US09521789B2

A radiation shield standoff comprises a support section having a mounting surface for an electronic component, with the support section configured to separate the electronic component a predetermined distance from a chassis wall. The standoff also includes a coupling section configured to couple the standoff to the chassis wall. A flange is located between the support section and the coupling section, with the flange configured to hold a radiation shield layer in place on the chassis wall and provide radiation shielding. A boss is located between the flange and the coupling section, with the boss abutted against the flange and smaller than the flange. The standoff also comprises a radiation shielding metal.
US09521783B2

An enclosed air conditioning unit includes a filter section and a cooling section through which intake air passes before being discharged into a space within a building. The orientation of the filter section and cooling section is substantially vertical, and the airflow path through the filter section and the cooling section is substantially horizontal, resulting in reduced face velocities across these components, thereby increasing filtration efficiency and cooling effectiveness, while allowing the physical size and configuration of the air conditioning unit's enclosure to be the same as or smaller than the enclosures for conventional air conditioning units having comparable or lower performance.
US09521779B2

A heat dissipation apparatus includes an insulating plate, a conductive plate located on the insulating plate and a power source with an anode connected with the insulating plate and a cathode connected with the conductive plate. A conductive element is received in the insulating plate and is connected to the anode of the power source. When the heat dissipation apparatus is activated, the conductive element ionizes air closing to the insulating plate to produce positive ions. The conductive plate attracts the positive ions to move fast towards the conductive plate, which cause the air to flow in a direction in which the positive ions move.
US09521778B2

An air baffle for directing air within an information handling system is disclosed. The air baffle includes an open region configured to permit passage of an airflow, a closed region configured to obstruct passage of the airflow, and a variable region between the open region and the closed region. The air baffle further includes an adjustable tab configured to obstruct passage of the airflow. The variable region is configured to permit and obstruct passage of the airflow based on a position of the adjustable tab with respect to the variable region.
US09521771B2

A device case includes: a case body having a side wall and an opening; a lid plate for closing the opening, an end portion of the lid plate being projected from an outer surface of the side wall; and a welded portion that joins the lid plate with the side wall. The lid plate has a beam receiving area located in a vicinity of an end portion of the lid plate for receiving a beam emitted vertically with respect to the beam receiving area.
US09521766B2

A telecommunications system (10/100) is disclosed herein. The telecommunications system (10/100) includes a chassis (12/112) defining a top end (14/114), a bottom end (16/116), and a generally pyramidal shape, wherein a transverse cross-sectional footprint (28) of the chassis (12/112) changes in outer dimension as the transverse cross-sectional footprint (28) extends from the top end (14/114) to the bottom end (16/116), the telecommunications chassis (12/112) further defining at least one sidewall (30/130, 32/132, 34/134, 36/136), the at least one sidewall (30/130, 32/132, 34/134, 36/136) extending at an angle to both the top end (14/114) and the bottom end (16/116), the at least one sidewall (30/130, 32/132, 34/134, 36/136) defining ports (38) defining connection locations for receiving telecommunications equipment.
US09521765B2

The present invention is applicable to the technical field of heat-radiation structures and discloses a flow-guiding apparatus and an electronic device including the flow-guiding apparatus. The flow-guiding apparatus includes a support and flow-guiding members for guiding an air flow generated by an axial fan to a directed area, where the flow-guiding members are connected to the support, at least two flow-guiding members are arranged and are located on both sides of a hub of the axial fan or around the hub of the axial fan, and the flow-guiding members tilt toward the hub of the axial fan along an air-blowing direction of the axial fan. The electronic device includes a chassis, where the chassis is provided with an air vent, an axial fan is arranged at the air vent, and an air outlet of the axial fan is arranged with a flow-guiding apparatus mentioned above.
US09521761B1

A weatherproof electrical junction box that includes a molded electrical junction box and an insert is disclosed. Specific implementations may comprise a molded electrical box comprising four side walls, a back wall, a front opening, two screw bosses extending toward the front opening, and an unthreaded hole extending through a first side wall of the four side walls. Specific implementations may comprise an insert, the insert comprising an unthreaded exterior and a partially threaded interior. The insert may be fixed within the one unthreaded hole.
US09521756B2

Disclosed herein is a power module package including a heat radiating plate including a step difference portion around an edge portion thereof, a semiconductor chip mounted on a mounting surface of the heat radiating plate, an external connection terminal disposed on an outer periphery of the heat radiating plate, electrically connected to the semiconductor chip, and protruding outwards, a wire for electrical connection between the semiconductor chip and the external connection terminal; and a molding portion for encapsulation of the semiconductor chip and a portion of the heat radiating plate, and in particular, the molding portion does not intrude over an exposed surface of the lower portion of the heat radiating plate through the step difference portion. In addition, disclosed herein is a fabricating method for preventing flush of the molding portion on the exposed surface.
US09521753B1

