US09420736B2

A component supplying apparatus includes a main tape entering port, a component supply port through which components are picked up from a carrier tape, a main tape path extending in a body part from the main tape entering port to the underside of the component supply port, a top tape removing part removing the top tape from the carrier tape on the main tape path upstream of the component supply port, a sub tape entering port, a sub tape path meeting a slope path portion of the main tape path at a meeting point upstream of the top tape removing part, and at least one sprocket wheels engaging with the carrier tape on the main tape path downstream of the meeting point. A length of the sub tape path is shorter than a length of the main tape path from the main tape entering port to the meeting point.
US09420729B2

Computer systems and associated methods for cooling computer components are disclosed herein. One embodiment of a computer system includes a computer cabinet having an air inlet spaced apart from an air outlet. The computer system also includes heat exchangers positioned in the computer cabinet, and a heat removal system in fluid communication with the heat exchangers. The computer system additionally includes at least one sensor for monitoring heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room. The computer system further includes a control system operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the control system including a computer-readable medium holding instructions for determining whether heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room is balanced based on information from the sensor, and if not, adjusting a parameter to balance the heat transfer.
US09420727B2

An electronic equipment enclosure includes a frame structure and a customizable side air dam kit. The frame structure includes a front frame, a rear frame, front-to-back frame members connecting corners of the front and rear frames together, reinforced bracket structures located near ends of the cross members, and extruded horizontal mounting rails parallel to, but inward from, the front-to-back frame members. The ends of the horizontal mounting rails are connected to the reinforced bracket structures. Panels are installed in longitudinal slots in the front-to-back frame members and horizontal mounting rails, each of which is extruded. The customizable side air dam kit includes a framework of horizontal and vertical frame pieces, adapted to connect to the frame structure, and a customizable air dam panel supported by the framework. A plurality of the frame pieces are provided to an installer for use in constructing the framework to fit the specific frame structure.
US09420726B2

A container includes a server and a management server. A general fan takes in outside air to the container and sends the taken-in outside air to the server. An internal server fan is built into the server and cools down a CPU provided in the server. A fan-operation management unit controls rotation speeds of the internal server fan and the general fan based on a temperature of the CPU.
US09420725B2

A controller and indoor unit introducing outdoor air and/or return air from an air conditioning control target, and discharging introduced air to the air conditioning control target as supply air. The indoor unit includes a first space including an outdoor air introducing unit introducing outdoor air, a cooler, and a second space including a return air introducing unit introducing return air from the air conditioning control target. The controller, after determining air conditioning control on the air conditioning control target is necessary, introduces the outdoor air to the first space through the outdoor air introducing unit, subjecting such to cooling by the cooler and/or dehumidification to result in processed outdoor air, and introduces the return air to the second space through the return air introducing unit, where the processed outdoor air is mixed with the return air and supplied to the air conditioning control target as the supply air.
US09420716B2

An electronic module installation tool temporarily supports electronic modules in electronic racks. The tool has a frame configured to be inserted into a rack and that has a top surface for supporting an electronics module. A front surface of the frame supports a faceplate and left and right manual clamps having a first pivot for the clamp handle relative to the frame and a second pivot for the clamp relative to the clamp handle. The faceplate extends to the left and right to create flanges that each support a pin carrier that supports rearwardly extending top and bottom vertically arrayed pins that are sized and spaced apart to align with holes in an attachment rail in the rack. A clamp extends between the pins and clamps to the rear side of the rail when the handle is operated. The tools may be made for various sizes of racks.
US09420708B2

A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board includes preparing a core substrate having a metal layer having a first penetrating hole and insulation layers formed on the metal layer such that the metal layer is interposed between the insulation layers, forming in the core substrate a second penetrating hole having a first opening portion aligned with the first penetrating hole on a first-surface side of the core substrate and a second opening portion aligned with the first penetrating hole on a second-surface side of the core substrate, forming a first conductor on a first surface of the core substrate, forming a second conductor on a second surface of the core substrate on the opposite side of the first surface of the core substrate, and filling a conductive material in the second penetrating hole such that a through-hole conductor connecting the first conductor and the second conductor is formed.
US09420707B2

Disclosed are embodiments of a substrate for an integrated circuit (IC) device. The substrate includes a core comprised of two or more discrete glass layers that have been bonded together. A separate bonding layer may be disposed between adjacent glass layers to couple these layers together. The substrate may also include build-up structures on opposing sides of the multi-layer glass core, or perhaps on one side of the core. Electrically conductive terminals may be formed on both sides of the substrate, and an IC die may be coupled with the terminals on one side of the substrate. The terminals on the opposing side may be coupled with a next-level component, such as a circuit board. One or more conductors extend through the multi-layer glass core, and one or more of the conductors may be electrically coupled with the build-up structures disposed over the core. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09420706B2

In a method of manufacturing a multilayer board, including: a drilling step for forming a via hole through a pre-preg by laser beam machining, a step of filling the via hole with conductive paste containing a resin component and metal powder, and a step of arranging copper layers or copper layer portions of patterned boards on and under the filled conductive paste and pressing the same, a multilayer printed wiring board superior in conductivity and long-term stability is obtained by using alloying paste as the conductive paste in which at least part of the metal powder is melted and the metal powders adjacent to each other are alloyed, using a pre-preg having a ratio A/B of at least 10 before subjected to preheating, where A is a storage modulus at an inflection point where the storage modulus changes from increasing to decreasing and B is a storage modulus at an inflection point where the storage modulus changes from decreasing to increasing in a temperature profile rising from 60° C. to 200° C., and preheating the pre-preg before the drilling step to reduce the ratio A/B to below 10.
US09420700B2

An optical touchscreen assembly may employ a photonic chip packaged with a chip surface at an angle inclined between horizontal and vertical orientations. An inclined paddle sawn flat no-leads (IPSFN) package may be affixed to a cover glass surface along a perimeter of a display. IPSFN packages may incorporate a photo-emitter chip and a photo-detector chip that may be inclined for a desired angle of incidence relative to the cover glass. A CMOS integrated optical transceiver package may include inclined photonic chips and a non-inclined CMOS chip having at least one of a photo-emitter driver, or a photo-detector TIA and/or ADC. A chip package lead frame may include cantilevered paddle tabs amenable to controlled deflection during package assembly. An inclined packaging assembly method may include attaching a chip to a lead frame paddle and form pressing the lead frame to incline the chip to a desired angle before encapsulation.
US09420697B2

A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board includes forming an interlayer insulation layer on a conductive circuit, applying laser to a portion of the interlayer insulation layer such that an opening reaching to the conductive circuit is formed for a via conductor, subjecting the opening to a plasma treatment using a processing gas which includes a reactive gas including a fluorovinyl ether gas having a double bond of two carbon atoms and a fluoroalkyl ether group, forming an upper conductive circuit on the interlayer insulation layer, and forming a via conductor in the opening such that the via conductor connects the conductive circuit and the upper conductive circuit.
US09420694B2

The present invention discloses a method for minimizing warpage in the electronic products, and the structures of such electronic products as well. Groove holes are formed into the insulating material layer or several layers. The groove holes can be processed by laser drilling or by other suitable means. A cured epoxy adhesive will fill the groove holes after the heat and pressure treatment performed to the circuit structure. The electronic product may contain several insulating layers and embedded electronic components connected to a wiring layer. A double-stacked symmetrical structure can also be manufactured. Asymmetrical structures with different sized embedded components can be handled as well. The groove holes can be shaped as straight short lines, ellipses, crosses, circles etc, or as any combination of different shapes. The groove holes can be scratched so that they locate outside strips, between the strips of a panel, between blocks of the strip, between modules of the block or between embedded components of the module.
US09420693B2

An embedded thin film capacitor and methods of its fabrication are disclosed. The embedded thin film capacitor includes two conductive plates separated by a dielectric layer. In embodiments, the capacitor is enclosed within a package substrate. A method of forming the embedded thin film capacitor includes forming a first insulating layer on a bottom plate and a first trace. A first opening is then formed in a first insulating layer to expose a first region of a bottom plate. An adhesive layer is then formed on the first insulating layer and on top of the exposed first region of the bottom plate. A second opening is formed through the insulating layer and the first insulating layer to expose a second region of the bottom plate. A top plate is formed within the first opening and a via is formed within the second opening.
US09420690B2

The instant disclosure relates to a connector including a wiring layer, a dielectric layer, a conductive structure, a first protective layer and at least one cantilever structure. The dielectric layer is disposed on the wiring layer, wherein the dielectric layer has at least one via hole to partially expose the wiring layer. The conductive structure is disposed on the inner wall of the at least one via hole of the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the wiring layer. The first protective layer is disposed on the dielectric layer. The cantilever structure is disposed between the first protective layer and the dielectric layer, wherein the at least one cantilever structure is electrically connected to the wiring layer via the conductive structure.
US09420685B2

A substrate board includes an electrical connection network on a face thereof. An integrated-circuit chip is mounted to the face of the substrate board in electrical contact with the electrical connection network. A local reinforcing or balancing layer made of a non-metallic material is mounted to the face of the substrate board in at least one local zone free of the face which is free of metal portions of the electrical connection network.
US09420671B1

A lighting control system includes a plurality of light sources, a plurality of light source drivers, each of the light source drivers being configured to adjust a light emission intensity of an associated one of the light sources in at least two levels, and an integrated controller configured to control the light source drivers to control conditions of the light sources in an integrated manner. The integrated controller is configured to control the light source drivers to execute a light intensity transition of reducing the light emission intensity from a first light intensity level to a second light intensity level that is lower than the first light intensity level with respect to each of the light sources such that a timing at which the light intensity transition ends is substantially the same for each of the light sources.
US09420670B1

A power line communication system communicates dimming levels to a lighting circuit over AC power lines. A power line controller generates control signals which are inserted on the AC power signal to the lighting circuit. A first series resonant circuit is coupled across the AC lines to bypass high frequency components from the control signals. A power line receiver receives the AC power signal and extracts the control signal to generate dimming level signals corresponding with the desired dimming level. To extract the control signal out of the AC power signal, the power line receiver has a resonant circuit connected in parallel with the AC power line and tuned to transmit the ballast control signal and to filter out the AC power signal. A dimming level sensing circuit then senses the signal pattern on the control signal and generates a dimming level signal corresponding to the desired dimming level.
US09420668B2

A lighting apparatus includes a power supply connection section, a light emitter, a switch, a control circuit, and a photoreceptor element. The power supply connection section is connected to a power supply. The light emitter emits light by power supplied from the power supply connection section. The switch is provided in a conductive path from the power supply connection section to the light emitter. The control circuit actuates the switch. The photoreceptor element is connected to the control circuit. The photoreceptor element receives a laser beam from a laser pointer to activate the control circuit so as to turn on or off the switch. The individual light emitters can be illuminated or extinguished simply by irradiating a laser beam from the laser pointer onto the switches. The lighting apparatus can be curtailed and restored to their initial conditions without removing and attaching the apparatus using a stepladder or ladder.
US09420662B2

A light-emitting device (10) includes a first light-emitting region (100) and a second light-emitting region (200). The first light-emitting region (100) emits a light ray having a first color by making a first light-emitting layer group including at least two or more kinds of light-emitting layers emit light. In addition, the second light-emitting region (200) emits alight ray having the first color (for example, daylight color, natural white color, white color, warm white color, or incandescent color) by making a second light-emitting layer group including at least two or more kinds of light-emitting layers emit light. In addition, at least one kind of light-emitting layer included in the second light-emitting layer group emits a light ray having a different spectrum peak from all of the light-emitting layers included in the first light-emitting layer group. Therefore, the color-rendering properties of light emitted from the light-emitting device (10) are improved.
US09420656B1

A light emitting diode dimmer circuit uses a typically commercially available TRIAC dimmer to modulate an illumination-purpose light emitting diode circuit, and to make up the shortfall of the AC voltage phase, caused by the conductivity phase angle of the TRIAC dimmer, for the energy storage applying the energy storage and rectifier circuit, so that the light output of the light emitting diode can achieve the stable and flicker-free effect in the dimming requirement of the light emitting diode either the micro bright or full bright requirement.
US09420655B2

A method of driving LED chips of same power but different rated voltages and currents includes the following steps: set a predetermined power; provide a LED chip which has a rated power accordant to the predetermined power; measure the LED chip to obtain a working current thereof while the LED chip is operated; provides a driving current to the LED chip, and maintain the driving current the same as the working current.
US09420635B2

In a method of operating a communication device that includes at least (i) a first network interface configured to operate according to a first communication protocol and (ii) a second network interface configured to operate according to a second communication protocol, the first communication interface is operated according to the first communication protocol. The first communication protocol defines a periodically repeating set of time intervals. One or more time intervals, from the set of time intervals, that meet a selection criteria are determined. The selection criteria is based on level of interference experienced by the first network interface. During the determined one or more time intervals, operation of the first network interface according to the first communication protocol is suspended, and operation of the second network interface according to the second communication protocol is enabled.
US09420623B2

A method and an apparatus for transmitting a packet used in establishing or maintaining a connection with a server are provided. The method includes determining, when a current time is a packet transmission of at least one network service application of the mobile terminal, whether at least one other network service application having an adjustable packet transmission schedule with a packet transmission after the current time exists, adjusting, when the at least one other network service application exists, the adjustable packet transmission schedule to synchronize the packet transmission occasions of the at least one network service application with the at least one other network service application, and simultaneously transmitting a packet of the network service application having the packet transmission occasion at the current time and a packet of the at least one other network service application of which packet transmission schedule is adjusted.
US09420622B2

The present invention provides a downlink data transmission method, base station, and serving gateway on an LTE network. The method includes: learning, by an eNB, that a UE needs to be paged, when an S1 bearer is retained and a radio bearer is released; paging, by the eNB, the UE and re-establishing a radio bearer between the eNB and the UE; and sending, by the eNB, downlink data, which is received from an S-GW, to the UE through the re-established radio bearer. Embodiments of the present invention can ensure correct transmission of downlink data, and avoid data loss.
US09420619B2

A system includes an interface operable to receive a request to initiate a first connection between a subscriber and a wireless access point using a first network protocol. The system further includes a processor operable to determine whether the subscriber has enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) privileges. In response to determining the subscriber has enhanced QoS privileges, the processor is operable to associate a first port number with traffic associated with the subscriber on a second connection using a second network protocol. In response to determining the subscriber does not have enhanced QoS privileges, the processor is operable to associate a second port number with traffic associated with the subscriber on the second connection using the second network protocol.
US09420615B2

An information processing apparatus includes a communication unit; and a controller configured to control the communication unit to perform one of transmission and reception of second identification information for communication through a predetermined communication path with a different apparatus, and to establish connection with the different apparatus by using the second identification information, during an audio call with the different apparatus, the audio call using first identification information for an audio call, the second identification information being associated with the first identification information.
US09420606B2

Methods, apparatus, and computer software are disclosed for communicating within a wireless communication network including a scheduling entity configured for full duplex communication, and user equipment (UE) configured for half duplex communication. In some examples, one or more UEs may be configured for limited (quasi-) full duplex communication. Some aspects relate to scheduling the UEs, including determining whether co-scheduling of the UEs to share a time-frequency resource is suitable based on one or more factors such as an inter-device path loss.
US09420604B2

An apparatus and method for downlink scheduling in a multi antenna wireless communication system are provided. The apparatus includes a receiver for receiving channel information of at least one mobile station that is selected as an active user by a base station, a judgment unit for judging whether it feeds back its own channel information using the channel information of the selected at least one mobile station, and a transmitter for transmitting the its own channel information to the base station according to judgment of the judgment unit.
US09420596B2

A method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a feedback signal in a cellular mobile communication system is provided. The method of transmitting feedback in a Cooperative Multi-Point (CoMP) system, includes receiving feedback set information including allocation information of a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) transmitted for estimating a channel of a User Equipment (UE), receiving IDentification (ID) information for identifying a CoMP set including CSI-RS allocation information from a cell operating in a CoMP mode, extracting the CoMP set using the ID information and a feedback set, detecting a first feedback mode and first feedback timing with a first CSI-RS not included in the CoMP set among CSI-RSs included in the feedback set, and generating and transmitting feedback with respect to the first CSI-RS according to the detected first feedback mode and the first feedback timing.
US09420594B1

Methods and apparatus are provided for adaptively selecting a communications mode in high frequency systems. A first dual-mode device having capabilities of using two or more high frequency communications modes, such as OFDM and SC modulation, may transmit a signal to a second dual-mode device with the same capabilities. The second dual-mode device may compute a channel characteristic associated with a high frequency communications channel and select an optimal high frequency communications mode. The second dual-mode device may transmit information indicative of the channel characteristic or the selected communications mode to the first dual-mode device. The first dual-mode device may select and operate using the optimal high frequency communications mode based on the information received from the second dual-mode device. The first and second dual-mode devices may communicate using the selected high frequency communications mode.
US09420592B2

Disclosed is a method of avoiding channel interference by a sensor node including a multi transmission and reception unit in a wireless sensor network. The method includes setting channel A in channel group A for a first wireless transmission and reception unit, and setting channel B in channel group B for a second wireless transmission and reception unit, checking interference for the channel A, detecting interference for the channel B if interference is detected in the channel A, and performing communication through a channel where interference has not been detected among the channel A and the channel B.
US09420591B2

A method for receiving control information by a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes monitoring channel quality of a control channel, determining whether reconfiguration of the control channel is needed, based on the channel quality of the control channel, if the reconfiguration of the control channel is needed, requesting an evolved Node B (eNB) to reconfigure the control channel, and receiving the control information through the reconfigured control channel.
US09420585B2

A method and terminal in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes receiving system information including information associated with a sub-frame configuration of multimedia broadcast multicast service single frequency network (MBSFN) sub-frame, receiving dedicated message including information on configuration of a transmission mode of the terminal, if the terminal is configured in a first transmission mode, detecting a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a sub-frame of the MBSFN sub-frame and decoding a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) in the sub-frame of the MBSFN sub-frame, and if the terminal is configured in a second transmission mode, detecting a PDCCH in a sub-frame of a non-MBSFN sub-frame and decoding a PDSCH in the sub-frame of the non-MBSFN sub-frame.
US09420578B2

The invention relates to a new structure of a control channel region within a sub-frame of a 3GPP-based based communication system using OFDM in the downlink. This new structure of a control channel region is inter alia particularly suitable for conveying physical downlink control channel information from a donor eNodeB to a relay node. The control channel region is divided in CCEs that have equal size irrespective of the presence of further cell-specific and/or UE-specific reference signals within the control channel region. This is achieved by dividing the control channel region in plural sub-CCEs that are combined to CCEs all having equal size (in terms of resource elements that can be used for the signaling of control information). The control channel region is divided in the frequency domain and/or time domain in a FDM respectively TDM fashion in order to obtain the sub-CCEs.
US09420576B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission schemes with compact downlink control information (DCI) format in new carrier type (NCT) in long term evolution (LTE).
US09420573B2

A method and apparatus for requesting and allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless communication system. The method and apparatus includes a combination of techniques that allow a plurality of CPEs to communicate their bandwidth request messages to respective base stations. One technique includes a “polling” method whereby a base station polls CPEs individually or in groups and allocates bandwidth specifically for the purpose of allowing the CPEs to respond with bandwidth requests. The polling of the CPEs by the base station may be in response to a CPE setting a “poll-me bit” or, alternatively, it may be periodic. Another technique comprises “piggybacking” bandwidth requests on bandwidth already allocated to a CPE. Currently active CPEs request bandwidth using unused portions of uplink bandwidth that is already allocated to the CPE. The CPE is responsible for distributing the allocated uplink bandwidth in a manner that accommodates the services provided by the CPE.
US09420572B2

Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting periodic channel state information (CSI) in a wireless communication system. User equipment activates an uplink (UP) semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) session allocated to a secondary cell (SCell), periodically transmits the periodic CSI through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) to a base station on the basis of the UL SPS session allocated to the SCell, and releases the UL SPS session allocated to the SCell.
US09420570B2

Provided are a method and a device for transmitting an uplink control signal in a wireless communication system. User equipment selects uplink (UL) secondary component carrier (SCC) from a plurality of physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)-scheduled UL SCCs in a carrier aggregation (CA) system including a plurality of UL component carriers (CCs), and transmits uplink control information (UCI) by piggybacking it on the PUSCH scheduled for the selected single UL SCC. Herein, the PUSCH is not scheduled for a primary CC (PCC) of the CA system.
US09420569B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting uplink control information in the event of a plurality of cell, wherein the method comprises the following steps; receiving a PPCCH and/or a PDSCH; generating reception acknowledgement information for said PDCCH and/or PDSCH: and transmitting the reception acknowledgement information in an SR subframe via a PUCCH.
US09420568B2

A mobile communication system, a base station device, a mobile station device, a communication method, and an integrated circuit that each can efficiently transmit HARQ-ACK and/or channel state information are provided.A mobile station device includes means for receiving a first parameter that is used for instructing whether simultaneous transmission of information relating to HARQ-ACK and channel state information is allowed or not; and means for receiving a second parameter that is used for instructing whether simultaneous transmission of the information relating to HARQ-ACK and the channel state information is allowed or not, and controls a transmission method of the information relating to HARQ-ACK and the channel state information based on the first parameter, the second parameter, and whether or not the information relating to HARQ-ACK corresponds to transmission on a single physical downlink shared channel only on a primary cell.
US09420566B2

The invention suggests a method for providing control signalling in a communication system, comprising the steps performed by a base station of the communication system of generating a control channel signal comprising a transport format and a channel quality indicator trigger signal for triggering a transmission of a channel quality indicator by at least one terminal to the base station, and transmitting the generated control channel signal to at least one terminal, wherein said transport format is a predetermined format for user data transmission by the at least one terminal to the base station and said control channel signal indicates a predetermined mode for reporting the channel quality indicator to the base station, wherein the channel quality indicator transmission is to be triggered by the at least one terminal based on the channel quality indicator trigger signal.
US09420563B2

Disclosed is a radio communication system in which transmission parameters, such as MCS of MBSFN, the number of subframes, and a transmission power of a reserved cell, are adaptively output, based on a unicast traffic volume in a MBSFN area, a number of terminals, and a number of cells of the MBSFN area, so that a system throughput in the MBSFN area is maximized while satisfying an MBSFN quality requirement condition.
US09420552B2

A subscriber station is configured to perform a channel measurement on a communication channel in restricted sub-frames for DRX and NON-DRX modes. The subscriber station includes a receiver configured to receive signals from a base station. The subscriber station also includes processing circuitry. When the receiver receives higher layer signaling indicating that channel quality measurement is to be performed in restricted sub-frames for measurement (RFSM), the processing circuitry is configured to extend an evaluation period for monitoring a quality of the communication channel.
US09420545B2

The present invention discloses a power control method, a power control system and a related device. The method includes: monitoring a downlink data sending condition of a dedicated physical data channel (DPDCH), and if no downlink data is sent on the DPDCH, determining to decrease downlink transmit power of a DPCH, or if downlink data is sent on the DPDCH, determining to increase or maintain downlink transmit power of a DPCH. The present invention can reduce the downlink transmit power of the DPCH and promote experience of other users on a precondition of ensuring system performance.
US09420541B2

Provided are an uplink power control method and device based on a genetic algorithm in a communication network. The method includes: modelling a communication network to obtain a theoretically optimal mobile terminal transmission power expression; determining a fitness function in combination of a genetic algorithm; determining the number of bits of a binary string of a variable; initializing populations; returning an actual value from the binary string to serve as an actual variable; and obtaining the most robust gene and the weakest gene in a chromosome according to the fitness function, designing a genetic operator and determining operating parameters of the genetic algorithm according to the most robust gene and the weakest gene. Using the solution enables a base station to properly indicate to dynamically adjust the uplink transmission power of a home mobile terminal, thereby ensuring excellent system performance of the communication network.
US09420531B2

A Wi-Fi module provided in the portable terminal is controlled in such a manner that it is turned on or turned off according to a type setting information item including a setup value defining at least one of: a turn-on time interval of the Wi-Fi module, a turn-off time interval of the Wi-Fi module, and a frequency scanning period of the Wi-Fi module in the turn-on status, and scanning is executed according to the set frequency scanning period in the turn-on status.
US09420500B2

In an embodiment, an access terminal detects that the access network has completed an idle handoff to a new access network (e.g., a new base station of a cellular network, etc.). The access terminal begins an idle handoff timer with a given expiration period in response to the detection. The access terminal eventually determines that the idle handoff timer has expired. In response to the expiration determination and before the access terminal is paged in the new access network, the access terminal sends at least one data packet to request set-up of network parameters for the access terminal within the new access network that are sufficient to permit the access terminal to receive session announcement messages within the new access network.
US09420498B2

A method and apparatus are described for supporting dynamic and distributed mobility management (DMM). A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may attach to a first distributed gateway (D-GW), and configure a first Internet protocol (IP) address based on a prefix locally provided by the first D-GW. The WTRU may move and attach to a second D-GW while carrying out an on-going communication session with a correspondent node (CN). The WTRU may configure a second IP address based on a prefix provided by the second D-GW. The WTRU may use the first IP address for carrying out the on-going session and use the second IP address for a new communication session.
US09420497B2

A method, performed by a mobile management entity (MME), for providing a voice call service to a user equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system and the MME are provided. The method includes sending, to an evolved node B (eNB), a first message for paging to provide the voice call service to the UE; receiving, from the eNB, a second message including a cause associated with a domain change from a packet switching (PS) domain to a circuit switching (CS) domain; and sending, to a gateway in the PS domain, a third message for requesting suspension of a bearer to provide a service for the UE.
US09420488B2

A method and apparatus of reporting measurement results in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment receives a measurement configuration which configures a plurality of serving cells as measurement objects and performs measurements for the plurality of serving cells based on the measurement configuration to determine measurement results for the plurality of serving cells. The user equipment reports the measurement results for the plurality of serving cells.
US09420486B2

A method in a User Equipment (UE) of performing measurements of a plurality of measurement types is provided. The UE performs a measurement of a first measurement type and at least one of a measurement of a second and a third measurement type. In the performed measurements: the at least one of a measurement of the second and the third measurement type is performed during a required time such that first pre-defined requirements for the at least one of a measurement of the second and third measurement type are met, the required time forming part of a time available for measurements, and the measurement of the first measurement type is performed during a remaining time, during which the at least one of a measurement of the second measurement type and a measurement of the third measurement type is not performed.
US09420481B2

Provided is a mobile communication terminal test system that transmits a test signal formed by a plurality of downlink component carriers including a primary component carrier (DL_CC1) and a secondary component carrier (DL_CC2) to a mobile communication terminal to test the mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal test system includes a primary test device that transmits first communication data including first test data to the mobile communication terminal using the primary component carrier of the test signal and a secondary test device that transmits second communication data including second test data to the mobile communication terminal using the secondary component carrier of the test signal.
US09420477B2

Methods and systems for signal strength management are provided. A first (mobile) communication device may provide a server with information relating to the signal strength, and such information may be used to determine future signal strength (e.g., at a different location). The first user may see the signal strength of a second communication device with which it may be communicating. The communication device may also communicate with a system that maintains a real-time database of signal strengths throughout an area, such as a state. A user's handheld device may receive a indications, warnings, and recommended courses of action that the user may take to maintain communications when a signal strength of a wireless communication network is predicted to change. Users of the present invention may take actions to insure that the quality of their call is maintained.
US09420469B2

An apparatus and a method for identifying a rogue device having a media access control (MAC) address counterfeited/forged when a wireless intrusion prevention system controls an access to an access point (AP) and a wireless terminal which are not applied are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a sensor unit configured to collect MAC addresses, RSSI values, and RF feature values based on RF signals of wireless terminals; an RF feature database configured to store the collected MAC addresses, RSSI values, and RF feature values; and a terminal identification unit configured to identify whether a MAC of any one of the wireless terminals is forged by comparing information of the RF feature database with the RSSI value and the RF feature value of any one of the wireless terminals according to a MAC verification request of any one of the wireless terminals from the sensor unit.
US09420468B2

A wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) is configured to receive unciphered and ciphered messages. The unciphered messages include identity requests, authentication requests, non-access stratum (NAS) security mode commands and tracking area update responses. The ciphered messages may come from the NAS and a Radio Resource Controller (RRC). The messages are ciphered using security keys.
US09420465B2

A collaboration manager server is provided that bridges a PAN with a WAN. When the collaboration manager server receives, from the first mobile device, a request to establish a second network service, wherein the second network service provides for bridging a PAN with a WAN, the collaboration manager server determines a credential to be used by mobile devices who wish to join the second network service and, in response to determining that the first mobile device is authorized to make such a request, establishes the second network service. Further, in response to receiving, from a second mobile device, a request to join the second network service, wherein the request to join the second network service comprises the credential, the collaboration manager server joins the second mobile device to the second network service and bridges traffic between the first mobile device and the second mobile device using the second network service.
US09420453B2

Tools and techniques related to the provision of location based services via a mobile communications device. A system might comprise a mobile communications device, a mobile communications base station, and a server computer system. The location of the device may be correlated with certain user preferences stored on the server computer system. Some techniques provide for activities to be undertaken based on the location of a device are described, including without limitation efficiently determining the location of a mobile device and mapping the location of the device, along with other features of interest, such as the locations of other devices.
US09420437B2

Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide a system for communicating with a plurality of mobile devices from a single mobile device. Source information may be stored from an incoming message to one or more groups. An outgoing message may be associated to each of the groups, and may be automatically sent to one or more of the groups based on user-defined rules.
US09420429B2

Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for conveying location information between a location provider and a trusted location application within a mobile device through trusted communications to preclude its provision to an untrusted location application. An apparatus includes a processor component; and a location provider for execution by the processor component comprising a location baseband to determine a current location in a venue based on wireless signals received from a location network of the venue, a verification component to verify a trusted location application associated with the venue based at least on credentials received from the trusted location application, and an encryption component to encrypt location information indicating the current location and convey the location information to the trusted location application through a location manager interposed between the location provider and the trusted location application based on verification of the trusted location application. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09420421B2

