US09408335B2

An apparatus may be provided. The apparatus may comprise a circuit board. In addition, the apparatus may comprise an integrated connector mounted to the circuit board. A choke, external to the integrated connector, may be included in the apparatus. The choke may be electrically connected to the integrated connector through the circuit board.
US09408329B2

The principles described herein provide a server device having a cooling system that provides an efficient cooling of server device components. The cooling system can include a radiator block having air passageways that are oriented substantially orthogonal to the initial airflow path direction. In addition, the server device can include one or more baffles that create an airflow path that passes through the radiator block multiple times. Moreover, the server device can include various additional features that provide convenient access to electronic components within the server device without diminishing the effectiveness of the cooling system.
US09408327B2

A thermal management system/method allowing efficient electrical/thermal attachment of heat sourcing PCBs to heat sinking PCBs using reflow/wave/hand soldering is disclosed. The disclosed system/method may incorporate a combination of support pins, spacer pads, and/or contact paste that mechanically attaches a heat sourcing PCB (and its associated components) to a heat sinking PCB such that thermal conductivity between the two PCBs can be optimized while simultaneously allowing controlled electrical conductivity between the two PCBs. Controlled electrical isolation between the two PCBs is provided for using spacer pads that may also be thermally conductive. Contact paste incorporated in some embodiments permits enhanced conductivity paths between the heat sourcing PCB, a thermally conductive plate mounted over the heat sourcing PCB, and the heat sinking PCB. The use of self-centering support pins incorporating out-gassing vents in some embodiments allows reflow/wave/hand soldering as desired.
US09408321B2

A guide groove has two protrusions on a side face, and a slider has three concave grooves, into which the two protrusions are capable of being fitted, on a sidewall. When the slider is located at a lock position, the two protrusions are fitted into two of the three concave grooves on one end side of the guide groove to restrict movement of the slider. When the slider is located at an unlock position, the two protrusions are fitted into two of the three concave grooves on the other end side of the guide groove to restrict movement of the slider.
US09408319B2

An electronic component having a molded component housing and an electrically conductive insert part embedded in the component housing for contacting a micro component, the insert part having an accommodating area for accommodating the micro component with a subarea, which is spaced apart from the micro component, for decoupling the micro component from material stresses of the component housing. A method for manufacturing an electronic component having a molded component housing, an electrically conductive insert part for contacting a micro component being embedded in the component housing, a subarea, which is spaced apart from the micro component, decoupling the micro component from material stresses of the component housing, during curing of the housing material, in an accommodating area for accommodating the micro component on the insert part.
US09408303B2

Coated articles are disclosed. The coated articles include a doped or alloyed silver layer sandwiched between two layers of transparent conductive oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO). The doped silver or silver alloy layer can be thin, such as between 1. 5 to 20 nm and thus can be transparent. The doped silver or silver alloy can provide improved ductility property, allowing the conductive stack to be bendable. The transparent conductive oxide layers can also be thin, allowing the conductive stack can have improved ductility property.
US09408283B2

An electrical grounding arm is described and which has a predetermined geometry that dissipates stress imparted to the electrical grounding arm by the repeated movement of the electrical grounding arm, so as to inhibit stress related damage from being imparted to the electrical grounding arm, and which further, inhibits a source of fluid from pooling or collecting on the exterior facing surface thereof in order to prevent an unsanitary condition from developing.
US09408268B2

Aspects of the presently disclosed embodiments may include a wireless power outage lighting system comprising one or more power change detection apparatuses and one or more wireless lighting modules where the system is implemented to allow management of multiple groups in the same area such that interference may be avoided when there are multiple transmissions in the same area. A power change detection apparatus may be configured to transmit to avoid interference with another power change detection apparatus. A power change detection apparatus may also be configured through the user input method to operate different groups of wireless lighting modules such that lighting zones may be created. Multiple lighting zone allow a user to configure lighting provided by the wireless power outage lighting system based on their preference.
US09408267B2

A LED backlight for a liquid crystal display (LCD), having a boost circuit for boosting in different display modes, an input voltage for operating each LED in a current display mode. The display modes include 2D and 3D display modes. A plurality of LED strings which are connected in parallel, wherein each LED string having a predetermined number of LEDs connected in series and receives the working voltage required for operating from the boost circuit. A current regulation circuit for regulating in the different display modes, with current flowing through each LED string, such that a ratio of the current flowing through each LED string in the 3D display mode and in the 2D display mode is changed. A controller provides a driving signal to drive the boost circuit, and provides different voltages to the current regulation circuit in the different display modes.
US09408256B2

A removable heating device for a hot runner nozzle contains an elongated heating unit which exhibits at least one longitudinal slot which does not extend as far in the longitudinal direction as the length of a substantially cylindrical heating unit and which enables an enlargement of the inner diameter of the heating unit by its open end. The heating device further has a channel disposed in the outer surface of the heating unit in which an electrical heating element is disposed. Furthermore, a heater/thermocouple assembly contains such a heating device and at least one thermocouple for detecting the temperature in the front end region of the hot runner nozzle.
US09408253B2

A technique for communication with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-sped wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.
US09408247B2

A method and network node for handling Radio Link Failure (RLF) Reports in a radio access network that utilizes different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) in different areas. A User Equipment (UE) generates and stores an RLF Report when the UE experiences an RLF at a first access node (AN) that utilizes a first RAT and the UE reconnects to a second AN that utilizes a second RAT. When the UE later reconnects to a third AN that utilizes the first RAT, the UE sends the RLF Report to the third AN. When the third AN does not have a connection to the first AN, the third AN determines whether receiving the RLF Report has caused a threshold value to be exceeded. If so, the third AN generates an event log containing failure information for the first AN, and makes the event log available to the network for corrective action.
US09408237B1

In systems and methods of random access preamble selection, a first plurality of random access preambles and a second plurality of random access preambles are stored at an access node. A random access channel request is received from a wireless device at the access node, the random access channel request comprising an application type of an application running on the wireless device, and a network load, a priority class of the wireless device, and a mobility of the wireless device are determined. When the first plurality of random access preambles is not exhausted, the network load meets a load criteria, the priority class of the wireless device meets a priority criteria, the mobility of the wireless device meets a mobility criteria, and the application type of the application meets an application criteria a random access preamble is assigned to the wireless device from the first plurality of random access preambles.
US09408235B2

According to the present invention, back-off slots and collisions in a competition by means of a DCF can be significantly reduced, and a throughput higher than existing DCFs can be provided. Also, overhead due to additional control messages is eliminated by reverse order implied information operating in a distributed manner in terminals, and communication with existing terminals is enabled even in a wireless network using Aps or the DCF.
US09408230B2

A method includes determining, at a first transmitter, whether to permit reuse of a first transmit opportunity (TXOP) associated with a message. The method further includes sending a portion of the message from the first transmitter to a first receiver. The portion of the message indicates whether reuse, by a reuse transmitter, of the first TXOP is permitted. When reuse of the first TXOP is permitted, the reuse transmitter is permitted to send a second message while the first transmitter sends a second portion of the message to the first receiver during the first TXOP.
US09408219B2

To reduce the potential for renewed network congestion after a need for a restriction of data communications for background applications has been eliminated, the examples implement techniques in which a mobile device calculates a distributed deactivation delay value corresponding to an amount of time to wait before deactivating the restriction. The mobile device may generate a seed value unique to the mobile device for use in generating an initial distributed deactivation delay value and random control values generated by a threshold determination. The threshold determination iterates through generating a respective control value and calculating a respective threshold value until either a relationship between the respective control value and the respective threshold value meets a threshold condition or a maximum number of iterations are performed. Each threshold determination iteration increases the initial distributed deactivation delay value such that the distributed deactivation delay value is relative to a total of performed iterations.
US09408217B2

Techniques for determining power relaxation values are disclosed. The power relaxation values may be determined according to an ending resource block (RB) and a number of RBs in a contiguous allocation. In one aspect, the power relaxation values are arranged into regions based, at least in part, on transmission channel bandwidths and the distance from a protected adjacent channel. A user equipment (UE) can determine a power relaxation value for its current allocation using the ending RB index and contiguous RB length and can adjust its transmission power accordingly. Evolved NodeBs may estimate the power relaxation that a particular UE has selected in order to more accurately determine the transmit power available to the UE. Using the more accurate estimate of transmit power, the eNB may schedule the UE for uplink transmissions accordingly.
US09408212B2

Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating use of carrier aggregation for device-to-device communications. A method may include establishing, at a first communication apparatus, a carrier aggregation configuration defining a set of one or more component carriers usable for device-to-device communication between the first communication apparatus and a second communication apparatus. The method may further include causing the first communication apparatus to engage in device-to-device communication with the second communication apparatus in accordance with the established carrier aggregation configuration. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.
US09408208B2

Acknowledgment and/or receiver recovery mechanisms for scheduled responses within multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. Explicit scheduling information is provided from a first wireless communication device (e.g., an access point (AP), a transmitting wireless communication device) to a number of other wireless communication devices (e.g., wireless stations (STAs), receiving wireless communication devices) directing those other wireless communication devices a manner by which responses (e.g., acknowledgments (ACKs), block acknowledgments (BACKs), training feedback frames, etc.) are to be provided to the first wireless communication device there from. Such direction may include the order, timing, cluster assignment, etc. by which each respective wireless communication device is to provide its respective response to the first wireless communication device. In the event of the first wireless communication device failing to receive at least one response from at least one of the other wireless communication devices, various communication medium recovery mechanisms may be performed.
US09408205B2

An apparatus and method for control channel transmission in a wireless network are disclosed. A disclosure is provided with at least one resource block (RB) including a first control channel element associated with a first antenna port (AP) and a second control channel element associated with a second AP. The first and second control channel elements might be used for transmission of a single control channel, and a first reference signal sequence associated with one of the first AP and the second AP is selected for transmission of the single control channel based on a control channel element index value, such that a resource element of the at least one RB can be detected to decode the first control channel element and the second control channel element.
US09408203B2

A method for encoding acknowledgement information includes: receiving a component carrier, where the component carrier includes at least one downlink subframe; generating acknowledgement information bits corresponding to the component carrier according to the received component carrier; dividing the acknowledgement information bits into two groups so that each group includes at least one acknowledgement information bit, where the at least one acknowledgement information bit corresponds to physical downlink shared channel PDSCH transmission, and/or downlink control information DCI, where the DCI is used for indicating downlink semi-persistent scheduling SPS release; and encoding the two divided groups of acknowledgement information bits to obtain two groups of codeword bits, respectively, and generating, from the two groups of codeword bits obtained by the encoding, total codeword bits to be transmitted. In addition, a method for receiving acknowledgement information, an apparatus for encoding acknowledgement information, and an apparatus for processing acknowledgement information are also included.
US09408190B2

Disclosed are an information sending and blind detection method and device, relating to the technical field of wireless communication technologies and for realizing a new information sending and blind detection method over a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). In the present application, a base station determines a plurality of preset blind detection candidate sets, each blind detection candidate set containing at least one PDCCH candidate resource; and uses the PDCCH Candidates in at least one blind detection candidate set of the plurality of blind detection candidate sets to send control information to a terminal. The terminal determines a plurality of preset blind detection candidate sets, and performs blind detection of control information over the PDCCH Candidates in each blind detection candidate set of the plurality of blind detection candidate sets. By applying the present applications, a new information sending and blind detection method over a PDCCH is realized.
US09408185B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for determining an operating mode of a device. A method for switching an operating mode of a device from a white-space bandwidth according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: starting a timer related to database access if the device is operating in a first operating mode; determining whether a message is received from the database while the timer is in operation; and switching to a second operating mode if a message is not received from the existing database and the timer has expired.
US09408180B2

This disclosure relates to cell selection of a telecommunication device based on mobility management algorithms for idle mode cell selection routines and handover routines. The mobility management algorithm can utilize the BTS class of the infrastructure equipment to help determine cell selection. The BTS class of the infrastructure equipment can be used to determine the geographic size of the coverage area that the infrastructure equipment provides. These algorithms can be used to help handle mobility management for telecommunication device.
US09408172B2

Methods, systems, and devices for synchronizing a position location network. The methods, systems, and/or devices may provide for designating as a master AP one AP from a network. The master AP may broadcast synchronization signals, which other APs in the network may use to synchronize their respective oscillators and/or clocks. In some cases, the master AP and/or a network server (e.g., a tracking management server) may designate acting master APs. The acting master APs may, for example, broadcast synchronization signals to neighboring APs. The acting master APs and/or the master AP may maintain lists of synchronized APs, which may be transmitted among APs and/or to a network server.
US09408168B2

Provided is a method and an apparatus for transmitting a synchronization signal in a carrier aggregation system. The method comprises: transmitting via a first serving cell a synchronization signal setting information with regard to a second serving cell; and transmitting the synchronization signal via the second serving cell, wherein the synchronization signal is variably set by means of the synchronization signal setting information.
US09408154B2

A programmable-current transmit continuous-time filter (TX-CTF) system can be included in a radio frequency (RF) transmitter. The input of the TX-CTF can receive a baseband transmission signal, and the output of the TX-CTF can be provided to an upconversion mixer for conversion to RF for transmission. The TX-CTF includes amplifier circuitry and passive circuitry that together define the filter parameters. The TX-CTF further includes programmable current circuitry that provides a programmable bias current to the amplifier circuitry. The TX-CTF system also includes control logic that receives one or more transmitter control signals and, in response, generates signals that control the bias current provided to the TX-CTF.
US09408142B2

Generally discussed herein are systems, apparatuses, and techniques that can offload UE traffic to a WLAN. According to an example a base station can include a transceiver configured to (1) transmit, to a UE, a first control packet to move U-Plane traffic of the UE to a WLAN or (2) receive, from the UE, a second control packet acknowledging that the U-Plane traffic of the UE is to be moved to the WLAN, or (3) transmit Control Plane (C-Plane) traffic to the UE while no U-Plane traffic of the UE is being transmitted to the UE by the transceiver. The base station can include circuitry to route U-Plane traffic of the UE to the WLAN in response to the transceiver receiving the second control packet.
US09408141B1

A system and method of selecting an access node for communication in a wireless communication network are provided. A wireless device can receive a plurality of global cell identity messages, wherein each global cell identity message comprises an access node identifier. The wireless device can determine an access node classification for an access node associated with each global cell identity message. The access node classification can be determined based on each access node identifier. Each access node can be ranked based on the access node classification to determine a highest ranking access node. A signal characteristic of the highest ranking access node can be determined. Communication can be initiated with the highest ranking access node when the signal characteristic meets a threshold.
US09408138B2

A method of cell search for a cellular communication device capable of operation in a normal coverage mode and in an extended coverage mode is disclosed. The method comprises retrieving a first list of frequencies for cell search comprising at least one frequency item; searching for cells using the frequency items of the first list in consecutive order until either a cell, which enables connection in the normal coverage mode, is found or the first list is exhausted, wherein if a cell is found which enables connection in the normal coverage mode, connecting to said cell for operation in the normal coverage mode, or if the first list is exhausted, retrieving a second list of frequencies, searching for cells using the frequency items of the second list in consecutive order until either a cell is found which enables connection in the extended coverage mode or the second list is exhausted, wherein if a cell is found which enables connection in the extended coverage mode, connecting to said cell for operation in the extended coverage mode. Method for a base station, a cellular communication device, a base station, and computer program therefore are also disclosed.
US09408127B2

Provided is a method for re-selecting a cell by a terminal in a wireless communication system. The method comprises: determining whether conditions for suspending application of autonomous priority handling are satisfied, the autonomous priority handling applying a priority order of a terminal which is different from a frequency priority order configured from a network for a particular frequency; if conditions for suspension are satisfied, re-selecting a cell by applying the configured priority order from the network to the particular frequency; determining whether start conditions for applying the autonomous priority order are satisfied; and if the start conditions are satisfied, re-selecting a cell by applying the priority order of the terminal for the particular frequency.
US09408124B2

A network gateway receives a voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) call establishment request from an internet protocol (IP) multimedia services (IMS) core network for a mobile device. The network gateway queries a serving gateway to determine whether the mobile device is transitioning from a first evolved node B (eNB) to a second eNB. If the mobile device is transitioning, based on the existence of a user plane modify request, the network gateway delays forwarding the received request to a mobility management entity until the serving gateway informs the network gateway that the serving gateway received a first data packet from the mobile device via the second eNB as an indication the transition is complete.
US09408117B2

A base station device establishes a first communication path for each mobile terminal with a control device that processes a signal related to network control or a signal related to user data. When an occurrence of handover of the mobile terminal is detected, the base station device establishes a second communication path with the base station device to be a handover destination. The base station device associates the first communication path with the second communication path. The base station device performs relay control of communication between the handed over mobile terminal and the control device based on a relationship between the first communication path and the second communication path that are associated.
US09408114B2

A method and apparatus for improved context transfer in heterogeneous networks is presented. Context information is collected from source entities in a first access network by a context transfer manager and transmitted to a context transfer manager of a second access network which forwards the context information to target entities therein. In one of the context transfer managers at least a part of the context information is translated from a format supported in the first access network to another format supported in the second access network. The method may be carried out proactively preceding a handover or reactively following a handover. In one embodiment, context transfer within one access domain is performed directly between access routers, whereas context transfer between different access domains is performed via the context managers. In another embodiment, beacons from access points are counted in order to determine candidates for a pending handover.
US09408096B2

Provided are a method and a wireless device for monitoring a control channel in a wireless communication system. The wireless device monitors a first downlink control channel in a common search space of a subframe, and monitors a second downlink control channel in a user equipment-specific search space of the subframe. The first downlink control channel is modulated by a cell-specific reference signal, and the second downlink control channel is modulated by a reference signal that is specific to the wireless device.
US09408094B2

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for assessing decode reliability of voice, data and control channel transmissions. In an aspect, the apparatus and method are configured to receive one or more radio frames or parts of a frame on a downlink channel; demodulate the received one or more frames or parts of the frame; decode the demodulated one or more frames or parts of the frame; compute one or more demodulator-based metrics and one or more decoder-based metrics; combine the one or more demodulator-based metrics and the one or more decoder-based metrics using a reliability function that assesses reliability of the decoded one or more frames or parts of the frame; and accept or reject the decoded one or more frames or parts of the frame based on the assessment of the reliability of the decoded frames or parts of the frame.
US09408092B2

Digital signal processors (DSPs) process the digital baseband signals associated with CPRI links between BBUs and RRHs. The DSPs may be implemented at the RRH nodes (e.g., at the link leading to the BBU node), at the BBU node (e.g., at the links leading to the RRH nodes), or at both. The DSPs may be used to increase performance of the RAN. For example, the DSPs may implement digital filters designed to enhance the performance of the RAN.
US09408089B2

The present invention relates to a method, of operating a base station (100) of a cellular communications network, wherein said base station (100) comprises at least one antenna (110), said method comprising a step of adjusting (200) a tilt angle (θ) of the antenna (110) and/or of a beam pattern of said antenna, wherein said step of adjusting (200) is performed depending on a quality measure which characterizer the quality of a signal transmission associated with said antenna (110).
US09408082B2

In a method of receiving one or more resources, an apparatus having a coexistence enabler entity transmits a request message containing information on one or more devices using channels within a TV band to a coexistence manager. Here, the information contains an available channel list obtained from the one or more devices using the channels within the TV band, and the request message further contains one or more of maximum power level, channel load and location information. In the method, the apparatus receives a response message for allocating the resources from the coexistence manager. Here, the response message further contains one or more of information on channel numbers, start frequency, end frequency and maximum power level.
US09408079B2

Systems and methods for security in a nationwide wireless network with geographically dispersed wireless routers are described. The wireless routers have an interface function with an ability to receive telephone calls from an authorized caller. The router, in response to a received call from the authorized caller, generates a set of bounded random numbers (BRNs) as a random seed for use in generation of encryption keys for communication security between the router and a portable wireless device of the caller.
US09408072B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided a mobile lost and found application. The method may include tracking, by the user equipment, a plurality of locations of the user equipment, the plurality of locations mapped to a plurality of time values representative of when the user equipment traversed the plurality of locations; determining, by the user equipment, a first location of the user equipment, wherein the determining is based on a first time value received from an interface; authenticating, by the user equipment, at least one of the determined first location and the received first time value; and providing the authenticated at least one of the determined first location and the received first time value to a database searchable based on at least the authenticated at least one of the determined first location and the received first time value. Related systems and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09408067B1

Systems and methods for selectively disallowing use of Media over Data in a network segment within a cellular network or a mobile communication network, at call initiation, in order to ensure a consummate user experience, are disclosed. An embodiment of the invention identifies a segment associated with a Media over Data call, at initiation, and utilizes a policy database to obtain a segment designation specific to the segment previously identified. Based on the segment designation, the Media over Data call is then either allowed or disallowed. The segment designation is based on segment conditions and/or subscriber policy characteristics.
US09408066B2

The present invention concerns a method for transferring securely the subscription information and user data from a first terminal to a second terminal, the terminals respectively containing a first and a second UICC. According to the invention, the method consists in: i—transmitting an identifier of the second terminal to the first terminal; ii—transmitting from the first terminal to a secure vault the identifier of the second terminal and an identifier of the first UICC; iii—transmitting from the secure vault to the first terminal a subscription installation public key of the second terminal; iv—in the first UICC, packaging and encrypting the subscription information and user data with the subscription public installation key of the second terminal; v—transmitting the package to the second UICC of the second terminal; vi—installing the package on the second UICC.
US09408060B2

The present disclosure relates to broadcasting multiple packets at periodic intervals for receipt by other devices. A common device can transmit multiple beacon protocols simultaneously (i.e., an interleaving of different beacons), such that regardless of which protocol a receiving device supports, it may utilize advertisements from that common device (e.g., beacon). Thus, a single or common transmitting device may support multiple advertisements, such that the amount of hardware to be deployed in any network is reduced. Rather than deploying a device per beacon, a single device may be deployed and transmit multiple beacons.
US09408045B2

When information sharing is performed among multiple aircrafts, the number of times of communication for the information sharing is reduced. An onboard terminal (30) is a communication control apparatus (20) of an aircraft (10) which performs transmission and reception of information with a consort aircraft. When performing information sharing between two or more consort aircrafts, the onboard terminal (30) performs transmission and reception of information with a predetermined consort aircraft and thereafter performs transmission and reception of information including information transmitted from the predetermined consort aircraft, with another consort aircraft. The onboard terminal (30) performs information sharing with the consort aircrafts in accordance with a routing table showing order of aircrafts (10) to perform transmission and reception of information.
US09408039B2

A device, system, and method include receiving via a first network, by a remote computer server, a customized application from a user. The customized application is transmitted, by the remote computer server, to one or more intelligent cellular communications gateway devices. The customized application can be automatically installed and configured. Each intelligent cellular communications gateway device can receive local information from a device. The local information is analyzed and the local device can be controlled by the intelligent cellular communications gateway device based oft the analyzed local information. In addition, the intelligent cellular communications gateway device can filter and/or compress the local information, and transmit via a cellular network, the filtered and compressed information, to the remote computer server. The filtered and compressed information includes a portion of the local information that is less than a total amount of the local information received, thereby conserving bandwidth of the cellular network.
US09408036B2

Wireless transmissions from beacon devices are received at a plurality of receiver devices. The wireless transmissions comprise packets that carry information used for location-based services for mobile wireless devices. Content of one or more fields of the beacon packets received by one or more of the plurality of receiver devices is obtained. Measurement data associated with the transmissions received at the plurality of receiver devices is generated. Locations of the respective beacon devices are computed from the measurement data obtained by the plurality of receiver devices. Information identifying detected beacon devices and their locations are stored to maintain a location history of beacon devices over time locations. Changes from information contained in the location history are detected based on the locations computed for respective beacon devices from the measurement data and content of one or more fields of detected beacon packets.
US09408029B2

Disclosed is a data dissemination system for vehicles. The data dissemination system includes a vehicle, a vehicle cloud system, and access points connecting with and transferring data to the vehicle and the vehicle cloud system and being stationary near a road, wherein the vehicle comprises a navigator for determining location information, the vehicle cloud system comprises a dissemination setting unit for determining which data to disseminate to which access point based on the location information and vehicle route information, and the data disseminated to the access point is disseminated to the vehicle. According to the present invention, data transfer between vehicles and an infrastructure can be easily achieved such that a large amount of data can be exchanged therebetween, data transfer efficiency can be enhanced, and network resources can be fully utilized. Accordingly, the present invention has advantages of contributing to dissemination and utilization of the vehicle cloud system.
US09408026B2

A method of reporting hidden sector information from a base station node in a wireless communication system. The base station node has an internal multi-sector structure that is hidden from the rest of the system. The hidden sector information has sector information of the multi-sector structure is only internally available in the base station node. Enhanced cell-ID measurements associated with a first user equipment communicating with the base station are obtained, and formatted into information elements of a measurement report, each such information element having a plurality of symbols. Subsequently, hidden sector information for the first user equipment is retrieved and has an indication of an antenna sector of the base station in which the first user equipment is located. The retrieved dormant/latent sector information uses at least one selected symbol of the plurality of symbols of the measurement report to provide a transformed measurement report.
US09408021B2

A Bluetooth headset is provided, which includes a band part including a first end and a second end; a first ear part provided at the first end of the band part, wherein the first ear part includes a first receiver and a first ear cap surrounding the first receiver; a second ear part provided at the second end of the band part, wherein the second ear part includes a second receiver and a second ear cap surrounding the second receiver; a first coupling case that covers the first ear part; and a second coupling case that covers the second ear part. The first coupling case and the second coupling detachably couple to each other such that the band part is arranged in a wearable ring shape.
US09408015B2

Systems and apparatuses are provided for negating the degradation effects of fundamental coupling between at least two near field communication (NFC) enabled devices, at least one of which can receive frequency modulation (FM) signals. Due to the fundamental coupling, strong NFC signals can mix with blocking signals associated with a desired/tuned-to FM frequency causing degradation in FM receiver performance. By utilizing a notch filter at the front end of the FM receiver, the degradation in FM receiver performance caused by the fundamental coupling phenomenon can be avoided.
US09408012B2

Provisioning an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) in a user equipment (UE) device with personalized subscriber information. A request may be transmitted for personalized subscriber information. The personalized subscriber information may be received. The personalized subscriber information may be installed in an eSIM in the UE device.
US09408010B2

An audio system comprises a receiver which receives an input audio signal. A decomposer (103) decomposes the audio signal into at least a transient component signal and a non-transient component signal. An output circuit (105, 107, 109) then generates a first output audio signal in response to a weighted combination of the transient component signal and the non-transient component signal. In the combination the weighting of the transient component signal is different than the weighting of the non-transient component signal. A new signal with different emphasis of specific sound characteristics can be achieved. The approach may be particularly suited to generation of new spatial audio channels from an existing spatial audio channel, such as in particular the generation of an elevated channel from audio signals of a lower channel.
US09408001B2

A method and device for compensating sensorineural hearing loss in a manner that allows dysfunction of the inner and outer hair cells to be separately compensated is described. The disclosed techniques involve providing separately adjustable compression pathways for the received sound.
US09407991B2

In accordance with methods and systems of the present disclosure, a mobile device may include an enclosure adapted such that the enclosure is readily transported by a user of the mobile device, a speaker associated with the enclosure for generating sound, and a controller within the enclosure, communicatively coupled to the speaker. The controller may be configured to receive a signal from the speaker, the signal induced at least in part by sound incident on the speaker other than sound generated by the speaker and process the signal.
US09407983B2

A microphone device includes: a housing having an opening section in an upper face thereof; and a non-directional microphone unit incorporated in the housing and provided inside the opening section. The upper face of the housing has a shape in which a distance from an edge defined as a boundary between the upper face and a side face or a bottom face to the opening section throughout a whole circumference of the upper face changes in ½ or more of the whole circumference of the edge and an average value of the distance from the edge to the opening section is shorter than ½ of a wavelength of a sound wave in a frequency range in which an auditory sensitivity of humans is low.
US09407976B2

A method of dynamically routing a transmission line in a photosensitive layer including optically switching elements and a system to dynamically route a transmission line are described. The method includes determining dimensions of the transmission line based on a radio frequency signal for transmission through the transmission line. The method also includes controlling a light source to illuminate a portion of the optical switching elements of the photosensitive layer according to the dimensions to route the transmission line.
US09407974B2

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for segmenting videos in a video hosting service. To determine segments related to timestamps, user generated comments are parsed for timestamps. The timestamps are organized into sets and a segment is identified for each set of timestamps. A start point for each segment is determined based on the timestamps in each set. The segment will have an endpoint that can be either the end of the itself, or optionally can be determined based on the timestamps. Each timestamp is associated with a segment. One or more indicators represent each timestamp and each indicator is coupled to the segment associated with timestamp represented by the indicator. The segments are ranked according to popularity or the submission time of their related timestamp indicators. Responsive to receiving a client request for a video, the comments, indicators, and segments are loaded to the client.
US09407964B2

A system and method are presented for navigating through image frames of video content to display particular frames of the video content while the video content continues to play. The system provides a viewer the ability to interact with and operate a device playing video content using touch input or input from a peripheral device to permit locating and displaying particular frames of video content concurrently with ongoing display of the video content.
US09407959B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, used to monitor behavior with respect to a software program. In one aspect, a method includes playing media content using a first program that is limited to a first security context corresponding to a first domain of the first program, the first program having an object in the first security context corresponding to the media content; receiving an event including information indicating a monitoring program; instantiating the monitoring program in a second security context that is applicable to multiple domains, including the first domain, the instantiated monitoring program having access from the second security context to the object of the first program in the first security context; and receiving from the monitoring program information regarding playing of the media content.
US09407956B2

A method of testing a video decoding device connected to an IPTV service, the IPTV service having a server, the method comprising tuning the video decoding device to a first channel of the IPTV service, the video decoding device receiving the first channel and decoding video from the first channel, the video decoding device collecting data concerning the decoded video and sending the data to the server, detuning the video decoding device from the first channel, the server analyzing the data to generate results; and the server displaying the results.
US09407953B2

Various embodiments reduce disruptions in recorded programming, by automatically recording retransmissions of prior programming. In one embodiment, a recording manager is provided for execution on a receiving device, such as a set-top box. The recording manager detects a disruption in a recorded program. In response, the recording manager automatically records, or schedules a recording of, a later transmission of the same program. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09407951B2

An image display apparatus for receiving and processing a broadcast signal and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The method includes receiving a notification through a network interface or a tuner, generating a promotion card object including the notification by processing the received notification by a card object generator, and displaying the promotion card object on a display.
US09407949B2

A device capable of being controlled by user commands transmitted from a remote control apparatus is disclosed. The device includes a signal receiving unit configured to continuously receive a plurality of same remote control signals from the remote controller which are each generated according to a manipulation of the remote controller for a predetermined unit time; and a control unit configured to perform a first control action corresponding to one remote control signal of the plurality of same remote control signals and neglect other remote control signals of the plurality of remote control signals, if the one of the plurality of same remote control signals is received, wherein if a subsequent remote control signal generated according to an additional manipulation of the remote controller within the predetermined unit time is received, the control unit is configured to perform a second control action corresponding to the received subsequent remote control signal.
US09407948B2

In one embodiment, a programmable multimedia controller controls electronic devices, including display devices. A remote control communicates with the programmable multimedia controller. An on screen display is displayed on a selected one of the display devices. The on screen display enables the selected one of the display devices to function as a virtual telephone that is user-operable to initiate outgoing telephone calls and to answer incoming telephone calls. When an outgoing telephone call or incoming telephone call is in progress, the on screen display shows text or graphics related to the outgoing telephone call or the incoming telephone call. The on screen display is overlaid on another video signal which is already being displayed on the selected one of the display devices.
US09407946B2