A vibration damping circuit card assembly includes a populated circuit card having a mass M. A closed metal container is coupled to a surface of the populated circuit card at approximately a geometric center of the populated circuit card. Tungsten balls fill approximately 90% of the metal container with a collective mass of the tungsten balls being approximately (0.07) M.
US09521752B2

A method of making an electronic device may include forming at least one circuit layer that includes solder pads on a substrate and forming at least one liquid crystal polymer (LCP) solder mask having mask openings therein. The method may also include forming at least one thin film resistor on the LCP solder mask and coupling the at least one LCP solder mask to the substrate so that the at least one thin film resistor is coupled to the at least one circuit layer and so that the solder pads are aligned with the mask openings.
US09521742B2

A mounting block is provided that has a multi-level upper surface that is used to mount one or more IC chips and the printed circuit board (PCB) thereon at heights that allow the lengths of the bond wires interconnecting the chips with the PCB and/or with the other IC chips to be reduced. The distances between the levels of the multi-level surface are preselected based at least in part on the known height of the PCB and the known height of at least one of the IC chips such that when the chip and the PCB are mounted on the mounting block, the distance between the contact pads of the PCB and the contact pads of the IC chip is very small, thereby allowing the lengths of the bond wires to be kept very short.
US09521725B2

Systems and methods are provided for lighting systems, including high output lighting systems for various environments. The lighting systems include a lighting controller for driving lighting modules and transmitting a data signal to the lighting modules. The data signal varies between logical states. The lighting controller provides a low loss rectified power signal. The lighting controller further provides data within the power signal by forming a positive polarity rectified power waveform corresponding to data in a first state and a negative polarity rectified waveform signal corresponding to data in a second state using substantially loss-less circuitry.
US09521724B1

A lighting system includes a system controller, at least one light fixture, and at least one non-fixture system device. The system controller initiates automated commissioning by instructing a light fixture of the lighting system to modulate light output by the light fixture with a commissioning code. At least one system device of the lighting system receives the modulated light output and demodulates the received light output to determine the commissioning code. In response to determining the commissioning code, the at least one system device sends an acknowledgment message to the system controller. The system controller associates the system devices sending an acknowledgment message with the light fixture providing the light output modulated with the commissioning code.
US09521722B2

A lighting system includes at least one lighting apparatus having a light emitting element capable of emitting a controllably variable light output in a region. A position determination subsystem is capable of determining a position in three dimensions of at least one mobile entity within the region. A control subsystem is capable of variably controlling a light output of the at least one lighting apparatus according to the position of the mobile entity. The system may determine position by radio ranging with mobile electronic elements. The system may include multiple lighting elements and may determine light levels according to positions of multiple mobile entities. The system may include a database of information about lighting elements, mobile entities, and lighting plans that may be selected from mobile electronic elements.
US09521721B2

The present invention relates to an illumination device including a number of LEDs and a processor for receiving an input signal and generating an activation signal for at least one of the LEDs based on the input signal. The illumination device further comprises an LED driver for obtaining the voltage across and current through the LED. The processor may generate the activation signal based on the voltage, the current and a current-voltage model related to the LED. The current-voltage model defines a relationship between the current, the voltage and the colorimetric properties of light emitted by the LED. The present invention relates also to a method of controlling and a method of calibrating such an illumination device.
US09521720B2

A device and method for controlling the supply of power to light sources, in which a DC/DC converter is capable of delivering a voltage VMAX to the light sources. The forward voltage of the light sources depends on temperature and may temporarily exceed VMAX at low temperatures. The invention proposes means that allow the required forward voltage to be decreased automatically depending on a measurement of ambient temperature.
US09521710B2

A door opening structure for microwave oven includes an upper hinge fastened on a door body assembly, and a lower hinge fastened on a oven body of a microwave oven, wherein the door body assembly is hinged with the oven body by the upper hinge and the lower hinge. An elastic element is provided between the upper hinge and the lower hinge, and the upper hinge is connected with a damper. Both ends of the upper hinge are provided with first connectors that are hinged with the lower hinge, and the middle portion of the upper hinge is provided with second connectors that are hinged with one end of the damper by spring pins.
US09521709B2

Discrete workpieces move through a longitudinally-oriented through-gap in an open-box rectangular ferromagnetic material. A transverse magnetic flux established in the through-gap inductively heats the discrete workpieces moving through the longitudinally-oriented through-gap. A longitudinal axis of the workpiece or the planar surface of a planarly-oriented workpiece is oriented either parallel to, or perpendicular to, the transverse magnetic flux to heat treat the workpiece.
US09521706B2

In various embodiments, an electrode has a shaft extending from an electrode head and a cooling passage extending from an open end disposed at an attachment end of the shaft to a closed end disposed within the electrode head. The electrode head has an approximately teardrop shape with a smoothly rounded outer contour.
US09521704B2

