwise “delta-two-maximum pattern.” Advantageously, pseudorandom stepwise delta-two-maximum patterns may be applied both to a first order converter, and to a feedback converter for error correction.
US09350370B2
In a sensor signal processing apparatus, a control unit executes at least one of a temperature measurement process and a calculation process in parallel with a signal conversion process. In the temperature measurement process, the control unit causes a second A/D converter to execute the A/D conversion of a temperature signal. In the calculation process, the control unit calculates an offset and a conversion gain of a first A/D converter base on an A/D conversion value output from the second A/D converter and pre-prepared temperature characteristic data of a physical quantity sensor. In the signal conversion process, the control unit sets the calculated offset and the calculated conversion gain to the first A/D converter, and causes the first A/D converter to execute the A/D conversion of the sensor signal.
US09350369B2
A quantum interference device includes: a gas cell housing metal atoms; a light emitting unit emitting light to the gas cell; a light receiving unit receiving light penetrating the gas cell; a cell temperature control unit controlling the gas cell temperature; a light emitting unit temperature control unit controlling the light emitting unit temperature; an analog circuit including a light receiving circuit which processes a light receiving signal output from the light receiving unit, and controls an atomic resonance signal; a digital circuit controlling the analog circuit; a first substrate; and a second substrate. The light receiving circuit is provided on the first substrate. At least one of the cell temperature control unit, the light emitting unit temperature control unit, and the digital circuit is provided on the second substrate. The first and second substrates at least partially overlap with each other in a plan view.
US09350367B2
A highly agile low phase noise frequency synthesizer is provided for rapid generation of frequency specific signals. The frequency synthesizer is capable of rapidly generating signals at different output frequencies while maintaining low cross-coupling. Two or more signal generators utilize a reference frequency to generate two or more signals. These signals are limit processed to reduce cross-coupling prior to being presented to a switch. Responsive to a control signal, the switch outputs one of the signals to a frequency modification device, such as a frequency divider or multiplier. Responsive to a control signal, the frequency modification device scales the frequency of the switch output to convert the frequency of the switch output signal to a desired output frequency. By maintaining sufficient frequency separation between the switch input signals cross-coupling and phase noise is minimized and implementation on an integrated circuit may be achieved.
US09350358B2
Provided is a semiconductor device where a signal-transmission speed. The semiconductor device comprises a first logic element, a first switch electrically connected to the first logic element, and a second logic element electrically connected to the first switch. The first logic element includes at least a second switch, and the second switch has a function of setting an output potential from the first logic element to a L level. The first logic element may include a memory electrically connected to a register. The memory has a function of holding data of the register, and the register has a function of setting an output potential to a L level after holding the data in the memory.
US09350354B2
A physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit based on a zero temperature coefficient (ZTC) point of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), the PUF circuit including at least one PUF circuit unit. Each PUF circuit unit includes: a deviation signal generating circuit module, a signal selection circuit, and a comparison output circuit. The deviation signal generating circuit module includes two deviation signal generating circuits. A control voltage input terminal of the deviation signal generating circuit is supplied with a control voltage, and the control voltage enables a first NMOS, a second NMOS, a third NMOS, a fourth NMOS, a fifth NMOS, a sixth NMOS, a seventh NMOS, and an eighth NMOS to work at a ZTC point.
US09350346B2
There are: a communication sheet that propagates electromagnetic wave; a wireless communication part arranged close to the communication sheet, and stores predetermined information, and wirelessly transmits the predetermined information to the communication sheet; a shield part that shields a radio signal wirelessly transmitted from the wireless communication part; an operation part that enables or disables wireless communication between the communication sheet and the wireless communication part; and a discrimination part that discriminates contents of operation by the operation part based on the predetermined information wirelessly transmitted by the wireless communication part. According to an operation by said operation part to disable the wireless communication between said communication sheet and the wireless communication part, said shield part shields the radio signal from the wireless communication part.
US09350339B2
Circuits for die-to-die clock distribution are provided. A system includes a transmit clock tree on a first die and a receive clock tree on a second die. The transmit clock tree and the receive clock tree are the same, or very nearly the same, so that the insertion delay for a given bit on the transmit clock tree is the same as an insertion delay for a bit corresponding to the given bit on the receive clock tree. While there may be clock skew from bit-to-bit within the same clock tree, corresponding bits on the different die experience the same clock insertion delays.
US09350335B1
A combined multiplexer and latch circuit is provided that has only a single gate delay between the input of the overall circuit and the output of the circuit. Two complementary input signal stages each receive a complementary input signal and a multiplexer input. A clocked preset circuit presets a signal at the output of the combined multiplexer and latch circuit with timing based on a first phase of an input clock. A storage circuit stores a value based on the output of the combined multiplexer and latch circuit with timing based on a second phase of the input clock. The circuit has a preset mode during which the output of the combined multiplexer and latch circuit is preset, and has a latch mode during which a value output by the selected complementary signal input stage is output by the circuit and also stored in the storage circuit.
US09350328B1
A ring oscillator circuit comprising a plurality of stages operably coupled output-to-input in a ring configuration. A frequency tuning stage comprises an inverting logic gate and a delay component. The delay component comprises a first capacitive component comprising a first terminal operably coupled to an output of the inverting logic gate and a second terminal operably coupled to a first reference voltage at least when the ring oscillator is disabled. The delay component further comprises a further capacitive component comprising a first terminal operably coupled to the output of the inverting logic gate and a second terminal selectively couplable to the first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The second terminal of the further capacitive component is arranged to be operably coupled to the first reference voltage when the ring oscillator is enabled, and operably coupled to the second reference voltage when the ring oscillator is disabled.
US09350322B2
A signal output device, in a signal level non-transition period, matches an output impedance of an output section to a characteristic impedance of an output transmission path, and also matches the output impedance of the output section to the characteristic impedance of the output transmission path in a signal level transition period in a case in which a second bit of output-target data is a first value, and generates a mismatch between the output impedance of the output section and the characteristic impedance of the output transmission path in the signal level transition period in a case in which the second bit of the output-target data is a second value, so as to cause generation of a change in waveform in an output signal in the signal level transition period such that an absolute value of a signal level of the output signal exceeds a preset threshold value.
US09350320B2
The IDT electrode has the first bus bar and second bus bar; the plurality of first electrode fingers and the plurality of second electrode fingers mutually intersect; the plurality of first dummy electrodes and the plurality of second dummy electrodes which have front ends facing front ends of the plurality of first electrode fingers and the plurality of second electrode fingers with the gap s1; the plurality of first auxiliary electrodes which protrude laterally from the front end side portions of the pluralities of first dummy electrodes; and the plurality of second auxiliary electrodes which protrude laterally from the front end side portions of the plurality of second dummy electrodes. The plurality of first auxiliary electrodes have edge portions located a side of the second bus bar. The edge portions are located a side of the second bus bar the more to a side of the front end.
US09350319B2
A self-powered sensing and transmitting circuit (50) including a power element (44) and a sensing element (46) that is powered by the power element for generating a sensor signal responsive to a local operating environment The circuit also includes a transmitting element (48) powered by the power element for transmitting an output signal responsive to the sensor signal to a receiving location (33, 55) remote from the circuit The power element, sensing element and transmitting element of the circuit are arranged in a generally planar and non-integrated circuit configuration formed on a substrate (57) component exposed to operating temperatures at or exceeding 650° C.
US09350316B1
A balun structure comprises an unbalanced input terminal, a first planar coil connected to the unbalanced input terminal, a second planar coil connected to the first planar coil, a third planar coil stacked in relation to the first planar coil, a first balanced output terminal connected to the third planar coil, a fourth planar coil stacked in relation to the second planar coil, and a second balanced output terminal connected to the fourth planar coil, wherein a first length of the first planar coil and a third length of the third planar coil differ by one twelfth to one twentieth of an operational wavelength and a second length of the second planar coil and a fourth length of the fourth planar coil differ by one twelfth to one twentieth of the operational wavelength.
US09350311B2
The invention relates to the measurement and control of the perceived sound loudness and/or the perceived spectral balance of an audio signal. An audio signal is modified in response to calculations performed at least in part in the perceptual (psychoacoustic) loudness domain. The invention is useful, for example, in one or more of: loudness-compensating volume control, automatic gain control, dynamic range control (including, for example, limiters, compressors, expanders, etc.), dynamic equalization, and compensating for background noise interference in an audio playback environment. The invention includes not only methods but also corresponding computer programs and apparatus.
US09350302B2
An envelope tracking power amplifier system comprising an RF input path and an envelope path for providing a modulated power amplifier supply, further comprising a plurality of envelope detectors for detecting the envelope of a plurality of frequency bands of an input signal and each generating an output signal, and a combiner for combining the output of the envelope detectors.
US09350300B2
A linearized power amplifier includes a first amplification stage having a first transistor for amplifying an input signal and outputting a pre-amplified signal, and a second amplification stage having a second transistor for amplifying the pre-amplified signal. A phase injection circuit, connected to the gate of the first transistor and the gate of the second transistor, adjusts the phase of the input signal based on the pre-amplified signal so as to compensate for AM-AM distortion and AM-PM distortion.
US09350299B2
A high frequency power amplifying apparatus includes a power supply device for a high frequency power amplifying circuit, an RF signal processing circuit, and a high frequency power amplifying circuit. Bidirectional converters supplying and/or regenerating an electric charge are provided between an input section of an input voltage and an output section of an output voltage. A converter controlling circuit detects an envelope of an RF input signal, and sets and switches resonant frequencies and amplitudes of the bidirectional converters such that the output voltage follows an amplitude change of an envelope input signal. A delay time detecting circuit detects a delay time of the power supply device for a high frequency power amplifying circuit and makes an adjustment through a delay adjusting circuit.
US09350295B2
A modulation circuit includes a load and a transistor serving as a switch. The transistor has an oxide semiconductor layer in which hydrogen concentration is 5×1019/cm3 or less. The off-state current of the transistor is 1×10−13 A or less. A modulation circuit includes a load, a transistor serving as a switch, and a diode. The load, the transistor, and the diode are connected in series between the terminals of an antenna. The transistor has an oxide semiconductor layer in which hydrogen concentration is 5×1019/cm3 or less. An off-state current of the transistor is 1×10−13 A or less. On/off of the transistor is controlled in accordance with a signal inputted to a gate of the transistor. The load is a resistor, a capacitor, or a combination of a resistor and a capacitor.
US09350293B1
Embodiments of a microwave oscillator and method for amplitude noise reduction are generally described herein. The oscillator may include a resonator and an RF bridge to combine an incident and a reflected RF signal. The oscillator may further comprise an amplitude noise reduction loop, which may be configured to use a first baseband control signal to perform amplitude modulation (AM) of an oscillator feedback signal for reduction of amplitude noise on the oscillator output signal.
US09350275B2
An apparatus for a quasi variable frequency motor controller is includes a DFC module that applies a first frequency to a motor as part of a discrete frequency control (“DFC”) method for motor starting. The first frequency includes a discrete frequency in a plurality of discrete frequencies of the DFC method and each discrete frequency includes a frequency lower than a fundamental frequency of an alternating current (“AC”) voltage source providing power to the motor. The apparatus includes a torque module that determines when motor torque generated by the motor reaches a negative torque threshold and a next frequency module that applies a second frequency to the motor in response to the torque module determining that the motor torque has reached the negative torque threshold. The second frequency is a next frequency in the DFC method.
US09350260B2
A method comprises providing a resonant converter comprising a switching network comprising a plurality of switches, a resonant tank coupled between the switching network and a transformer, wherein the resonant tank comprises a series resonant inductor coupled to a switching network and the transformer and a series resonant capacitor coupled to the switching network and the transformer and a driver having an adjustable bias voltage and in response to a startup process of the resonant converter, configuring the switching network to operate a switching frequency higher than a resonant frequency of the resonant tank.
US09350250B2
A converter, for use in high voltage direct and alternating current power transmission comprises a primary charge transfer converter. The charge transfer converter includes first and second primary terminals for connection to one or more electrical networks. The primary charge transfer converter also includes a plurality of charge transfer elements and a plurality of primary switching elements which are connected in a cascade circuit between the first and second primary terminals. Each charge transfer element includes at least one resonant circuit. The primary switching elements are operable to selectively cause charging and discharging of each resonant circuit to transfer charge between the charge transfer elements and thereby create a voltage difference between the first and second primary terminals.
US09350247B2
A switch control circuit includes a processor computing an on-time ratio based on an input voltage value, a first output voltage value, and a second output voltage value. The processor further computes an on-time sum based, on an output current value, an inductance value, the input voltage value, the first output voltage value and the second output voltage value, and further computes an operation frequency value that corresponds to the on-time sum. The processor further computes on-time values of a boost mode and a buck-boost mode based on the on-time sum and the on-time ratio. The processor controls a signal generator based on the operation frequency value, the on-time value of the boost mode and the on-time value of the buck-boost mode.
US09350245B2
A packaged device includes a first die, a second die, and specially spaced and positioned sets of package terminals. The first die includes a pulse-width modulator (PWM), a processor, a timer, high-side drivers, low-side drivers, and a fault protection circuit. The second die includes ultra-high voltage high-side drivers. In an ultra-high voltage application, the PWM and external circuitry together form a switching power supply that generates a high voltage. The high voltage powers external high-side transistors. The processor and timer control the ultra-high voltage high-side drivers, that in turn supply drive signals to the external high-side transistors through the package terminals. External low-side transistors are driven directly by low-side drivers of the first die. If the fault protection circuit detects an excessive current, then the fault protection circuit supplies a disable signal to high-side and low-side drivers of both dice. The disable signal is generated without execution of processor instructions.
US09350241B2
The present disclosure provides a pair of NMOSFET switches connected in series, an output filter, a control circuit, a boot-strap capacitor and a disabling circuit. A high-side MOSFET switch is coupled to an input voltage. A low-side MOSFET switch is coupled to a ground. The high-side MOSFET switch and the low-side MOSFET switch have complementary duty cycles. The output filter is coupled to the NMOSFET switches to provide an output voltage. The boot-strap capacitor is coupled to the source of the high-side MOSFET switch. The voltage crossing the boot-trap capacitor is for making the gate voltage of the high-side MOSFET switch to be higher than the input voltage. The disabling circuit senses the voltage crossing the boot-strap capacitor, and generates a control signal to control the control circuit for continuously turning off the high-side MOSFET switch when the voltage crossing the boot-strap capacitor is less than a threshold voltage.
US09350219B2
A purpose is to provide a rotor manufacturing method including a magnet assembly formed of divided permanent magnet pieces to enhance insulation and advance cost reduction. The rotor manufacturing method includes forming permanent magnet pieces by dividing a permanent magnet, arranging and resin-molding the permanent magnet pieces to form a magnet assembly, and placing the magnet assembly in a rotor. The method includes placing the permanent magnet pieces all together in a molding die for use in resin-molding, and moving the permanent magnet pieces by a moving device provided in the molding die to move the permanent magnet pieces within the molding die, thereby forming the magnet assembly.
US09350214B2
An actuator has a drive element and an output element each rotatable about a rotation axis, and a coupling device which couples the drive element to the output element to form a torsion backlash.
US09350204B2
A compact, light permanent magnet motor with low torque pulsations is obtained by reducing a cogging torque resulting from variations at the end of a rotor, such as an error in attachment position and a variation in magnet characteristic of the permanent magnets. A permanent magnet rotating electrical machine includes a rotor and a stator, a stator core provided with slots in which to store an armature winding wire wound around the teeth, and supplemental grooves provided to the teeth in portions opposing the rotor in an axial direction of the stator core. The supplemental grooves are provided to the stator in a part in the axial direction of the stator core, and that let P be the number of the magnetic poles (the number of poles) and S be the number of the slots (the number of slots), then a relation, 0.75
US09350202B2
A wireless power distribution and control system may be used to supply power wirelessly to various devices. The devices in the system may have control over the system and/or over certain features of other devices. For example, a smartphone charging in the wireless power distribution and control system may have access to and control over other devices in the system, such as the overhead lights, or a projector in a conference room. The identification of other devices, as well as commands for controlling these devices may be communicated over the wireless power link. The type and degree of control of each device in that system may vary based on access control levels for the power supplies and connected devices. The devices that receive power may be configured to automatically connect with the power distribution system and to monitor the other devices connected to the system.
US09350201B2
A wireless power transmission device, a wireless power transmission control device, and a wireless power transmission method are provided. A coupling frequency between a source resonator and a target resonator is determined. A transmission frequency is controlled such that power is transmitted from the source resonator to the target resonator at the coupling frequency. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a high power transmission efficiency without using an additional matching circuit even when a distance between the source resonator and the target resonator is changed.
US09350191B2
A secondary-battery chargeable-limit detecting method that detects a charge rate of a chargeable limit and a device of the same are provided. In the chargeable-limit detecting method of the present embodiment, if it is determined that: a temperature measurement value Tm is higher than a temperature threshold Tt in step S3, a voltage measurement value Vm is higher than a voltage threshold Vt in step S4, a voltage excess rate RV is larger than a voltage excess rate threshold Rt in step S11, and an average current Ia is within a predetermined current threshold range in step S12; condition satisfied duration tc in which the conditions of the chargeable limit are satisfied is calculated in step S13. Then, if it is determined that the condition satisfied duration tc is longer than predetermined duration threshold tt in step S15, SOC of the chargeable limit is set in step S16.
US09350187B2
Systems and methods for pre-charging a bus capacitance in vehicles that receive at least a portion of their motive power from electricity generated from a battery are provided. By way of example, an embodiment includes a vehicle control unit (VCU) that receives battery pack data from a battery management unit (BMU) of each of a plurality of battery packs and determines, based on the battery pack data, which battery packs may be used to pre-charge the bus capacitance in parallel. The VCU issues commands to each of the BMUs to connect pre-charge circuits between each of the plurality of battery packs and the bus capacitance and receives status information from each of the BMUs to determine whether or not the bus capacitance was successfully pre-charged by the battery packs.
US09350186B2
A battery pack includes a battery for supplying power to a starter motor of a vehicle, and a battery management unit for monitoring a condition of the battery, and for blocking the supply of power from the battery to the starter motor when a stability condition requirement for the battery is not satisfied.