An apparatus and a method for driving an application, contained in a hybrid multimedia service, in a broadcast system that provides a user equipment with the hybrid multimedia service based on a hybrid network including at least a broadcast network and a network supporting an Internet protocol is provided. To this end, a broadcast server constituting the broadcast system constructs control information to be used for acquiring an instruction table for driving the application contained in the hybrid multimedia service, and transmits the constructed control information to the user equipment in a predetermined format. The user equipment may acquire the instruction table using the control information provided from the broadcast server, and drive a desired application using the acquired instruction table.
US09407945B2

A video stream is provided to a set top box of a viewer to fulfill the viewer's request for a video on-demand service. The video stream is encoded at one of a plurality of encoding rates selected by a Service Quality Manager based on parameters defined for a service group, which in various embodiments may comprise the viewer, or the viewer along with other customers serviced by a single QAM. The parameters used for determining the encoding rate may involve currently allocated bandwidth, the viewer's service parameters, other customer's service parameters, and historical data regarding encoding rate selection data. The encoding rate used to encode a stream may be modified during streaming in response to other service requests. The encoding rate may be shifted based on anticipated service requests from other members in the service group.
US09407944B1

A method executed by an electronic device to optimize resource utilization while processing media workflows by a video streaming platform is disclosed. In one embodiment, a request to initiate a set of training sessions is received, and for each training session, a set of training workflows to be processed is initiated and a task graph for each training workflow is created. Then a worker of the video streaming platform is assigned to each training session. The raw performance data from each assigned worker is then collected, and a platform performance profile is generated based on the raw performance data from the each assigned worker. The platform performance profile is used to predict resource requirements of media workflows to be processed by the video streaming platform. A system to perform the method and a storage medium storing instructions to perform the method are disclosed too.
US09407940B1

Systems and apparatus for splicing a generic ad into a streaming media broadcast are provided when a user ad is not available. A splicer operates to receive streaming media on a primary channel, receive the user ad from a user ad server on a first channel, receive the generic ad from a generic ad server via a multicast address on a second channel, splice the user ad on the first channel into a streamed programming, splice the generic ad on the second channel into the streamed programming, and transmit the streamed programming into which ads have been spliced to a resulting channel. The generic ad server operates to transmit the generic ad to the multicast address. The user ad server operates to transmit the user ad over the first channel. The resulting channel operates to output the streamed programming.
US09407935B2

An apparatus for facilitating reception of multiple representations of a video signal. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a mechanism for receiving plural representations of the video signal corresponding to plural decimated versions of the video signal, associating pictures of the received plural representations of the video signal, and outputting pictures corresponding to information from associated pictures in accordance with a relative temporal order.
US09407934B2

An evaluation apparatus includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to calculate a first feature by calculating a first-order difference for a first image, calculate a second feature by calculating a second-order difference for the first image, calculate a third feature by calculating a first-order difference for a second image, calculate a fourth feature by calculating a second-order difference for the second image, and evaluate deterioration of the second image with respect to the first image according to a first simultaneous distribution that represents a first relationship between the first feature and the second feature and to a second simultaneous distribution that represents a second relationship between the third feature and the fourth feature.
US09407931B2

A data processing apparatus is provided which is configured to receive a down-sampled source block and a down-sampled reference frame portion. The data processing apparatus comprises interpolation circuitry configured to interpolate between pixels of the down-sampled reference frame portion to generate a set of interpolated down-sampled reference frame blocks. Cost function calculation circuitry calculates a cost function value indicative of a difference between the down-sampled source block and each interpolated down-sampled reference frame block. Minimisation circuitry identifies the lowest cost function value and estimation motion vector generation circuitry generates an estimate motion vector independence thereon.
US09407921B2

A computing system is disclosed and may include a processor, a plurality of video processing tools, and memory. The plurality of video processing tools include plural alternative video decoder implementations for a first video format, plural alternative video conversion processor implementations, and plural alternative video encoder implementations for a second video format, wherein the plurality of video processing tools form a plurality of transcoding paths. The memory stores instructions for decoding video data in the first video format based on configuration information for the plurality of video processing tools, modifying the decoded video data based on the configuration information for the plurality of video processing tools, and encoding the modified decoded video data into the second video format based on the configuration information for the plurality of video processing tools.
US09407920B2

A video processing device includes a video processing unit that decodes a video input signal into a decoded video signal in accordance with a video compression protocol, based on uncompressed video frame data. A tile engine includes a tile accumulation module that accumulates the uncompressed video frame data into a plurality of tile units, wherein each of the plurality of tile units includes a plurality of video span units. A tile compression/decompression module generates compressed video frame data for storage in a compressed video frame buffer by compressing the plurality of video span units into a plurality of compressed video span units and further that retrieves the compressed video frame data from the compressed video frame buffer by retrieving the plurality of compressed video span units and generating the uncompressed video frame data by decompressing the plurality of compressed video span units.
US09407914B2

Adjacent regions are identified in an image. Coding parameters for the adjacent regions are identified. Selective filtering is performed at the region between the identified adjacent regions.
US09407908B2

An image display apparatus and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The method for operating an image display apparatus includes receiving an image, separating the image into at least one of a two-dimensional (2D) image area or a three-dimensional (3D) image area, and displaying the at least one of the 2D or 3D image areas along with an area control object for changing a position or size of the 2D or 3D image area, on a display.
US09407890B2

A video processing system may be operable to utilize multi-band sharpening to process luma signals for image signals. The luma signal may be decomposed into a plurality of frequency band components, wherein each component may be processed separately using different sharpening gains and/or offsets. The multi-band processed components may be combined to generate sharpened output luma signals. The multi-band sharpening may be performed utilizing peaking processing, and the input luma signal and/or LTI sharpened luma signals may be combined with the multi-band peaking sharpened signals to generate the sharpened output luma signals. Corresponding chroma signals may also be adjusted to generate sharpened output chroma signals. Luma and/or chroma sharpening operations may be further adjusted based on coring, clipping avoidance, luma statistics, color region detections, and/or curve control parameters. Sharpened output image signals may be generated based on the sharpened output luma signals and the sharpened output chroma signals.
US09407889B2

A white balance control circuit calculates a first white balance correction value based on image data captured at light-emission timing of a flash unit and calculate a second white balance correction value based on image data captured at non-emission timing of the flash unit. The white balance control circuit acquires an image capturing condition corresponding to the image data captured at the light-emission timing of the flash unit or scene information obtained from color information of the image data captured at the light-emission timing of the flash unit. The white balance control circuit corrects at least one of the first white balance correction value and the second white balance correction value based on the image capturing condition or the scene information.
US09407888B2

The present disclosure proposes an image displaying method applied in an electronic device. The electronic device comprises a display unit and a projection unit. The display unit is placed on a first surface of the electronic device. The method comprises: determining data to be displayed when the projection unit is placed on a second surface of the electronic device opposite to the first surface; projecting, by the projection unit, the data to be displayed onto a carrier to present a first display image on the carrier, the first display image corresponds to a first part of the data to be displayed; displaying, by the display unit, a second part of the data to be displayed to display a second display image corresponding to the second part on the display unit. The present disclosure further proposes an electronic device.
US09407875B2

An apparatus includes an input circuit, a storage device, a retrieve circuit, a decrypt circuit, and an output circuit. The input circuit is configured to receive packets of encrypted encoded video data from a first network. The storage device is preauthorized by the first network to store the encrypted encoded video data. The retrieve circuit is configured to retrieve the encrypted encoded video data from the storage device for decryption. The decrypt circuit is configured to decrypt the encrypted encoded video data without further authorization. The output circuit is configured to transmit a signal representing the encrypted encoded video data while the retrieve circuit retrieves the encrypted encoded video data from the storage device.
US09407873B2

An information processing apparatus is compatible with a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and serves as a sink device. The information processing apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores therein recommended device information that is about a recommended source device and that includes a logical address and a vendor ID of the source device; and a controlling unit that obtains information about a logical address and a vendor ID of a source device connected to the information processing apparatus, compares the obtained information with the recommended device information, and if it is determined that the connected source device is not the recommended source device, performs control so as to allow the connected source device to be used while limiting a usage range of video and audio outputs.
US09407868B2

Teleconferencing is performed between two telecommunication devices having a display device and a stereoscopic pair of cameras positioned outside opposed sides of the display device at the same level partway along those sides. The separation between the centers of the cameras is in a range having a lower limit of 60 mm and an upper limit of 110 mm to improve the perceived roundness in a displayed stereoscopic image of a head. In captured stereo images that are video images, a head is segmented and the segmented backgrounds are replaced by replacement images that have a lower degree of perceived stereoscopic depth to compensate for non-linear depth perception in the displayed stereo images. Images are shifted vertically to position an eye-line of a detected face at the level of the stereoscopic pair of cameras of the telecommunication device where the images are displayed, improving the naturalness of the displayed image.
US09407862B1

A method, computer program product, and computer system for receiving, at a computing device, a call from a first telephony device using a telephone number associated with a second telephony device and a web-based user account. An indication of the call is received at the computing device where the web-based user account is signed into. An input is received at the computing device to accept the call. A conferencing application session associated with the web-based user account is initiated at the computing device between the first telephony device and the computing device based upon, at least in part, receiving the input to accept the call.
US09407860B2

A method for processing a first image having associated location data is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining that a location alias exists for the location data of the first image, storing the location alias in memory in association with the first image, determining an identity of a person who appears in the first image via processing of facial data of the person from the first image, storing information of the identity of the person appearing in the first image in memory in association with the first image, outputting the first image to a display in response to a request, outputting the location alias to the display for viewing concurrently with the first image, and outputting the identity of the person who appears in the first image to the display for viewing concurrently with the first image.
US09407858B2

A method of obtaining feedback on performance of an activity includes creating an input audio/video file or stream of performance of an activity, and providing the input audio/video file or stream to an evaluator. The evaluator inserts feedback in the input audio/video file or stream to create a feedback-annotated audio/video file. The feedback-annotated audio/video file includes at least one pause break during which audio commentary and/or graphical information inserted by the evaluator are presented while audio and video of the input audio/video file or stream are paused.
US09407857B2

Protection against unauthorized copying of digital media content is achieved by receiving information from a client device related to its storing function used to store digital media content that is to be sent to the client device; and performing a procedure to protect against unauthorized copying of the digital media content if the client device is able to store the digital media content using its storing function.
US09407854B2

Systems and methods for enhanced sports-related media content access and display are provided. An intelligent tuning module for multi-tuner systems may designate one sporting event as a primary sporting event and another sporting event as a secondary sporting event. A primary tuner may tune the primary event whenever possible and a secondary tuner may tune the secondary event whenever possible. Sporting events may be assigned user profile scores and tuned away from in reverse priority order. An interactive scoreboard may also be displayed with various game status and alert icons. The interactive scoreboard may allow a viewer to quickly tune between high-interest sporting events. Sports-specific features, such as wagering and fantasy league support, are also provided.
US09407848B2

Imaging systems may be provided with image sensors having an array of image pixels coupled to row control circuitry and verification circuitry. The row control circuitry may provide row control signals to the image pixels for capturing image data. The verification circuitry may receive the row control signals through the array of image pixels. The verification circuitry may identify predetermined ranges of acceptable row control signal magnitudes based on the type of row control signal and the mode of operation of the image sensor. The verification circuitry may be configured to compare row control signal magnitudes to the predetermined acceptable ranges. If the row control signal magnitudes are outside of one or more of the predetermined ranges, circuitry in the imaging system may be shut off and/or a fault signal such as an audible or visible failure alert signal may be produced for an operator of imaging system.
US09407840B2

There is set forth herein in one embodiment an image sensor array including a global shutter shared by first and second pixels. The global shutter can include a charge storage area having an associated shield for reducing charge build up on the charge storage area attributable to incident light rays. There is set forth herein in one embodiment an imaging apparatus having one or more configuration. The one or more configuration can include one or more of a configuration wherein a frame read out from an image sensor array has unbinned pixel values, a configuration wherein a frame read out from an image sensor array has binned pixel values corresponding to an M×N, M>=2, N>=2 arrangement of pixel values, and a configuration wherein a frame read out from an image sensor array has binned pixel values corresponding to a 1×N, N>=2 arrangement of pixel values.
US09407832B2

A method for eliminating flicker of a multi-exposure imaging system is provided. The method includes the steps of: capturing a long exposure image based on a long exposure from a scene; capturing a short exposure image based on a short exposure from the scene; obtaining an exposure ratio of the long exposure to the short exposure; generating a long accumulated value by accumulating pixel values of a portion of the long exposure image; generating a short accumulated value by accumulating pixel values of a portion of the short exposure image corresponding to the portion of the long exposure image; and generating a flicker gain according to the long average value, the short average value and the exposure ratio.
US09407831B2

Techniques to adaptively select bracket settings during auto-exposure bracket (AEB) operations are described. In general, AEB settings for a current image may be based on the evaluation of prior bracketed images. For example, the current exposure setting established by an auto-exposure mechanism (EV0) may be compared with a prior EV0 image. If the two are consistent, the prior image's lower and upper f-stop setting images (EV− and EV+) may be used to adaptively change the bracket settings for the current image's EV− and EV+ images. In another implementation, the most recently obtained EV− and EV+ images may be used to adaptively change the bracket settings for the current image—no prior capture being necessary.
US09407824B2

Systems and methods for facilitating content capturing on a mobile device are provided. The current position of a mobile device is identified during a content capturing preparation stage. The current position of the mobile device can correspond to a first position or a second position. The first position is a preferred position for capturing content as compared to the second position. When the current position of the mobile device corresponds to the second position, a prompt can be provided on the mobile device to instruct a user of the mobile device to move the mobile device to the first position.
US09407822B2

An image capturing apparatus comprises a lens array, an image sensor, a display unit, a recording unit configured to record the video data read out from the image sensor, a readout control unit which has a first readout mode of reading out video data of pixels in first regions coinciding with a position relative to each lens and a second readout mode of reading out video data of pixels in second regions, and a control unit configured to perform control, upon reading out video data from the image sensor in the first readout mode, to read out video data from the image sensor in the second readout mode and display a video obtained from the video data read out in the first readout mode, and to record the video data read out in the second readout mode.
US09407821B2

An electronic apparatus includes a main processor, a first memory connected to the main processor, an image processor that controls a photographing operation in response to a control signal from the main processor, and a second memory connected to the image processor. If the main processor is completely booted up after the image processor is completely booted up, the image processor controls the photographing operation in response to a shutter release signal, and stores an image captured according to the photographing operation in the second memory. The method includes determining whether the main processor is completely booted up, if the image processor is completely booted up; if the main processor is not completely booted up, controlling a photographing operation, by the image processor, in response to a shutter release signal; and storing an image captured according to the photographing operation, in a memory of the image processor.
US09407813B2

An image capturing apparatus comprises a focus detection unit configured to detect, based on a signal output from an image sensor, a focus evaluation value using one of a plurality of different focus detection methods, a correction unit configured to correct the focus evaluation value in accordance with the focus detection method used for the detection, and a storage unit configured to store information for calculating a reference correction value for correcting a focus evaluation value detected using a predetermined one of the focus detection methods, and information for calculating, from the reference correction value, a correction value for correcting a focus evaluation value detected using another of the focus detection methods. The correction unit calculates a correction value using the information stored in the storage unit, and corrects the focus evaluation value using the calculated correction value.
US09407800B2

A lens unit including a lens barrel that contains a lens inside and has a rectangular image pickup window through which an optical axis passes, and an image pickup element unit including an image pickup element and an element attachment plate having the image pickup element mounted on one surface. The image pickup element unit is attached to the lens barrel by a plurality of screws such that the image pickup window and the image pickup element are opposite to each other. A shim unit is disposed between the lens barrel and the element attachment plate. The shim unit is made of a shim base attached to a circumferential edge of the image pickup window and having a shape along at least two sides of the image pickup window, and one or a plurality of shims mounted at one or a plurality of portions of the shim base, respectively.
US09407797B1

Methods and systems relating to compensation for discrepancies in an image that may be captured with a moving camera or a moving head. The visual artifacts in the visual field may be reduced or eliminated by monitoring head and camera movements for a Heads Up Display (HUD) application, and feeding back the movement data to a compensation circuit to eliminate or reduce the visual artifacts such as judder effect, as the head and the camera move relative to the objects that the camera may be capturing. The duty cycle of one or more pixels and/or one or more groups of pixels of the display may be varied at different rates for different head and camera movement speeds. The faster the camera or head moves the shorter the duty cycle that may be applied to the display so that the image has low persistence.
US09407792B2

A plurality sets of tristimulus values are calculated from input spectral data using a plurality sets of color matching functions. Correction coefficients for tristimulus values are calculated based on derivation methods of the plurality sets of color matching functions. Corrected tristimulus values are calculated from the plurality sets of tristimulus values using the correction coefficients.
US09407785B2

A priority order of a plurality of storage locations as candidates for storing data is set in accordance with an instruction from a user. The data to be stored is acquired. A storage location of the data is decided, based on a priority order which has already been set before acquisition of the data, so as to assign a higher priority level as a storage location to a first storage location than a second storage location lower in the priority order. Data is stored in the decided storage location.
US09407782B2

A copying machine changes a reading position to a first position corresponding to the designated sheet size without executing reading, obtains first line data corresponding to a length of a longer side of the designated sheet size by causing the reading mechanism to read one line of image along the main scanning direction when the reading position is the first position, determines the target reading area on the original sheet placement table with use of the main length of the original sheet and the designated sheet size when the main length of the original sheet is identifiable with use of the first line data, the target reading area having a rectangular shape, one of vertexes of the rectangular shape being the basic point, and generates read data representing a read image within the target reading area by causing the reading mechanism to read the target reading area.
US09407777B2

An image processing apparatus which makes it possible to further simplify operations for designating a removable storage medium as a transmission destination of image data. A scanner section reads an image from an original. A controller unit transmits image data of the image input by the scanner section. A USB host I/F detects mounting and removal of the removable memory. The controller unit causes information concerning transmission to the removable memory to be displayed on the operating section in preference to information concerning transmission by another transmission method, according to detection of mounting of the removable memory.
US09407774B2

A temporary ENUM architecture assigns a temporary ENUM at call time. For an originated communication requiring routing to a party which needs a particular callback format not supported, the TempENUM provides consistency with the specific format required by the receiving party. The TempENUM is assigned for the duration of the call or communication, or for a given amount of time thereafter. The TempENUM service gateway includes a TempENUM database, a module that assigns a suitable TempENUM at the time of call routing, and a module that handles a lookup in the TempENUM database, and maps the assigned TempENUM to a calling party identifier (CgPID). The TempENUM database stores a TempENUM from a coordinator system and relates the actual calling party identifier (CgPID) for use in callback attempts. Either during the initial call or communication, or shortly thereafter, the receiving party uses the TempENUM number to return communication the initial caller.
US09407768B2

A method and system for analyzing electronic communication data is provided. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving electronic customer communication data by one or more servers configured to provide a user interface comprising a web site, web portal, or virtual portal, analyzing the electronic customer communication data by applying a predetermined linguistic-based psychological behavioral model to the electronic customer communication data, and generating behavioral assessment data based on said analyzing, the behavioral assessment data providing a personality type for the analyzed electronic customer communication data. In one or more embodiments, electronic customer communication data may be one or more of electronic-mail data, web content data, text message data, voice over IP data, online forum data, social media data, update status, media feed, social media review, social media data stream. In other embodiments, electronic customer communication data may include data received during a customer communication with a graphical user interface for a user.
US09407757B2

The present invention provides a system for managing and disabling phone ring tone profiles, the system comprising: a storage system comprising (a) a plurality of ringtones adapted to be activated when an incoming call is made; (b) at least one list of identified callers to execute at least one data processing system, said at least one data processing system comprising: an acquiring module operable to read an identifier of said incoming call or an incoming message; a detecting module operable to detect if the identifier exists in said at least one list in the system, to determine the caller from said list, and to detect how many incoming calls have been made within a predetermined period of time and a disabling module adapted to either activate or disable said ringtones.
US09407752B2

The disclosure relates to a method for transmitting a message from a portable communication device to a separate terminal including a step of recording at the portable communication device a voice message, and a step of generating, at the portable communication device, a multimedia file including at least the voice message. According to the disclosure, the portable communication device transmits to the separate terminal a signal including the multimedia file and a specific flag for indicating that the voice message is to be displayed as a text message. Upon reception of the signal at the separate terminal, the voice message is extracted and specific flag is detected. Upon detection of the specific flag, speech-to-text conversion is performed at the separate terminal in order to transform the voice message into a text message to be displayed.
US09407747B2

Event triggered snapshots of display content of software applications facilitate for a user, typically in the role of a software application developer, in the process of power-optimizing an application under development. The invention provides the developers with an ability to correlate specific software application events, e.g. user interface events, to power consumption peaks and lows.
US09407746B2

An electronic device comprising a cover plate is disclosed. The cover plate comprises one or more sapphire layers, wherein at least one of the layers has a low level of inclusions.
US09407745B2

An electronic device (10) is capable of operating in water. The electronic device (10) has communication means (120), water detection means (35), and control means (100). The communication means (120) receives a radio wave. The water detection means (35) detects whether the electronic device (10) is immersed in water or not. The control means (100) makes the water detection means (35) operate in the case where intensity of a reception signal of the radio wave received by the communication means (120) is lower than a threshold level.
US09407738B2

An apparatus includes a first interface for connecting to a personal computer, a second interface for connecting to a communications device, a third interface for connecting to a headset, a fourth interface for connecting to a speaker, and a processor in control of each of the interfaces. The processor is configured to route audio associated with a communications session on one of the personal computer or the communications device to the speaker, and in response to a user putting on the headset, re-route the audio to the headset.
US09407735B2

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying at a network device, a number of items for matching at a hash table, the number of items exceeding matching available with ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) at the network device, defining at the network device, an optimal cyclic redundancy check (CRC) polynomial based on the number of items for matching at the hash table, and generating at the network device, an optimal hash function based on the optimal CRC polynomial to extend packet classification capability at the network device. An apparatus is also disclosed herein.
US09407734B2

The present disclosure discloses a method and network device for efficient frame aggregation. Specifically, a network device queues a first set of packets until one of the first set of aggregation limits is detected. The network device then transmits the first set of packets, and receives feedback information. Then, the network device modifies the first set of aggregation limits to obtain a second set of aggregation limits based on the feedback information. The network device queues a second set of packets until one of the second set of aggregation limits is detected, and then transmits the second set of packets. Also, the network device determines whether a received packet has a particular characteristic. If so, the network device transmits the first set of packets before at least one of the first set of aggregation limits is detected.
US09407727B1

Systems and techniques are described for optimizing communications between a client and a server. Specifically, in some embodiments, an executing script on a client can send a resource request to a server. In response, the server can send an optimized version of the resource back to the client. The client can then reconstruct the resource from the optimized version of the resource.
US09407725B2

In particular embodiments, a computing device may receive device data from a client device. The computing device may encode the data for transmission to a remote desktop client. The re-encoding may be performed according to a pre-defined import/export protocol.
US09407709B2

A method for providing location-based information via a temporary social network includes detecting each of a plurality of first user devices within a predetermined proximity of a physical location and, in response, connecting each of the plurality of first user devices to a social network that is associated with the physical location using a communications network. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of first user devices will be connected to the social network for a predetermined amount of time or for as long as they are in the predetermined proximity. While in the social network, location-based information about the physical location is received over the communications network from each of the plurality of first user devices connected to the social network. At least some of that location-based information about the physical location may then be over the communications network to a second user device.
US09407707B2

An electronic calendar includes such features as recurring reminders, dividing unpredictable work loads into equal pieces, template free parsing, a reminders scheduling algorithm to reduce spikes, dynamic delivery and recovery algorithms, methods for splitting the work load between controllers and workers and for monitoring progress, all within the context of a calendar architecture for a large enterprise.
US09407705B2

Systems and methods are provided that allow a proprietor of a location or merchant to which a user is interacting through a third party to send a push notification to a user device associated with the user using the third party as a proxy. The provided systems and methods may assign an interaction identifier to the user and interaction when an interaction request is received by the third party that may be later used to identify the user and user device to which a notification received from the proprietor or merchant will be pushed. The user may be able to define rules and settings that limit the scope and timing of the push notifications that can be received, and the third party may determine if notifications received from the proprietor or merchant meet these rules and settings before pushing the notifications to the user device and user.
US09407702B2

An approach is provided for bridging communication sessions among multiple devices. A communication bridging platform determines to receive a request for establishing a communication session between a first device and a second device. The request specifies, at least in part, a third device with a first static link to the first device and a second static link to the second device. The communication bridging platform determines to establish a temporary link between the first device and the second device via the first static link and the second static link, and then determines to conduct the communication session over the temporary link.
US09407701B2

Internet protocol (IP) addresses are received from one or more domain name service (DNS) servers for accessing a remote host in response to a DNS query. The IP addresses are prioritized based on a list of preferred network interfaces associated with a plurality of networks. A network connection is established with the remote host using the most prioritized one of the IP addresses and a network protocol associated with the most prioritized IP address, where the most prioritized IP address is routable to reach the remote host over a network via the most preferred network interface.
US09407696B2

A system and method for combining results of a multiplicity of periodically operating components of a distributed computer system at the correct time, wherein the components communicate solely by means of messages via at least one communication system, and wherein each component has a global time with the precision P. Each component is unambiguously associated with one of n hierarchical levels wherein the durations of the periods of the components are an integer multiple of one another, and wherein the phase of transmitting each message is synchronized with the corresponding phase of receiving each transmitted message within each longest period of the entire distributed computer system even if the transmitting components and the receiving components are arranged on different hierarchical levels and are spatially distributed.
US09407695B2

Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing service data between a data store and a device using the service data. These synchronization techniques may be used with a synchronization method and device that adaptively adjust synchronization parameters, such as the synchronization interval and quantity of synchronized data, on a per-end-user basis in response to actual end-user behavior. In particular, heavy users of service data are rewarded with improved synchronization parameters, such as a combination of shorter synchronization intervals and increased synchronization data quantities, which provides closer to “direct access” performance. Light users of service, on the other hand, are assigned lower cost synchronization parameters, such as longer synchronization intervals and/or decreased synchronization data quantities.
US09407689B1

Disclosed are methods and systems for providing physical verification for an online check-in process. The system and method provides an application at a merchant terminal by which a user at the merchant can check-in to an online application, such as through an near-field communication or NFC chip. A remote automated transaction system receives users' check-in information and in turn can transmit that information to a social network computer system, whereby the user's status is automatically updated with at least some of the transmitted check-in information.
US09407688B2

An arrangement is provided in which a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) device exposes a service for mapping a UPnP discovered content item to a server message block (SMB) location. The service is arranged to expose an SMB share path to a user at a remote client using a UPnP protocol, The user is then enabled with access to the share via SMB to gain file access, write changes or exercise file level control of the discovered content item. Authentication is optionally utilized to verify that the user is authorized to receive the SMB share location from the service or to verify that the user is authorized to access the SMB share.
US09407687B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for acquiring content, the method is applied in a content routing node which has both functions of IP routing function and content routing function; a content routing node group is composed by the content routing node and other one or more content routing nodes which have same functions with the content routing node, and popular content is stored in the content routing node group, the method comprising: acquiring a content request from a client; judging whether content requested by the content request is popular content, if yes, acquiring the content requested by the content request in the content routing node group; if not, reorienting the content request to a content server in the IP network to acquire the content request by the content request.
US09407686B2

Apparatus and methods to engage in a transfer of informational content between a first mobile electronic device and a second mobile electronic device using directed transmission between a first server and a second server. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09407685B2

Systems and methods for providing registration at a remote site that may include, for example, a monitoring module that may communicate with a remote site. A registration protocol may be used by the monitoring module and the remote site in generating the messages communicated during the registration process. The monitoring module may gather and generate various identification information to be included in the registration protocol messages. The registration information provided by the monitoring module maybe stored at the remote site in a database server having a database. A confirmation message may be communicated from the remote site to the monitoring module that may either acknowledge successful registration or report that an error occurred during the registration process.
US09407683B2

An information processing device includes a touch panel that detects a first user input, a communication unit that communicates with a portable terminal which detects a second user input, a data obtaining unit that obtains content data including an operable object, a display output unit that outputs a content image which displays the object, and a control unit that controls an operation of the object displayed in the content image, wherein the control unit executes a first operation of the object if the first user input is detected by the touch panel, and executes a second operation of the object if the second user input is received from the portable terminal by the communication unit.
US09407682B2

An apparatus comprising a processor configured to compose a plurality of protocol stacks, and dereference a layered URI using at least one of the plurality of protocol stacks. Also, a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory medium that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the following receive a layered URI, and call a URI dereference extension, wherein the dereference extension is configured to construct a protocol stack, wherein the protocol stack comprises a first connector, a second connector, and a binder, and wherein the first and second connectors are selected from a plurality of connectors based on the URI.
US09407677B2

Methods, systems and computer program products for high performance data streaming are provided. A computer-implemented method may include receiving a data mapping describing an association between one or more fields of a data storage location of a data source and one or more fields of a data storage location of a target destination, generating a data transfer execution plan from the data mapping to transfer data from the data source to the target destination where the data transfer execution plan comprises a determined degree of parallelism to use when transferring the data, and transferring the data from the storage location of the data source to the data storage location of the target destination using the generated data transfer execution plan.
US09407667B2

In order to facilitate connecting to a SIP network, a router (20) forming a communication system (1) acquires information from a carrier network (30) by using DHCP. The information is necessary for connecting to a server (SIP server) placed on the carrier network. Moreover, a communication device (10) acquires the information from the router (20) by using local protocol that differs from the SIP and the DHCP. For example, UPnP protocol is adopted as the local protocol.
US09407666B1

A privacy preference editor enables a user to institute privacy preferences relative to user identity information on a card-based and category-based basis. An identity selector furnishes information cards representative of user identities. The editor allows the user to set a privacy preference for each information card. Any proposed disclosure of an information card invokes its corresponding privacy preference. In turn, an agent engine evaluates the invoked privacy preference against the privacy policy of a relying party seeking the card information. The editor also permits the user to create information categories, populate the categories with a group of relevant user identity attributes, and set a privacy preference to the category. In this way, a category-specific privacy preference can be invoked by using the attribute required by the security policy as an index to the appropriate categorized group where the required attribute resides.
US09407659B2

A method and system for managing data traffic and protecting computing assets. The method and system includes intercepting queries and messages, such as EDNS0 queries, and sending probe queries and reply queries to the originating computing device to determine whether the originating computing device may be sufficiently validated so as to justify forwarding resource-intensive queries and messages to the targeted computing device.
US09407658B1

Disclosed is a system and method for determining modified web pages. An example method includes: extracting a plurality of malware trigger code fragments from a configuration file of the malicious software; creating a verification web page by adding the plurality of malware trigger code fragments into a template page; storing, in a database, data relating to an initial state of the verification web page; opening the verification web page and identifying data relating to an opened state of the verification web page; comparing the data relating to the initial state and the data relating to the opened state of the verification web page; and based on detected differences between the data relating to the initial state and the data relating to the opened state of the verification web page, identifying at least one modified code fragment of the verification web page.
US09407652B1