Aspects of the innovations herein relates to a housing having a housing wall comprising a polymer including electrically conductive particles, wherein an inner chamber is provided in the housing, and is formed and enclosed by the housing wall and into which a mobile telephone may be inserted. In some implementations, the housing wall may be designed to attenuate a mobile radio signal of the mobile telephone, such as by ≧3 dB, as compared to unobstructed propagation, on the side of the housing wall facing away from the inner chamber.
US09521694B2

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for initial access distribution over a wireless LAN. A method for an initial access by a station (STA) comprises: a step in which the STA receives a fast initial link setup (FILS) backoff parameter from an access point (AP); and a step in which the STA implements a backoff procedure by using the final FILS backoff parameter determined on the basis of the FILS backoff parameter and an access category of the data to be transmitted by the STA. Accordingly, the initial access of the STA can be distributed.
US09521668B2

A communication system including a radio network controller (RNC) and a base station (NodeB) is disclosed. The RNC sends to the NodeB a message for configuring or reconfiguring an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) related resource. The E-DCH related resource corresponds to an E-DCH as a common transport channel. The message includes a signature list including a preamble signature for a random access request, E-DCH physical layer information, and a transmission bearer parameter. The NodeB configures or reconfigures the E-DCH related resource according to the message. The configuration or reconfiguration is performed before the NodeB receives, in accordance with part or all of the configured or reconfigured E-DCH related resource, a random access request from a user equipment (UE). The NodeB sends a response to the RNC, including information about the E-DCH related resource that is configured or reconfigured by the NodeB according to the message.
US09521664B2

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. In an aspect, the apparatus may receive a set of configurations for an EPDCCH that are tied to a set of configurations received for a PDSCH. The apparatus may then receive and process the EPDCCH based on at least one configuration from the set of configurations for the EPDCCH. In another aspect, the apparatus may determine at least a first and second resource set configured for a control channel and may determine a common set of aggregation levels for the first and second resource sets. The apparatus may further determine first rate-matching parameters for the first resource set and second rate-matching parameters for the second resource set, and may process the control channel using the common set of aggregation levels and the first and second rate-matching parameters.
US09521663B2

The present invention relates to a method for transmitting an uplink signal of a terminal using multiple component carriers in a wireless communication system and, more particularly, to a method for transmitting an uplink signal of a terminal using multiple component carriers in a wireless communication system which supports carrier aggregation, comprising the steps of: receiving setting information on a second-type component carrier from a base station through a first-type component carrier; and transmitting an uplink signal to the base station through the second-type component carrier, wherein the use of the second-type component carrier for a specific subframe is changed according to the setting information.
US09521662B2

In at least some embodiments, a wireless networking system is provided. The wireless networking system includes a base-station and a plurality of user devices in communication with the base-station. The base-station selectively assigns each user device to one of a first group and a second group. Also, the base-station selectively assigns each user device to an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state. The base-station allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device in the uplink synchronized state, but does not allocate unique reduced identifiers to user devices in the non-synchronized state.
US09521661B1

A system and method of scheduling communication in a wireless communication network are provided. A first access node can determine a scheduling scheme based on data addressed to wireless devices in communication with the first, second, and third access nodes. The data addressed to the wireless devices in communication with the first access node can be transmitted during a first subframe of the scheduling scheme where the first access node does not transmit data addressed to the wireless devices in communication with the first access node during a second subframe of the scheduling scheme. The second and third access nodes can be instructed to assign data addressed to wireless devices that do not meet a signal condition threshold to be transmitted during the first subframe and to assign data addressed to wireless devices that meet the signal condition threshold to be transmitted during the second subframe.
US09521650B2

In transmission of paging information from a mobile network to a terminal device (200), the terminal device applies a discontinuous reception cycle to enter a sleep mode. Further, the terminal device determines an advance wakeup time (AW) for leaving the sleep mode. The advance wakeup time (AW) is advanced by an advancement time interval (ΔA) with respect to a start of an active time of the discontinuous reception cycle. At the determined advance wakeup time (AW), the terminal device leaves the sleep mode and starts monitoring the downlink control channel with respect to paging configuration information transmitted by the mobile network. The paging configuration information defines a paging occasion for transmission of the paging information. On the basis of the paging configuration information, the terminal device monitors the paging occasion to receive the paging information from the mobile network.
US09521649B2

In a system in which an in-vehicle apparatus and a smartphone are connected to each other, screen display switching cannot be performed with priorities of all the applications taken into account as respective terminals carry applications. A management block is provided in an in-vehicle apparatus or in a smartphone. The management block holds priority definitions for starting and displaying applications on both terminals. In response to external input to both terminals, the management block selects the application to be started and displayed. The management block identifies the terminal carrying the selected application, and transmits to the identified terminal a request to start the application and to switch display output accordingly.
US09521635B1

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for selecting a device to perform shared functionality in a deterministic and fair manner in a wireless data communication system. A wireless data communication system includes multiple wireless transceiver devices and certain functionality, such as the transmitting of a beacon used to synchronize the wireless transceiver devices, is distributed among the wireless transceiver devices. Each wireless transceiver device generates a device rank for a given time for itself as well as one or more other wireless transceiver devices in a deterministic and fair manner. Each wireless transceiver device determines the same device ranks for the wireless transceiver devices, and each wireless transceiver device selects the wireless transceiver device having a highest device rank at any given time as the wireless transceiver device that is to perform the functionality at that given time.
US09521626B2