US09350181B2
An efficient electronic cigarette charging device and a method for efficiently charging an electronic cigarette are provided, the device comprises an electronic cigarette case and a battery rod, the battery rod includes a charging management unit and an electronic cigarette battery unit, the electronic cigarette case includes an electronic cigarette case battery unit, a current sample unit, a micro-control unit and a adjustable voltage output unit, the current sample unit is configured to sample actual charging current the charging management unit to the electronic cigarette battery, and the micro-control unit is configured to compare the actual charging current with default battery constant charging current, and further control the adjustable voltage output unit to adjust the charging voltage output.
US09350178B2
This invention relates to a device for protecting rechargeable power supply of electronic cigarette. Wherein such device comprises a rechargeable power supply module, a microcontroller, a semiconductor switch and an interface module configured to connect a charging unit. The interface module comprises a first charging terminal and a second charging terminal. The microcontroller comprises an input end and an output end. The power supply module is connected to the microcontroller and supplies electric power to it. The input end and the output end of the microcontroller is connected to the interface module and the semiconductor switch respectively, and the microcontroller detects a voltage signal of the first charging terminal, judges whether an electric level of the voltage signal is positive or negative and sends a control signal to the semiconductor switch for controlling the semiconductor switch to be ON or OFF.
US09350169B2
An apparatus may include a bus that electrically couples an electrical load to redundant power feeds. The apparatus may also include at least one capacitive component electrically coupled between first and second rails of the bus via both a conductive path and a resistive path that has substantially greater resistance than the conductive path. In addition, the apparatus may include a switching mechanism electrically coupled between the first and second rails of the bus that causes the capacitive component to charge through the conductive path until a threshold voltage on the first rail of the bus is reached. When the threshold voltage on the first rail of the bus is reached, the switching mechanism may close the conductive path and force the capacitive component to charge through the resistive path. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
US09350168B2
The present disclosure describes a voltage equalization apparatus for equalizing voltages of adjacent power storage unit racks included in a power storage system. The voltage equalization apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a resistor to which a current flowing from a high-voltage unit rack to a low-voltage unit rack is applied; and a circuit breaker for voltage equalization installed on a line through which the current flows.
US09350164B2
A surge protection circuit, related to the power electronics field. The surge protection circuit includes: an input configured to provide direct current power supply, an output configured to connect to a next circuit, and a cutoff circuit connected to the output; the surge protection circuit further includes: a discharge circuit connected between the input and the cutoff circuit; the discharge circuit includes: a diode and a field-effect transistor; the cathode of the diode is connected to the positive end of the input, and the anode of the diode is connected to the source of the field-effect transistor; the gate of the field-effect transistor is connected to the positive end of the input, the drain of the field-effect transistor is connected to the negative end of the input, and the direction of the parasitic diode of the field-effect transistor is opposite to the direction of the diode.
US09350145B2
A roll-by spacer and trolley system for use with a wire and method thereof is provided. The system includes a trolley having at least one rotatable wheel. The rotatable wheel has a first wire contact surface positioned to contact and roll along the wire. A spacer is suspended from the trolley with a connecting element between the trolley and the spacer. The connecting element has a first position wherein the trolley and spacer are connected and a second position wherein the trolley and spacer are disconnected. A wire engagement structure is connected to the spacer. The wire engagement structure has a second wire contact surface that contacts the wire when the connecting element is in the second position. The second wire contact surface is positioned above first wire contact surface when the connecting element is in the first position.
US09350141B2
In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining laser systems incorporate optics having optical power along the non-WBC direction (and/or the slow-diverging axis) of the combined multi-wavelength beam proximate to or combined with the partially reflective output coupler in order to correct pointing variation in the non-WBC direction (and/or the slow-diverging axis).
US09350138B2
A transversely-coupled distributed feedback laser diode, which can be processed without overgrowth, is disclosed. The laser is made from an epitaxial heterostructure including a core layer located between two cladding layers, a cap layer, and at least one Al-rich layer. The lateral waveguide is formed by selective oxidation of the Al-rich layer. A surface corrugated grating is formed above the waveguide. The heteroepitaxial structure is designed so that the core layer is placed in close proximity to the top of the laser structure to provide a required overlap between the light and the grating. In order to avoid inadmissible optical losses, there is no metallization above the waveguide. Instead, the metal contacts are offset at some distance, so that the current has to spread in the cap layer before vertical injection into the core layer.
US09350132B2
A fixed mold and a movable mold as joined together are configured to nip a terminal base of a tuning-fork terminal between a terminal base receiving portion and a terminal base abut portion with the tuning-fork terminal being protruded outside a cavity of the fixed mold.
US09350126B2
A plug connector includes an insulative housing with mating slot, contacts disposed in the housing by two sides of the mating slot, and a pair of side arms located by two opposite ends of the mating slot in a horizontal transverse direction. a receptacle connector includes an insulative housing defining a horizontal mating tongue; contacts disposed in the housing with contacting sections exposed upon two opposite surfaces of the mating tongue; and a monolithic horizontal metallic shielding plate disposed and extending substantially fully the mating tongue. The shielding plate defines side protruding edge sections exposed outside of corresponding side edges of the mating tongue and a notch structure on each side protruding edge section, the pair of side arms each defines a hook structure to engagement with the notch structure.
US09350124B2
A method of making an array of integral terminals on a circuit assembly. The method includes the steps of depositing at least a first liquid dielectric layer on the first surface of a first circuit member, imaged to include a plurality of first recesses corresponding to the array of integral terminals. The selected surfaces of the first recesses are processed to accept electro-less conductive plating deposition. Electro-lessly plating is applied to the selected surfaces of the first recesses to create a plurality of first conductive structures electrically coupled to, and extending generally perpendicular to, the first circuitry layer. Electro-plating is applied to the electro-less plating to substantially first recesses with a conductive material. The steps of depositing, processing, electro-less plating, and electro-plating are repeated to form the integral terminals of a desired shape. The dielectric layers are removed to expose the terminals.
US09350119B2
A first shielding case of a receptacle respectively has arms extending to a forward side to be forwardly folded back from proximal ends fixed to a back end of an upper surface wall, stopper walls formed on free ends of the arms and projecting from outside to inside of the first shielding case and abut on an unauthorized plug in inserting the unauthorized plug, plug pickup parts formed on the free ends of the arms and are integrally formed in parallel with the stopper walls and projecting from outside to inside of the first shielding case and abut on an authorized plug in of inserting the authorized plug, and holes formed near to an opening of the upper surface wall, the holes into which the stopper walls and the plug pickup parts are inserted, on both ends of a width direction.
US09350117B2
A connector that has a phase terminal, an earth terminal and an insulating body inside which the phase terminal is housed and on the outside of which the earth terminal is coupled. According to some embodiments the insulating body has at least one opening extending axially from an end of the insulating body. The earth terminal is formed at least in part by an elastic body surrounding the insulating body extending along the opening, said elastic body being configured for being deformed against the inside of an earth terminal of a safety valve when the insulating body expands radially outwards, assuring electrical continuity between the elastic body and the earth terminal of the safety valve.
US09350116B1
A connector system includes a first connector body defining a channel between a longitudinally-oriented fixed wall and a longitudinally-oriented flexible beam. The flexible beam is located opposite and generally parallel to the fixed wall when in a relaxed state. A distal surface of the flexible beam defines a first protrusion having a first inclined surface. A second connector body defines a cavity configured to receive the first connector body. A mesial surface inside the cavity defines a second protrusion having a second inclined surface configured to engage the first inclined surface of the flexible beam when the connector bodies are mated. A member inserted into the channel causes the flexible beam to flex laterally and move the first inclined surface with respect to the second inclined surface sufficient to generate a longitudinal force between the first and second inclined surfaces and thus between the first and second connector bodies.
US09350113B2
A self-contained, readily adaptable electrical receptacle outlet relocation device comprising; an adaptor housing having a plurality of conductors connected in common with building mains extending outward at rear of housing, and adaptable to an existing duplex receptacle receiving and transferring mains power only therefrom, providing no electrical plug in access, and wherein mains transferring through conductors in common by wiring therein adaptor and through flexible electrical conduit attached and secured within adaptor by a conduit connector having a concave groove at one housing end that provides method of attachment to adaptor, and conduit to receiver housing, connected thereto conduit and wire of adaptor having same conduit connector groove as attachment method and wire connected in common therein receiver to at least one corresponding duplex receptacle attached therein as the relocated receptacle option and provides multiple adjustment options to receiver, horizontally left or right, vertically up or down, and any combination thereof allowing novice individuals to temporarily or permanently relocate an existing hidden or difficult to access electrical receptacle, by the alternative receptacle of device, to an adjacent location for easier and safer receptacle access.
US09350104B1
A connector structure with a retractable terminal includes an insulative main body having a receiving portion and a through hole. A terminal assembly includes a push pin and a connecting terminal, the connecting terminal having a connecting portion, the push pin having a contact portion and an attachment portion, the contact portion protruded out of the through hole, the attachment portion disposed inside the receiving portion; an elastic unit arranged inside the receiving portion and indirectly abutted the push pin protruded out of the through hole; an electrical insulating member covering an outer of the attachment portion of the push pin and disposed between the push pin and the elastic unit for insulation; the electrical insulating member slidably contacts the receiving portion, and a cut-out slot formed on the electrical insulating member, the connecting portion of the connecting terminal penetrating the cut-out slot to electrically contact the push pin.
US09350103B2
An elbow-type medium or high voltage electrical device includes a longitudinal body, a first connector end formed substantially perpendicularly to an axial direction of the longitudinal body, and an integral grounding element end substantially perpendicularly to the axial direction of the longitudinal body and opposing the first connector end. The first connector end includes a first axial bore configured to receive a bushing element therein. The grounding element end includes a second axial bore formed therein for receiving a conductive grounding element therein. The grounding element, when inserted into the second axial bore includes an exposed portion projecting above a surface of the grounding element end. The exposed portion of the grounding element is configured for attachment by a grounded hot line clamp to ground the electrical connector assembly.
US09350098B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a circuit board comprising may include a substrate, a primary compression connector, and a second compression connector. The substrate may have a first side and a second side and may have formed therein a substrate retention channel. The primary compression connector may be coupled to the first side and have formed thereon a primary connector retention channel aligned with the substrate retention channel. The second compression connector may be coupled to the second side opposite from the first compression connector and may have formed thereon a secondary connector retention channel aligned with the substrate retention channel and the primary connector retention channel to define a circuit board retention channel.
US09350091B2
A conductive terminal includes a base having a plate shape; a welding portion extending from an end of the base and forms an angle with the base; a first positioning portion extending from the end of the base opposite to the welding portion; a second positioning portion extending from the end of the base opposite to the welding portion, the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are formed on the both sides of the base and spaced apart from each other, being coplanar with the base; a bending portion located between the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion; an elastic arm extending from the bending portion along a direction opposite to the bending portion; and a contact portion configured to be electrically connected to a chip module.
US09350079B2
It is an object to provide a wireless chip which can increase a mechanical strength, and a wireless chip with a high durability. A wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna. Further, a wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, a sensor device, a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the sensor device. Moreover, a wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, a battery, a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the battery.
US09350076B1
An antenna system and related method are disclosed for an electrically small antenna of variable geometry capable of a harmonically pure resonant radiation pattern over a broadband coverage of frequency selection. One geometrical embodiment comprises a multiple loop antenna system is configured to radiate a switched signal via the multiple antenna elements to inhibit transmission of any of the harmonics of the signal. An additional geometrical embodiment comprises a cylindrical shell with one or more interior center conductors to overcome radiation resistance and radiate a signal pattern of desirable toroidal shape free from undesirable harmonics.
US09350074B2
An improved active, electronically scanned array antenna that employs programmable time delays in the transmission feed lines to form timed arrays is provided. A timed array can be implemented as a nested set of transmission lines, and the programmable time delay can be realized as or in each of the transmission lines such that each transmission line can have a fixed physical length and a programmable electrical length.
US09350069B2
Electronic devices may be provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antennas. An antenna may be formed from an antenna resonating element arm and an antenna ground. The antenna resonating element arm may have a shorter portion that resonates at higher communications band frequencies and a longer portion that resonates at lower communications band frequencies. A short circuit branch may be coupled between the shorter portion of the antenna resonating element arm and the antenna ground. A series-connected inductor and switch may be coupled between the longer portion of the antenna resonating element arm and the antenna ground. An antenna feed branch may be coupled between the antenna resonating element arm and the antenna ground at a location that is between the short circuit branch and the series-connected inductor and switch.
US09350059B2
Circuits and methods related to a switch having extended termination bandwidth are disclosed. A switch having an input end and an output end, and capable of being in an ON state and an OFF state, can include a termination circuit configured to yield an extended frequency bandwidth in which a desired OFF state termination impedance is provided. A termination circuit may include two or more electrically parallel resistor-capacitor branches coupled to the switch input or output end. A switch termination circuit may provide an OFF state termination impedance that is substantially equal to the switch ON state termination impedance. Also, a termination circuit may enable a desired termination impedance without sacrificing other switch performance features, including insertion loss, isolation, or VSWR difference between ON and OFF states. Also disclosed are examples of how the foregoing features can be implemented in different products and methods of fabrication.
US09350054B2
An electric energy store having a thermally insulated chamber that has a process gas inlet and a process gas outlet is provided. The thermally insulated chamber is equipped with at least two stacks, each of which has at least one electrochemical storing cell, and each stack has a process gas inlet and a process gas outlet. The at least two stacks are serially connected with respect to the process gas flow.
US09350043B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is prevented from decreasing the remaining capacity and returned capacity at the time of continuous charge at high voltages and high temperatures. The battery has positive and negative electrodes, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing ethylene carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate as a solvent. The positive electrode contains a positive-electrode active material with the fine particles of a rare earth element compound deposited on its surface in a dispersed state.
US09350031B2
A fuel cell stack having a plurality of connected modules. Each module includes an elongate hollow member and at least one passage extending through the hollow member. Each hollow member has a first flat surface and a second flat surface arranged parallel to the first flat surface. A first module includes a plurality of fuel cells arranged on at least one of the first and second flat surfaces. A first end of each module has an integral spacer and the modules are connected by the spacer of a first module contacting a second end of a second module.
US09350027B2
A sealing structure includes: components (1, 2, 11, 16, 21, 22, 33, 34, 44, 51, 52, 61, 62) respectively having sealing surfaces (8, 9, 14, 17, 30, 31, 42, 43, 49, 71, 72) on surfaces thereof facing each other; and a seal member (3, 18, 25, 37, 46, 50, 55, 65, 104, 105, 106, 140, 240) interposed between the sealing surfaces to make the sealing surfaces closely adhere to each other, and at least a hard carbon film (6, 7, 13, 28, 29, 40, 41, 48, 53, 54, 66, 67, 108, 120, 130, 220, 230, 320, 330, 430) is formed on one or both of the sealing surfaces.
US09350009B1
In an implementation, a battery package includes alternating electrodes. Each electrode includes a recessed region of electrode material layers that expose a conductive layer. Each electrode also includes openings within the electrode material layers and the conductive layer, where the openings are adjacent to the recessed regions. Multilayer electro-mechanical connectors couple exposed portions of the conductive layers of alternating electrodes to thereby electrically couple electrodes that have the same polarity. Each electrode is separated from an adjacent electrode by a separator layer. The multilayer electro-mechanical connectors can pierce the separator layers and thus, the separator layers do not require additional processing.
US09349999B2
An electric storage apparatus includes a battery cell, an accessory, a holding member for holding the battery cell and the accessory so that the battery cell and the accessory are on opposite sides, and a fixing member for fixing the accessory to the holding member. A distance between the fixing member and the battery cell is set to be equal to or larger than a distance between the holding member and the battery cell.
US09349998B2
A battery pack including a bare cell having an electrode assembly, a case housing the electrode assembly, and a plurality of electrode taps electrically coupled to the electrode assembly, each of the electrode taps having an electrode connection portion; and a plurality of electrode terminals each including a plurality of elastically deformable portions, wherein each of the electrode terminals is electrically coupled to one of the electrode taps, wherein the electrode connection portion of a respective one of the electrode taps is coupled between the elastically deformable portions of a respective one of the electrode terminals.
US09349995B2
A method is disclosed for making a hybrid solar cell comprising organic and inorganic materials on an inexpensive substrate, such as glass. The materials are deposited on the substrate at low temperatures using eutectics and crystalline buffer layers such as MgO and Al2O3. Such a device can also be used for OLETs and OLEDs used in displays.
US09349980B2
There is provided a scattering film that can be used in organic EL light emitting devices and that not only improves efficiency for light utilization and improves viewing angle dependency, which have conventionally been problems, but also can solve the problem of reflection when lights-off. This scattering film for organic EL is used in organic EL light emitting devices. The scattering film comprises a scattering layer that includes a binder resin and particles having a refractive index different from the binder resin. The average particle size of the particles is 10 μm or less, and the coefficient of variation of the average particle size for the particles is 30% or greater.
US09349972B2
An organic photodetector comprising a first electrode (11 to 31) that is plane and formed on a substrate (10 to 30) that is plane, a convex active layer (12 to 32) formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode (13 to 33) formed on the active layer, means for concentrating light radiation in the active layer being incorporated in the photodetector.
US09349961B2
A polymer comprising a repeating unit represented by the following formula (1) and a cross-linkable group wherein Ar11 to Ar17, R11, R12 and r are as defined; and an organic electroluminescent element containing at least one organic layer containing a network polymer formed by cross-linking the polymer, the layer being a hole injection layer or a hole transporting layer.
US09349957B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a hole transport layer (HTL) having a first region and a second region, an emitting layer (EML) disposed on the hole transport layer in the first region, a hydrophobic pattern disposed on the hole transport layer in the second region and an electron transport layer (ETL) disposed on the hydrophobic pattern and the emitting layer.
US09349956B2
In a laminating apparatus and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display, the laminating apparatus includes a heater which generates heat and the heating member which transfers heat received from the heater to a donor film. The heating member includes a first conducting layer which receives heat from the heater, a second conducting layer which is formed on the first conducting layer and which has a thermal conductivity different from that of the first conducting layer, and a third conducting layer which is formed on the second conducting layer and which has a thermal conductivity different from that of the second conducting layer.
US09349954B2
Novel combination of materials and device architectures for organic light emitting devices are provided. In some aspects, specific charge carriers and solid state considerations are features that may result in a device having an unexpectedly long lifetime. In some aspects, emitter purity is a feature that may result in devices having unexpectedly long lifetime. In some aspects, structural and optical considerations are features that may result in a device having an unexpectedly long lifetime. In some aspects, an emissive layer including an organic phosphorescent emissive dopant and an organic carbazole host material results in devices having an unexpectedly long lifetime.