A security system detects anomalous activity in a network. The system logs user activity, which can include ports used, compares users to find similar users, sorts similar users into cohorts, and compares new user activity to logged behavior of the cohort. The comparison can include a divergence calculation. Origins of user activity can also be used to determine anomalous network activity. The hostname, username, IP address, and timestamp can be used to calculate aggregate scores and convoluted scores.
US09407650B2

Method(s) and apparatus are described for use in preventing unauthorized redirection and/or routing of packets transmitted in a communication network. Packets generated by one or more devices in the communications network are intercepted by an apparatus. The intercepted packets are inspected and it is detected whether at least one of the intercepted packets is associated with redirection based on an unauthorized destination. For each intercepted packet, packet and protocol inspection may be used to determine the originally intended destination of the packet and to determine any other destination(s) associated with redirection of the packet. For each intercepted packet, if the any other destination(s) are not associated with one or more authorized destinations corresponding to the originally intended destination, then the intercepted packet is associated with redirection to an unauthorized destination. Those detected intercepted packets associated with redirection based on the unauthorized destination are blocked or corrected.
US09407635B2

A system and method of delivering vehicle data. Reference data is received by a data processing system. The reference data comprises a reference identifying the vehicle data stored in a repository that is located off of a vehicle and reference authentication data identifying a source of the reference data. The data processing system uses the reference authentication data to determine whether the reference data is from an approved source for the reference data. The reference is used to retrieve the vehicle data from the repository by the data processing system when the reference data is determined to be from the approved source for the reference data. The vehicle data comprises authentication data identifying a source of the vehicle data. The data processing system uses the authentication data to determine whether the vehicle data is from an approved source for the vehicle data.
US09407632B2

A one-time password may be used and generated using transformation rules. A one-time password transformation rule is received. The one-time password is sent to a user. A response to the one-time password is received. The user is selectively authenticated based on the response corresponding to the one-time password as transformed by the one-time password transformation rule. The one-time password transformation rule may include one or more operations, such as mathematical operations that may be static operations or dynamic operations that change as a function of time. Related systems, devices, methods and computer program products are described.
US09407623B1

A combination includes a user-portable computing device, and an identity selector adapted for interoperable use with the user device. The user computing device includes a security token service that issues security tokens in reference to a portfolio of user identities stored as information cards on the user device. The issuance of security tokens employs user attribute information that is stored onboard the user device. The identity selector exports the information cards from the user device and determines which user identity satisfies a security policy promulgated by a relying party as part of an authentication process within the context of an online interaction. The identity selector generates a token request based on one of the eligible user identities, and forwards the token request to the user device to invoke the token issuance operation. The identity selector presents the issued security token to the relying party to comply with the security policy.
US09407619B2

A method for determining an authentication score for use in exchanging information between a first and a second device. The method comprises at the first device: determining a first authentication score associated with a first information exchange session between the first and second devices; determining a second authentication score associated with a second information exchange session between the first and second devices, the second information exchange after the first information exchange; combining the first and second authentication scores to create a combined score; responsive to the first authentication score, generating an encryption key for encrypting the combined score, wherein the encryption key is known by the first and the second devices; and encrypting the combined score to generate a dynamic pairing code.
US09407613B2

Streaming media is problematic for thin clients using remoting protocols like RDP that were never designed to handle the volume of data associated with multimedia. The result is large demands on the host computer and thin client CPU and excessive bandwidth on the network, which results in a poor display quality. A process running on a host computer detects an existing multimedia acceleration channel to a thin client and also identifies unaccelerated media streams like Adobe Flash. The unaccelerated content is automatically re-encoded using a codec format supported by the thin client acceleration channel. This results in a significant improvement in the quality of the streaming media displayed on the thin client and overall reductions in host CPU load, network bandwidth and thin client CPU load. No additional software is required on the thin clients to support new media types including Adobe Flash.
US09407612B2

Technologies for secure inter-virtual network function communication include a computing device to determine a cryptographic key for secure communication over at least one of an inter-virtual network function (VNF) network, an inter-virtual network function component (VNFC) network, or a VNF-VNFC network based on a security policy of the computing device; and. The computing device securely communicates over at least one of the inter-VNF, inter-VNFC, or VNF-VNFC network based on the determined cryptographic key.
US09407611B2

Provided is a management server system that accepts a transition instruction for transition between tenants of an agent device, generates symmetric keys consisting of a first key and a second key, responds the second key to the agent device, and verifies signature information included in a transition request using the first key when the agent device makes a tenant transition request. Upon successful verification of signature information, the management server system transmits new authentication information for communication between the management server system and the agent device to the agent device. After transition of the tenant, the agent device communicates with the management server system using the new authentication information.
US09407607B2

The present invention provides a method for a virtual private cloud to access a network, a network side device and a data center device. When receiving a VPC configuration resource provided by a user, the network side device and the data center device exchange information, create a VPC, determine a PE interface address, a VCE uplink port address, an access tunnel and a VCE downlink port address for the VPC, and perform a corresponding configuration operation, thereby enabling the VPC to access a VPN in a basic bearer network without the need of uniform management of a control system, so as to solve a problem that the VPC cannot access the network when the basic bearer network and a data center belong to different operators, and meanwhile, save a device resource.
US09407605B2

Methods and apparatus for transferring packets in a packet switched communication system. A system is provided that includes an L2 device including a controller determining for each packet received whether the received packet is to be inspected, an inspection device operable to inspect and filter packets identified by the controller including using a zone specific policy and an L2 controller for transferring inspected packets in accordance with L2 header information using L2 protocols.
US09407603B2

Outbound processing with application firewalls. An outbound message is generated with an application. The outbound message includes at least a trustworthiness indicator and/or marking information for the one or more portions of the outbound message. The outbound message is received by an application firewall. The outbound message is analyzed based on the trustworthiness indicator and/or marking information, and context information. An action is performed on the outbound message based on the trustworthiness indicator and/or marking information, and the context information.
US09407602B2

A system is disclosed for protecting a network against malicious attacks or attempts for unauthorized access. A network is connected to an external network by a number of firewalls. Inspectors detect packets blocked by the firewalls and some or all of the packets are detected to a labyrinth configured to emulated an operational network and response to the packets in order to engage an attacker. Blocked packets may be detected by comparing packets entering and exiting a firewall. Packets for which a corresponding packets are not received within a transit delay may be identified as blocked. Entering and exiting packets may be compared by comparing only header information. A central module may receive information from the inspectors and generate statistical information and generate instructions for the inspectors, such as blacklists of addresses known to be used by attackers.
US09407596B2

A method for interactive splitting of a post of a social collaborative environment is provided. The method comprises, in response to a selection of a portion of the post, splitting the post at a location of at least one of a boundary of the selection or within the selection into a first segment and a second segment. A tool is utilized to split the post at the location of at least one of the boundary of the selection or within the selection into the first segment and the second segment. An input box configured to receive a response to the post is presented in an interactive post editing interface of the post, wherein the presentation of the input box occurs in a space defined between the first segment and the second segment. The response can be inserted in the space defined between the first segment and the second segment.
US09407595B2

The invention concerns a method of notification by an inviter of information on a page of an advertising server to at least one contact of the inviter. A sharing server: receives (E403) a message from a device used by the inviter after loading of the page of the advertiser's server by the device used by the inviter, obtains (E405), from a social network server, information identifying at least one contact of the inviter who is currently connected to the social network server, transfers (E406) each information obtained and identifying at least one contact to the device used by the inviter, receives (E407), from the device used by the inviter, information identifying at least one contact selected by the inviter, transfers (E408) a message destined for the selected contacts, the message comprising at least one address relating to the page loaded by the device used by the inviter.
US09407588B2

A message processing system is disclosed herein. A client computing device may receive an electronic message from a server via a network and via a forwarding operation on a condition that the electronic message is approved to be forwarded to a recipient. The client computing device may then receive from the server a message that the electronic message is unapproved, wherein the message includes a URL to view the unapproved electronic message and the electronic message is stored on the server with an indication that the electronic message is unapproved. The client computing device may then receive a list of unapproved electronic messages to display, wherein associated with the list are selectable options including to send the unapproved electronic message, to add a sender of the unapproved electronic message to an approved sender list, and to delete the unapproved electronic message.
US09407587B2

Some embodiments provide a communication tool that directly sends messages to accounts of different entities across different social media sites by automatically identifying and associating the accounts of the entities when the entities are referenced in the contents of the messages. Such identification and association is performed without the message originator manually specifying the accounts as intended recipients for the messages. The communication tool also automatically sends messages to different social media accounts of the message originator. The communication tool also blasts messages to an information aggregator that aggregates messages to develop a database from which the messages that target a particular entity can be presented irrespective of whether the particular entity has registered an account with any social media site, irrespective of which social media site the messages are originally destined for, and irrespective of whether a recipient is explicitly specified for the messages by the message originator.
US09407585B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving from a plurality of publisher clients a plurality of messages, assigning each of the messages to one of a plurality of distinct channels wherein each channel comprises an ordered plurality of messages, storing messages of each of the channels in one or more respective buffers according to the order, each buffer having a respective time-to-live, retrieving messages for one or more of the channels from respective buffers having time-to-lives that have not expired and according to the order, and sending the retrieved messages to a plurality of subscriber clients.
US09407584B2

The present disclosure discloses an Instant Messaging (IM) terminal and a method for displaying a session message in real time. The method includes: obtaining user inputted literal contents and a font identifier of a user selected personalized font; invoking a personalized font configuration file corresponding to the font identifier according to the font identifier; synthesizing the personalized font configuration file and the literal contents into a session message and displaying the session message in real time. By implementing the present disclosure, when plotting characters, the IM terminal in real time is able to statically synthesize a personalized font according to literal contents of a message and a personalized font configuration file corresponding to a font identifier, which greatly satisfies the user requirements of inputting and displaying the personalized font in real time.
US09407581B2

An apparatus and a method where a plurality of physically separate data receiving/analyzing elements receive data packets and time stamp these. A controlling unit determines a storing address for each data packet based on at least the time stamp, where the controlling unit does not perform the determination of the address until a predetermined time delay has elapsed after the time of receipt.
US09407576B1

Efficient and highly-scalable network solutions are provided that each utilize deployment units based on Clos networks, but in an environment such as a data center of Internet Protocol-based network. Each of the deployment units can include multiple stages of devices, where connections between devices are only made between stages and the deployment units are highly connected. In some embodiments, the level of connectivity between two stages can be reduced, providing available connections to add edge switches and additional host connections while keeping the same number of between-tier connections. In some embodiments, where deployment units (or other network groups) can be used at different levels to connect other deployment units, the edges of the deployment units can be fused to reduce the number of devices per host connection.
US09407562B1

A network switch including a physical layer device and a media access controller. The physical layer device includes an auto-negotiation circuit configured to negotiate a first data rate for transmission of data between the physical layer device and a network client external to the network switch, and a first serializer interface configured to receive the first data rate from the auto-negotiation circuit. The media access controller includes a second serializer interface. The first serializer interface of the physical layer device is configured to, based on the negotiated first data rate received from the auto-negotiation circuit, selectively replicate portions of data received from the network client, and transmit the data to the second serializer interface of the media access controller at a second data rate regardless of the first data rate negotiated between the auto-negotiation circuit and the network client. The first data rate and the second data rate are different.
US09407551B2

The method of transferring data between a first and a second set of elements via a switch that includes a set of paths each associated with a weighting coefficient representing a data stream for each path. The method includes a credit flow control between the first set of elements and the switch and a credit flow control between the switch and the second set of elements. An available credit coefficient is computed for each element of the first set on the basis of a credit allocated by each element of the second set and of the weighting coefficient of each path.
US09407542B2

In one embodiment, a network architecture comprises minimalistic connected objects (MCOs), distributed intelligence agents (DIAs), and central intelligence controllers (CICs). MCOs have limited intelligence sufficient to perform their respective designated task, securely join computer networks, and provide nominal state information. The MCOs are not configured to perform complex application-specific data processing, or complex networking tasks, such as making QoS decisions, participating in CAC operations, providing TE services, executing sophisticated reliability protocols, or extrapolating network management information. DIAs are configured to provide a computer network edge for the MCOs, and are responsible for intelligent networking management and for performing complex application-specific data processing for the MCOs. CICs operate within the computer network and are in communication with the DIAs to perform complex tasks for overarching control of MCO/DIA operation, and are also configured to provide one or more interfaces to receive a set of user-defined rules for MCO/DIA operation.
US09407541B2

Propagating a flow policy within a software defined network (SDN) includes sending a route path request for a flow from a first forwarding node to an SDN controller of the SDN, receiving route path information specifying a route path for the flow from the SDN controller, and generating, using a processor of the first forwarding node, a control packet including the route path. The control packet is communicated from the first forwarding node to a second forwarding node.
US09407540B2

An example method for distributed service chaining in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet belonging to a service chain in a distributed virtual switch (DVS) network environment, wherein the packet includes a network service header (NSH) indicating a service path identifier identifying the service chain and a location of the packet on the service chain, evaluating a service forwarding table to determine a next service node based on the service path identifier and the location, with a plurality of different forwarding tables distributed across the DVS at a corresponding plurality of virtual Ethernet Modules (VEMs) associated with respective service nodes in the service chain, and forwarding the packet to the next service node, with substantially all services in the service chain provided sequentially to the packet in a single service loop on a service overlay.
US09407523B2

A streams manager monitors performance of a streaming application, and when the performance needs to be improved, the streams manager automatically requests virtual machines from a cloud manager. In response, the cloud manager provisions one or more virtual machines in a cloud. The streams manager builds a permutation of a flow graph for the streaming application using the virtual machine(s), runs the permutation in parallel with the corresponding portion of the flow graph, and compares the performance of the original portion of the flow graph to the performance of the permutation. When the performance of the permutation exceeds the performance of the original part of the flow graph, the streams manager modifies the flow graph so the permutation replaces the original part of the flow graph. In this manner a streaming application can dynamically evolve to increase its performance as needed.
US09407520B2

A method and cell controlling node providing radio communication in a first cell of a communication network, for supporting management of the communication network based on performance related reports sent to a management system. Signal measurement reports are obtained from User Equipments being served by the first cell controlling node, on measurements on signals from cell controlling nodes in neighboring cells. Based on the measurement reports, the cell controlling node identifies a neighboring cell from which signals fulfill a signal condition. A current identity of the identified neighboring cell is then selected as a cell cluster identity, in order to send performance related reports to the management system indicating the cell cluster identity. Cell cluster identity can be shared by cells forming a cell cluster of a specific area, and performance related reports can be more uniform regardless of which cell controlling nodes they are received from.
US09407509B2

A method of network surveillance includes receiving network packets handled by a network entity and building at least one long-term and at least one short-term statistical profile from a measure of the network packets that monitors data transfers, errors, or network connections. A comparison of the statistical profiles is used to determine whether the difference between the statistical profiles indicates suspicious network activity.
US09407506B2

In embodiments of multi-entity management, a multi-entity system can include an infrastructure service (DHCP) that services client devices configured for network connectivity on a network. The multi-entity system also includes server devices configured for network configuration settings control and management of the client devices on the network. A multi-entity manager instantiates a configuration dialog for display with user-selectable controls that are selectable to initiate a single-step configuration operation of one or more of the network configuration settings at the server devices.
US09407499B2

An enhanced bypass mode simulcast radio communication system (200) includes a plurality of transmit/receive (T/R) sites (2101, 2102, 2103) configured to participate in a simulcasting communication session responsive to a control point system (201). A site controller (211) is responsive to determination of a timing malfunction at a first one of the T/R sites. In response, the site controller is configured to automatically terminate participation of the malfunctioning T/R site in the simulcasting communication session and perform further actions to cause the malfunctioning site to transition to a multisite mode of operation involving a network switching center (202). The simulcast system automatically adjusts its site timing to compensate for the loss of the T/R site in bypass.
US09407492B2

A system is provided including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that causes a mobile device to store client states indicating statuses of mobile device functional components. Each client state corresponds to a functional component. A client digest of the client state is stored. A server digest corresponding to a server state and the client digest is received from a server. The server state indicates a status of a mobile device functional component. The server digest is compared with the client digest. A state request is transmitted to the server responsive to a determination of a difference between the server digest and client digest. The server state is received from the server. The functional component is enabled or disabled as indicated by the server state. The server state and digest are stored as the client state and digest respectively. Methods for control of mobile device functional components are also provided.
US09407487B2

Methods and systems are provided that enable an OFDM transmitter to be used for transmitting conventional OFDM or a form of transformed OFDM. A technique is provided for transforming a coded and modulated sequence of samples prior to an IFFT that enables the transformed sequence of samples to be transmitted using conventional OFDM or transformed OFDM. The selection of a transform function for transforming the coded and modulated sequence of samples may be based on optimizing the transform function for particular operating conditions between the transmitter and receiver. In some embodiments of the invention OFDM and time transformed OFDM are multiplexed in time and/or frequency in a transmission frame. In some embodiments of the invention a pilot pattern is provided in which the pilot are sent using OFDM and data is sent using OFDM and/or transformed OFDM.
US09407484B2

The present invention is a system, apparatus, and method for current MB-OFDM systems to design a time-domain sync sequence regarding DAA that (1) minimizes change to the current sync sequence, and (2) maintains the robustness of synchronization. Two tone-notching embodiments are provided for sync sequence design in the preamble when OFDM systems require detect-and-avoid (DAA) ability. The receiver needn't be aware of the change of sync sequence at the transmitter and can still use the original sync sequence. The design can be used in both DAA and non-DAA transmission modes.
US09407477B2

A method and apparatus for a method and apparatus for correlation canceller for interference mitigation with adaptive DC offset cancellation for a dual mode communication device includes detecting an active signal transmitting in one mode; configuring integrators associated with the adaptive correlation canceller into gain amplifiers; detecting DC offset utilizing the gain amplifiers and comparators; and configuring the integrators from the gain amplifiers back to integrators with the DC offset applied thereto. The active signal transmitting in one mode can be Long Term Evolution (LTE) which is adjacent to a signal in another mode.
US09407476B2

A power amplifying apparatus and a method for effectively controlling a bias voltage of a power amplifier are provided. An electronic device includes a baseband signal processor configured to convert a baseband signal to an envelope signal, a power amplifier configured to amplify a Radio Frequency (RF) signal based on the baseband signal, a power modulator configured to modulate an input voltage to a bias voltage of the power amplifier based on the envelope signal, and a power controller configured to control an operation of the power modulator according to a characteristic of the baseband signal.
US09407464B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for an application messaging integration framework. An example method includes receiving a user input at a first clinical viewer via an integrated interface. The example method includes sending a message based on the input to a second clinical viewer via an application and messaging integrator. The application and messaging integrator is created to facilitate communication between the first and second clinical viewers. The example method includes updating information at the second clinical viewer based on the message. The example method includes displaying the updated information at the second clinical viewer via the integrated interface.
US09407457B2

In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a core network node and a control module within an enterprise network architecture. The core network node is configured to be operatively coupled to a set of wired network nodes and a set of wireless network nodes. The core network node is configured to receive a first tunneled packet associated with a first session from a wired network node from the set of wired network nodes. The core network node is configured to also receive a second tunneled packet associated with a second session from a wireless network node from the set of wireless network nodes through intervening wired network nodes from the set of wired network nodes. The control module is operatively coupled to the core network node. The control module is configured to manage the first session and the second session.
US09407456B2

A client computer hosts a virtual private network tool to establish a virtual private network connection with a remote network. Upon startup, the virtual private network tool collects critical network information for the client computer, and sends this critical network information to an address assignment server in the remote network. The address assignment server compares the critical network information with a pool of available addresses in the remote network, and assigns addresses for use by the client computer that do not conflict with the addresses for local resources. The address assignment server also provides routing information for resources in the remote network to the virtual private network tool. The virtual private network tool will postpone loading this routing information into the routing tables of the client computer until the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network. When the client computer requests access to a specific resource in the remote network, the virtual private network tool will only provide the routing table with the routing information for that specific remote resource.
US09407452B2

A computer-implemented method for installing a component within a system is described. In one embodiment, component information is identified via a component code on a component. User input is received that includes additional component information. A component associated with the component code is activated in a system based on the component information and the additional component information.
US09407451B1

Systems and methods for integrating telephony and multimedia content include concurrently displaying a graphical user interface and a video channel of a media broadcast on a screen of a multimedia device. The graphical user interface has a graphical element by which an end-user of the multimedia device can select execution of an interactive application that invokes a telephony service. In response to a selection of the interactive application by the end-user, a message is sent to a networked resource requesting the telephony service. The requested telephony service can be to ignore, reject, or forward the incoming telephone call. Alternatively, the requested telephony service can be a click-to-call. Other interactive applications can request access to an address book, acquire presence information, or request an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed.
US09407443B2

Detection, identification, and control of application behavior dealing with malware, security risks, data privacy, or resource usage can be difficult in an era of complex, composite software applications composed of multiple components. Software applications are analyzed to determine their components and to identify the behaviors associated with each of the components. Components can also be analyzed with respect to similarity of previously known components. Behaviors can include use of personal identifying information or device information, or any actions that can be taken by applications on the device, including user interface displays, notifications, network communications, and file reading or writing actions. Policies to control or restrict the behavior of applications and their components may be defined and applied. In one embodiment this can include the identification of advertising networks and defining policies to permit various opt-out actions for these advertising networks.
US09407440B2

Data is encrypted such that multiple keys are needed to decrypt the data. The keys are accessible to different entities so that no single entity has access to all the keys. At least one key is managed by a service provider. A customer computer system of the service provider may be configured with executable instructions directing the orchestration of communications between the various entities having access to the keys. As a result, security compromise in connection with a key does not, by itself, render the data decryptable.
US09407439B2

The authentication system includes a to-be-authenticated device for generating a first authentication data; an authentication code convertor for converting the first authentication data generated by the to-be-authenticated device into a second authentication data; and an authentication device for performing authentication of the to-be-authenticated device based on the second authentication data. The first authentication data includes an authentication code obtained by encrypting challenge data output from the authentication device and input to the to-be-authenticated device through the authentication code convertor and predetermined data included in the to-be-authenticated device in accordance with an encryption method using a first encryption key; and the predetermined data included in the to-be-authenticated device. The second authentication data includes an authentication code obtained by encrypting the challenge data output from the authentication device and input to the authentication code convertor and the predetermined data included in the to-be-authenticated device.
US09407429B2

A hybrid numeric-analog clock synchronizer, for establishing a clock or carrier locked to a timing reference. The clock may include a framing component. The reference may have a low update rate. The synchronizer achieves high jitter rejection, low phase noise and wide frequency range. It can be integrated on chip. It may comprise a numeric time-locked loop (TLL) with an analog phase-locked loop (PLL). Moreover a high-performance number-controlled oscillator (NCO), for creating an event clock from a master clock according to a period control signal. It processes edge times rather than period values, allowing direct control of the spectrum and peak amplitude of the justification jitter. Moreover a combined clock-and-frame asynchrony detector, for measuring the phase or time offset between composite signals. It responds e.g. to event clocks and frame syncs, enabling frame locking with loop bandwidths greater than the frame rate.
US09407423B2

A cellular communication system comprises a first base station serving at least a first user equipment. The base station comprises functionality for transmitting a base station duplex capability message to user equipments using a transmission format which is common to a plurality of duplex modes. A first user equipment comprises a transceiver which receives the base station duplex capability message. A RACH characteristics processor determines at least one transmit characteristic for an access message in response to the base station duplex capability message and a RACH transmit controller controls the transmission of an access message to the first base station in response to the at least one transmit characteristic.
US09407421B2

An aspect of the invention provides for a method of managing bearer signaling for one or more user equipments (UEs) coupled to a eNodeB via at least one relay node, by generating and sending MME Association Consolidation (MAC) request message by the eNodeB to the plurality of disparate mobility management entities managing plurality of user equipments coupled to the said relay node based on receiving bearer resource request of at least one user equipment coupled to the said relay node. The method further comprising of making available to the MME of the said relay node, MME Association Consolidation (MAC) response from the said plurality of disparate mobility management entities managing plurality of user equipments coupled to the said relay node and provisioning by the MME of the said relay node the bearer resource request of at least an user equipment, based on the received MAC response, and provisioning the consequential bearer request of the said relay node wherein, provisioning includes creating, updating, modifying and deleting bearers of UE and RN.
US09407420B2

An inter-vehicle communication device that is connected to a wide-area communication terminal determines a dedicated short-range communication resource assignment by using a wide-area communication resource assignment that is assigned to the wide-area communication terminal. Since a plurality of terminals are not assigned to the same resource block in the wide-area communication resource assignment, the dedicated short-range communication resource assignment determined by using the wide-area wireless communication resource assignment can also prevent a plurality of terminals from being assigned to the same time slot. The wide-area communication resource assignment is essentially necessary for the communication between a base station communication device and the terminals. Since the wide-area communication resource assignment which is necessary is used to determine the dedicated short-range communication resource assignment, a limit to the amount of downlink data can be reduced.
US09407419B2

The present invention relates to a method for transceiving signals between a user equipment and a base station in a wireless communication system, and to an apparatus for same. More particularly, a method for the user equipment transceiving the signal in the wireless communication system, which is operated by a time division duplex (TDD), comprises the steps of: monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with respect to a special frame; and receiving a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) that corresponds to the PDCCH from the special subframe, when a PDCCH having downlink allocation information of the special subframe is detected, wherein the PDSCH is received by at least one orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol from a plurality of OFDM symbols that correspond to a defined guard period (GP) and an uplink pilot time slot (UpPTS) within the special subframe, according to a TDD uplink-downlink configuration.
US09407410B2

The present patent application improves DARP by allowing multiple users on one time slot (MUROS). It comprises means and instructions for signaling training sequence set information to a remote station, comprising receiving signaling from a remote station indicating if a new set of training sequences is supported, and using a channel description to signal the training sequence set to be used by the remote station for a communication channel being established. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09407409B2

In a wireless communication system, from available data resource elements (REs) in a subframe, REs are assigned to transmissions of a reference signal, thereby resulting in a plurality of remaining data REs. Furthermore, REs from the plurality of remaining data REs are assigned for data transmission to a wireless device in groups of a predetermined number of REs such that all assigned data REs within a group are within a predetermined number of symbols of each other in time domain and within a second predetermined number of subcarriers of each other in frequency domain, thereby resulting in at least one ungrouped RE.
US09407394B2

Implementing flow control without using unique symbols or designated packets, comprising: sending, from a first device to a second device, high throughput packet communication. Temporarily storing the high throughput packet communication in a buffer of the second device. Calculating, by the second device, a basic idle code word sequence known to the first device. Producing an idle sequence by replacing certain M code words of the basic idle sequence with M bitwise complement code words. Transmitting the idle sequence, wherein the M bitwise complement code words are indicative of the fullness of the buffer. Receiving the idle sequence by the first device, and determining, based on a difference between the idle sequence and the basic idle sequence, that the buffer is full or expected to get full, and thus the first device stop sending packets to the second device.
US09407389B2

In an extensive distribution system with no delay guarantee network used as a relay network, an influence of a fluctuation of a communication delay time is avoided to conduct a high-precision time synchronization. First and second delay control devices installed in junctions between communication networks and a relay network, respectively, have functions of retaining first and second time information, and setting a first relay network passing time of a first communication signal directed from a time dissemination device toward a time receiving device through a relay network, and a second relay network passing time of a second communication signal directed from the time receiving device toward the time dissemination device, respectively. In measurement of communication delay time of the first communication network and the second communication network prior to time synchronization, the first and second relay network passing times are unified in advance to exclude uncertainty of the communication time.
US09407388B2

The embodiments herein relate to a method in a communications network comprising a communications link connecting a first device to a second device. The communications link comprises an upper layer having a variable delay and a lower layer having a constant delay. The first device comprises a first clock and the second device comprises a second clock. The communications network synchronizes the first clock via the lower layer of the communications link with the second clock. The communications network determines, at the second device, a residence time for a first message when transmitted from the first device to the second device via the upper layer of the communications link.
US09407385B2

A wireless communication system and in particular to a wireless communication system for digital audio players that provides for increased functionality, such as communication, interaction and synchronization between a computing platform and various mobile, portable or fixed digital audio players, as well as providing a communication link between the various digital audio players themselves. The computing platform may act, for example, through a wireless network or wireless communication platform, to control the digital audio players; to act as a cache of digital audio data for the digital audio players; as well as provide a gateway to the Internet to enable the digital audio players to access additional digital audio content and other information. The computing platform may also be used to automatically update digital audio content on the digital audio players; synchronize digital audio content and playlists between digital audio players; and automatically continue a particular playlist as the user moves from one digital audio player to another.
US09407374B2

A receiver configured to receive wave packets encoded with data via a nonlinear channel is disclosed. The receiver includes an input configured to receive the wave packets from the non-linear channel. The receiver also includes a processor configured to generate a transfer matrix from the received wave packets and find the representation of the transfer matrix as ratios of polynomials and compute the non-linear Fourier spectrum in which the data has been embedded. The receiver may also include a demodulator configured to demodulate the non-linear Fourier spectrum to recover the data. Periodic boundary conditions may be selected. Boundary conditions may be selected based on a non-periodic vanishing signal. The received wave packets may be configured as solitons. The nonlinear channel may be an optical channel.
US09407355B1

Systems and methods are described for avoiding redundant data transfers using delta coding techniques when reliably and opportunistically communicating data to multiple user systems. According to embodiments, user systems track received block sequences for locally stored content blocks. An intermediate server intercepts content requests between user systems and target hosts, and deterministically chucks and fingerprints content data received in response to those requests. A fingerprint of a received content block is communicated to the requesting user system, and the user system determines based on the fingerprint whether the corresponding content block matches a content block that is already locally stored. If so, the user system returns a set of fingerprints representing a sequence of next content blocks that were previously stored after the matching content block. The intermediate server can then send only those content data blocks that are not already locally stored at the user system according to the returned set of fingerprints.
US09407354B2

A communication system, an apparatus and a method for communicating with a radio disposed in an outdoor unit are provided. The apparatus including: a de-multiplexor configured to separate a multiplexed signal received on an inter-facility link (IFL) into a first signal; a demodulator configured to demodulate the first signal based-on a first modulator control information to obtain data; a modulator configured to modulate a portion of the data based-on a second modulator control information to generate a second signal; and an amplifier configured to amplify a transmission signal prior to transmission of the transmission signal with an antenna, wherein the transmission signal is based on the second signal, the second modulator control information is received by the de-multiplexor and the second modulator control information controls the modulation scheme used by the modulator.
US09407353B2

A process for measuring antenna gains of a transmitter for generating at least one radiation pattern of the antenna, the process including a plurality of transmissions of a test signal sent to a satellite to retransmit the test signal to a second terrestrial station, the transmissions being carried out according to different orientations, the test signal being spread spectrum modulated by a pseudo-random numerical sequence; a reception of each test signal; a demodulation of each test signal making it possible to measure the power of each test signal received; a comparison of each power with a first threshold; a generation of an encoding instruction aiming to encode a given number of sequences of data bits by at least one pseudo-random sequence.
US09407352B1

A dual-satellite emergency locator beacon and method for programming and updating such emergency locator beacons over the air. The system uses a second commercial satellite as the carrier for the data back to the beacon together with the means of coupling these parts together. The system can be manually updated or can be part of a registration system that gets automatically updated. In a second embodiment a method and apparatus for implementing emergency locator beacon registration is provided. The system provides data concerning the user into a backend service which can be utilized to provide all necessary information needed to register the emergency beacon.
US09407341B2