Disclosed are a method and device for reporting, in a carrier aggregation scenario, the configurable maximum transmission power of a UE carrier. Application of the technical solution as put forth in embodiments of the present invention enables a base station to accurately ascertain the A-MPR/MPR of a UE in a situation in which various resources are being allocated by including the configurable maximum transmission power of a UE carrier in a PHR MA CCE, and thereby more accurately perform UE scheduling
US09521618B2

Disclosed is a discovery method and apparatus for device-to-device (D2D) communication in a cellular mobile communication system. The discovery method performed by the discovery apparatus may include obtaining, from a server managing information associated with terminals providing a service using a D2D communication scheme over a mobile communication network, information associated with a service provided by the terminals, selecting a service of interest based on the information associated with the service, receiving, from a base station, information associated with a discovery radio resource allocated to the terminals providing the service of interest, and discovering the terminals providing the service of interest based on the information associated with the discovery radio resource.
US09521617B2

A method and apparatus may be used for peer-to-peer communication. The method and apparatus may allow for network connectivity during the peer-to-peer communication session. The network connectivity may be provided via Scheduled and/or Unscheduled AP Connection times/periods. A station (STA) may be configured to negotiate access point (AP) Connection times/periods with a peer STA for a direct link which may be on a basic service set (BSS) channel or on a non-BSS channel. The STAs may communicate with the AP during the agreed AP Connection times/periods and return to the direct link for peer-to-peer communication.
US09521616B2

An apparatus and method for reducing the power consumption of a Base Station (BS) in a multi antenna system are provided. The method for reducing the power consumption of the BS includes identifying an amount of resources being in use for communication, determining whether to convert at least one Radio Frequency (RF) unit into a power saving mode considering the amount of resources, if converting at least one RF unit into the power saving mode, turning OFF a power supply of a power amplifier of at least one of at least two antenna paths constituting the at least one RF unit converted into the power saving mode, and increasing a gain of at least one antenna path turning ON a power supply such that a transmission Power Spectral Density (PSD) is not changed according to the power saving mode conversion.
US09521603B2

A communication control method in a mobile communication system, comprises: a step A of transmitting information from a base station having at least one cell to a neighboring base station, the information notifying that a particular cell of the base station is to be prevented from being selected as a measurement target for mobility control of a user terminal under control of the neighboring base station; and a step B of, when receiving the information from the base station at the step A, performing control by the neighboring base station based on the received information such that the user terminal under control of the neighboring base station avoids selecting the particular cell as the measurement target.
US09521598B2

Transitioning a UE from a first RAT to a third RAT in an area having a first RAT, a second RAT, and a third RAT. The first RAT may be a second generation RAT, the second RAT may be a third generation RAT, and the third RAT may be a fourth generation RAT. The network of the first RAT may not provide information (e.g., a neighbor list) for the third RAT. The UE may use information to perform measurement of one or more base stations of the third RAT without attaching to the second RAT. For example, the UE may use pre-stored information to perform measurement of the third RAT. Alternatively, or additionally, the UE may receive the information (e.g., from a system information block) from the second RAT without attaching to the second RAT. The UE may then transition to from the first RAT to the third RAT.
US09521595B2

Network nodes, stations, and methods for a radio communications system. The disclosure relates to transmitting data in a radio communications system. In particular, methods and devices are presented for transmitting data in a radio communications system where capability information is communicated, said capability information including information on a capability for compressed mode transmissions on a per frequency band basis and where parameters to configure for compressed mode on said frequency band are signaled in case said information in said capability information indicated capability to apply compressed mode transmissions on per frequency band basis.
US09521593B2

Packet data protocol (PDP) contexts are managed upon cellular-to-femto handover, wherein femto network has disparate capabilities to support applications with distinct access point names (APNs) and quality of service (QoS) profiles. Based at least on activity factors of applications associated with PDP contexts, a QoS-based ranking of PDP contexts, and subscriber input, cellular network platform selects active PDP contexts to retain and suspend upon handover. A group of active PDP contexts is handed off in accordance with femto coverage capability, with remaining active PDP contexts suspended during handover. When a suspended PDP context, and application associated therewith, is resumed through femto coverage, a PDP context modification is conducted with a new APN and the application is routed to a corresponding femto gateway node and application server. Additionally, femto network platform performs a radio access bearer reconfiguration to meet QoS requirements of the resumed PDP context.
US09521579B1