US09349952B1
Methods for fabricating a memory device with an enlarged space between neighboring bottom electrodes
Embodiments of the present invention describe a method for fabricating a memory device comprising an enlarged space between neighboring bottom electrodes comprising depositing a poly-silicon layer on a substrate depositing a carbon layer above the poly-silicon layer, patterning a photo-resist layer on the carbon layer, depositing a first spacer layer on the photo-resist layer and performing a modified photolithography process on the photo resist layer after etching back the spacer layer creating sidewalls.
US09349929B2
Light emitter packages, systems, and methods having improved performance are disclosed. In one aspect, a light emitter package can include a submount that can include an anode and a cathode. A first light emitter chip can mounted over at least a portion of the cathode, and a second light emitter chip can be wirebonded to at least a portion of the anode. Multiple light emitter chips can be disposed between the first and second light emitter chips.
US09349928B2
An exemplary printable composition of a liquid or gel suspension of diodes comprises a plurality of diodes, a first solvent and/or a viscosity modifier. An exemplary method of making a liquid or gel suspension of diodes comprises: adding a viscosity modifier to a plurality of diodes in a first solvent; and mixing the plurality of diodes, the first solvent and the viscosity modifier to form the liquid or gel suspension of the plurality of diodes. Various exemplary diodes have a lateral dimension between about 10 to 50 microns and about 5 to 25 microns in height. Other embodiments may also include a plurality of substantially chemically inert particles having a range of sizes between about 10 to about 50 microns.
US09349924B2
The invention provides an illumination device comprising a light source and a transmissive arrangement. The light source is arranged to generate light source light and comprises a light emitting device (LED), arranged to generate LED light and a carrier comprising a first luminescent material. The carrier is in contact with the LED and the first luminescent material is arranged to convert at least part of the LED light into first luminescent material light. The transmissive arrangement of a second luminescent material is arranged remote from the light source and is arranged to convert at least part of the LED light or at least part of the first luminescent material light and/or at least part of the LED light. The invention overcomes current limitations of remote luminescent material systems in spot lighting. In addition, an extremely simple way of realizing light sources with various correlated color temperatures is allowed, based on just a single type of white (or whitish) light source in combination with various (red-orange) remote luminescent materials.
US09349923B2
Disclosed is a light-emitting diode package according to an embodiment, including; a body having a cavity formed therein, a lead frame placed in the cavity; and a light emitting diode electrically connected to the lead frame while having a slope angle relative to the bottom surface of the cavity, wherein a light emitting part and a non-light emitting part are present on the light emitting diode, and wherein a connection part is provided in a region of the cavity to be connected to at least a region of the non-light emitting part.
US09349920B2
A light emitting device is disclosed. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive-type semiconductor layer, a light-transmissive conductive layer disposed on the second conductive-type semiconductor layer and having a plurality of open regions through which the second conductive-type semiconductor layer is exposed, and a second electrode disposed on the light-transmissive conductive layer so as to extend beyond at least one of the open regions, wherein the second electrode contacts the second conductive-type semiconductor layer in the open regions and contacts the light-transmissive conductive layer in regions excluding the open regions.
US09349918B2
A semiconductor light emitting element including, in a light extraction layer thereof, a photonic crystal periodic structure including two systems (structures) with different refractive indices. An interface between the two systems (structures) satisfies Bragg scattering conditions, and the photonic crystal periodic structure has a photonic band gap.
US09349909B2
The present application discloses a method for making a light-emitting device comprising steps of: providing a light-emitting unit comprising an epitaxial structure; providing a protection layer; connecting the light-emitting unit with the protection layer by a second connecting layer; providing a heat dispersion substrate; and connecting the heat dispersion substrate with the protection layer by a first connecting layer.
US09349907B2
Provided are a method of manufacturing a metal oxide and a substrate for a solar cell. The method of manufacturing the metal oxide according to the inventive concept includes mixing a metal precursor material, a basic material, amphiphilic molecules and distilled water to prepare a metal precursor solution, performing a first heat treatment with the metal precursor solution to form a metal oxide, and performing a second heat treatment with the metal oxide to form a pair of metal oxide disks having a single crystalline structure. A pair of zinc oxide disks includes a first disk, and a second disk separated from the first disk in a perpendicular direction to the first disk.
US09349897B2
A solar cell module is provided with a plurality of solar cells and a wiring material. Each solar cell includes a p-side electrode and an n-side electrode arranged on one principal surface thereof. For each pair of adjacent solar cells, the wiring material electrically connects the p-side electrode of one solar cell and the n-side electrode of the other solar cell. Surface layers of the p-side electrodes and the n-side electrodes comprises, respectively, plating layers each containing at least one power-supplied point. The wiring material is bonded to the solar cells at regions each of which at least includes the power-supplied point.
US09349894B2
A solar cell includes an integrated structure. The integrated structure includes a first electrode layer, a P-type silicon layer, an N-type silicon layer, and a second electrode layer arranged in the above sequence. At least one curved surface is defined on the integrated structure. The integrated structure includes a P-N junction near an interface between the P-type silicon layer and the N-type silicon layer; and a photoreceptive surface exposing the P-N junction. The photoreceptive surface is one the at least one curved surface of the integrated structure and is configured to receive incident light beams.
US09349890B2
A solar cell includes an integrated structure and a reflector. The integrated structure includes a first electrode layer, a P-type silicon layer, an N-type silicon layer, and a second electrode layer arranged in the above sequence; a P-N junction near an interface between the P-type silicon layer and the N-type silicon layer; a photoreceptive surface exposing the P-N junction. The photoreceptive surface is on a curved surface of the integrated structure and is configured to receive incident light beams. The reflector is on another side of the integrated structure, opposite to the photoreceptive surface.
US09349889B2
An semiconductor structure comprises a first quantum well having a first state (E3) with an energy that is greater than an energy of a lower state (E1) by a first energy difference, a quantum well structure (100) adjacent to the first quantum well and having at least a second state (E4) having an energy level which is resonant with the first state (E3) of the first quantum well, a second quantum well having at least a third state (E2) to collect electrons from the second state (E4) of the quantum well structure through a non-radiative mechanism and a fourth state (E5). An energy of the fourth state of the second quantum well is greater than an energy of the third state (E2) by a second energy difference. The structure can absorb two photons, one in the first quantum well by excitation of a carrier from the lower energy state (E1) to the first state (E3) and another in the second quantum well by excitation of a carrier from the third state (E2) to the fourth state (E5). The quantum well structure provides efficient extraction of excited carriers from the first quantum well.
US09349888B2
Photovoltaic nanocomposite and solar cell device including the photovoltaic nanocomposite, where the photovoltaic nanocomposite includes a film of solution processed semiconductor materials having an n-type material selected from n-type quantum dots and n-type nanocrystals, and a p-type material selected from p-type quantum dots and p-type nanocrystals, and where the n-type material has a conduction band level at least equal, compared to vacuum level, to that of the p-type material, the p-type material has a valence band at the most equal, compared to vacuum level, to that of the n-type material. at least a portion of the n-type material and at least a portion of the p-type material are present in a bulk nano-heterojunction binary nanocomposite layer having a blend of the n-type material and the p-type material.
US09349883B2
The paste composition of the instant invention consists of silver powder, glass frit, Bi2O3, metal additives and an organic medium. The present invention is further directed to an electrode formed from the paste composition and a semiconductor device and, in particular, a soar cell comprising such an electrode. The paste compositions provide a solderable electrode, particularly useful for forming solar cell back side buss bars on an aluminum layer that covers the entire back side surface of the solar cell.
US09349871B2
A transistor is provided in which the bottom surface portion of an oxide semiconductor film is provided with a metal oxide film containing a constituent similar to that of the oxide semiconductor film, and an insulating film containing a different constituent from the metal oxide film and the oxide semiconductor film is formed in contact with a surface of the metal oxide film, which is opposite to the surface in contact with the oxide semiconductor film. In addition, the oxide semiconductor film used for the active layer of the transistor is an oxide semiconductor film highly purified to be electrically i-type (intrinsic) through heat treatment in which impurities such as hydrogen, moisture, hydroxyl, and hydride are removed from the oxide semiconductor and oxygen which is one of main component materials of the oxide semiconductor is supplied and is also reduced in a step of removing impurities.
US09349868B1
A method for manufacturing a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) device, comprises patterning a first layer on a substrate to form at least one fin, patterning a second layer under the first layer to remove a portion of the second layer on sides of the at least one fin, forming a sacrificial gate electrode on the at least one fin, and a spacer on the sacrificial gate electrode, selectively removing the sacrificial gate electrode, depositing an oxide layer on top and side portions of the at least one fin corresponding to a channel region of the at least one fin, performing thermal oxidation to condense the at least one fin in the channel region until a bottom portion of the at least one fin is undercut, and stripping a resultant oxide layer from the thermal oxidation, leaving a gap in the channel region between a bottom portion of the at least one fin and the second layer.
US09349863B2
After formation of a gate structure and a gate spacer, portions of an insulator layer underlying a semiconductor fin are etched to physically expose semiconductor surfaces of an underlying semiconductor material layer from underneath a source region and a drain region. Each of the extended source region and the extended drain region includes an anchored single crystalline semiconductor material portion that is in epitaxial alignment to the single crystalline semiconductor structure of the underlying semiconductor material layer and laterally applying a stress to the semiconductor fin. Because each anchored single crystalline semiconductor material portion is in epitaxial alignment with the underlying semiconductor material layer, the channel of the fin field effect transistor is effectively stressed along the lengthwise direction of the semiconductor fin.
US09349862B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a gate having a first material on a substrate and a layer of a second material overlaying the gate. Sidewall spacers are formed on opposite sides of the gate. A characteristic of a portion of the substrate between adjacent sidewall spacers is changed using the layer of second material and the sidewall spacers as a mask. An isotropic wet etch process is performed to remove the substrate portion with a changed characteristic to form a recess in the substrate. An orientation selective wet etching process is performed on the recess to shape the inner walls of the recess into sigma-shape. Changing a substrate characteristic in conjunction with isotropic wet etching prevents the substrate from being damaged, and therefore can obtain defect free epitaxial SiGe growth performance.
US09349861B1
A method of forming a semiconductor device substrate includes forming a donor wafer having a surface comprising regions of relaxed silicon and regions of relaxed silicon germanium (SiGe); epitaxially growing a silicon device layer on the surface of the donor wafer, wherein the silicon device layer comprises tensile strained silicon on the regions of relaxed silicon germanium of the donor wafer, and wherein the silicon device layer comprises relaxed silicon on the regions of relaxed silicon of the donor wafer; and transferring the silicon device layer from the donor wafer to a handle wafer comprising a bulk substrate and an insulator layer, so as to form a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with the silicon device layer maintaining regions of tensile strained silicon and regions of relaxed silicon.
US09349860B1
Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. A semiconductor device includes a substrate, the substrate having a first source/drain feature and a second source/drain feature formed thereon. The semiconductor device further includes a first nanowire on the first source/drain feature and a second nanowire on the second source/drain feature, the first nanowire extending vertically from an upper surface of the first source/drain feature and the second nanowire extending vertically from an upper surface of the second source/drain feature. The semiconductor device further includes a third nanowire extending from an upper end of the first nanowire to an upper end of the second nanowire, wherein the first nanowire, the second nanowire and the third nanowire form a channel.
US09349859B1
An integrated circuit structure includes a first vertical transistor and a second vertical transistor. The first vertical transistor includes a first semiconductor channel, a first top source/drain region over the first semiconductor channel, and a first top source/drain pad overlapping the first top source/drain region. The second vertical transistor includes a second semiconductor channel, a second top source/drain region over the second semiconductor channel, and a second top source/drain pad overlapping the second top source/drain region. A local interconnector interconnects the first top source/drain pad and the second top source/drain pad. The first top source/drain pad, the second top source/drain pad, and the local interconnector are portions of a continuous region, with no distinguishable interfaces between the first top source/drain pad, the second top source/drain pad, and the local interconnector.
US09349858B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device comprises a first trench formed in a substrate; a first insulating film formed on sidewalls and a bottom surface of the first trench and not formed on a top surface of the substrate; and a first conductive film formed on the first insulating film to partially fill the first trench, wherein the first insulating film comprises a first portion which overlaps the first conductive film and a second portion which does not overlap the first conductive film, wherein the second portion comprises first fixed charges.
US09349851B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having an active region and a device isolation layer defining the active region, a gate electrode on the active region, source/drain regions at the active region at both sides of the gate electrode, a buffer insulating layer on the device isolation layer, an etch stop layer formed on the buffer insulating layer and extending onto the gate electrode and the source/drain region, a first interlayer insulating layer on the etch stop layer, a first contact and a second contact penetrating the first interlayer insulating layer and the etch stop layer. The first contact and the second contact are spaced apart from each other and are in contact with the source/drain region and the buffer insulating layer, respectively.
US09349848B2
A switch includes an input contact and an output contact to a conducting channel. At least one of the input and output contacts is capacitively coupled to the conducting channel. A control contact is located outside of a region between the input and output contacts, and can be used to adjust the switch between on and off operating states. The switch can be implemented as a radio frequency switch in a circuit.
US09349841B2
A finFET and methods for forming a finFET are disclosed. A structure comprises a substrate, a fin, a gate dielectric, and a gate electrode. The substrate comprises the fin. The fin has a major surface portion of a sidewall, and the major surface portion comprises at least one lattice shift. The at least one lattice shift comprises an inward or outward shift relative to a center of the fin. The gate dielectric is on the major surface portion of the sidewall. The gate electrode is on the gate dielectric.
US09349837B2
A method includes forming a semiconductor fin over top surfaces of insulation regions, and forming a gate stack on a top surface and sidewalls of a middle portion of the semiconductor fin. The insulation regions include first portions overlapped by the gate stack, and second portions misaligned from the gate stack. An end portion of the semiconductor fin is etched to form a recess located between the second portions of the insulation regions. An epitaxy is performed to grow a source/drain region from the recess. After the epitaxy, a recessing is performed to recess the second portions of the insulation regions, with the second portions of the insulation regions having first top surfaces after the first recessing. A dielectric mask layer is formed on the first top surfaces of the second portions of the insulation regions. The dielectric mask layer further extends on a sidewall of the gate stack.
US09349812B2
A semiconductor device with a self-aligned contact and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein the method comprises the step of forming a 1st dielectric layer on gate structures, form a self-aligned contact trench between two gate structures, forming an 2nd dielectric layer on the 1st dielectric layer and in the self-aligned contact trench; patterning the 2nd dielectric layer into a 1st portion on the 1st dielectric layer and a 2nd portion filling in the self-aligned contact trench, using the 2nd dielectric layer as a mask to etch the 1st dielectric layer, and forming a metal layer and a self-aligned contact simultaneously in the 1st dielectric layer and in the self-aligned contact trench.
US09349805B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a substrate; a first semiconductor layer formed on the substrate and formed of a nitride semiconductor; a second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer and formed of a nitride semiconductor; first and second gate electrodes, a source electrode, and a drain electrode formed on the second semiconductor layer; an interlayer insulation film formed on the second semiconductor layer; and a field plate formed on the interlayer insulation film. Further, the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode are formed between a region where the source electrode is formed and a region where the field plate is formed, an element isolation region is formed in the first and the second semiconductor layers which are between the first and the second gate electrodes, and the second gate electrode is electrically connected to the source electrode.
US09349801B2
A diamond based oxygen sensor is able to function in harsh environment conditions. The oxygen sensor includes a gateless field effect transistor including a synthetic, quasi-intrinsic, hydrogen-passivated, monocrystalline diamond layer exhibiting a 2-dimension hole gas effect. The oxygen sensor also includes a sensing layer comprising yttrium-stabilized zirconia deposited onto a surface of the gateless field effect transistor.
US09349795B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of switchable cells defining an active area of the semiconductor device, an outer rim, and an edge termination region arranged between the switchable cells and the outer rim. Each of the switchable cells includes a body region, a gate electrode structure and a source region. A source metallization is in ohmic contact with the source regions of the switchable cells. A a gate metallization is in ohmic contact with the gate electrode structures of the switchable cells. The active area defined by the switchable cells includes at least a first switchable region having a first threshold and at least a second switchable region having a second threshold which is higher than the first threshold. An area assumed by the first switchable region is larger than an area assumed by the second switchable region.
US09349793B2
A field effect transistor (FET) with an underlying airgap and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming an amorphous layer at a predetermined depth of a substrate. The method further includes forming an airgap in the substrate under the amorphous layer. The method further includes forming a completely isolated transistor in an active region of the substrate, above the amorphous layer and the airgap.
US09349777B2
A display device including a bendable display panel, and an operation method thereof. The display device includes a display panel including a flexible substrate and a display unit and a bending adjusting member fixed to a rear surface of the display panel, and changeable between a flat state and a bending state by external force. The bending adjusting member is bent in a width direction to form a curvature, has elasticity in the width direction and a longitudinal direction, and is maintained in any one state between the flat state and the bending state under a condition of non-application of external force.
US09349775B2
There has been a problem that difference in refractive index between an opposite substrate or a moisture barrier layer provided thereover, and air is maintained large, and light extraction efficiency is low. Further, there has been a problem that peeling or cracking due to the moisture barrier layer is easily generated, which leads to deteriorate the reliability and lifetime of a light-emitting element. A light-emitting element comprises a pixel electrode, an electroluminescent layer, a transparent electrode, a passivation film, a stress relieving layer, and a low refractive index layer, all of which are stacked sequentially. The stress relieving layer serves to prevent peeling of the passivation film. The low refractive index layer serves to reduce reflectivity of light generated in the electroluminescent layer in emitting to air. Therefore, a light-emitting element with high reliability and long lifetime and a display device using the light-emitting element can be provided.
US09349772B2
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit includes depositing a bottom electrode layer, an MTJ layer, and a top electrode layer over a passivation layer and within a trench of the passivation layer and removing portions of the MTJ layer and the top electrode layer to form an MTJ/top electrode stack over the bottom electrode layer and at least partially within portions of the trench having being reopened by said removing. The method further includes forming a further passivation layer over the MTJ/top electrode stack, forming a further ILD layer of the further passivation layer, and reforming a top electrode layer over the ILD layer and over the MTJ/top electrode stack. Still further, the method includes removing portions of the bottom electrode layer, the further passivation layer, the further ILD layer, and the re-formed top electrode layer to form a bottom electrode/MTJ/top electrode stack.