A least squares geofence method that minimizes trigger misfires caused by data variability and location blunders and minimizes delayed/missed entry triggers generated under urban or indoor conditions. The least squares geofence method uses a weighted least squares (LS) model to compute a location estimate for a target device. A LS location estimate is used to determine if a target device is located inside or outside a predefined geofence. The present invention additionally comprises a Kalman filter geofence method that further improves the accuracy of entry/exit geofence triggers. A Kalman filter geofence method uses a Kalman filter to filter location data retrieved for a target device. Filtered location data is used to determine if a target device is located inside or outside a predefined geofence. A Kalman filter geofence method estimates velocity and heading information for a target device to generate accurate entry/exit geofence triggers for devices in fast moving mode.
US09420420B2

Methods, program products, and systems for proximity-based notifications are described. A proximity-based notification system can receive a request to be notified when a contact's mobile device is in proximity to a user's mobile device, obtain permission to receive information associated with the contact, receive the information associated with the contact, detect that the contact's mobile device is in proximity to the user's mobile device based on the information associated with the contact, and notify the user that the contact's mobile device is in proximity to the user's mobile device.
US09420416B2

A system for providing parking information includes: a wireless terminal configured to detect a current position of a vehicle and wirelessly perform data communication; and a server configured to receive a driving destination of the vehicle from the wireless terminal and control information about parking lots around the driving destination, in which the server may update and store the information on the parking lots in real time and respond to a request of the wireless terminal to transmit at least one of parking available information and parking fee information at the parking lots or parking service information provided by shops or service providers associated with the parking lots to the wireless terminal in real time.
US09420412B2

A vehicle position calibration method and apparatus thereof are disclosed. The vehicle position calibration method is applicable to a vehicle having a mobile calibration positioning device and at least a vehicle having a positioning device to be calibrated. The method starts with the mobile calibration positioning device transmitting a message of positioning precision level to the positioning device to be calibrated. Then, the positioning device to be calibrated sends a calibration request to the mobile calibration positioning device according to the message of positioning precision level; then the mobile calibration positioning device detects a relative position between the mobile calibration positioning device and the positioning device to be calibrated according to the calibration request. The mobile calibration positioning device computes and transmits a calibrated position to the positioning device to be calibrated; and the positioning device to be calibrated updates the position of the positioning device to be calibrated.
US09420409B2

A near field communication (NFC) device for providing a communication path between a processing unit of the device and an external device is disclosed. A mobile device is also disclosed. An NFC integrated circuit (IC) is also disclosed. In an embodiment, an NFC IC includes a mobile host processor interface for communicating with a mobile host processor, a wireless interface for communicating with at least one of a contactless card and an external radio frequency (RF) reader, and a single wire protocol (SWP) interface for communicating with a secure element. In an embodiment, the NFC IC is configured to enable communications between the secure element and the mobile host processor by providing a channel for exchange of ISO 7816 commands between the mobile host processor and the secure element, wherein the ISO 7816 commands are carried over the SWP interface and the mobile host processor interface.
US09420403B1

A mobile phone comprising a near field communication (NFC) radio transceiver; a near field communication radio antenna; and a coupling component that couples the near field communication radio antenna to the near field communication radio transceiver when selected to a first state and that decouples the near field communication radio antenna from the near field communication radio transceiver when selected to a second state.
US09420396B2

The disclosure recites a system and method of identifying location data for a server device managing communications for a wireless network. The method comprises: obtaining location data for the server device; identifying a location for the server device by analyzing at least the location data; updating data in the server device with the location; identifying a communication transmission range for the location for the server device; and configuring communications generated by the server device to conform to the communication transmission range.
US09420395B1

A user equipment (UE) antenna tuner control system and method that utilize a base transceiver station (BTS) inner power control loop, and in particular utilize a Node-B inner power control loop, are provided. The UE antenna tuner control system and method of the present disclosure include an antenna impedance matching algorithm and a power amplifier (PA) input drive control that are digitally controlled by the BTS. Therefore, each UE having a digitally controllable antenna tuner unit (ATU) and operating within a network that is controllable by the BTS will have increased power efficiency.
US09420390B2

A harmonic echo power estimator estimates power of echo generated by harmonic loudspeaker nonlinearities in a user equipment having an echo path between a loudspeaker input and a microphone output. The estimator includes a frequency band mapper that maps each frequency band in a set of loudspeaker output signal frequency bands into a corresponding array of loudspeaker input signal frequency bands, where each frequency band in the set is mapped into several frequency bands in the corresponding array. A power estimator determines a power estimate of each input signal in each array of frequency bands. A power estimate combiner combines determined power estimates in each array of frequency bands into a corresponding estimate of loudspeaker input power generating harmonic loudspeaker nonlinearities. A power estimate transformer transforms the estimates of loudspeaker input power across the echo path into power estimates of the echo generated by the harmonic loudspeaker nonlinearities.
US09420389B2

A listening device for a hearing impaired person being subjected to a tinnitus at a tinnitus frequency range including a tinnitus frequency is disclosed. The device includes an input transducer for providing an electric input signal comprising audio and a controllable filter for filtering the electric input signal received from the input transducer. The filter outputs a filtered electric input signal such that signal energy of the electric input signal immediately surrounding the tinnitus frequency remain substantially unchanged and signal energy of the electric input signal at a distance to the tinnitus frequency is substantially reduced. The device further includes a processor connected downstream of the filter and processes the filtered electrical input signal and outputs a processed electric signal, and an output transducer connected downstream of the processor and converts the processed electric signal to an acoustic output signal to be presented to a hearing impaired person.
US09420386B2

The aim 1s to make operation of hearing device apparatuses more convenient. A method is proposed for operating a hearing device apparatus by a user by presenting a first acoustic signal by the hearing device apparatus as originating from a first virtual position and by presenting a second acoustic signal by the hearing device apparatus as originating from a second virtual position. In this connection the first acoustic signal represents a first adjustment option of the hearing device apparatus and the second acoustic signal a second adjustment option. The body part of the user is moved toward the first or second virtual position and a position or movement of the body part of the user is detected. Finally the detected position or movement of the body part is automatically allocated to the first or second virtual position, whereby the adjustment option corresponding to the allocated virtual position is chosen.
US09420385B2

The present subject matter includes a system for communications between a transmitter and a receiver. In various embodiments, the system uses a sleep interval to allow the receiver to go to sleep between wake up times to “sniff” for transmissions from the transmitter. The system adjusts the length of the preamble of the transmitted signal or a repetition of packets to allow the receiver to detect a transmitted signal based on drift in the clocks of the system. In various embodiments, a receive channel is changed if a signal is not received at a prior channel selection. In various embodiments, the transmission is determined by detection of an event. In various embodiments, the event is an ear-to-ear event. In various embodiments, the receiver and transmitter are in opposite hearing aids adapted to be worn by one wearer.
US09420381B2

Multimedia playing apparatuses and methods of measuring hearing characteristics of a user and outputting a sound modulated according to the hearing characteristics of the user are provided. A multimedia playing apparatus includes a sound output unit configured to output a sound comprising of one or more phonemes, and a user interface configured to receive a user response to the phonemes. The multimedia playing apparatus further includes a processor configured to acquire hearing characteristics of a user based on the user response, and determine an output level and/or an output time of the sound for each of frequency bands based on the hearing characteristics of the user. The sound output unit is further configured to output the sound according to the output level and/or the output time of the sound for each of the frequency bands.
US09420380B2

An acoustic transducer has a substrate having an opening in an upper surface thereof, a vibration electrode plate disposed above the substrate, and having an outer edge thereof facing the upper surface of the substrate with a gap therebetween, a fixed electrode plate facing the vibration electrode plate, and a plurality of projections protruding on a lower surface of the outer edge of the vibration electrode plate. The vibration electrode plate covers an upper side of the opening. The plurality of projections are disposed so as to not be positioned along a straight line or a curved line parallel to an edge of the opening in at least a part of one or at least two arrays formed on the lower surface of the outer edge.
US09420375B2

A method, apparatus and computer program product are therefore provided according to an example embodiment of the present invention in order to perform categorical analysis and synthesis of a multichannel signal to synthesize binaural signals and extract, separate, and manipulate components within the audio scene of the multichannel signal that were captured through multichannel audio means. In the context of a method, a multichannel signal is received. The method may include computing the spectrum for the multichannel signal, determining tonality of bands within the spectrum, and generating a band structure for the spectrum. The method may also include performing spatial analysis of the bands, performing source filtering using the bands, performing synthesis on the filtered band components, and generating an output signal. A corresponding apparatus and a computer program product are also provided.
US09420360B2

A transport apparatus configured to transport a main signal received via one of a plurality of ports to any of the plurality of ports, the transport apparatus includes: a plurality of main signal processing circuits configured to extract a monitoring control signal from the main signal, the plurality of main signal processing circuits being provided to correspond to the plurality of ports, respectively; a monitoring controller configured to receive the monitoring control signal from the plurality of main signal processing circuits; and a serial interface configured to connect the plurality of main signal processing circuits with the monitoring controller on a ring-shaped bus to transfer a serial frame, wherein the serial frame has a mapping field to which the monitoring control signal is mapped.
US09420358B2

Method and arrangement for protecting optical network systems, the arrangement (20) is based on an optical electrical optical GPON repeater structure. The repeater structure contains two optical modules—a regular ONU transceiver module and a reset-less OLT transceiver module which are working back-to-back. For management purposes, an ONU MAC module comprised in the repeater structure is intercepting the electrical signals from the ONU transceiver. The arrangement comprising the two repeater structures can be used to relay data between two passive optical network (PON) systems thereby opening a way to implement dual homing via the PON domain. Moreover, the arrangement is configured to enabling switch-over of functionality from one PON to the other PON at a communication failure in the former PON.
US09420347B2

A method for video playback switching in response to changing network conditions. The method includes accessing a server to retrieve respective index files for a low bit rate version and a high bit rate version of the video file, and instantiating a low bit rate media player and a high bit rate media. Playback of the video file is begun by the high bit rate media player streaming the high bit rate version from the server. Upon an indication of impeded network conditions, a transition point is selected, wherein the transition point indicates where downloading of the high bit rate version stops and where downloading of the low bit rate version begins. The low bit rate media player is then positioned to begin playback at the transition point. Playback of the video file is then switched to the low bit rate player upon encountering the transition point.
US09420344B2

A method for implementing user scoring by utilizing a program service guide includes: a service guide server transmitting to a terminal a program service guide embedded with a scoring function; and the terminal submitting user scoring information to the service guide server. The present application further discloses a system for implementing user scoring by utilizing a program service guide. The above scheme embeds a scoring function into the program service guide, which increases the interaction between mobile TV users and operators, and enables a user to rate a channel, a program etc. by utilizing the program service guide, thus improving user experience.
US09420337B2

A method and device for transmitting and receiving a video stream are provided. The transmitting method includes receiving auxiliary information and one or more video streams, and distributing them as one or more pieces of lane data; transmitting the lane data to a receiving device; and receiving a result value that indicates whether a video processing unit for processing one of the one or more video streams works normally. The receiving method includes receiving one or more pieces of lane data that include auxiliary information and one or more video streams; merging the lane data into one or more video streams; selecting a video processing unit based on the auxiliary information, where one or more video processing units process the video streams; generating a result value for the selected video processing unit that indicates whether the video processing unit works normally; and transmitting the result value to a transmitting device.
US09420336B1

In one embodiment, a localization beacon is inserted into a digital communication signal by a localization device. The resulting modified signal is transmitted to customer premises equipment (CPE). One or more CPE devices monitor incoming signals to detect the presence of a localization beacon. If a localization beacon having certain characteristics is not received, the one or more CPE devices are configured to disable one or more CPE features.
US09420334B2

Display device ON/OFF detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include performing audio code detection on an audio signal corresponding to an output of a presentation device. Such disclosed example methods also include determining a first result based on whether a valid audio code is detected in the audio signal, and determining a second result based on an audio gain level used to adjust the audio signal prior to performing audio code detection on the audio signal. Such disclosed example methods further include combining the first result and the second result to determine a third result indicating whether the presentation device is ON or OFF.
US09420331B2

A computing system device with processor(s) and memory displays a video monitoring user interface on the display, the video monitoring user interface including a video feed from a camera located remotely from the client device in a first region of the video monitoring user interface and an event timeline in a second region of the video monitoring user interface, and the event timeline includes indicators corresponding to motion events previously detected by the camera. The computing system obtains an indication of a detected motion event and associates the detected motion event with a respective category. The computing system displays an indicator for the detected motion event on the event timeline with a display characteristic corresponding to the respective category.
US09420329B2

Embodiments of a device for receiving a digital terrestrial, cable, or satellite television signal are described herein. For example, a silicon tuner module may be configured to receive a digital terrestrial, cable, or satellite television signal and output a digital bitstream, the digital bitstream may include audio visual content in an encoded transport stream. In a further example, a digital audio video connector may be configured to couple with a display device, the digital audio video connector may be configured to provide the digital bitstream to the display device according to a specification. In another example, a processing module may be configured to control the silicon tuner module in response to a Consumer Electronics Control command received from the display device via the digital audio video connector.
US09420326B1

Methods and systems are disclosed for a media guidance application that controls user equipment devices by automatically issuing frequently-used sequences of user commands with a remote control device. For example, the media guidance application may determine that a user typically inputs a particular series of commands when they use a user equipment device at a certain time (e.g., navigating to a March Madness application during March). The media guidance application may then identify the user when he or she picks up the remote control and automatically, without user input, cause the remote control to issue the appropriate user command sequence. The media guidance application may also determine new or augmented sequences based on additional inputs received from the user. This may allow users to more easily navigate to and use their favorite services.
US09420324B2

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for processing and displaying playback of a video in a handheld device. More specifically, the present disclosure describes an inline video processing and playback, wherein the video playback may be optimized based on variable local conditions, such as the capabilities of the handheld device and the network connection speed.
US09420306B2

An estimation method of a predicted motion vector for an image block having one or more pixels, which includes calculating a pixel difference value corresponding to a current frame and a reference frame for each pixel of the image block, determining a pixel difference area according to the pixel difference values corresponding to the plurality of pixels, and determining a predicted motion vector according to the pixel difference area.
US09420300B2

A video decoder using motion-compensated prediction has a predictor configured to predict a first subset of parameters of a plurality of motion parameters, defining the motion-compensated prediction of a predetermined region of a picture of a video, to obtain a prediction for the first subset. The video decoder further has a reconstructor configured to reconstruct the first subset of parameters from the prediction of the first subset and residual information for the first subset contained in a data stream, to obtain a reconstruction of the first subset. The predictor is further configured to predict a second subset of parameters of the plurality of motion parameters, being disjoint from the first subset, using the reconstruction of the first subset.
US09420299B2

The disclosure relates to a method for processing an image, the method comprising: providing a set of key points from the image; describing location information of the set of key points in form of a binary matrix; and scanning the binary matrix according to a pre-determined order, thereby creating a new representation of the location information of the set of key points.
US09420291B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for reducing vector quantization error through patch shifting. A method generates, from an input video sequence, one of more high resolution replacement patches, the one or more high resolution replacement patches for replacing one or more low resolution patches during a reconstruction of the input video sequence. This generating step generates the one or more high resolution replacement patches using data corresponding to a patch spatial shifting process, the patch spatial shifting process for reducing jittery artifacts caused by a motion-induced vector quantization error in the one or more high resolution replacement patches, the data for at least deriving a patch size of the one or more high resolution replacement patches such that the one or more high resolution replacement patches are generated to have the patch size greater than a patch size of the one or more low resolution patches in order to be suitable for use in the patch spatial shifting process.
US09420274B2

A stereoscopic image system includes an image-generating unit and a modulating module. According to an image signal controller, the image-generating unit is configured to provide a first image having a first brightness during a first period and a second image having a second brightness during a second period. The modulating module is configured modulate the image signal controller during the first and second periods so that the first image has a third brightness after passing through a first lens of polarized glasses and the second image has a fourth brightness after passing through a second lens of polarized glasses, wherein the difference between the third brightness and the fourth brightness is smaller than the difference between the first and second brightness.
US09420266B2

An autostereoscopic display apparatus may include a stepped waveguide, optical elements, and one or more reflective imaging and/or directional elements. These elements may be arranged to return light from the stepped waveguide into an array of viewing windows. Such elements can be used to achieve observer tracking autostereoscopic display for landscape and portrait modes of operation. System thickness and cost may be reduced and system brightness can be increased or low operating power modes may be achieved.
US09420265B2

A method registers data using a set of primitives including points and planes. First, the method selects a first set of primitives from the data in a first coordinate system, wherein the first set of primitives includes at least three primitives and at least one plane. A transformation is predicted from the first coordinate system to a second coordinate system. The first set of primitives is transformed to the second coordinate system using the transformation. A second set of primitives is determined according to the first set of primitives transformed to the second coordinate system. Then, the second coordinate system is registered with the first coordinate system using the first set of primitives in the first coordinate system and the second set of primitives in the second coordinate system. The registration can he used to track a pose of a camera acquiring the data.
US09420263B2

An object of the invention is to provide a technique that can generate an image group of a subject having parallax in a horizontal direction of the actual subject as a stereoscopic image of the subject. In order to attain the object, an information processor includes imaging section having a first imaging system and a second imaging system for imaging a subject from different directions, obtaining section for obtaining determination information for determining a geometrical relationship between an arrangement direction of the first imaging system and the second imaging system and a horizontal direction, determination section for determining the geometrical relationship, and generating section for executing one generating process selected from different first generating process and second generating process according to a determination result of the geometrical relationship based on an imaged result of the imaging section so as to generate a stereoscopic image of the subject.
US09420255B2

An approach is provided for enabling viewers to control the depth of three-dimensional content rendered via a set-top box. A 3D content platform receives a user input for specifying a user identifier and a mode of operation of a set-top box. A depth setting parameter is determined based on user profile information related to the user identifier. Content is then presented for display via the set-top box at the dept setting corresponding to the parameter.
US09420252B2

Methods and systems for providing data such as content are disclosed. A method can comprise receiving content, randomly shifting the received content, and providing the randomly shifted received content to a computing device.
US09420249B2

A method for generation a thumbnail file is provided. The method includes: receiving a command; obtaining time information corresponding to the command and a frame to be output; adjusting the frame to be output to a predetermined resolution according to a resolution of the frame to be output to generate a thumbnail; and generating the thumbnail file according to the time information and the thumbnail.
US09420246B2

A projection system includes a projection module, an infrared monitoring module, and a focusing device. Lights of a projection light source (100) pass through a light splitting element (500) and a first lens group (201), and then emit out; infrared lights from outside pass through the first lens group (201) and the light splitting element (500) to an infrared monitoring module (300). Only the first lens group (201) can move back and forth and a focusing device is provided for driving the first lens group (201) to move back and forth. Optical characteristics of a projection objective (200) and a monitoring objective ensure that, during moving of the first lens group (201) driven by the focusing device, the projection objective (200) focuses clearly, and an infrared monitoring image received by an induction chip (301) meets monitoring requirements synchronously.
US09420243B2

Various implementations provide color images, including, for example, RGB images and/or HDR images. In one particular implementation, a color image is created using a first set of color values captured from multiple sensors. Multiple pixel locations of the color image have a color value for three colors that are captured from the multiple sensors. A lens assembly passes light to the multiple sensors. An HDR image is created using a second set of color values captured from the multiple sensors. Another implementation includes a lens assembly and multiple sensors arranged to receive light though the lens assembly. A first set of color values captured from the multiple sensors can be assembled to provide three color values for multiple pixel locations. A second set of color values captured from the multiple sensors can be interpolated to provide an HDR image.
US09420241B2

A multi-spectral camera comprises a blocking element (201) having at least one hole (203) allowing light to pass through. A dispersive element (205) spreads light from the at least one hole (203) in different wavelength dependent directions and a lens (207) focuses light from the dispersive element (205) on an image plane (209). A microlens array (211) receives light from the lens (207) and an image sensor (213) receives the light from the microlens array (211) and generates a pixel value signal which comprises incident light values for the pixels of the image sensor (213). A processor then generates a multi-spectral image from the pixel value signal. The approach may allow a single instantaneous sensor measurement to provide a multi-spectral image comprising at least one spatial dimension and one spectral dimension. The multi-spectral image may be generated by post-processing of the sensor output and no physical filtering or moving parts are necessary.
US09420239B2

An apparatus includes a recording unit configured to record a video image, a generation unit configured to generate, when a first type of event in which a state of an object changes is detected from the video image, an index associating the first type and a second type of event related to the first type in the video image, and a playback unit configured to play back, when the first type is specified, a video image concerning the second type corresponding to the specified first type based on the index.
US09420234B2

This invention concerns wide-area video surveillance systems. In a first aspect the invention is a surveillance network, in another aspect the invention is a virtual observer, and in a further aspect the invention is a method for operating a virtual observer. Each segments or frame of video, from each camera of the network is associated with the following trajectory parameters; a time and a spatial position, and possibly a radius, orientation, resolution and field of view, and stored for later recall.
US09420225B2

A method of transmitting a video frame over a plurality of communication channels involves selecting a number of communication channels available between the transmitting and the receiving devices; partitioning spatially correlated pixels of the video frame into a number of different partitions equal to the number of selected communication channels; and transmitting the different partitions, where each partition is transmitted on a distinct communication channel among the selected communication channels.Such a method is suitable for use in a communication system, especially a wireless communication system, in which data of a channel can be lost or corrupted. The method can maximize diversity in the transport of the video frame pixels and improve robustness.
US09420218B2

A television system includes an image processing module, a display and an image capturing module. The image processing module and the image capturing module are integrated in a single chip. The image processing module performs an image processing procedure on an image input to generate an output image. The display plays the output image generated by the image processing module. In response to an image capturing instruction received, the image capturing module captures the input image or the output image.
US09420217B2

Example apparatus and methods concern recording content based on program identifier information included in a fragment of the content. Example apparatus and methods facilitate identifying a content fragment (e.g., f-MP4 fragment) based on an identifier located in the fragment rather than information located in some external source (e.g., Event Information Table (EIT)). One example method includes identifying a fragment based, at least in part, on a program identifier (PI) encoded as a universally unique identifier (UUID) in the fragment and then selectively recording the fragment based, at least in part, on the PI. Rather than rely only on a predicted start time, a predicted start time, and a predicted channel, example apparatus and methods may be better prepared to account for unanticipated start times, ending times, schedule changes, channel changes, and other changes that may frustrate users.
US09420212B2

While presenting on a display apparatus videos of high picture quality obtained from portable video processing apparatuses such as a camera and a cellular, it is possible to communicate with the Internet and/or a home network. A display apparatus includes a first radio communication unit capable of receiving video information by radio from an external video processing apparatus, a second radio communication unit capable of connecting by radio to a network, and a control unit for controlling assignment of connection by radio transmission for each of the first and second radio communication units. The control unit assigns connection of the first radio communication unit with higher priority and controls the assignment of the transmission rate such that the transmission rate between the first radio communication unit and the external video processing apparatus is more than that between the second radio communication unit and the network.
US09420208B2

A driving method for an image pickup apparatus that includes a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion portion includes performing photoelectric conversion in each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions during a period between first time and second time, generating a plurality of first signals, each being a signal deriving from electric charge generated through the photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion portion, which is a plurality of signals to be generated for each of the plurality of pixels, and generating a plurality of second signals by performing moving average processing on the plurality of first signals.
US09420207B2

A method for correcting images acquired via an asynchronous triggered acquisition, wherein image acquisition is triggered by a trigger signal based on the motion and/or position of the sample to be imaged by an image sensor, the method including: measurement of the motion and/or position of the sample; determination of an exposure time based on the aforementioned measurement; and correction of an acquired image based on the determined exposure time and a desired exposure time.
US09420201B2

Provided is an image processing apparatus including an image generation unit that, from photographic images that are captured using multiple photographic parameters, generates an image of which values of the multiple photographic parameters are different from values of the photographic image.
US09420194B2

Methods and systems for generating long shutter frames are provided. First, frames are captured or obtained from a video file. A weight is assigned to the respective frame. The frames are composed according to the corresponding weights to generate a long shutter frame.
US09420192B2

To provide an image pickup apparatus which enables acquisition, by a simple configuration, of a natural image of a dark place or the like at the time of image pickup in a dark environment by eliminating an influence from the surrounding environmental light, an image pickup apparatus of the invention includes an image pickup section for picking up an image of an object and acquiring an image signal, an accumulation section for sequentially accumulating outputs from the image pickup section, a display section for visibly displaying an accumulated image signal of the accumulation section, a position identification section for identifying a position specified on an image displayed on the display section; and a correction section for performing an image correction process on the accumulated image signal of the accumulation section according to an identification result of the position identification section.
US09420191B2

A sensor (1) serves for capturing the moving material web (2). It has light sources (4, 4′) and at least one light detector (10). The light sources (4, 4′) generate emission light (5) having different polarization. The polarization state of the emitted light can be influenced by selecting or mixing the emission light (5) of the light sources (4, 4′). Markings such as for example metal strips (13) in the material web (2) can thus be captured with the light detector (10) without problem.
US09420182B2

An image capture accelerator performs accelerated processing of image data. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator includes accelerator circuitry including a pre-processing engine and a compression engine. The pre-processing engine is configured to perform accelerated processing on received image data, and the compression engine is configured to compress processed image data received from the pre-processing engine. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator further includes a demultiplexer configured to receive image data captured by an image sensor array implemented within, for example, an image sensor chip. The demultiplexer may output the received image data to an image signal processor when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in a standard capture mode, and may output the received image data to the accelerator circuitry when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in an accelerated capture mode.
US09420177B2

Example systems and methods acquire individual frames under a variety of different operating parameters. Example systems and methods then piece together strips of frames from the individual frames. Example systems and methods then produce a panoramic image from the strips of frames. Frames are acquired using different imaging parameters (e.g., focal length, pan position, tilt position) under different imaging conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, pan rate, tilt rate). Range information is acquired and associated with different locations (e.g., pixels) in frames. Range information may be acquired for some locations and estimated for other locations. Blind spots in a scene may be identified. Range information may then be retrieved quickly from the panoramic image or from a data structure associated with the panoramic image without having to find the range again.
US09420176B2

A 360 degree camera system includes a support structure, a plurality of image capture devices, a plurality of lens systems, and an image processing system. The image capture devices are positioned such that their height is greater than their width. The image processing system includes a rotation module for remapping the pixel addresses of the image data to join the captured images along their long edges.
US09420171B2

A system and method for enhancing images including an image capture device operably connected to a data processing device that captures an image of a target vehicle, and a processor-usable medium embodying computer code, said processor-usable medium being coupled to said data processing device, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor. The instructions configured for identifying a region within the image including a window of the target vehicle, applying a first image enhancement effect to the identified region, applying a second image enhancement effect to a remainder of the image not including the identified region, the second image enhancement effect different than the first image enhancement effect.
US09420170B2

A computer-implemented method for assisting in recording video content on a video recording device. The method involves displaying a cross which comprises two orthogonal intersecting lines, displaying an indicator token, and changing the state of at least one of the cross and the indicator token in response to a control signal from the video recording device to provide visual notification to a user of the video recording device.
US09420163B2

An autofocus method determines that a ranging device of a digital camera has failed in an attempt to provide a distance estimation. The ranging device provides one or more parameters indicating conditions related to the failure of the ranging device to provide the distance estimation. An autofocus sequence based on the one or more parameters is then performed.
US09420137B2

An image-reading apparatus according to the present invention reads one or more documents to acquire a read image, detects edge coordinates of a document image closest to an outer edge of the read image in a plurality of certain directions, and regionally divides the read image in the certain directions based on any one or both of a region of the read image in which no edge coordinates are detected and the edge coordinates of an edge end of the detected document image.
US09420131B2

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an image forming portion contained within the apparatus body, a control board controlling the image forming portion, an electrical unit, a storage device attachable to /removable out of the electrical unit, and a storage portion. The electrical unit includes the control board disposed along a vertical direction, provided so as to project upward on an upper surface of the apparatus body, and disposed on a back side of the apparatus body on the upper surface of the apparatus body.
US09420125B2

The present invention is directed to an information processing apparatus in which a waiting time for waiting image data in the information processing apparatus can be adjusted, as much as possible, to a time period during which the image data read by the image reading apparatus is acquired by the information processing apparatus through a file sharing system.When the apparatus determines that an image reading setting which matches a setting registration name set to the PC by a user according to a registration operation of the image reading setting is applied, the PC changes the sharing condition of the shared file folder to an open state. Then, when the apparatus determines that the image reading setting is no longer applied or the image is not currently read, the PC changes the sharing condition of the shared file folder to a private state.
US09420124B2

An image processing device is provided that includes an establishment unit configured to establish a first connection with a first information processing device, a detector configured to detect a connection request that requests the image processing device to terminate the first connection with the first information processing device and thereafter establish a second connection with a second information processing device, the second connection being an exclusive connection configured to forbid establishment of connections other than the second connection while being established, and a restriction unit configured to restrict the second connection with the second information processing device from being established when the detector detects the connection request in a state where the first connection is established between the image processing device and the first information processing device.
US09420114B2

An echo canceller for an IP network includes an adaptive filter that models the echo path and generates an estimate of the echo signal from a receiving input signal. The echo canceller subtracts the estimate of the echo signal from a sending input signal to generate a sending output signal with reduced echo. Variation in the echo delay is detected. A delay circuit compensates for the changes in the echo delay to provide proper time-alignment between the estimate of the echo signal and the sending input signal so that the echo signal will be more effectively cancelled.
US09420112B2

A multimedia redirection system and method using an IP PBX are provided. The PBX system allocates at least one channel for multimedia data transmission between a private IP terminal and a public IP terminal, maps between ports of the channels, and direction-transmits the multimedia data between the private IP terminal and the public IP terminal.
US09420107B2

In a data processing system coupled for communication to a plurality of agent terminals, a message is received indicating that an agent associated with the agent terminal handled a service request utilizing a skill in which the agent is not indicated as certified by an agent database of the data processing system. In response to receipt of the message, the data processing system updates in the agent database an agent skill record indicative of an amount of utilization of the skill by the agent in handling service requests. The data processing system compares the amount of utilization of the skill by the agent to a threshold. In response to a favorable comparison, the data processing system updates the agent skill record to indicate certification of the agent in the skill. The data processing system performs skill-based routing in a contact center by reference to the agent skill record.
US09420103B1