A method for selection of a particular modulation coding selection (MCS) from a plurality of available MCS selects a particular MCS after obtaining SNR_d, SNR_high, SNR_low, and if SNR_d>SNR_high, selecting the highest available MCS, and if SNR_dSNR_d>SNR_low, selecting MCS based on computing the function/table for each MCS according to the formula: f(MCS)=(1−PER(length_packet,MCS,SNR_d))/length_packet(packet_size,MCS), and thereafter selecting the MCS that maximizes the f(MCS) function. Further the neighboring MCS values are characterized for throughput in a throughput characterization step, and compared in throughput to the above determined throughput. In an embodiment of the invention, SNR_high, SNR_low are found by finding the SNR that satisfies: PER(length_packet,MCS_lowest,SNR_low)=PER_thresh PER(length_packet,MCS_highest,SNR_high)=PER_thresh Where PER_thresh is a design parameter, and MCS_lowest is the lowest MCS and MCS_highest is the highest available MCS.
US09521577B2

A guidance device includes an audio guidance transmission unit configured to transmit audio guidance to encourage refraining from a call reoriginating operation to a caller terminal when first identification information to identify a first exchange that is in a congestion state and second identification information to identify the caller terminal are received from the first exchange, and a connection control unit configured to cause the caller terminal and a callee terminal to be connected through a second exchange that is not in the congestion state based on the received first identification information, the received second identification information, and presence or absence of the congestion state of exchanges under management.
US09521575B2

The present invention relates to a vehicle communication system and method used when transmitting and receiving driving information of a vehicle to and from surrounding vehicles. According to the present invention, a host vehicle may transmit and receive driving information to and from its surrounding vehicles to find out information about a position, a speed, a driving direction, etc., thereby decreasing traffic accident risk. However, transmission and reception of the driving information may not be smoothly performed depending on surrounding communication conditions. The present invention provides a communication congestion control device and method for smoothly performing data transmission and reception between vehicles depending on surrounding conditions, by setting a time frame variably depending on surrounding communication conditions and transmitting data on the basis of the changed time frame.
US09521571B2

A method and apparatus can be configured to measure channel conditions of a first channel (310). The first channel can correspond to a first frequency. The method can also include predicting whether the channel conditions of a second channel are favorable for offloading communication occurring on the first channel to the second channel based on measurements performed on the first channel (320). The second channel can correspond to a second frequency. The second frequency can be higher than the first frequency. The method can also include determining a rate of occurrence for monitoring the second channel based on the results of the predicting (330).
US09521570B2

A communication control method, including receiving, by a first user equipment, a first message sent by a second user equipment; acquiring receive power of the first message; acquiring power parameter information of the second user equipment; obtaining a path loss value according to the power parameter information of the second user equipment and the receive power of the first message; and determining, according to the path loss value, whether direct communication is allowed between the first user equipment and the second user equipment. The embodiments of the present invention further provide a corresponding user equipment and system. According to the method, user equipment, and system in the embodiments of the present invention, control on direct communication between user equipment can be implemented.
US09521542B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for matching a client device with an appropriate network service provider data package. A device ID for the client device can be decomposed to one or more device ID ranges in a device decomposition set. One or more ranges of client ID can be assigned to a network service provider data package, which can be decomposed into a set of package decomposition ranges in a package decompositions set. The device decomposition set can be compared to the package decomposition set, and if an intersection is identified between the sets, the network service provider data package can be provided to the client device.
US09521536B2

According to a first aspect of embodiments herein, a method in a first network node for handling device discovery of second user equipments in a second network for Device-to-Device (D2D) communication is provided. The network node is comprised in a first network. The first network node obtains information from a second network node within the second network. The information relates to resources for sending device discovery beacon signals in a second network. The first network node sends the obtained information to a first user equipment served by the first network node. The obtained information relates to said resources for sending device discovery beacon signals in the second network. The information enables the first user equipment to discover beacon signals from the second user equipments in the second network and/or to send beacon signals to be discovered by the second user equipments in the second network.
US09521532B2

In various aspects of this disclosure, a communication terminal device may be provided. The communication terminal device may include a receiver. The receiver may be configured to receive a message from a first communication device. The communication terminal device may further include a circuit configured to provide a communication device to communication device communication. The communication terminal device may further include a controller. The controller may be configured to determine whether to relay the received message to at least one second communication device. The controller may further be configured to modify the message if the controller determined to relay the received message. The controller may further be configured to relay and transmit the modified message to the at least one second communication device.
US09521523B1

A method for predicting lost mobile devices. The method includes, identifying, by one or more processors, one or more pre-designated locations, where each of the one or more pre-designated locations contains devices and a main device to be tracked. The one or more processors receive information from the devices. The one or more processors derive a common usage pattern of the main device based on, the information from the devices. The pattern is associated with a location of the main device. The one or more processors determine whether the main device follows substantially all of the common usage pattern. Finally, in response to determining the main device does not follow substantially all of the common usage pattern, the one or more processors sends at least one different types of alerts to at least one predetermined device of the devices.
US09521521B2

Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for geolocating a user and/or a user device, based on one or more location data sources. Some embodiments may include use of a user authentication process (e.g., a two-factor authentication service) to improve confidence in the determined location of a user device. In one embodiment, a user and/or a user device may be allowed or denied access to restricted access content based on the determined location of the device.
US09521506B2