US09349771B2
A microlens forming method, comprising etching a first member and a second member arranged on the first member, the second member including a concavo-convex shape, and forming a microlens from the first member, wherein, the etching of the first and the second members is performed under a condition that an etching rate of the first member is higher than that of the second member, a portion of the first member under the concave portion is exposed during the etching of the second member, and the exposed portion of the first member is removed in the etching of the first member.
US09349766B2
According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor layer, an organic photoelectric conversion layer, and microlenses. A plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are provided in the semiconductor layer. The organic photoelectric conversion layer is provided on a light receiving surface of the semiconductor layer, absorbs and photoelectrically converts light of a predetermined wavelength region, and transmits light of a wavelength region except for the predetermined wavelength region. The microlenses are provided at positions facing the respective light receiving surfaces of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements with the organic photoelectric conversion layer interposed therebetween, and concentrate incident light on the photoelectric conversion elements.
US09349755B2
Disclosed is an array substrate including gate lines (210), data lines (220) formed on a base substrate and a plurality of pixel units defined by intersecting the gate lines (210) and the data lines (220). Each pixel unit includes a TFT. In an overlapping area between an active layer (230) and a source (240) of the TFT, the active layer (230) includes at least two first tabs (231) beyond a gate (260) of the TFT which are located on both sides of a central line of the active layer (230) parallel to the gate line (210) respectively and the two first tabs (231) have a same width in a direction of gate line (210). The above-mentioned array substrate can guarantee that the gate-source capacitance is substantially identical to a predesigned capacitance even if the active layer experiences misalignment while being manufactured, thereby decreasing the error of the common electrode voltage Vcom. Further disclosed is a display device including the above-mentioned array substrate.
US09349745B2
A memory device includes a plurality of stacks of conductive strips, a plurality of word lines over and orthogonal to the plurality of stacks of conductive strips, a plurality of vertical gate columns, and control circuitry. The plurality of word lines is electrically coupled to the plurality of vertical gate columns acting as gates controlling current flow in the plurality of stacks of conductive strips. The plurality of word lines including a first word line and a second word line adjacent to each other. The plurality of vertical gate columns is between the plurality of stacks of conductive strips. The plurality of vertical gate columns includes a first set of vertical gate columns electrically coupled to the first word line and a second set of vertical gate columns electrically coupled to the second word line. The first set of vertical gate columns is staggered relative to the second set of vertical gate columns. The control circuitry controls the plurality of word lines as gates to control current flow in the plurality of stacks of conductive strips, and controls nonvolatile memory operations.
US09349736B2
The instant disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing high-strength structural stacked capacitor. The novel feature of the instant disclosure is forming a part of upper electrode layer to cover the first/outer surface of each of the lower electrode layers before removing the sacrificial layer, and forming another part of upper electrode layer to cover the second/inner surface of each of the lower electrode layers after removing the sacrificial layer. Hence, the structure strength of the lower electrode layer in all process steps has been improved.
US09349728B1
A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor thereon and a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer surrounding the MOS transistor; forming a source layer, a drain layer, a first opening between the source layer and the drain layer, and a second ILD layer on the MOS transistor and the first ILD layer, wherein the top surfaces of the source layer, the drain layer, and the second ILD layer are coplanar; forming a channel layer on the second ILD layer, the source layer, and the drain layer and into the first opening; and performing a first planarizing process to remove part of the channel layer so that the top surface of the channel layer is even with the top surfaces of the source layer and the drain layer.
US09349719B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor on a first side of a shallow trench isolation (STI) region and a second transistor on a second side of the STI region. The first transistor includes a first conductive portion having a second conductivity type formed within a well having a first conductivity type, a first nanowire connected to the first conductive portion and a first active area, and a first gate surrounding the first nanowire. The second transistor includes a second conductive portion having the second conductivity type formed within the well, a second nanowire connected to the second conductive portion and a second active area, and a second gate surrounding the second nanowire. Excess current from an ESD event travels through the first conductive portion through the well to the second conductive portion bypassing the first nanowire and the second nanowire.
US09349718B2
There is set forth herein a field effect transistor (FET) configured as an ESD protection device. In one embodiment, the FET can be configured to operate in a snapback operating mode. The FET can include a semiconductor substrate, a gate formed on the substrate and a dummy gate formed on the substrate spaced apart from the gate.
US09349715B2
There are disclosed herein various implementations of a half-bridge or multiple half-bridge switch configurations used in a voltage converter circuit using at least two normally ON switches. Such a circuit includes a high side switch and a low side switch coupled between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail of the voltage converter circuit. The high side switch is coupled to the low side switch at a switch node of the voltage converter circuit. At least one group IV enhancement mode switch is used as an enable switch. The group IV enhancement mode enable switch may be an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a super junction field-effect transistor (SJFET), a unipolar group IV field-effect transistor (FET), or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).
US09349709B2
An electronic component comprising an electrically conductive chip carrier comprising an electrically insulating core structure at least partially covered with electrically conductive material, at least one electronic chip each having a first main surface attached to the chip carrier, and a sheet-like redistribution structure attached to a second main surface of the at least one electronic chip and configured for electrically connecting the second main surface of the at least one electronic chip with the chip carrier.
US09349687B1
After forming a manganese (Mn)-containing cap layer over interconnects embedded in an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer, a lithographic stack is formed over the Mn-containing cap layer. The lithographic stack is subsequently patterned to expose a portion of the Mn-containing cap layer that overlies a subset of the interconnects between which the air gaps are to be formed. A portion of the ILD layer located between the subset of the interconnects is damaged through the exposed portion of the Mn-containing cap layer. The damaged portion of the ILD layer is subsequently removed to form openings between the subset of the interconnects. The Mn-containing cap layer acts as a temporary protection layer preventing erosion of the underlying interconnects during the air gap formation.
US09349684B2
Provided are a curved semiconductor package, and a device including the semiconductor package. The semiconductor package includes: a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) including a fixed bent portion formed as an arch-shape and including a first surface facing a first direction and a second surface opposite to the first surface; at least one semiconductor chip attached to the second surface of the fixed bent portion of the flexible PCB; and a mold layer having rigidity and formed on the second surface of the fixed bending portion of the flexible PCB while surrounding the at least one semiconductor chip.
US09349681B1
Methods and systems for a semiconductor device package with a die to interposer wafer first bond are disclosed and may include bonding a plurality of semiconductor die comprising electronic devices to an interposer wafer, and applying an underfill material between the die and the interposer wafer. Methods and systems for a semiconductor device package with a die-to-packing substrate first bond are disclosed and may include bonding a first semiconductor die to a packaging substrate, applying an underfill material between the first semiconductor die and the packaging substrate, and bonding one or more additional die to the first semiconductor die. Methods and systems for a semiconductor device package with a die-to-die first bond are disclosed and may include bonding one or more semiconductor die comprising electronic devices to an interposer die.
US09349680B2
A chip arrangement is provided which comprises a carrier; and at least two chips arranged over the carrier; wherein a continuous insulating layer is arranged between the at least two chips and between the carrier and at least one of the at least two chips.
US09349673B2
A substrate includes a first insulating layer provided on a base board, a second insulating layer provided on the first insulating layer, a third insulating layer provided on the second insulating layer, a pad electrode provided on the third insulating layer, and a hole formed to penetrate the substrate and reaching the pad electrode. A diameter of the hole in the first insulating layer is larger than a diameter of the hole in the second insulating layer, and the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer are formed using different materials from each other and the second insulating layer and the third insulating layer are formed using different materials from each other.
US09349668B2
A semiconductor device includes; a semiconductor layer mainly made of GaN; a protective film provided to have electrical insulation property and configured to coat the semiconductor layer; and an electrode provided to have electrical conductivity and configured to form a Schottky junction with the semiconductor layer. The protective film includes: a first layer made of Al2O3 and arranged adjacent to the semiconductor layer; a second layer made of an electrical insulation material different from Al2O3 and formed on the first layer; and an opening structure formed to pass through the first layer and the second layer. The electrode is located inside of the opening structure.
US09349661B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for wafer thinning endpoint detection. Embodiments of the present invention utilize through silicon via (TSV) structures formed in the wafer. A specially made wafer handle is bonded to the wafer. Conductive slurry is used in the wafer backside thinning process. The wafer handle provides electrical connectivity to an electrical measurement tool, and conductive posts in the wafer handle are proximal to a test structure on the wafer. A plurality of electrically isolated TSVs is monitored via the electrical measurement tool. When the TSVs are exposed on the backside as a result of thinning, the conductive slurry shorts the electrically isolated TSVs, changing the electrical properties of the plurality of TSVs. The change in electrical properties is detected and used to trigger termination of the wafer backside thinning process.
US09349657B2
A method for manufacturing the integrated circuit device including, providing a substrate having a first region and a second region. Forming a dielectric layer over the substrate in the first region and the second region. Forming a sacrificial gate layer over the dielectric layer. Patterning the sacrificial gate layer and the dielectric layer to form gate stacks in the first and second regions. Forming an ILD layer within the gate stacks in the first and second regions. Removing the sacrificial gate layer in the first and second regions. Forming a protector over the dielectric layer in the first region; and thereafter removing the dielectric layer in the second region.
US09349652B1
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first gate stack over a first fin feature and second gate stack over a second fin feature, removing the first gate stack to form a first gate trench that exposes the first fin structure, removing the second gate stack to form a second gate trench that exposes the second fin feature, performing an annealing process to change a composition of a portion of the first fin feature and forming a first high-k/metal gate (HK/MG) within the first gate trench over the portion of the first fin feature and a second HK/MG within the second gate trench over the second fin feature. Therefore the first HK/MG is formed with a first threshold voltage and the second HK/MG is formed with a second threshold voltage, which is different than the first threshold voltage.
US09349649B2
A gate structure is formed straddling a first portion of a plurality of semiconductor fins that extend upwards from a topmost surface of an insulator layer. A dielectric spacer is formed on sidewalls of the gate structure and straddling a second portion of the plurality of semiconductor fins. Epitaxial semiconductor material portions that include a non-planar bottommost surface and a non-planar topmost surface are grown from at least the exposed sidewalls of each semiconductor fin not including the gate structure or the gate spacer to merge adjacent semiconductor fins. A gap is present beneath epitaxial semiconductor material portions and the topmost surface of the insulator layer. A second epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on the epitaxial semiconductor material portions and thereafter the second epitaxial semiconductor material is converted into a metal semiconductor alloy.
US09349646B2
A wafer processing method for dividing a wafer along a plurality of division lines to obtain a plurality of individual chips. The wafer processing method includes a filament forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the wafer along each division line in the condition where the focal point of the pulsed laser beam is set inside the wafer in a subject area to be divided, thereby forming a plurality of amorphous filaments inside the wafer along each division line, and an etching step of etching the amorphous filaments formed inside the wafer along each division line by using an etching agent to thereby divide the wafer into the individual chips along the division lines.
US09349638B2
A memory device according to embodiments includes a cell array region. The cell array region comprises a plurality of transistors sharing a word line, a plurality of memory elements, and a plurality of first contacts configured to connect the plurality of transistors with the plurality of memory elements, respectively, and aligned with a pitch. The memory device further comprises a second contact positioned at the pitch, along an extension of a row of the plurality of first contacts, outside the cell array region, and configured to be in contact with the word line.
US09349633B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an isolation layer on a substrate, where an active pattern is defined, forming an insulating interlayer on the active pattern of the substrate and the isolation layer, removing portions of the insulating interlayer, the active pattern and the isolation layer to form a first recess, forming a first contact in the first recess on a first region of the active pattern exposed by the first recess, removing portions of the active pattern and the isolation layer in the first recess by performing an isotropic etching process, to form an enlarged first recess, and filling the enlarged first recess to form a first spacer that surrounds a sidewall of the first contact.
US09349632B2
An oxide layer is formed over a substrate having a smaller isolation trench and a large isolation trench. A nitride layer is formed over the oxide layer such that it completely fills the smaller isolation trench and lines the larger isolation trench. The nitride layer is etched back to form a recess in the nitride layer in the smaller isolation trench while at least a portion of the nitride layer lining the larger isolation trench is completely removed. A layer of HDP oxide is deposited over the substrate, completely filling the smaller and larger isolation trenches. The HDP oxide layer is planarized to the upper surface of the substrate. The deeper larger isolation trench may be formed by performing an etching step after the nitride layer has been etched back, prior to depositing HDP oxide.
US09349618B2
A substrate processing apparatus capable of removing deposits attached on a component of a lower temperature in a gap between two components, temperatures of which are greatly different from each other, without degrading a working ratio of the substrate processing apparatus. In the substrate processing apparatus, a chamber receives a wafer, a focus ring surrounds the wafer disposed in the chamber, a side surface protective member transmits a laser beam, a laser beam irradiating apparatus irradiates the laser beam to the side surface protective member, an inner focus ring of the focus ring is disposed adjacent to the wafer and is cooled down and an outer focus ring surrounds the inner focus ring and is not cooled down in a focus ring, and a facing surface of the side surface protective member faces a gap between the inner focus ring and the outer focus ring.
US09349606B2
A method for forming conductive contacts in a dielectric layer is provided. Partial vias are etched into the dielectric layer through a via mask. Trenches are etched into the dielectric layer through a trench mask, wherein the etching the trenches completes and over etches the vias to widen bottoms of the vias. Tops of the trenches or vias are rounded.
US09349604B2
A method is provided for forming a patterned topography on a substrate. The substrate is provided with features formed atop that constitute an existing topography, and a template for directed self-assembly (DSA) surrounds the exposed topography. Further to the method, the template is filled with a block copolymer (BCP) to cover the exposed topography, and then the BCP is annealed within the template to drive self-assembly in alignment with the topography. Developing the annealed BCP exposes a DSA pattern immediately overlying the topography.
US09349601B2
The present invention is to provide a ruthenium complex represented by formula (1a), (2), (3), etc., which is useful for producing a ruthenium-containing thin film both under the conditions using an oxidizing gas as the reaction gas and under the conditions using a reducing gas as the reaction gas: wherein R1a to R7a, R8, R9 and R10 to R18 represents an alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 6, etc., and n represents an integer of 0 to 2.
US09349592B2
The present invention discloses an electronic device using a group III nitride substrate fabricated via the ammonothermal method. By utilizing the high-electron concentration of ammonothermally grown substrates having the dislocation density less than 105 cm−2, combined with a high-purity active layer of Ga1-x-yAlxInyN (0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1) grown by a vapor phase method, the device can attain high level of breakdown voltage as well as low on-resistance. To realize a good matching between the ammonothermally grown substrate and the high-purity active layer, a transition layer is optionally introduced. The active layer is thicker than a depletion region created by a device structure in the active layer.
US09349586B2
A thin film having excellent etching resistance and a low dielectric constant is described. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a thin film on a substrate, removing first impurities containing H2O and Cl from the thin film by heating the thin film at a first temperature higher than a temperature of the substrate in the forming of the thin film, and removing second impurities containing a hydrocarbon compound (CxHy-based impurities) from the thin film in which heat treatment is performed at the first temperature by heating the thin film at a second temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature.
US09349582B2
A liquid chemical for forming a water repellent protecting film on a wafer having at its surface an uneven pattern and containing at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of titanium, tungsten, aluminum, copper, tin, tantalum and ruthenium at surfaces of recessed portions of the uneven pattern, the water repellent protecting film being formed at least on the surfaces of the recessed portions. The liquid chemical is characterized by including: a water repellent protecting film forming agent; and water, and characterized in that the water repellent protecting film forming agent is at least one selected from compounds represented by the following general formula [1] and salt compounds thereof and that the concentration of the water relative to the total quantity of a solvent contained in the liquid chemical is not smaller than 50 mass %.
US09349581B2
According to one embodiment, an incandescent lamp includes: a bulb; a pair of lead sections that have respectively a holding section including nickel or molybdenum as a main component and an introduction section that is joined to one end portion of the holding section and is formed of Dumet wire; a filament section that is held between end portions of a pair of holding sections opposite to a side on which the introduction sections are joined inside the bulb; a fixing member that holds a pair of introduction sections inside the bulb; and a sealing section that seals one end portion of the bulb and holds the pair of introduction sections.
US09349572B2
An energy dispersive X-ray analyzer is attached to a scanning electron microscope and includes: a SEM controller; a detector; an EDS controller; and a data processor. The data processor generates first and second X-ray mapping image respectively when the SEM controller controls the scanning electron microscope to irradiate the sample with an electron beam under first and second acceleration voltage conditions. The data processor corrects the first X-ray mapping image and the second X-ray mapping image into images that are independent of acceleration voltage condition based on a measurement intensity variation ratio of the X-ray when changed from the first acceleration voltage condition to the second acceleration voltage condition, and controls the display unit to display a difference image between the corrected first X-ray mapping image and the corrected second X-ray mapping image.
US09349570B2
An improved method and apparatus for extracting and handling samples for S/TEM analysis. Preferred embodiments of the present invention make use of a micromanipulator and a hollow microprobe probe using vacuum pressure to adhere the microprobe tip to the sample. By applying a small vacuum pressure to the lamella through the microprobe tip, the lamella can be held more securely and its placement controlled more accurately than by using electrostatic force alone. By using a probe having a beveled tip and which can also be rotated around its long axis, the extracted sample can be placed down flat on a sample holder. This allows sample placement and orientation to be precisely controlled, thus greatly increasing predictability of analysis and throughput.
US09349562B2
A field emission device is configured as a heat engine with an AC output.
US09349556B2
A piston rod includes a large-diameter portion that is formed on the side of a movable contact, and a small-diameter portion that is formed on the side of an insulating operation rod relative to the large-diameter portion, and that is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of an inner peripheral surface of an insulating cylindrical member. The insulating cylindrical member includes a cylindrical portion that is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion and the inner peripheral surface of the insulating operation rod, a bottom portion that is arranged opposed to the distal end of the small-diameter portion, and a through hole through which a coupling pin is inserted through the piston rod and the insulating operation rod.
US09349555B2
Electrical device contact assemblies with separable electrical contacts exhibiting enhanced arcing constriction are disclosed. Electrical device contact assembly includes first and second electrical contacts separable along a separation path, and a magnetic field generator configured as part of a line conductor that is operable to produce a magnetic field that acts on the separation path during a short circuit event. Electrical devices including the electrical device contact assembly and methods of operating the electrical device contact assembly are provided, as are other aspects.