Disclosed are a method and apparatus of receiving and processing customer support calls. The calls may be initiated from a mobile/wireless device via a call function or via a mobile device application. An example method of operation may provide receiving a call from the mobile device at a call processing server configured to route the call to an appropriate destination. The call processing server may perform identifying a purpose associated with the call and transmitting the call to the message redirect call processing module responsive to identifying the purpose of the call as a request for customer service support. Also, the server may also perform creating a redirect message instructing the mobile device to initiate a customer service support application that operates via a data network, and transmitting the redirect message to the mobile device.
US09420102B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for originating a call to a wireless number by a contact center while enforcing various compliance requirements. In one embodiment, a compliance server and a PBX cooperate to originate the call to the wireless number. The agent logs into the compliance server and the compliance server provides the agent with a wireless number to dial. The agent manually enters the wireless number using a phone connected to the PBX. The PBX queries the compliance server regarding establishing the wireless call. Upon authorization, the PBX establishes a first call leg to the compliance server, and a second call leg to the called party that is joined with the call leg to the agent's phone. Upon completion of the call, the agent dispositions the call to the compliance server, which then releases the first call leg. In response, the PBX then releases the second call leg.
US09420101B2

A system for soliciting and activating one or more groups of workers to service contact center business includes an interface accessible to the one or more groups for accepting group registration data, publishing contact center business and for enabling the groups to subscribe to receive business; a data repository for storing the registration data for subscribing groups; and a routing server for specifying routing strategies for event routing to the groups. The system is characterized in that the one or more groups of workers may be activated during contact center business activity to perform services based on need.
US09420099B1

Public safety access points (PSAP), such as 911 and e911 service providers, are often overwhelmed with information coming from a number of callers. As part of an initial assessment, a determination is often made as to whether two or more callers are calling about the same emergent event. If two or more callers are calling about the same emergent event, the callers and PSAP may interact at the same time via a data channel operable to convey one or more of text, voice, video, still images, video images, location information, and social media content. As a benefit, PSAP resource may obtain a more complete knowledge of the emergent situation and better coordinate mitigation activities for the emergent event.
US09420082B2

The present invention discloses a wireless receiver capable of outputting a notification on an event occurred in a mobile terminal and remotely controlling the mobile terminal and a method of controlling therefor. To this end, a wireless receiver may include an earphone, a short-range communication unit configured to communicate with the mobile terminal and if the mobile terminal receives an incoming signal, a controller configured to control a first audio data including information on a caller of the incoming signal to be received from the mobile terminal and control the first audio data to be outputted via the earphone.
US09420078B2

A portable telecommunication test set with a web browser incorporated therein is provided. A standard Hyper Text Mark-up Language or Wireless Application Protocol browser may be incorporated within the portable test set, allowing a network technician to access the Internet as well as other remotely-located sources of information to retrieve data and other useful technical information while in the field for communication network or telephone line maintenance, troubleshooting or repair. The test set may contain memory to locally store certain technical information that may be retrieved and “read” by the built-in browser module when prompted by the network technician. The web browser may display the content of the requested information on a display provided on the test set. Line-specific (as well as manufacturer-specific) test information need not be in a manufacturer-dictated proprietary format. Testing-related data may thus be supplied by a vendor other than the manufacturer of the test set.
US09420068B1

To facilitate log streaming in a computing cloud, application service providers may dynamically provision one or more named log streams. A file-oriented interface to log streams may be made available to a plurality of virtual computer system instances used to provide the application services. Application service providers may further dynamically provision one or more sets of log stream processing agents arranged in one or more log stream processing graphs. Particular log streams may be assigned to particular log stream processing graphs for real-time processing. Processed log streams and/or associated data may be stored for later inspection. Such provisioning and/or configuration may be performed with a unified Web-based interface.
US09420059B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving the set of PCC rules at the network device from a partner device; determining that the set of PCC rules includes an unauthorized PCC rule, wherein the unauthorized PCC rule fails an authorization; determining that the set of PCC rules includes an authorized PCC rule, wherein the authorized PCC rule passes the authorization; generating an unauthorized rules list including an indication of the unauthorized PCC rule; generating an authorized rules list including an indication of the authorized PCC rule; transmitting the unauthorized rules list and the authorized rules list to the partner device.
US09420058B2

Stream-based data deduplication is provided in a multi-tenant shared infrastructure but without requiring “paired” endpoints having synchronized data dictionaries. Data objects processed by the dedupe functionality are treated as objects that can be fetched as needed. As such, a decoding peer does not need to maintain a symmetric library for the origin. Rather, if the peer does not have the chunks in cache that it needs, it follows a conventional content delivery network procedure to retrieve them. In this way, if dictionaries between pairs of sending and receiving peers are out-of-sync, relevant sections are then re-synchronized on-demand. The approach does not require that libraries maintained at a particular pair of sender and receiving peers are the same. Rather, the technique enables a peer, in effect, to “backfill” its dictionary on-the-fly. On-the-wire compression techniques are provided to reduce the amount of data transmitted between the peers.
US09420057B2

A system and method, called federated cache network (FCN), places and optimizes content caches located in an access or backhaul network of a network service provider or multiple system operator. A FCN comprises a trunk cache and a plurality of branch caches and leaf caches. In a mobile carrier network, the mobility management entity (MME) informs a TCP termination device that a mobile device is moving toward a new base station. The live and terminated TCP sessions associated with a mobile terminal that is moving to a new base station are copied and re-terminated at the new base station, in anticipation of a possible handoff.
US09420056B2

Data is cached at a mobile communication site, such as a cell phone mast or tower computer. The caching is based on collection of “live data,” such as the number of communication devices (for example, cell phones) connected in data communication directly to the site, information known about users of the various communication devices connected directly to the site, etc. By caching data that is likely to be useful to the users before it is actually requested, the information can be supplied from the site to the directly connected users more quickly when it is later requested.
US09420055B2

In one embodiment, a method of serving media includes receiving a request to serve a cacheable media content to a user equipment at a second media server deployed in a second layer2 access network. The request is received around when the user equipment is handed-off from a first layer2 node in a first layer2 access network to a second layer2 node in the second layer2 access network and when a streaming session of the cacheable media content to the user equipment from a first media server is terminated. The method further includes determining if the cacheable media content is stored in a cache of the second media server, and serving the cacheable media content from the cache of the second media server to the user equipment if the media content is stored in the cache of the second media server.
US09420054B2

A method and apparatus for accessing an enterprise resource planning system via a mobile device is described. In one embodiment, the method includes parsing data from a host application access application into at least one object in an application-specific format, converting the data into an intermediate format that is compatible with a mobile device and communicating the converted data to the mobile device.
US09420053B2

The canonicalization of input messages having application specific data into a canonical message format, regardless of whether those native messages are well-formed. When a message is accessed, as long as the message is processable, the message is canonicalized. If the native message is well-formed, then a canonical message is generated that includes the application specific data in a schema understood by the application. On the other hand, if the native message is not well-formed, the canonical message is generated in a manner that the canonical message may be used to access the raw bits of the message, and that includes sufficient information for some downstream processing to determine that the message was not well-formed. That downstream processing may optionally then perform compensatory actions to regain access to the application specific data, and may potentially use information from the canonicalized message to do so.
US09420047B2

A method and apparatus for enabling user services in a communication network with a plurality of terminal users. An initiating user terminal (200) executes a group discovery process with the terminals (202) to form a user group. Capabilities are exchanged with the terminals, including at least one of: functional resources, available services, equipment information, applications or data programs, and current traffic or connection characteristics When a group service request (R) is received from a user terminal (D) in the group, functions and actions required for the requested service are assigned to functional resources in the terminals based on the exchanged terminal capabilities. The requested group service can then be consumed by means of these functional resources without involving an operator controlled group management server.
US09420044B2

Internet of Things (IoT) devices and methods of operating the same are disclosed. A method may include registering a set of services configured for execution on a producer IoT device with a producer management application, and broadcasting or multicasting a system service advertisement as a first system signal via a given system signal protocol to notify one or more consumer IoT devices that one or more services of the registered set of services are available via the producer IoT device. The producer IoT device receives, in response to the system service advertisement, at least one request for a service announcement from at least one of the consumer IoT devices, and the producer IoT device unicasts, in response to the request, the at least one service announcement that announces the set of services to the at least one consumer IoT device as a second system signal via the given system signal protocol.
US09420042B2

Disclosed is a facilities management system that utilizes embedded maps in nested facilities management devices. The facilities management devices are connected to a network and are linked in map images that indicate the location of the facilities management devices, as well as the locations of sensors. In addition, the links indicate the existence of an alarm condition, so that users can drill down on the links to locate a sensor that has created the alarm condition. The facilities management system utilizes various management systems and various protocols to provide a wide range of options for facilities managers.
US09420041B2

In an approach to improving resource downloads, one or more computer processors detect a request to download a resource from an original source to a user's computing device. The one or more computer processors determine a cost of the download of the requested resource from the original source. The one or more computer processors determine whether the cost of the download of the requested resource from the original source exceeds a predefined threshold. The one or more computer processors determine a group of trusted network connected endpoints. The one or more computer processors determine whether the requested resource exists in the group of trusted network connected endpoints. Responsive to determining the requested resource exists in the group of trusted network connected endpoints, the one or more computer processors download the requested resource from at least one of the trusted network connected endpoints.
US09420040B2

Methods for accessing hardware resources in an electronic device with a browser-based operating system (OS) which includes a user interface running in a browser are provided. A local server is first provided on the electronic device, wherein the local server has a corresponding URL and a dedicated network port. Then, upon receiving a service request from the client-side web application, the local server analyzes a service type of the service request and performs an operation to at least one of the hardware resources corresponding to the service type, wherein the service request is generated and directed to the local server according to the URL and the dedicated network port of the local server by the client-side web application on the electronic device.
US09420039B2

The present invention is a transportable private cloud computing platform, having a rack, several servers, a system management server, an interface device, a network switch, a power supply circuit, and a transit case. The present invention also includes a method for initializing the transportable private cloud computing platform, and a method for migrating software applications to the transportable private cloud computing platform.
US09420036B2

A data-intensive computer includes a processing sub-system formed by a plurality of processing servers, a database sub-system formed by a plurality of database servers configured to form a collective database, and a unifying operating system environment. The unifying operating system environment extends across the processing sub-system and the database sub-system to coordinate operation of the plurality of processing servers and the plurality of database servers to act as components in a single data-intensive computer and presents the database sub-system to an application running in the data-intensive computer as a layer in a memory hierarchy of the data-intensive computer.
US09420029B2

A system includes a ratings server that receives the list of top applications from a source external to the ratings server and selects at least a subset of the top applications based at least in part on a rank of each of the top applications in the list. The system further includes a test server that tests at least one characteristic of each of the subset of top applications selected by the ratings server and outputs a rating representing the at least one characteristic. The ratings server determines a behavior of each of the subset of top applications based on the rating and publishes the behavior of the subset of top applications for access by a user over a communication network.
US09420026B2

Disclosed example methods to distribute communication of a data stream include, in response to a request received from a first device, assigning a number of communication ports to a stream splitting session via which communication of the data stream is to be distributed among a plurality of devices. Such example methods also include determining a type of the request from among a plurality of possible types. Such example methods further include, when the request corresponds to a first type, providing information to the first device for distribution among the plurality of devices, the information to be used to establish respective data connections via which respective portions of the data stream are to be received by the plurality of devices during the stream splitting session.
US09420023B2

An example method includes requesting a data stream using a buffer with an initial maximum window size for buffering received data associated with the requested data stream, receiving into the buffer one or more data segments associated with the data stream, removing from the buffer one or more data segments for use by a receiving device, and determining a current window size of the buffer, wherein the current window size is equal to the maximum window size less any data segments which have been received that have not been removed from the buffer. The method further includes comparing the current window size to a predetermined threshold, and in response to determining that the current window size is less than the predetermined threshold, increasing the maximum window size, and initiating a buffer size increase timer having a current timer value and a timer expiration value.
US09420014B2

In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an input from a participant of a collaborative session among two or more devices, wherein the input is to cause a capture of at least part of data that is part of the state of the collaborative session at a point in time. The method also includes saving a state of the collaborative session at the point in time, wherein the state is saved into an editable format. The saving includes capturing the at least part of the data that is part of the collaborative session. The saving also includes storing the data in the editable format into a machine-readable medium.
US09420010B2

A method and apparatus for providing voice over internet protocol (VoIP) call setup progress status comprising creating an indication associated with a call placed from a client VoIP device in a providing network, modifying the indication periodically based on call setup progress and presenting the modified indication.
US09420005B1

Systems and methods for installing policy settings on a client computing device are provided. In some aspects, the client computing device receives policy data and a public key from a server. The policy data are authenticated based on the public key. Policy settings based on the authenticated policy data are installed on the client computing device. Installing the policy settings based on the authenticated policy data on the client computing device includes storing information based on the policy data in a module on the client computing device. The module is secured by the public key from the server and a signature generated on the client computing device to prevent the stored information from being moved or copied by a user of the client computing device.
US09420003B2

In one implementation, a hub and spoke network is made up of hub network devices and spoke network devices. A security protocol channel is established between the hub and at least a first spoke. The hub receives a resolution request from the first spoke via the security protocol channel. The resolution request includes data indicative of a second endpoint. The hub queries a next hop client database for a WAN address of the second endpoint. The first endpoint and the second endpoint are geographically separated nodes of the same enterprise network. The hub sends a resolution reply to the first endpoint including the WAN address for the second endpoint. The hub also sends a message to the second endpoint including a WAN address of the first endpoint and a summary of the data packet received at the first endpoint.
US09420002B1

Systems and techniques are provided for authorizing restricted action (e.g., data access) requests using a tiered arrangement. A rule set is generated based on a policy received by an authorization server and is transmitted to a broker associated with an enterprise server. A restricted action request is received by an agent associated with the enterprise server and is provided to the broker associated with the enterprise server. The broker analyzes the request in view of the rule set and determines if the restricted action request should be granted or denied. The policy and/or rule set are updated based on activities and/or events within the system and a new rule set is generated based on the updated policy.
US09419999B2

A method for preventing Domain Name System (DNS) spoofing includes: performing uppercase/lowercase conversion for letters of a DNS question field in a DNS request packet according to a preset rule; sending the DNS request packet; receiving a DNS response packet; obtaining uppercase/lowercase distribution of the letters of the DNS question field in the DNS response packet; and forwarding the DNS response packet to a target DNS client if the uppercase/lowercase distribution of the letters of the DNS question field in the DNS response packet complies with the preset rule. Corresponding to the method, a device for preventing DNS spoofing is disclosed. The method and device reduce occupation of storage resources of the device.
US09419998B1

Systems and methods for filtering unsafe content at a network security appliance are provided. According to one embodiment, a network security appliance captures network traffic and extracts a media file from the network traffic. The network security appliance then determines the presence of a hidden data item embedded in the media file in a machine-readable form. When such a hidden data item is identified, the network security appliance performs one or more actions on the media file based on a predefined security policy.
US09419995B2

Methods and systems are presented for detection of malware such as worms in which a network switch entices the malware into sending scan packets by allocating one or more ports as bait addresses, sending outgoing bait packets, and identifying compromised hosts that send unexpected incoming packets to a bait address.
US09419994B2

A method for identifying potentially malicious network elements within a network is useable in a network which includes a plurality of domains administrated by different operators P1, . . . , Pn. In the method, a functional entity receives qualifying information regarding at least one network element that has been transmitted by at least some of the operators P1, . . . , Pn. The at least one network element is qualified as being potentially malicious. The functional entity provides at least one of an alarm information and an alarm activity based on a predefined number of the operators P1, . . . , Pn having transmitted the qualifying information regarding a same potentially malicious network element to the functional entity.
US09419986B2

A method to identify machines infected by malware is provided. The method includes determining whether a universal resource locator in a network request is present in a first cache and determining whether a fully qualified domain name from the uniform resource locator is present in a second cache. The method includes evaluating a parent hostname as to suspiciousness. The method includes indicating the computing device has a likelihood of infection, responsive to one of: the universal resource locator being present in the first cache with a first indication of suspiciousness, the fully qualified domain name being present in the second cache with a second indication of suspiciousness, or the evaluating the parent hostname having a third indication of suspiciousness, wherein at least one method operation is performed by the processor. A system and computer readable media are provided.
US09419980B2

A location-dependent security method and system for a portable electronic device is disclosed. Without requiring that the user enter any location information, the system determines one or more familiar areas for the device based on locations where the device has received at least a threshold amount of successful user authentication entries. Thereafter, when a user attempts to access the device or an application of the device, the device will implement a first authentication process if the device is in one of the familiar areas, or a different authentication process if the device is not in one of the familiar areas.
US09419979B2

A method of increasing communication security may include receiving a first message associated with communication between a first computer system and a second computer system, wherein the receiving further includes receiving the first message at a third computer system. The method may also include performing, at the third computer system, processing associated with the first message. The method may also include generating, responsive to the processing, a second message including a first data portion and a second data portion, wherein the first data portion is associated with a security token, wherein the first data portion includes a first instance of a session key, and wherein the second data portion includes a second instance of the session key. The method may further include communicating the second message from the third computer system for deliver to the first computer system.
US09419964B2

In one embodiment, a method and system for a companion device to share an application context and authorization context with a consumer premises equipment (CPE) device is described. The method and system includes transmitting a search request by a search request transmitter using a service discovery protocol, receiving a response to the search request from the CPE device, creating an authorization context at an authorization context creating processor, the authorization context including metadata that grants access to a resource, transmitting, by an authorization context transmitter, the authorization context to an application resident on the CPE device, establishing a trusted session between the application resident on the CPE and a device application, the establishing a session by the device application including requesting a digital certificate from the CPE, receiving the digital certificate from the CPE, and validating the digital certificate, creating, at an application context data creating processor, application context data, and transmitting the application context data created to the CPE device, wherein the application context data enables the CPE device to request access to an authorized resource from a resource provider. Related methods, systems, and apparatus are also described.
US09419959B2

Methods and systems for authenticating users and assigning authenticated users to groups are provided. A method receives a user credential and email address. The method forwards an authentication request including the email address and credential to a remote authentication provider. Based in part on the presence of a full user name in a received response, the method determines that the user is authenticated. Another method extracts a domain name from a received email address of an authenticated user. In response to determining that the domain name is associated with a group, the method assigns the user to the group. A system includes memory with instructions for assigning an authenticated user to a group. The system receives the user's email address and extracts a domain name from the email address. In response to determining that the domain name is associated with a group, the system assigns the user to the group.
US09419958B2

A system with a tenant aware in-memory data grid includes a data grid configured to store data in memory. A request manager is configured to receive a data grid label and a tenant identifier and to request a data grid entry based on the data grid label and tenant identifier. A data grid controller is configured to receive a request for data from the data grid based on a combined data grid label and tenant identifier. A security provider is configured to authenticate and authorize the request for data.
US09419957B1

A programmed computer assigns an authentication requirement rating to an activity and an authentication capability rating to each of one or more authentication methods. The programmed computer receives a request from a user to perform the activity and a first authentication sample result based on a first authentication attempt performed by the user using a first authentication method. The programmed computer determines a current authentication rating for the user based on the authentication capability rating of the first authentication method and the first authentication sample result. The programmed computer then determines whether to allow the user to perform the requested activity based on a comparison of the authentication requirement rating associated with the activity requested by the user and the current authentication rating determined for the user. The programmed computer provides a final authentication result.
US09419952B2

A method for managing an operation of an encrypted global interleaved memory space physically implemented according to an interleaving addressing scheme in encrypted memory banks of a plurality of memories respectively belonging to a plurality of channels. The method includes providing each channel with a local address pointer configured to be incrementally moved along the global memory space each time the global memory space is addressed at the current address pointed by the pointer, and in an absence of movement of the local pointer of a channel during a time period, addressing the global memory space from the channel through the address interleaving with a specific transaction at the current address, and upon reception at the channel of the specific transaction having been initiated by the channel, re-encrypting data located at the current address with a new encryption key and incrementing the local address pointer to its next position.
US09419951B1

A system and method for communicating information between a first party and a second party, comprising the steps of receiving, by an intermediary, an identifier of desired information and accounting information for a transaction involving the information from the first party, transmitting an identifier of the first party to the second party, and negotiating, by the intermediary, a comprehension function for obscuring at least a portion of the information communicated between the first party and the second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the intermediary by providing an asymmetric key or direct key exchange for encryption of the communication between the first and second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the second party by maintaining the information in encrypted format at the second party, with the decryption key held only by the intermediary, and transmitting a secure composite of the decryption key and a new encryption key to the second party for transcoding of the data record, and providing the new decryption key to the first party, so that the information transmitted to the first party can be comprehended by it.
US09419950B2

A system and method for providing secure message services. The system includes a forwarding service to receive message for delivery to a recipient. The system checks for preferences for delivery of the message content including encryption preferences and notifies the recipient or delivers the message according to the encryption preferences. The system includes an interoperability engine to determine delivery preferences including security preferences, the security preferences indicating a security protocol by which the message can be securely delivered to the recipient.
US09419946B2

An approach for enabling a user to anonymously access customized service information from a plurality of providers is described. A secure estimation platform retrieves personal information associated with a user based on a first request from the user. The platform then anonymizes the personal information and generates a second request for the estimate for the service based on the anonymized personal information. The second request is then transmitted to one or more providers of the service.
US09419942B1

Techniques for destination domain extraction for secure protocols are disclosed. In some embodiments, destination domain extraction for secure protocols includes monitoring network communications between a client and a remote server; determining if the client sends a request to create a secure connection with the remote server (e.g., in which the network communications are initiating a setup for a secure protocol-based connection); and extracting a destination domain from the request to create the secure connection with the remote server. In some embodiments, the secure protocol is a secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol or transport layer security (TLS) protocol, and the destination domain is extracted from the server name indication (SNI) of a client hello message sent from the client to the remote server. In some embodiments, destination domain extraction for secure protocols further includes applying a policy (e.g., a security policy) based on the destination domain to filter traffic using a security device.
US09419937B2

Techniques for dynamic configuration of a domain name system (DNS) server in a virtual network environment are described. In one example embodiment, DNS rules are configured using virtual machine (VM) inventory objects and associated DNS names. Further, the configured DNS rules are transformed by replacing the VM inventory objects in the configured DNS rules with associated Internet protocol (IP) addresses using an IP address management (IPAM) table or a network address translation (NAT) table and the DNS names in the configured DNS rules with modified DNS names using a zone table and a view table. Furthermore, the transformed DNS rules are sent to the DNS server for performing domain name resolutions associated with multiple VMs running on a plurality of host computing systems in a computing network.
US09419930B2

A method, system, and/or computer program product manages message connections in a computer infrastructure. A processor connects a client to a messaging component over a connection. Identification information of a destination message queue that the client intends to communicate to the messaging component is provided, and a reference of the destination message queue is received. Based on the received reference, a respective messaging component that has the destination message queue localized is identified.
US09419928B2

The invention provides systems and methods for processing communication content from a user device. The method performed by a computer and comprising inputting an electronic communication that includes communication content and a routing character string. The communication content constituted by data generated as a result of, and representative of, characters keyed into the user device by the user. Maintaining a bin collection including bins. Performing processing on the communication content including identifying the user and a bin collection of the user based on the routing character string; and processing the communication content including (1) mapping first data to a command; and (2) mapping second data to a bin. The command dictates particular action to be performed, and the bin identifies an identified bin upon which to perform the action; and performing the action on the identified bin.
US09419923B2

A method of sharing a function between terminals is disclosed. A method of sharing a screen in real-time during a chat between terminals may include: transmitting, by a first terminal, a message requesting a real-time screen sharing and chatting while performing a chat with a second terminal; displaying, by the first terminal, an output message indicating start of the real-time screen sharing and chatting when the second terminal is available for the real-time screen sharing and chatting, and when a response message accepting the request for the real-time screen sharing and chatting is received from the second terminal; and sharing, by the first terminal, an image displayed on a screen of the first terminal with the second terminal in real-time, and translucently displaying a chat window that overlaps the shared image and thereby displays a chat content.
US09419922B2

An information processing apparatus including: a processor to receive data transmitted via an electronic mail; to detect time-limit information representing a reply time-limit of the electronic mail from the received data; to display the electronic mail; and to display the reply time-limit in the way of being associated with the displayed electronic mail on the basis of the time-limit information and the present date-time.
US09419918B2

The descriptions presented herein include explanation of high-dimensional PCI-Express (PCIe) network implementations. The new approaches can facilitate utilization of an efficient protocol (e.g., PCIe, etc.) while enabling implementation of various characteristics and features (e.g., characteristics and features similar to a fat-tree topology, CLOS topology, 2D and 3D topologies, etc.) that would otherwise not be compatible with the protocol. For example, implementation of alternative paths can be enabled and utilized while maintaining compliance with a protocol (e.g., PCIe, etc.) that would otherwise not be compatible with the use of alternative paths. The alternative paths can facilitate flexible topology implementation and network domain scaling while enabling improved communication latency. In one embodiment, presented systems and methods facilitate utilization of a non-transparent bridge circuit configured as an end-point with respect to communications from at least one device while facilitating transmission of the communications on to at least one other device.
US09419912B2

Techniques are disclosed to transmit packets by a network switch and according to a link protocol while reducing incidence of intra-packet transmission gaps unsupported by the link protocol. Whether a packet satisfies an underflow risk condition is determined by evaluating, for each of one or more cycles since receipt of one or more flits of the packet, a respective count of flits of the packet received by the network switch in the respective cycle. Only upon determining that the packet satisfies the underflow risk condition is selective underflow protection performed for the packet, including buffering an increased count of flits of the packet, prior to commencing transmission of the packet.
US09419906B2

A method is provided for congestion control in a network node (114; 510; 700; 900) of a communication network (701). The network node handles a plurality of data connections (DC1-N; RAB1-N) for conveying data between a first side and a second side of the communication network. The congestion control involves associating the data connections with respective target weights (wk; k=1-N) for Quality-of-Service (QoS) bit-rate differentiation. The method comprises the following steps, performed in the network node. Experienced bit-rates (rk=1-N) are obtained (620) for the data connections (DC1-N; RAB 1-N). For each data connection (DCi; RAB i), a time integrated difference is determined (632) between the data connection's targeted bit-rate according to its target weight (wi), and its experienced bit-rate (ri). Then, for each data connection, an adjusted weight (w′i) for QoS bit-rate differentiation is calculated (634) based on the determined time integrated difference and the target weight (wi). The adjusted weights (w′k; k=1-N) are used for the congestion control of the data connections.
US09419904B2

A system that provides services to clients may receive and service requests, various ones of which may require different amounts of work. An admission control mechanism may manage requests based on tokens, each of which represents a fixed amount of work. The tokens may be added to a token bucket at rate that is dependent on a target work throughput rate while the number of tokens in the bucket does not exceed its maximum capacity. If at least a pre-determined minimum number of tokens is present in the bucket when a service request is received, it may be serviced. Servicing a request may include deducting an initial number of tokens from the bucket, determining that the amount of work performed in servicing the request is different than that represented by the initially deducted tokens, and deducting additional tokens from or replacing tokens in the bucket to reflect the difference.
US09419896B2

Data traffic between a user at a user equipment and a network resource is preceded by a lookup procedure for obtaining a network address of the network resource. A message of the lookup procedure is processed depending on a class of users to which the user belongs. If the user belongs to a first class of users, the message of the lookup procedure is processed for adapting the lookup procedure to return a first network address of a replacement network resource capable of handling the data traffic. If the user belongs to a second class of users, the message of the lookup procedure is processed for adapting the lookup procedure to return a second network address of a replacement network resource capable of handling the data traffic.
US09419895B2

Techniques for customizing forwarding decisions in a network device via a hardware lookup table result are provided. In one embodiment, a network processor of the network device can perform a lookup into a lookup table based on one or more sections of a received packet. The network processor can then determine, based on the lookup, an entry in the lookup table and retrieve, using a pointer included in the lookup table entry, a mode value from a results table. The mode value can identify an operational flow (e.g., a series of forwarding decisions) to be carried out by the network processor for forwarding the received packet.
US09419891B2

A virtual private network communication system, a routing device and a method thereof are provided. The system includes a server and a plurality of routing devices. The routing devices respectively transmit registration information to the server, wherein the registration information includes a recognition string. The routing devices include a first routing device and a second routing device. The first routing device transmits a positioning request to the server, and the server transmits the positioning request to a part of or all of the routing devices according to the recognition string. When the second routing device receives the positioning request, the second routing device transmits positioning information according to the positioning request to the first routing device via the server. The first routing device directly establishes a connection with the second routing device according to the positioning information and transmits data after the connection is established.
US09419887B1

Systems and methods for managing computer network activity are disclosed. A data flow to be transmitted between a source node and a destination node can be identified. An initial graph representing the computer network can be determined. A shortest path between the source node and the destination node can be identified based on the graph. Bandwidth can be allocated to communication links along the shortest path between the source node and the destination node. It can be determined whether a bandwidth requirement associated with the data flow is satisfied by the allocated bandwidth. A residual graph can be determined. The steps of identifying a shortest path between the source node and the destination node based on the residual graph and allocating bandwidth to communication links along the shortest path between the source node and the destination node can be repeated.
US09419885B2

In one embodiment, a circuit that extends between a head-end label switching router (LSR) and a tail-end LSR and traverses one or more intermediate LSRs is locked to data plane traffic. The head-end LSR transmits a packet along the circuit that includes a particular time-to-live (TTL) value configured to expire at a particular intermediate LSR at which loopback is to occur. The circuit is used in a loopback mode. The head-end LSR transmits along the circuit a packet that includes a cease loopback request. The circuit ceases to be used in the loopback mode. The circuit is unlocked to permit the circuit to pass data plane traffic.
US09419882B2

The present invention relates to a network analyzing system that performs analyzing for a network. The network analyzing system includes one or a plurality of data processing modules and a network analysis apparatus, the network analysis apparatus includes a unit for accommodating the data processing modules, a unit for holding data-to-be-analyzed, a unit for storing data processing definition information that defines steps that carry out the processing of the data-to-be-analyzed using the data processing modules, a unit for causing the data processing modules to carry out data processing based on the data processing definition information to obtain a data processing result, and each data processing module includes a unit connecting to the network analysis apparatus, and a unit for carrying out data processing in accordance with a request.
US09419874B2