A method is provided for use in a first device for managing writing an answer after receiving a message coming from a second device. At least one possible answer to the message is received by the first device from the second device for selection.
US09521499B2

An electronic device comprising a substrate, a cover delimiting at least a part of a main surface of the substrate to thereby form a cover-substrate arrangement enclosing a hollow space and having a through hole, an electroacoustic transducer configured for converting between an electric signal and an acoustic signal and being mounted on the substrate acoustically coupled with the hollow space in such a way that the hollow space constitutes a back volume of the electroacoustic transducer, wherein the electroacoustic transducer provides an acoustical coupling between the hollow space and an exterior of the cover-substrate arrangement via the through hole, an electronic chip mounted within the cover-substrate arrangement and electrically coupled with the electroacoustic transducer for communicating electric signals between the electronic chip and the electroacoustic transducer, and at least one electronic member mounted on the substrate within the cover-substrate arrangement and configured for providing an electronic function.
US09521491B2

A diaphragm is arranged on the upper surface of a silicon substrate so as to cover a chamber in the silicon substrate. Multiple anchors are provided on the upper surface of the silicon substrate, and the lower surfaces of corner portions of the diaphragm are supported by the anchors. Also, a fixed electrode plate is provided above the diaphragm with an air gap therebetween. In a view from a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the silicon substrate, the entire length of the outer edge of the diaphragm located between adjacent anchors is located outward of a line segment that circumscribes the edges of the adjacent anchors on the side distant from the center of the diaphragm. Also, one or two or more through-holes are formed in the diaphragm in the vicinity of the anchors.
US09521490B2

A diaphragm can be obtained which exhibits large internal loss and Young's modulus and which can be produced efficiently. A speaker diaphragm 1 comprises at least one layer 1A formed by molding a component member configured by a fiber and a tangled fiber body of a synthetic fiber. The synthetic fiber is a polyvinyl alcohol fiber having boron.
US09521489B2

Operation of a playback device may be based on using position information. A position of a playback device with respect to a base is determined. The determined position is compared to a reference position. If the determined position corresponds to the reference position, operation of the playback device is allowed. If the determined position does not correspond to the reference position, operation of the playback device is limited.
US09521488B2

Embodiments described herein involve configuring a playback device based on the detection of a barrier in proximity to the playback device. In an example embodiment, a playback device causes one or more speakers to emit audio and then receives audio data representing at least a portion of the emitted audio. The playback device determines, based on the received audio data, that a barrier is distorting audio output of the playback device by at least a distortion threshold. In response to determining that the barrier is distorting audio output of the playback device beyond the distortion threshold, the playback device applies a playback configuration that at least partially offsets the distortion. The playback device may cause the one or more speakers to play back audio content according to the playback configuration.
US09521485B2

A voltage supply circuit included in an audio signal processing device includes a control unit for controlling a signal output from a terminal equipment; a power supply unit for outputting voltage to an earphone device according to a control signal of the control unit; and a variable circuit unit connected to the power supply unit to convert the voltage output from the power supply unit and transmit the converted voltage to the earphone device.
US09521484B2

A multi-beam sound system includes a fixed beamforming section which steers the input signal inputted from the microphone array to an intended direction, a blocking matrix which receives the input signal and acquires a noise reference signal from the input signal, a variable beamforming section which acquires an adaptive noise signal from the noise reference signal outputted from the blocking matrix, and a generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC) which includes canceling means for outputting an object signal from the input signal outputted from the fixed beamforming section by removing the adaptive noise signal from the input signal. The fixed beamforming section steers the input signal in at least two directions.
US09521475B2

An electronic device includes a housing having a top wall, and a microphone module mounted in the housing. The microphone module includes a mounting seat having two oppositely spaced-apart upright suspension surfaces extending transversely from the top wall. A buffer member includes a main body disposed between and spaced apart from the suspension surfaces, and two suspension bumps protruding from the main body toward and abutting respectively and tightly against the suspension surfaces. The main body has an inner portion defining an accommodating space. A microphone body is disposed in the accommodating space.
US09521465B2

A system for initiating a voice call includes a set-top box operable to control a selection of a television channel for display on a television. The set-top box is further operable to initiate a voice call between a first telephone and a second telephone. The first telephone is associated with a first telephone network and the second telephone is associated with a second telephone network. The system includes a remote control in communication with the set-top box. The remote control is operable to receive a first input associated with the selection of the television channel from a user and a second input associated with the voice call. The voice call is initiated by the set-top box in response to the second input being received by the set-top box.
US09521459B2

An integrated content delivery interface enables a user to access content from a multi-channel service provider (such as a cable television service) and over-the-top sources. The system displays a set of cable channels and over-the-top channels based on a combination of the user's subscription status for the various services, personalization criteria, and device type. The system may provide the user with a playlist of available videos for each channel. For videos from over-the-top sources, when a user selects the video for on-demand play the user's device will directly access the video as served by the over-the-top source. Before including any video in the playlist, the system will ensure that the video is available to the user based on subscription status and/or device type, and it will ensure that the over-the-top source serves the video in a format that is compatible with the user's device.
US09521452B2