US09349552B2
Described herein are techniques related to a touchpad with capacitive force sensing. The described techniques may determine the point or region of a user-engagement surface contacted by a user. In addition, the described techniques may also determine a force of the user's finger press on the user-engagement surface using one or more capacitance force-sensors. Furthermore, the described techniques may offer active tactile feedback (i.e., haptics) to the user's finger touching the user-engagement surface. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09349542B2
An energy storage stack of at least two surface-mediated cells (SMCs) internally connected in parallel or in series. The stack includes: (A) At least two SMC cells, each consisting of (i) a cathode comprising a porous cathode current collector and a cathode active material; (ii) a porous anode current collector; and (iii) a porous separator disposed between the cathode and the anode; (B) A lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with all the electrodes, wherein the cathode active material has a specific surface area no less than 100 m2/g in direct physical contact with the electrolyte to receive lithium ions therefrom or to provide lithium ions thereto; and (C) A lithium source. This new-generation energy storage device exhibits the highest power densities of all energy storage devices, much higher than those of all the lithium ion batteries, lithium ion capacitors, and supercapacitors.
US09349539B2
A ceramic electronic component includes external electrodes having a multi-layer structure including an intermediate conductive resin layer, wherein the intermediate conductive resin layer in the external electrode is made of epoxy resin containing conductive filler, and the intermediate conductive resin layer meets both the condition B/A≦0.47 and condition C/A≧0.39 (A, B and C represent the maximum spectral intensities obtained based on the relationship line of the wave number and spectral intensity of the intermediate conductive resin layer as obtained by the ATR method). The ceramic electronic component minimizes separation that could occur at the interface between such intermediate conductive resin layer and a metal layer.
US09349537B2
Disclosed herein is a multilayer ceramic device including: a device body having side surfaces spaced apart from each other and circumferential surfaces connecting the side surfaces to each other; internal electrodes disposed in a length direction of the device body in the device body; external electrodes having a front surface portion covering the side surfaces and a band portion extended from the front surface portion and covering portions of the circumferential surfaces; and crack guide patterns disposed in the device body and guiding a progress direction of a crack generated from the circumferential surfaces so that the crack is directed toward the side surface, wherein the crack guide pattern includes: a first metal pattern; and a second metal pattern disposed to be closer to the circumferential surface as compared with the first metal pattern and having gaps.
US09349531B2
A device for transmitting electrical power from a wall to a wing attached thereto about a hinge axis includes a wall part fastened to the wall. A wing part is fastened to the wing. A primary coil arranged on the wall part comprises an end side, a primary coil winding and a primary coil housing with ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic properties. The primary coil housing is open on an end side facing the wing part and substantially covers the primary coil winding on an opposite end side. A secondary coil arranged on the wing part comprises a secondary coil winding and a secondary coil housing with ferrimagnetic or ferromagnetic properties. The secondary coil housing is open on an end side facing the wall part and substantially covers the secondary coil winding on an opposite end side. The end sides of the primary coil and the secondary coil face each other.
US09349530B2
A wireless power transmission system as an embodiment of the present disclosure transmits electric power by a non-contact method from a first inductor to a second inductor, or vice versa, via resonant magnetic coupling. The wireless power transmission system includes: the first inductor that has a center hole; the second inductor that is spaced apart from the first inductor and that is smaller in size than the hole of the first inductor; and a magnetic body member that is arranged on one side of the first inductor so as to face the second inductor and that covers at least a part of the first inductor. That at least a part of the first inductor reaches an outer edge of the first inductor from an inner edge thereof.
US09349527B2
The invention relates to a current transformer 1, comprising connection contacts 3 for contacting a secondary winding of the current transformer and a short-circuit device 105, 205, 305 for shorting the connection contacts 3, wherein the connection contacts 3 can be reached through a housing opening 4 of a housing 2 surrounding the current transformer 1, the current transformer also having a safety device 107, 207, 307 for blocking the access to the connection contacts 3 lying inside the housing, wherein the safety device 107, 207, 307 can be in a securing status or release status, and wherein the access to the connection contacts 3 is blocked by the safety device 107, 207, 307 in the securing status, such that the connection of a conductor to a connection contact 3 or the disconnection of a conductor from a connection contact 3 is not possible, and wherein the access to the connection contacts 3 is released by the safety device in the release status and the short-circuit device 105, 205, 305 shorts the connection contacts 3 in the release status, such that the connection of a conductor to a connection contact 3 or a disconnection of a conductor from a connection contact 3 is possible.
US09349525B2
Disclosed herein is a multilayer inductor. The multilayer inductor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a laminate on which a plurality of body sheets are multilayered; a coil part configured to have internal electrode patterns formed on the body sheet; a first gap made of a non-magnetic material located between the multilayered body sheets; a second gap made of a dielectric material located between the multilayered body sheets and located on a layer different from the first gap; and external electrodes formed on both surfaces of the laminate and electrically connected with both ends of the coil part. By this configuration, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can remarkably improve DC biased characteristics without reducing breaking strength of the inductor.
US09349504B2
A water blocking structure for an insulation-coated wire includes a heat-shrinkable tubular protective member that is closed at one end by a stopper and that accommodates an intermediate portion of an insulation-coated wire, and a resin material that is accommodated in the tubular member and that penetrates the intermediate portion of the insulation-coated wire, the resin material serving as a water blocking agent. Slit portions are formed in a coating of the insulation-coated wire, and the resin material penetrates the intermediate portion via these slit portions. A coating stripping member with a blade whose cutting edges are directed to the inside of the respective slit portions is contained within the protective member.
US09349498B2
Provided is a composition comprising a polymeric material, a filler material dispersed in the polymeric material, the filler material comprising inorganic particles and a discontinuous arrangement of conductive material wherein at least a portion of the conductive material is in durable electrical contact with the inorganic particles, and conductive material dispersed in the polymeric material.
US09349495B2
A collimator assembly is provided including a parallel-hole collimator and a pin-hole collimator. The parallel-hole collimator includes plural walls defining parallel holes therebetween, with the parallel holes arranged around a central opening. The pin-hole collimator includes a pin-hole formed in a body, with the pin-hole collimator disposed within the central opening.
US09349490B2
A differential memory device includes of memory locations having a direct memory cell and a complementary memory cell. A corresponding method includes receiving a request of reading a selected data word associated with a selected code word, reading a differential code word representing a differential version of the selected code word, verifying the differential code word according to an error correction code, setting the selected data word according to the differential code word in response to a positive verification. The method further includes reading at least one single-ended code word representing a single-ended version of the selected code word, verifying the single-ended code word according to the error correction code, and setting the selected data word according to the single-ended code word in response to a negative verification of the differential code word and to a positive verification of the single-ended code word.
US09349487B2
An electronic device comprising a semiconductor memory unit that may include a variable resistance element configured to be changed in a resistance value thereof in response to current flowing through both ends thereof, a toggle data generation unit configured to generate toggle data of which logic value toggles with a predetermined cycle, in a first mode for testing reliability of the variable resistance element, a data transfer line configured to transfer data inputted from an outside, and a driving unit configured to flow current which is changed in its direction with the predetermined cycle, through the variable resistance element in response to the toggle data in the first mode, and flow current through the variable resistance element in a direction determined in response to the data of the data transfer line, in a second mode in writing date into or reading data from the variable resistance element.
US09349484B2
The present disclosure relates to a sample-and-hold circuit includes a transistor arranged for switching between a sample mode and a hold mode and a bootstrap circuit arranged for maintaining in the sample mode a voltage level between a source terminal and a gate terminal of the transistor independent of the voltage at the source terminal and arranged for switching off the transistor in the hold mode. The bootstrap circuit includes a bootstrap capacitance arranged for being precharged to a given voltage during the hold mode, the bootstrap capacitance being connected between the source terminal and the gate terminal during the sample mode. In one example, the bootstrap circuit comprises a switched capacitor charge pump for generating the given voltage.
US09349482B2
A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device is provided which includes applying a program voltage to selected ones of a plurality of memory cells; applying a selected one of a plurality of verification voltages after pre-charging bit lines connected to memory cells to which the program voltage is applied; sensing the memory cells to which the selected verification voltage is applied; selecting memory cells programmed to a target state referring to the sensing result and target state data; and determining whether programming of the selected memory cells is passed or failed.
US09349471B2
A method is for operating a nonvolatile memory device, the nonvolatile memory device including at least one string connected to a bit line, the at least one string including a plurality of memory cells connected in series, each of the plurality of memory cells being connected to a respective word line among a plurality of word lines and stacked in a direction perpendicular to a substrate. The method includes applying a word line voltage needed for an operation to a first word line among the word lines, applying a recovery voltage higher than a ground voltage to the first word line after the operation, and then floating the first word line.
US09349469B2
A sense circuit is coupled to a bit line of a memory array. Control circuitry coupled to the sense circuit controls a program operation for a memory cell. After a program phase in which the memory cell in the memory array is programmed, in a program verify phase the control circuitry causes the sense circuit to sense data stored on the memory cell multiple times during the program verify phase. The multiple times include a first time sensing data from the memory cell and a second time sensing data from the memory cell.
US09349467B2
A method includes dividing a group of analog memory cells into multiple subsets. The memory cells in the group are sensed simultaneously by performing a single sense operation, while applying to the subsets of the memory cells respective different sets of read thresholds, so as to produce respective readout results. An optimal set of the read thresholds is estimated by processing the multiple readout results obtained from the respective subsets using the different sets of the read thresholds.
US09349465B2
A semiconductor memory device and a method of operating the same are provided. The semiconductor memory device includes memory cells stacked on a substrate. The method includes applying a reference voltage to an unselected drain select line, applying a drain selection voltage to a selected drain select line, and applying a word line voltage to a normal word line. Before the word line voltage is applied to the normal word line, a positive voltage is applied to a dummy word line to bounce the unselected drain select line.
US09349464B2
A non-volatile semiconductor device includes first and second selecting transistors; multiple memory cells that are stacked above the substrate; multiple word lines that are connected to control gates of the multiple memory cells; selecting gate lines that are each connected to a gate of one of the selecting transistors; a bit line connected to the first selecting transistor; a source line connected to the second selecting transistor; and a control circuit configured to execute an erasing loop that includes an erase operation and a verifying operation. The control circuit increases an erasing voltage in accordance with the number of times the erasing loop is repeated.
US09349463B2
To enhance the write speed of a nonvolatile memory. A charge injection/emission part of a nonvolatile memory cell includes an active region having an upper face, a side wall, and a shoulder part connecting the upper face and the side wall, a conductor film covering the upper face and the shoulder part of the active region, and a capacitance insulating film provided between the conductor film and the active region. Furthermore, the active region has a protrusion part constituted of a first concave part with respect to the upper face and a second concave part with respect to the side wall, in the shoulder part.
US09349458B2
Techniques are presented for reducing the loading on the source lines for NAND type memories that decode memory blocks in multi-block groups, an example 3D NAND memory of the BiCS type. When multiple blocks are commonly decoded, a decoded group may include both selected and unselected blocks. The word lines of a selected block are biased according the operation, while the word lines of the non-selected blocks of the group are set at the level of the source line. This reduces the amount of loading on the source line due to less capacitance between the source line and word lines.
US09349453B2
The present disclosure provides for semiconductor structures and methods for making semiconductor structures. In one embodiment, isolation regions are formed in a substrate, and wells are formed between the isolation regions. The wells include a first low voltage well and a second low voltage well in a logic region of the substrate, and a memory array well in an NVM region of the substrate. A first layer of oxide is formed over the first low voltage well and the memory array well, and a second layer of oxide is formed over the second low voltage well, the second layer being thinner than the first layer. Gates are formed over the wells, including a first gate over the first low voltage well, a second gate over the second low voltage well, and a memory cell gate over the memory array well. Source/drain extension regions are formed around the gates.
US09349447B1
In various embodiments, quench switches are utilized within a cross-point memory array to minimize parasitic coupling in lines proximate selected lines.
US09349446B2
A plurality of word lines extend in a first direction and are disposed in a second direction and a third direction. A plurality of bit lines extend in the third direction and are disposed in the first direction and the second direction. A global bit line is coupled in common to the plurality of bit lines. A selection elements is disposed between the bit line and the global bit line. A control circuit is able to perform respective operations of reading, writing, and deletion on the storage element. A resistive element is disposed on the global bit line side with respect to the selection element. The resistive element adjusts a magnitude of a voltage to be applied to the selection element according to a magnitude of a current flowing through the selection element.
US09349445B2
Select devices for memory cell applications and methods of forming the same are described herein. As an example, one or more non-ohmic select devices can include at least two tunnel barrier regions formed between a first metal material and a second metal material, and a third metal material formed between each of the respective at least two tunnel barrier regions. The non-ohmic select device is a two terminal select device that supports bi-directional current flow therethrough.
US09349443B2
A method and a system for programming a multi-level cell (MLC) memory are provided. A first count is 1 initially. The method comprises the following steps. A first energy is set. The first energy is applied to alter a resistance of a cell of the MLC memory. The first count is increased by 1 after performing the step of applying the first energy. In the step of setting the first energy, the first energy is a first initial energy a predetermined value initially and the first energy is changed by increasing or decreasing the first initial energy the predetermined value the first count .
US09349432B2
A method and apparatus for modifying a reference voltage between refreshes in a memory device are disclosed. The memory array may include a plurality of memory cells. The memory device may also include a sense amplifier. The sense amplifier may be configured to read data from the plurality of memory cells using a reference voltage. The memory device may also include a sense amplifier reference voltage modification circuit. The sense amplifier reference voltage modification circuit may be configured to detect a triggering event and modify the reference voltage in response to detecting a triggering event.
US09349426B1
A non-volatile memory device includes an array of non-volatile (NV) memory cells organized in pairs. Each pair is included with a transistor to form a memory unit. Each unit is coupled to a bit line, a word line, and a pair of source lines. The NV elements are programmable to either a relatively high resistance or relatively low resistance and the particularly resistance is established, by converting one resistance type to the other or maintaining the existing resistance type the direction of current through the NV element. A bit is formed from two NV cells in different memory units which are programmed to different resistance types and thereby provide a differential pair from which the logic state of the bit can be determined.
US09349425B2
A semiconductor device includes a driving signal generation unit configured to selectively drive a sub word line driving signal in response to a sub word line select signal. The semiconductor device also includes a sub word line driving unit configured to drive a sub word line in response to a main word line select signal and the sub word line driving signal. Further, the semiconductor device includes leakage path blocking unit configured to block a leakage path formed from the sub word line through the driving signal generation unit, in response to a test signal.
US09349424B2
A semiconductor apparatus may include a read path configured to transmit data from the semiconductor apparatus in response to a read command and at least one read operation control signal, and an operation control circuit configured to receive a plurality of divided clock signals and the read command to identify the one of the plurality of divided clock signals that is relatively better matched to the received read command to manage timings associated with at least one of the read operation control signals.
US09349411B2
Improved copy protection systems including copy once, personal computer (PC) buffer copy protection, and identifying different copy control systems are provided. A “copy once” protection system uses memory in a recording device to remember content or physical media IDs so that the same original content or media is not copied twice. A PC buffer copy protection system determines if there is a relationship between input and output buffers on a PC, or networked PCs, to determine if the content can be copied. Different copy control systems, such as DVD systems and Conditional Access (CA) TV systems, can use different copy control watermark keys or payloads to identify which type of copy control system should be implemented.
US09349406B2
Provided herein is a method, including etching a first pattern into a mask, wherein the first pattern includes a first set of features corresponding to features of an imprint template; forming a second set of features over and in-between the first set of features by directed self-assembly of a block copolymer composition, wherein the first and second sets of features combine to form a second pattern; and etching the second pattern into a substrate.
US09349401B1
An apparatus includes: a media; a head over the media; a read channel, coupled to the head, configured to extract data from the media; control circuitry, coupled to the read channel, configured to execute a read command; and wherein the read channel is further configured to: generate, based on extracting the data from the media, a data condition indicator, and provide, for use by the control circuitry, the data and the data condition indicator.
US09349396B2
A spin transfer oscillator with a seed/SIL/spacer/FGL/capping configuration is disclosed with a composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (A1/A2)X laminated spin injection layer (SIL). Field generation layer (FGL) is made of a high Bs material such FeCo. Alternatively, the STO has a seed/FGL/spacer/SIL/capping configuration. The SIL may include a FeCo layer that is exchanged coupled with the (A1/A2)X laminate (x is 5 to 50) to improve robustness. The FGL may include an (A1/A2)Y laminate (y=5 to 30) exchange coupled with the high Bs layer to enable easier oscillations. A1 may be one of Co, CoFe, or CoFeR where R is a metal, and A2 is one of Ni, NiCo, or NiFe. The STO may be formed between a main pole and trailing shield in a write head.
US09349382B2
The document relates to modulated sub-sampled digital filter banks, as well as to methods and systems for the design of such filter banks. In particular, the present document proposes a method and apparatus for the improvement of low delay modulated digital filter banks. The method employs modulation of an asymmetric low-pass prototype filter and a new method for optimizing the coefficients of this filter. Further, a specific design for a 64 channel filter bank using a prototype filter length of 640 coefficients and a system delay of 319 samples is given. The method substantially reduces artifacts due to aliasing emerging from independent modifications of subband signals, for example when using a filter bank as a spectral equalizer. The method is preferably implemented in software, running on a standard PC or a digital signal processor (DSP), but can also be hardcoded on a custom chip. The method offers improvements for various types of digital equalizers, adaptive filters, multiband companders and spectral envelope adjusting filter banks used in high frequency reconstruction (HFR) or parametric stereo systems.
US09349375B2
According to an embodiment, a signal processing apparatus includes an estimation unit and an updating unit. The estimation unit is configured to estimate an auxiliary variable of a target section including first and second sections of input signals by using an approximating auxiliary function for approximating an auxiliary function having an auxiliary variable as an argument. The auxiliary function is determined according to an objective function that outputs a function value that is smaller as a statistical independence of separated signals into which input signals in time-series are separated by a demixing matrix is higher. The estimation unit is configured to estimate a value of the auxiliary variable of the target section based on the estimated auxiliary variable. The updating unit is configured to update the demixing matrix such that a function value of the approximating auxiliary function is minimized.
US09349373B1
Systems and methods for analyzing digital recordings of the human voice in order to find characteristics unique to an individual. A biometrics engine may use an analytics service in a contact center to supply audio streams based on configured rules and providers for biometric detection. The analytics service may provide call audio data and attributes to connected engines based on a provider-set of selection rules. The connected providers send call audio data and attributes through the analytics service. The engines are notified when a new call is available for processing and can then retrieve chunks of audio data and call attributes by polling an analytics service interface. A mathematical model of the human vocal tract in the call audio data is created and/or matched against existing models. The result is analogous to a fingerprint, i.e., a pattern unique to an individual to within some level of probability.