A user equipment transmits using at least two uplink transmit antennas and receives a set of control signals in the downlink direction from a cellular network. The user equipment estimates a received signal quality for each control signal in said set of control signals and determines, based on said received signal quality, which control signals have been reliably received. The user equipment derives one or more parameters related to the uplink transmit diversity operation using a subset of control signals from the set of control signals, said subset only including control signals determined as reliably received; and transmits in the uplink direction applying the derived one or more parameters to control the uplink transmit diversity operation. The accuracy of the transmit diversity parameter values derived/set by the UE can be improved. This will enhance the performance of the uplink transmit diversity and will also reduce interference to the neighbor cells.
US09407329B2

A device includes a near field communication (NFC) circuit that is configured and arranged to communicate data with external devices. An internal communication circuit communicates data over a microprocessor bus. A secure memory circuit stores an identifier that is unalterable in the secure memory circuit. Logic circuitry performs a secure transaction protocol. The transaction protocol includes determining whether a communication, received by the NFC circuit, is addressed to the secure memory circuit; sending, in response to determining that the communication is addressed to the secure memory circuit, the communication to the memory circuit; sending, in response to determining that the communication is not addressed to the secure memory circuit, the communication to the microprocessor bus; and transmitting data, received from both the NFC circuit and the secure memory circuit, to the NFC circuit, the transmitted data including the identifier value and configured for communication with external devices using NFC.
US09407325B1

Various aspects of the instant disclosure are directed towards communicating symbols over a power line carrying alternating current, based upon frequency variations in the alternating current. In accordance with some embodiments, a line driver couples data-carrying symbols over the power line, via a waveform. Variations in the alternating current are monitored and used for defining data useful for providing steps of the waveform. The accessed data entries are used to drive a line driver for modulating alternating current on the power line to account for the variations.
US09407321B2

The various embodiments herein provide an improved system for communicating data over a wired connection. The system comprising a transmitting end, a switching circuit provided at the transmitting end to generate a propagating signal disturbance according to an input signal data received from a source network, a receiving end and a receiver circuit provided at the receiving end to detect the propagating signal disturbance and to regenerate the transmitted signal data from the received signal. The propagated signal disturbance is detected at the receiving end without a need for a common ground reference. The propagating disturbance is created by inducing an electron distribution change at one end of the wired connection and propagated along the length of the wire. The propagating disturbance is generated using one of an inductor, a capacitor and a switching device.
US09407316B2

The present invention relates to the communication technology field, more specifically, to a scheme of bilateral antenna. A device for improving the stray isolation between the antennas in the bilateral antenna comprises a plurality of communication modules having an antenna and a power amplification module; at least one of the communication modules further comprises a tuning module. The power amplification module is connected to the antenna directly or through the tuning module. The stray isolation between the communication module and other communication module is improved by adjusting the communication modules comprising the tuning module. This invention increases the stray isolation between the communication modules in different frequency bands, specifically, when a long interval exits between working frequency bands. Consequently, the radiance performance of the bilateral antenna of the mobile termination is satisfied, and the capacity of resisting disturbance between the systems is enhanced.
US09407309B2

A method of providing an amount of exposure to electromagnetic waves, and a user terminal are provided. The method may include receiving a signal of each of a plurality of wireless services, extracting a measured electric field and a reference level of electric field strength from a signal associated with each of the plurality of wireless services, and determining an exposure index of each of the plurality of wireless services, based on the measured electric field and the reference level of electric field strength, the exposure index being measured outside a body of a user.
US09407307B2

A method for assisting with positioning of an electromagnetic transponder by a user with respect to a terminal, wherein: a current value of a ratio of the current coupling factor between the transponder and the terminal to an optimum coupling factor with a first resistive load value is calculated and stored; the current value is compared with a previous value of this ratio, stored in a previous iteration; and data elements intended for the user are controlled according to the comparison.
US09407299B2

A radio reception device and a radio receiving method are provided that, when a frequency band assigned to a different radio system is shared, can effectively suppress the influence of interfering waves from this different radio system. A radio reception device is one in a second radio system (11) that can use a frequency band assigned to a first radio system (10), and includes: a desired wave channel estimation section (110) that generates, based on reception signals, first channel estimate values (Es) of interfering wave components arriving from the first radio system, which uses a different communication scheme from that of the second radio system; an interfering wave channel estimation section (120) that generates, based on the reception signals, second channel estimate values (Ei) of desired wave components received through the communication scheme of the second radio system; and an equalization section (105) that suppresses the interfering wave components by using the first and second channel estimate values.
US09407293B2

A system (100) for encoding an input video frame (1005), for transmitting or storing the encoded video and for decoding the video is disclosed. The system (100) includes an encoder (1000) and a decoder (1200) interconnected through a storage or transmission medium (1100). The encoder (1000) includes a turbo encoder (1015) for forming parity bit data from the input frame (1005) into a first data source (1120), and a sampler (1020) for down-sampling the input frame (1005) followed by intraframe compression (1030) to form a second data source (1110). The decoder (1200) receives data from the second data source (1110) to form an estimate for the frame (1005). The decoder (1200) also receivers the parity bit data from the first data source (1120), and corrects errors in the estimate by applying the parity bit data to the estimate. Each bit plane is corrected in turn by a turbo decoder (1260). The decoder determines how reliably a pixel value was decoded, too. Frame reconstruction module (1290) takes advantage of this and discards unreliably decoded pixels and replaces them with predicted pixel values.
US09407290B2

An example method is provided that includes receiving a representation of a codeword that includes a plurality of bits, and associating the bits with a respective plurality of one-bit hard-bit values representing the bits and multiple-bit soft-bit values representing measures of reliability of respective hard-bit values. The method may include determining whether participating bits for a particular parity-check equation from the plurality of parity check equations satisfy the particular parity-check equation. The method may further include determining, based on whether the particular parity-check equation is satisfied, a magnitude of a reliability modification to one or more reliability values associated with at least one of the participating bits. The method may also include modifying the one or more reliability values by the magnitude of the reliability modification.
US09407289B2

A method of performing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) operation in a memory system, and a memory controller that uses the same. The method includes initializing a linear feed-back shift register (LFSR) circuit in a CRC polynomial, generating CRC parity information with respect to input data to be stored in a memory device by using the LFSR circuit, and generating a CRC code with respect to the input data based on the CRC parity information, such that the initialization of the LFSR circuit is set such that a register initial value of the LFSR circuit is determined to satisfy a condition that, when data input to the LFSR circuit is first state information, the CRC parity information generated from the LFSR circuit is second state information.
US09407285B2

The present invention relates to a method and system for compressing and retrieving Light Detection and Ranging output data, and, more specifically, to a method and system for compressing Light Detection and Ranging output data by Run Length Encoding or losslessly compressing Light Detection and Ranging output data and rapidly accessing this compressed data which is filtered by attributes without the need to read or decompress the entire collection of data.
US09407284B2

Base64 encoding and decoding advances are characterized. Some embodiments rely on only a single bit shifting operation; some have no reliance on bit-shifting. Some access data source bytes with multi-byte reads, and use those data source bytes as indexes into an encoding lookup table. Some use a table with four quadrants, each of which contains a copy of the same 64 encoding values. Some use a negative value as both a counter and an index. Some exclude BSWAP instructions even with a little-endian processor. Some partition a data source into N partitions, which are then encoded or decoded concurrently. In some, partition length is based on expected processor performance. Unrolled loops, exemplary assembly language code and coding choices, division using MagicNumber multiplication, terminal null addition, encoding/decoding applications, and other examples are also presented.
US09407283B2

A delta-sigma modulator is configured to sense and convert an electromagnetic field into a digital signal. An exemplary delta-sigma modulator includes a sensor component, such as an LC resonator, that is configured to sense the electromagnetic field and generate an input analog signal, where the delta-sigma modulator is configured to convert the input analog signal to the digital signal. Delta-sigma modulator can include an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the sensor component that receives and converts the input analog signal to the digital signal. Delta-sigma modulator can further include a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the resonator and the ADC, the DAC configured to receive the digital signal from the ADC and generate a feedback analog signal.
US09407281B1

A data converter is disclosed. The data converter includes a loop-filter, a quantizer, an analog dynamic element matching (DEM) shuffler, a digital DEM shuffler and a feedback digital-to-analog converter. The loop-filter receives analog signals from an analog input. The quantizer then converts the filtered analog signals from the loop-filter to digital signals at a digital output. The analog DEM shuffler shuffles a set of analog threshold levels of the quantizer to yield a set of partially shuffled digital data at an output of the quantizer. The digital DEM shuffler shuffles the set of partially shuffled digital data from the output of the quantizer to yield a set of shuffled digital data. The feedback digital-to-analog converter converts the set of shuffled digital data to a set of analog data to be fed back to the loop-filter.
US09407278B1

In an example, there is disclosed a digital to analog converter (DAC) architecture that in a first aspect provides first and second parallel paths through the DAC so as to allow a separation of a coarse and fine aspect of the DAC transfer function is described. In another aspect a DAC architecture is provided that comprises at an output of the DAC an interpolator arranged to extend the resolution of the overall DAC architecture by interpolating within the voltage range of the DAC stages that precede the interpolator. Such an interpolator can be used with both an amplifier and/or comparator to provide one or more of a buffering of the output and/or a comparison of the DAC output with signals from other circuit elements. Features of the first and second aspects may be used independently of one another.
US09407276B1

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) unit to receive a first portion of a differential analog signal and convert the first portion of the differential analog signal into a first digital value; a second VCO ADC unit to receive a second portion of the differential analog signal and convert the second portion of the differential analog signal into a second digital value; a combiner to form a combined digital signal from the first and second digital values; a decimation circuit to receive the combined digital signal and filter the combined digital signal into a filtered combined digital signal; and a cancellation circuit to receive the filtered combined digital signal and generate a distortion cancelled digital signal, based at least in part on a coefficient value.
US09407263B2

A driver circuit having an adjustable output signal includes a logic circuit configured to receive an input signal into a first input terminal and an output circuit coupled to the logic circuit, wherein the output circuit is configured to generate, at an output terminal of the output circuit, an output signal having a signal level that changes in response to a signal level of the input signal. The driver circuit further includes a feedback circuit coupled to a second input terminal of the logic circuit. The feedback circuit includes first and second gate terminals coupled to the output terminal and a third gate terminal coupled to a control signal supply, wherein the feedback circuit is configured to control a maximum level of the output signal from the driver circuit based on an operating threshold of the feedback circuit as set by a control signal generated by the control signal supply.
US09407240B2

Embodiments include methods of tuning state variable filters. Examples include state variable filters whose center frequencies can be tuned using variable gain blocks coupled to outputs of filter integrators. First- and second-order state variable filters may operate on signals in parallel and their outputs combined to produce a filtered output. Filters may be tuned to pass or reject signals depending on the application; sample applications include, but are not limited to: agile filtering; spectrum analysis; interference detection and rejection; equalization; direct intermediate-frequency transmission; and single-sideband modulation and demodulation.
US09407239B2

An automatic tuning circuit for matching an antenna to a radio receiver. The automatic tuning circuit includes a tunable non-Foster circuit for coupling the receiver and the antenna; and sensing and feedback circuits for sensing the combined capacitance of the tunable non-Foster circuit and the antenna and for tuning the tunable non-Foster circuit to automatically minimize the combined capacitance of the tunable non-Foster circuit and the antenna.
US09407238B2

Devices and methods convert signals into pulse-width modulated signals. A noise-shaping loop can be clocked at a lower frequency than a PWM modulator, resulting in lower power requirements, and greater ease of synchronization. The delay introduced by the noise-shaping loop can be reduced by implementations using sample-and-hold devices, look-up tables and logic circuitry to predict output signals.
US09407235B2

An acoustic wave device includes: a chip; an acoustic wave element formed on a principal surface of the chip; a first pad formed on the principal surface of the chip and electrically connected to the acoustic wave element; a substrate having a principal surface facing the principal surface of the chip; a second pad formed on the principal surface of the substrate; a first bump formed between the first pad and the second pad and electrically connecting the first pad and the second pad; and a second bump formed between the chip and the substrate and making direct contact with the substrate.
US09407226B2

Gain control in complementary common gate and common source amplifiers is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a first amplifier stage configured to amplify an input signal at an input terminal to generate a first amplified signal. The first amplifier stage includes a current diverter that selectively diverts current to set a gain of the first amplifier stage. The apparatus also includes a second amplifier stage configured to amplify the input signal at the input terminal to generate a second amplified signal. The second amplifier stage includes a gain control circuit to set a gain of the second amplifier stage.
US09407222B2

A variable matching circuit includes a transformer which is disposed between first and second transistor circuits. A primary inductor device and a secondary inductor device are magnetically coupled in the transformer. The primary inductor device is connected between an output terminal of the first transistor circuit and a bias circuit for the first transistor circuit. The secondary inductor device is connected between an input terminal of the second transistor circuit and a bias circuit for the second transistor circuit. Connection points between the primary inductor device and the bias circuit for the first transistor circuit and between the secondary inductor device and the bias circuit for the second transistor circuit are connected to first and second capacitive elements, respectively. At least one of inductance values of the respective primary and secondary inductor devices and capacitance values of the respective first and second capacitive elements is variable.
US09407219B2

An electronic circuit for amplifying a wanted signal, comprising: a comparator having a first input, a second input and an output, wherein a connection is provided, which leads the wanted signal to the first input; a first driver stage comprising an input and an output, wherein the first driver stage includes at least a first push pull end stage; a low-pass filter having an input and an output, wherein the output of the first driver stage leads to the input of the low pass filter; a first feedback network; and a second feedback network.
US09407213B2

A voltage amplifier is provided that includes a first row and a second row each having a respective first or second plurality of capacitors arranged collinearly. First row capacitors comprise first terminals and second row capacitors comprise second terminals. The first row and second row are parallel to each other along longitudinal and lateral axes. A third row has a first plurality of diodes and a fourth row has a second plurality of diodes, each row positioned cross-wise to the first row and located above the first and second rows along the vertical axis. The first diodes are positioned parallel to each other along the longitudinal and lateral axes, and the second diodes are parallel to each other along the longitudinal and lateral axes and positioned cross-wise to and above the first plurality along the vertical axis. Diodes and capacitors are directly and physically connected using respective electrical leads.
US09407210B2

An amplifier for amplifying signals is presented. A cascode power amplifies includes two or more adjacent cascode amplifiers and at least one remote cascode amplifier. The adjacent cascode amplifiers are lined up adjacent each other with inputs of the adjacent cascode amplifiers connected to a common input line and outputs of the of adjacent cascode amplifiers connected to a common output line. The adjacent cascode amplifiers generally operate in parallel. The remote cascode amplifier is spaced apart from the adjacent cascade amplifiers. An input transmission line connects an input of the remote cascode amplifier to the common input line. An output transmission line connects an output of the remote cascode amplifier to the common output line. Amplified outputs of the adjacent cascode amplifiers and amplified outputs of the remote cascode amplifier are power combined and summed into a coherent amplified output signal that is output on the output transmission line.
US09407203B2

A method for generating a compound signal wave with one or more substantially sinusoidal waveform(s) containing an encoded digital information combined with a variable phase changing waveform(s) producing a compound sinusoid waveform that includes at least a sine wave that is amplitude-time modulated and at least one phase modulated wave(s).
US09407175B2

A system supplies power from an AC voltage source to an electrical device. The system includes a plurality of AC/DC voltage converters having inputs connected to the AC voltage source and outputs connected to an electrical conductor. The system also includes a plurality of DC voltage converters, each having an input side connected to the electrical conductor and an output side connected to the electrical device. A converted DC or AC voltage is supplied to the electrical device. The system also includes a data coupling device coupled to the electrical conductor. The data coupling device allows communication with the electrical device via the electrical conductor using signals associated with a first frequency range while power is supplied to the electrical device via the electrical conductor. The system further includes clocking frequencies associated with one or more of the AC/DC converters being phase shifted with respect to each other to shift clocking noise from the first frequency range to a second frequency range and clocking frequencies associated with one or more of the DC voltage converters being phase shifted with respect to each other to shift clocking noise from the first frequency range to the second frequency range.
US09407174B2

A shovel includes an internal combustion engine whose revolution speed is controlled to be constant, a hydraulic pump connected to the internal combustion engine, a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, and a control unit for controlling the generator, wherein the control unit causes the generator to perform an electrical power generating operation in a case where a load on the hydraulic pump is increasing.
US09407172B2

A vibration power generator comprises: a fixed substrate; a vibrating body having a surface opposed to the fixed substrate, the vibrating body being vibratable to the fixed substrate; electret electrodes aligned in a vibration direction on one of the surface of the fixed substrate and the surface of the vibrating body; and first fixed electrodes and second fixed electrodes alternately aligned in the vibration direction on the other thereof, wherein when the vibrating body is at a resting position, each of the electret electrodes overlaps with both electrodes of a corresponding fixed electrode pair, the corresponding fixed electrode pair being one of the first fixed electrodes and one of the second fixed electrodes that are opposed to the electret electrode, and when the vibrating body is not at a resting position, each of the electret electrodes always overlaps with at least one electrode of the corresponding fixed electrode pair.
US09407171B2

A controller connected to the gate, cathode and anode of a thyristor, may be configured such that in response to the anode being provided with a voltage, the controller activates the thyristor to allow current flow between the anode and the gate in a first instance and to allow current flow between the gate and the cathode in a second instance so as to provide the cathode with an enhanced voltage, the enhanced voltage being an enhancement of the voltage at the anode.
US09407163B2

A power converter device includes a double-sided electrode module that converts direct current power to alternating current power, a heat dissipating base, a capacitor module, a positive electrode conductor plate, and a negative electrode conductor plate. In the heat dissipating base, heat dissipation surfaces, facing one another, of the double-sided electrode module facing to one another are held with insulation layers being present between the heat dissipating base and the heat dissipation surfaces. The capacitor module constitutes a smoothing circuit for inhibiting fluctuation in DC voltage. The positive electrode conductor plate and the negative electrode conductor plate transmit electric power between the capacitor module and the double-sided electrode module.
US09407157B2

A fraction rated conversion system for coupling a plurality of high voltage direct current (HVDC) power strings in parallel to an HVDC transmission system includes at least one fraction rated power converter coupled to the plurality of HVDC power strings and at least one capacitive device coupled to the at least one fraction rated power converter. The at least one fraction rated power converter and the at least one capacitive device regulate a differential voltage across each HVDC power string of the plurality of HVDC power strings to be substantially similar to each other.
US09407150B2

A system includes a power converter configured to convert input power into output power. The power converter includes first and second converter bridges, where each converter bridge includes multiple transistors. The system also includes a zero-voltage switching (ZVS) assistance circuit having first and second inverse controlled rectifiers (ICRs). Each of the first and second ICRs is configured to provide current to the transistors in the first and second converter bridges. The system further includes a controller configured to control operation of the first and second converter bridges and the ZVS assistance circuit. The controller could include a phase-shift modulation (PSM) controller configured to control the converter bridges and a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller configured to control the ZVS assistance circuit. The PWM controller can be configured to apply pre-shaped voltages to transistors in regulators of the ICRs to enable substantially zero-loss turn-off commutation of the transistors in the regulators.
US09407149B2

A buck converting controller, adapted to control a DC-DC buck converting circuit to convert an input voltage into an output voltage, is disclosed. The buck converting controller comprises a feedback control circuit, an off-time determination circuit and a load control circuit. The feedback control circuit turns on and off a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor of the DC-DC buck converting circuit in response to a feedback signal indicative of the output voltage. The off-time determination circuit determines a preset off-time period according to the input voltage and the output voltage and generates an off notice signal according to the preset off-time period. The load control circuit is coupled to the DC-DC buck converting circuit and determines whether to release an electronic energy stored in the DC-DC buck converting circuit according to the off notice signal.
US09407148B2

A multi-phase SMPS has N switching circuits; a setting signal generator generating a setting signal based on an output signal of the SMPS; a clock signal generator generating a system clock signal; and a controller receiving the setting signal and the system clock signal, the controller generating N shifted phase clock signals according to the system clock signal, and the N shifted phase clock signals forming loop phase clocks, and the controller further generates N switching control signals based on the setting signal and the N shifted phase clock signals.
US09407147B2

A multiphase converter controller with current balance, configured to control a plural converting circuit to commonly supply an output voltage, is disclosed. The multiphase converter controller comprises a feedback circuit, a fixed on-time circuit, and a multiphase logical circuit. The feedback circuit detects the output voltage to generate a feedback control signal. The fixed on-time circuit generates an on-time signal according to the feedback control signal, and a pulse width of the on-time signal is determined according to a single timer. The multiphase logical circuit chooses a corresponding converting circuit, generates a phase signal according to a sequence of the feedback control signal and controls the corresponding converting circuit according to the on-time signal. Wherein, the fixed on-time circuit determines a correction value according to currents of the plural converting circuit and the phase signal, so as to correct the pulse width of the on-time signal.
US09407126B2

The invention refers to a direct drive electric generator for a wind turbine provided with rotor salient poles and a ladder-like cryostat for housing superconductive coils and keeping them at a cryogenic temperature while the interior of the cryostat is kept free of coolant.The invention achieves optimal thermal insulation of the coils without the need of a continuous re-filling of the cryostat and ensuring a good distribution of the magnetic field avoiding the use of expensive materials.
US09407116B2

A multi-gap type rotary electric machine is provided, where the machine is provided a shaft supported rotatably by a baring secured to a housing. An annular rotor is secured to the shaft and configured to rotate together with the shaft. Double stators are secured to the housing and configured to have gaps between the stators and the rotor. Relationships of: 3.50.5   (2) are met, where P6 denotes a circumferential width of each of outer salient poles, P7 denotes a circumferential width of each of inner salient poles, and P13 denotes a circumferential width of each of the outer magnets.
US09407114B2

Provided are a network system and a method of controlling the network system supplied with energy from an energy generation component. The network system includes an energy consumption component consuming the energy generated from the energy generation component, and driving a driving component for processing or managing a consumable. The energy consumption component is provided with one or more courses classified according to a determination factor related to the consumable. The determination factor includes a performance factor denoting a processed or managed result of the consumable. One of the courses is recommended as a driving course when the energy consumption component recognizes information about the consumable.
US09407107B2

In an apparatus for adjusting charging power of a wireless power receiver, when one or more wireless power receivers require charging, it is determined whether the sum of required charging powers required by the one or more wireless power receivers exceeds maximum supplied power provided by a wireless power transmitter. When a result indicates that the sum exceeds the maximum supplied power, a control operation is performed to adjust the required charging power of each wireless power receiver. Therefore, it is possible to wirelessly charge each wireless power receiver without interruption.
US09407103B2

A method of charging a battery in a charging system having a power convertor that converts AC electrical power to DC electrical power, the method comprising generating a carrier signal having a carrier frequency that continuously varies between a minimum carrier frequency value and a maximum carrier frequency value, and operating a switching component of the power convertor using the carrier signal.
US09407093B2

Various techniques are employed alone or in combination, to reduce the levelized cost of energy imposed by a power plant system. Solar energy concentrators in the form of inflated reflectors, focus light onto photovoltaic receivers. Multiple concentrators are grouped into a series-connected cluster that shares control circuitry and support structure. Individual concentrators are maintained at their maximum power point via balance controllers that control the flow of current that shunts this series connection. DC current from clusters is transmitted moderate distances to a centralized inverter. The inductance of transmission lines is maximized using an air-spaced twisted pair, enhancing the performance of boost-type three phase inverters. Cluster outputs are separate from individual inverters in massively interleaved arrays co-located at a central location. Step-up transformers convert inverter voltages to grid voltages, and small transformers provide isolation and voltage step-up only on receiver-to-receiver imbalance currents, typically <20% of the total current.
US09407091B2

A connection device with electrostatic discharge protection includes a first interface including a plurality of signal pins for electrically connecting to a first electronic device, a second interface including a plurality of signal pins for electrically connecting to a second electronic device, a driving circuit coupled to a first signal pin of the plurality of signal pins of the first interface for generating a control signal according to a signal of the first signal pin, and a switch circuit coupled to the first interface, the second interface, and the driving circuit for controlling a conduction situation between the plurality of signal pins of the first interface and the plurality of signal pins of the second interface.
US09407090B1

A secondary protection device may receive a voltage surge. The voltage surge may be received based on a failure associated with a primary protection device. The secondary protection device may protect a piece of protected equipment from the voltage surge based on receiving the voltage surge. The secondary protection device may generate a failure notification based on protecting the piece of protected equipment from the voltage surge. The failure notification may indicate the failure associated with the primary protection device. The secondary protection device may provide the failure notification.
US09407075B1

A ganged electrical fitting having an integral cover plate and two or more electrical components, such as a switch, a receptacle, an outlet, a fan switch, a dimmer and combinations thereof, the ganged electrical component/cover plate being secured via screws through the cover plate into a wall box. Electrical component wires are secured to power wires coming from the wall box via quick-connectors or wirenuts.
US09407073B2

A guiding support for guiding a transmission line is disclosed having a holding structure positioned on a rear end and engageable with a fixation member of an end cap. A seat is positioned on a front end of the guiding support, and is engageable with an adapter member of a terminal. A first transmission line receiving channel is positioned along a longitudinal axis of the guiding support from the rear end to the front end.
US09407062B2

A wavelength tracking Fabry-Perot Laser Diode (F-P LD), and an optical transmitter including the same are disclosed, the wavelength keepable F-P LD including a gain section configured to provide and modulate a gain using an injected first current; and a phase shift/modulation section configured to vary wavelength relative to oscillation mode of light advanced from the gain section by injected second current or voltage and to modulate phases.
US09407058B2

In a method of stabilizing pump energy, a gain medium is provided having an absorption coefficient that varies with wavelength. An absorption coefficient curve of the absorption coefficient or a range of wavelengths comprises peaks and valleys. Pump energy is generated at an operating wavelength within one of the valleys, at which the absorption coefficient is approximately at a minimum. The pump energy is transmitted through the gain medium. A portion of the pump energy is absorbed with the gain medium and laser light is emitted from the gain medium responsive to the absorbed pump energy. The non-absorbed pump energy (feedback pump energy) is fed back to the pump module. The operating wavelength of the pump energy is stabilized using the feedback pump energy.
US09407057B2

The present disclosure discloses a CO2 laser and a method for the CO2 laser. The CO2 laser comprises an unstable laser cavity in the form of a first optical resonator having a semi-transparent output coupler (3), a laser medium (2) in the unstable laser cavity, and means (1) for exciting the laser medium (2). A part of the laser beam propagating beyond the light aperture of the output coupler (3) is directed to a second resonator, the second resonator comprising at least one focusing member (6), and the optical length of the second resonator being equal or multiple to the optical length of the first optical resonator. The part of the laser beam passing through the focal plane of the focusing member (6) is modulated by using a Q-switching device (8) in a manner that the excitation of the laser medium is in synchrony with the operation of the Q-switching device (8).
US09407049B2

A device connector to be mounted and fixed to a case of a device includes a case-side connector to be fixed to the case by fitting a tool such as an impact wrench to a bolt head provided on a fixing bolt and tightening the fixing bolt into the case, a mating connector to be connected to the case-side connector and fixed to the case by tightening a connecting bolt into the case with the mating connector mounted on the case-side connector, and an access prohibiting portion provided on the mating connector and configured to prohibit the tool from being fitted to the bolt head by being arranged in proximity to the bolt head of the fixing bolt when the mating connector is mounted on the case-side connector.
US09407048B2

A protective case for a portable electronic device which incorporates a spool assembly containing a user dispensable and retractable Industry standard or OEM charge/sync cable. The case provides the user with the utility of always having a charge/sync cable available when needed while being discreetly housed in a low-profile ergonomically pleasing package. The case and spool assembly provide the user with up to 3 Ft or more of cable available for dispensing from the case while allowing the portable electronic device to be charged/synced at any desired dispensed length of cable, and can be manufactured using any thermoplastic, metal, wood, or composite. The dispensed cable and connector can be rewound onto the spool manually using the spool finger pockets.
US09407047B1

An electrical connector assembly having a connector body and a conductive terminal disposed within a cavity in the connector body. The terminal is held within the cavity by a rigid stop tab and a flexible lock tab that engage the ends of the connector body. A flexible bias tab having a fixed end attached to the body of the terminal and a free end extending outward laterally from the body of the terminal is configured to engage an inner wall of the cavity and urge the body of the terminal into contact with an opposite inner wall of the cavity, thereby inhibiting lateral movement of the terminal within the cavity. The bias tab may further limit rotational movement of the terminal within the cavity. The bias tab and/or any other feature of the terminal do not engage a locking feature located within the cavity.
US09407045B2

An electrical connector includes a housing, signal contacts, and ground shields. The housing extends between a front end and a rear end and defines a cavity at the front end. The signal contacts are held by the housing and are arranged in pairs carrying differential signals. The signal contacts have mating ends in the cavity for mating with a mating connector. The ground shields are held by the housing and extend along the signal contacts in the cavity. The ground shields have center walls and side walls surrounding associated pairs of the signal contacts on at least two sides thereof. The ground shields each have a commoning feature extending outward from a corresponding side wall. The commoning feature mechanically engages another ground shield in a group of ground shields to electrically join the ground shields of the group within the cavity.
US09407041B2

An anti-disengaging mechanism of a cable connector includes a power connector having a jack opening. The power connector also has a metal electrode and a ring buckle located within the jack opening. A plug has a plug pin. When the plug pin is inserted into the jack opening, the ring buckle surrounds the plug pin. A longitudinal sliding pushrod is set in the power connector so that when the longitudinal sliding pushrod is in a first position, the longitudinal sliding pushrod tilts the ring buckle so as to lock the plug pin in the jack opening. When the longitudinal sliding pushrod is in a second position, the ring buckle releases the plug pin.
US09407035B2

In an electronic device unit, each of the contact terminals includes a first member coupled to a press-fitting and fixing portion through intermediation of an elastically deformable portion, and a second member being coupled to the first member through intermediation of a folding portion and including a pressure bending portion formed at a terminal end of the second member. An end surface covering resin formed on the circuit board presses a pressure bending portion so that a conductive contact portion formed at the folding portion of the first member is pressed against the board-side terminal substantially in a right-angle direction. Thus, sliding contact between the conductive contact portion and the board-side terminal is diminished.
US09407033B2

A touch screen device includes an electric power receptacle configured for being spill resistant. The electric power receptacle provides a fluidly isolated environment for each contact thereby allowing the electric power receptacle to pass a dielectric withstand test.
US09407030B2

A method of producing cut-to-length flexible electrical cords includes providing a flexible strip having a plurality of electrically conductive lines extending along the strip, arranging along said strip a plurality of electrical connectors including a plurality of tubular electrical conductors extending in a bridge-like manner between two subsequent portions of one of the conductive lines of said plurality, separating a portion of a given length from said flexible strip by cutting at least one said connector in a transverse plane, thus cutting the plurality of tubular electrical conductors in the cut connector, whereby said portion separated from said flexible strip forms a flexible electrical cord having, at one end at least, a plurality of electrical connection holes or sockets exposed as a result of the cutting of said tubular conductors.
US09407028B2

An electrical connector assembly is disclosed having a connector housing and a radiator securing member. The connector housing has at least one first protrusion formed with a locking tab receiving recess on a first stopping surface thereof. The radiator securing member has at least one first fastener engaged with the locking tab receiving recess of the first protrusion to connect the connector housing with the radiator securing member.
US09407027B2