A method includes determining an available bandwidth of a data interface connected to a media device. The method includes receiving a first portion of each of a plurality of video files and storing the first portion of each of the plurality of video files in a memory. A size of the memory to store each first portion is determined based on a pre-cache file size associated with a video file of the plurality of video files. The pre-cache file size is based on the available bandwidth. The method further includes, in response to detecting a change in the available bandwidth, adjusting the pre-cache file size associated with the video file, where the pre-cache file size decreases when the available bandwidth increases to a second available bandwidth.
US09521450B2

At the time of device starting or channel switching in a content output device, even when buffering of a sufficiently large size is performed in order to address multimedia processing at the time of start of a device and content switching, slow reproduction in which video and audio are synchronized with each other can be performed without keeping a user waiting for a long time, and at an arbitrary reproduction rate with the extent of not giving the user feeling of unnaturalness. The broadcasting reception unit initializes the delay amount to a predetermined start value, then gradually increases it with lapse of time, and stops the increase when the delay amount reaches a predetermined end value. Video and audio are synchronously and slowly reproduced at a reproduction rate decided by an increment per unit time of the delay amount.
US09521448B2

The present invention relates to methods and systems for extracting digital content using an interactive television application. The interactive television application may allow the user to record programs on a set-top box. The interactive television application may also allow the user to extract the audio from one of the recorded programs and transfer the extracted audio to removable media (e.g., a CD-R). The interactive television application also be configured to perform a future transfer of digital content to removable media. The future transfer may occur without requiring any further user interaction.
US09521430B2

Provided are a method and apparatus for determining a context model for entropy encoding and decoding of a transformation coefficient. According to the method and apparatus, a context set index ctxset is obtained based on color component information of a transformation unit, a location of a current subset, and whether there is a significant transformation coefficient having a value greater than a first critical value in a previous subset, and a context offset c1 is obtained based on a length of a previous transformation coefficient having consecutive 1s. Also, a context index ctxids for entropy encoding and decoding of a first critical value flag is determined based on the obtained context set index and the context offset.
US09521426B2

A motion information storing method and a TMVP deriving method using the motion information storing method are provided. The motion information storing method includes a step of determining a representative block out of blocks of a motion data storage unit in a co-located picture with a current picture and a step of storing motion information of the representative block as motion information of the motion data storage unit, wherein the motion information of the representative block is used as motion information of the blocks included in the motion data storage unit.
US09521420B2

Receiving a video stream in a transport stream comprising a plurality of compressed pictures, wherein information in the video stream includes plural data fields comprising: a first data field corresponding to a location in the video stream of a potential splice point, wherein the first data field identifies a location in the video stream after the location of the received information; a second data field corresponding to decompressed pictures yet to be output (DPYTBO) by a video decoder at the identified potential splice point (IPSP) when the video decoder decompresses the video stream, wherein the second data field is a number corresponding to the DPYTBO by the video decoder at the IPSP; and a third data field corresponding to pictures with contiguous output times (WCOT), wherein the third field corresponds to a set of pictures WCOT of the DPYTBO by the video decoder at the IPSP.
US09521414B2

A method is provided of decoding video data using a merge mode. A merge list is constructed using available spatial and temporal merge candidates. A merge candidate on the merge list corresponding to a merge index is determined as motion information of a current prediction unit. A predicted block of the current prediction unit is generated using the motion information. A transformed block is generated by inverse-quantizing a block of quantized coefficients using a quantization parameter. A residual block is generated by inverse-transforming the transformed block. A reconstructed block is generated using the predicted block and the residual block.
US09521413B2

Reference processing may be used in a video encoder or decoder to derive reference pictures that are better correlated with a source image to be encoded or decoded, which generally yields better coding efficiency. Methods for filter selection for a reference processing unit adapted for use in a video codec system are discussed. Specifically, methods for filter selection based on performing motion estimation and obtaining distortion/cost information by comparing reference pictures, either processed or non-processed, with the source image to be encoded are discussed.
US09521407B2

A method and a device for coding and decoding images are disclosed. The method for coding images includes: determining a second length according to a direction of a division line, a scale value, and a position parameter value; determining a division mode of the image block according to the direction of the division line, a first length, the second length, and the scale value; coding the image block according to the division mode of the image block; and coding a direction parameter value, the scale value, and the position parameter value. With the technical solution provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the determining of the division mode of the image block on the image coder is simplified.
US09521405B1