US09349347B2
An apparatus and a method for controlling a screen brightness in a portable terminal, by which consumption of current by the portable terminal can be reduced by reducing the brightness of the display while a screen is being loaded for display. The apparatus preferably includes: a display unit for changing a screen brightness value thereof depending on whether data is operated, and displaying a screen thereof having the changed screen brightness value; and a controller for performing a control operation for changing the screen brightness value while the data is operated, and performing a control operation for causing the changed screen brightness value to return to a screen brightness value before the change when the operation of the data is completed.
US09349345B2
System and methods are provided for performing saturation adjustment of one or more pixels. In one embodiment, an input color value of a pixel is received. The input color value includes an input saturation component. An adjusted color value is extracted from a predetermined look-up table that maps the input color value to the adjusted color value, the adjusted color value having an adjusted saturation component that is different from the input saturation component. The adjusted color value is output.
US09349340B2
In at least one operation control TFT (27N, 27P) in a control circuit (27), an impurity of a type that generates an impurity level of a channel region (33c) is included in the channel region (33c) as a threshold adjustment impurity, and the concentration of the threshold adjustment impurity is made higher than the concentration of the threshold adjustment impurity in channel regions (33c) of other TFTs (21, 25, 28) of the same type, thus causing the absolute value of the threshold voltage to be greater than that of the other TFTs (21, 25, 28) of the same type.
US09349335B2
Provided is a display device capable of displaying a smooth video even when pause drive is performed.In a liquid crystal display device with an animation function, 12-Hz pause drive is performed with vertical display periods, each having a duration of five frames. In a video display period, an animation video changes every duration of a secondary video display period, i.e., every one frame, in the order: images A to X, then A and B. Once the video display period starts, 12-Hz pause drive switches to 60-Hz normal drive. In this case, for the animation video that changes every duration of the secondary video display period, i.e., every one frame, in the order: images A to X, then A and B, refresh is performed every duration of the vertical display period, i.e., every one frame. In this manner, the duration of the vertical display period is set to be the same as the duration of the secondary video display period, whereby refresh is performed individually for images A to X, A, and B included in the animation video.
US09349334B2
The present disclosure provides a polarity inversion signal converting method, a polarity inversion signal converting apparatus and a display, the polarity inversion signal converting method comprises: judging whether a polarity inversion signal is required to be converted currently and generating a judgment result; changing the polarity inversion signal currently output to a data driver, if the judgment result indicates that the polarity inversion signal is required to be converted currently. With the present disclosure, the polarity inversion signal output to the data driver may be changed according to different situations, so that the driving manners of the data driver may vary flexibly.
US09349330B2
The invention provides a pixel structure, including a plurality of pixel units; each pixel unit including: a first, second and third pixel areas, adjacently disposed. First pixel area includes first pixel electrode and first control switch. Second pixel area includes second pixel electrode and second control switch. Third pixel area includes third pixel electrode and third control switch. Third pixel electrode is connected to data signal sequentially through third and the second control switches. Third pixel electrode is connected to second pixel electrode through third control switch so as to make the voltage level at first pixel electrode different from voltage level at second pixel electrode when first control switch, second control switch and third control switch are all conductive.
US09349325B2
It is an object to provide a transmissive liquid crystal display device in which power consumption is reduced and deterioration in display quality is suppressed. As a backlight, a surface-emission light source is employed. The light source is a light source which performs surface light emission, so that the light emission area is large. Accordingly, the backlight can effectively radiate heat. Thus, even in the case where an image signal is not input to a pixel for a long period, the pixel can hold the image signal. In other words, both a reduction in power consumption and a suppression of deterioration in display quality can be realized.
US09349318B2
Disclosed are a pixel circuit and an organic light emitting display device using the same. The pixel circuit includes a light emitting element configured to include an organic emission cell formed between an anode and cathode of the light emitting element, a driving transistor configured to control emission of light from the light emitting element according to a voltage applied between a gate and source of the driving transistor, a data capacitor configured to include a first terminal and a second terminal; and a switching unit configured to initialize a voltage of the data capacitor during an initialization period, store a threshold voltage of the driving transistor during a threshold voltage storage period, store the data voltage in the data capacitor during a data voltage storage period, and emit light from the light emitting element by using the data voltage stored in the data capacitor during an emission period.
US09349317B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device and a method of driving the same that can improve compensation performance of degradation of a driving TFT. A method of driving an organic light emitting display device comprises generating an estimated degradation value of a driving TFT by using accumulated data through input data counting; compensating all the pixels of a display panel by using a first gain value, which is initially set, and the estimated degradation value; generating a sensing value by sensing all or some of the pixels of the display panel after driving is performed for a certain time; generating a second gain value by compensating the first gain value if an error between the estimated degradation value and the sensing value is more than a reference value; generating compensation data by compensating the estimated degradation value by using the second gain value; and compensating all the pixels of the display panel by using the compensation data.
US09349316B2
An organic light-emitting display device having a signal line that is shared by a first column of pixels and a second column of pixels to transmit a data signal and a sensing signal. The organic light-emitting display device includes a plurality of columns of pixels, and a plurality of signal lines extending between the plurality of columns of pixels. Each of the plurality of signal lines is configured to transmit a data signal from a data driver to the first column of pixels at first times. The data signals control the operation of an organic light-emitting element in the first column of pixels. The same signal line transmits a sensing signal from the second column of pixels to the data driver at second times. The sensing signal represents a variable property of an electrical component in a pixel of the second column of pixels.
US09349314B2
A time-divisional driving organic electroluminescence display in which a power supply line for supplying a power supply voltage is shared by two pixels coupled with the power supply line, and the power supply line is substantially parallel to and interposed between two data lines installed to drive the two pixels. Each pixel is arranged between a data line and the power supply line.
US09349306B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to integrated modular display panels. In one embodiment, modular display panel includes a casing having a recess. The casing includes locking points for use in attachment to an adjacent casing of another modular display panel. A printed circuit board is disposed in the recess and a plurality of LEDs attached to the printed circuit board. A driver circuit is attached to the printed circuit board. A heat sink is disposed between a back side of the casing and the printed circuit board. The heat sink thermally contacts the back side of the casing and the printed circuit board. A framework of louvers is disposed over the printed circuit board. The framework of louvers is disposed between rows of the LEDs. The framework of louvers is attached to the printed circuit board using an adhesive.
US09349295B2
A system and method are provided for transferring datalink-based information into an aircraft flight management system. When a datalink message is received in an aircraft, it is parsed into individual information elements. The operational impact of the received datalink message on the aircraft is determined from the individual information elements. A method of supplying pilot feedback regarding the received datalink message is determined from the determined operational impact. The pilot feedback regarding the received datalink message is supplied using the determined method. At least selected portions of the individual information elements are selectively transferred into the aircraft flight management system (FMS).
US09349293B2
An approach is provided for determining at least one intention to perform at least one crossing of at least one object within proximity of at least one first vehicle. The approach involves determining at least one second vehicle within proximity of the at least one crossing, the at least one first vehicle, or a combination thereof. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a signaling among at least one first device associated with the at least one first vehicle and at least one second device associated with the at least one second vehicle, wherein the signaling causes, at least in part, a synchronization of at least one movement, at least one stop, the at least one intention to perform the at least one crossing, or a combination thereof among the at least one first vehicle, the at least one second vehicle, at least one cloud service, or a combination thereof in response to the at least one request.
US09349292B2
A vehicle system having at least one sensor configured to output a range signal and a range-rate signal. The range signal represents a distance from a host vehicle to the front vehicle and the range-rate signal represents range-rate information of the front vehicle relative to the host vehicle. A processing device is configured to output an alarm signal based on the range signal, the range-rate signal, and whether a driver of the host vehicle is determined to be distracted.
US09349287B1
An embedded Tire Pressure Monitoring sensor is incorporated into vehicular wheels and a secured central server is used to track the unique identification code of each sensor. The TPMS is installed by the vehicular manufacturer in accordance with the federally mandated TREAD Act of 2000. When a vehicle enters the radius of a first encrypted TPM sensor detection transceiver, its TPM sensor identification codes are recorded and time-stamped via an encrypted TPM sensor detection transceiver. If the vehicle enters the area of a second encrypted TPM sensor detection transceiver, the sensor codes will be recorded and time-stamped a second time, encrypted and sent to the secured central server. Using the two encrypted, time-stamped signals, the secured central server calculates traffic flow data.
US09349282B2
Mobile device speaker control may include: monitoring one or more devices wirelessly coupled with a data network, receiving one or more data packets from each of the one or more devices, filtering received data packets by evaluating a received signal strength (e.g., RSSI) of the received packets, comparing the received signal strength of each of the received packets to a threshold to determine whether the one or more devices are to perform an action, and performing the action only if one or more indicia other than the received signal strength indicate a near field proximity within the threshold or a direct physical contact between a wireless device receiving the data packets and one of the one or more devices that is wirelessly transmitting the data packets.
US09349281B2
The subject invention relates to an air spring height sensor comprising a transmitter unit (102) for transmitting a height measuring signal, a receiver unit (101) for sensing a height signal, a carrier frequency switching unit (103), and an evaluation unit (200). The receiver unit and the transmitter unit are adapted for being mounted to opposing mounting elements (10, 20) of an air spring (1). The transmitter unit is switchable between different carrier frequencies (121, 122) of a height measuring signal. The evaluation unit comprises a frequency filter (213) being switchable between different carrier frequencies, wherein the carrier frequency switching unit is adapted for switching the carrier frequency of the frequency filter at a predetermined first point of time and the corresponding carrier frequency of the transmitter unit at a predetermined second point of time, wherein the first point of time is prior to the second point of time.
US09349280B2
Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for disrupting bone conduction signals. According to one aspect, a device can receive a signal via a communication path that is external to a body of a user associated with the device. The device can generate a disruption signal to disrupt the signal. The device can send the disruption signal through the body of the user to disrupt the signal.
US09349277B2
According to some aspects of the present invention there is provided a device for initiating a distress signal to a mobile communication device. The device may comprise a first and second mechanical element. The mechanical elements receive a pulling force when a distress event occurs, producing a motion of one mechanical element relative to the other mechanical element to irrevocably connect a persistent electrical connection loop between a power source and a wireless communication unit. The wireless communication unit may comprise a processing unit, a non-volatile memory value of a device identification code, and a communication interface. When the wireless communication unit is connected to the power source, a distress signal may be sent to a mobile communication device using the communication interface, and the distress signal may comprise the device identification code.
US09349275B2
Techniques are disclosed for normalizing and publishing alerts using a behavioral recognition-based video surveillance system configured with an alert normalization module. Certain embodiments allow a user of the behavioral recognition system to provide the normalization module with a set of relative weights for alert types and a maximum publication value. Using these values, the normalization module evaluates an alert and determines whether its rareness value exceed a threshold. Upon determining that the alert exceeds the threshold, the module normalizes and publishes the alert.
US09349264B2
A system that produces a haptic effect receives a first type of haptic effect to be broadcast during a group event, where the group event includes a plurality of audio events and a plurality of haptic events. The system transmits the first type of haptic effect to a first set of the users. The system produces the first type of haptic effect on a haptic output device corresponding to each of the first set of users. The first type of haptic effect is synchronized with at least one of the plurality of audio events and at least one of the plurality of haptic events.
US09349256B2
Systems and methods for collecting gaming data from the play of a live table game and using the collected data to conduct and facilitate the remote play of the live table game and independent wagering games, including providing selectable features which enable remote players to, among other things, obtain unique access to the collected gaming data and customize the collected gaming data for use in remote play.
US09349253B2
A triggering method for a win outcome on a gaming device includes determining an amount of credit on commencement of game play. A number of symbols displayed in the game is adjusted as a function of the amount bet, to thereby affect the probability of a win outcome being generated.
US09349248B2
There is disclosed a gaming system comprising, a gaming machine terminal configured to seek to initiate a game session, a license management client configured to control initiation of the game session based on a license control parameter, and a license management server in data communication with the license management client and configured to generate the license control parameter and serve the license control parameter to the license management client.
US09349245B2
A system and method is provided which establishes for a number of player-rated tiers, reward criteria which can be satisfied by play of the player of a gaming device. Play data is provided to a host server and upon satisfaction of the reward criteria a player-centric game for the player's rating is provided to the player for play to render a winning or losing outcome. For a winning outcome the player receives a reward based upon the player's tier rating. The rewards may be provided across multiple games including slots, tables, keno, and any other casino game. The rewards may be directly credited to the gaming devices using either cashable or non-cashable credits. The system facilitates patrons continuing to accrue rights toward a reward even when playing different gaming machines, or when playing machines having different denominations.
US09349239B2
An automated medicament dispensing machine for dispensing and counting individual medicaments. A medicament supply bin holds a plurality of medicaments. A singulator extends into the medicament supply bin and functions to singulate the plurality of medicaments. The singulator includes a trough that extends into the medicament supply bin. A helix is positioned over the top of the trough. The helix is uncovered at its top. A motor is connected to the helix and rotates the helix so that excess medicaments fall backwards along the trough or into the medicament supply bin as individual medicaments are singulated.
US09349234B2
A system for vehicle to another party communications that includes a vehicle personality module adapted to create a vehicle personality and a communications system that utilizes the created vehicle personality for one or more communications instead of a user's profile. The one or more communications are associated with one or more of an identifier and an icon representing the vehicle personality, with this identifier and/or icon sent with at least one communication and displayable to the recipient of the communication.
US09349223B1
A system and apparatus for advertising vehicle information using network names includes a wireless transceiver removably attached to the data port of a vehicle. The transceiver creates a wireless network having a unique name. The transceiver advertises vehicle specific information as part of the wireless network name. The transceiver communicates the network name to an app running on a wireless user computing device. A plurality of unique network names may be collected by the app and stored for use in researching additional information about each vehicle having such a transceiver mounted thereon.
US09349220B2
Certain embodiments provide a computer apparatus comprising a display and a processor running a visualization application for visualizing a three-dimensional patient image data set including an anatomical feature of interest. The visualization application is operable to: a) display on the display at least one view of the image data set together with a curve which is intended to follow a path relevant for the anatomical feature of interest, but which may include one or more deviations from the path; and b) initiate an editing session for the curve by selecting a portion of the curve associated with a deviation from the path for correction, the editing session comprising: (i) presenting an MPR view including the selected portion of the curve; (ii) defining a trend line which approximately follows the anatomical path in the vicinity of the selected portion of the curve; (iii) amending under user control any desired part of the selected portion of the curve in the MPR view to make corrections to the curve; (iv) rotating under user control the MPR view about a rotational axis which is parallel to the trend line in order to permit a user to review the corrections in three dimensions in the image data set; (v) iterating under user control the amending and rotating steps as desired to make and review further corrections; and (vi) terminating the editing session under user control by accepting or rejecting the corrections; and c) display at least one view of the image data set together with the curve incorporating amendments from the editing session.
US09349219B2
A system that allows a user to create a lineup of alternatives as controls for a part of a 3D scene by selecting scene contents and designating a lineup alternative control to contain or receive the contents. Once the alternatives are created, the lineups are provided in a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays each alternative as a compressed image of the scene containing the corresponding alternative. The user can click between the alternatives by selecting a desired button so that only the alternative selected in that lineup is shown in the scene. The user can create multiple lineups, each for a different part or overlapping parts of the scene, for changing the materials in a scene, and/or for positioning objects in a scene.
US09349215B1
Conflicts between the database-building and traversal phases are resolved by allowing the database bin size to be different from the display bin size. The database bin size is some multiple of the bin display bin size, and when there are multiple display bins in a database bin, each database bin is traversed multiple times for display, and the rasterizer discards primitives outside of the current display bin. This allows a trade off between memory bandwidth consumed for database building and bandwidth consumed for display, particularly when the display traversal is done multiple of times.
US09349209B2
A graphics processing pipeline includes a fragment shader 8 and can carry out blending either by means of a blend shading software routine in a blend shader 10, or by using fixed function, dedicated processing hardware blending units 12. When the programmable blend shading path using the blend shader 10 is selected, the blend shader 10 is configured to provide the alpha value 110 generated by the fragment shading operation as an output to the multisample coverage operations unit 105 and the alpha test unit 106 of the fixed function hardware unit pipeline. This allows the alpha test on the alpha values generated by the fragment shader 8 still to be performed using the multisample coverage operations hardware unit 105 and the alpha test hardware unit 106, instead of having to emulate those operations in the blend shading software routine in the blend shader 10.
US09349204B1
Scene information describing a three-dimensional virtual space and/or virtual objects within the virtual space may be used to generate an animated video. A user interface may be presented to a user. The user interface may be configured to receive user entry and/or selection of parameter values for one or more video parameters. The user-provided parameter values may facilitate one or more of determining frames of the video, rendering images for the frames, generating a video using the rendered images, and/or other operations.
US09349197B2
The left ventricle epicardium is estimated in medical diagnostic imaging. C-arm x-ray data is used to detect an endocardium at different phases. The detected endocardium at the different phases is compared to sample endocardiums at different phases. The sample endocardiums have corresponding sample epicardiums. The transformation between the most similar sample endocardium or endocardiums over time and the detected endocardium over time is applied to the corresponding sample epicardium or epicardiums. The transformed sample epicardium over time is the estimated epicardium over time for the C-arm x-ray data.
US09349193B2
A method for moving object detection based on a Principal Component Analysis-based Radial Basis Function network (PCA-based RBF network) includes the following steps. A sequence of incoming frames of a fixed location delivered over a network are received. A plurality of Eigen-patterns are generated from the sequence of incoming frames based on a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) model. A background model is constructed from the sequence of incoming frames based on a Radial Basis Function (RBF) network model. A current incoming frame is received and divided into a plurality of current incoming blocks. Each of the current incoming blocks is classified as either a background block or a moving object block according to the Eigen-patterns. Whether a current incoming pixel of the moving object blocks among the current incoming blocks is a moving object pixel or a background pixel is determined according to the background model.