An example method to perform packet tracing in a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environment is provided. The SDN environment comprises an SDN controller device and a plurality of forwarding devices configurable by the SDN controller device. The method may comprise the SDN controller device configuring the plurality of forwarding devices to generate trace information of packets associated with a communication flow in the SDN environment, and the SDN controller device receiving, from the plurality of forwarding devices, trace information comprising header information and payload information of packets associated with the communication flow. Based on the trace information, the SDN controller device may generate aggregated trace information that identifies forwarding devices that processed a particular packet associated with the communication flow, or packets associated with the communication flow that are processed by a particular forwarding device, or both.
US09419872B2

Embodiments of the disclosure disclose a method, a system, and an apparatus for node status detection in a distributed system. The method includes: sending to each of multiple tested nodes a sequence of detection elements in order, and receiving responses returned from the multiple tested nodes in response to the receipt of the detection elements, calculating an average value of the detection elements each corresponding to the last response returned from the respective one of the multiple tested nodes at the end of a time period, as well as an absolute difference between the average value and the detection element corresponding to the last response returned from each of the multiple tested nodes at the end of the time period, and determining a tested node status based on whether the absolute difference corresponding to the tested node falls within a difference range.
US09419867B2

A data and control plane architecture for network devices. An example system architecture includes a network processing unit implementing one or more data plane operations, and a network device operably coupled to the network processing unit that implements a control plane. In a particular implementation, the network processing unit is configured to process network traffic according to a data plane configuration, and sample selected packets to the network device. The network device processes the sampled packets and adjusts the data plane configuration responsive to the sampled packets.
US09419866B2

The present invention discloses a method, a node, and a monitoring center for detecting a network fault and relates to the field of network communications. The method includes: when a node receives a voice stream, receiving a source identifier, a codec type, and voice quality parameters; acquiring, according to the codec type and the voice quality parameters, a fault score corresponding to the node; and detecting, according to the fault score corresponding to the node, whether a network fault occurs on a network between the node and a source corresponding to the source identifier. The monitoring center includes: a first receiving module, a first acquiring module, and a first detecting module; and the node includes: a second acquiring module, a third acquiring module, and a second detecting module. In the present invention, a network fault that occurs on a network can be detected in time.
US09419865B2

A method and apparatus for generating configuration information for a communication system is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a network policy manager can have a collection element that receives a plurality of service component definitions associated with a corresponding plurality of services of a communication system, a service bundle generation element that generates a plurality of service bundles from the plurality of service component definitions, and a policy element that determines a network configuration for each of the plurality of service bundles. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09419857B1

A system may receive a development update. The system may authenticate the development update. The system may progress the development update through multiple stages of development. The multiple stages of development may include a first virtual network including a group of development servers. The multiple stages of development may include a second virtual network including a group of quality assurance and testing servers. The multiple stages of development may include a third virtual network including a group of end-to-end testing servers. The multiple stages of development may include a fourth virtual network including a group of staging servers. The multiple stages of development may include a fifth virtual network including a group of production servers. The system may connect to the first virtual network, the second virtual network, the third virtual network, the fourth virtual network, and the fifth virtual network in a hub-and-spoke configuration.
US09419854B1

Methods and systems for information state sharing and consistency maintenance in a distributed and decentralized network are presented. At a first node of a network, a first information state message (ISM) in a hypothesis phase is generated. The first ISM is propagated to at least one node of a spanning tree of the network, the spanning tree having a root at the first node. A verification opinion is received from the at least one node indicating if a state in the first ISM is verified by the at least one node. A consensus regarding the state in the first ISM is determined based on the verification opinion from the at least one node. A second ISM indicating a confirmed phase is propagated to the spanning tree if the consensus on the state of the ISM is reached.
US09419849B2

In a method for generating a physical layer (PHY) data unit for transmission via a communication channel, information bits to be included in the PHY data unit are encoded using a forward error correction (FEC) encoder. Also, the information bits are encoded according to a block coding scheme, where m copies of each bit are included in the information bits, and one or more bits in the m copies of each bit are flipped. The information bits are mapped to a plurality of constellation symbols, and a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols are generated to include the plurality of constellation symbols. The PHY data unit is generated to include the plurality of OFDM symbols.
US09419847B2

An apparatus, computer program product and method, the apparatus comprising: processing apparatus configured to generate a push notification relating to a communication from an originating endpoint intended for a destination endpoint, the communication to be conducted over a packet-based network; and transceiver apparatus arranged to send the push notification to the destination endpoint. The processing apparatus is configured to generate the push notification with a payload comprising an indication of a language to be used by the destination endpoint to output a user notification notifying a destination user regarding the communication.
US09419837B2

The present disclosure is a novel utility of a software defined radio (SDR) based Distributed Antenna System (DAS) that is field reconfigurable and support multi-modulation schemes (modulation-independent), multi-carriers, multi-frequency bands and multi-channels. The present invention enables a high degree of flexibility to manage, control, enhance, facilitate the usage and performance of a distributed wireless network such as Flexible Simulcast, automatic traffic load-balancing, network and radio resource optimization, network calibration, autonomous/assisted commissioning, carrier pooling, automatic frequency selection, frequency carrier placement, traffic monitoring, traffic tagging, pilot beacon, etc. As a result, a DAS in accordance with the present invention can increase the efficiency and traffic capacity of the operators' wireless network.
US09419825B2

A signaling circuit having a selectable-tap equalizer. The signaling circuit includes a buffer, a select circuit and an equalizing circuit. The buffer is used to store a plurality of data values that correspond to data signals transmitted on a signaling path during a first time interval. The select circuit is coupled to the buffer to select a subset of data values from the plurality of data values according to a select value. The equalizing circuit is coupled to receive the subset of data values from the select circuit and is adapted to adjust, according to the subset of data values, a signal level that corresponds to a data signal transmitted on the signaling path during a second time interval.
US09419818B2

A system and method for virally growing a social network. The social network system receives a member account sign-up message for a first social network from a first member. The social network system then posts a member sign-up notification to the first member's event wall on a second social network; wherein the first member has one or more social contacts through the second social network. For at least a second respective member in the one or more social contacts, the social network system posts a personalized invitation message as a comment to the member sign-up notification on the first member's event wall, wherein the comment is initially hidden from all members other than the second respective member of the one or more member contacts.
US09419801B2

A system and method for communicating a data file between networked computers is disclosed. The method includes the operation of requesting a data file consisting of a plurality of file blocks to be transferred from a source computing device to a destination computing device. A hash signature for each of the plurality of file blocks of the data file is sent from the source computing device to the destination computing device. It can be determined which of the file blocks of the data file are already located on the destination computing device based on the hash signature of each file block. The remaining file blocks can be transferred from the source to the destination computing device. The file can be constructed at the destination computing device from the plurality of file blocks.
US09419787B2

A clock data recovery (CDR) circuit includes a sampling circuit, a synchronization circuit that synchronizes a frequency of an oscillation clock signal from an oscillation circuit with a frequency of input data of a specific pattern which is sampled in the sampling circuit, and synchronizes a phase of the oscillation clock signal with a phase of the sampled input data, and a data pattern recognition circuit that detects whether the input data sampled in the sampling circuit has a specific pattern. The data pattern recognition circuit starts an operation for detecting whether the input data has a specific pattern in response to a frequency lock start instruction. The synchronization circuit starts an operation for synchronizing the frequency on condition that it is determined by the data pattern recognition circuit that the input data has a specific pattern.
US09419786B2

A multi-lane serial link signal receiving system includes a clock generating circuit and a plurality of data receiving channels. The clock generating circuit provides a fundamental clock signal. Each of the data receiving channels receives an input signal and the fundamental clock signal, and includes a phase detecting circuit, a multi-order digital clock data recovery circuit and a phase adjusting circuit. The phase detecting circuit samples the input signal according to a sampling clock signal to generate a sampled signal. The multi-order digital clock data recovery circuit performs a digital clock data recovery process on the sampled signal to generate phase adjusting information. The phase adjusting circuit adjusts the phase of the fundamental clock signal according to the phase adjusting information to generate the sampling clock signal.
US09419779B2

A system includes a full-duplex driver to drive signals on a load. A hybrid element connected with the full-duplex driver controls a flow of transmission and receipt of the signals. A gain control element connected with the full-duplex driver tunes a transconductance of the full-duplex driver to match an impedance of the load. The controlled gain is based on a leakage voltage value of the full-duplex driver.
US09419778B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for a User Equipment (UE) configured with multiple cells in a DownLink (DL) of a Time Division Duplex (TDD) communication system to determine the coding method for acknowledgement information bits as a function of their number, to apply bundling to the acknowledgement information bits when their number exceeds a first predetermined value, and to partition the acknowledgement information bits, possibly together with other control information bits, into two separate codewords when their total number exceeds a second predetermined value.
US09419771B2

The present invention is designed to detect an S-cell efficiently, in a short time, upon carrier aggregation in a HetNet. In a communication system where carrier aggregation is executed between a first carrier (CC #1) and a second carrier (CC #2), a macro base station apparatus (20A) generates a carrier detection signal that makes a mobile terminal apparatus (10) detect the second carrier (CC #2), such that carrier aggregation is executed with the first carrier (CC #1), and transmits the carrier detection signal to an RRH base station apparatus (20B) such that the carrier detection signal is transmitted from the RRH base station apparatus (20B) to the mobile terminal apparatus (10) in the second carrier (CC #2) in which the carrier detection signal can be allocated with a higher density than a reference signal of the first carrier (CC #1). The macro base station apparatus (20A) detects an S-cell based on the received quality of the carrier detection signal fed back from the mobile terminal apparatus (10).
US09419770B2

Various disclosed embodiments include methods and systems for communication in a wireless communication system. A method comprises receiving a signal corresponding to a plurality of modulated signals, each of the plurality of modulated signals corresponding to a unique electronic device. The method comprises filtering the received signal with a plurality of filters, each of which is matched to a corresponding filter in a respective electronic device to obtain a filtered signal for the respective electronic device. The method comprises performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) operation on the filtered signal to obtain demodulated data corresponding to the respective electronic device.
US09419768B2

An apparatus and method for transmitting a power headroom report in a communication system supporting multi-carriers are disclosed, by which a user equipment is enabled to transmit the power headroom report. According to the present invention, a user equipment calculates a power headroom for each of at least one activated serving cell using a maximum transmission power of the user equipment for each of at least one activated serving cell and transmits the power headroom report including the power headroom for each of the at least one activated serving cell and the maximum transmission power of the user equipment for each of the at least one activated serving cell to a base station. In this case, the power headroom includes an information on power status of the user equipment for each of the at least one activated serving cell.
US09419762B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. Specifically, a method for transmitting an uplink signal in a wireless communication system supporting carrier aggregation includes the steps of: setting a first cell of a first time division duplex (TDD) uplink (UL)-downlink (DL) configuration, and a second cell of a second TDD UL-DL configuration; receiving data over a DL subframe of the first cell; and transmitting a control signal over a UL subframe of the second cell in response to the received data, wherein a relationship of the DL subframe and UL subframe is determined by parameter values set in a specific TDD UL-DL configuration in a TDD WL-DL configuration set, the specific TDD UL-DL configuration has the minimum number of DL subframes from among one or more of TDD UL-DL configurations in which subframes set as a DL or X are all set as the DL in the first cell or the second cell, the subframes set as X have different subframe directions in the first cell and the second cell at a corresponding subframe timing, and the uses thereof are limited in either the first cell or the second cell.
US09419760B2

The present invention is designed to measure interference with high accuracy in future systems that do not rely on CRSs. A base station apparatus has a determining section (401) that determines the resources to allocate desired signal measurement reference signals (CSI-RSs) and interference estimation reference signals to, and a reference signal generating section (405) that applies scrambling sequences and generates the interference estimation reference signal, and the scrambling sequences are controlled such that varying scrambling sequences are applied to the interference estimation reference signals between a plurality of transmission points or transmission point groups.
US09419755B2

An apparatus and method for providing selective Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) for a ranging service in a wireless communication system are provided. A HARQ method includes transmitting, to at least one Mobile Station (MS), ranging code division information, and if a ranging code is received from the MS, allocating the MS a resource considering the ranging code, and if a ranging signal is not received through the resource allocated to the MS, making a request for retransmission of the ranging signal to the MS.
US09419754B2

A terminal and a resource scheduling method for transmitting ACKnowledgements (ACKs) corresponding to the data received from a base station efficiently are provided. The method includes calculating, when a period arrives for feedback of ACKs corresponding to received segments, a fluctuation level based on variation of a segment transmission amount, determining whether the fluctuation level is greater than a scheduling threshold, and scheduling, when the fluctuation level is greater than the scheduling threshold, ACKs accumulated in the terminal. The terminal and the method are capable of reducing the probability of an occurrence of a spurious timeout, at a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) sender, caused by radio channel fluctuation and scheduling delay.
US09419740B2

A method, system and device are provided for avoiding in-device coexistence interference between different radio technologies by allocating random access channel preambles to include one or more dedicated access preambles to be sued for sending IDC interference indication messages over a random access channel (RACH) to a radio access network. In response, the radio network provides control parameters and/or instructions for avoiding interference in a random access response message corresponding to the IDC interference indication message using one or more fields in the MAC subheader and payload fields of a designated IDC MAC PDU message.
US09419734B2

A system and method of controlling a portable radio may involve tuning a first receiver of the portable radio to a first broadcast from a first station, where the first broadcast includes specific program content. A switching event can be detected at the portable radio, where a second receiver of the portable radio may be tuned to a second broadcast from a second station in response to the switching event. The second broadcast can include the specific program content.
US09419732B2

Certain embodiments herein are directed to optimized decoding of in-band on-channel (IBOC) services, such as audio, traffic, and data associated with HD Radio™. Service information, such as service boundaries for one or more segments associated with IBOC services, may be identified and formatted for transmission to a receiver device. The receiver device may use the service boundaries to select or filter segments associated only with a service of interest from a bit stream of segments associated with one or more other services, according to one embodiment.
US09419713B2

A visible light communication method. Firstly, a plurality of binary logic streams is sequentially received and a serial-to-parallel conversion is performed on them to obtain a plurality of binary signal sets corresponding to each binary logic stream. Then, all the binary signal sets are respectively mapped to obtain the first OFDM symbols in frequency domain. The first OFDM symbols are respectively transformed into the second OFDM symbols in time domain. Then, a parallel-to-serial conversion is performed on the second OFDM symbols. Adequate cyclic prefix is added in each of the second OFDM symbols. Next, the relative intensity of each of the second OFDM symbols is regulated, and then a digital-to-analog conversion is performed on the second OFDM symbols to obtain analog electrical signals. Finally, visible lights respectively corresponding to the analog electrical signals are generated.
US09419704B2

A handheld diabetes manager is presented with an improved graphical user interface for a bolus calculator. The bolus calculator is configured to receive blood glucose measurements from a blood glucose measurement module and operates, in response to an input, to compute an insulin recommendation for a patient based in part on the blood glucose measurements. The graphical user interface for the bolus calculator includes a health adjustment screen that enables a user to input a value for health events associated with the insulin recommendation, where the input value represents a cumulative effect of the health events on insulin of the patient and the health adjustment screen presents a different icon for each of the health events associated with the insulin recommendation.
US09419696B2

A base station receives a message comprising at least one index identifying a subset of a second plurality of beamforming codewords. Each of the second plurality of beamforming codewords is identifiable by an index presented by a number of bits. The number of bits is greater than or equal to log2(N), N being number of the second plurality of beamforming codewords, and less than number of bits in representation of a corresponding beamforming codeword. The base station transmits signals employing a first plurality of beamforming codewords being selected employing the subset of the second plurality of beamforming codewords.
US09419692B2

An apparatus, method and system for transmission are described herein. For example, apparatus can include a synthesis engine, a power supply and a multiple input single output (MISO) operator. The synthesis engine is configured to generate amplitude control signals, phase control signals and power supply control signals based on command and control information. The power supply is configured to receive the power supply control signals and to generate a power supply signal. Further, the MISO operator is configured to generate an output signal with an amplitude or a phase controlled by at least one of the amplitude control signals, the phase control signals and the power supply signal.
US09419675B2

A device according to one embodiment includes a variable-capacitor-tuned isolation tuning circuit having a directional coupler having an input port, an output port, an isolation port, and a coupling port. The variable-capacitor-tuned isolation tuning circuit also has and a tunable capacitor coupled in shunt to the coupling port of the directional coupler.
US09419674B2

Shared filters may be used for both transmit and receive paths. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device, an integrated circuit, or a circuit module) may include a filter and a switch. The filter operates as a transmit (TX) filter for a first band and as a receive (RX) filter for a second band. The filter may receive and filter an output radio frequency (RF) signal when operating as the TX filter and may receive and filter a received RF signal when operating as the RX filter. The switch is coupled to the filter and receives and passes the output RF signal to the filter or an input RF signal from the filter. The apparatus may further include a second filter operable as a TX filter for multiple bands and/or a third filter operable as an RX filter for multiple bands.
US09419671B2

A mobile device includes a circuit board on which an electronic circuit used to perform wireless communication with a vehicle-mounted device is mounted, a battery holder that holds a battery from which electric power is supplied to the electronic circuit, and a case member in which the circuit board and the battery holder are accommodated. Test ports, which are terminal electrodes used in test of the electronic circuit, are provided on one plate surface of the circuit board. The battery holder holds the battery at a position at which the battery faces the test ports.
US09419658B2

A nonlinear distorter is configured to mitigate nonlinearity from a nonlinear component of a nonlinear system. The nonlinear distorter operates to model the nonlinearity as a function of a piecewise polynomial approximation applied to segments of a nonlinear function of the nonlinearity. The nonlinear distorter generates a model output that decreases the nonlinearity of the nonlinear component.
US09419655B2

An apparatus includes an error correction code circuit and an error correction code selection circuit. The error correction code circuit may be configured to encode and decode data using any of a plurality of error correction codes. The error correction code selection circuit may be configured to control which of the plurality of error correction codes is used by the error correction code circuit to encode and decode data responsive to one or more reliability statistics and predetermined data characterizing distribution properties of each of the plurality of error correction codes.
US09419651B2

A system and method for correcting errors in an ECC block using soft-decision data. In an embodiment, a soft-decision ECC decoding method, uses “soft” data indicative of how reliable bits of data are when read out. Such a method may use an update module for receiving and manipulating the soft-decision data and iteratively change bits or groups of bits based upon an ordering of the reliability factors. Then a calculator module may determine the total number of errors still remaining after each iteration. Determining just the total number of errors instead of the actual locations is far less computationally intensive, and therefore, many combination of potential flip-bit combination may be analyzed quickly to determine if any combination might reduce the total number of errors enough to be handled by the conventional hard-decision ECC decoding method.
US09419650B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for flexible event data content management for relevant event and alert analysis within a distributed processing system are provided. Embodiments include capturing, by an interface connector, an event from a resource of the distributed processing system; inserting, by the interface connector, the event into an event database; receiving from the interface connector, by a notifier, a notification of insertion of the event into the event database; based on the received notification, tracking, by the notifier, the number of events indicated as inserted into the event database; receiving from the notifier, by a monitor, a cumulative notification indicating the number of events that have been inserted into the event database; in response to receiving the cumulative notification, retrieving, by the monitor, from the event database, events inserted into the event database; and processing, by the monitor, the retrieved events.
US09419646B2

Concurrently writing an uncompressed data element, if the uncompressed data element comprises an indication that it is valid, in a main hash table using a first address generated by a first hash function, and reading a first data element from the main hash table using the first address. Introducing a first pipeline delay for maintaining the uncompressed data element in a first data path until the first data element is read. Concurrently writing the first data element to a victim hash table, if the first data element comprises an indication that it is valid, using a second address generated by a second hash function, and reading a second data element from the victim hash table using a third address generated by the second hash function. Introducing a second pipeline delay for maintaining the uncompressed data element in the first data path until the second data element is read.
US09419634B1

A multiple phase oscillator includes a master oscillator that injection locks a first ring oscillator. The free-running frequency of the first ring oscillator is adjustable through a control signal. A second ring oscillator has a same structure as the first ring oscillator and is connected to operate in a free-running mode. The free-running frequency of the second ring oscillator is adjustable through the control signal. A control loop senses the output of the second ring oscillator and adjusts the control signal so that the free-running frequency of the second ring oscillator matches a desired value.
US09419630B2

A clock dithering circuit that provides cancellation of digital noise spurs is disclosed. The clock dithering circuit includes a control unit that receives an input clock. An ICG (integrated clock gating) cell receives the input clock and receives an enable signal from the control unit. The ICG cell generates a gated clock. A coarse dither unit receives the gated clock and receives a coarse select signal from the control unit. The coarse dither unit generates a coarse dither clock. A fine dither unit receives the coarse dither clock and receives a fine select signal from the control unit. The fine dither unit generates a fine dither clock.
US09419622B2

To provide a semiconductor device in which signal-transmission speed between a first logic element and a second logic element is not lowered. The semiconductor device includes a first switch between the first logic element and the second logic element, and configuration to the first switch is repeatedly performed until configuration is performed on the first switch while a low-level voltage is input to the first switch from the first logic element.
US09419620B2

A field programmable object array integrated circuit has video data compression capability. The integrated circuit comprises an array of programmable objects and a video compression co-processor communicatively coupled to the array of objects. The video compression co-processor comprises a set of search engines and a subpixel engine. The subpixel engine can interpolate subpixels from integer pixels and shift the integer pixels by a predetermined number of subpixels. The search engines can perform a plurality of sum of absolute differences (SAD) computations between search window pixels and macroblock pixels to locate the best SAD value using either integer pixels and/or the interpolated subpixels.
US09419600B2

A PWM signal generation circuit according to the present invention includes a duty setting unit (10) configured to generate a duty control signal designating a duty ratio corresponding to each period of a PWM signal on the basis of an initial duty setting signal, a target duty setting signal, a slope setting signal, and a clock signal, a period setting unit (20) configured to output a period setting value, and an output control unit (30) configured to generate the PWM signal having a period corresponding to the period setting value and having a duty ratio corresponding to a value of the duty control signal. The duty setting unit (10) increases the value of the initial duty ratio to the value of the target duty ratio each time the number of a clock pulse of the clock signal reaches the period setting value reaches the slope setting value.
US09419593B2

A CML latch includes an input stage including input nodes to receive a differential input signal and output nodes to provide a differential intermediate output signal, and a negative output node to provide a negative side of the differential intermediate output signal, a negative resistance stage including an input node connected to a first voltage source and output nodes connected to the output nodes of the input stage, and a latch stage including input nodes connected to the output nodes of the input stage and output nodes to provide a differential output signal. The negative resistance stage increases a current gain of the input stage.
US09419581B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising' an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and 5 including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a 10 multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements to maximize the RF voltage at the at least one RF output port.
US09419575B2

Embodiments described herein may involve dynamically adjusting the equalization of a playback device based on the environment in which the playback device is operating. An example embodiment may involve detecting, by at least one microphone, an audio signal. The example embodiment may also involve selecting a playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments based on the detected audio signal. The example embodiment may further involve identifying an audio setting corresponding to the selected playback device environment; and applying the audio setting when playing media content.
US09419573B2

Embodiments of variable gain transimpedance amplifiers are described. In an embodiment, the variable gain transimpedance amplifier may include an amplifier coupled to an adjustable gain feedback network, the adjustable gain feedback network including a selectable set of Resistor-Capacitor (RC) branches, each RC branch having one or more unit RC elements, each unit RC element being comprised of a unit resistor and a unit capacitor arranged in parallel.
US09419570B2

A transistor has variation in a threshold voltage or mobility due to accumulation of factors such as variation in a gate insulating film which is caused by a difference of a manufacturing process or a substrate to be used and variation in a crystal state of a channel formation region. The present invention provides an electric circuit which is arranged such that both electrodes of a capacitance device can hold a voltage between the gate and the source of a specific transistor. Further, the present invention provides an electric circuit which has a function capable of setting a potential difference between both electrodes of a capacitance device so as to be a threshold voltage of a specific transistor.
US09419568B2

Circuits and methods related to power amplifier efficiency based on multi-harmonic approximation. In some embodiments, an output network circuit can be provided for multi-harmonic control of a radio-frequency (RF) power amplifier. The output network circuit can include an impedance matching network configured for a fundamental frequency of the power amplifier. The output network circuit can further include a broadband harmonic trap in communication with the impedance matching network. The broadband harmonic trap can be configured to substantially trap a plurality of harmonics associated with the fundamental frequency. The output network circuit can further include a dipole network in communication with the broadband harmonic trap. The dipole network can be configured to tune reactances resulting from the operation of the broadband harmonic trap.
US09419559B2

The invention relates to a parametric oscillator (1) for generating ultra-short pulses. The system (1) comprises a resonator (10) having an optical axis (11), an amplifier crystal (9) arranged in the resonator (10), and a pump laser system (4) for generating pump laser radiation (5) comprising pump photons, said pump laser radiation being directed onto the amplifier crystal (9). The invention is characterized in that the amplifier crystal (9) is an optically non-linear crystal configured for generating a signal photon and an idler photon from a pump photon by means of an optical-parametric process, wherein the resonator (10) is arranged in such a way that a signal pulse formed from the signal photons leaves the amplifier crystal (9) along the optical axis (11) of the resonator (10), and wherein dispersion compensation members for at least partially compensating the dispersion of the radiation circulating in the resonator (10) are provided. The invention also relates to a method for generating ultra-short pulses or the associated mode comb by means of such a parametric oscillator (1).
US09419550B2

A method of controlling torque of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) by using a speed-torque lookup table may include: receiving a current direct-current (DC) link voltage of an inverter configured to drive the PMSM and a speed of a rotor of the PMSM; calculating a change ratio of a DC link voltage based on the current DC link voltage and a DC link voltage at a time when the speed-torque lookup table is generated; calculating a normalized speed of the rotor according to a change in the DC link voltage by using the speed of the rotor and the change ratio of the DC link voltage; and/or transferring the normalized speed of the rotor as an input to the speed-torque lookup table.
US09419549B2

An inverter electrically operatively connects to a multi-phase electric machine, and a method for controlling the inverter includes executing a six-step mode to control the inverter and monitoring an electric voltage angle of the electric machine at a preset sampling frequency. When the electric voltage angle approaches a step transition associated with control of one of a plurality of switches of the inverter in the six-step mode, an intermediate duty command for the one of the switches is determined and a carrier signal is aligned based upon a present state of the one of the switches. The one of the switches is controlled employing the intermediate duty command and the aligned carrier.
US09419548B2

The invention refers to a method for controlling a brushless, electronically commutated electric motor, a main AC voltage being rectified into an intermediate circuit direct voltage and this direct voltage being fed by an intermediate circuit containing an intermediate circuit capacitor to an inverter which is controlled by a motor control means for feeding and commutating the electric motor whereby the intermediate circuit direct voltage is monitored in respect of its voltage level and is compared with a predetermined limiting value and, on reaching or exceeding the limiting value, the intermediate circuit direct voltage is limited to the predetermined limiting value by clocked disconnection and reconnection.
US09419540B2

Provided is a switching power supply circuit including an output transistor arranged to be turned on and off to generate a desired output voltage from a pulsating voltage obtained by rectifying an AC input voltage, an oscillator arranged to generate an ON signal at a switching frequency varying periodically in synchronization with the AC input voltage or the pulsating voltage, a controller arranged to generate an OFF signal so that the output voltage is adjusted to a target value while a power factor becomes close to one, a logic circuit arranged to generate a switch control signal in accordance with the ON signal and the OFF signal, and a driver arranged to turn on and off the output transistor in accordance with the switch control signal.
US09419539B2

An electrical system includes an AC power source and a power converter including at least one first terminal and at least one second terminal. The first terminal is configured to receive voltages with a DC component and the second terminal is configured to receive voltages that have a non-zero time average value including AC and DC components. The electrical system also includes an AC power transmission subsystem coupled to and extending between the AC power source and the power converter. The electrical system further includes a current diversion system including a plurality of first switching devices coupled to the AC power transmission subsystem. The current diversion system also includes a second switching device including a third terminal coupled to the first terminal and a fourth terminal coupled to the second terminal. The second switching device is configured to transmit current only from the third terminal to the fourth terminal.
US09419536B2

A DC power transmission system is configured to generate an electric field including components substantially constant with respect to time and varying with time. The DC power transmission system includes an AC stage configured to receive AC electrical power. The AC stage includes a transformer including primary windings and secondary windings configured to be electromagnetically coupled to, and electrically isolated from, each other. The AC stage also includes an AC/AC converter having substantially no insulating features against the at least one substantially constant component of the electric field. The AC/AC converter is electrically coupled to the primary windings. The DC power transmission system also includes an AC/DC conversion stage positioned downstream of the AC stage. The AC/DC conversion stage includes an AC/DC rectifier configured to convert AC electrical power to DC electrical power without external control. The AC/DC rectifier is coupled to the secondary windings.
US09419530B2

Disclosed is a power estimation device using a coaxial winding transformer which includes: a switching control unit that generates primary current by performing switching control on power source; a coaxial winding transformer that includes a core, and a primary winding, a secondary winding, and an auxiliary winding which are wound on the core and outputs secondary current in accordance with the winding ratio of the secondary winding to the primary winding by receiving the primary current; and a power estimation unit that estimates power outputted to the secondary winding by sensing output of the auxiliary winding in accordance with the winding ratio of the auxiliary winding to the primary winding, in which the coaxial winding transformer is formed by winding a cable, which uses at least inner conductor as the secondary winding and uses one outer conductor surrounding the inner conductor as the auxiliary winding, around the core.
US09419527B2

A switching power converter includes a controller configured to transition from a first operating mode to a second operating mode by determining the operating conditions at the transition point between the operation modes. The controller uses a point where a switch included in the power converter would have been turned on if operating under the first operating mode as a reference point to determine when to turn on the switch under the second operating mode. Using the reference point, the switching power converter determines a control period for regulating the switching period of the switch in a second operating mode.
US09419526B2

A power supply with reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) is described. This power supply includes cascaded stages with switched-mode power-supply circuits that are switched synchronously during operation by switching signals that have a common fundamental frequency. EMI associated with the power supply is reduced by establishing a phase shift between the switching signals in at least two of the stages.
US09419523B2