A device connector (10) includes conductive members (18) that electrically connect a device (11) and a mating connector (13) and a device-side housing (26) in which the conductive members (18) are held. The device-side housing (26) includes primary molded parts (36) in which the conductive member (18) is arranged and include a nut holding portion (37) for holding a nut (35) and a secondary molded part (42) that is formed integrally to the primary molded parts (36) and includes a receptacle (30) into which the mating connector (13) is to be fitted. The conductive member (18) includes a mating terminal connecting portion (34) to be connected to a mating terminal (17). The nut (35) is arranged in the receptacle (30) and a bolt (19) inserted through the mating terminal (17) and the mating terminal connecting portion (34) and is engaged with the nut (35).
US09407025B2

In the process of inserting a terminal fitting (90) into a cavity (20) of a housing (10), a stabilizer (95) enters a guiding groove (31) and an inserting operation of the terminal fitting (90) is guided. The front end of the guiding groove (31) defines a closed end part (32). When a retainer (60) is mounted into the housing (10), locking portions (66) are inserted into communication holes (33) and locked to the closed end parts (32) of the guiding grooves (31), thereby preventing the retainer (60) from coming out of the housing (10).
US09407023B2

A transmission module includes a connector component including a connector side substrate having a terminal component including a ground terminal and a data terminal, and a signal processing component mounted on the connector side substrate for processing a high frequency signal having a frequency higher than that of a data signal inputted or outputted via the data terminal; and a transmission cable component for transmitting the high frequency signal including a cable side substrate having a flexibility on which a cable side ground layer electrically connected to the ground terminal and a signal line to which the high frequency signal is transmitted are formed, the cable side ground layer being disposed at least at lower and upper sides of the signal line as a part including the cable side ground layer of the cable side substrate is folded.
US09407020B2

Connector receptacles that have a reduced height when combined with a printed circuit board and reduce wasted space inside an electronic device. One example provides a connector receptacle having contacts that may connect to edge contacts along an edge of a printed circuit board. This edge may be formed along a side of printed circuit board, by a hole or opening in a printed circuit board, or by a notch in a printed circuit board. Edge contacts may have straight surfaces, rounded surfaces, or they may have other types of surfaces. Connector receptacle contacts may have a “U,” fishhook, or other shape.
US09407019B2

A connection module includes a housing having a housing base and a housing upper surface. The housing is configured to fix to a mounting rail via the housing base via a pivoting movement of the housing. The connection module includes a plurality of connection elements arranged in the housing, and at least one jumper insertion opening for receiving a jumper. The jumper is disposed in a transverse side of the housing. The connection module includes a contact element for forming an electrical contact with the jumper. The contact element is arranged in the jumper insertion opening. The jumper insertion opening extends in the direction of insertion of the jumper into the jumper insertion opening from the housing base towards the housing upper surface at an angle α of between 20 and 70 degrees to a transverse axis of the housing.
US09407015B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically disconnecting a power source in an electronic device. A data storage device is disclosed comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) and an electrical connector secured to the PCB, the electrical connector including a power pin having a power input contact portion configured to receive power from a communication interface connector, a substantially straight portion connected between the power input contact portion and a bend in the power pin, and an output arm connected between the bend at a first end and a power output contact portion at a second end, the power output contact portion being configured to be electrically coupled to the PCB via an electrical connection medium. The bend causes the output arm to lift away from the PCB when a bond between the power output contact portion and the electrical connection medium is broken.
US09407012B2

A wireless device having a mountable antenna element and an antenna array that operate simultaneously and efficiently on a circuit board within a wireless device. The mountable antenna element may be coupled to a ground layer of the circuit board. The antenna array may include dipole antennas incorporated within the circuit board and positioned within a close proximity to the ground layer. One or more stubs may be implemented on the circuit board near the dipole antenna array. Each antenna stub may create an impedance in the dipole elements which enable the antenna elements to operate efficiently while positioned in close proximity to the circuit board ground layer.
US09407009B2

An antenna coil device including: a connector unit mounted with a connector of an external circuit detachably by being plugged-in; and a base unit provided with an antenna body including a coil, in which the connector unit and the base unit are constituted by separate members and are used by being combined integrally each other, wherein for the connector unit and the base unit, there are formed a connector fitting portion and a base fitting portion which are formed with a concave and a convex in a direction intersecting with respect to the plug-in direction of the connector unit, and by fitting the connector fitting portion and the base fitting portion, the connector unit and the base unit are combined in a state in which the antenna body is positioned with respect to the connector unit.
US09407006B1

An antenna having a radiator comprising a conduct in a closed path driven by a plurality of microstrips connecting the radiator to a common, single feed and to a ground plane, with the radiator lying in a plane parallel to that of the ground plane. The radiator may be annular, with the feed located in its center. The relative location of the feed on the microstrips allows a lower input impedance to be leveraged to match a higher load impedance of the radiator. A single-ended input drives all points of the radiator substantially in phase. In another embodiment, the antenna comprises a cylindrical choke one-quarter wavelength in length placed around the coax feed and connected to the underside of the ground plane.
US09406996B2

A window assembly includes an electrically conductive transparent layer and an antenna element disposed on a substrate. The antenna element includes a first antenna segment and a second antenna segment. The first antenna segment is elongated and disposed in an outer region devoid of the transparent layer. The second antenna segment extends from the first antenna segment toward the transparent layer such that the second antenna segment crosses a periphery of the transparent layer. The second antenna segment abuts and is in direct electrical contact with the transparent layer. A feeding element is coupled to the antenna element and energizes the first and second antenna segments and the transparent layer such that the first and second antenna segments and the transparent layer collectively transmit and/or receive radio frequency signals.
US09406995B2

The present concept a helical antenna boom assembly includes a boom assembly, including a boom, and a plurality of rods and stays, each rod operably attached at an upper end of the boom and connected to one end of the stay. The boom assembly includes dish arms operably attached at a lower end of the boom, each dish arm connected to the other end of the stay, wherein the boom assembly moveable between an extended position, and a boom assembly collapsed position, such that in the extended position the stays are held under tension between the dish arms and the rods. The stays are also attached to a helical coil such that the tensioned stays support the helical coil in its correct helical geometry.
US09406985B2

An energy storage device structure comprises a first electrode layer, an electrolyte layer and a second electrode layer. At least one of the electrode layers comprise a metallic base layer, a layer of carbon nanotubes grown on the base layer and a layer of carbon nanoparticles disposed on the carbon nanotube layer, the carbon nanoparticle layer being arranged to face the electrolyte layer. The structure has much larger width and length than thickness, so it is rolled up or folded and then hermetically sealed to form an energy storage unit. The layer of carbon nanotubes is grown on the metallic base layer by a chemical vapor deposition process at a temperature no higher than 550° C. The carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer are at least partially aligned in a direction that is perpendicular to the surface of the metallic base layer.
US09406984B2

A high voltage battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells stacked in an array. The array is covered on its ends by a pair of opposing end plates, and is covered on its sides by a pair of opposing sidewalls. The sidewalls partially cover upper surfaces of the battery cells. Internal channels provide gaps between the sides of the battery cells and the interior surfaces of the sidewalls. An external channel is vertically spaced from the internal channel and is defined by the exterior surfaces of the sidewalls. Brackets secure the end plates to the sidewalls by at least partially extending into the external channels of the sidewalls.
US09406978B2

The present invention relates to a power storage device including: a positive electrode having a positive-electrode current collector, a positive-electrode active material with a plurality of first projections on the positive-electrode current collector, and a first insulator on an end of each of the plurality of first projections; a negative electrode having a negative-electrode current collector, a negative-electrode active material with a plurality of second projections on a surface of the negative-electrode current collector, and a second insulator on an end of each of the plurality of second projections; a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an electrolyte provided in a space between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and containing carrier ions. In each of the first projections and the second projections, a ratio of the height to the width is 3 or more and 1000 or less to 1, i.e. (3 to 1000):1.
US09406977B2

Provide are fluorinated cyclic and acyclic carbonate solvent compositions such as various fluorine substituted 1,3-dioxolane-2-one compounds and fluorine substituted 1,3-dioxane-2-one compounds, which are useful as electrolyte solvents for lithium ion batteries.
US09406974B2

In an aspect, an additive for an electrolyte of a lithium battery, the additive including a compound including at least three nitrile moieties is provided.
US09406971B2

A product, and a method for forming a product, that includes a composite material having a polymeric carrier resin and a shape memory polymer material capable of transformation between a temporary shape and a permanent shape in the presence of an external stimuli, wherein said transformation from said temporary shape to said permanent shape changes at least one property of said composite material.
US09406967B2

Provided is a method for producing a lithium secondary cell with which the concentrated precipitation of metal impurities at the negative electrode is inhibited and short circuiting is unlikely to occur. The production method includes, assembling together the positive electrode, the separator, and the negative electrode, and then impregnating the assembly with the nonaqueous electrolyte; charging the assembly within 1 min so that a maximum achieved potential of the positive electrode becomes 3.2 V or more with respect to the redox potential of lithium; allowing the assembly to stand for 10 min or less after the charging has ended; and discharging the assembly within 1 min after the standing step.
US09406956B2

A closed loop type fuel cell system performs a removal function for an oxidant and a reductant, which are unreacted material, including a recirculating component for recirculating the oxidant and the reductant discharged from the main fuel cell back into the main fuel cell; and a regenerating component for removing moisture produced during the operation of the main fuel cell and impurities contained in the recirculated oxidant and reductant.
US09406947B2

A metallic plate for a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) having, on at least one of its surfaces, a coating including: conductive material fillers; a polymer used as a binder; and a metal cation absorbing compound.
US09406941B2

A catalyst layer includes a layered structure. The layered structure is laminated with sheet-like unit catalysts and pore layers. The sheet-like unit catalysts have mean thicknesses of 4 to 30 nm. The pore layers are sandwiched between the sheet-like unit catalysts.
US09406935B2

A main object of the present invention is to provide an anode active material capable of increasing energy density at the same time increasing battery safety, and a metal ion battery prepared with the anode active material. The present invention is an anode active material including an element that belongs to alunite group capable to insert and remove an ion(s) of at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of alkali metal elements and alkaline-earth metal elements, and a metal ion battery having a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte filled between the cathode and the anode, the electrolyte conducting a metal ion(s), wherein the anode active material is contained in the anode.
US09406930B2

Provided is a lithium composite oxide having a uniform and suitable particle size and high specific surface area due to a hollow structure that can be produced on an industrial scale. A nickel composite hydroxide as a raw material thereof is obtained controlling the particle size distribution of the nickel composite hydroxide, the nickel composite hydroxide having a structure comprising a center section that comprises minute primary particles, and an outer-shell section that exists on the outside of the center section and comprises plate shaped primary particles that are larger than the primary particles of the center section, by a nucleation process and a particle growth process that are separated by controlling the pH during crystallization, and by controlling the reaction atmosphere in each process and the manganese content in a metal compound that is supplied in each process.
US09406928B2

Provided is a method for manufacturing the positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the method comprising: a first step, wherein an alkaline solution with a tungsten compound dissolved therein is added to and mixed with a lithium metal composite oxide powder represented by a general formula LizNi1—x—yCoxMyO2 (wherein, 0.10≦x≦0.35, 0≦y≦0.35, 0.97≦Z≦1.20, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti, and Al), including primary particles and secondary particles composed of aggregation of the primary particles, and thereby W is dispersed on a surface of the primary particles; and a second step, wherein, by heat treating the mixture of the alkaline solution with the tungsten compound dissolved therein and the lithium metal composite oxide powder, fine particles containing W and Li are formed on a surface of the primary particles.
US09406927B1

A method of preparing an anode for a Li-ion Battery comprises mixing metal particles containing at least one of Ge, Sn and Si particles with carbon particles to form a mixture, and deoxidizing the metal particles by heating the mixture in a vacuum atmosphere in a range of 10−3 to 10−6 mbar for 60-100 hours at a temperature in a range of 150 to 350° C. to form a deoxidized mixture, the deoxidation improves the Li ion absorption performance of the anode.
US09406923B2

In order to allow a standardized high-capacity cell to selectively have high-output or high-capacity characteristics, a secondary battery includes a can for accommodating an electrode assembly and an electrolyte; a cap assembly mounted on the can; first metal foil attached on a top surface of the cap assembly or a bottom surface of the can; a circuit protection element attached on the first metal foil; and second metal foil attached on the circuit protection element, wherein a size and a shape of the second metal foil is determined such that a portion of the second metal foil does not overlap the circuit protection element.
US09406921B2

A prismatic secondary battery is provided with a negative/positive electrode collector (18), which are disposed on either one of a wound negative/positive electrode substrate exposed portion (15), and a negative/positive electrode collector receiving member (19) which is disposed on another surface. At least one of the negative/positive electrode collector has a recess portion (30) formed in part on a surface on the side not facing the negative/positive electrode substrate exposed portions so as to be thinner than the thickness of the other portion. Resistance welding is carried out in this recessed part, thereby a large welding nugget is formed between the negative/positive electrode exposed portion and the negative/positive electrode collector.
US09406913B2

A battery pack is provided for a mobile communication device, comprising a casing defining a cavity that conforms, at least partially, to the outer shape of the mobile communication device and one or more rechargeable power cells housed within the thickness of the casing. An internal interface engages a corresponding interface on the mobile communication device to provide power from the one or more rechargeable cells to the mobile communication device. An external interface is electrically coupled to the internal interface in order to transmit signals from the mobile communication device to an external device and may further serve to recharge the one or more rechargeable power cells. The battery pack may also serve as an extendible platform by providing additional integrated communication interfaces and/or processors that can be utilized by the mobile communication device to extend its communication and/or processing capabilities.
US09406911B2

A method of manufacturing a substrate for a display device includes forming a first organic layer on a base substrate; forming an inorganic layer on the first organic layer; and forming a second organic layer on the inorganic layer, where the second organic layer includes transition metal particles.
US09406909B2

An organic light emitting transistor increases the amount of charge induced into an organic layer, and a display device includes the organic light emitting transistor. The organic light emitting transistor includes a substrate, an organic semiconductor layer positioned on the substrate, a source electrode and a drain electrode spaced apart from each other while contacting the organic semiconductor layer, a gate electrode insulated from the organic semiconductor layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode and positioned to overlap the organic semiconductor layer, and an auxiliary electrode overlapping the source electrode or the drain electrode.
US09406908B2

Disclosed is an organic light emitting device comprising an anode; a cathode; and a plurality of stacks formed between the anode and the cathode. The plurality of stacks respectively emit their respective light of colors different from one another, wherein the plurality of stacks include a stack emitting blue light and a stack emitting mixed light of blue light and yellow-green to red light. Because the organic light emitting device includes a stack emitting blue light and a stack emitting mixed light of yellow-green to red light and blue light, blue light having a relatively low efficiency may be emitted from the two stacks, whereby overall light emitting efficiency is improved.
US09406903B2

An objective is to increase the reliability of a light emitting device structured by combining TFTs and organic light emitting elements. A TFT (1201) and an organic light emitting element (1202) are formed on the same substrate (1203) as structuring elements of a light emitting device (1200). A first insulating film (1205) which functions as a blocking layer is formed on the substrate (1203) side of the TFT (1201), and a second insulating film (1206) is formed on the opposite upper layer side as a protective film. In addition, a third insulating film (1207) which functions as a barrier film is formed on the lower layer side of the organic light emitting element (1202). The third insulating film (1207) is formed by an inorganic insulating film such as a silicon nitride film, a silicon oxynitride film, an aluminum nitride film, an aluminum oxide film, or an aluminum oxynitride film. A fourth insulating film (1208) and a partitioning layer (1209) formed on the upper layer side of the organic light emitting element (1202) are formed using similar inorganic insulating films.
US09406901B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the organic light-emitting display apparatus. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate; a display unit on the substrate; and an encapsulating layer encapsulating the display unit. The encapsulating layer is formed of a low-temperature viscosity transition inorganic material. The encapsulating layer includes nitrogen.
US09406897B2

An organic electroluminescent element includes a layer having a shallower LUMO and a higher T1 than those of the first light-emitting layer on the anode side of the first light-emitting layer, and a layer which satisfies at least one of a deeper LUMO and includes a lower T1 than those of the second light-emitting layer on the anode side of the second light-emitting layer, and provides the organic electroluminescent element capable of suppressing the lowering of display quality.
US09406896B2

A pre-patterned substrate has a supporting material, a plurality of segments on the supporting material, a plurality of interdigitated line structures within each segment to allow formation of features, and an isolation region between the segments.
US09406895B2

To provide a novel organometallic complex, and light emitting elements, light emitting devices, and electronic devices which include the organometallic complex. In addition, to provide a composition in which the organometallic complex is dissolved and to provide a method for manufacturing light emitting elements using the composition. An organometallic complex has high solubility in a solvent. In the organometallic complex, the ligand including a pyrazine skeleton is bound to an atom belonging to Group 9 (Co, Rh, or Ir) or an atom belonging to Group 10 (Ni, Pd, or Pt). In addition, the light emission efficiency is high. Therefore, the organometallic complex is preferably used for manufacturing a light emitting element.
US09406887B2

A solution includes an organic solvent and a compound dissolved in the organic solvent, having the following formula (1): wherein R1 represents an aromatic group which may have a substituent or an alkyl group which may have a substituent; R2 and R3 independently represent an alkyl group which may have a substituent, an alkoxy group which may have a substituent, an alkylthio group which may have a substituent or a hydrogen atom, and may form a ring together; X represents an alkyl group having 4 to 6 carbon atoms, which may have a substituent; and n represents 1, 2 or 3.
US09406885B2

A coating apparatus includes a stage supporting a coating target, a coating part on the stage, the coating part being configured to apply a coating material onto the coating target, and a heating source opposite to and spaced apart from the stage, the heating source being configured to supply heat to the coating target after application of the coating material onto the coating target.
US09406880B2

Resistive memory having confined filament formation is described herein. One or more method embodiments include forming an opening in a stack having a silicon material and an oxide material on the silicon material, and forming an oxide material in the opening adjacent the silicon material, wherein the oxide material formed in the opening confines filament formation in the resistive memory cell to an area enclosed by the oxide material formed in the opening.
US09406877B2

A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a multilevel wiring layer structure on the semiconductor substrate; and a variable resistance element in the multilevel wiring layer structure, wherein the variable resistance element comprises a variable resistance element film whose resistance changes between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, wherein the multilevel wiring layer structure comprises at least a wiring electrically connected to the bottom electrode and a plug electrically connected to the top electrode, and wherein the wiring also serves as the bottom electrode.
US09406875B2

A magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) integration compatible with shrinking device technologies includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) formed in a common interlayer metal dielectric (IMD) layer with one or more logic elements. The MTJ is connected to a bottom metal line in a bottom IMD layer and a top via connected to a top IMD layer. The MTJ substantially extends between one or more bottom cap layers configured to separate the common IMD layer and the bottom IMD layer and one or more top cap layers configured to separate the common IMD layer and the top IMD layer. The MTJ can include a top electrode to connect to the top via or be directly connected to the top via through a hard mask for smaller device technologies. The logic elements include vias, metal lines, and semiconductor devices.
US09406872B1

A technique relates to a semiconductor device. First metal contacts are formed on top of a substrate. The first metal contacts are arranged in a first direction, and the first metal contacts are arranged such that areas of the substrate remain exposed. Insulator pads are positioned at predefined locations on top of the first metal contacts, such that the insulator pads are spaced from one another. Second metal contacts are formed on top of the insulator pads, such that the second metal contacts are arranged in a second direction different from the first direction. The first and second metal contacts sandwich the insulator pads at the predefined locations. Surface-sensitive conductive channels are formed to contact the first metal contacts and the second metal contacts. Four-terminal devices are defined by the surface-sensitive conductive channels contacting a pair of the first metal contacts and contacting a pair of the metal contacts.
US09406871B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive element is disclosed. The magnetoresistive element includes a reference layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a storage layer. The storage layer includes a first region and a second region provided outside the first region to surround the first region, the second region including element included in the first region and another element being different from the element. The magnetoresistive element further includes a cap layer including a third region and a fourth region provided outside the third region to surround the third region, the fourth region including an element included in the third region and the another element.
US09406864B2

A nanogenerator and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The nanogenerator includes a boron nitride atomic layer, and a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the boron nitride atomic layer.
US09406863B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating electromechanical composite high-frequency oscillations includes, with a composite high-frequency oscillation system having at least one oscillation-generating element and at least one bracing element for applying pressure to the oscillation-generating element, wherein the bracing element is positioned outside of the material cross-section of at least one oscillation-generating element.
US09406861B2

A piezoelectric element, which is capable of being driven with a relatively low voltage and obtaining a large displacement amount at a central portion thereof and is not degraded in characteristics over time and is easily mountable on or in a piezoelectric device, includes a piezoelectric body including a plurality of laminated piezoelectric layers, ground electrodes, central electrodes, and peripheral electrodes. A surface of the piezoelectric body includes first to fifth terminals. The extraction of the ground terminals, the central electrodes, and the peripheral electrodes to the first to fifth terminals is configured to connect one terminal of an alternating-current power supply to the third terminal and connect the other terminal of the alternating-current power supply to the first terminal and the second terminal.
US09406858B2

An object is to provide an LED module that eliminates the need for providing electrodes between each device and allows LEDs to be arrayed with high density. An LED module includes a substrate, a first frame member, a second frame member disposed outside the first frame member, a plurality of LEDs for producing white light disposed within the first frame member, a phosphor resin disposed within the first frame member, a plurality of LEDs for producing colored light disposed between the first frame member and the second frame member, and electrodes for applying a voltage to the plurality of LEDs for producing the white light, wherein a metal wire to connect the plurality of LEDs for producing the colored light to one another is disposed so as to straddle a part of each of the electrodes.
US09406855B2

Various apparatuses and methods are disclosed. An interconnect may include molding material configured to support a light-emitting device, and an electrical trace arranged with the molding material to electrically couple the light-emitting device to a power source, wherein the electrical trace has an electrical insulator on at least a portion thereof. A light-emitting apparatus may include a light-emitting device, molding material supporting the light-emitting device, and an electrical trace arranged with the molding material to electrically couple the light-emitting device to a power source, wherein the electrical trace has an electrical insulator on at least a portion thereof. A method of manufacturing may include providing an electrical trace having an electrical insulator on at least a portion thereof, and forming molding material capable of supporting a light-emitting device, wherein the molding material is formed with the electrical trace configured to electrically couple the light-emitting device to a power source.
US09406851B2

Surface-textured encapsulations for use with light emitting diodes. In an aspect, a light emitting diode (LED) array apparatus includes a plurality of LEDs mounted to a substrate and an encapsulation covering the LEDs and having a surface texturing configured to extract light, wherein the surface texturing is includes at least one light extracting feature having a diameter larger than two or more of the LEDs.
US09406843B2

Embodiments of the present disclosures are directed to improved approaches for achieving high-performance light extraction from a Group III-nitride volumetric LED chips. More particularly, disclosed herein are techniques for achieving high-performance light extraction from a Group III-nitride volumetric LED chip using surface and sidewall roughening.
US09406840B2

A device comprising a semiconductor layer including a plurality of compositional inhomogeneous regions is provided. The difference between an average band gap for the plurality of compositional inhomogeneous regions and an average band gap for a remaining portion of the semiconductor layer can be at least thermal energy. Additionally, a characteristic size of the plurality of compositional inhomogeneous regions can be smaller than an inverse of a dislocation density for the semiconductor layer.
US09406839B2

A nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device includes: a base layer formed of a first-conductivity type nitride semiconductor material; and a plurality of light emitting nanostructures disposed on the base layer to be spaced apart from each other, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting nanostructures includes: a nanocore formed of a first conductivity-type nitride semiconductor material, an active layer disposed on a surface of the nanocore and including a quantum well which is divided into first and second regions having different indium (In) composition ratios in a thickness direction thereof; and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer disposed on the active layer, and an In composition ratio in the first region is higher than an In composition ratio in the second region.
US09406838B2

According to one embodiment, a light-emitting element comprises: a first electrically-conductive semiconductor layer, a second electrically-conductive semiconductor layer; and an active layer which is disposed between the first electrically-conductive layer and the second electrically-conductive layer, and in which a well layer and a barrier layer are alternately laminated at least once. The active layer comprises: a first region which is disposed between a neighboring barrier layer and well layer, and linearly reduces the energy band gap; and a second region which is disposed between a neighboring well layer and barrier layer, and linearly increases the energy band gap. In the well layer, at least one first region and second region neighboring the same well layer have mutually different thicknesses.
US09406827B2

A holder for a solar module has a rectangular frame which has a peripheral side wall from at least one side of which there extends a leg that is directed toward the frame interior. The holder has a base plate with two receiving elements extending therefrom for receiving the leg. Each receiving element is assigned at least one support surface, attached to the base plate, for supporting the side wall, the spacing of said support surface from the receiving element being variable.
US09406824B2

The present disclosure relates to a nanopillar tunneling photovoltaic (“NPTPV”), and method for fabricating it. The NPTPV device has a regular array of semiconductor pillar cores formed on a substrate having a conductive surface. Layers of high-k material are formed on the cores to provide an efficient tunneling layer for electrons (or holes) generated by incident photons in the cores. Transparent conductive collector layers are formed on the tunneling layer to collect the tunneled carriers. An optimized deposition process, various surface preparations, an interfacial layer between the pillars and the high-k tunnel layer, and optimized pre- and post-deposition annealing reduce the interface trap density and thus reduce recombination prior to tunneling. The absence of a junction also reduces core recombination, resulting in a high short-circuit current. Modifying the collector material and core doping tunes the open-circuit voltage. Such NPTPVs result in large-scale low-cost PVs.
US09406815B2

A circuit includes a tap cell. The tap cell includes a well region, a first well pickup region in the well region, a VDD power rail and a VSS power rail spaced apart from the VDD power rail. The tap cell also includes a first jog extending from the VDD power rail toward the VSS power rail and forming a continuous region with the VDD power rail. The tap cell further comprises a first capacitor including a first gate electrode line acting as a first capacitor plate, and the first well pickup region acting as a part of a second capacitor plate. A first one of the first and second capacitor plates is overlapped by and connected to the first jog, and a second one of the first and second capacitor plates is coupled to the VSS power rail.
US09406812B1

A nonvolatile memory (“NVM”) bitcell includes a source and a drain formed in an active region of a substrate and separated by a channel region in the active region. A gate stack formed over the substrate includes a gate formed on an oxide and at least one sidewall spacer formed around the gate. A charge trapping layer is formed on an opposite side of the sidewall spacer from the gate, where at least a portion of the charge trapping layer acts as a floating gate for the bitcell. The bitcell further includes a salicide block covering the floating gate portion of the charge trapping layer. An contact (sometimes referred to as a bar contact) physically contacts the salicide block above the floating gate portion of the charge trapping layer.
US09406807B2

Exemplary embodiments of the invention disclose a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array panel having reduced overall processing time and providing a uniform crystallization. Exemplary embodiments of the invention also disclose a crystallization method of a thin film transistor, including forming on a substrate a semiconductor layer including a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a third pixel area. The crystallization method includes crystallizing a portion of the semiconductor layer corresponding to a channel region of a thin film transistor using a micro lens array.
US09406804B2

An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor fin over the semiconductor substrate, a gate stack on a top surface and a sidewall of the semiconductor fin, a source/drain region on a side of the gate stack, and a contact plug encircling a portion of the source/drain region.
US09406801B2

A fin type transistor includes a dielectric layer on a substrate surface which serves to isolate the gate of the transistor from the substrate. The dielectric layer includes a non-selectively etched surface to produce top portions of fin structures which have reduce height variations across the wafer. The fin type transistor may also include a counter doped region at least below the S/D regions to reduce parasitic capacitance to improve its performance.
US09406795B2

A trench gate MOSFET is provided. An epitaxial layer is disposed on a substrate. A body layer is disposed in the epitaxial layer. The epitaxial layer has a first trench therein, the body layer has a second trench therein, and the first trench is disposed below the second trench. A first insulating layer is disposed on a surface of the first trench. A second insulating layer is disposed in the first trench. A first conductive layer is disposed between the first and second insulating layers. A second conductive layer is disposed in the second trench. A third insulating layer is disposed between the second conductive layer and the body layer and between the second conductive layer and the first conductive layer. A dielectric layer is disposed on the epitaxial layer and covers the second conductive layer. Two doped regions are disposed in the body layer respectively beside the second trench.
US09406786B2

In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, a metal oxide film for preventing electrification which is in contact with the oxide semiconductor film and covers a source electrode and a drain electrode is formed. Then, oxygen is introduced (added) to the oxide semiconductor film through the metal oxide film and heat treatment is performed. Through these steps of oxygen introduction and heat treatment, impurities such as hydrogen, moisture, a hydroxyl group, or hydride are intentionally removed from the oxide semiconductor film, so that the oxide semiconductor film is highly purified. Further, by providing the metal oxide film, generation of a parasitic channel on a back channel side of the oxide semiconductor film can be prevented in the transistor.
US09406783B2

Methods and structures for forming strained-channel finFETs are described. Fin structures for finFETs may be formed using two epitaxial layers of different lattice constants that are grown over a bulk substrate. A first thin, strained, epitaxial layer may be cut to form strain-relieved base structures for fins. The base structures may be constrained in a strained-relieved state. Fin structures may be epitaxially grown in a second layer over the base structures. The constrained base structures can cause higher amounts of strain to form in the epitaxially-grown fins than would occur for non-constrained base structures.
US09406779B2

An integrated circuit may be formed by removing source/drain spacers from offset spacers on sidewalls of MOS transistor gates, forming a contact etch stop layer (CESL) spacer layer on lateral surfaces of the MOS transistor gates, etching back the CESL spacer layer to form sloped CESL spacers on the lateral surfaces of the MOS transistor gates with heights of ¼ to ¾ of the MOS transistor gates, forming a CESL over the sloped CESL spacers, the MOS transistor gates and the intervening substrate, and forming a PMD layer over the CESL.
US09406776B2

A method for fabricating an integrated circuit device is disclosed. An exemplary method comprises performing a gate replacement process to form a gate structure, wherein the gate replacement process includes an annealing process; after the annealing process, removing portions of a dielectric material layer to form a contact opening, wherein a portion of the substrate is exposed; forming a silicide feature on the exposed portion of the substrate through the contact opening; and filling the contact opening to form a contact to the exposed portion of the substrate.
US09406766B2

A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, which include a gate electrode material in a recess or a buried gate cell structure, a polysilicon material doped with impurities over a sidewall of a recess located over the gate electrode material, and a junction formed by an annealing or a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process, thereby establishing a degree overlap between a gate electrode material of a buried gate and a junction.
US09406765B1

Si/SiO2 core/shell nanostructures with sizes below 30 nm as trapping points in UV curable hybrid organic-inorganic gate dielectrics are presented in order to investigate printable nano floating gate transistors. Not only does the novelty of this invention comes from fabricating high-quality hybrid organic/inorganic gate dielectric layer by Sol-Gel process at low temperature but also incorporating the monolayer of high-density of Si nanoparticles (NPs) without obvious interface defects and keeping the quality of dielectric layers. Fixed-charge trapping defects are successfully removed from hybrid dielectrics by UV curing together with low temperature thermal curing and mobile charges solely related to Si/SiO2 core/shell nanostructures on charge trapping layer clearly demonstrate memory effects on printable device. Thin/uniform SiO2 shell on each Si NP functions as tunneling layer of flash memory devices, significantly simplifying the fabrication of printable nano floating gate memory device.
US09406759B2