US09349190B2
Ultrasonic image data from a plurality of time phases are stored in an image storage unit (22). A pattern matching unit (30) searches the image data in a search time phase for moving points corresponding to set points in the image data in a reference time phase, on the basis of a correlation operation performed on the image data. In this way, moving points for set points are searched across a plurality of time phases. A diagnostic information generating unit (40) then determines the main direction of movement of the set points across the plurality of time phases based on the moving points searched across the plurality of time phases, and diagnostic information is obtained by evaluating the movement of the set points with reference to the main direction.
US09349188B2
Input image information is received. A processor device is used for determining enhancement information based on frequency characteristics and edge information of the input image information. The enhancement information is mixed with the input image information to generate an enhanced image.
US09349182B2
A method for mapping a sensor pixel array to an illumination pixel array according to a surface forms a group mapping by assigning each pixel to a corresponding group, each group with p adjacent pixels on the illumination array and each ordered set having k groups, by projecting and recording a sequence of group index images. Each group index image has, in at least two of the groups, no illuminated pixels and in fewer than (k−1) groups, from 2 to (p−1) adjacent illuminated pixels. The sequence of group index images uses pixels from each of the k groups. At least p multiline images are projected and recorded, wherein each multiline image projects a line within each group. Lines in the multiline images are correlated according to the group mapping and the correlation stored in memory. Integers k and p are greater than or equal to 3.
US09349180B1
Utilizing viewpoint and scale invariant feature descriptors for object recognition and/or tracking. For example, a user can capture three-dimensional (“3D”) image data including a representation of an object. The 3D image data can be analyzed to detect one or more feature points of the object represented in the image data, where the detected feature points can include position and distance information. The feature points in each image can be correlated and a feature descriptor, or unique fingerprint, can be determined for each detected feature point. The feature descriptors can provide for a multi-dimension vector that includes a unique fingerprint for that feature point that incorporates position information as well as depth information. The feature descriptors corresponding to the correlated feature points can be combined (e.g., added, averaged, etc.) and the combined feature descriptors can be used for performing view point invariant object recognition, image matching, or other such purposes.
US09349177B2
An processor (118) includes a bullous emphysema identifier (206) that processes voxels of the volumetric image data and identifies voxels corresponding to bullous emphysema, a two dimensional projection image generator (206) that generates a 2D bullous emphysema projection image based on the voxels corresponding to bullous emphysema, wherein an intensity of a contour of a bulla in the 2D bullous emphysema projection image is based on a size of the bulla, and a feature highlighter (210) that highlights the bullous emphysema in the 2D bullous emphysema projection image using second first indicia.
US09349175B2
Apparatuses, processes, and systems for implementing techniques for determining characteristics of a papermaking fabric. The techniques include forming a representation of a portion of the surface of the fabric, with the representation showing the knuckles and pockets in the surface. The representation can be formed, for example, in pressure measurement film, in wax paper, or as a photograph. An image is generated from the representation, and the image is analyzed to determine characteristics of the surface of the fabric, such as knuckle sizes and pocket sizes. The depth of pockets in the fabric can also be determined. The techniques can be used in processes for analyzing wear of a fabric, and for obtaining a fabric for making a paper product with a particular three-dimensional structure.
US09349173B2
Disclosed herein is an image processor including: a random number sequence generation section adapted to generate a random number sequence; a random number-superimposed luminance variable generation section adapted to generate a random number-superimposed luminance variable by superimposing the random number sequence on a luminance variable; and a random number-superimposed image signal generation section adapted to generate a random number-superimposed image signal by superimposing the random number-superimposed luminance variable on an image signal.
US09349160B1
Techniques and mechanisms for providing an enhanced display of video content. In an embodiment, analysis of one or more frames of audio-video (AV) information is performed to identify first video data as representing smooth image content, where second video data represents edge image content. Based on the identifying of the first video data, enhancement processing is performed to selectively apply a noise component to the first video data. Of the first video data and the second video data, the enhancement processing modifies only the first video data. In another embodiment, a refresh rate for displaying a sub-portion of a magnified image is selectively set based on the first video data being identified as representing smooth image content. Enhancement with selective noise and/or refresh rate variation improves perceived resolution of smooth image content, as seen by a viewer of the resulting image.
US09349159B2
An image processing device includes an image sequence acquisition section that acquires an input image sequence that includes first to N-th images, and a processing section that performs an image summarization process that deletes some of the first to Nth images to generate a summary image sequence, the processing section selecting an s-th (s is an integer that satisfies 0≦s≦N+1) image to be a provisional summary image, selecting a t-th (t is an integer that satisfies 0≦t≦s−1) image to be a provisional preceding summary image, selecting a u-th (u is an integer that satisfies t
US09349152B2
A method of creating an image identifier of a target image. The method comprises providing a target image, identifying a plurality of connected component clusters in the target image, each the connected component cluster comprises a plurality of neighboring pixels having at least one common property, calculating a center of gravity for each the connected component cluster, generating an image identifier of the target image by using a plurality of elements to map the connected component clusters in a space, each the element represents a respective the at least one common property, a respective the center of gravity, and a size which corresponds with a number of the plurality of neighboring pixels of the respective the connected component cluster, and outputting the image identifier.
US09349146B2
According to some embodiments, historic transaction data and loss data may be received from a data storage device. Information about a potential business insurance customer may also be received and automatically analyzed to identify a set of related businesses. A coverage comparison engine may then determine insurance information for the potential business insurance customer based at least in part on historic transaction data and loss data associated with the set of related businesses.
US09349145B2
Engines, systems and methods are disclosed for capturing inputs from an existing or prospective small business owner through an Internet-based graphical user interface, gathering small business and consumer credit data from external sources, combining with data sourced from a database of lender preferences specifying particular loan application characteristics and delivering an output of information, educational lessons, loan qualification offers, and a heuristic assessment of funding likelihood.
US09349140B2
A portable electronic device is disclosed that includes a housing with a display; a memory in the housing that stores machine instructions and data, which can include an access code to a restricted database of vehicle components of an identified component manufacturer; a user interface enabling a user to select options; a device for importing a VIN or code containing the VIN; and communications circuitry. The communications circuitry includes signal transmitting and signal receiving capability. The signal receiving capability receives a VIN or code containing the VIN from the device for importing a VIN, and the signal transmitting capability sends the VIN and an access code to a restricted access database to lookup vehicle component information. The signal receiving capability receives the vehicle component information from the restricted access database, and an information processor processes the vehicle component information for presentation on the display.
US09349138B2
The system and method for streaming media to a viewer and managing the media comprises and an enhanced service routing processor (ESRP), a real time switch management system (RTSMS), a name routing processor (NRP), and a managed media switch (MMS). The system and method operate with a reservation server. The ESRP receives media from an owner, manages the media according to media rules and order rules defined by the owner, and distributes the media to one or more switches, such as the MMS, according to the media rules and the order rules. The RTSMS is configured to receive the media rules and to receive a viewer's media request via the reservation server. The RTSMS processes the media request according to the media rules and builds a reservation for the requested media. The RTSMS generates the reservation to the viewer and to the NRP. The NRP receives the reservation data from the viewer and from the RTSMS. The NRP processes the reservation data and locates an MMS that can stream the media to the viewer. The NRP transmits the IP address of the MMS to the viewer and transmits the reservation data to the MMS. The viewer initiates a session or connection with the MMS using the reservation number. If the reservation data from the viewer matches the reservation data from the NRP, the MMS streams the media to the viewer.
US09349124B2
A method, integrated system and Active Poster for processing mobile touch transactions. The integration consists of an RFID or other near field communication enabled device which may be standalone, affixed to, or part of a mobile or hand held portable wireless communication device (optionally using a Contact Less (CL) SIM with near field communication capability), a touch sensitive Active Poster also with near field communication capability, an issuer's or mobile network provider's system and application and a host computer with networking capability.
US09349122B2
A system for programming point of sale devices is provided. The system includes a terminal programming system that can program point of sale devices provided by different manufacturers and having different proprietary operating systems. A communications interface is connected to the terminal programming system that receives update requests from the plurality of point of sale devices, such as when the point of sale devices call in to the system or when the point of sale devices respond to a poll.
US09349120B2
Methods, systems, and computer programming products are provided for silencing message threads. Incoming messages related to the same matter are grouped into one or more message threads. A user can select to silence a message thread. Once a message thread has been silenced, the user will no longer receive notifications of new messages added to the thread. Methods, systems, and computer programming products display new incoming electronic messages flagged as silenced in the inbox together with any message thread not flagged as silenced.
US09349118B2
A system and method are provided. A virtual reality environment rendering module provides a virtual reality environment representative of one or more of a contact center, a predictive dialer, and a media collaboration session. The virtual reality environment includes monitored virtual objects associated with a plurality of monitored entities and a monitor virtual object associated with a human monitor. The monitored object moves relative to a coordinate system defining the virtual reality environment. In response to detection of a trigger event, an information manager provides, to the human monitor, information associated with a selected monitored entity corresponding to a selected monitored virtual object.
US09349108B2
Various techniques are described herein for providing ticketing reservation and purchasing functionality for enabling and/or facilitating users in performing activities/operations relating to group ticket reservations and/or automated conditional ticket purchases for various types of events which are scheduled to occur at one or more different venues.
US09349107B2
A computer-implemented system and method by which an end user can monitor and manage multiple building systems with a single interface as well as customize and revise the settings and automated responses for multiple building systems based on input and transactions from multiple different building systems and enterprise applications. The invention takes the data and control functions from any and every control system and allows a user to build his or her own intelligent building, and to edit the control processes on their own at any time. The responses of building systems are process driven, rather than rules based, and the response process is fully editable by the end user. The system allows for multiple processes for a given input, depending, for example, on the location of the sensor providing the input.
US09349101B2
The technology disclosed relates to methods for partitioning sets of features for a Bayesian classifier, finding a data partition that makes the classification process faster and more accurate, while discovering and taking into account feature dependence among sets of features in the data set. It relates to computing class entropy scores for a class label across all tuples that share the feature-subset and arranging the tuples in order of non-decreasing entropy scores for the class label, and constructing a data partition that offers the highest improvement in predictive accuracy for the data set. Also disclosed is a method for partitioning a complete set of records of features in a batch computation, computing increasing predictive power; and also relates to starting with singleton partitions, and using an iterative process to construct a data partition that offers the highest improvement in predictive accuracy for the data set.
US09349097B2
The present invention relates to a data-processing device, characterized in that it includes, in combination: a memory (10) which is organized into two spaces, one containing attributes describing the stored data, and the other containing connectivity links among the stored data, and which is organized according to one or more dimensions respectively associated with attributes and divided into one or more hierarchized segments, the data being informed by creating, deleting, or modifying attribute values characterizing said segments; a means (11) for integrating one or more incoming information streams, which analyzes said streams in order to determine the data constituting same and to structure said data and the attributes thereof according to the organization of said memory (10); an inference engine (14) implementing, in parallel or in series, inference rules (141) grouped together in libraries (15), said rules (141) being programmed to regenerate a sequence including at least one segment of the memory, by creating, deleting, or modifying at least one datum and/or at least one attribute value and/or at least one connectivity link during the implementation thereof in the at least one space of the memory; a means (13) for allocating resources activating or deactivating the inference rules (141) on the basis of a priority rule; a means (12) for extracting data, which are identified by programming and/or by at least one selected attribute value and/or at least one selected connectivity link, and/or which are located in one or more selected segments of the memory (10), and providing same in one or more outgoing information streams. The present invention also relates to an information-processing system and to an associated computer program product.
US09349092B2
A neural model for reinforcement-learning and for action-selection includes a plurality of channels, a population of input neurons in each of the channels, a population of output neurons in each of the channels, each population of input neurons in each of the channels coupled to each population of output neurons in each of the channels, and a population of reward neurons in each of the channels. Each channel of a population of reward neurons receives input from an environmental input, and is coupled only to output neurons in a channel that the reward neuron is part of. If the environmental input for a channel is positive, the corresponding channel of a population of output neurons are rewarded and have their responses reinforced, otherwise the corresponding channel of a population of output neurons are punished and have their responses attenuated.
US09349091B2
The invention relates to an antenna construction for an RFID chip for long ranges, which comprises a substrate, an antenna of conducting material supported by the substrate, the antenna is formed as a magnetic dipole, and coupling means for coupling the antenna to a circuit, which coupling means are formed by overlapping extensions of the antenna conductor. In accordance with the invention the antenna is formed of at least three sections each of different width W1, W2 and W3, where the sections are widest and the section is the narrowest W2 with an optimized shape.
US09349089B1
A card exhibiting multiple linear arrays of sensors are provided to detect a presence and movement of an external object (e.g., a read-head of a magnetic stripe reader). Each sensor of each array of sensors may be independently connected to a dual port of a processor so that the processor may determine a direction in which the card is swiped through a magnetic stripe reader. A portion of sensors of each array of sensors may be shared by a portion of inputs and/or outputs of a single port of a processor. Sensors may be cross-coupled to a single processor port so that forward and reverse directions of a card swipe may nevertheless be detected by a single-port processor of a card.
US09349084B2
In an image forming apparatus in which a first board including a first central processing unit (CPU) and a second board including a second CPU communicate with each other to control image processing, a monitoring unit monitors whether processing executed by the second CPU is normal. If the monitoring unit determines that the processing executed by the second CPU is not normal, a notification unit notifies the first CPU. The first CPU resets the second board according to the notification.
US09349079B2
An application is determined, which has a function of printing data using a printer and requests capability information of the printer. Based on the determined application and the capability information of the printer, sizes of selection candidates of a recording medium to be used for printing are decided. The decided sizes are provided to the application.
US09349075B2
Provided is an image processing apparatus and method for detecting a transparent image from an input image. The image processing apparatus may include an image segmenting unit to segment an input image into a plurality of segments, a likelihood determining unit to determine a likelihood that a transparent object is present between adjacent segments among the plurality of segments, and an object detecting unit to detect the transparent object from the input image based on the likelihood.
US09349065B2
A method for tracking multiple image objects, includes resampling particles from each of the image objects tracked in a previous image, calculating respective weights of the resampled particles, and predicting and tracking locations of the image objects in a current image based on values obtained by multiplying the locations of the particles by corresponding weights, wherein when an image object of the previous image has a neighboring image object located within a threshold distance, weights of the particles sampled from the image object are calculated by multiplying image values of the current image by penalties, which are values of distances between the corresponding particles and the neighboring image object. The method is capable of avoiding a hijacking problem in which identifiers of nearby objects are confused with each other or disappear during the tracking of multiple objects.
US09349063B2
A system and method for collecting and managing information taken from tokens, like credit cards and gift cards, includes a portable computing device (PCD). The PCD may support a token recognizer that may comprise hardware and/or software that may reside in memory of the PCD. The token recognizer may work in combination with a camera. The token recognizer may comprise a broad recognizer module and an optical character recognition (“OCR”) module. The camera of the PCD may capture images of one or more physical tokens. These captured images of the physical tokens may be processed by the token recognizer so that digital images as well as data provided by the physical tokens may be maintained in memory of the PCD for later presentation to the user. These later presentations on the PCD may be used for account management and for conducting transactions, such as making payment at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.
US09349062B2
A character recognition method may include at least the following steps. A location step may include acquiring an image and locating a character region of the image. The character region may include a character and a local background. The method may further include a background judgment step for determining whether the local background is a complex background; a determination step for determining a color of the character if the local background is a complex background; a construction step for constructing a mask for the character by combining the color of the character and a character region; and a first recognition step for extracting the character from the character region by using the mask, recognizing the character, and outputting the recognition result. A character recognition device is further provided.
US09349058B2
At least one fan beam of light (16, 16.1, 16.2) projected along a path (14, 14.1, 14.2, 48) of a vehicle (12) generates a corresponding at least one light stripe (90, 90.1, 90.2) along the surface (14′, 48′) of the path (14, 48), which is imaged by an imaging system (22, 26) to generate a pair of stereo image components (88′, 88″) which is processed so as to provide for sensing a physical feature of or along the path (14′, 48′).
US09349050B2
Plural of virtual curved surface solids, each of which is a curved surface solid formed by a combination of plural of virtual spheres, is placed so as to fill in space voxels, referring to porous-body data in which positional information is associated with voxel-type information (step S100). Information regarding a flow rate for each space voxel when a fluid passes through a porous body is derived by executing a fluid analysis based on the porous-body data (step S110). A flow-rate-weighted mean diameter Ru, which is a weighted average obtained by weighting an equivalent diameter R′i for each virtual curved surface solid with a volume Vi and an average flow rate Ui for each virtual curved surface solid, is derived based an information regarding the virtual curved surface solids and information regarding the flow rate for each space voxel (step S120).
US09349040B2
A depth-image analysis system calculates first mode skeletal data representing a human target in an observed scene if a portion of the human target is observed with a first set of joint positions, and calculates second mode skeletal data representing the human target in the observed scene if the portion of the human target is observed with a second set of joint positions different than the first set of joint positions. The first mode skeletal data and the second mode skeletal data have different skeletal joint constraints.
US09349035B1
A mobile device configured to authenticate a user, an authentication system, and method for use of the mobile device and authentication system are described that include a biometric sensor, a touchscreen sensor, and/or a fingerprint sensor, where the biometric sensor, the touchscreen sensor, and/or the fingerprint sensor are coupled to a controller configured to authenticate a computing device user. In implementations, the mobile device that employs example techniques in accordance with the present disclosure includes an authentication device, including a biometric sensor configured to receive biometric information from the user; and a fingerprint sensor configured to receive fingerprint information from the user; and a controller configured to authenticate the user, where the authentication device, including the biometric sensor and the fingerprint sensor, is coupled to the controller.
US09349034B2
Systems and methods are described herein for expanding the functionality of a print scanner. The scanner may be programmed to invoke a different function if only a portion of a print is detected rather than a full print. In this manner, it would be possible for a user to share a user equipment device such as a smartphone with a friend. The user may wish to share his or her smartphone, and may activate access to the browser that does not include any of the cookies, private passwords, or other login information during a session by using just the tip of the user's finger on a fingerprint scanner, as opposed to the user's full fingerprint. When the user wishes to again have his or her personal information accessible in the browser, the user may activate the browser using the user's full fingerprint.
US09349032B1
An RFID loss-prevention system (LPS) permits authorized items to leave a facility and may perform a security action if an unauthorized item leaves the facility. A checkout reader first authorizes an item tagged with an RFID tag to exit a facility by reading an identifier from the tag, obtaining an exit authorization, and sending the identifier to a database. A reader system configured to direct at least two beams along a facility exit path reads tagged items exiting the facility, determines at least one of a travel direction and a tag location, and uses the determination to indicate that a tag is exiting or has exited the facility. The LPS then uses the database to determine if the exiting/exited tag is authorized to leave the facility.