A method identifies a short-line fault or line interruption in a circuit configuration having a series circuit of inductive load and controllable switching element. The series circuit is connected between high and low potentials of a supply voltage source. A connecting point between load and switching element is connected through at least one zener element to the high or low potential of the voltage source or the control connection of the switching element so that upon interruption of current flow through the load due to switching off the switching element, magnetic energy stored in the load can be reduced by a zener element becoming conductive. After switching off the switching element, the voltage at the connecting point is ascertained and a voltage pulse duration is compared with a first prescribed duration. If the duration is shorter than the first prescribed duration, a line interruption or a short is inferred.
US09419520B2

Compensation system adapted for use with a battery-powered, PWM-driven portable electronic device to enable consistent power to the device load despite battery voltage drop resulting from battery depletion, comprising: a voltage divider circuit for proportionally adjusting the voltage to a measurable range; an analog-to-digital converter for receiving the output from the voltage divider and converting it into a digital voltage value; and a microprocessing unit for running software code steps for receiving digital voltage input and user-determined power setting input for determining a compensating duty cycle for application by the software to the PWM to drive the load consistently at the user-determined power setting despite decrease in battery voltage resulting from battery depletion.
US09419514B1

A high power factor DC power supply with low output ripple uses a variable gain DC to DC converter and fast averaging control loop to eliminate the need for a large electrolytic capacitor at the output of the PFC circuit. A resonant tank circuit of the DC to DC converter is sized to provide a predetermined output voltage to the load when the PFC circuit output is at its minimum. A closed loop control circuit varies an operational frequency of the DC to DC converter (i.e., an inverter of the DC to DC converter driving the resonant tank circuit) to compensate for voltage ripple on the DC power rail provided to the DC to DC converter from the PFC circuit. An optional clamping circuit limits output from the resonant tank to the load to further reduce ripple in the power provided to the load.
US09419510B2

Provided are circuits and methods for use with a power supply that provides a main output including a main DC voltage having a first AC voltage ripple, or a main DC current having a first AC current ripple. A ripple cancellation converter provides a second AC voltage ripple connected in series with the main output, such that the first AC voltage ripple is substantially cancelled; or a second AC current ripple connected in parallel with the main output, such that the first AC current ripple is substantially cancelled. As a result, substantially ripple-free DC output power is provided.
US09419495B2

A wind turbine has a rotor and a generator. A planetary transmission is arranged between the rotor and the generator, the planetary transmission being operatively connected to the rotor and the generator. The planetary transmission has at least one planet gear, at least one planet pin, and a planet carrier, the planet gear being arranged on the planet pin. At least one sliding bearing is arranged between the planet pin and the planet carrier, and the planet gear is rotationally fixed to the planet pin.
US09419489B2

A slot liner for a stator and/or a rotor of an electric machine includes a body configured to be received within a stator slot and/or within a rotor slot. The body extends from a first end to an opposite second end and from a first edge to an opposite second edge. The body includes an inner segment and first and second outer segments that extend along the body. The first and second outer segments flank the inner segment such that the inner segment extends between the first and second outer segments along the body. The inner segment includes at least one different material such that a thermal conductivity of the inner segment is greater than a thermal conductivity of the first and second outer segments.
US09419484B2

A stator includes an annular stator core and a stator coil. The stator coil is formed of electric conductor segments each of which is bent in its thickness direction to include, at least, an in-slot portion and an oblique portion. The in-slot portion is received in a corresponding slot of the stator core with its width direction coinciding with a radial direction of the stator core. The oblique portion protrudes from the in-slot portion outside the corresponding slot and extends, over its entire length, along the circumferential direction of the stator core obliquely with respect to an axial end face of the stator core. The oblique portion includes a thick section on the proximal side and a thin section on the distal side. Each corresponding pair of the oblique portions of the electric conductor segments are connected by joining the thin sections of the oblique portions.
US09419480B2

A rotor arrangement includes a support structure providing a mounting surface extending in an axial direction and a circumferential direction. The support structure is adapted to rotate around the axial direction. A first permanent magnet system is arranged at the mounting surface at a first circumferential region. A second permanent magnet system is arranged at the mounting surface at a second circumferential region. A circumferential distance between the first magnet system and the second magnet system at a first axial position differs from the circumferential distance between the first magnet system and the second magnet system at a second axial position.
US09419471B2

A communication terminal that includes a wireless communication unit used to communicate with another communication terminal, a power transmitting unit that transmits contactless electric power to the another communication terminal, and a control unit that controls the wireless communication unit to transmit, to the another communication terminal, an instruction for receiving the contactless electric power transmitted from the power transmitting unit.
US09419462B2

A rechargeable battery including a housing formed from two components formed from polyphenysulfone plastic. One housing component has a lip that is located inwardly of the other housing component. The housing components are further formed so that photonic energy at a select wavelength passes through the outer component and is absorbed by the lip of the second component. Once a rechargeable cell is placed in in one of the housing components, the housing components are placed together so the lip of the second component abuts an inner surface of the first component. Photonic energy at the select wavelength is directed to the joint between the components. The photonic energy passes through the first component and heats the lip of the second component. The heat causes the lip to melt. The melting plastic forms a hermetic weld between the housing components.
US09419448B1

The novel cell balancing approach being disclosed minimizes the number of controlled active devices to enable Li-ion cell balancing in a battery arrangement. This is accomplished through a network of passive components associated with each cell. The network of passive components forms a bandpass filter. This allows selective charging of a cell purely based on the frequency components of a variable switching frequency controller.
US09419446B2

A battery pack receptacle removably connects to a particular one of multiple battery pack adapters for particular battery packs used for cordless power tool devices. A universal serial bus (USB) receptacle is connected to the battery pack receptacle. The battery pack is used as a power source for the USB receptacle. Each of the multiple battery pack adapters is configured for a different type of battery pack.
US09419444B2

A power source device and a power charge device interoperate according to a wireless charging protocol. The power source device inductively wirelessly transmits charging energy signal via an inductive wireless power transmitting circuit. The power charge device wirelessly receives the inductively wirelessly transmitted charging energy signal via an inductive wireless power receiving circuit. The power charge device transfers wirelessly received charging energy signal to a re-chargeable battery of the power charge device. In response to determining that the power source device and the power charge device are in a charging arrangement, the power source device controls user access to a lockable user interface based on receiving information from the power charge device and can display messages received by the power charge device from a wireless communication network. The power source device can include a personal computing system and the power charge device can include a mobile phone.
US09419436B2

Digital power is regulated by transmitting digital power via a transmission line pair to at least one receiver circuit in a digital power receiving system. The digital power is converted into analog power in the receiver circuit. The analog power is transmitted to at least one power conditioning circuit, and output power is transmitted from the power conditioning circuit. At least one voltage in the digital power receiver system is monitored; and, in response to that monitoring, the output power from the power conditioning circuit is regulated to improve at least one of safety, efficiency, resiliency, control, and routing of power.
US09419424B2

A bushing structure for switchgear includes first and second separate support structures each having surfaces defining at least one opening. The support structures are coupled together so that the openings define a passage through the bushing structure and so that a slot is defined between the first and second support structures, surrounding the passage. A bushing is disposed in the passage and has a body, a bus receiving member, and a compression structure. The bus receiving member has an opening there-through sized to receive a bus bar. When the first and second support structures are coupled together with the bushing in the passage, the compression structure is disposed in the slot, sandwiched between the first and second support structures so that they exert pressure on the compression structure.
US09419420B1

A right angle conduit fitting for right angle wiring through a wall includes an offset split along a transverse axis defined by the edges of male and female body portions mated together. The offset split provides the male body portion and the female body portion independent rotation from each other and from internal wiring thus allowing the wiring to be disturbed as the male body portion and female body portion may be threaded onto respective conduits and into mating alignment with each other.
US09419404B1

A carbon dioxide waveguide-laser includes an elongated resonator compartment and an elongated power supply compartment. The resonator and power-supply compartments are separated by a water-cooled heat sink.
US09419399B2

A crimping station with a crimping press for producing a crimp connection, the crimping press including a drivable press part movable in vertical direction, with which a cable end of a cable can be connected with a crimp contact, a gripper for supplying the cable end to the crimping press, and a positioning unit for vertically positioning the cable end at the crimping press. During the process of moving the press part the gripper is moved by the positioning unit between a starting position and an end position. The positioning unit is connected via a variable gearbox with the press part whereby during the moving of the press part, the positioning unit is moved in relation to the press part at a speed reduced by a reduction ratio of the gearbox, and the reduction ratio can be adjusted by an adjusting device.
US09419397B2

A rotatable plug includes an upper cover, a dynamic rotatable unit, a static rotatable unit pivotally mounted to a bottom of the dynamic rotatable unit, a connecting cable fastened to the static rotatable unit, and a lower cover. The dynamic rotatable unit includes a plurality of dynamic conductive tubes of which each has a rotatable ring. The static rotatable unit includes a plurality of static conductive tubes of which each has a ring body. The rotatable ring is disposed around and is electrically connected with the ring body. The upper cover, the static rotatable unit and the lower cover are capable of rotating 360 degrees along a traction direction of the connecting cable, and the upper cover, the static rotatable unit, the lower cover and the connecting cable are capable of proceeding the same angle rotation.
US09419396B2

A female fuse terminal is provided with a longitudinally extending blade portion sized to be received within a socket. An intermediate portion extends from the blade portion and extends at an acute angle from a longitudinal direction of the blade portion. A female portion is sized to receive a fuse blade, and extends from the intermediate portion such that the female portion is offset parallel to the blade portion. A printed circuit board assembly is provided with a (PCB) having a socket sized to receive the terminal.
US09419385B2

A cable connector assembly includes a connector and a cable. The connector includes a shell having a front shell and a back shell assembled to each other, an insulative housing, and a number of contacts. The front shell includes a mating portion and a bending portion backwardly extending from the mating portion. The insulative housing includes a body portion and a stepped portion extending backwardly from the body portion. The contact includes a tail portion exposed on the stepped portion. The cable includes a number of conductive wires connected with the tail portions of the contacts. The bending portion is mated with the back shell. The bending portion is aligned with the cable to form an angle with respect to the mating portion.
US09419374B2

A plug connector for providing an electrical connection with a counter piece, the plug connector including a housing in which contacts that are supported in a front portion of the housing with respect to a plug in direction are connectable with a cable which is run out of a rear portion of the housing with respect to the plug in direction; a securing sleeve which is supported on the housing rotationally movable in a circumferential direction and which provides a securing screw connection for a plug connection between the connector and the counter piece, wherein an axial section of the housing and an axial section of the securing sleeve enter a form locking engagement at least at an end of a movement of the securing screw connection wherein the form locking engagement provides vibration protection for the plug connection; and an elastic seal which secures the plug connection against contaminants.
US09419373B2

A connector is for the inductive transmission of electrical energy. The connector includes a female part and a male part. The female part and the male part each are provided with an electrical circuit, the electrical circuit forming either a primary side or a secondary side of a transformer. The female part includes a spherical cavity and a surface layer and the male part includes a spherical portion and a surface layer. The spherical cavity is complementary to the spherical portion. The electrical circuit of the female part is formed with a concave side on the side facing the surface layer of the female part, and the electrical circuit of the male part is positioned in the spherical portion of the male part. The electrical circuit is formed with a convex side on the side facing the surface layer of the male part.
US09419369B2

A plug-in connector for a control apparatus has at least one contact pin which passes through a base section of a support body of the plug-in connector and can be connected electrically and mechanically to a printed circuit board of the control apparatus. The support body of the plug-in connector has a trough, which is formed by the base section, a groove laterally surrounding the base section and a side edge laterally surrounding the groove. The trough can be filled with a sealing compound such that the compound extends within the trough integrally from the groove to the contact pin and covers the base section in certain places or completely. A control apparatus and a method for producing a control apparatus are also described.
US09419366B2

The invention relates to a contact assembly for a combined power and data connector and to a socket assembly for a mating socket. In order to provide a combined power and data connector that allows combined transport of electrical power and data signals, which is compact, solid and may be produced cost-effectively, it is intended according to the invention that a connector face of the contact assembly comprises a data section and a second section, wherein the data section comprises a plurality of data contacts, which are separated from the second section by at least one separating wall assembly, the data contacts being arranged on a carrier unit that is mounted on a data section side of the separating wall assembly, that the carrier unit further carries electric power and wherein the at least one separating wall assembly comprises a fixation sub-assembly that fixates the carrier unit onto the separating wall assembly.
US09419358B2

The invention relates to a device (2) for electrically connecting an electronic board (22), including at least one electrical conductor (23) for conducting a current to and/or from said electronic board (22), a body (24) extending in at least one plane (26) and retaining said electrical conductor (23) in said plane via a portion of said conductor, and at least one outgrowth (28) extending from said body (24), said outgrowth (28) including at least one member (30) for assembling said connection device (20) to said electronic board (22), such that the body (24) is opposite the electronic board (22).
US09419356B2

A power connector can include a dielectric connector housing and electrical contacts that are supported by the housing. The electrical contacts can each include first and second contact bodies. The first contact body can include a first contact blade and the second contact body can include a second contact blade that can define a mating portion of the electrical contact. The mating portion can be configured to mate with a complementary power connector along a mating direction so as to establish an electrical connection between the power connector and the complementary power connector. The contact blades can be configured slide with respect to each other along the mating direction.
US09419355B2

A display module includes a display panel, a driver integrated circuit, a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a drive signal wiring and a power wiring. The driver integrated circuit applies power and a drive signal to the display panel. The FPC is electrically connected between the driver integrated circuit and a PCB. The drive signal wiring is extended from the FPC to the display panel through the driver integrated circuit and may transmit the drive signal to the display panel. The power wiring transmits the power to the display panel. The power wiring includes a first power line extended from the FPC to the driver integrated circuit, and a second power line extended from the first power line to the display panel. The second power line does not intersect the drive signal wiring, and a ground slit is not generated.
US09419352B2

A terminal block assembly includes a housing, a housing retention member coupled to the housing, a plurality of screw lug terminal assemblies disposed within the housing and a plurality of push-in terminal assemblies disposed within the housing. A push-in terminal of the plurality of push-in terminal assemblies includes a strain relief member and a retention spring assembly. The retention spring assembly includes a finger member and a conductor member. The conductor member electrically couples the finger member to a corresponding screw-lug terminal assembly. A bottom portion of the strain relief member engages the conductor member of the retention spring assembly to retain the retention spring assembly within the housing. A ground strap is disposed within the housing.
US09419351B2

An inner contact of a coaxial connector has a body with a plurality of spring fingers, the spring fingers each provided with a contact surface. A plurality of transitions from the contact surfaces are provided as curved surfaces. The curved surfaces may be formed, for example, by chamfer, electrical discharge machining or the like, such that an edge to a slot between the spring fingers does not contact the contact surface.
US09419346B2

In accordance with one example, an antenna structure includes a three-dimensional dipole antenna having a first arm and a second arm that are suspended above a ground plane. One or more three-dimensional monopole antennas have corresponding monopole elements positioned in a plane of symmetry between the arms of the dipole. Other examples are disclosed.
US09419343B2

In order to determine the topology of a bulk-material surface, a series of echo curves are measured under different main emission directions of the antenna. The main emission directions are generated using at least one prism, which lies in the beam path of the level indicator and is rotated. It is thereby possible to achieve in a compact design the decoupling of beam generation from mechanical deflection of the main emission direction.
US09419342B2

An outdoor unit includes a dish antenna and a low noise block converter positioned at a focus point of the dish antenna. The low noise block converter comprises a housing, a feed cap disposed on top of the housing, and an air permeable membrane disposed on a bottom portion of the housing. The housing includes a base portion, at least one feed horn protruding from the base portion, and a bottom cover attached to a bottom of the base portion so as to form a housing cavity, wherein the bottom cover has a vent hole forming a flow path between the housing cavity and an external environment. The feed cap is disposed on a feed portion of the at least one feed horn and the air permeable membrane is disposed over the vent hole and coupled to the bottom cover via an adhesive, wherein the membrane is configured to permit egress of a gas from the housing cavity therethrough.
US09419336B2

An antenna including a substrate formed of a non-conductive material, a ground plane disposed on the substrate, a wideband element for coupling having one end connected to an edge of the ground plane and an elongate feed arm feeding the wideband element for coupling and having a maximum width of 1/100 of a predetermined wavelength, the predetermined wavelength being defined by formula (I) wherein λp is the predetermined wavelength, f is a lowest operating frequency of the wideband element for coupling, μ is a permeability of the substrate, ∈r is a relative bulk permittivity of the substrate, W is a width of a conductive trace disposed above the substrate and H is a thickness of the substrate, wherein formula (II).
US09419329B1

Systems and methods for use in a vehicle are provided. A vehicle can be an aircraft, truck, ship, automobile, locomotive, etc. A system includes a housing having an exterior surface for housing sensor or communication equipment and interior surface for housing electronics associated with the equipment. The sensor or communication equipment can include a radar antenna mounted on or adjacent to the exterior surface, and at least one of a Satcom antenna, altimeter antenna, vision sensor or any communication link antenna.
US09419321B2

A stripline RF transmission cable has a flat inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric layer that is surrounded by an outer conductor. A jacket with an attachment feature surrounds the outer conductor. The attachment feature may be a fin aligned parallel or normal to the inner conductor. The attachment feature may be continuous or periodic along a longitudinal extent of the cable. The attachment feature may include male and female portions dimensioned to couple with one another, enabling adjacent cables to be attached to one another.
US09419311B2

A battery maintenance device configured to maintain a storage battery. An electrical connection couples the battery maintenance device to the storage battery. Maintenance circuitry couples to the battery through the electrical connection and performs maintenance on the battery. The maintenance circuitry includes an electrical load configured to draw an electrical current from the battery. The electrical current causes the electrical load to heat. A phase change material is thermally coupled to the load. The phase change material has a specific heat index which has a non-linear relationship to temperature to thereby reduce a rate of change in temperature of the electrical load.
US09419289B2

Methods of using specific operational charge and discharge parameters to extend the life of alkaline batteries are disclosed. The methods can be used with any commercial primary or secondary alkaline battery, as well as with newer alkaline battery designs, including batteries with flowing electrolyte. The methods include cycling batteries within a narrow operating voltage window, with minimum and maximum cut-off voltages that are set based on battery characteristics and environmental conditions. The narrow voltage window decreases available capacity but allows the batteries to be cycled for hundreds or thousands of times.
US09419286B2

Methods of making a substantially crack-free electrode layer are described. The methods include depositing an electrode ink on a substrate; placing a layer of porous reinforcement layer on a surface of the wet electrode ink; and drying the electrode ink to form the substantially crack-free electrode layer on the substrate. Substantially crack-free electrode layers and fuel cells incorporating substantially crack-free electrode layers are also described.
US09419285B2

An all-solid battery including a positive electrode including a binder, a negative electrode including a binder, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and including a solid electrolyte, wherein at least one binder of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is cross-linked by a cross-linking agent.
US09419277B2

A composite metal precursor including a composite metal hydroxide represented by Formula 1 below, wherein an amount of magnesium (Mg) in the composite metal hydroxide is less than or equal to 0.005 wt %, an electrode active material formed from the same, a positive electrode including the same, and a lithium secondary battery employing the same: (A1-x-yBxCy)(OH)2  [Formula 1] wherein in Formula 1, x, y, A, B, and C are as described in the detailed description.
US09419272B2

Disclosed are a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery including lithium silicide having a I41-a crystalline phase structure, a method of manufacturing the same, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same.
US09419271B2

An object is to provide an electrode material with high electrical conductivity and a power storage device using the electrode material. An object is to provide an electrode material with high capacity and a power storage device using the electrode material. Provided is a particulate electrode material including a core containing a compound represented by a general formula Li2MSiO4 (in the formula, M represents at least one kind of an element selected from Fe, Co, Mn, and Ni) as a main component, and a covering layer containing a compound represented by a general formula LiMPO4 as a main component and covering the core. Further, a solid solution material is provided between the core and the covering layer. With such a structure, an electrode material with high electrical conductivity can be obtained. Further, with such an electrode material, a power storage device with high discharge capacity can be obtained.
US09419268B2

Disclosed are a secondary battery and a circuit board assembly suitable for the secondary battery. The secondary battery includes a bare cell including an electrode terminal, a circuit board electrically connected to the electrode terminal and arranged on a top surface of the bare cell. The circuit board includes an installation part having a smaller thickness than rest of the circuit board. The secondary battery further includes a temperature device installed on the installation part of the circuit board to sense temperature variation of the bare cell.
US09419256B2

A battery unit includes a battery cell that charges and discharges electric power; and a bracket that has an outer peripheral wall portion surrounding an outer peripheral side of the battery cell, and a support body which is provided inside the outer peripheral wall portion and supports the battery cell, wherein two battery cells are inserted from a front surface side and a back surface side of the bracket into the outer peripheral wall portion and are mounted on both side surfaces of the support body.
US09419255B2

A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, a support body receiving the electrode assembly, and an external member coupled to the support body, wherein the support body and the external member together enclose the electrode assembly. Another secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate; and a support body receiving the electrode assembly and including a body and a terminal forming part, wherein the terminal forming part is provided with a first electrode terminal electrically connected to the first electrode plate and a second electrode terminal electrically connected to the second electrode plate, and the terminal forming part is integrally formed with the body.
US09419254B2

A lithium microbattery comprises a stack of active layers containing lithium and a protective cover covering the stack of active layers. The protective cover is fixed to the stack of active layers by means of a layer of glue.A buffer structure comprising at least one alumina layer is arranged between the stack of active layers and the layer of glue, the buffer structure being in contact with said stack of active layers.
US09419249B2

A light extraction product (1) for a semiconductor light emitting device is provided with a concavo-convex structure layer (11), provided with a concavo-convex structure (11a) on a surface thereof, having a first refractive index (n1) and a light extraction layer (12), provided on the convex portion of the concavo-convex structure (11a), having a second refractive index (n2), where in a first light extraction layer (12a) a distance Lcv between an average position Sh of tops of the convex-portions and a convex-portion upper interface average position Scv of the first light extraction layer (12a) meets equation (1) 10 nm≦Lcv≦5000 nm, in the concavo-convex structure (11a) a convex-portion average height H meets equation (2) 10 nm≦H≦5000 nm, an average pitch P meets equation (3) 50 nm≦P≦5000 nm, and the distance Lcv and the convex-portion average height H meet equation (4) 50 nm≦Lcv+H≦6000 nm. It is possible to improve light extraction efficiency from the semiconductor light emitting device using the light extraction product (1), and further to enhance long-term reliability of the semiconductor light emitting device.
US09419246B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a capping layer above an organic emission layer, an encapsulating layer encapsulating the capping layer and the organic emission layer, and a deposition layer above the capping layer and below the encapsulating layer, the deposition layer including a surface on which a plurality of cylinders are located.
US09419238B2

Provided is a PIN type organic light emitting diode that includes a first electrode of a first electrode type, a first transport layer of a first type of charge carrier, an emission layer, a second transport layer of a second type of charge carrier, and a second electrode of a second type of electrode. At least one of the transport layers includes at least two elementary transport layers and each elementary transport layer of the same transport layer has, in relation to an adjacent elementary transport layer, a decreasing mobility of charge carriers a farther distance from the emission layer, and consequently providing a decreasing conductivity based on a distance of the elementary transport layer from the adjacent electrode, with the elementary transport layers of the same transport layer having the same dopant concentration.
US09419236B2

A tape structure and related circuit configurations for textile systems to establish electrical characteristics of textiles. The textiles incorporate charge carrying components, such as photovoltaic components, in contact with conductive layers in a single tape structure to improve electrical properties without compromising physical characteristics of the textiles. The textiles include photovoltaic tapes, each having an optically transparent layer, a photovoltaic layer, a first electrically conducting layer, a second electrically conducting layer and an insulating substrate located between the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer.
US09419216B2

A phase change memory cell includes a carbon nanotube layer, a phase change layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. At least part of the phase change layer is overlapped with the carbon nanotube layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected with the carbon nanotube layer, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to apply a first voltage to the carbon nanotube layer. The third electrode is electrically connected with the phase change layer, wherein the third electrode and the first electrode are configured to apply a second voltage to the phase change layer.
US09419214B2

A target including: at least one refractory metal element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, and lanthanoids; at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ge, Zn, Co, Cu, Ni, Fe, Si, Mg, and Ga; and at least one chalcogen element selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te. And a method for producing the target.
US09419210B2

The present invention is directed to a spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element comprising a composite free layer including one or more stacks of a bilayer unit that comprises an insulator layer and a magnetic layer with the magnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof; a magnetic pinned layer having a first fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof; a tunnel barrier layer formed between the composite free layer and the magnetic pinned layer; and a magnetic fixed layer coupled to the magnetic pinned layer through an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The magnetic fixed layer has a second fixed magnetization direction that is substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof and is substantially opposite to the first fixed magnetization direction.
US09419201B2

A semiconductor device, a piezoelectronic transistor (PET) device, and a method of fabricating the PET device are described. The method includes forming a first stack of dielectric layers, forming a first metal layer over the first stack, forming a piezoelectric (PE) material on the first metal layer, and forming a second metal layer on the PE material. The method also includes forming a piezoresistive (PR) element on the second metal layer through a gap in a first membrane formed a distance d above the second metal layer.
US09419197B2

A method of preparing thermoelectric material particles, the method comprising: disposing a first electrode and a second electrode in a dielectric liquid medium, wherein the first and second electrodes each comprise a thermoelectric material; applying an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes to cause a spark between the first and second electrodes to provide a vaporized thermoelectric material at a sparking point of at least one of the first and second electrodes; and cooling the vaporized thermoelectric material with the dielectric liquid medium to prepare the thermoelectric material particles.
US09419193B2

An opto-electronic component has a carrier element (3) with a connection region (5). Arranged on the carrier element (3) is a semiconductor chip (7). A contact region (10) is mounted on the surface (8) of the semiconductor chip (7) remote from the carrier element (3). The connection region (5) is electrically conductively connected to the contact region (10) by way of an unsupported conductive structure (13). A method for manufacturing an opto-electronic component is described.
US09419189B1

Small LED sources with high brightness and high efficiency apparatus including the small LED sources and methods of using the small LED sources are disclosed.
US09419183B2

An opto-electric structure includes a plurality of nano elements arranged side by side on a support layer, where each nano element includes at least a first conductivity type semiconductor nano sized core, and where the core and a second conductivity type semiconductor form a pn or pin junction. A first electrode layer that extends over the plurality of nano elements and is in electrical contact with at least a portion of the second conductivity type semiconductor, and a mirror provided on a second conductivity type semiconductor side of the structure.
US09419180B2

A substrate, a first conductive type semiconductor layer arranged on the substrate, a second conductive type semiconductor layer arranged on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer disposed between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer, a first electrode pad electrically connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer, a second electrode pad arranged on the second conductive type semiconductor layer, an insulation layer disposed between the second conductive type semiconductor layer and the second electrode pad, and at least one upper extension electrically connected to the second electrode pad, the at least one upper extension being electrically connected to the second conductive type semiconductor layer.
US09419179B2

An exemplary printable composition of a liquid or gel suspension of diodes comprises a plurality of diodes, a first solvent and/or a viscosity modifier. An exemplary diode comprises: a light emitting or absorbing region having a diameter between about 20 and 30 microns and a height between 2.5 to 7 microns; a plurality of first terminals spaced apart and coupled to the light emitting region peripherally on a first side, each first terminal of the plurality of first terminals having a height between about 0.5 to 2 microns; and one second terminal coupled centrally to a mesa region of the light emitting region on the first side, the second terminal having a height between 1 to 8 microns.
US09419178B2

A light-emitting device, according to one embodiment, comprises: a transparent conductive oxide film; an active layer which comes into contact with a lower surface of the transparent conductive oxide layer; a first conductive semiconductor layer which comes into contact with a lower surface of the active layer; a reflective electrode which is electrically connected to the first conductive semiconductor layer; and a first electrode electrically connected to the transparent conductive oxide layer.
US09419173B2

A flip-chip LED and a method for forming the LED are disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate and depositing on the substrate an epitaxial layer including, from the bottom upward, an n-type GaN layer, a multi-quantum well active layer, and a p-type GaN layer; etching the epitaxial layer to form an array of openings exposing the n-type GaN layer; forming a first metal layer on the p-type GaN layer; annealing the first metal layer to induce self-assembly thereof; etching the p-type GaN layer by using the first metal layer as a mask such that an array of holes formed therein; and depositing a second metal layer over the array of holes, the second metal layer and the first metal layer form a metal reflector layer. The design can result in an improvement in the light extraction efficiency of the LED.
US09419168B2

A method of manufacturing a solar cell including a crystalline semiconductor substrate, includes: etching or washing at least part of a first principal surface of the substrate by treatment with an aqueous alkaline solution; and depositing a p-type semiconductor layer containing boron on at least part of a second principal surface of the substrate before the treatment with the aqueous alkaline solution.
US09419163B2

A solar panel capable of exhibiting excellent aesthetics and power generation efficiency, and capable of easily forming a protection plate in a manufacturing process is provided. The solar panel of the present invention comprises a protection plate 1 having translucency from a front surface 1a to a back surface, a solar battery cell, and an encapsulant that is integrally provided on the back surface, and fixes the solar battery cell to the back surface in sealed state. The protection plate is formed from a resin with polycarbonate as a main component by injection molding. The front surface serves as a design surface. A portion of the back surface that faces the solar battery cell serves as an offset surface that is offset with respect to the solar battery cell, and differs from the design surface in shape.
US09419157B2

A solid-state imaging device including pixel photododes on a light-receiving surface of a substrate; a first insulating film on the substrate covering a multilayer wiring on and in contact with the substrate. The first insulating film comprises material of a first refractive index lower than a refractive index of the substrate for at least bottom and top surface portions of the first insulating film. A second insulating film with a second refractive index higher than the first refractive index is on the first insulating film. A third insulating film with a third refractive index higher than the second refractive index is on the second insulating film. For each pixel, a color filter is on the third insulating film.
US09419155B2