A doping method using a three-step synthesis to make high-quality doped nanocrystals is provided. The first step includes synthesizing starting host particles. The second step includes dopant growth on the starting host particles. The third step includes final shell growth. In one embodiment, this method can be used to form Mn-doped CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals. The Mn dopant can be formed inside the CdS core, at the core/shell interface, and/or in the ZnS shell. The subject method allows precisely controlling the impurity radial position and doping level in the nanocrystals.
US09406752B2

A method of forming a source/drain region with an abrupt, vertical and conformal junction and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include forming a gate electrode over and perpendicular to a semiconductor fin; forming first spacers on opposite sides of the gate electrode; forming second spacers on opposite sides of the fin; forming a cavity in the fin adjacent the first spacers, between the second spacers; partially epitaxially growing source/drain regions in each cavity; implanting a first dopant into the partially grown source/drain regions with an optional RTA thereafter; epitaxially growing a remainder of the source/drain regions in the cavities, in situ doped with a second dopant; and implanting a third dopant in the source/drain regions.
US09406742B2

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The device includes an epitaxial layer on a substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer includes first trenches and second trenches alternately arranged along a first direction. The epitaxial layer between the adjacent first and second trenches includes a first doping region and a second doping region, and the first doping region and the second doping region have different conductivity types. An interface is between the first doping region and the second doping region to form a super-junction structure. A gate structure is on the epitaxial layer. The epitaxial layer under the gate structure includes a channel extending along a second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
US09406741B2

Designs and methodologies related to attenuators having a thin-film resistor assembly are disclosed. In some embodiments, the thin-film assembly can include a first and second thin-film resistor, each having a main portion with an input end and an output end. The input end of the first thin-film resistor is interconnected to the input end of the second thin-film resistors, and the output end of the first thin-film resistor is interconnected to the output end of the second thin-film resistor. The first and second thin-film resistors are disposed relative to one another so as to define a separation. The separation region reduces the likelihood of hot spot regions forming at or near the center of the thin-film structure and improves power handling capability for a given resistor width. Also disclosed are examples of how the foregoing features can be implemented in different products and methods of fabrication.
US09406732B2

An OLED display device is discussed which can include: a first substrate defined into an emission region and a non-emission region; a first electrode formed on the first substrate; a bank pattern configured to expose a part of the first electrode corresponding to the emission region; an organic emission layer formed on the exposed part of the first electrode corresponding to the emission region; a second electrode which includes a first conductive layer formed on the organic emission layer and a second conductive layer formed on the second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is formed from an alloy of magnesium (Mg) and silver (Ag), and the second conductive layer is formed from silver (Ag). Such an OLED display device allows the second electrode to include the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. As such, a large-sized display device with low resistance and high transmittance can be realized.
US09406730B2

A method of forming a polycrystalline silicon layer includes forming a first amorphous silicon layer and forming a second amorphous silicon layer such that the first amorphous silicon layer and the second amorphous silicon layer have different film qualities from each other, and crystallizing the first amorphous silicon layer and the second amorphous silicon layer using a metal catalyst to form a first polycrystalline silicon layer and a second polycrystalline silicon layer. A thin film transistor includes the polycrystalline silicon layer formed by the method and an organic light emitting device includes the thin film transistor.
US09406722B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a pixel unit formed on the semiconductor substrate; and a peripheral circuit unit formed on the semiconductor substrate, at a periphery of the pixel unit, in which the pixel unit includes: a photoelectric conversion film which converts incident light into charges; and a floating diffusion which holds the charges, the peripheral circuit unit includes a transistor including a gate electrode and two source and drain diffusion regions, and the two source and drain diffusion regions have a higher impurity concentration than an impurity concentration of the floating diffusion.
US09406720B2

A memory includes first to fifth WLs extending in a first-direction. First to fourth element-regions extend in a tilt-direction. The first to fourth element-regions, respectively, intersect with the first and second WLs, with the third and fourth WLs, with the second and third WLs, and with the fourth and fifth WLs. A first connection-portion is arranged on an end of the first element-region and an end of the second element-region between the second and third WLs. A second connection-portion is arranged on an end of the third element-region and an end of the fourth element-region between the third and fourth WLs. First to fourth MTJs are, respectively, arranged above the first to fourth element-regions. The first and second MTJs are on a substantially same line along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The third and fourth MTJs are on a substantially same line along the second direction.
US09406719B2

A light-emitting structure, comprising a substrate; a first unit and a second unit, separately formed on the substrate; a trench between the first unit and the second unit, comprising a bottom portion exposing the substrate; an insulating layer arranged on the trench, conformably covering the bottom portion and sidewalls of the first unit and the second unit; and an electrical connection, conformably covering the insulating layer, electrically connecting the first unit and the second unit and comprising a bridging portion and a joining portion extending from the bridging portion, wherein the bridging portion is wider than the joining portion and the bridging portion covers the trench, and the joining portion covers the first unit and the second unit.
US09406706B2

It is an object to provide a manufacturing method of a structure of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, in which threshold voltage at which a channel is formed is positive and as close to 0 V as possible. A protective insulating layer is formed to cover a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer that is dehydrated or dehydrogenated by first heat treatment, and second heat treatment at a temperature that is lower than that of the first heat treatment, in which the increase and decrease in temperature are repeated plural times, is performed, whereby a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, in which threshold voltage at which a channel is formed is positive and as close to 0 V as possible without depending on the channel length, can be manufactured.
US09406680B1

A semiconductor device includes a Fin FET transistor. The Fin FET transistor includes a first fin structure extending in a first direction, a gate stack and a source and a drain. The gate stack includes a gate electrode layer and a gate dielectric layer, covers a portion of the fin structure and extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each of the source and drain includes a stressor layer disposed over the fin structure. The stressor layer applies a stress to a channel layer of the fin structure under the gate stack. The stressor layer penetrates under the gate stack. A vertical interface between the stressor layer and the fin structure under the gate stack in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions includes a flat portion.
US09406679B2

A substrate is provided, having formed thereon a first region and a second region of a complementary type to the first region. A gate dielectric is deposited over the substrate, and a first full metal gate stack is deposited over the gate dielectric. The first full metal gate stack is removed over the first region to produce a resulting structure. Over the resulting structure, a second full metal gate stack is deposited, in contact with the gate dielectric over the first region. The first and second full metal gate stacks are encapsulated.
US09406676B2

A method includes forming a fin in a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of sacrificial gate structures are formed above the fin. A selected one of the sacrificial gate structures is removed to define a first opening that exposes a portion of the fin. An etch process is performed through the first opening on the exposed portion of the fin to define a first recess in the fin. The first recess is filled with a dielectric material to define a diffusion break in the fin. A device includes a fin defined in a substrate, a plurality of gates formed above the fin, a plurality of recesses filled with epitaxial material defined in the fin, and a diffusion break defined at least partially in the fin between two of the recesses filled with epitaxial material and extending above the fin.
US09406674B2

There are disclosed herein various implementations of a group III-V power conversion circuit including a monolithically integrated half bridge having a depletion mode III-Nitride field-effect transistor (FET), and a normally OFF composite cascoded switch including a depletion mode III-Nitride FET and an enhancement mode group IV FET. In one exemplary implementation, the monolithically integrated half bridge includes a high side depletion mode III-Nitride FET having an enable switch coupled in the conduction path of the high side depletion mode III-Nitride FET.
US09406672B2

Methods of forming semiconductor devices. The method includes forming a capacitor array comprising a plurality of cells in a two-dimensional grid. The step of forming includes forming a plurality of operational capacitors in a first subset of the plurality of cells along a diagonal of the array, the plurality of operational capacitors comprising a first operational capacitor formed in a cell at a first edge of the capacitor array and at a first edge of the diagonal of the capacitor array. The step of forming also includes forming a plurality of dummy patterns about the plurality of operational capacitors in the capacitor array in a second subset of the plurality of cells to achieve symmetry in the grid about the diagonal. The method also includes electrically coupling each one of the plurality of operational capacitors to another one of the plurality of operational capacitors.
US09406661B2

A circuit includes a vertical conduction gallium nitride-based Schottky diode and a vertical conduction silicon based PN junction diode connected in parallel. The Schottky diode and the PN junction diode are packaged in the same semiconductor package and the PN junction diode does not conduct in response to the Schottky diode being forward biased. In some embodiments, the silicon based PN junction diode has a breakdown voltage lower than a breakdown voltage of the gallium nitride-based Schottky diode. The silicon based PN junction diode enters breakdown in response to the gallium nitride-based Schottky diode being reverse biased to divert a reverse bias avalanche current away from the gallium nitride-based Schottky diode.
US09406633B2

A contact component adapted to be soldered onto a metal region provided on an insulating substrate of a semiconductor module includes a cylindrical portion; a hollow hole for fitting an external terminal; and a flange formed at a lower end portion of the cylindrical portion and having a diameter larger than an external diameter of the cylindrical portion. An end face of the flange adapted to be soldered includes a flat bottom surface and a concave portion extending from an inner circumference edge of the cylindrical portion in the flat bottom surface to an outer circumference edge of the flange. The cylindrical portion includes a cut-out portion at an inner side of a lower end thereof.
US09406631B2

A semiconductor chip includes a first conductive pad, a second conductive pad and a third conductive pad. The semiconductor chip also includes a first under bump metallurgy (UBM) structure, a second UBM structure, and a third UBM structure. The first conductive pad is electrically coupled to a circuit over a substrate, the second conductive pad is over a corner region of the substrate and free from being electrically coupled to the circuit over the substrate. The first conductive pad is closer to a geometric center of the semiconductor chip than the second conductive pad. The third conductive pad is over a region of the substrate between the first conductive pad and the second conductive pad. The third conductive pad has a pad width greater than a pad width of the first conductive pad and less than a pad width of the second conductive pad.
US09406629B2

A semiconductor package structure includes a first semiconductor substrate including a conductive pad; and a conductive pillar on the conductive pad and disposed between the first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate. The conductive pad is coupled with a circuitry of the first semiconductor substrate. The conductive pillar extends along a longitudinal axis and toward the second semiconductor substrate. The conductive pillar includes a sidewall with a rough surface notching toward the longitudinal axis.
US09406622B2

A circuit board according to an embodiment is one in which a plurality of electronic components is mounted on a printed wiring board. The circuit board includes a semiconductor component that is mounted on the printed wiring board, and the semiconductor component includes a semiconductor device and a first EBG structure formed on or above the semiconductor device. An operating frequency of the semiconductor device exists outside a cutoff band of the first EBG structure, and the first EBG structure is connected to a ground or a power supply of the printed wiring board.
US09406621B2

An integrated circuit with non-volatile memory cells shielded from ultraviolet light by a shielding structure compatible with chemical-mechanical processing. The disclosed shielding structure includes a roof structure with sides; along each side are spaced-apart contact posts, each with a width on the order of the wavelength of ultraviolet light to be shielded, and spaced apart by a distance that is also on the order of the wavelength of ultraviolet light to be shielded. The contact posts may be provided in multiple rows, and extending to a diffused region or to a polysilicon ring or both. The multiple rows may be aligned with one another or staggered relative to one another.
US09406618B2

An apparatus includes a coreless substrate with a through-silicon via (TSV) embedded die that is integral to the coreless substrate. The apparatus includes a subsequent die that is coupled to the TSV die and that is disposed above the coreless substrate.
US09406615B2

Techniques are disclosed for forming interconnects in porous dielectric materials. In accordance with some embodiments, the porosity of a host dielectric layer may be reduced temporarily by stuffing its pores with a sacrificial pore-stuffing material, such as titanium nitride (TiN), titanium dioxide (TiO2), or other suitable sacrificial material having a high etch selectivity compared to the metallization and dielectric material of the interconnect. After interconnect formation within the stuffed dielectric layer, the sacrificial pore-stuffing material can be removed from the pores of the host dielectric. In some cases, removal and curing can be performed with minimal or otherwise negligible effect on the dielectric constant (κ-value), leakage performance, and/or time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) properties of the host dielectric layer. Some embodiments can be utilized, for example, in processes involving atomic layer deposition (ALD)-based and/or chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-based backend metallization of highly porous, ultra-low-κ (ULK) dielectric materials.
US09406609B1

In a manufacturing method of an opening structure, a multi-layer structure including alternately stacked conductive layers and first dielectric layers is formed on a substrate. The conductive layers in a first region are lower than those in a second region. A second dielectric layer covering the multi-layer structure is formed. A patterned mask layer is formed on the second dielectric layer. A first filling layer covering the second dielectric layer exposed by the patterned mask layer is formed in the second region. First openings exposing the conductive layers in the first region are formed by using the first filling layer and the patterned mask layer as a mask. The first filling layer is removed. A second filling layer filling the first openings is formed. Second openings exposing the conductive layers in the second region are formed by using the second filling layer and the patterned mask layer as a mask.
US09406608B2

Methods for forming a dummy metal structure between dies on a semiconductor wafer and the resulting devices are disclosed. Embodiments may include forming metal interconnection layers extending from a substrate of a semiconductor wafer to a top metal interconnection layer of the semiconductor wafer between a plurality of die regions, each of the metal interconnection layers including a plurality of dummy vertical interconnect accesses (VIAs) and a plurality of dummy metal lines, with the plurality of dummy metal lines laterally connecting the plurality of dummy VIAs within each respective metal interconnection layer, and a plurality of dummy VIAs within a first metal interconnection layer vertically connecting a plurality of dummy metal lines within the first metal interconnection layer to a plurality of dummy metal lines within a second metal interconnection layer, and the second metal interconnection layer being below the first metal interconnection layer.
US09406606B2

A device includes a first power supply line supplying a first voltage, first, second, and third nodes, a selection circuit connected between the first power supply line and the first node, a first anti-fuse connected between the first node and the second node, and a second anti-fuse connected between the first node and the third node. The second node and the third node are not connected to each other.
US09406605B2

An integrated circuit includes a circuit and a guard ring. The circuit is over a substrate. The guard ring surrounds the circuit and includes a staggered line. The staggered line comprises a first zigzag line and a second zigzag line. The first zigzag line comprises interconnections formed in at least two GDS layers. The second zigzag line comprises interconnections formed in at least two GDS layers. The first zigzag line and the second zigzag line form a first quadrangle and a second quadrangle.
US09406604B2

The present disclosure involves a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate; a capacitor disposed over the substrate; an inductor disposed over the substrate and having a coil feature surrounding the capacitor; and a shielding structure over the substrate and configured around the coil feature.
US09406593B2

According to the disclosure, a lead frame is provided, which includes: a first island and a second island that are arranged side by side; an outer peripheral frame; first leads that extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; second leads that extend in the second direction; a first coupling portion that couples the first leads to the frame; a second coupling portion that couples the second leads to the frame; an intermediate portion formed between the first and second coupling portions in the first direction such that it extends in the second direction to terminate before the space between the first and second islands; and a deformation restraining portion formed or provided in at least one of the first leads, the second leads, the first and the second coupling portions and configured to restrain deformations of the first and second leads during a molding process.
US09406589B2

An integrated circuit structure includes a first dielectric layer, an etch stop layer over the first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer over the etch stop layer. A via is disposed in the first dielectric layer and the etch stop layer. A metal line is disposed in the second dielectric layer, wherein the metal line is connected to the via. The etch stop layer includes a first portion having an edge contacting an edge of the via, wherein the first portion has a first chemical composition, and a second portion in contact with the first portion. The second portion is spaced apart from the via by the first portion, and wherein the second portion has a second chemical composition different from the first composition.
US09406582B2

A method and apparatus to minimize thermal impedance using copper on the die or chip backside. Some embodiments use deposited copper having a thickness chosen to complement a given chip thickness, in order to reduce or minimize wafer warpage. In some embodiments, the wafer, having a plurality of chips (e.g., silicon), is thinned (e.g., by chemical-mechanical polishing) before deposition of the copper layer, to reduce the thermal resistance of the chip. Some embodiments further deposit copper in a pattern of bumps, raised areas, or pads, e.g., in a checkerboard pattern, to thicken and add copper while reducing or minimizing wafer warpage and chip stress.
US09406581B2

Methods of packaging semiconductor devices and structures thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of packaging a semiconductor device includes providing a carrier wafer, providing a plurality of dies, and forming a die cave material over the carrier wafer. A plurality of die caves is formed in the die cave material. At least one of the plurality of dies is placed within each of the plurality of die caves in the die cave material. A plurality of packages is formed, each of the plurality of packages being formed over a respective at least one of the plurality of dies.
US09406573B2

An exposure mask fabrication method includes measuring and storing defect position data, for each EUV exposure mask blank, that indicates the position of at least one defect in each of plural EUV exposure mask blanks, inputting pattern data defining a figure pattern to be written, searching, when the figure pattern is written, in plural EUV exposure mask blanks, an EUV exposure mask blank where the figure pattern can be arranged such that the number of defects not located in a light shielding region is less than or equal to a threshold value, based on the arrangement position of the figure pattern in the pattern data, using the defect position data for each EUV exposure mask blank, and writing the figure pattern on a searched EUV exposure mask blank such that the number of defects not located in the light shielding region is less than or equal to the threshold value.
US09406571B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a semiconductor wafer including a plurality of semiconductor devices sandwiching a dicing region and an inline inspection monitor arranged in the dicing region; after forming the semiconductor wafer, conducting an inline inspection of the semiconductor device by using the inline inspection monitor; and after the inline inspection, dicing the semiconductor wafer along the dicing region to separate the semiconductor devices individually. The step of forming the semiconductor wafer includes: simultaneously forming a first diffusion layer of the semiconductor device and a second diffusion layer of the inline inspection monitor; forming a metal layer on the first and second diffusion layer; and at least partly removing the metal layer on the second diffusion layer. When the semiconductor wafer is diced, a portion from which the metal layer has been removed is cut by a dicing blade on the second diffusion layer.
US09406565B2

Methods for fabricating an integrated circuit are provided herein. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a gate electrode structure overlying a semiconductor substrate. A first sacrificial oxide layer is formed overlying the semiconductor substrate and a first implant mask is patterned overlying the first sacrificial oxide layer to expose a portion of the first sacrificial oxide layer adjacent the gate electrode structure. Conductivity determining ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate, through the first sacrificial oxide layer. The first implant mask and the first sacrificial oxide layer are removed after implanting the conductivity determining ions into the semiconductor substrate.
US09406557B2

Provided is a method of forming a copper (Cu) wiring in a recess formed to have a predetermined pattern in an insulating film formed on a surface of a substrate. The method includes: forming a barrier film at least on a surface of the recess, the barrier film serving as a barrier for blocking diffusion of Cu; forming a Ru film on the barrier film by Chemical Mechanical Deposition (CVD); forming a Cu alloy film on the Ru film by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) to bury the recess; forming a Cu wiring using the Cu alloy film buried in the recess; and forming a dielectric film on the Cu wiring.
US09406548B2

Embodiments of present invention provide a method of making well isolations. The method includes forming a hard-mask layer on top of said substrate; forming a first resist-mask on top of a first portion of the hard-mask layer and applying the first resist-mask in forming a first type of wells in a first region of the substrate; forming a second resist-mask on top of a second portion of the hard-mask layer and applying the second resist-mask in forming a second type of wells in a second region of the substrate; applying the first and second resist-masks in transforming the hard-mask layer into a hard-mask, the hard-mask having openings aligned to areas overlapped by the first and second regions of the substrate; etching at least the areas of the substrate in creating deep trenches that separate the first and second types of wells; and filling the deep trenches with insulating materials.
US09406545B2

A silicon-carbon alloy layer and a silicon-germanium alloy layer are sequentially formed on a silicon-containing substrate with epitaxial alignment. Trenches are formed in the silicon-germanium alloy layer by an anisotropic etch employing a patterned hard mask layer as an etch mask and the silicon-carbon alloy layer as an etch stop layer. Fin-containing semiconductor material portions are formed on a bottom surface and sidewalls of each trench with epitaxial alignment with the silicon-germanium alloy layer and the silicon-carbon alloy layer. The hard mask layer and the silicon-germanium alloy layer are removed, and an oxygen-impermeable spacer is formed on sidewalls of each fin-containing semiconductor material portion. Physically exposed semiconductor portions are converted into semiconductor oxide portions, and the oxygen-impermeable spacers are removed. The remaining portions of the fin-containing semiconductor portions include semiconductor fins, which can be employed to form semiconductor devices.
US09406542B2

A holding device including a first sucking section for sucking a wafer (substrate) from a side on which a dicing tape (supporting film) is adhered; a structure that supports a dicing frame (frame part) and covers a first region which (i) is on a surface of the dicing tape to which surface the wafer is not adhered and (ii) is between the wafer and the dicing frame; and a second sucking section for sealing a boundary between the structure and at least one of the dicing frame and the first region.
US09406541B2

A compliant bipolar micro device transfer head array and method of forming a compliant bipolar micro device transfer array from an SOI substrate are described. In an embodiment, a compliant bipolar micro device transfer head array includes a base substrate and a patterned silicon layer over the base substrate. The patterned silicon layer may include first and second silicon interconnects, and first and second arrays of silicon electrodes electrically connected with the first and second silicon interconnects and deflectable into one or more cavities between the base substrate and the silicon electrodes.
US09406540B2

Methods for calculating a self-bias on a substrate in a process chamber may include measuring a DC potential of a substrate disposed on a substrate support of a process chamber while providing a bias power from a power source to a cathode at a first frequency; measuring a voltage, current and phase shift at a matching network coupled to the power source while providing the bias power; calculating an effective impedance of the cathode by determining a linear relationship between a calculated voltage and the measured DC potential of the substrate; calculating a first linear coefficient and a second linear coefficient of the linear relationship between the calculated voltage and the measured DC potential of the substrate; and calculating a self bias on the substrate by utilizing the first linear coefficient, second linear coefficient, measured DC potential of the substrate, effective impedance, and measured phase shift.
US09406534B2

A system and method of cleaning a plasma processing chamber component includes removing the component from the plasma processing chamber, the removed component including a material deposited on the surface of the component. A heated oxidizing solution is applied to the material deposited on the component to oxidize a first portion deposited material. A stripping solution is applied to the component to remove the oxidized first portion of the deposited material. An etching solution is applied to remove a second portion of the deposited material and the cleaned component can be rinsed and dried.
US09406533B2

Methods of forming conductive and insulating layers for semiconductor devices and packages. Substrate is provided with integrated circuit device and interconnect structure mounted thereon, the interconnect structure adjacent the integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device and portions of the interconnect structure can be covered with an encapsulation exposing a portion of the interconnect structure. Conductive material is formed over the exposed portion of the interconnect structure by a depositing process followed by a heating process to alter the chemical properties of the conductive material. Optionally, a dispersing process may be incorporated.
US09406531B1

A system and method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: a photoimagable dielectric layer having a trace opening for exposing the carrier; a trace within the trace opening; an inner solder resist layer directly on the photoimagable dielectric layer and the trace, the inner solder resist layer having a bond pad opening for exposing the trace; an integrated circuit over the inner solder resist layer, the integrated circuit electrically connected to the trace through the bond pad opening; an encapsulation directly on the integrated circuit and the inner solder resist layer; and an external interconnect electrically coupled to the trace and the integrated circuit.
US09406530B2

The present invention provides ART techniques with reduced LER. In one aspect, a method of ART with reduced LER is provided which includes the steps of: providing a silicon layer separated from a substrate by a dielectric layer; patterning one or more ART lines in the silicon layer selective to the dielectric layer; contacting the silicon layer with an inert gas at a temperature, pressure and for a duration sufficient to cause re-distribution of silicon along sidewalls of the ART lines patterned in the silicon layer; using the resulting smoothened, patterned silicon layer to pattern ART trenches in the dielectric layer; and epitaxially growing a semiconductor material up from the substrate at the bottom of each of the ART trenches, to form fins in the ART trenches.
US09406524B2

A substrate processing method for processing a substrate by supplying a processing gas into a processing chamber and allowing the processing gas to react on the substrate in the processing chamber by using a substrate processing apparatus includes the processing chamber accommodating the substrate, a processing gas supply unit for supplying the processing gas into the processing chamber, and a gas exhaust unit, for exhausting the processing chamber, having a turbo molecular pump. The method controls a processing uniformity by controlling a revolution speed of the turbo molecular pump while maintaining a pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined level when by-products having a larger molecular mass compared to the processing gas are generated by the reaction of the processing gas.
US09406523B2

A method of etching doped silicon oxide on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch using partial remote plasma excitation. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor and the plasma effluents created are flowed into a substrate processing region. A hydrogen-containing precursor, e.g. water, is concurrently flowed into the substrate processing region without plasma excitation. The plasma effluents are combined with the unexcited hydrogen-containing precursor in the substrate processing region where the combination reacts with the doped silicon oxide. The plasmas effluents react with the patterned heterogeneous structures to selectively remove doped silicon oxide.
US09406520B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: alternately performing (i) a first step of alternately supplying a first raw material containing a first metal element and a halogen element and a second raw material containing a second metal element and carbon to a substrate by a first predetermined number of times, and (ii) a second step of supplying a nitridation raw material to the substrate, by a second predetermined number of times, wherein alternating the first and second steps forms a metal carbonitride film containing the first metal element having a predetermined thickness on the substrate.
US09406513B2

A graphene laminate includes a first piezoelectric material layer having a negatively-charged surface and a positively-charged surface, a first graphene layer under the first piezoelectric material layer, the first graphene layer contacting the positively-charged surface of the first piezoelectric material layer, a second graphene layer underlying the first graphene layer, and a second piezoelectric material layer under the second graphene layer, the second piezoelectric material layer having a negatively-charged surface and a positively-charged surface, the negatively-charged surface contacting the second graphene layer.
US09406505B2

A process for the production of a layer structure of a nitride semiconductor component on a silicon surface, comprising: provision of a substrate having a silicon surface; deposition of an aluminium-containing nitride nucleation layer on the silicon surface of the substrate; optional: deposition of an aluminium-containing nitride buffer layer on the nitride nucleation layer; deposition of a masking layer on the nitride nucleation layer or, if present, on the first nitride buffer layer; deposition of a gallium-containing first nitride semiconductor layer on the masking layer, wherein the masking layer is deposited in such a way that, in the deposition step of the first nitride semiconductor layer, initially separate crystallites grow that coalesce above a coalescence layer thickness and occupy an average surface area of at least 0.16 μm2 in a layer plane of the coalesced nitride semiconductor layer that is perpendicular to the growth direction.
US09406503B2

A method for lithographic patterning of a substrate is described. The method comprises obtaining a substrate to be patterned. It further comprises subsequently performing at least twice the following cycle: applying a lithographical patterning process of a thermally shrinkable metal-oxide layer for forming a metal-oxide pattern, and thermally shrinking the metal-oxide pattern. The different metal oxide patterns formed during the at least two cycles are positioned in proximity to each other such that the shrunk metal-oxide patterns form together an overall pattern to be transferred to the substrate. After performing the cycle at least twice, the overall pattern is transferred to the substrate.
US09406500B2

A flux residue cleaning system includes first and second immersion chambers, first and second spray chambers, and a drying chamber. The first immersion chamber softens an outer region of a flux residue formed around microbumps interposed between a wafer and a die when the wafer is immersed in a first chemical. The first spray chamber removes the outer region of the flux residue when the wafer is impinged upon by a first chemical spray in order to expose an inner region of the flux residue. The second immersion chamber softens the inner region of the flux residue when the wafer is immersed in a second chemical. The second spray chamber removes the inner region of the flux residue when the wafer is impinged upon by a second chemical spray in order to clean the wafer to a predetermined standard. The drying chamber dries the wafer.
US09406495B2

A linear ion beam bonding apparatus and an array structure thereof, comprising a pair of primary radiofrequency electrodes (501 and 502) extending along the axial direction and oppositely arranged on two sides of the central axis of the linear ion beam bonding apparatus. Section patterns on different section planes of each of the primary radiofrequency electrodes (501 and 502) and perpendicular to the central axis are all kept symmetric via a primary symmetric plane (506) of the central axis. Radiofrequency voltages attached to the primary radiofrequency electrodes (501 and 502) are of identical phases. An ion extraction groove (84) is arranged on at least one of the primary radiofrequency electrodes (501 and 502), while at least one pair of auxiliary electrodes (503 and 505) are arranged on two sides of the pair of primary radiofrequency electrodes (501 and 502). The auxiliary electrodes (503 and 505) are arranged in duality to the primary symmetric plane (506). At least one of the auxiliary electrodes (503 and 505) is provided with a finite number of symmetric planes (507), while a minimal angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees is provided between each symmetric plane (507) and the symmetric plane (506) of the primary radiofrequency electrodes (501 and 502). By means of this, a quadrupole field component of an ion beam bonding radiofrequency electric field within the ion beam bonding apparatus is strengthened.
US09406494B2

A Time of Flight mass analyzer is disclosed comprising one or more acceleration electrodes and a first device arranged and adapted to apply a DC voltage pulse to the one or more acceleration electrodes. The DC voltage pulse causes ions to be accelerated into a time of flight or drift region and the DC voltage pulse is applied, in use, to the one or more acceleration electrodes between a time T1 and a time T2. A second device is arranged and adapted to apply a single phase oscillating voltage to the one or more acceleration electrodes, wherein the single phase oscillating voltage undergoes multiple oscillations between the time T1 and the time T2. The application of the DC voltage pulse and the single phase oscillating voltage to the one or more acceleration electrodes establishes an homogeneous electric field having a net force towards the time of flight or drift region.
US09406492B1

An electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometer analysis systems include an ESI device with at least one emitter configured to electrospray ions and a mass spectrometer in fluid communication with the at least one emitter of the ESI device. The mass spectrometer includes a mass analyzer held in a vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber is configured to have a high (background/gas) pressure of about 50 mTorr or greater during operation. During operation, the ESI device is configured to either; (a) electrospray ions into a spatial region external to the vacuum chamber and at atmospheric pressure, the spatial extent being adjacent to an inlet device attached to the vacuum chamber, the inlet device intakes the electrosprayed ions external to the vacuum chamber with the mass analyzer and discharges the ions into the vacuum chamber with the mass analyzer; or (b) electrospray ions directly into the vacuum chamber with the mass analyzer.
US09406482B2

A charged-particle microscope with Raman spectroscopy capability and a method for examining a sample using a combined charged-particle microscope and Raman spectroscope. The method includes imaging a region of a sample by irradiating the sample with a beam of charged particles from the microscope; identifying a feature of interest in the region using the microscope; radiatively stimulating and spectroscopically analyzing a portion of the region comprising the feature of interest using a light spot of a width D from the spectroscope, wherein the feature of interest has at least one lateral dimension smaller than width D and, prior to using the light spot of the width D from the spectroscope, an in situ surface modification technique is used to cause positive discrimination of an expected Raman signal from the feature of interest relative to an expected Raman signal from the part of the portion other than the feature of interest.
US09406481B2

A transmission electron microscope micro-grid includes a carbon nanotube layer sandwiched between a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The carbon nanotube layer includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and the carbon nanotube layer comprises a number of carbon nanotubes. The first metal layer is attached on the first surface. The second metal layer is attached on the second surface. The first metal layer and the second metal layer are bonded with the carbon nanotube layer via a number of dangling bonds on the number of carbon nanotubes, the first metal layer defines a number of first through holes, the second metal layer defines a number of second through holes, and the carbon nanotube layer is exposed through the number of first through holes and the number of second through holes.
US09406472B2

Planar cavity Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structure are provided. The method includes forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) cavity having a planar surface using a reverse damascene process.
US09406464B2