US09349029B2
A transmission apparatus for a wireless device, comprising: an antenna for receiving an original signal and for backscattering a modulated signal containing information from the wireless device; a variable impedance coupled to the antenna, the variable impedance having an impedance value; and, a decoder coupled to the variable impedance for modulating the impedance value, and thereby a backscattering coefficient for the antenna, in accordance with the information to generate the modulated signal.
US09349027B2
An RFID/MFID system includes a tag and a reader. The tag is adapted to provide an RF identification signature when interrogated with an electric travelling wave and to provide an MF identification signature when interrogated with a magnetic travelling wave. The tag includes a target data object. The reader is adapted to read electrical and magnetic signatures of the target data object from the tag. A method of providing an identification function includes reading electrical and magnetic signatures of a target data object from tag. The tag provides an RF identification signature when interrogated with an electric travelling wave and provides an MF identification signature when interrogated with a magnetic travelling wave.
US09349023B2
A user apparatus connected to database apparatus via network comprises: unit that manages key information in order to encrypt and decrypt; storage unit that stores security configuration information of data and/or metadata; application response unit that determines whether or not encryption is necessary for database operation command, and if encryption is necessary, selects encryption algorithm corresponding to data and/or metadata, performs encryption, and transmits result to database control unit to cause database control unit to execute database operation, if encryption is not necessary, transmits database operation command to database control unit to cause database control unit to execute database operation, and receives processing result transmitted by database control unit, and if decryption or conversion of data and/or metadata of processing result is necessary, performs necessary decryption or conversion, and returns response to database operation command; and security configuration unit that configures security information of data stored in database.
US09349021B1
Disclosed are method, system and article of manufacture for restricting use of a digital item stored in a client computer by sending an instruction from a server computer via a network. The server computer is configured to hold accounts for a plurality of users, each of which of the plurality of users may access the server computer via respective client computers. The server computer receives an instruction from a second client computer, and the server computer sends a message to the first client computer that the digital item should be restricted based on an identification parameter—such as type of the first client computer, user identifier, authorization key, an internet address, time of day, day of week, or an expiration date—received from the first client computer, whereupon the first client computer disables, deletes or locks a file on the first client computer.
US09349015B1
Sets of multiple software programs selected from a set of candidate software programs are evaluated to determine if the applications can collude to violate a security policy and exhibit other undesirable properties. Intra- and inter-application data and control flows can be stored and newly introduced applications assessed based on stored data and control flows. An application provider can certify sets of applications as satisfying a security policy based on consideration of inter-application flows.
US09349013B2
A machine-actionable memory comprises one or more machine-actionable records arranged according to a data structure. Such a data structure may include links that respectively map between a remediation, at least one action, and at least two vulnerabilities. A method of selecting a remediation, that is appropriate to a vulnerability which is present on a machine to be remediated, may include: providing a machine-actionable memory as mentioned above; and indexing into the memory using: a given vulnerability identifier to determine (A) at least one of a remediation mapped thereto and (B) at least one action mapped to the given vulnerability identifier; and/or a given remediation to determine at least two vulnerabilities mapped thereto.
US09349012B2
A distributed processing system 100 is used in which a plurality of machines including a virtual machine constructed by cloud computing perform distributed execution of a task. Machines 2 to 9 each include: a communication unit 302 that acquires environment information relating to the environment of another machine other than the own machine; an information acquisition unit 303 that acquires environment information relating to the environment of the own machine; a risk calculation unit 305 that calculates a risk for the case where the own machine executes the task based on the acquired environment information; a risk determination unit 306 that determines whether or not the calculated risk is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold; and an execution control unit 307 that stops execution of the task on the own machine when the risk determination unit 306 determines that the risk is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold.
US09349001B2
The various aspects include methods, systems, and devices configured to make use of caching techniques and behavior signature caches to improve processor performance and/or reduce the amount of power consumed by the computing device by reducing analyzer latency. The signature caching system may be configured to adapt to rapid and frequent changes in behavioral specifications and models and provide a multi-fold improvement in the scalability of behavioral analysis operations performed on the mobile device.
US09348990B2
An embodiment includes a main compute node that detects the physical presence of a first user and subsequently loads a profile for the first user. The main compute node may detect the first user's presence based on detecting a first compute node corresponding to the first user. For example, the main compute node may be a desktop computer that detects the presence of the first user's Smart phone, which is nearby the first user. The main compute node may unload the first user's profile when the main compute node no longer detects the first user's presence. Upon detecting a second user's presence, the main computer may load a profile for the second user. The profile may include cookies and/or other identifiers for the second user. The profile may facilitate the second user's navigation of a computing environment (e.g. web pages). Other embodiments are addressed herein.
US09348988B2
A method of providing biometric authorization comprising enabling a user to log into an account, and determining whether there is a hold on the account. When there is a hold on the account, informing the user of the hold, and enabling the user to respond to a transaction that caused the hold. The method, in one embodiment further comprising prompting the user to enter a biometric authentication, in conjunction with the response, and processing the unblock request in real-time upon receiving and validating the biometric authentication.
US09348987B2
An electronic device may include a finger-operated input device, and a finger sensor carried by the finger-operated input device to sense a user's finger. The electronic device may further include a processor to perform applications and perform at least one device function responsive to an operation of the finger-operated input device. The processor may acquire finger-matching biometric data of the user's finger responsive to each operation of the finger-operated input device. The processor may further authenticate the user based upon an authentication request from one of the applications. The authentication may be based upon a match of most recently acquired finger-matching biometric data and finger-enrollment biometric data.
US09348986B2
An authentication server apparatus is capable of simply and accurately assessing whether a user terminal is being operated by a person. In the authentication server apparatus connected to the user terminal, operating instructions for instructing operation by an operator by using objects are associated with operation information and stored. A session ID is imparted for each session with the user terminal, operating instructions are selected for each session, a page provided with the selected operating instructions and the objects is generated, and position information is received corresponding to operations executed at the user terminal that has displayed the page. At authentication time, operating instructions using the session ID of the session are associated with position information received from the terminal, and using the stored operation information associated with the operating instruction that have been associated with the received position information, and the position information, an assessment is made of whether or not the operations were made by an operator.
US09348968B2
Provided are systems and methods for processing a genome sequence by adjusting seed length. Exemplary systems for processing a genome sequence may include a seed extractor configured to extract a seed from a target sequence; and an index generator configured to index the seed extracted from the seed extractor. In some embodiments, the length of the seed extracted is adjusted based on the number of seeds extracted from the target sequence that have the same nucleotide sequence.
US09348955B2
A computerized method for simulating deformation of a rubber compound with filler particles comprises: a step in which a pseudo-two-dimensional rubber compound model of the rubber compound is generated; a step in which a deformation calculation is performed by the use of the pseudo-two-dimensional rubber compound model; and a step in which a necessary physical quantity is acquired from the deformation calculation. The pseudo-two-dimensional rubber compound model comprises a model of a rubber matrix and a plurality of models of filler particles. The pseudo-two-dimensional rubber compound model has a small thickness and has the same cross section in succession in the thickness direction.
US09348950B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of an individual. The technique involves receiving pose data that includes image data associated with the individual being in a pose, selecting from a database a morphable 3D generic human model based on a gender of the individual, adjusting a pose of the morphable 3D generic model based on the image data, identifying, based on the image data, one or more 3D appearance parameter objects included in the database, and adjusting via one or more processors one or more properties of the morphable 3D generic model based on the image data as well as the one or more 3D appearance parameter objects to produce the 3D model of the individual.
US09348946B2
An interface is provided for permitting a user to explore a collection of data. The data collection, in embodiments, provides nodes as structural elements, and references which are assigned to nodes and hold identifiers of other nodes. Multiple references can be assigned to each node, thus guiding a user of the system to multiple other nodes, and multiple references can hold the same address, so that multiple nodes can have references pointing to the same node. The interface allows visualizing the network created by the interconnection of the nodes on a display region. The interface also allows the user to intuitively navigate along the references in both directions of the references, so that the user can explore which nodes are referenced by a certain node, and also by which nodes a certain node is referenced. Electronic documents can be assigned to each node, and the interface allows these documents to be displayed either directly in a reserved display region of the interface, or by launching a matching application on the user's computer.
US09348936B2
Heuristic caching techniques are used to improve application usability within the constraints of computing resources. A user's behavior in connection with an application is recorded and used to intelligently determine which transitions of a user interface of the application to cache. In addition, the user may have one or more characteristics. Such characteristics may also be used to identify other users so that the other users' behavior in connection with the application can be used for intelligently determining which transitions of the user interface to cache.
US09348935B2
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for delivering related video content to a user in response to user actions on augmented keywords on a web page. A server may receive from a browser, in response to an indication of a mouse over a keyword currently displayed on a web page of a client, a keyword identified for augmentation via a user interface overlay. The server may identify, responsive to receiving the keyword, a plurality of videos related to the keyword. A content relevancy engine may determine an order of relevance of the plurality of videos to the keyword. The server may transmit to the client, within a predetermined time period from the indication, the user interface overlay to include a selected one or more videos of the plurality of videos with a higher order of relevance.
US09348928B2
A computer displays a screen that includes a uniform resource locator (URL). In response to a selection of a uniform resource locator (URL) by an end-user at a computer, the computer intercepts a request within the computer to prevent the request from being sent to another computer. The computer determines whether the URL includes one or more parameters that define a field with a missing value, and that need entry of one or more input values from the end-user. The computer generates an electronic form utilizing the one or more parameters to formulate a field, within the electronic form, for each of the one or more parameters. The computer displays the electronic form including the field for each of the one or more parameters, which enables the end-user to enter information into the field within the electronic form.
US09348926B2
Techniques for searching and providing geographical regions are described. The process searches and recommends points of interests based on a user-specified region. Points of interests include spatial objects (e.g., buildings, landmarks, rivers, parks) and their distributions in a geographical region. The process searches and recommends points of interests by partitioning a spatial map into grids to identify representative categories located in each of the grids. In response to the user-specified region, a set of geographical candidates containing the representative categories is retrieved. The process determines whether the user-specified region and the set of geographical candidates include similar or common representative categories and similar or common spatial distributions of the representative categories. Then the process provides the top ranked set of geographical candidates that have similar content information.
US09348924B2
A method for adjusting one or more parameters associated with a model. The method comprises obtaining, from a first source, first information related to activity of a user. The method further comprises adjusting one or more parameters associated with a model based on the first information collected within a first length of time, and obtaining, from a second source, second information related to activity of the user. The method further comprises adjusting the one or more parameters associated with the model based on the second information collected within a second length of time and a measure indicative of performance of the model, wherein the second length of time is larger than the first length of time.
US09348921B2
The subject technology discloses configurations for providing comments restricted to a set of users for web content on a web page. In one implementation, a widget is provided that enables a content provider or a user to provide comments restricted to the set of users in a manner that does not disrupt an existing implementation or presentation of publicly viewable web content that already provides public comments from visitors of the web site. In particular, the widget may be provided as a plugin or extension in the user's web browser, or be integrated in the web page by the content provider. The scope of the comments restricted to the set of users are defined by one or more access control lists, which allow the comments restricted to the set of users to be only viewable by a specified set of users (and not viewable by other users).
US09348919B2
A computerized system and method is presented for analyzing quotations made in a quoting document of text originally found in a source document. The quoting document and source document can be web pages publicly available on the World Wide Web. The present invention analyzes the quoting document for quoted text, searches the source document for that text, and stores the existence of the quotation in association with the source document. When displaying the source document, quoted text is highlighted. A link is provided between items of quoted text and a list of documents that have quoted that text. From this list the full text of a quoting document may be displayed.
US09348912B2
Embodiments are configured to provide information based on a user query. In an embodiment, a system includes a search component having a ranking component that can be used to rank search results as part of a query response. In one embodiment, the ranking component includes a ranking algorithm that can use the length of documents returned in response to a search query to rank search results.
US09348903B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for providing references to client devices. In one aspect a method includes storing, on a storage device, a plurality of references, each of the plurality references identifying a location of a media track file containing a media track. The plurality of references include a first reference identifying a first location of a first media track file. The method further includes storing, on the storage device, a playability rating for each of the plurality of references, updating the playability rating for the first reference based on an elapsed time for a first client device to receive a predetermined portion of the first media track file, and excluding the first reference from a selection of the plurality of references, in response to determining the playability rating for the first reference is below a threshold playability rating. Other devices, methods and computer program products are also disclosed.
US09348900B2
Mechanisms for generating an answer to an input question are provided. The mechanisms receive an input question and route the input question to a plurality of Question and Answer (QA) system pipelines. The mechanisms receive results of processing the input question from each QA system pipeline in the plurality of QA system pipelines. The results comprise one or more candidate answers to the input question and associated confidence scores. The mechanisms adjust, for each QA system pipeline, the confidence scores of the one or more candidate answers associated with the QA system pipeline based on one or more weighting factors. In addition, the mechanisms generate the answer to the input question based on the adjusted confidence scores of the one or more candidate answers for each QA system pipeline.
US09348886B2
A system forms sub-groups from a given user group of a social networking system and form descriptions of the sub-groups that provide an intuitive understanding of sub-group composition, such as likings of the sub-groups. In one embodiment, a given user group of a social networking system is clustered into a plurality of sub-groups, and representative characteristics—such as the characteristics of a composite or actual member of the sub-group—are determined for each sub-group. In order to form sub-group descriptions, a set of objects, such as pages of the social networking system, is ranked with respect to the representative characteristics of the sub-group. The highest-ranking objects for a sub-group are then used to form the description of that sub-group. For example, the topics associated with each of the highest-ranking pages can be combined into the sub-group description.
US09348882B2
A method transfers data to be archived from a runtime database into an archive database. A temporary database acts as a buffer database for a selected data record set for archiving. For each table of the runtime table subset, the selected record subset to be archived is copied into its corresponding table of the temporary table set. For each table of the temporary table set, the selected record subset to be archived is copied into its corresponding table of the archive table subset. For each table of the temporary table set, a temporary deletion table containing a set of primary keys of the records to be deleted from the runtime database is created. In the runtime database, for each runtime table having a corresponding temporary deletion table of the set of temporary deletion tables, deleting records having a primary key matching the primary key set of its corresponding temporary table.
US09348880B1
Methods and apparatuses related to federated search of multiple sources with conflict resolution are disclosed. A method may comprise obtaining a set of data ontologies (e.g., types, properties, and links) associated with a plurality of heterogeneous data sources; receiving a selection of a graph comprising a plurality of graph nodes connected by one or more graph edges; and transforming the graph into one or more search queries across the plurality of heterogeneous data sources. A method may comprise obtaining a first data object as a result of executing a first search query across a plurality of heterogeneous data sources; resolving, based on one or more resolution rules, at least the first data object with a repository data object; deduplicating data associated with at least the first data object and the repository data object prior to storing the deduplicated data in a repository that has a particular data model.
US09348878B2
An iterative approach to detect outliers may automatically detect outliers in a data set. The iterative approach may include calculating a mean and an average deviation for a list. The iterative approach may further include calculating the deviations of values of a list if the average deviation is not zero. Any values where the calculated deviation of the point or value is greater than the mean may be selected. The selected points may be set as a second list. The second list may be used by the iterative approach until no points are selected for the second list. The previous list is the set of outliers from the data set.
US09348868B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for event processing with a query based on a reusable XML query template. A particular method includes receiving a plurality of events from a source and generating a plurality of event objects based on the plurality of events. A query represented by an XML file based on a reusable XML query template is executed with respect to the plurality of event objects to produce a plurality of result objects. Each result object is produced based on an application of at least one operator of the query. A plurality of results is generated based on the plurality of result objects, and the plurality of results is transmitted to a sink.
US09348849B1
The system for backup client management comprises an input interface and a processor. The input interface is configured to receive an indication of a client system. The processor is configured to provide an indication to the client system of authentication for remote command execution; provide a command to the client system to retrieve an installer; provide a command to the client system to execute the installer; and provide a backup command to the client system to execute a backup client agent.
US09348846B2
A method and system for providing user-navigable search results returns a resource representation for a resource, such as a web site or other Internet accessible object. The resource representation may be navigable by a user in a manner mirroring navigation of the resource. The resource representation may include a plurality of indicators representing menu links selected from resource links associated with the resource. Selection of an indicator may cause content associated with the indicator, such as resource links and related snippets, to be displayed. A hierarchical arrangement of elements in the resource representation may correspond to a hierarchical arrangement of navigable content in the resource.
US09348837B2
Mechanisms are provided for performing a synchronization operation for synchronizing data to a tape medium. The mechanisms receive a request to perform the synchronization operation on the tape medium and obtain file information from a storage device in response to the request. The mechanisms determine if the file information is associated with a file that has been changed since a last index was written to the tape medium. In response to the file information being determined to be associated with a file that has been changed since a last index was written to the tape medium, the mechanisms add index information corresponding to the file information to a partial index. The partial index comprises index information for files less than a total number of files recorded on the tape medium. The mechanisms write the partial index to the tape medium.
US09348831B1
In a mirrored database system, a careful write of intentions to perform the system actions is recorded in a persistent file system objects table that is flushed to disk prior to the actions being taken. The table durably and accurately records identities of file system objects that were in use by the database to facilitate creation and deletion of physical file directories and files on a database during crash recovery and during mirror resynchronize. In the event of a failure, crash recovery may quickly and easily identify file system objects which need to be cleaned up by reference to the persistent file system objects table. Similarly, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly by referring to the persistent file system table data to detect changes since the last database checkpoint.
US09348829B2
A system and method for managing a plurality content items employs an ingest station which may digitize the content items, generate metadata corresponding to each of the content items, and store the metadata and the content items in a storage medium or mediums. The content items may be audio content, video content, or audio/video content. The system and method may provide an association between the metadata and a corresponding content item to facilitate retrieval of the content item. The content items may be retrieved, at least in part, by searching the metadata and employing the association between the metadata and a corresponding content item to locate the desired content item.
US09348825B2
One object is to shorten the time required for a terminal to display a screen including images. A server according to an embodiment includes: a storage unit for storing information; and a display control unit for causing, in response to a display request for displaying the screen from the terminal, the terminal to display the screen including the images corresponding to the image files by using the image files stored on the storage of the terminal or the image files stored on the storage of the server selected in accordance with a predetermined selection condition based at least on the throughput of the terminal and the communication capacity between the server and the terminal.