This description relates to a sensing product formed using a substrate with a plurality of epi-layers. At least a first epi-layer has a different composition than the composition of a second epi-layer. The sensing product optionally includes at least one radiation sensing element in the second epi-layer and optionally an interconnect structure over the second epi-layer. The sensing product is formed by removing the substrate and all epi-layers other than the second epi-layer. A light incident surface of the second epi-layer has a total thickness variation of less than about 0.15 μm.
US09419152B2

A carbon electrode of an embodiment includes: a graphene having a graphene skeleton, carbon atoms in the graphene skeleton being partially substituted by a nitrogen atom, wherein the graphene contains an oxygen atom, and the carbon electrode is doped with a cation.
US09419142B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a photocatalytic layer and an organic compound layer in contact with the photocatalytic layer over a substrate having a light transmitting property; forming an element forming layer over the substrate having the light transmitting property with the photocatalytic layer and the organic compound layer in contact with the photocatalytic layer interposed therebetween; and separating the element forming layer from the substrate having the light transmitting property after the photocatalytic layer is irradiated with light through the substrate having the light transmitting property.
US09419138B2

Carbon-doped germanium stressor regions are formed in an nFET device region of a germanium substrate and at a footprint of a functional gate structure. The carbon-doped germanium stressor regions are formed by an epitaxial growth process utilizing monomethylgermane (GeH3—CH3) as the carbon source. The carbon-doped germanium stressor regions that are provided yield more strain in less volume since a carbon atom is much smaller than a silicon atom.
US09419127B2

A semiconductor device includes switching devices in an epitaxial layer on a silicon substrate. Diffusion regions of different conductivity types are provided. In some instances, an electrode layer makes ohmic contact with the epitaxial layer and extends to, and makes ohmic contact with, a diffusion region electrically connected to the epitaxial layer. In some instances, diffusion regions of different conductivity types are arranged alternately one by one outward away from the epitaxial layer side.
US09419123B1

In a method for fabricating a field effect power electronic device, an epi layer is formed on a substrate defined by a device isolation area and a device operation area. A mask pattern is formed which covers the epi layer in the device operation area and has openings positioned at a predetermined distance along a first direction. An inside of the epi layer having the mask pattern formed thereon is formed as an active area, and a non-active area is formed by implanting ions into an inside of the epi layer having the mask pattern not formed thereon. The mask pattern is removed. Source and drain electrodes are formed, in a second direction, on the epi layer in the device operation area with the non-active area interposed therebetween. A gate electrode is formed on the epi layer in the device operation area between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09419121B1

A semiconductor device includes a layered structure forming multiple carrier channels extending in parallel at different depths of the semiconductor device and a gate electrode having multiple gate fingers of different lengths penetrating the layered structure to reach and control corresponding carrier channels at the different depths. The semiconductor device also includes a carrier electrode having multiple carrier fingers of different lengths penetrating the layered structure to access the corresponding carrier channels. The carrier fingers are interdigitated with the gate fingers.
US09419110B2

A method for growing a III-V semiconductor structure on a SinGe1-n substrate, wherein n is from 0 to 1 is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) bringing a SinGe1-n substrate to a high temperature; (b) exposing the area to a group V precursor in a carrier gas for from 5 to 30 min, thereby forming a doped region at said area; (c) bringing the SinGe1-n substrate to a low temperature; (d) exposing the doped region to a group III precursor in a carrier gas and to a group V precursor in a carrier gas until a nucleation layer of III-V material of from 5 to 15 nm is formed on the nucleation layer; (e) bringing the SinGe1-n substrate to an intermediate temperature; and (f) exposing the nucleation layer to a group III precursor in a carrier gas and to a group V precursor in a carrier gas.
US09419108B2

One embodiment of present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure, which comprises: forming a gate stack on a semiconductor substrate and removing parts of the substrates situated on two sides of the gate stack; forming sidewall spacers on sidewalls of the gate stack and on sidewalls of the part of the substrate under the gate stack; forming doped regions in parts of the substrate on two sides of the gate stack, and forming a first dielectric layer to cover the entire semiconductor structure; selectively removing parts of the gate stack and parts of the first dielectric layer to form a channel region opening and source/drain region openings; forming a high K dielectric layer on sidewalls of the channel region opening; and implementing epitaxy process to form a continuous fin structure that spans across the channel region opening and the source/drain region openings.
US09419102B1

Disclosed are methods of forming a semiconductor structure comprising forming, on a supporting substrate, a plurality of composite structures, each comprising an elongated channel structure stacked over an elongated sacrificial base structure, the width of the elongated channel structure being greater than the width of the elongated base structure, subsequently forming a dielectric isolation layer, depositing sacrificial gates, growing source and drain regions on opposed sides of the sacrificial gates, removing the sacrificial gates and recessing the dielectric isolation layer, and removing portions of each of the elongated sacrificial base structures, and forming functional gate structures in regions previously occupied by the sacrificial gates. Also disclosed are semiconductor structures and intermediate structures obtained during such fabrication methods.
US09419100B2

Exemplary methods for fabricating a metal gate electrode include forming a dielectric layer on a substrate, and forming a first trench having a first width and a second trench having a second width in the dielectric layer where the first width is less than the second width. Also included is depositing a work-function metal layer over the dielectric layer and into the first and second trenches where the deposited work-function layer is in direct contact with the top surface of the dielectric layer. A first signal metal layer is deposited over the work-function metal layer filling the second trench and a second signal metal layer is deposited filling the first trench.
US09419094B2

A semiconductor device including a group III-V barrier and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including: a substrate, insulation layers formed to be spaced apart on the substrate, a group III-V material layer for filling the space between the insulation layers and having a portion protruding higher than the insulation layers, a barrier layer for covering the side and upper surfaces of the protruding portion of the group III-V material layer and having a bandgap larger than that of the group III-V material layer, a gate insulation film for covering the surface of the barrier layer, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation film, and source and drain electrodes formed apart from the gate electrode. The overall composition of the group III-V material layer is uniform. The barrier layer may include a group III-V material for forming a quantum well.
US09419093B2

A method of forming a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) includes forming a second III-V compound layer on a first III-V compound layer, forming a source feature and a drain feature on the second III-V compound layer, depositing a p-type layer on a portion of the second III-V compound layer between the source feature and the drain feature, and forming a gate electrode on the p-type layer. A carrier channel is located between the first III-V compound layer and the second III-V compound layer.
US09419092B2

A silicon carbide device has a termination region that includes a mesa region that links the termination region to an active area of the device and that includes one or more trenches.
US09419090B2

An interconnect structure is provided. The interconnect structure includes a substrate; and at least a first interconnect component having a first contact region and a second interconnect component having a second contact region. The interconnect structure also includes an interlayer dielectric layer formed on the semiconductor substrate at a same layer as the first interconnect component and the second interconnect component. Further, the interconnect structure includes an interconnect line layer electrically connecting the first contact region and the second contact region formed inside the interlayer dielectric layer.
US09419082B2

P-type metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (pMOSFET's), semiconductor devices comprising the pMOSFET's, and methods of forming pMOSFET's are provided. The pMOSFET's include a silicon-germanium (SiGe) film that has a lower interface in contact with a semiconductor substrate and an upper surface, and the SiGe film has a graded boron doping profile where boron content increases upwardly over a majority of the width of boron-doped SiGe film between the lower interface of the SiGe film and the upper surface of the SiGe film. Methods of forming the pMOSFET's include: providing a semiconductor substrate; depositing a SiGe film on the semiconductor substrate, thereby forming a lower interface of the SiGe film in contact with the semiconductor substrate, and an upper surface of the SiGe film; and doping the SiGe film with boron to form a SiGe film having a graded boron doping profile where boron content increases upwardly over a majority of the width of boron-doped SiGe film between the lower interface of the SiGe film and the upper surface of the SiGe film.
US09419075B1

A semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor substrate, including a primary portion of the substrate. An active component of the semiconductor device is disposed in the primary portion of the substrate. An interconnect region is formed on a top surface of the substrate. Semiconductor material is removed from the substrate in an isolation region, which is separate from the primary portion of the substrate; the isolation region extends from the top surface of the substrate to a bottom surface of the substrate. A dielectric replacement material is formed in the isolation region. The semiconductor device further includes an isolated component which is not disposed in the primary portion of the substrate. The dielectric replacement material in the isolation region separates the isolated component from the primary portion of the substrate.
US09419072B2

A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same include a semiconductor substrate, a high-k dielectric pattern and a metal-containing pattern sequentially being stacked on the semiconductor substrate, a gate pattern including poly semiconductor and disposed on the metal-containing pattern, and a protective layer disposed on the gate pattern, wherein the protective layer includes oxide, nitride and/or oxynitride of the poly semiconductor.
US09419071B2

An integrated circuit on a substrate including at least one peripheral portion that surrounds an active area and is realized close to at least one scribe line providing separation with other integrated circuits realized on a same wafer. The integrated circuit includes at least one conductive structure that extends in its peripheral portion on different planes starting from the substrate and realizes an integrated antenna for the circuit.
US09419068B2

An organic EL display device includes: a lower electrode disposed in each of pixels; an upper electrode disposed so as to cover the whole of the display area; an organic layer disposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode and composed of a plurality of layers including a light-emitting layer composed of an organic material; a wire formed outside the display area and composed of conductive material; and a tapered structure layer formed on the wire and including tapered portions at each of which a side surface portion not in contact with the wire extends so as to overhang the wire. At least one layer of the organic layer is formed on the tapered structure layer. The tapered structure layer forms a contact hole surrounded by the side surface portions. The upper electrode is in contact with the wire through the contact hole.
US09419065B2

An electronic device may be provided with an organic light-emitting diode display with minimized border regions. The border regions may be minimized by providing the display with bent edge portions having neutral plane adjustment features that facilitate bending of the bent edge portions while minimizing damage to the bent edge portions. The neutral plane adjustment features may include a modified backfilm layer of the display in which portions of the backfilm layer are removed in a bend region. A display device may include a substrate, a display panel on the substrate having display pixels, and peripheral circuitry proximate the display panel and configured to drive the display pixels. A portion of the periphery of the substrate may be bent substantially orthogonal to the display panel to reduce an apparent surface area of the display device. The bent portion may include an electrode for communication with the peripheral circuitry.
US09419063B2

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a substrate in which an emission area and a non-emission area are defined, an OLED disposed in the emission area. The OLED display further includes a thin film transistor disposed in the non-emission area, a first insulation layer overlapping the thin film transistor in the non-emission area, a first storage capacitance electrode disposed in the emission area on the first insulation layer, a second insulation layer disposed to cover the first storage capacitance electrode and the thin film transistor except a portion of the thin film transistor, said portion of the thin film transistor being exposed through the second insulation later. The OLED display further includes an organic protective layer disposed on the second insulation layer, and an anode electrode of the OLED disposed on the second insulation layer, the anode electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor.
US09419061B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a gate electrode of a thin-film transistor (TFT) and a gate wiring electrically connected to the gate electrode and formed on different layers with an insulating layer disposed between the gate electrode and the gate wiring.
US09419054B2

A method for manufacturing a phase-change device may include the following steps: preparing a substrate; preparing a first dielectric layer, which may be positioned on the substrate; preparing a first electrode, which may be positioned in the first dielectric layer; forming a phase-change material layer, which may overlap the first electrode; processing (e.g., etching) the phase-change material layer to form a phase-change member, which may be electrically connected to the first electrode; forming an etch-stop layer, which may overlap and/or cover the phase-change member; forming an intermediary layer, which may be positioned on the etch-stop layer; forming a second dielectric layer, which may be positioned on the intermediary layer; and forming a second electrode, which may extend through the second dielectric layer, the intermediary layer, and the etch-stop layer and may be electrically connected to the phase-change member.
US09419052B2

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixel cells arranged in a pixel array unit, a vertical signal line and a pixel power supply line each connected to a source electrode and a drain electrode of an amplifying transistor, a Pch transistor for supplying potential AVDD to the vertical signal line, a Pch transistor for supplying potential PBIAS_H higher than the potential AVDD to the vertical signal line, a Pch transistor for supplying the potential PBIAS_H to the pixel power supply line, wherein while the transfer transistor is turned ON and transfers signal charges photoelectrically converted by a photodiode to the floating diffusion portion, the Pch transistors are turned ON and the potential PBIAS_H is applied to the vertical signal line and the pixel power supply line.
US09419048B2

A method of forming an image sensor device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate having sensor elements in a pixel region and having no sensor elements in a non-pixel region. The method further includes forming metal pillars over the pixel region and a metal shield layer over the non-pixel region. The metal pillars are disposed above spaces between adjacent sensor elements. The method further includes depositing a dielectric layer over the metal pillars and the metal shield layer; and etching the dielectric layer to form first and second trenches. The first trenches are formed over the pixel region and the second trenches are formed over the non-pixel region. Each of the first trenches aligns to a respective sensor element and is surrounded by the dielectric layer at its bottom and sidewall surfaces.
US09419046B2

Various embodiments of a structure implemented in an X-ray imaging system are described. In one aspect, a structure implemented in an X-ray imaging system includes a silicon wafer including a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The silicon wafer also includes an array of photodiodes on the first side of the silicon wafer with the photodiodes electrically isolated from each other as well as an array of grid holes on the second side of the silicon wafer. Each grid hole of the array of grid holes is aligned with a respective photodiode of the array of photodiodes. The structure also includes a layer of scintillating material disposed over the array of grid holes on the second side of the silicon wafer. The structure further includes a layer of reflective material disposed on the layer of scintillating material.
US09419037B2

Provided is an imaging apparatus having a plurality of light receiving parts for each one microlens in order for capturing a three-dimensional image, while being capable of obtaining a more natural image when creating a two-dimensional image. The imaging apparatus includes: a microlens array (2) having a plurality of microlenses (20) regularly aligned two-dimensionally; an imaging lens for imaging light from a subject onto the microlens array (2); and a plurality of light receiving parts (22L, 22R) disposed for each of the plurality of microlenses (20). The plurality of light receiving parts (22L, 22R) associated with each microlens (20) receive the light from the subject that has been imaged onto the microlens and subject the light to photoelectric conversion. The imaging lens has a pupil which is disposed as being out of conjugation with a light receiving plane of the light receiving parts (22L, 22R).
US09419029B1

A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate includes: forming a polysilicon layer on the substrate; forming a gate insulating layer on the polysilicon layer; forming a metal oxide layer on the gate insulating layer; forming a gate metal layer on the metal oxide layer; etching the metal oxide layer to define a gate; using the gate as a second mask and etching the metal oxide layer excluding a scope of the second mask; performing ion-implantation by using the gate and a remainder of the metal oxide layer as a third mask to form two lightly doped drain regions at opposite sides of the polysilicon layer; forming an insulating layer on the gate and the gate insulating layer respectively; forming a metal layer on the insulating layer and defining a drain and a source which connect to the doped drain region and the doped source region respectively.
US09419026B2

An active matrix display device having a pixel structure in which pixel electrodes, gate wirings and source wirings are suitably arranged in the pixel portions to realize a high numerical aperture without increasing the number of masks or the number of steps. The device comprises a gate electrode and a source wiring on an insulating surface, a first insulating layer on the gate electrode and on the source wiring, a semiconductor layer on the first insulating film, a second insulating layer on the semiconductor film, a gate wiring connected to the gate electrode on the second insulating layer, a connection electrode for connecting the source wiring and the semiconductor layer together, and a pixel electrode connected to the semiconductor layer.
US09419022B1

The present invention provides a thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate. The TFT array substrate is structured to change the way that sub-pixels are arranged so that during a displaying period of a frame of image, the sub-pixels that have inconsistent brightness/darkness become alternate with each other spatially so that a displaying defect of vertical bright/dark lines can be improved and the overall resistance of the data line can be reduced to thereby reduce resistance-capacitance delay and prevent incorrect charging at a tail end of a scan line or a data line.
US09419011B2

Three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor devices are provided. The 3D semiconductor device includes a plurality of dummy pillars penetrating each cell pad of an electrode structure and the electrode structure disposed under each cell pad. Insulating patterns of a mold stack structure for formation of the electrode structure may be supported by the plurality of dummy pillars, so transformation and contact of the insulating patterns may be minimized or prevented.
US09419004B2

A fuse structure includes a first fin pattern disposed in a field insulating layer that includes an upper surface that projects above an upper surface of the field insulating layer, a conductive pattern on the field insulating layer that crosses the first fin pattern, a first semiconductor region positioned on at least one side of the conductive pattern, and first and second contacts disposed on the conductive pattern on each side of the first fin pattern. The fuse structure may be included in a semiconductor device.
US09418999B2

A capacitor and methods for forming the same are provided. The method includes forming a bottom electrode; treating the bottom electrode in an oxygen-containing environment to convert a top layer of the bottom electrode into a buffer layer; forming an insulating layer on the buffer layer; and forming a top electrode over the insulating layer.
US09418993B2

Semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing an LDMOS FinFET integrated circuit. The intermediate semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first well in the substrate, a second well in the substrate, and at least two polysilicon gates. The first well overlaps the second well and the at least one first gate is disposed over the first well and at least one second gate is disposed over the second well. The method includes forming a channel region and a drift region in the substrate, wherein the channel region overlaps the drift region, forming a shallow trench isolation region in the drift region, forming at least one first gate over the channel region, forming at least one second gate over the shallow trench isolation region, and applying at least one metal layer over the at least one first gate and the at least one second gate.
US09418991B2

An integrated circuit (IC) chip embodiment includes first and second ROM cells arranged in a same row of a ROM array. The first and second ROM cells include first portions of first and second gate structures, respectively. The IC chip further includes a strap cell disposed between the first and second ROM cells. The strap cell includes second portions of the first and second gate structures. The first gate structure is physically separated from the second gate structure.
US09418969B2

Packaged semiconductor devices and packaging methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a packaged semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit die and through-vias disposed in a molding compound. A first redistribution layer (RDL) is disposed over a first side of the through-vias, the integrated circuit die, and the molding compound. A second RDL is disposed over a second side of the through-vias, the integrated circuit die, and the molding compound. Contact pads are disposed over the second RDL. An insulating material of the second RDL includes a recess around a perimeter of one of the contact pads.
US09418964B2

A chip package structure includes a carrier and a chip group. The chip group includes a pair of first chips that are identical IC chips. The pair of first chips are disposed on the carrier in opposite directions and parallel to each other, and electrically connected with the carrier.
US09418958B2

An anisotropic conductive adhesive includes an epoxy adhesive containing an epoxy compound and a curing agent and conducive particles dispersed in the epoxy adhesive. When elastic moduluses at 35° C., 55° C., 95° C., and 150° C. of a cured product of the anisotropic conductive adhesive are denoted by EM35, EM55, EM95, and EM150, respectively, and change rates in the elastic modulus between 55° C. and 95° C. and between 95° C. and 150° C. are denoted by ΔEM55-95 and ΔEM95-150, respectively, the following expressions (1) to (5) are satisfied 700 Mpa≦EM35≦3000 MPa  (1) EM150
US09418956B2

A system and method for a zero stand-off configuration are provided. An embodiment comprises forming a seal layer over a conductive region that is part of a first substrate and breaching the seal with a conductive member of a second substrate in order to bond the first substrate to the second substrate.
US09418953B2

A package includes first package component and a second package component. The first package component includes a first electrical connector at a surface of the first package component, and a first solder region on a surface of the first electrical connector. The second package component includes a second electrical connector at a surface of the second package component, and a second solder region on a surface of the second electrical connector. A metal pin has a first end bonded to the first solder region, and a second end bonded to the second solder region.
US09418945B2

An integrated circuit includes a signal line for carrying a radio frequency signal; a coupling line inductively coupled to the signal line for delivering an induced signal in dependence on the radio frequency signal; a connecting line connected to a pick-off point of the coupling line for picking off the induced signal from the coupling line; and a conductive part for shielding the coupling line against electromagnetic interference and for enhancing inductive coupling between the signal line and the coupling line. The conductive part may have a uniform flat surface facing the coupling line. The signal line may extend parallel to the surface. The coupling line may extend parallel to the signal line and may be arranged between the surface and the signal line.
US09418944B2

A semiconductor package includes a support substrate; a stress relaxation layer provided on a main surface of the support substrate; a semiconductor device located on the stress relaxation layer; an encapsulation material covering the semiconductor device, the encapsulation material being formed of an insulating material different from that of the stress relaxation layer; a line running through the encapsulation material and electrically connected to the semiconductor device; and an external terminal electrically connected to the line. Where the support substrate has an elastic modulus of A, the stress relaxation layer has an elastic modulus of B, and the encapsulation material has an elastic modulus of C under a same temperature condition, the relationship of A>C>B or C>A>B is obtained.
US09418939B2

A NAND-based non-volatile memory contact structure includes a trench located adjacent to layered alternating conducting and insulating layers, the layers lining sides and bottom of the trench. A portion of the trench is removed to expose a surface in which electrical connections to the conducting layers are provided on one level.
US09418938B2

A semiconductor device includes a graphene interconnect, an insulation film formed on the graphene interconnect, and a via conducting portion formed in a via hole provided in the graphene interconnect and the insulation film. The graphene interconnect has a region containing an impurity at least around the via hole.
US09418934B1

After forming a trench opening including narrow trench portions spaced apart by wide trench portions and forming a stack of a first diffusion barrier layer and a first liner layer on sidewalls and a bottom surface of the trench opening, a reflow process is performed to fill the narrow trench portions but not the wide trench portions with a first conductive material layer. A stack of a second diffusion barrier layer and a second liner layer is formed on portions of the first liner layer and ends of the first conductive material layer exposed by the wide trench portions. A second conductive material layer is deposited to fill the wide trench portions. Portions of the second diffusion barrier layer and the second liner layer located between the first conductive material layer and the second conductive material layer act as vertical blocking boundaries to prevent the electromigration of metal atoms.
US09418931B2

A manufacturing method of a package structure includes the following steps. A substrate including a core layer, first and second patterned metal layers is provided. The first and second patterned metal layers are respectively disposed on two opposite surfaces of the core layer. A through cavity penetrating the substrate is formed. The substrate is disposed on a tape carrier. A semiconductor component is disposed in the through cavity. An inner wall of the through cavity and a side surface of the semiconductor component define a groove. The filling compound is dispensed above the groove. A heating process is performed for the filling compound to flow toward the tape carrier and comprehensively fill the groove. First and second stacked layers are respectively laminated onto the first and second patterned metal layers and cover at least a part of the semiconductor component.
US09418930B2

A power module, having a printed circuit board core, which contains at least one electronic power component embedded in an insulating layer, the core being arranged between two heat dissipation plates, wherein each heat dissipation plate has a metal outer layer and a metal inner layer electrically separated from said metal outer layer by a thermally conductive, electrically insulating intermediate layer, and electrode terminals of the at least one power component are guided out from the core via terminal lines, wherein the printed circuit board core on both sides of the insulating layer has a conductor layer, at least one conductor layer is structured at least in portions, and each conductor layer is connected at least in portions via a conductive, metal intermediate layer to a metal inner layer of the heat dissipation plate, contacts run from the structured conductor layer to the electrode terminals of the at least one power component, and at least one power terminal of the at least one power component is connected via a contact, a portion of a structured conductor layer, and the conductive, metal intermediate layer to at least one portion of the metal inner layer of the heat dissipation plate, which forms part of the terminal line to the electrode terminal.
US09418921B2

A power module includes a first substrate, at least two power elements, at least one first conductive structure and at least one leadframe. The first substrate includes a dielectric frame, two first fan-out circuit structure layers and two dielectric plates. The two first fan-out circuit structure layers are respectively disposed on two opposite surfaces of the dielectric frame, the two dielectric plates are respectively disposed on the two first fan-out circuit structure layers, each of the dielectric plates has at least one opening, and the opening and the corresponding first fan-out circuit structure layer form a concavity. The two power elements are respectively embedded in the two concavities. The two power elements are electrically connected to each other through the first conductive structure. The leadframe disposed at the first substrate is electrically connected to the two power elements, and is partially extended outside the first substrate.
US09418907B2

A sample semiconductor device is manufactured and the curvature of the sample is measured. An area is set to be removed from an encapsulation resin layer on the basis of the measurement value. After forming the encapsulation resin layer during the process of manufacturing the semiconductor device, the removal area is removed.
US09418906B2

In some embodiments an Integrated Circuit package includes a plurality of system functional pins, at least one system functional pin depopulation zone, and at least one non-system functional pin located in the at least one functional pin depopulation zone. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09418904B2

To provide improved planarization, techniques in accordance with this disclosure include a CMP station that utilizes localized planarization on a wafer. This localized planarization, which is often carried out in a localized planarization station downstream of a CMP station, applies localized planarization to less than the entire face of the wafer to correct localized non-planar features. Other systems and methods are also disclosed.
US09418901B2

A semiconductor structure with a MISFET and a HEMT region includes a first III-V compound layer. A second III-V compound layer is disposed on the first III-V compound layer and is different from the first III-V compound layer in composition. A third III-V compound layer is disposed on the second III-V compound layer is different from the second III-V compound layer in composition. A source feature and a drain feature are disposed in each of the MISFET and HEMT regions on the third III-V compound layer. A gate electrode is disposed over the second III-V compound layer between the source feature and the drain feature. A gate dielectric layer is disposed under the gate electrode in the MISFET region but above the top surface of the third III-V compound layer.
US09418897B1

A method includes forming a gate stack on a middle portion of s semiconductor fin, and forming a first gate spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack. After the first gate spacer is formed, a template dielectric region is formed to cover the semiconductor fin. The method further includes recessing the template dielectric region. After the recessing, a second gate spacer is formed on the sidewall of the gate stack. The end portion of the semiconductor fin is etched to form a recess in the template dielectric region. A source/drain region is epitaxially grown in the recess.
US09418894B2

In one embodiment, die are singulated from a wafer having a back layer by placing the wafer onto a carrier substrate with the back layer adjacent the carrier substrate, forming singulation lines through the wafer to expose the back layer within the singulation lines, and applying a pressure substantially uniformly along the second major surface to batch separate the layer of material in the singulation lines. In one embodiment, a fluid filled vessel can be used to apply the pressure.
US09418881B2

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus capable of suppressing inferiority when heat treatment is controlled using a temperature sensor. The substrate processing apparatus includes a heating means configured to heat a process chamber wherein a substrate is accommodated; a first temperature detection means configured to detect a temperature about the substrate using a first thermocouple; a second temperature detection means configured to detect a temperature about the heating means using a second thermocouple; a control unit configured to control the heating means based on the temperature detected by the first temperature detection means and the temperature detected by the second temperature detection means; and a control switching means configured to control the control unit based on the temperatures detected by the first temperature detection means and the second temperature detection means such that the control unit is switched between a first control mode and a second control mode, wherein a heat resistance of the first thermocouple is greater than that of the second thermocouple, and a temperature detection performance of the second thermocouple is higher than that of the first thermocouple.
US09418875B2

A substrate for a semiconductor package includes a substrate body having a first surface and a second surface which faces away from the first surface, and formed with at least one bump land on the first surface, and a dam formed and projected over an edge of the first surface of the substrate body, and having an underfill member discharge unit.
US09418870B2

A layer of amorphous silicon is formed on a germanium-on-insulator substrate, or a layer of germanium is formed on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. An anneal is then performed which causes thermal mixing of silicon and germanium atoms within one of the aforementioned structures and subsequent formation of a silicon germanium-on-insulator material.
US09418862B2

A method includes forming a resist over a substrate, resulting in a layer of resist scum between the resist and the substrate. The method further includes forming trenches in the resist, wherein at least a portion of the layer of resist scum remains between the trenches and the substrate. The method further includes forming a first material layer in the trenches, wherein the first material layer has a higher etch resistance than the resist in an etching process. The method further includes performing the etching process to the first material layer, the resist, and the layer of resist scum, thereby forming a patterned first material layer over a patterned layer of resist scum over the substrate.
US09418856B2

Methods of forming a semiconductor device are provided in which a first titanium-aluminum layer is formed in a recess. A first titanium layer is formed in the recess on top of the first titanium-aluminum layer. A first aluminum layer is formed in the recess on top of the first titanium layer to form a first preliminary gate electrode structure in the recess. The first preliminary gate electrode structure is heated to a temperature sufficient to convert the first titanium-aluminum layer, the first titanium layer and at least some of the first aluminum layer into a second titanium-aluminum layer. A second titanium layer is formed on top of the second titanium-aluminum layer. A second aluminum layer that is thicker than the first aluminum layer is then formed on top of the second titanium layer. The structure is heated to a temperature sufficient to convert the second titanium-aluminum layer, the second titanium layer and the second aluminum layer to a final third titanium-aluminum layer and final gate structure.
US09418854B2

An embodiment of the semiconductor device includes a recess formed in an active region, a gate buried in a lower part of the recess, a first capping insulation film formed over the gate, a second capping insulation film formed over the first capping insulation film, and a third capping insulation film formed over the second capping insulation film. In the semiconductor device including the buried gate, mechanical stress caused by a nitride film can be reduced by reducing the volume of a nitride film in a capping insulation film formed over a buried gate, and the ratio of silicon to nitrogen of the nitride film is adjusted, so that mechanical stress is reduced, resulting in improvement of operation characteristics of the semiconductor device.
US09418853B1

The present invention provides a method for forming a stacked layer structure, including: first, a recess is provided, next, an oxide layer is formed in the recess, where the oxide layer has a thickness T1, a high-k layer is formed on the oxide layer, a barrier layer is formed on the high-k layer, a silicon layer is then formed on the barrier layer, afterwards, an annealing process is performed on the silicon layer, so as to form an oxygen-containing layer between the silicon layer and the barrier layer, where the oxide layer has a thickness T2 after the annealing process is performed, and satisfies the relationship: (T2−T1)/T1≦0.05, and the silicon layer and the oxygen-containing layer are removed.
US09418847B2

The present disclosure provides an apparatus in semiconductor manufacturing. The apparatus includes a mask, a pellicle frame attached to the mask, and a pellicle joined to the pellicle frame thereby forming a sealed enclosure bounded by the pellicle, the pellicle frame, and the mask. The apparatus further includes photo-catalyst particles introduced into the sealed enclosure before the sealed enclosure is formed. The photo-catalyst particles prevent haze formation within the enclosure during lithography exposure processes.
US09418836B2