A light switch extension, allowing shorter individuals and seated individuals to operate a conventional light switch. The wall switch extender is operable without modification on both toggle and rocker switches and reduces the rotational displacement necessary to toggle rocker switches. The extension arm can also have additional extensions which increase the arm's ergonomics, as well as length below or above the switch, and can extend to the floor for wheelchair activation or dog-manipulateable extensions such as ropes or tennis balls.
US09406461B2

The present utility model discloses a demonstration switch structure of a lamp, comprising: a demonstration test switch which is fixedly installed on a battery case of the lamp, and a mechanical press control device which is fixedly installed on the battery case of the lamp and capable of movably pressing a control terminal of the demonstration test switch, wherein a control component of the mechanical press control device extends to a switch window of a packing box of the lamp. The present utility model has the following advantageous effects: the packing cost is reduced greatly, the hidden danger of electric leakage due to contact of a pluggable wire in the conventional demonstration switch structure with water is eliminated, and the hidden danger of short circuit of a lamp set is eliminated.
US09406453B2

Devices and methods for capacitively sensing key cap position during the initial and latter stages of a keystroke. A key assembly includes a stationary key guide magnet, a movable key cap magnet, and a transmitter/receiver electrode pair. One or both of the electrodes underlies the key cap. The capacitance change between the electrodes during a keystroke includes the capacitance change between the key cap and the electrode pair, and the change in capacitance between the key cap and the key guide. Key cap position may thus be accurately detected throughout the entire keystroke.
US09406447B2

Provided are a method for patterning a mesoporous inorganic oxide film, the method including a step of forming a mesoporous inorganic oxide film using a composition containing inorganic oxide particles; and a step of forming a pattern on the mesoporous inorganic oxide film using an elastic stamp for pattern formation, and then calcining the mesoporous inorganic oxide, and an electronic device including a mesoporous inorganic oxide film that has been patterned by the patterning method.
US09406437B2

A grain oriented electrical steel sheet has thickness of forsterite film at bottom portions of grooves formed on a surface of the steel sheet is ≧0.3 μm, groove frequency is ≦20%, abundance ratio of grooves crystal grains directly beneath themselves, each crystal grain having orientation deviating from Goss orientation by ≧10° and grain size ≧5 μm, total tension exerted on the steel sheet in the rolling direction by the forsterite film and tension coating is ≧10.0 MPa, total tension exerted on the steel sheet in a direction perpendicular to the rolling direction by the forsterite film and tension coating is ≧5.0 MPa and total tension satisfies 1.0≦A/B≦5.0, where A is total tension exerted in rolling direction by forsterite film and tension coating, and B is total tension exerted in direction perpendicular to rolling direction by forsterite film and tension coating.
US09406432B2

An inductor includes a stacked body having a first through hole, and an insulation film covering the stacked body. The stacked body includes a first wiring, a first insulation layer stacked on the first wiring and including a second through hole exposing the first wiring, a first adhesive layer stacked on the first insulation layer and including a third through hole communicating with the second through hole, a second wiring stacked on the first adhesive layer and including a fourth through hole communicating with the third through hole, a second insulation layer stacked on the second wiring and including a fifth through hole communicating with the fourth through hole, and a first through electrode with which the second to fifth through holes are filled. The first and second wirings are connected to form a helical coil. The fifth through hole has a larger planar shape than the fourth through hole.
US09406428B2

An inductor includes a multilayer body, which is composed of a non-magnetic material and a magnetic material, and a coil. An inner circumferential surface of the coil is covered by non-magnetic material layers. The sum of the width of a coil conductor forming part of the coil and the width of a non-magnetic material layer covering an inner circumferential side of the coil conductor that are located in a center portion of the coil in a z-axis direction is larger than the sum of the width of a coil conductor forming part of the coil and the width of a non-magnetic material layer covering the coil conductor that are located in an end portion of the coil on the positive side in the z-axis direction.
US09406416B2

A method of producing an extremely thick insulation coating on a surface of an electrical steel, comprises the following steps: 1) preparing a coating liquid—stirring sufficiently the coating liquid for 0.1˜4 hours, with the viscosity of the coating liquid being within 10˜80 S; 2) coating a strip steel—using a double-roller or a tri-roller coating machine, wherein the film thickness and evenness can be controlled by adjusting different parameters; 3) baking the coating—using three sections, that is, a drying section, a baking section and a cooling section, to bake the coating, wherein the temperature in the drying section is 100˜400° C., the temperature in the baking section is 200˜370° C.; the time in the whole drying and solidification section is 33˜144 seconds, wherein the time in the drying section is 9˜39 seconds, and the baking time is 24˜105 seconds; wherein in the baking process, the strip steel having been coated is conveyed in a non-contact way, in particular, the strip steel is conveyed by blowing pressure-adjustable air onto the lower surface to make it float; the air pressure is 0˜2000 Pa; the wet film is kept out of contact with the furnace rollers before it is solidified, guaranteeing that the surface of wet film is intact; 4) online detecting the film thickness.
US09406412B2

The present invention relates to a variable pin-hole type collimator applied to a radiation imaging device. The variable pin-hole type collimator comprises: a hole forming module having a plurality of apertures which are stacked in a direction of irradiation such that each aperture defines a penetrating-space through which radiation passes; a plurality of driving modules which are configured that each driving module varies each penetrating-space of the aperture independently; and a collimating controller to control the driving modules such that each penetrating-space of the aperture varies independently and the hole forming module forms a pin-hole through which radiation passes. Therefore, a collimator having various types can be embodied by the variation of the pin-hole shape.
US09406411B2

An apparatus includes a portion that moves along a guided path and a displacement gauge that outputs readings based on the portion's position on the guided path. The apparatus additionally includes an intermediate limit switch that is activated in response to the portion being moved to an intermediate position on the guided path. The apparatus also includes a processing device configured to calibrate the apparatus based on a first reading corresponding to a first position on the guided path and a second reading corresponding to a second position on the guided path. The processing device verifies the calibration based on a third reading corresponding to the intermediate position.
US09406403B2

A memory subsystem employs spare memory cells external to one or more memory devices. In some embodiments, a processing system uses the spare memory cells to replace individual selected cells at the protected memory, whereby the selected cells are replaced on a cell-by-cell basis, rather than exclusively on a row-by-row, column-by-column, or block-by-block basis. This allows faulty memory cells to be replaced efficiently, thereby improving memory reliability and manufacturing yields, without requiring large blocks of spare memory cells.
US09406400B2

An Nth stage shift register of a gate driving circuit includes a pull-up unit for pulling up an Nth stage gate signal of a gate line to a high level voltage according to a driving voltage and a first clock signal; an energy-store unit for providing the driving voltage to the pull-up unit; a driving unit for charging the energy-store unit according to a previous stage gate signal; a pull-down unit for pulling down the driving voltage and the Nth stage gate signal to a low level voltage according to a control signal; and a control unit for generating the control signal according to a second clock signal and the driving voltage; wherein the first and the second clock signals have a same pulse width, and a rising edge of the first clock signal leads a rising edge of the second clock signal by ¼ to ½ pulse width.
US09406399B2

A display device including a bidirectional shift register circuit, including: a plurality of cascade-connected register circuits; various circuits for setting various nodes to various voltage levels responsive to various signals input to various terminals; and an output circuit which outputs the clock pulse as an output pulse when the voltage of the first node is high level, wherein, at the forward shift operation, the bottom dummy register circuit is not input the reset signal and the first node of the bottom dummy register circuit is reset if the initial reset circuit of the bottom dummy register circuit receives the backward trigger signal, and wherein, at the backward shift operation, the top dummy register circuit is not input the reset signal and the first node of the top dummy register circuit is reset if the initial reset circuit of the top dummy register circuit receives the forward trigger signal.
US09406396B2

A memory system or flash card may monitor the health of memory and the user data stored by detecting and storing a number of bits in error for each block. This detection can be used to determine where user data should be programmed and which blocks should be cycled. The erratic bits are detected after a programming and the listing for each block is updated. When the erratic bits exceed a threshold for a particular block, that block may be cycled or retired.
US09406391B1

Read disturb is reduced for dummy memory cells in a charge-trapping memory device such as a 3D memory device. The memory device includes a selected NAND string and an unselected NAND string. In the unselected NAND string, a dummy memory cell is adjacent to a select gate transistor. During a read operation involving the selected NAND string, a voltage of the dummy memory cell is increased in two steps to minimize a gradient in a channel of the unselected NAND string between the dummy memory cell and the select gate transistor. During the first step, the select gate transistor is conductive so that the channel is connected to a driven bit line. During the second step, the select gate transistor is non-conductive. Voltages on unselected word lines can also be increased in two steps to set a desired channel boosting level in the unselected NAND string.
US09406376B2

According to one embodiment, a motion vector detection apparatus includes following units. The layering unit generates layers with different resolutions for each of first and second images. The first extraction unit extracts a space candidate vector. The second extraction unit extracts a time candidate vector. The third extraction unit extracts a layer candidate vector. The determination unit determines a motion vector to be assigned to the target block, based on correlations between the target block and blocks, the blocks being located in a layer which corresponds to the second image and being specified by assigning, to the target block, the space, time, and layer candidate vectors.
US09406371B1

A semiconductor device includes an output controller and a data strobe signal generator. The output controller generates a period signal and a control clock signal according to a read operation signal generated to execute a read operation, an internal clock signal generated in synchronization with a clock signal, and an expansion control signal. The data strobe signal generator generates a data strobe signal according to the control clock signal during a period that the period signal is enabled. The period that the period signal is enabled expands according to the expansion control signal.
US09406368B2

Systems and methods to manage memory on a spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM) are provided. A particular method of managing memory includes determining a temperature associated with the memory and determining a level of write queue utilization associated with the memory. A write operation may be performed based on the level of write queue utilization and the temperature.
US09406362B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus, such as a memory device, is disclosed. The apparatus includes multiple memory tiles and selection circuitry. Each memory tile has an array of storage components at intersections of a plurality of digit line conductors and a plurality of access line conductors. The selection circuitry includes line drivers that select a storage component of a memory tile based on a corresponding digit line conductor and a corresponding access line conductor to the storage component. The selection circuitry may select two or more storage components of a memory tile in a consecutive manner before selecting the storage components of a different memory tile.
US09406358B1

A driving circuit includes a write operation controller configured to generate a write control signal according to a write command and a column address; a row controller configured to generate an auto refresh flag according to an auto refresh command and a row address; and a sense amplifier controller configured to enable the write control signal or the auto refresh flag according to a temperature flag, and generate an overdriving signal according to the enabled write control signal or the enabled auto refresh flag.
US09406356B2

A latch circuit may include first to fourth storage nodes; first to fourth transistor pairs, each including a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor connected in series through a corresponding one of the first to fourth storage nodes, wherein each of the first to fourth storage nodes is connected to a gate of an NMOS transistor of a transistor pair in a previous stage and a gate of a PMOS transistor of a transistor pair in a next stage; a first connection unit suitable for connecting a data bus with a Kth storage node of the first to fourth storage nodes when read and write operations are performed, wherein K is an integer from 1 to 4; and second connection units suitable for connecting the data bus with one or more of the first to fourth storage nodes, except for the Kth storage node, when the write operation is performed.
US09406350B2

A portable storage device is provided with a memory part, a free space detecting part, a vibration detecting part, a reporting part, and a controller. The memory part stores data. The free space detecting part detects a free space of the memory part. The vibration detecting part detects vibration. The reporting part reports the free space. The controller performs writing and reading of data for the memory part. If vibration is detected by the vibration detecting part, the controller causes the reporting part to report corresponding to the detection result of the free space of the memory part by the free space detecting part.
US09406348B2

A semiconductor storage device capable of performing low-voltage operation, reducing standby current, and decreasing memory size is provided. The semiconductor storage device is a semiconductor device including first to fourth transistors and a capacitor. The first transistor has a function of supplying a first signal to the capacitor. The capacitor has a function of accumulating electric charge based on the first signal. The second transistor has a function of supplying the electric charge based on the first signal to a gate of the third transistor. The third transistor has a function of outputting a first potential to a wiring and a function of supplying the first potential to a gate of the fourth transistor. The fourth transistor has a function of supplying a second potential to the capacitor through the second transistor.
US09406347B2

There is provided a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of replicated IC modules. Each replicated IC module is capable of forming an individual IC die. The semiconductor wafer further comprises inter-module cross-wafer electrical connections, and the replicated IC modules are further arranged to be cut into IC dies comprising multiple replicated IC modules.There is further provided a method of fabricating an IC die. The method comprises fabricating such a semiconductor wafer, determining a required configuration of replicated IC modules, identifying inter-module boundaries along which to cut the semiconductor wafer to achieve the required configuration of replicated IC modules, and cutting the semiconductor wafer along the identified inter-module boundaries to produce at least one IC die comprising the required configuration of replicated IC modules.
US09406339B2

A method and system for creating and editing video and/or audio tracks is described. The method includes providing at least one artist, venue, and track available for selection and providing at least one clip associated with the at least one artist, venue, and track. The method also includes allowing a user to create a custom track from the at least one clip. The system includes a plurality of video cameras for recording a live performance at a plurality of positions. The system also includes at least one server for storing a plurality of video clips created from the plurality of video cameras and an application stored on the at least one server for allowing a user to access the plurality of video clips via the Internet.
US09406333B1

A disk drive includes a disk drive base having a bottom surface, and a rotatable spindle. A first disk is mounted coaxially on the rotatable spindle, closer to the bottom surface than a second disk. A first stationary plate is affixed to the disk drive base by a plurality of fasteners, and extends between the first and second disks in an overlap region that spans at least 75 degrees of the circumference of each of the first and second disks. The first stationary plate includes a first plurality of fastener holes extending through the first stationary plate in a direction that is parallel to an axis of rotation of the spindle. The first stationary plate includes a first plurality of grooves that are elongated orthogonally to the axis of rotation and adjacent to corresponding ones of the first plurality of fastener holes.
US09406328B2

In one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; and a soft magnetic underlayer structure positioned above the substrate, where the soft magnetic underlayer includes: a coupling layer; a first soft underlayer positioned above the coupling layer; and a second soft underlayer positioned below the coupling layer, where a difference between a magnetic flux density of the soft magnetic underlayer structure at 25° C. and a magnetic flux density of the soft underlayer structure at 85° C. is less than or equal to about 10% of the magnetic flux density of the soft magnetic underlayer structure at 25° C.
US09406325B2

A tray for retaining sliders, such as during washing and/or transporting process steps. The tray has a planar body comprising a top surface having a plurality of cavities therein, an opposite bottom surface having a plurality of recesses therein, and a perimeter. Each cavity is oppositely aligned with a respective recess, with each cavity and its respective recess connected by a passage through the body.
US09406321B2

A read head includes a bottom shield configured as a bottom electrical contact. A bottom reader stack is disposed on and electrically coupled to the bottom shield. A middle electrical contact is electrically coupled to a top layer of the bottom reader stack. A top reader stack is disposed on the bottom reader stack. A bottom layer of the top reader stack electrically coupled to the middle electrical contact. A top shield is configured as a top electrical contact. The top shield is disposed on and electrically coupled to the top reader stack.
US09406319B1

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a magnetic sensor structure, a magnetic shield having at least one laminate pair comprising a magnetic layer and an electrically nonconductive nonmagnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the sensor structure and the magnetic shield. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a sensor structure and a magnetic shield having a conductive portion and a nonconductive portion, the nonconductive portion having at least one laminate pair comprising a magnetic layer and an electrically nonconductive nonmagnetic layer.
US09406309B2

A method and apparatus are provided for generating a noise reduced output signal from sound received by a first microphone. The method includes transforming the sound received by the first microphone into a first input signal and transforming sound received by a second microphone into a second input signal. The method includes calculating, for each of a plurality of frequency components, an energy transfer function value as a real-valued quotient by dividing a temporally averaged product of an amplitude of the first input signal and the second input signal by a temporally averaged absolute square of the second input signal, calculating a gain value as a function of the calculated energy transfer function value, and generating the noise reduced output signal based on the product of the first input signal and the calculated gain value at each of the plurality of frequency components.
US09406305B2

A message is communicated between devices by passing a host signal, such as an audio signal, with the message written into the spectrogram of the host signal. For host audio signals, the message is authored, converted to an image format (if not already in suitable image form) and written into the spectrogram of the audio signal. The resulting audio signal can be communicated in a variety of ways, but in one particular embodiment, the audio signal is played from a speaker (e.g., of a sending mobile device) and captured through the microphone of a receiving device. The spectrogram of the received audio signal is computed and then rendered to a display screen (e.g., the display of a receiving mobile device).
US09406299B2

A computer-implemented method is described for speaker adaptation in automatic speech recognition. Speech recognition data from a particular speaker is used for adaptation of an initial speech recognition acoustic model to produce a speaker adapted acoustic model. A speaker dependent differential acoustic model is determined that represents differences between the initial speech recognition acoustic model and the speaker adapted acoustic model. In addition, an approach is also disclosed to estimate speaker-specific feature or model transforms over multiple sessions. This is achieved by updating the previously estimated transform using only adaptation statistics of the current session.
US09406298B2

Most speaker recognition systems use i-vectors which are compact representations of speaker voice characteristics. Typical i-vector extraction procedures are complex in terms of computations and memory usage. According to an embodiment, a method and corresponding apparatus for speaker identification, comprise determining a representation for each component of a variability operator, representing statistical inter- and intra-speaker variability of voice features with respect to a background statistical model, in terms of a linear operator common to all components of the variability operator and having a first dimension larger than a second dimension of the components of the variability operator; computing statistical voice characteristics of a particular speaker using the determined representations; and employing the statistical voice characteristics of the particular speaker in performing speaker recognition. Computing the voice characteristics, by using the determined representations, results in significant reduction in memory usage and possible increase in execution speed.
US09406297B2

Generally the present disclosure is directed to appliances that provide a user-specific response to a received voice command. In particular, the appliance can store a plurality of voice samples respectively associated with a plurality of users. The appliance can also store one or more preferences for each of the plurality of users. For example, the preferences can be input by the user and/or learned or inferred over time. When the appliance receives a human speech signal or voice command, it can match the received speech signal against one or more of the plurality of voice samples to identify the user. The preferences stored and associated with the identified user can then be obtained and the appliance can perform any requested operations in accordance with the obtained preferences. In such fashion, the appliance can provide a user-specific response to a received voice command.
US09406294B2

An information-sharing system has a server connected to a network, the server having a processor and a coupled data repository, with software executing on the processor from a non-transitory medium providing system intelligence, a plurality of computerized communication devices coupled to the network, each having a microphone, a speaker, and a display screen, each executing coded instructions providing local intelligence at least presenting interactive interfaces to a user. The user is enabled by the coded instructions executing at the computerized communication device to record an audio or audio-video input which the system, by use of natural language processing, determines to be either a voice command or a Shout, as a situational report local to the user, and if the enunciation is determined to be a Shout is transmitted to the Server, where it is processed and transmitted to other users according to determinations made by the server intelligence.
US09406287B2

A portable component marimba comprising a frame having two opposing sections facing each other. A resonator support rack held in place by gravity extends between the two frame sections. A resonator assembly having a linearly arranged series of resonators extends between the two frame sections and is engaged with the resonator support rack by means of two lateral support brackets. A tone bar assembly extends between the two frame sections and includes a linear series of tone bars interconnected by two lateral laces and is supported by a tone bar support rack. The laces may be tied off on cleats located on the crossbeams. The tone bar support rack may include dampening lace support brackets. The resonator assemblies may incorporate balanced resonators. The tone bars may include sustained dampeners.
US09406281B2

A multi-display apparatus includes a first body mounted with a first display, a second body mounted with a second display, a hinge connecting the first body and the second body, a first frame buffer corresponding to a first display, a second frame buffer corresponding to a second display, and a controller which manages the first and second frame buffers with a separate storing method which separately manages the first and second frame buffers and stores data or a united storing method which manages the first and second frame buffers as one virtual united frame buffer and stores data. The controller stores data on the first and second frame buffers by converting the managing method according to data features displayed on the first and second displays, and the first and second displays display the data stored in the first and second frame buffers respectively.
US09406277B1

Illumination of a display is controlled so as to modulate the intensity of emissions in one or more spectral ranges over time while content is being presented. Usage data indicative of user interaction with the presented content or previously presented content can be used to generate or modify a pattern profile. The pattern profile is used to control light emitters of a media device. Various operating modes respectively directed to decreasing or increasing intensity over time within certain portions of the visible spectrum can be used during the presentation of written, video or other content.
US09406274B2

An image processing apparatus includes a gamma correction unit configured to perform gamma correction on linear-scale raw image signals to generate log-scale signals, a demosaicing unit configured to demosaic the log-scale signals generated by the gamma correction unit to generate image signals, and an inverse gamma correction unit configured to perform inverse gamma correction on the image signals generated by the demosaicing unit to generate linear-scale signals.
US09406270B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a driver and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to cause the driver to carry out one of an ordinary driving and an intermittent driving, which is set by switching. The control circuit supplies signals to a plurality of pixel electrodes of each of columns of the pixel electrodes in each of frame periods in the intermittent driving, the supplied signals having polarities inverted in units of at least one row.
US09406262B2

A luminance control device and method are disclosed. A surrounding brightness of a touch panel is measured to obtain a measured surrounding brightness. A luminance of the touch panel is controlled during a first time period starting from when the measured surrounding brightness changes from a first condition to a second condition, during which the measured surrounding brightness decreases by an amount equal to or greater than a threshold value. The luminance of the touch panel is maintained at a first luminance corresponding to the first condition when the measured surrounding brightness changes from the second condition to the first condition. The luminance of the touch panel is controlled to change to a second luminance corresponding to the second condition, when the measured surrounding brightness has not changed from the second condition to the first condition.
US09406259B2

A pixel circuit, an organic electroluminescent display panels and a display device is configured to improve image brightness uniformity in the displaying region of the display device. The pixel circuit comprises a capacitor (CST), a light emitting device (D1), a driving control sub-module (1), a charging and resetting sub-module (2), and a light-emitting control sub-module (3). A first terminal of the capacitor (CST) serves as a first node (A), and a second terminal of the capacitor (CST) servers as a second node (B). A first terminal (x) of the light emitting device (D1) is connected to a fifth terminal (e′) of the light emitting control sub-module (3), and a second terminal (y) of the light emitting device is connected to a second reference signal terminal (Vref2). When the charging and resetting sub-module (2) is turned on, the data signal is written to the first node (A), and the first terminal and third terminal of the driving control sub-module (2) are shorted, which can reset the voltage of the second node (B) and charge the capacitor (CST). When the light emitting control sub-module (3) is turned on, the driving control sub-module (1) and the light emitting device (D1) are connected and the light emitting device (D1) is driven to emit light.
US09406256B2

An integrated drive circuit for multi-segment electroluminescent displays is provided. During a charging phase, the electroluminescent segments are charged by a common charge circuit, and partially discharged using separate discharge circuits associated with individual electroluminescent segments. A controller provides essentially independent control over the respective discharge circuits so, by the end of the charging phase, the EL segments can be charged to correspondingly different final voltages. Then during a discharging phase following the charging phase, the electroluminescent segments are completely discharged, thereby emitting an intensity of light that varies roughly in proportion to the final accumulated voltage. The controller can be pre-programmed with a spatial-temporal light pattern so that, using the disclosed integrated drive circuit, the electroluminescent display can be operated to generate rudimentary animations.
US09406251B2

A display panel and a display device comprising a pixel area (A) and a peripheral wiring area, wherein detection switches are arranged between the pixel area (A) and the peripheral wiring area, the detection switches correspond to gate lines (11) and/or data lines (10) of the pixel area (A) one to one, and the detection switches are configured to control connection and disconnection of the pixel area (A) and the peripheral wiring area. In the display panel, it is possible to precisely and quickly detect whether there is a short-circuit or open-circuit defect and the precise position of the defect. It is only required to perform an inching detection on signal lines in a small area during the detection procedure, which saves detection time and improves detection efficiency.
US09406248B2

Apparatuses are disclosed, including apparatuses providing a rotatable sign configured with a base, a display panel, and a support, where a portion of the support defines a horizontal axis and is secured to the panel. The base may be configured to hold the support to allow rotation about the horizontal axis, the height of the horizontal axis of the support may be equal to or lower than a midpoint of the panel height. In addition, apparatuses are disclosed that include a counterweight attached to a support, where some or all of the counterweight may be below the horizontal axis of the support when the support is in an initial rotational position, such that it is disposed to return a sign back to its vertical orientation when in use.
US09406246B2

A method and apparatus for reorganizing display of a railway timetable diagram. A method of reorganizing the display of a railway timetable diagram, including: generating a relational graph by using a multiple of stations in the railway timetable diagram and correlations between the stations; partitioning the relational graph according to a partition rule, where the partition rule reduces lines crossing in at least one page and/or section in at least one page in a reorganized railway timetable diagram, where the lines representing an association between respective stations along a path in the reorganized railway timetable diagram; and displaying a reorganized railway timetable diagram based on a result of the partitioning. An apparatus for reorganizing the display of a railway timetable diagram.
US09406244B2

Interactive education systems for teaching patient care to a user are disclosed. In some instances a maternal simulator for teaching patient care to a user includes a body sized and shaped to simulate a pregnant woman; a birthing device positioned within a cavity of the body, the birthing device configured to interface with a fetal simulator and configured to translate and rotate the fetal simulator in a manner simulating a birthing sequence; and a distensible cervix coupled to the body, the distensible cervix defining a port that the fetal simulator moves through during the birthing sequence.
US09406233B2

An apparatus for warning of dangerous passing of a vehicle may include: a vehicle information collector configured to collect vehicle information containing one or more of vehicle speed, traveling direction, and location; a vehicle information transmitter/receiver configured to transmit the vehicle information collected through the vehicle information collector, and receive other vehicle information transmitted from other vehicles; a controller configured to determine the direction of a lane change signal when the lane change signal is inputted, and determine whether to output a warning based on the vehicle information collected through the vehicle information collector and the other vehicle information received through the vehicle information transmitter/receiver; and a warning output unit configured to output a warning according to the determination of the controller.
US09406229B2

A traffic flow advisory system includes a locating device for identifying a position of a driven vehicle. A communication device exchanges vehicle position data, speed data, and heading data with remote vehicles. A processor constructs a traffic flow rate in a plurality of road lanes based on the position data and speed data. A human machine interface indicates to a driver of the driven vehicle the traffic flow rate of each of the road lanes.
US09406228B1

A mobile computerized apparatus for use with a roadside assistance program to assist in identifying a service provider, such as a tow truck, is disclosed. The apparatus transmits relevant information to a remote server. The server in turn provides information about a plurality of service providers available to service the vehicle.
US09406222B2

Systems and methods for location reporting of detected events during vehicle operation in accordance embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, an event reporting telematics unit configured to report the location of events includes a first sensor configured to determine sensor information, a storage device configured to store sensor information and an event reporting application, and a processor, wherein the event reporting application configures the processor to receive a first sensor information using the first sensor, calculate a first sensor information timestamp, where the first sensor information timestamp is associated with the first sensor information, determine the occurrence of a vehicle event, complete the determination of the vehicle event, correlate the first sensor information with the determined event using the first sensor information timestamp, and determine the time corresponding to the beginning of the determined event.
US09406216B2

The invention relates to a reconfiguration process for an aircraft environment surveillance device including at least two redundant electronic systems (2, 2′), where each system includes at least two surveillance sets (4-10, 4′-10′) able to provide information about the aircraft's environment. The inventive method and apparatus includes the following steps and structures: detection of simultaneous unavailability (S1, S4) of at least one surveillance set of the first system (4-10) and of at least one surveillance set of a second system (4′-10′); and, in the case where at least two unavailable sets (4-10, 4′-10′) are not redundant sets, automatic selection (S3, S6) of the information obtained, on the one hand, from the available surveillance sets of the first system (4-10), and, on the other hand, from the redundant surveillance set or sets of the second system (4′-10′) that matches the unavailable surveillance set or sets of the first system (4-10).
US09406215B2

An apparatus and method for determining at least one operational condition of a premises based system including at least one premises device. The apparatus includes a processor configured to perform a diagnostic procedure. The diagnostic procedure includes determining operational data of the premises based system, the operational data indicating at least one of a premises device and the apparatus is operating outside a failure range and performing predictive analysis based at least in part on the received operational data. The predictive analysis indicates whether the at least one of premises device and apparatus is likely to operate within the failure range within a predefined period of time. The diagnostic procedure includes causing a notification alert to be transmitted to at least one of a user interface device and remote monitoring center based on the predictive analysis.
US09406213B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing recommendations to users. One of the methods includes receiving data indicating a selection, by a user, of a notification option relating to a first entity, adding the first entity to an interest list for the user, determining, based at least on adding the first entity to the interest list for the user, to provide a notification relating to an entity, and providing, based on determining to provide the notification relating to the entity, the notification.
US09406210B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for supporting a safe living. An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for supporting a safe living that includes: an information receiving unit configured to receive information on a sensor, information on a device and information on a user; a pattern information generating unit configured to generate condition pattern information by use of sensing value information measured by the sensor and operation state information of the device; a condition assessing unit configured to assess a current condition by comparing the condition pattern information with the sensing value information and the operation state information; a profile unit configured to search for a control service of the device corresponding to the current condition; and a condition handling unit configured to perform a proper control the device corresponding to the current condition based on the control service.
US09406206B2

A user device may be used to communicate a message to a rescue vehicle, such as a helicopter, an airplane, etc. A user may provide the user device with message content data, such as a name, a description of a geographic location, whether the user is in need of medical attention, etc., and the user device may create a message pattern based on the message content data. The message pattern may correspond to a machine-readable code, such as a Quick Response (QR) code. The message pattern may be copied to a display panel of a display kit, which may include dimensions suitable for displaying the message pattern to a rescue vehicle in a manner that enables the rescue vehicle to translate the message pattern back into message content data for the effective deployment of search and rescue resources and/or for notifying individuals concerned with the welfare of the user.
US09406199B2

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to gaming devices having a delayed bonus win determination and methods of operating gaming systems and gaming devices to provide delayed bonus win determinations. Here, contributions to a linked jackpot may be separated from the chance to win the linked jackpot, where the chance to win the linked jackpot can be stored and used at a later time.
US09406192B2

In one embodiment of the present invention, the player must wager a number of paylines to qualify for one of a plurality of bonus games. The highest required number of paylines qualifies the player to play the main or most elaborate bonus game. The main or first bonus game preferably has the highest average payout per credit wagered. This provides an incentive to the player to play the highest required number of paylines. In an embodiment, any number of paylines less than the highest required number or max lines qualifies the player to play a second bonus game. The second bonus game has an average payout per credit wagered that is slightly less than the main bonus game. This allows the incentive or disparity between payouts to be set by the game designer so that the player not wagering max lines or the highest required number is not overly disadvantaged.
US09406191B2

Systems and methods for wagering on game outcomes allow a player to wager on game outcomes resulting from linked gaming devices linked to a primary gaming device being played by the player. A primary game display shows game plays and outcomes and allows wagering on a primary game and a linked game display shows game plays and outcomes and allows wagering on linked games. Both the primary and linked gaming devices may be the same type of gaming device, or they may be two different types of gaming devices, such as gaming devices for playing slot games, card games, keno, and the like. Further, either or both of the primary and linked games may allow bonus game outcomes resulting in a bonus game having bonus game awards.
US09406185B2

A recognition module comprises a detection unit for real-time detection and control of a banknote moving state, wherein at least one group of the through-beam sensors comprises a first sensor and two second sensors, the first sensor whereof is arranged on a midline of a banknote transmission channel, and the two second sensors are arranged at the upstream position of the banknote moving direction relative to the first sensor and are symmetrically distributed on the two sides of the midline of the banknote transmission channel. The condition for judging whether a start signal of an image data acquisition unit is effective is whether a banknote-triggered insertion event is detected by the first sensor; and the condition for judging whether an end signal of the acquisition unit is effective is whether a banknote-exit completion event is detected by three through-beam sensors.
US09406181B2

An electronic lock that is self-configurable to automatically set a wireless communication protocol profile, or configuration, to allow the electronic lock to communicatively join the system in which the electronic lock is to be incorporated. In some embodiments, the electronic lock is programmed to execute in sequence a plurality of wireless protocol profiles stored in memory until a wireless protocol profile establishes wireless communications with another wireless communication device. Once this happens, the wireless protocol profile that was able to establish wireless communications is set as the default wireless protocol profile.
US09406176B2

A method of managing wireless devices at a vehicle includes detecting a plurality of wireless devices at the vehicle using a short-range wireless communication protocol; determining that one of the plurality of wireless devices belongs to a preferred group of wireless devices; and creating a short-range wireless link between the wireless device belonging to the preferred group and a vehicle telematics unit.
US09406174B2

A system includes a machinery protection monitoring system. The machinery protection monitoring system includes a memory configured to store a plurality of alarm escalation rules associated with an operational protection function of an industrial machine, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to utilize the plurality of alarm escalation rules. The processor is also configured to receive an indication that the operational protection of the industrial machine is at least partially suspended, compare the measurement of the one or more operational parameters to at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules, and generate an alarm signal based at least in part on whether the at least one of the plurality of alarm escalation rules is satisfied. The alarm signal includes an indication of an adverse operational condition of the machinery protection monitoring system.
US09406172B2

A method for modifying the dimensions of a design pattern embedded on a garment is disclosed. Original dimensions of the apparel and new dimensions according to which the apparel is to be modified are determined. A coordinate pair indicating the center point of the design pattern is determined. Two delta factors, one corresponding to height and the other corresponding to the width are determined. The delta factors indicate the difference, in terms of height and width respectively, between the original dimensions of the garment, and the dimensions to which the garment is purported to be modified. Subsequently, one of the delta factors is selected depending upon the nature of modification, and provided as an input to an affine transformation operation, along with the coordinate pair. The dimensions of the design pattern are modified based on the affine transformation operation and the selected delta factor and coordinate pair.
US09406171B2

A system and method for visual inertial navigation for augmented reality are described. In some embodiments, at least one camera of a wearable device generates a plurality of video frames. At least one inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors of the wearable device generates IMU data. Features in the plurality of video frames for each camera are tracked. The plurality of video frames for each camera are synchronized and aligned based on the IMU data. A dynamic state of the wearable device is computed based on the synchronized plurality of video frames with the IMU data for each camera. Augmented reality content is generated and positioned in a display of the wearable device based on the dynamic state of the wearable device.
US09406170B1

A projection and camera system creates an augmented reality environment in which images are projected onto a scene and user movement within the scene is captured. The system assists the user in performing various activities, such as productivity tasks, routine household tasks, and creative tasks. Predefined activity templates contain projectable patterns that, when projected into the environment in a certain sequence, guide the user through the activities.
US09406165B2

A method for estimating occlusion in a virtual environment comprising at least two objects and observed from a viewpoint. Thereafter, a second item of information representative of the distance separating a second fragment of a second object from the viewpoint according to an observation direction is computed; the second item of information is compared with a first item of information representative of the distance separating a first fragment of a first object from the viewpoint according to the observation direction and is stored in a first buffer memory. If the second item of information is less than the first item of information, then a third item of information representative of attributes associated with the second fragment is estimated, the second item of information is stored in a second buffer memory and the third item of information is stored in a third buffer memory. If the second item of information is greater than the first item of information, of then the first item of information is stored in the second buffer memory.
US09406160B2

An image processing system according to an embodiment includes an image storage device and a playing control device. The image storage device stores four-dimensional data that is a sequential volume data group chronologically acquired and control information for controlling playing of the four-dimensional data. The playing control device acquires the sequential volume data group and the control information from the image storage device and successively plays the sequential volume data group according to the control information. The control information contains identification information that identifies that data is volume data that belongs to the sequential volume data group acquired chronologically and identification information that identifies that volume data that is used as a reference for successive playing from among the sequential volume data group is reference volume data.
US09406153B2

Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for positioning point-of-interest (POI) data in a planar panorama image, generated from a plurality of relatively sequential images. First POI data with a first geo-location and second POI data with a second geo-location can be received for the planar panorama image, and first and second data tags can be created that respectively comprise at least some of the first and second POI data. A cluster geo-location may be identified for the first and second data tags based at least upon the first and second geo-locations, and the first and second data tags can be clustered at the cluster geo-location in the planar panorama image. The first and second data tags can be re-clustered (e.g., moved around) and displayed at different locations within the planar panorama image in response to a zoom operation, for example.
US09406149B2

A system and method are described for compressing image data using a combination of compression methods. Compression method combinations are provided to compress image data of a particular frame buffer format and antialiasing mode. Each method in the compression method combination is tried in turn to compress the image data in a tile. The best method that succeeded in compressing the image data is encoded in the compression bit state associated with the tile. Together, the compression bits, the compression method combination, and the frame buffer format provide sufficient information to decompress a tile.
US09406146B2

A system is disclosed for quantitative analysis of perfusion images comprising image elements having intensity values associated therewith. The system comprises a frequency distribution computing subsystem (1) for computing a plurality of frequency distributions of the intensity values of at least part of the images. The system comprises a perfusion information extractor (2) for extracting information relating to perfusion from the plurality of frequency distributions. The perfusion information extractor (2) comprises a shift detector (3) for detecting a shift of the intensity values of the frequency distribution. The perfusion information extractor (2) is arranged for extracting the information relating to perfusion, based on the detected shift. A user interface element (8) enables a user to indicate a boundary between the core region and the rim region by a single degree of freedom. A vesselness subsystem (9) associates a vesselness value with an image element.
US09406144B2

Methods and apparatuses for tracking and correlating particles include an optical detector that captures a first and a second image of the particles. A video detector is used to capture a plurality of video frames of the particles. The video detector captures the video frames of the particles at a rate faster than the rate at which images are captured by the optical detector to track the movement of particles. A first image position of a particle in the first image of the particles is identified, and then the first image position of the particle is correlated to a second image position of the particle in the second image using the plurality of video frames.
US09406137B2

Disclosed embodiments pertain to apparatus, systems, and methods for robust feature based tracking. In some embodiments, a score may be computed for a camera captured current image comprising a target object. The score may be based on one or more metrics determined from a comparison of features in the current image and a prior image captured by the camera. The comparison may be based on an estimated camera pose for the current image. In some embodiments, one of a point based, an edge based, or a combined point and edge based feature correspondence method may be selected based on a comparison of the score with a point threshold and/or a line threshold, the point and line thresholds being obtained from a model of the target. The camera pose may be refined by establishing feature correspondences using the selected method between the current image and a model image.
US09406135B2

Provided is a device and method for estimating a head pose which may obtain an excellent head pose recognition result free from the influence of an illumination change, the device including a head area extracting unit to extract a head area from an input depth image, a head pitch angle estimating unit to estimate a pitch angle of a head in the head area, a head yaw angle estimating unit to estimate a yaw angle of the head in the head area, and a head pose displaying unit to display a head pose based on the estimated pitch angle of the head and the estimated yaw angle of the head.
US09406132B2

In general, techniques are described for determining a vision-based quality metric for three-dimensional (3D) video. A device (12, 14) comprising a 3D analysis unit (24, 48) may implement these techniques to compute a 3D objective metric (36, 60). The 3D analysis unit (24, 48) estimates an ideal depth map (62, 70) that would generate a distortion limited image view using DIBR-based 3D video data (34) and then derives one or more distortion metrics (64, 72) based on quantitative comparison of the ideal depth map (62, 70) and a depth map (28, 58) used in the generation of the DIBR-based 3D video data (34). Based on the derived one or more distortion metrics (64, 72), the 3D analysis unit (24, 48) computes the objective metric (36, 60) to quantify visual quality of DIBR-based video data (34). The 3D objective metric (36, 60) may be used to alter or otherwise adjust depth estimation and encoding/decoding parameters to correct for expected visual discomfort.
US09406112B2

A method of producing a compressed video data stream (12) by compressing a stream of relatively high dynamic range video frames (2). A bilateral filter (3) extracts a base frame (4) with luminance information. The base frame (4) and the original frame (2) are used to provide a detail frame (5) with chroma information. A tone mapping operation (6) is selected (7, 11) and applied to the base frame to generate a relatively low dynamic range base frame (8), which is then compressed (9). The detail frame (5) is compressed separately. Final frame data (12) is then created, consisting of the compressed relatively low dynamic range base frame, the compressed detail frame, and stored information in respect of the tone mapping operation that had been applied to the base frame.
US09406110B2

Cropping boundary simplicity techniques are described. In one or more implementations, multiple candidate cropping s of a scene are generated. For each of the candidate croppings, a score is calculated that is indicative of a boundary simplicity for the candidate cropping. To calculate the boundary simplicity, complexity of the scene along a boundary of a respective candidate cropping is measured. The complexity is measured, for instance, using an average gradient, an image edge map, or entropy along the boundary. Values indicative of the complexity may be derived from the measuring. The candidate croppings may then be ranked according to those values. Based on the scores calculated to indicate the boundary simplicity, one or more of the candidate croppings may be chosen e.g., to present the chosen croppings to a user for selection.
US09406103B1

A computing device can be running a current context and displaying a current interface for the current context when a communication is received on the device. The device can display an alert on a portion of a display screen in conjunction with the current interface being displayed. The alert can include information about the communication, which can allow a user to better determine whether or not the communication requires immediate attention. If the user ignores the alert, it will disappear in a specified amount of time. If the user chooses to deal with the communication, he/she can tap on the alert to bring up an overlay interface for replying to the communication without having to switch to another application specifically configured for handling (e.g., viewing, replying to) the communication. After the user replies to the communication using the overlay interface, he/she can be automatically brought back to the current interface.
US09406100B2

Techniques are described that can delay or even prevent use of memory to store triangles associated with tiles as well as processing resources associated with vertex shading and binning triangles. The techniques can also provide better load balancing among a set of cores, and hence provide better performance. A bounding volume is generated to represent a geometry group. Culling takes place to determine whether a geometry group is to have triangles rendered. Vertex shading and association of triangles with tiles can be performed across multiple cores in parallel. Processing resources are allocated for rasterizing tiles whose triangles have been vertex shaded and binned over tiles whose triangles have yet to be vertex shaded and binned. Rasterization of triangles of different tiles can be performed by multiple cores in parallel.
US09406089B2

Methods, systems and computer program products for processing video of tax documents and associated verbal input provided by a user and populating at least a portion of an electronic tax return with processing results. A video/voice processor associated with a tax return preparation application executed by a computing apparatus such as mobile communication device receives a video of a tax document and voice data. The document type is determined using video and/or voice data. Voice to text conversion can be used to determine what a user said about the document to determine the document type. Tax data determined from the video is used to populate a field of the electronic tax return. A front facing camera may be used to take a video of a tax document while a rear facing camera is used to detect a facial expression, which may result in certain dialogue with the user.
US09406081B2

Techniques to allow a social networking system to import contact information from an external system. In one embodiment, a QR code is provided to a non-mobile computing device to allow a log in to an external system by a user using a mobile computing device. Information from the external system is received after authentication of the user with the external system. The information includes address book information of the user. The address book information includes contact information maintained by the external system. Invitations are provided to a selection of the new contacts to join the social network of the user.
US09406074B2

A funnel approach is used to analyze the behavior of users in adopting a software application offered through an electronic store. The electronic store may include an electronic store client module that provides a virtual electronic store front to users interested in licensing software applications offered by the electronic store. The electronic store may utilize a server that stores the applications store as well as collect instrumentation data representing user's actions in progressing through the various stages of adoption.
US09406061B2

In one embodiment, a computing device of a social-networking system may receive from a computing device of a first user of the social-networking system information acquired by the computing device of the first user from a tag associated with a second user of the social-networking system. The tag may encode a time stamp, a signature, and a social action on the social-networking system. The computing device of the social-networking system may verify the signature and, if the signature is verified, then initiate the social action.
US09406054B2

Virtual account based digital cash protocols employ two pairs of private and public keys. Each public key is certified separately and the protocols do not use any blind signature schemes. As a result, the virtual account based digital cash protocols provide strong protection of the user privacy by using two certified public keys instead of a blind signature. One pair of certified keys consists of one master user private key and one master user public key. A second pair of certified keys consists of one pseudonym user private key and one pseudonym user public key. The use of a master key pair and a pseudonym key pair circumvents the need for blind signatures. As a result, the proposed protocols do not require blind signatures and do not add additional overhead and security requirements necessitated by conventional blind signature schemes. The protocols use public key protocols, digital signatures and symmetric key protocols, which may be readily implemented in standard information security based systems based on cryptographic constructs. In addition, the protocols may be deployed in mobile, off-line, and on-line settings.
US09406032B2

According to an embodiment of the present invention a method for detecting fraudulent use of credit cards is herein described. In the case when possible fraudulent use is detected the issuer or other responsible party, such as a third-party mediator, temporarily blocks the credit card account. This can be accomplished, for example, by making an artificial excess of credit limit of the credit card or otherwise temporarily closing a credit card account. In some embodiments an issuer or responsible party may send a warning message and/or alert to a client's mobile phone informing of an upcoming temporary block of client's credit card.
US09406028B2

Disclosed is a photometer that employs high dynamic range (HDR) image processing and manipulation algorithms for capturing and measuring real-time sky conditions for processing into control input signals to a building's automated fenestration (AF) system, daylight harvesting (DH) system and HVAC system. The photometer comprises a color camera and a fitted fish-eye lens to capture 360-degree, hemispherical, low dynamic range (LDR) color images of the sky. Both camera and lens are housed in a sealed enclosure protecting them from environmental elements and conditions. In some embodiments the camera and processes are controlled and implemented by a back-end computer.
US09406025B2

Touch events can be predicted relative to a visual display by maintaining a database of aggregated touch event history data relative to the visual display and from a plurality of touch screen devices. The database can be queried according to a set of input parameters defining an environment for use of the visual display. The results from the querying of the database can be analyzed to predict a set of touch events within the environment and based upon inferences obtained from the results. A representation of the set of touch events can be displayed along with the visual display.
US09406014B2

A method for manufacturing a portable data carrier includes the steps of: providing a carrier band having an upper side and a lower side disposed opposite the upper side including a contact field formed with at least one contact area; arranging a semiconductor circuit on the lower side of the carrier band and electroconductively connected with the corresponding contact area; and carrying out an injection molding process on the lower side a potting compound formed around the semiconductor circuit and having outer dimensions according to a portable data carrier standard specification. An injection channel for injecting the potting compound is arranged on a side of the potting compound mold parallel to the lower side, and after the injection of the potting compound a depression remains in the finished data carrier due to the injection channel. A portable data carrier includes the features and is used as a subscriber identity module.
US09406011B2

One variation of a method for controlling a reprogrammable payment card includes: at the payment card, establishing a wireless connection with a mobile computing device; receiving, over the wireless connection, a first magnetic sequence command corresponding to a first payment method, a first digital transaction credential corresponding to the first payment method, and a second magnetic sequence command corresponding to a second payment method; initiating a first mode; in the first mode, arming a controller within the payment card to drive a magnetic stripe emulator within the payment card according to the first magnetic sequence command; in the first mode, activating an integrated circuit within the payment card to broadcast the first digital transaction credential; and in the first mode, disabling operation of the magnetic stripe emulator and the integrated circuit in response to failure of a wireless connection with the mobile computing device.
US09406009B2

A method of tagging an article is disclosed. Data that identifies the article is encoded into at least one stress value. A stress region having a stress that corresponds to the at least one stress value is created in a surface of the article to the tag the article. The at least one stress value is read by a measurement device to read the data and identify the article.
US09406004B2

If an ink color decomposition table with a maximum ink amount, which is different from a created color decomposition table, is automatically generated using the created color decomposition table, and used for, for example, inkjet printing, the ink use amount may be excessive, leading to unevenness in glossiness. According to an embodiment of this invention, for example, in a case where an ink limit amount at each grid point of a color decomposition lookup table to be used for image processing is held, and the color decomposition lookup table is automatically generated, the ink amount of each grid point is controlled to be equal to or smaller than the limit amount.
US09406002B2

An image processing device includes a correction processor that corrects print image data by correcting an edge-portion correction area in an edge portion of a print image based on the print image data. The edge-portion correct area extends along image edge having a ground color and an upper layer color over the ground color in the edge portion.
US09406000B2

An imaging device includes: a sensor unit that is arranged at a predetermined position inside a casing, and that images a subject outside the casing through an opening portion, with a part of an imaging region, while imaging a reference chart with another part of the imaging region; and a light absorption member that is arranged in an optical path of light from a illumination light source toward a specular-reflection position from which specular-reflection light of the illumination light source is entered to the sensor unit, in the imaging range. The light absorption member has at least a first surface on which light from the illumination light source toward the specular-reflection position is irradiated, and a second surface that faces to the first surface, and reflected light that has been reflected on the first surface and then on the second surface is further directed toward the first surface.
US09405996B2

A method and system for generating a patient specific anatomical heart model is disclosed. Volumetric image data, such as computed tomography (CT) or echocardiography image data, of a patient's cardiac region is received. Individual models for multiple heart components, such as the left ventricle (LV) endocardium, LV epicardium, right ventricle (RV), left atrium (LA), right atrium (RA), mitral valve, aortic valve, aorta, and pulmonary trunk, are estimated in said volumetric cardiac image data. A patient specific anatomical heart model is generated by integrating the individual models for each of the heart components.
US09405993B2

Image processing includes dividing the plurality of images into a plurality of groups wherein images in the same group share the same main color; extracting a color feature vector (CFV) of each image in the plurality of groups; subdividing images in each of the plurality of groups into a plurality of subgroups using a clustering technique according to a distance between the CFVs of the images in the group to establish an image signature tree; searching among the plurality of subgroups for a result-subgroup having the same main color as the main color of a given image and containing an image whose CFV has the shortest distance from the CFV of the given image; comparing the CFV of the given image with the CFVs in the result group; and identifying a near-duplicate image from the result group that meets a preset near-duplicate image determining condition.
US09405990B2

A method of performing a security inspection of a container including a plurality of objects includes irradiating the container with polychromatic x-rays, reconstructing a 4-D voxelized representation defining a momentum transfer spectrum, and generating a 3-D image by determining a single value at each voxel as a function of the momentum transfer spectrum. The method further includes segmenting the voxels into segments of contiguous voxels that map onto at least one object. The method also includes computing an aggregated momentum transfer spectrum over at least a portion of the contiguous voxels through at least one of aggregating the spectra of the contiguous voxels for each segment and defining a supervoxel that includes voxels with the object exclusively and voxels in a neighborhood, regardless of association with the object. The method further includes classifying the object as one of a threat and a non-threat based on the aggregated momentum transfer spectrum.
US09405989B2

An image processing apparatus capable of reducing the amount of memory required for intra-frame prediction is provided. The apparatus includes a processing unit that performs sampling on pixels adjacent to a current block for intra-frame prediction according to a block size of the current block. The processing unit further performs interpolation by using the pixels being sampled to reconstruct the adjacent pixels. The processing unit further performs the intra-frame prediction by using the adjacent pixels being reconstructed to generate a predicted image.
US09405975B2

Object recognition apparatus and methods useful for extracting information from sensory input. In one embodiment, the input signal is representative of an element of an image, and the extracted information is encoded in a pulsed output signal. The information is encoded in one variant as a pattern of pulse latencies relative to an occurrence of a temporal event; e.g., the appearance of a new visual frame or movement of the image. The pattern of pulses advantageously is substantially insensitive to such image parameters as size, position, and orientation, so the image identity can be readily decoded. The size, position, and rotation affect the timing of occurrence of the pattern relative to the event; hence, changing the image size or position will not change the pattern of relative pulse latencies but will shift it in time, e.g., will advance or delay its occurrence.
US09405974B2

A system and method for optimizing video-based tracking of an object of interest are provided. A video of a regularized motion environment that comprise multiple video frames is acquired and an initial instance of an object of interest in one of the frames is then detected. An expected size and orientation of the object of interest as a function of the location of the object is then determined. The location of the object of interest is then determined in a next subsequent frame using the expected size and orientation of the object of interest.
US09405973B2

An apparatus includes at least one a processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to determine that an input defining a piece of information to be located has been received, determine the location of the information in an environment of the apparatus, and report the location.
US09405968B2

A managed notification system compares image(s) and/or indicia relating to the image(s) and where there is a match selectively provides a notification of the same.
US09405964B1

Processes are disclosed for generating share recommendations for sharing content based at least in part on associated metadata of the content (e.g., geo-location of the content, the date/time of the content, subject matter of the content, etc.). A quick share system may track an individual's share history, including people with whom the individual has shared content, the date/time the content was shared, the geo-location of the individual when the content was shared, etc. Share recommendations indicating one or more suggested people with whom the individual may wish to share content may be generated for the individual, based at least in part on some of a current time/date, the individual's current location, the content metadata, the individual's share history. Share recommendations may also be based in part on an event associated with the content, user feedback data for shared content, and content analysis such as image analysis for digital images.
US09405958B2

Provided is a cell analysis method in a cell analysis device D that uses an optical path length image of a cell colony formed of a large number of cells to analyze the cell colony, the method comprising: acquiring the optical path length image of the cell colony by an acquisition unit of the cell analysis device; extracting a circular shape corresponding to a cell nucleus of the cell in the acquired optical path length image by an extraction unit of the cell analysis device extracts; comparing an inner optical path length of the extracted circular shape and an outer optical path length of the extracted circular shape by a comparison unit of the cell analysis device extracts; and analyzing the cell colony based on the comparison result by analysis unit of the cell analysis device.
US09405951B2

A light transmitter (e.g., pipe) is constructed from polycarbonate for increased shock resistance and can define a rectangular cross section. A chamfered end of the light pipe is textured or frosted to further diffuse refracted light passing through the end to present a more even effect. A conical/tapered diffuser within the light pipe is illuminated by a reflector that reflects a plurality of rear-ward-directed illumination sources back into the diffuser. The reflector can direct light into the forwardmost, remote regions of the diffuser to generate a better spread of light and alleviate spotting effects. The illumination sources can be multi-colored sources that respond to a controller to project a color and/or blink in a pattern to indicate various conditions. The controller can operate individual portions of the ring so that only corresponding portions of the light pipe perimeter are illuminated in a particular color at a given time. Different quadrants may be simultaneously illuminated in different colors.
US09405943B2

RFID readers and methods for adjusting a query command slot-count parameter Q for use by radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader in an RFID tag inventory round are provided. A method for adjusting a query command slot-count parameter Q for use by an RFID tag reader includes setting an initial value for Q for a first inventory round, issuing a query command to a population of RFID tags, and monitoring replies from the population of RFID tags. The value of Q is decreased by a first amount if no reply is received, and the value of Q is increased by a second amount different from the first amount if a tag collision reply is received.
US09405933B2

A secure access is provided to a plurality of software application features associated with a plurality of software applications running on a user's device, wherein the secure access is provided from a web browser application associated with the user's device. This may include providing an open connection between a server and at least one software application within the plurality of software running on the user's device. This may also include sending a message from the web browser application to the server. This may further include detecting the sent message from the web browser application to the server. Additionally, the open connection may be used to send data from the server to the at least one software application.
US09405929B1

Case management systems and techniques are disclosed. In various embodiments, a hierarchical document permission model is received, the model describing a document hierarchy comprising a plurality of hierarchically related document nodes and defining for each of at least a subset of said document nodes one or more document roles and for each such role one or more document permissions with respect to that document node. The hierarchical document permission model is used to determine and enforce permissions with respect to case management instances to which the hierarchical document permission model applies.
US09405928B2

Data storage systems are disclosed for automatically generating encryption rules based on a set of training files that are known to include sensitive information. The system may use a number of heuristic algorithms to generate one or more encryption rules for determining whether a file includes sensitive information. Further, the system may apply the heuristic algorithms to the content of the files, as determined by using natural language processing algorithms, to generate the encryption rules. Moreover, systems are disclosed that are capable of automatically determining whether to encrypt a file based on the generated encryption rules. The content of the file may be determined using natural language processing algorithms and then the encryption rules may be applied to the content of the file to determine whether to encrypt the file.
US09405927B2

The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for protecting data: by separating limited data from the data storage on a primary host, and retaining only header information and the header information key at the primary host, and without the inclusion of any header information or identification of data, sending and storing the limited data at a secondary host, wherein retaining that limited portion of the data, and generating a limited data key to identify the limited portion of the data, and storing and connecting the generated key with the limited data, and sending and storing the limited data key to a tertiary host, wherein the limited data key being stored and connected with the header information key. Furthermore, to provide means for strong validation as well as header information key synchronization, a plurality of predetermined code set values being contained in data tables at each host, from which a different code value being used for each transmission of data sent and received. Upon receiving each code, the code set validation process executes by means of matching the received code, followed by sending the next code within the code set, for every transmission leg, by consecutively pointing to the correct code value in the code set subsequently required of the data operation. The code set furthermore providing the key synchronization of the data header key, that value also being referenced in like manner for the exclusive use of linking data at the primary and tertiary hosts.
US09405925B2

Applications are stored on removable storage of a mobile device in an encrypted form to provide isolation and piracy protection. In one implementation, each application is encrypted using its own associated encryption key that is generated based on an identifier of the application and a master key that is associated with a trusted platform module of the mobile device. In another implementation, each application is encrypted using two associated encryption keys. One key is used to encrypt binary data associated with the application such as source code, and the other key is used to encrypt application data such as graphics and configuration files. The encryption keys are each generated using the identifier of the application, the master key, and identifiers of the folders where the corresponding data types are stored on the mobile device. The removable storage includes SD cards formatted using the FAT or exFAT file systems.
US09405920B1

A system performs cryptographic operations utilizing information usable to verify validity of plaintext. To prevent providing information about a plaintext by providing the information usable to verify the validity of the plaintext, the system provides the information usable to verify validity of the plaintext to an entity on a condition that the entity is authorized to access the plaintext. The information usable to verify validity of the plaintext may be persisted in ciphertext along with the plaintext to enable the plaintext to be verified when decrypted.
US09405916B2

Methods and systems for automatic correction of security downgraders. For one or more flows having one or more candidate downgraders, it is determined whether each candidate downgrader protects against all vulnerabilities associated with the candidate downgrader's respective flow. Candidate downgraders that do not protect against all of the associated vulnerabilities are transformed, such that the transformed downgraders do protect against all of the associated vulnerabilities.
US09405910B2

The automated, real-time detection of specific blocks of code within a larger body of source code is described. Specific implementations relate to the detection of known code libraries in web page code to improve the efficiency of the generation of polymorphic transformations of the web page code for the purpose of impeding automated cyber-attacks.
US09405909B2

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium includes a shared library that is executed by a processor. The shared library includes a preprocessing function and a function. The function causes the processor to execute a process if a value, as an execution result of the preprocessing function, is valid, and not to execute the process if the value is invalid. The preprocessing function causes the processor to acquire encrypted unique information from the storage device, to decrypt the unique information, to acquire, from the storage device, specific information that specifies an application using the shared library, and to return the value that is valid or invalid based on a comparison between the specific information and the decrypted unique information.
US09405908B2

Embodiments of system, method, and apparatus for virtualizing TPM accesses is described. In some embodiments, an apparatus including a CPU core to execute a software program, a manageability engine coupled to the CPU core, the manageability engine to receive a trusted platform module (TPM) command requested by the software program and to process the TPM command utilizing a manageability firmware by at least creating a TPM network packet, and a network interface coupled to the manageability engine to transmit the TPM network packet to a remote TPM that is external to the apparatus for processing is utilized as a part of this virtualization process.
US09405890B1

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, computer program product, and computer system for login on a wearable device. The method includes detecting one or more preregistered devices near a first wearable device. In response to determining that the detected one or more registered devices is greater than or equal to a predetermined number set forth in a simple password, the method requests the simple password from the user. If the correct simple password is entered, a first set of login information for the first wearable device is automatically inputted. The method may also include automatically inputting a second set of login information for one or more applications on the first wearable device.
US09405882B1

A static timing analysis method for input/output modes of an integrated circuit design, that includes loading the integrated circuit design described in a hardware description language into a memory. An active zone for static timing analysis is defined, which comprises logic and interconnect between an input/output port and a selected level of sequential logic elements upstream from an input port and downstream from an output port. A description of the active zone is generated using the hardware description language. Then a static timing analysis is performed on the logic of the active zone.
US09405875B1

A method of designing an acoustic microwave filter comprises generating a proposed filter circuit design having an acoustic resonant element with a defined admittance value, introducing a lumped capacitive element in parallel and a lumped inductive element in series with the resonant element, selecting a first capacitance value for the capacitive element and a first inductance value for the inductive element, thereby creating a first temperature modeled filter circuit design, simulating the first temperature modeled filter circuit design at a first operating temperature, thereby generating a first frequency response, selecting a second capacitance value for the capacitive element and a second inductance value for the inductive element, thereby creating a second temperature modeled filter circuit design, simulating the second temperature modeled filter circuit design at a second operating temperature, thereby generating a second frequency response, and comparing the first and second frequency responses to the frequency response requirements.
US09405871B1

Determining delays of paths in a circuit design includes determining whether or not each path of the plurality of paths matches a path definition of a plurality of path definitions in a path database. For each path that matches a path definition, a first path delay value associated with the matching path definition is read from the path database and associated with the matching path of the circuit design. For each path that does not match any of the path definitions, respective element delay values of elements of the path are read from an element database. A second path delay value of the non-matching path is computed as a function of the respective element delay values, and the second path delay value is associated with the path. The first and second path delay values are output along with information indicating the associated paths.
US09405868B2

Methods of numerically simulating structural behaviors of airbag made of coated fabric material are disclosed. A special purpose finite element is configured to include a membrane element and a pair of dynamically configured slave elements, which provides additional bending resistance of the coated fabric material. At each solution cycle of a time-marching simulation, nodal locations of the slave elements are updated from corresponding averaged nodal normal vector, fabric thickness and coating thickness of the coated fabric material. The averaged nodal normal vector of a particular node is an average of element normal vector of those membrane elements connected to that particular node. Respective nodal locations are offset at a distance at either side of the corresponding node of the membrane element along the averaged normal vector. Using updated nodal locations, strains and stresses of the slave elements are obtained and then converted to internal nodal forces for additional bending resistance.
US09405864B2

A method for the design evaluation of a system is described. The system is modelled and simulated on at least one computer. The model (1) of the system includes at least two functional units (40), each functional unit (40) capable of performing at least one type of task, and at least one scheduling unit (30), capable of assigning at least one task to at least one functional unit (40). At least one scheduling unit (30) is capable of assigning tasks to plural targets, wherein each target either is a functional unit (40) or a scheduling unit (30). Preferentially, the system is simulated by taking into account only instants of time (81) at which a state of the model (1) changes. External and internal stimuli (50) may be included in the simulation. The method may be used for optimizing the design of a system.
US09405863B1

Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a system and method for dynamic modeling of biochemical processes. The system and method allow for the models to be created collectively by the world-wide scientific community, while also providing a user-friendly system/method for promoting ease of building, simulation and analysis of the models.