The present invention relates to novel compositions comprising a metal component selected from a group chosen from at least one polyoxometalate, at least one heteropolyoxometalate and a mixture thereof; and, at least one organic component. The present invention also relates to methods of preparing the nanorod arrays and the nanorod materials and films. The present invention also relates to novel compositions to generate metal-oxide rich films, and also relates to processes for via or trench filling, reverse via or trench filling and imaging with underlayers. The materials are useful in wide range of manufacturing applications in many industries, including the semiconductor devices, electro-optical devices and energy storage industry.
US09418826B2

A mass spectrometer includes: a plasma generation device for generating plasma for ionizing an introduced sample; an interface device for drawing the plasma into vacuum; an ion lens device for extracting and inducing ions as an ion beam from the plasma; a collision/reaction cell for removing an interference ion from the ion beam; a mass analyzer or filter for allowing a predetermined ion in the ion beam from the collision/reaction cell to pass along a first axis based on a mass-to-charge ratio; an ion detector for detecting the ion; an ion deflection device before the mass analyzer, and also an ion deflection device between the mass analyzer and the ion detector. The mass spectrometer reduces background noises in a mass analyzer by removing neutral particles from the ion beam without reducing the measurement sensitivity on ions to be analyzed as much as possible.
US09418825B2

A mass spectrometry is equipped with a liquid specimen supply part which supplies a liquid specimen sandwiched between bubbles, an ion source part ionizes the specimen, and a mass spectrometry part which detects ions separated in accordance with mass. In particular the ion source part is configured so as to include a liquid supply tube for transporting a specimen from the liquid specimen supply part, a degassing/liquid retention part in which bubbles are removed, a spraying part which ionizes the specimen, and a high-voltage power supply part which applies a high voltage to the spraying part. The device is further characterized in that after removing the bubbles, a Taylor cone is formed from the resultant pre-solution, and the specimen is ionized thereafter. Thus, the ionization of an intended specimen is stabilized, and the measurement reproducibility is improved.
US09418820B2

A cold plasma helmet application device for delivery of cold plasma benefits to the head of a patient. An appropriate gas is introduced into a helmet receptacle within a containment dome of the helmet. The gas is energized by one or more dielectric barrier devices that receive energy from a pulsed source. The dielectric barrier devices can be configured to match the treatment area. Such a device and method can be used to treat large surface areas treatment sites associated with the head, head trauma, brain cancer, the control of brain swelling with closed head injury or infection, as well as treating male pattern baldness.
US09418816B2

Disclosed is an X-ray tube that has a simple configuration and is capable of irradiating multiple different X-rays while switching them at a high rate, as well as an X-ray CT device using the X-ray tube. The X-ray tube comprises first and second electron generators, a deflection means, and a target. The deflection means switches the direction in which first and second electron beams are transmitted between first and second directions. The target comprises first, second, third, and fourth surfaces. The first surface receives a first electron beam transmitted toward the first direction and irradiates a first X-ray toward the irradiation field. The second surface receives a second electron beam transmitted toward the first direction and irradiates a second X-ray toward a direction different from the irradiation field. The third surface receives a first electron beam transmitted toward the second direction and irradiates the first X-ray toward a direction different from the predetermined irradiation field. The fourth surface receives a second electron beam transmitted in the second direction and irradiates the second X-ray toward the irradiation field.
US09418802B2

An automation device to control a pre-existing light switch is described which attaches to the light switch by internal magnets at locations corresponding to the magnetic screw heads of the light switch. This makes installation a simple process requiring no hand tools or electrical connections be made with the light switch. The automation device can be wired or wirelessly controlled and works with both toggle light switches and rocker light switches. Additional functionalities include various timed and automated operations as well as device and user location determinations.
US09418801B2

A light-induced luminous keyboard includes a keyboard main part, a power supply, and a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit parallel to each other. The above circuits include two transistors and a negative coefficient photoresistor. While being played in a decreasing light intensity environment, the light-induced luminous keyboard has an increased resistance of a negative coefficient photoresistor and thus an increased voltage is divided for the negative coefficient photoresistor, the point that the base of the first transistor is connected with the first circuit is in a high level, thus the first transistor is available, the point that the base of the second transistor is connected with the second circuit is drawn down to zero volt, the second transistor is available, the luminous apparatus is turned on and the keyboard illuminates. Therefore, automatic illumination of the keyboard is implemented dependent on environmental light intensity.
US09418799B2

An electronic device includes a substrate having a key sensor region and a touch sensor regions, a dome key unit, a key button, and a touch sensor. The dome key unit is arranged on the key sensor region of the substrate. The key button is arranged above the dome key unit in alignment with the dome key unit. The touch sensor is arranged on the touch sensor region of the substrate. The touch sensor is arranged such that it includes a region overlapping with a part of the key button. The key button can perform at least two functions associated with different input schemes at the same input point of the key button by means of the dome key unit and the touch sensor.
US09418790B2

A multilayer ceramic electronic component including thin external terminal electrodes each having a superior bonding force to a ceramic base body is provided. In order to form the external terminal electrodes, after Cu plating films are deposited on exposed portions of internal electrodes by direct plating on a ceramic base body, a Cu liquid phase, an O2-containing liquid phase, and a Cu solid phase are generated between the Cu plating film and the ceramic base body by a heat treatment, so that Cu oxides are dispersed in the Cu plating film, at least near an interface with the ceramic base body. Since the Cu oxides function as an adhesive, a bonding force of the Cu plating film to the ceramic base body can be increased, and hence the external terminal electrode having a superior bonding force to the ceramic base body can be obtained.
US09418789B2

A multilayer ceramic electronic component may include: a ceramic body including an active part in which dielectric layers and internal electrodes are alternately disposed, an upper cover part disposed on an upper portion of the active part, and a lower cover part disposed on a lower portion thereof; a first dummy electrode disposed between a central portion of the upper or lower cover part in a length direction and one end surface of the cover part in the length direction; and a second dummy electrode disposed between the central portion of the upper or lower cover part in the length direction and the other end surface of the cover part in the length direction, and spaced apart from the first dummy electrode.
US09418784B2

An electrical connection configuration, e.g., for an ignition coil, includes: an enameled wire sheathed in insulating enamel, and a contact element for the electrical contacting of the enameled wire, the contact element having a contact region for the electrical contacting of the enameled wire. The contact region has at least one sharp edge, and the enameled wire is routed along the sharp edge, such that a region of the enameled wire stripped of the enamel is provided, which rests against the contact region of the contact element for the electrical contacting.
US09418771B2

The present invention provides a complex oxide sintered body 10 wherein Zr/(In+Zr+Y) is 0.05 to 4.5 at % and Y/(In+Zr+Y) is 0.005 to 0.5 at % in an atomic ratio when indium, zirconium, and yttrium are designated by In, Zr, and Y, respectively. Moreover, the present invention provides a sputtering target including the complex oxide sintered body 10 and a transparent conductive oxide film obtained by sputtering the sputtering target.
US09418762B1

A semiconductor memory device may include: a first fuse set unit suitable for storing a first repair address during a first mode; a second fuse set unit suitable for storing an input address during a second mode; and a comparison unit suitable for comparing the input address with the first repair address, wherein the first fuse set unit is reset when the first repair address is the same as the input address.
US09418761B2

Described is an apparatus comprising a leakage tracker to track leakage of a column of resistive memory cells; and a circuit for adjusting voltage on a SourceLine (SL) of the column of resistive memory cells. Described is also an apparatus comprising: a memory array having rows and columns of resistive memory cells; a leakage tracker to track leakage current of a column of resistive memory cells associated with the memory array; and a circuit, coupled to the leakage tracker, for adaptively boosting voltage on a SL of the column of resistive memory cells during read operation.
US09418754B2

An anti-fuse type OTP memory cell includes a first anti-fuse transistor having a first channel width, a first selection transistor sharing a first active region with the first anti-fuse transistor and having a second channel width that is greater than the first channel width, a second anti-fuse transistor sharing a program gate with the first anti-fuse transistor and having a third channel width, and a second selection transistor sharing a second active region with the second anti-fuse transistor and having a fourth channel width that is greater than the third channel width.
US09418751B1

A memory device includes memory cells arranged in NAND strings between select gate transistors. A threshold voltage (Vth) distribution of the select gate transistors is evaluated, such as in response to a program, erase or read command involving a block or sub-block of memory cells. For example, a lower tail and an upper tail of the Vth distribution can be evaluated using read voltages. If the Vth is out-of-range, such as due to read disturb, data retention loss or defects in the memory device, the block or sub-block is marked as being bad and previously-programmed data in the block or sub-block can be copied to another location. If the Vth is in range, the command can be executed. Also, a control gate voltage for the select gate transistors can be set based on a Vth metric which is obtained from the evaluation.
US09418733B2

A joint short-time and long-time storage device, including a first electrode layer, a functional material layer connected to the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer connected to the functional material layer. The first electrode layer is made of inert conductive metal, the second electrode layer is made of active conductive metal, and the functional material layer is made of chalcogenide.
US09418732B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell, a bit line electrically connected to a first end of the memory cell, a source line electrically connected to a second end of the memory cell, a sense amplifier electrically connected to the bit line, and a controller configured to perform a read operation including first and second read operations on the memory cell. During the first read operation, a pre-charge voltage is applied to the bit line and a source line voltage lower than the pre-charge voltage is applied to the source line, and during the second read operation, a first voltage that is greater than the source line voltage and less than the pre-charge voltage is applied to the bit line.
US09418724B2

A memory includes a first cell array including a plurality of first memory cells connected to a plurality of word lines, a bit line selection unit configured to select one or more bit lines among a plurality of bit lines based on repair information, a second cell array including a plurality of second memory cells connected to the plurality of word lines and the plurality of bit lines, wherein a group of the plurality of second memory cells connected to a corresponding word line stores the number of activations of the corresponding word line when the one or more connected bit lines are selected and an activation number update unit configured to update a value stored in the second memory cells, which are connected to the one or more selected bit lines and the activated word line among the plurality of word lines.
US09418719B2

A computing device comprising includes a memory array having a plurality of sections with memory cells arranged in rows and column, at least one cell in each column of the memory array connected to a bit line having a bit line voltage associated with a logical 1 or a logical 0. The computing device additionally includes at least one multiplexer to connect a bit line in a column of a first section to a bit line in a column in a second section different from the first section and a decoder to activate a word line connected to a cell in the column in the second section to write the bit line voltage into the cell.
US09418715B1

A semiconductor device includes a buffer block configured to generate a strobe signal by buffering an external strobe signal inputted through a first pad, output the strobe signal to a first node of a first input/output line, generate data by buffering external data inputted through a second pad, and output the data to a second node of a second input/output line; a first channel configured to store the data loaded on the second input/output line in synchronization with the strobe signal loaded on the first input/output line; and a second channel configured to store the data loaded on the second input/output line in synchronization with the strobe signal loaded on the first input/output line.
US09418704B2

The problem to be solved is to make it possible to download via a network, efficiently manage, retrieve, and reproduce an external content associated with a content recorded on a recording medium. To solve the problem, a program is used which controls reproduction of information located on a recording medium and related information. The program includes the steps of: obtaining from the outside specific information associated with predetermined information recorded on a recording medium; and obtaining medium identification information located on a recording medium; wherein if the specific information has been obtained, a storage unit in a reproducing apparatus is controlled to associate the specific information with the medium identification information for storage.
US09418703B2

A method of and system for automatic compilation of crowdsourced digital media productions is presented. A system for automated compilation of a digital media program includes interfaces that receive audio/video information, associated temporal information, associated digital device metadata, and media characteristic preference information. The system includes a repository for the digital media input and associated digital device metadata. The system further includes a module that analyzes digital device metadata associated with individual digital media inputs from at least two different recording devices and selects between overlapping portions of the media inputs based on comparing digital device metadata associated with the individual digital media inputs with the media characteristic preference information. The system also includes a digital media editor module that compiles the selected portions of the individual digital media inputs into a digital media program and an output interface that provides access to the digital media program.
US09418702B1

An interactive movie timeline and method for interacting with a movie timeline that includes play of a video mainstream along a movie timeline, said video mainstream including at least one meta-video prompt tag encoded into the movie timeline wherein read of the meta-video prompt tag effects display of an electable option to a viewer enabling selection between alternate content playable as video streams insertable into the movie timeline between each of a meta-video insert tag and a meta-video end tag encoded into the timeline, whereby alternate content is playable in lieu of the video mainstream in sequence with the movie timeline and a viewer is enabled a customizable viewing experience thereby.
US09418701B2

The invention relates to a method for determining identifiers associated with segments of a document. Each segment consists of a series of individual elements such as images or sound sequences. Each segment of the document is subdivided into a determined number of portions comprising the same number of individual elements. An individual element is extracted from the most central portion of each segment and associated with the segment as identifier.The invention also relates to the receiver capable of implementing the method.
US09418693B2

An embodiment of the invention relates to a perpendicular magnetic recording medium comprising (1) a substrate, (2) an interlayer comprising hexagonal columns and (3) a magnetic layer, wherein the magnetic layer is deposited applying a bias voltage to the substrate such that the magnetic layer comprises magnetic grains having substantially no sub-grains within the magnetic layer, and the magnetic layer has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.
US09418690B1

Systems, methods, apparatus, and techniques are provided for producing an estimate of a digital sequence. A continuous-time signal is obtained. The continuous-time signal is sampled with an oversampling factor to produce a discrete-time signal corresponding to the continuous-time signal. A phase offset estimate of the continuous-time signal is produced based on the discrete-time signal. The discrete-time signal is interpolated based on the phase offset estimate to produce an interpolated discrete-time signal. The interpolated discrete-time signal is processed to produce an estimate of a digital sequence.
US09418672B2

Some embodiments provide a navigation application. The navigation application includes an interface for receiving data describing junctures along a route from a first location on a map to a second location on the map. The data for each juncture includes a set of angles at which roads leave the juncture. The navigation application includes a juncture decoder for synthesizing, from the juncture data, instruction elements for each juncture that describe different aspects of a maneuver to be performed at the juncture. The navigation application includes an instruction generator for generating at least two different instruction sets for a maneuver by combining one or more of the instruction elements for the juncture at which the maneuver is to be performed. The navigation application includes an instruction retriever for selecting one of the different instruction sets for the maneuver according to a context in which the instruction set will be displayed.
US09418666B2

Provided is a method of encoding an audio/speech signal, the method including determining a variable length of a frame, that is, a processing unit of an input signal in accordance with a position of an attack in the input signal; transforming each frame of the input signal to a frequency domain and dividing the frame into a plurality of sub frequency bands; and, if a signal of a sub frequency band is determined to be encoded in the frequency domain, encoding the signal of the sub frequency band in the frequency domain, and if the signal of the sub frequency band is determined to be encoded in a time domain, inverse transforming the signal of the sub frequency band to the time domain and encoding the inverse transformed signal in the time domain. According to the present invention, the audio/speech signal may be efficiently encoded by controlling time resolution and frequency resolution.
US09418649B2

A method and apparatus for improved approaches for uttering the spelling of words and phrases over a communication session is described. The method includes determining a character to produce a first audio signal representing a phonetic utterance of the character, determining a code word that starts with a code word character identical to the character, and generating a second audio signal representing an utterance of the code word, wherein the first audio signal and the second audio signal are provided over a communication session for detection of the character.
US09418644B2

A string vibration pickup device and methods for using same. The device includes a sensor configured to engage a string to detect vibrations. A pickup base having a pickup in communication with the sensor receives electrical signals indicative of sensed vibrations for the string.
US09418641B2

A divisi process in which different samplings are provided of full section, half a section, quarter section, etc. When a first note on input is received, the note is assigned to the full section. When a subsequent note on input is received, it is assigned to a half section. At that time, the volume of the full section may be reduced. Upon receiving further note on inputs, the notes may be assigned to another half section or to a quarter section depending on the number of notes being played simultaneously. The volume of notes being played is adjusted when a new note is added.
US09418640B2

A recording apparatus capable of readily setting a desired recording condition at the time of recording a music signal to music data and maintaining the recording conditions even when transmitting the recorded music file data to another equipment. A system controller acquires recording condition parameters employed in recording a voice signal, appends the parameters to music data to generate music file data, and stores the data into SD memory, or the like. Music file data are selected at the time of new recording operation, and recording condition parameters appended to the selected music file data are read, whereby recording conditions are automatically set.
US09418636B1

An automated playback system for a wind musical instrument which reproduces the musical performance of the wind instrument with high fidelity. The system comprises a sounding body, a piston, a signal-driven actuation means, a signal playback means and a drive signal. In one or more embodiments, the sounding body has a shape related to a wind musical instrument and has a sleeve opening which houses a piston; an electro-dynamic actuation means motivates a piston using a unique armature structure; a signal playback means provides a drive signal related to a measurement of the internal air column acoustic pressure of a wind instrument while played by a human player. Embodiments of the invention provide a convincing reproduction of a live musical performance and can be used in situations ordinarily requiring a human performer, offering a distinct advantage.
US09418631B2

A display control apparatus is capable of reducing image scaling times, maintaining image quality, and extending a turn-on time of a pair of 3D glasses. The display control apparatus includes a data processing unit and a timing generating unit. The data processing unit provides an image frame comprising a valid data region, which is larger than a visual region of a display panel. The timing generating unit generates an output timing signal according to a relative position of the visual region corresponding to the valid data region, so that a partial region of the valid data region corresponds to the visual region of the display panel. The partial region of the valid data region is displayed in the visual region of the display panel according to the output timing signal.
US09418610B2

An exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) provides data lines, gate lines, and pixel units arranged as a matrix array. A method for driving the LCD includes a step of analyzing and determining polarities of one column of the pixel units as determining pixels, thereby defining a first polarity group and a second polarity group, and a step of sequentially applying corresponding data signals to a part of the whole pixel units that are arranged at same rows with the first polarity group in a part of a period of a frame. Corresponding data signals are sequentially applied to the other part of the whole pixel units that are arranged at same rows with the second polarity group in another part of a period of a frame.
US09418607B2

A system and method are disclosed to utilize Gray code in order to reduce the power consumption of column drivers in a display system. Binary source data is received from a timing controller. A Gray code digitizer converts and encodes the binary source data into a binary portion of data and a Gray code data. The binary portion data and the Gray code data are transmitted through a shift register to a digital-to-analog converter. The shift register consumes less power processing the converted binary portion of data and Gray code data than the corresponding binary source data. The digital-to-analog converter decodes the Gray code and generates corresponding gamma voltage levels for display use.
US09418604B2

A method of compensating a left-right gamma difference in a display apparatus using a vision inspection apparatus, which includes sensing sample grayscales displayed on areas defined on a display area of the display apparatus using image sensors of the vision inspection apparatus, estimating intensity values of a left reference boundary at a central area, a left boundary area, a right reference boundary area at the central area and a right boundary area, calculating a first grayscale correction value of the left boundary area such that an intensity estimation value of the left boundary area is substantially equal to an intensity estimation value of the left reference boundary area, and calculating a second grayscale correction value of the right boundary area such that an intensity estimation value of the right boundary area is substantially equal to an intensity estimation value of the right reference boundary area.
US09418603B2

In an exemplary embodiment, each horizontal and vertical conductor of a TFT array may be in electrical contact with a first and second control system. Initially, the entire display is driven by the first control system. When/if a failure occurs in the first control system, it is powered down and the second control system maintains operation of the entire display. Each control system may contain a set of source/gate drivers, display interface board, and power supply. A reversionary button may allow the user to manually switch between control systems. Alternatively, failure may be detected by the display interface boards or a graphics processor.
US09418602B2

An electric optical apparatus including a display section in which an electric optical material is pinched between a pair of substrates and a plurality of pixels is arranged, wherein the display section is provided with a scanning line, a data line and a power-supply line that are connected to each of the pixels, and each of the pixels is provided with a pixel electrode, a driving transistor that is connected between the pixel electrode and the power-supply line, a capacitance for modulation that is connected between a gate of the driving transistor and the data line, a maintenance capacitance that connects one side electrode to the gate of the driving transistor, and a transistor for correction that is connected to a diode and in which one side terminal thereof is connected to the gate of the driving transistor.
US09418600B2

An apparatus for controlling a display having a backlight module provided with a first set of units and a display panel provided with a second set of units is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a reference value generator, a control value generator, and a compensation circuit. The reference value generator generates a reference value representative of a portion of pixels contained in an input image associated with one of the second set of units. The control value generator generates a control value to control one of the first set of units in view of the reference value. The compensation circuit adjusts the portion of pixels contained in the input image in view of the control value. The one of the first units is associated with the one of the second units.
US09418594B2

A display device has a plurality of arrayed display pixels. A drive transistor includes a first gate electrode and supplies the current corresponding to a level of a luminance signal to the luminescence element. A switching transistor includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, a second gate electrode and a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer is faced with the second gate electrode and has, in a channel width direction perpendicular to a channel length direction of the switching transistor, a channel region with a first width and a remainder region with a second width larger than the first width. The source electrode or the drain electrode is connected to the first gate electrode. The source electrode and the drain electrode are provided on the semiconductor layer at an interval. The second gate electrode overlaps, in a plan view, the channel region entirely and the remainder region at least partially.
US09418588B2

A flat panel display device includes: a first display unit, a second display unit, and a third display unit. The first display unit comprises a (1-1)-th surface facing a (1-2)-th surface, and is configured to display an image on the (1-1)-th surface and enable external light to transmit from the (1-2)-th surface to the (1-1)-th surface. The second display unit comprises a (2-1)-th surface facing a (2-2)-th surface, and is configured to display an image on the (2-1)-th surface and enable external light to transmit from the (2-2)-th surface to the (2-1)-th surface. The third display unit comprises a (3-1)-th surface facing a (3-2)-th surface, and is configured to display an image on the (3-1)-th surface. The third display unit is disposed between the first display unit and the second display unit.
US09418578B2

A signboard device is configured by combining a dynamic-image block for displaying a dynamic image and a plurality of light-source blocks each provided with a light source emitting light forward. The signboard device is configured so that, when seen along a front-rear direction, the length from the top edge to the bottom edge of each of the light-source blocks is the same as or n times or 1/n times (n being an integer) the length from the top edge to the bottom edge of the dynamic-image block, and the length from the left edge to the right edge of each of the light-source blocks is the same as or m times or 1/m times (m being an integer) the length from the left edge to the right edge of the dynamic-image block.
US09418573B2

A system for simulating a surgical procedure, which includes a housing covering an anatomical model. The model is made up of simulated tissue supported on a base assembly that allows pivoting and rotation of the simulated tissue. The simulated tissue includes a portion that represents soft tissue, such as dermal tissue, muscle, connective tissue and the like, and a portion that represents hard tissue, such as osseous tissue. The housing includes apertures through which a surgical instrument may be inserted for simulating a procedure on the simulated tissue. Cannulas may be set within the apertures.
US09418570B2

A guitar teaching data creation device includes a central processing unit (CPU) having: a distribution map creating module for collating respective sounds of chords with addresses of sounds on a fingerboard of a teaching-oriented guitar, and creating a distribution map of the respective sounds of the chords; a sequence creating module for creating sequences from the distribution map; a numerical diagram creating module for creating numerical diagrams of combinations from the sequences; a graphic converting module for converting the numerical diagrams into graphics; and a display module for prioritizing the graphics and transmitting a signal to arrange and display the graphics.
US09418566B2

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for determining comprehensiveness of a question paper given a syllabus of topics. An answer and evidence generator of a question answering system executing on the data processing system finds one or more answers based on the syllabus of topics for each question in the question paper. The answer and evidence generator identifies evidence for the one or more answers in the syllabus for each question in the question paper. A concept identifier of the question answering system identifies a set of concepts in the syllabus corresponding to the evidence for each question in the question paper to form a plurality of sets of concepts. The mechanism determines a value for a comprehensiveness metric for the question paper with respect to the syllabus of topics based on the plurality of sets of concepts.
US09418551B2

The following are disclosed: Vehicle parking detection, sensors and an On-Board Device (OBD) to create a parking session. Radars, microwave antennas, rechargeable power supplies and their power management circuits. A localized communications protocol between the wireless nodes and repeaters within a wireless network is disclosed. Wireless sensors and wireline sensors. The networks and/or systems may support parking spot management/monitoring, vehicle traffic analysis and/or management of stationary and/or moving vehicles, monitor storage areas and/or manage production facilities. These networks and/or systems may be operated to generate reports of incorrectly parked vehicles, such as reserved parking spots for other vehicles, vehicles parked in multiple parking spots and/or overstaying the time they are permitted to park.
US09418548B2

A display control device includes a controller that, if an obtainer obtains first-segment speed limit information, controls a displayer so that it creates a first predetermined image, indicating a first-segment speed limit, and displays the first predetermined image on a display medium, and includes a determiner that, if second-segment length information is obtained after the first-segment speed limit information has been obtained, determines whether the second-segment length is shorter than a threshold. The controller makes a switchover from control under which the displayer creates the first predetermined image and displays it on the display medium to control under which the displayer creates a second predetermined image, indicating a second-segment speed limit, and displays the second predetermined image on the display medium in different control ways depending on whether the second-segment length is shorter than the threshold.
US09418545B2

A method of identifying congestion comprising the steps of monitoring traffic conditions using off call tracking data relating to cellular mobile communication devices carried in vehicles along an off call path and determining when an off call path crossing time of the call path exceeds a threshold. When the off call path crossing time exceeds the threshold, obtaining traffic data from probe vehicles on roads corresponding to the off call path, and analyzing the traffic data to determine the location of the congestion along the off call path.
US09418537B2

A mobile communication device includes at least one processor to display a user interface on a touch screen, the user interface comprising a button to receive a touch event, determine that the touch event is currently being received by the button and enter an alarm armed state, determine that the touch event ends and enter an alarm active state, and after a particular period of time in the alarm active state, trigger a communication to an emergency responder.
US09418521B1

A system and method for aggregating results in a slot game are disclosed. In a given pull outcome of the slot game, multiple results may be determined. An order or orders for aggregating the results in the given pull outcome may be obtained. In some examples, the obtained order(s) may specify temporal sequence for applying different types of results in the given pull outcome. In some examples, the order(s) may be based on the player character(s). In some examples, the order(s) may be based on a difficulty level selected by the player. In some examples, such orders may be for purchase for selection by the players. In some implementations, the results in the pull outcome may include gameplays for implementation in a game space associated with the slot game. In those implementations, the implementation of those gameplays may be in accordance with the obtained order(s).
US09418520B2

Gaming systems, devices and methods are set forth which provide for the selection and application of modifiers to game outcomes. The modifiers confer different functionalities to base game symbols or an augmenting functionality to alter or provide an outcome. Different sets of modifiers may be accessed randomly or under different conditions and event.
US09418516B2

An apparatus enables play of a wagering game in which winning outcomes are determined by random appearance of specific predetermined symbols in which: a player places a wager worth monetary value on a single gaming event in the wagering game; the player purchases with monetary value a safeguard action useful only in the single gaming event; the player receives a first complete set of symbols; if one symbol in the first complete set of symbols prevents or limits an amount of award in the single gaming event, the player exercises the safeguard action to discard the one symbol and have that one symbol replaced with one randomly provided symbol to form a second complete set of symbols; and the wager is resolved against a paytable using the second set of complete symbols.
US09418506B2

An electronic gaming machine has an electronic game controller and a display where game symbols are arranged in an array of predetermined game positions. The appearance of a first special symbol causes a group of predetermined game positions to be selected where each game symbol occupying a predetermined game position in said group is changed into a second special symbol either during a play of a game or at the completion of said play, said change into said second special symbol being visible to said player. A gaming method is also provided.
US09418505B2

A method and apparatus for use in gaming activities, such as in a slot machine. A first grid comprising a plurality of elements overlayed a second grid comprising a plurality of elements is presented. At least some of the elements of the first grid and the second grid are marked. Marked elements of first grid are then used to form a subportion, the subportion boundary enclosing an area and having a correspondingly marked element of the first grid at each corner. Payouts are issued for marked elements and element combinations of the second grid within the subportion. The payouts may be administered according to a pay table.
US09418502B2

A commodity storage device has commodity storage columns defining respective commodity storage passages, in each of which commodities are stored upright in a line. The commodity storage device includes first gate members, each of which is provided turnably in such a manner as to enter and retreat from the corresponding commodity storage passage; second gate members, each of which is provided so as to be able to turn in conjunction with the corresponding first gate member in such a manner as to enter and in conjunction with the corresponding first gate member in such a manner as to enter and retreat from the corresponding commodity storage passage; and flapper members, each of which is provided turnably on a side wall forming the corresponding commodity storage passage in such a manner as to enter and retreat form the commodity storage passage.
US09418498B2

A method for electronic selection includes providing an electronic database, providing an identification card, wherein the card has electronic information storage capacity, providing an electronic selection system, registering and activating the identification card, electronically verifying a unique identifier with the identification card, providing an associated user with options from the electronic selection system, wherein the options are tied to the identification card, electronically confirming selections made by the associated user, electronically downloading the selections from the electronic database to a second electronic database, electronically scanning the identification card, and electronically extracting the selections after scanning the identification card.
US09418493B1

A method includes receiving a stream of sensor data regarding operating conditions of a vehicle, and processing first and second data sets of the stream of sensor data in time and frequency domains. The method also includes identifying differences within and between processing results from processing the first and second data sets, and determining that at least one difference in the identified differences is greater than or equal to one or more predefined thresholds. Further, the method includes, based on determining the at least one difference in the identified differences being greater than or equal to the one or more predefined thresholds, recording one or more processing results corresponding to the identified at least one difference in a data index map (DIM), and analyzing contents of the DIM to evaluate operating conditions of the vehicle.
US09418487B2

A system, method, and computer readable medium for toll service activation using an on-board unit in a third party transport comprises, a third party entity, a toll rental entity, and an on-board unit communicably coupled to the third party entity and to the toll rental entity, wherein the on-board unit, receives a position signal, initiates a toll service request, converts the position signal to a toll usage, and stores the position signal, the toll service request and the toll usage.
US09418486B2

A method and apparatus for generating a multi-view image, the method including determining an input image for generating multi-view images, and selecting a total of stereo images or one of stereo images to be the input image based on a presence of a distortion between the stereo images.
US09418485B2

Some embodiments provide a mapping application that receives input to adjust an amount of tilt from which to view a 3D map for a viewing mode in which the 3D map is specified to be textured with camera captured images (CCIs) of the real world. The mapping application also adjusts a set of heights for a set of road path indicators in the 3D map based on the adjusted amount of tilt. Each road path indicator indicates a path of a road in the 3D map. The mapping application further displays the 3D map with the adjusted amount of tilt and the set of road path indicators at the adjusted set of heights in the 3D map.
US09418481B2

Augmented reality may be provided to one or more users in a real-world environment. For instance, information related to a recognized object may be displayed as a visual overlay appearing to be in the vicinity of the object in the real-world environment that the user is currently viewing. The information displayed may be determined based on at least one of captured images and transmissions from other devices. In one example, a portable apparatus receives a transmitted user identifier (ID) and may submit the user ID to a remote computing device that compares a profile of a user corresponding to the user ID with a profile associated with the portable apparatus for determining, at least in part, information to be displayed as the visual overlay. As another example, the portable apparatus may include a camera to capture images that are analyzed for recognizing objects and identifying other users.
US09418478B2

Methods and apparatus for a map tool displaying a three-dimensional view of a map based on a three-dimensional model of the surrounding environment. The three-dimensional map view of a map may be based on a model constructed from multiple data sets, where the multiple data sets include mapping information for an overlapping area of the map displayed in the map view. For example, one data set may include two-dimensional data including object footprints, where the object footprints may be extruded into a three-dimensional object based on data from a data set composed of three-dimensional data. In this example, the three-dimensional data may include height information that corresponds to the two-dimensional object, where the height may be obtained by correlating the location of the two-dimensional object within the three-dimensional data.
US09418466B2

Some embodiments provide a non-transitory machine-readable medium that stores a mapping application which when executed on a device by at least one processing unit renders views of a three-dimensional (3D) map. The mapping application requests a first set of map tiles associated with a portion of the 3D map. In response to the request, the mapping application receives a second set of map tiles associated with portion of the 3D map. The mapping application identifies a third set of map tiles included in the first set of map tiles but not included in the second set of map tiles. For each map tile in the third set of map tiles, the mapping application generates a replacement map tile comprising geospatial data. The mapping application renders the portion of the 3D map based on the second set of map tiles and the set of replacement map tiles.
US09418463B2

A mobile communication device that includes: a storage unit configured to store therein image data; an address book storage unit configured to store therein communication party information associated with the image data; and an output control unit configured to display, when a sent mail that is transmitted by the mobile communication device is selected by selection of transmission destination information that corresponds to the sent mail, image data together with the transmission destination information, wherein the transmission destination information comprises communication party information pertaining to the sent mail, the image data being associated with the transmission destination information such that the image data is displayed together with the transmission destination information upon selection of the transmission destination information, and wherein the image data was previously stored in the storage unit and not attached to the sent mail when it was sent.
US09418461B2

Disclosed is a character string placement device including an evaluation function calculator that calculates a plurality of evaluation function values, each of which shows an evaluation of placement of a character string placed at each of a plurality of candidate points on a node series; and a minimum evaluation function value storer that determines at which of the plurality of candidate points to place the character string on a basis of comparison between the plurality of evaluation function values calculated by the evaluation function calculator. The evaluation function calculator includes: a character gap function calculator that calculates a character gap function value; an angle function calculator that calculates an angle function value; and an evaluation function value calculator that calculates the evaluation function value of the character string placed at each of the plurality of candidate points based on the character gap function value and the angle function value.
US09418457B1

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for graphing networks. In one embodiment, a dampening heuristic is utilized to graph networks to increase their stability. Nodes are visualized by finding local and global minima and equilibrium positions. Factors such as the influence of neighboring nodes; attraction and repulsion phases; and dynamism of complex networks are addressed by embodiments of the present invention. The stability of nodes are measured quantitatively using vectors, degree of influence of neighboring nodes on other nodes, and updating dampening heuristics.
US09418454B1

Various methods and systems that involve systems generating encodings for the compact rendering of curves in interactive graphical designs are disclosed. One method is conducted by a processor and comprises providing an interactive graphical design to a memory. The method also comprises parsing the interactive graphical design to identify a curve having graphical information. The method also comprises decomposing the curve into a set of at least two curve components. The method also comprises generating a markup-coded representation of the interactive graphical design that includes a set of independent elements for rendering the curve, wherein each of the independent elements in the set of independent elements uniquely corresponds to a curve component in the set of at least two curve components.
US09418448B2

Devices, terminals and methods are provided for image processing. For example, a raw image is loaded to be viewed, the raw image being selected by a user terminal; a first image to be displayed is obtained by analyzing and encoding the raw image, the first image being of a predetermined image format; one or more preset image display parameters are acquired; a quality score of the first image is obtained by performing quality analysis and calculation for the first image using the preset image display parameters; and the first image and the quality score of the first image are displayed to the user terminal.
US09418433B2

A system for computing a depth map comprising depth values representing distances to a viewer for respective pixels of an image. The system comprises an optimization unit (902) for determining a minimal depth related cost value of a current pixel, among a plurality of candidate cost values, wherein at least one of the candidate cost values is based on a depth related cost value of at least one pixel in a local neighborhood of the current pixel and on a difference between a color attribute of the at least one pixel in the local neighborhood and a corresponding color attribute of the current pixel, and at least one of the candidate cost values is based on a depth related cost value relating to at least one pixel outside the local neighborhood and on a difference between a color attribute of the at least one pixel outside the local neighborhood and a corresponding color attribute of the current pixel.
US09418428B2

The position management device includes: a calculation unit that gives identification on an object being monitored to the object being monitored cyclically imaged, and calculates positional information of the object from an image of the object; a storage unit that associates the identification and an imaging time with the positional information, and stores these items; and a comparison unit that compares, with respect to the object, an absolute value of a difference between the positional information as of a current time and the positional information as of each of the imaging times one and two cycle(s) prior to the current time, as stored in the storage unit, with a predetermined reference value, and outputs the positional information as of the current time if the absolute value for at least one of the imaging times is less than the reference value.
US09418424B2

A three-dimensional scanner uses a rotatable mounting structure to secure a laser line source in a manner that permits rotation of a projected laser line about an axis of the laser, along with movement of the laser through an arc in order to conveniently position and orient the resulting laser line. Where the laser scanner uses a turntable or the like, a progressive calibration scheme may be employed with a calibration fixture to calibrate a camera, a turntable, and a laser for coordinated use as a three-dimensional scanner. Finally, parameters for a scan may be automatically created to control, e.g., laser intensity and camera exposure based on characteristics of a scan subject such as surface characteristics or color gradient.
US09418423B2

An optical coherence tomography system is provided. The system includes an OCT imager; a two-dimensional transverse scanner coupled to the OCT imager, the two-dimensional transverse scanner receiving light from the light source and coupling reflected light from a sample into the OCT imager; a computer coupled to receive 3D OCT data from the OCT imager, the computer further processes the 3D OCT data; wherein the processing the 3D OCT data includes: correcting motion artifacts in baseline mode; generating reference data in baseline mode; performing segmentation to identify volumes of interest; extracting feature information, the feature information including reflectivity, texture, or the combination thereof.
US09418411B2

A computer implemented method and system for reducing sunglint effects in a multispectral digital image from a satellite multiband imager having a sampling time delay between collection of a first bandset and a second bandset, each bandset including a near infrared band and a plurality of other wavelength bands. For each bandset separately, extract pixels in a window surrounding a current pixel, determine a local low glint value as the characteristic value of a small subset of pixels in the window having the lowest near infrared reflectance values, determine a near infrared glint value by subtracting the local low glint value from the near infrared reflectance value of the current pixel, and determine glint-corrected values for each of the wavelength bands by subtracting the local low glint value from each wavelength band reflectance value. A second pass can apply a near infrared band subtraction correction to all bands of the first bandset and the second bandset. The satellite imager can be the WorldView-2 or WorldView-3 system.
US09418404B2

An infrared detector system is described in which a despeckle filter is applied to image data generated by a High Operating Temperature (HOT) detector array. The filter reads the data associated with each pixel of the image generated and compares it with selected neighboring pixels. The comparison yields a series of values that are compared to predetermined thresholds and the pixel is scored according to the number of values that exceed the threshold set. The score assigned to the pixel then determines the treatment of the pixel in the image to be generated. The data value of the pixel may be ignored, included or substituted with an alternative calculated value.
US09418402B2

The present invention provides a method for providing an image having visibility which is improved by removing fog or smoke from an image of which the quality is reduced due to the fog or the smoke. To this end, the present invention provides an estimation model used for obtaining, from an input image, an image from which the fog is removed, calculates a transmission rate indicating a ratio by which the fog is included in the original image by using the estimation model, and obtains an image of which the fog is removed using the calculated transmission rate. The method proposed in the present invention does not commonly use a filter and only uses calculation of a pixel unit, so that a back lighting effect is not generated, real time processing is possible due to a small amount of calculation, and a good image is obtained even by performing a process using only a luminance image. Therefore, the method can be applied to all multimedia devices in which real time processing is required, such as a monitoring system, a black box, a digital camera, etc.
US09418398B2

An apparatus and method for providing low power subpixel rendering are provided. The method includes receiving image data for a first pixel of a captured image, receiving image data for a second pixel of the capture image, determining a first saturation value of the first pixel and a second saturation value of the second pixel, determining a maximum saturation value based on the first saturation value and the second saturation value, and rendering a subpixel value using a one dimensional filter or a unity filter based on the determined maximum saturation value.
US09418395B1

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to implement power efficient detection of watermarks in media signals are disclosed. Example watermark detection methods disclosed herein include operating a watermark detector in a first operating mode to search for a first watermark in a media signal. Such disclosed example methods also include, in response to detecting the first watermark, determining whether the first watermark satisfies a first condition. Such disclosed example methods further include, in response to determining the first watermark satisfies the first condition, operating the watermark detector in a second operating mode in which the watermark detector cycles between a sleep interval and an active interval to detect a second watermark at a second location in the media signal relative to a first location of the first watermark in the media signal.
US09418391B2

Systems and methods for leveraging social media data by entities to identify key influencers are disclosed. Monitoring criteria is based on a selected subject-matter. The analysis permits quantification of influencers and takes into account the conversari platforms and the published platforms in the social media.
US09418382B2

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for pricing an insurance premium based on a vehicle trip similarity score. The system includes a computer memory and a processor in communication with the computer memory. The computer memory stores telematics data received from a sensor within a vehicle. The telematics data includes at least one of geo-position information of the vehicle and vehicle kinematics data. The processor is configured to compute a similarities score based on the telematics data. The processor is also configured to determine a price, price adjustment, or any other benefit for automobile insurance based on the similarities score.
US09418378B2

A method, system and computer program are provided to allow one or more users to try out one or more products. The method, system and computer program involve providing information on one or more products offered for sale under restricted conditions of time or quantity, obtaining a real image of an object, determining one or more features from the object image, determining a position to overlay a first product image on the object image based on the determined one or more features, overlaying the first product image on the object image based on the determined position to provide an overlaid image, and displaying the overlaid image. The first product image is an image of a product from the one or more products.
US09418376B2

A method and system to digitally sign a content license associated with content, and to distribute content via a network in a geographically controlled manner, commences when a content requestor requests delivery of the encrypted content. A content delivery system performs a content to determine a geographic location associated with the content requestor. The content requestor authorization process may also determine geographic access criteria associated with the content, and whether the geographic location complies with the geographic access criteria. The content delivery system will release the content for delivery to the content requestor if the content location complies with the geographic access criteria.
US09418367B2

A simplification of the process of deploying public services for mobile users Particular refinements in this vein involve the dynamic configuration of client software using available context information and the optimization of software provisioning based on historical usage information, which includes services accessed together with the location and time of access.
US09418366B1

A computer-implemented method of determining reaction to promotional items includes providing to a mobile device a promotional item associated with a geographic location, determining whether the mobile device is proximate to the geographic location, and charging an advertising account if the mobile device is proximate to the geographic location.
US09418361B2

Equipments and methods are disclosed for facilitating service provisioning in a system that comprises a payment processor, a number of service providers and a mediator that mediates information exchange between the payment processor and service providers, and a mobile terminal operated by payment card holder. In some implementations, service provisioning can be facilitated in cases wherein the payment processor must reside in a strictly regulated Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant environment and the service providers operate servers that are not PCI-compliant.
US09418358B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for communicating customer preferences to an automated teller machine (ATM). In this way, the system receives at least one customer preference for conducting transactions at an ATM and input from the customer indicating the customer's desire to conduct an ATM transaction. In response to receiving the customer input, the system may generate a customer preference communication for receipt by the ATM, wherein the customer preference communication comprises at least of the at least one customer preferences for conducting transactions at an ATM.
US09418356B2

Collaborating on documents by e-mail may be streamlined into a unified process. In one example, a user creates a document in an online document service, and sends the document to collaborators by mailing a link to the document. The document may have permissions set so that the creator of the document, and any user on the e-mail distribution list, can read and edit the document. When a user receives the e-mail, that user may open and edit the document. Upon closing the editing application, the user may be presented with an appropriate interface to create a reply e-mail.
US09418355B2

A response management system and method configured to allow management of responses to a case submitted by an entity in a crowdsourced network. The system includes a processing circuit that receives, from the entity over the crowdsourced network, the case. The processing circuit federates the case, into a plurality of federated cases, based on one or more parameters. The processing circuit routes the federated cases to the crowd of respondents in the network. The processing circuit receives responses from the crowd for each of the federated cases. The processing circuit integrates responses for each of the federated cases to yield a single integrated response for the case. The processing circuit publishes the integrated response anonymously that is viewable publicly.
US09418353B2

Methods and systems are disclosed for delivery of tailored content to differentiated devices, such as desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, over a computer network. In one embodiment, a proxy cache server has a content cache for storing previously retrieved objects like web pages or multimedia files. For at least some objects, several versions are stored, each version representing an object suited for a given set of client device characteristics. A device-equivalency data structure maintained at the proxy facilitates a determination of whether such cached versions can be used to service a current request. The versions might represent, for example, modified versions created using, e.g., mobile device transcoding techniques, in response to prior requests. They may also represent a set of alternate content created by a content provider and available from an origin server. Such methods and systems may be implemented in a distributed computing networks, e.g., a content delivery network.
US09418350B2

The delivery of goods to a customer comprises a substantial portion of human activity. To correct address errors and/or to more precisely locate delivery locations, systems are provided to assist human, human operated vehicle, or autonomous vehicles to locate a delivery point. Often the location of a delivery point is inaccurate or imprecise. GPS and other coordinate systems often fail or are imprecise without an unobstructed view of the sky. Even with coordinates available, the delivery point may be different from the coordinates or, more commonly, coordinates that are different from some standard point within a postal address associated with the coordinates. Providing a delivery system that utilizes a broadcasted identifier, such as an identifier associated with the order of the item, the delivery of the item may be made proximate to the source of the broadcasted identifier or further refined using the broadcasted identifier as a reference.
US09418349B2

A system and method manage distribution of fitness equipment units based upon automatically collected usage information for the fitness equipment units.
US09418345B1

Systems and methods for self service vending of electric convenience vehicles (ECVs) are disclosed. Various embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein allow convenient rental of ECVs to visitors of large venues without requiring dedicated service personnel. In one embodiment, a self service vending system may include a charging station configured to charge an ECV, a locking mechanism configured to lock the ECV, and a terminal configured to process a reservation of the ECV and to provide a code for operating the ECV based on the reservation. In some embodiments, a self service vending system may include a docking station. Embodiments may further include a reservation management system. Computer systems implementing methods of self service vending of ECVs are also disclosed.
US09418342B2

A method, computer-readable storage device and apparatus for determining a mode of motion are disclosed. For example, a method receives training data comprising gait information associated with a plurality of different modes of motion. The method performs principal component analysis on the training data to extract principal components from the training data and generates a hidden markov model for each of a plurality of different modes of motion based upon the training data. The method receives testing data comprising gait information, transforms the testing data based upon the principal components and calculates a likelihood of the testing data based upon each hidden markov model for each of the plurality of different modes of motion. The method determines the mode of motion of the testing data, where the mode of motion is one of the plurality of different modes of motion for which a highest likelihood is calculated.
US09418339B1

Systems and methods are included for adjusting a set of predicted future data points for a time series data set including a receiver for receiving a time series data set. One or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable storage mediums containing instructions may be utilized. A count series forecasting engine, utilizing the one or more processors, generates a set of counts corresponding to discrete values of the time series data set. An optimal discrete probability distribution for the set of counts is selected. A set of parameters are generated for the optimal discrete probability distribution. A statistical model is selected to generate a set of predicted future data points. The set of predicted future data points are adjusted using the generated set of parameters for the optimal discrete probability distribution in order to provide greater accuracy with respect to predictions of future data points.
US09418335B1

A method may include receiving, at one or more processors, a current model. The current model may include a group of nodes representing words, at least one cluster of nodes representing related words, and a group of links. Each link may connect two nodes of the group of nodes. Each link may include a corresponding weight. The method may further include applying, by one or more processors, a set of training documents to the model to produce new weights for the group of links to create a new model; and making, by one or more processors, the new model the current model.
US09418321B1

Provided herein, among other things, is an assembly consisting of a tissue cassette or slide and an affixed transponder.
US09418301B2

A vehicle system has a sensor array and a processing device. The sensor array includes a first group of sensors and a second group of sensors. The sensors of the first group are offset relative to the sensors in the second group. The processing device is configured to determine a general shape of an impact object based at least in part on signals received from the sensor array.
US09418287B2

An object detection apparatus mounted in a system for detecting a target object in various changing environmental conditions. In the apparatus, an acquirer acquires either or both of information indicative of an external environment around the system and information indicative of an operating state of the system. A determiner determines an environmental condition with respect to an input image according to the acquired information. A setter sets, for each of plural image recognition methods each being a combination of one of the plural image recognition dictionaries and one of the plural image recognition techniques, a weighting factor according to the environmental condition determined by the determiner. A detector detects the object in the input image by applying each of the plural image recognition methods to the input image to obtain recognition results reflecting the weighting factors, and collectively evaluating the recognition results.
US09418277B2

A method for unlocking an electronic device stores a user fingerprint in a storage device and presets account information corresponding to each application for each of the user fingerprints. The method further receives fingerprint data input from the electronic device. When the received fingerprint data matches one of the user fingerprints, the account information corresponding to the matched fingerprint for each of the plurality of applications is confirmed. The method further replaces a default account information of each of the plurality of applications stored in the storage device by the confirmed account information corresponding to the matched fingerprint for each of the applications, and the electronic device is unlocked.
US09418275B2

A biometric information processing apparatus includes a processor; and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to extract auxiliary information representing a part of a body being captured together with biometric information from a plurality of images captured by an imaging unit; to trace the auxiliary information in a time direction; to extract the biometric information from at least one image among the plurality of images; to associate the traced auxiliary information with the extracted biometric information in terms of a positional relationship; and to output the auxiliary information having been associated with the biometric information.
US09418273B2

A mobile computing device including a biometric scanning interface that changes color in response to a predetermined condition. The biometric scanning interface comprises a layer of heat-sensing elements and a multi-element layer comprising heating elements and thermochromic polymer elements. When the predetermined condition is detected, a driver is adapted to control the thermochromic layer to change color.
US09418271B2

A binary bit-string is encoded in a circular image. The circular image encodes substrings of the bit-string in sectors of the circular image and includes redundant bits, error correcting codes, and metadata pertaining to the encoding scheme. To encode the bit-strings, a circular image is generated that includes a center ring and a first ring. Outward from the first ring, additional rings represent bits in the bit-string according to the width of each ring. The exterior of the image includes an outer boundary ring. The width of the boundary rings is used to define the widths representing the value of each ring. To extract a bit-string from an image, the center of the circular image is identified and a direction is selected to evaluate the image outward, determining the boundaries of each ring. The boundaries are analyzed to determine the width of each ring and the encoded bit values.
US09418269B2

There is described a laser scanning indicia reading terminal comprising a variable setting imaging lens having a first setting at which the terminal has a first plane of optimum focus and a second setting at which the terminal has a second plane of optimum focus. According to one embodiment a first predetermined scanning width can be associated to the first lens setting and a second scanning width can be associated to the second lens setting such that the terminal with the lens setting set to the first setting scans to a first width and with the lens setting set to a second setting scans to a second width. In addition to or in place of the scan width operational parameters different operational parameters can be associated to the respective first and second lens settings.
US09418264B2

An antenna (18), in particular a patch antenna, is provided having a planar resonator element (22) which has the geometry of a polygon with a plurality of edges, wherein the resonator element (22) has a plurality of slots (26) at the edges for their extension and additionally has a plurality of projections (28) at the edges.
US09418258B2

Data-detector circuit for RFID labels, wherein the package is detected using two circuits, a polarizing circuit and a polarized circuit. The polarization signal can be sent from the polarizing circuit to the polarized circuit via a low-pass filter. The reference signal for comparison with the package detected is generated on the basis of the package attenuated by means of a voltage splitter. The reference signal is filtered via a low-pass filter. The resulting circuit has the characteristics of low consumption and high sensitivity.
US09418255B2

Overwriting information that was correctly written to an IC tag that can communicate wirelessly but is not the IC tag on the medium intended to be processed is prevented so that the wrong information is not stored in the IC tag. When writing write data including uniquely assigned tag ID information to an IC tag ends correctly, the system controller 35 of the media processing device 2 stores information indicating that writing the IC tag was completed. When writing write data to an IC tag, the system controller 35 reads the tag ID information and determines if information matching the read tag ID information is included in the stored tag ID information. If matching information is found, the system controller 35 prohibits writing to the IC tag.
US09418254B2

An integrated circuit film comprising a circuit board and a control circuit is provided. The circuit board has an IC-installation part and a contact part and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The contact part comprises a first set of pads and a second set of pads. The first set of pads are located on the first surface for communicating with an electrical communication device. The second set of pads are located on the second surface for communicating with a smart card. The control circuit is mounted on the IC-installation part for communicating with the electrical communication device through one of the first set of pads configured in accordance with a single wire protocol (SWP), a communication protocol.
US09418253B2

In various embodiments, a transponder unit for the contactless transmission of modulated data to a reader is provided. The transponder unit may include: a clock generator configured to generate a clock signal and to synchronize the clock signal in a synchronization mode, on the basis of a signal received from the reader; and a modulator configured to take the clock signal from the clock generator as a basis for modulating data; wherein the modulator is configured to send a signal for starting the synchronization mode to the clock generator.
US09418250B2

A system includes a tamper detector that includes a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) for generating pseudorandom coded detection signals as a function of seed values and a generator polynomial. The generator polynomial is loaded from a controller to the LFSR via software, and the seed values are directly loaded from a hardware-based random number generator to the LFSR. The tamper detector has output and input elements for connection to ends of a tamper detection circuit, wherein the detection circuit is linked with a physical closure surrounding an electronic circuit. The detection signals are applied to the output element and incoming signals are received from the tamper detection circuit at a comparator via the input element. Comparison of the incoming signals with the coded detection signals is performed to detect interference with the detection circuit in an attempt to tamper with the electronic circuit.
US09418245B2

Included is an encryption processing unit configured to divide and input configuration bits of data to be data processed into a plurality of lines, and to repeatedly execute data conversion processing of data for each line. The encryption processing unit includes an F function execution unit to input data from one line configuring the plurality of lines and generate converted data, an XOR calculation unit to execute an XOR calculation with other lines of data corresponding to the output from the F function, an intermediate data storage register to store intermediate data during the process of generating converted data in the F function execution unit, and an inverse calculation executing unit to calculate input data regarding the F function execution unit on the basis of the data stored in the intermediate storage register.
US09418239B2

In an embodiment, a method is provided for accessing a file node. In this method, a file access request specifying a file node to be accessed by way of a file system is received at a server from a client device. A counter is referenced to identify that the file node is being accessed in response to a different file access request. The counter is configured to track whether the file node is being accessed. The file node is provided to the client device when the counter indicates a termination of access to the file node resulting from the different file access request.
US09418234B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to providing isolated entropy elements for a virtual machine to increase entropy in a computing environment. At least one virtual machine is deployed on a hypervisor. The hypervisor generates entropy elements based on triggers related to a virtual machine. Identifiers are assigned to the entropy elements based on the triggers and the virtual machine. Use of the entropy elements is restricted for the virtual machine based on the assigned identifiers. The increase in entropy through providing isolated entropy elements for a virtual machine deployed on a hypervisor reduces the success of external attacks on data residing within the computing environment.
US09418232B1

A processing device detects a file system call that is associated with copying data to a destination file. The processing device identifies an application initiating the copying of the data to the destination file and determines one or more files that are opened by the application. The processing device identifies a source file from the one or more files opened by the application. The source file corresponds to the destination file. The processing device determines whether the source file includes data to be protected and allows or denies the copying of the data to the destination file based on whether the source file includes data to be protected.
US09418230B2

A computer implemented tool is described that includes an assertion generator module that can automatically generate assertions, which are usable to verify application-specific security properties, for a computer software program. An assertion checker module can automatically analyze the computer software program to ensure that it satisfies the application-specific security properties. A graphical user interface module can display feedback to diagnose security flaws detected in the computer software program based on the analysis by the assertion checker module. In support of these modules are a code preprocessor module that can translate source code of the computer software program into an intermediate abstract representation, and a database module that can store the generated assertions and associated data in a database. Each of the modules can provide functionality at any time during code construction of the computer software program.
US09418228B2

The software application for implementing intrusion prevention devices of the present invention has an information flow schema, mathematical calculation algorithm and a Web portal. The devices have built-in intelligence, which is used to match user's implementation requirements.
US09418216B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for obtaining access to a cloud service. In particular, a user may log into a client device using an operating system (OS) cloud login ID. The user may access cloud services (e.g., a music streaming service, a data storage service, etc.) through applications executing on the client device using merely the OS cloud login ID without providing additional login credentials specific to the cloud services. A client side application may request a token to access a cloud service. The token may be generated by an identity provider based upon the identity provider verifying an application ID identifying the application, a cloud service ID identifying the cloud service and/or OS cloud credentials. In this way, the application may present the token to a cloud service provider for verification to gain access to the cloud service hosted by the cloud service provider.
US09418203B2

A system for annotating genomic variant files includes an application server, an annotation database, a genomic database, and an annotation processing computer system. The genomic database may be graph-oriented. The annotation processing computer system processes can process variant files in batch modes and includes annotation modules designed to improve the speed of the annotation process. The batch modes may include batch transmission, and/or batch annotation.
US09418197B1

A method of designing a diode includes generating a layout of the diode and calculating a calculated voltage overshoot based on the layout. The calculating includes calculating variables of: the length of an N region of the diode; current density during an ESD event; electron charge; hole mobility; electron mobility; doping concentration of the diode; and rise time of the ESD event.
US09418195B2

The invention provides for the acceleration of a source mask optimization process. In some implementations, a layout design is analyzed by a pattern matching process, wherein sections of the layout design having similar patterns are identified and consolidated into pattern groups. Subsequently, sections of the layout design corresponding to the pattern groups may be analyzed to determine their compatibility with the optical lithographic process, and the compatibility of these sections may be classified based upon a “cost function.” With further implementations, the analyzed sections may be classified as printable or difficult to print, depending upon the particular lithographic system. The compatibility of various sections of a layout design may then be utilized to optimize the layout design during a lithographic friendly design process. For example, during the design phase, sections categorized as difficult to print may be flagged for further optimization, processing, or redesign. In further implementations, the difficult-to-print sections may be subjected to a source mask optimization process. Subsequently, the entire layout design may receive a conventional resolution enhancement treatment using the optimized source.
US09418193B2

Arrayed imaging systems include an array of detectors formed with a common base and a first array of layered optical elements, each one of the layered optical elements being optically connected with a detector in the array of detectors.
US09418185B2

A novel procedure is disclosed, that can be incorporated into Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or other similar analysis techniques, to obtain the steady state temperature distribution in a coupled transient heat transfer analysis rapidly as well as accurately. A scale factor is used to reduce the thermal inertia per unit volume (specific heat capacity) in regions of steady state temperature distribution, thereby hastening the achievement of steady state. An application of this procedure to estimate steady state temperature distributions within cutting tools, and the estimation of cutting tool wear based on the obtained steady state temperature distributions is shown as an example.
US09418179B2

A system and method is provided for evaluating the transient cooling performance of a data center. In one version, the method includes receiving input data from a storage device, the input data including data center architecture information and operating data, performing transient cooling performance calculations for the data center using the input data, and displaying results of the transient cooling performance calculations, wherein the results include at least one of a cooling runtime and a maximum predicted temperature of the data center following a power outage of the data center.
US09418170B2

Methods and system allow for creating rules for a tag management system. One or more implementations create rules for a tag management system can include crawling a page of a website. Additionally, one or more implementations identify the configuration of each of the tags implemented within the page. Further, one or implementations generate one or more rules that enable a tag management system to recreate the configuration of one or more tags implemented within the page. Further still, one or more implementations export the generated one or more rules to a tag management system.
US09418163B2

A method of reviewing geo-coded information at a geographic information system is disclosed. The method may include receiving information identifying a geo-located object from a submitter of the object, receiving information identifying the location of the geo-located object from the submitter, and receiving a request from a user of the geographic information system for one or more geo-located objects that includes the submitted geo-located object, and transmitting information for permitting display of the geo-located object to the user of the geographic information system.
US09418162B2

A set of context profiles containing profile content rules for filtering which content within a set of personal productivity applications (such as e-mail, chat, calendar, and contacts applications) is accessible by a user. Content rules support filtering content by, for example, content originator, and/or subject matter. The context profiles are centrally maintained for control of integrated, non-integrated, and/or independently administered personal productivity applications.
US09418160B2

Architecture that provides enhanced tag telemetry in a microblogging communications infrastructure. The architecture provides efficient discovery and tracking of topics that are of interest to a specific user by enabling users to follow (track) hash tags (#tag) and to receive and view all messages tagged with the hash tag appear in the user's personal feed. Each hash tag has a persisted tag page that aggregates all the associated activity, and includes a list that includes, but is not limited to, the tag followers, the most frequent user (uses the tag the most often in a specific time frame), a description, related tags, for example. The user can receive all the updates in the user's personal feed, and see an aggregation of all the messages and conversations associated with the tag in single place. The user can also mute the tag to prevent the receiving of tag information.