A system is disclosed that may include an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) module configured to automatically adjust the gain of a receiver, which is configured to receive a signal. The signal includes a number of commands, which have a characteristic command length and a characteristic command interval. The command length may have a substantially shorter duration than the command interval. The system may also include a slicer configured to interface to a command processor. The system includes a command processor communicatively coupled with the AGC module and/or the slicer for providing a notification to the AGC module and/or the slicer associated with the ends of the commands. The AGC module is configured to adjust the gain of the receiver and the slicer threshold voltage is updated when the notification is received from the command processor.
US09521403B2

A display device includes: an image display means for displaying left-eye images and right-eye images alternately; a light-shielding means for generating an effect of binocular parallax in images displayed by the image display means; and a detection means for detecting a position of an observer, wherein the light-shielding means includes an image transmitting portion through which images of the image display means are transmitted and an image non-transmitting portion through which images are not transmitted, which moves a position of the image transmitting portion by ½, ¼ or ⅛ of a light-shielding portion pitch prescribed by an arrangement interval of the image transmitting portion based on a detected result of the detection means.
US09521402B2

The present invention discloses a stereoscopic display device and a manufacturing method thereof, which comprises: the display panel comprises a first row sub-pixel and a second row sub-pixel adjacently disposed in the column direction, the display control unit acquires a plurality of viewpoint images and divides the plurality viewpoint images into a first group viewpoint image and a second group viewpoint image, the display control unit further controls the first row sub-pixel to periodically display the content of each viewpoint image in the first group viewpoint image, and controls the second row sub-pixel to periodically display the content of each viewpoint image in the second group viewpoint image; the grating lens comprises a first row lens unit and a second row lens unit adjacently disposed in the column direction, which respectively cover on the first row sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel, the lens unit of the first row lens unit and the lens unit of the second row lens unit are staggered from each other along the row direction, and the staggered amount is less than one sub-pixel cycle, which can eliminate the moiré and can solve the crosstalk between each adjacent pixel unit. Through the above way, the present invention can eliminate the moiré and can solve the crosstalk between each adjacent pixel unit.
US09521398B1

A system and a process configuration generates a unitary rendered image for a video from at least two cameras. The configuration detects a communication coupling of at least two cameras and determines a master camera and a slave camera. The configuration determines an orientation of camera sensor of the master camera and the slave camera and determines a first frame of a video for a synchronization point for a start of a video capture. The configuration captures and reads images from the master camera sensor and the slave camera sensor in response to the start of the video capture and orientation of the camera sensors.
US09521397B2

A system includes a first camera defining a first camera coordinate system (C1) and configured to acquire a first image of a scene. A range sensor is spaced a first distance from the first camera and defines a range sensor coordinate system (R). A controller is operatively connected to the first camera and range sensor. The controller has a processor and a tangible, non-transitory memory device on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for obtaining a two-dimensional region of interest (u1*, v1*) in the first image, which is a two-dimensional intensity image. The first image is represented by a plurality of first points (u1, v1) in a first image plane. The controller is configured to acquire a range image of the scene with the range sensor. The range image is represented by a plurality of second points (u2, v2, d) in a second image plane.
US09521394B2

A method of decoding closed caption disparity data, involves a TV receiver receiving closed caption disparity data for a 3D display encoded as a sequence of frame interval/slope change pairs, with the frame interval representing a designated number of frames over which each linear function representing disparity is to be applied paired with a value indicating a change in slope from the slope of a preceding segment. A first segment in the sequence presumes a predetermined slope as a reference. A sequence of caption data packets specifies a closed caption display window containing closed caption text. The disparity value is used in each frame to determine a horizontal offset of left and right eye views of the CC display that establishes the closed caption display window's perceived z-axis position. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US09521392B2

A 3-dimensional (3D) video rendering device may convert a first left view video of a decompressed 3D video having a first frame rate to generate a second left view video having a second frame rate, and convert a first right view video having the first frame rate to generate a second right view video having the second frame rate. The second left view video having a particular pixel resolution may be converted by the 3D video rendering device to generate a third left view video having full pixel resolution of the decompressed 3D video. The second right view video having the particular pixel resolution may be converted to generate a third right view video having the full pixel resolution. The 3D video rendering device may generate a sequence of video frames for 3D video display based on the third left view video and the third right view video.
US09521388B2

Methods and apparatuses are provided for providing contents. A plurality of contents is reproduced at the first device. The plurality of contents is transmitted from the first device to a second device to reproduce, in the second device, content in synchronization with the first device. Data is received from an external device during the reproducing of the plurality of contents at the first device. The received data is reproduced along with at least one of the plurality of contents being reproduced at the first device. The received data is transmitted from the first device to the second device. The transmitted data is used to enable the second device to reproduce the transmitted data together with the at least one of the plurality of contents.
US09521387B2

A sensor is provided for detecting light, including an imager which includes a first imaging element and a second imaging element situated adjacent to the first imaging element, and including an optical element which is designed for directing a first component of light incident in the direction of the first imaging element onto the second imaging element, and for allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element.
US09521384B2

Embodiments provide a video camera that can be configured to highly compress video data in a visually lossless manner. The camera can be configured to transform blue, red, and/or green image data in a manner that enhances the compressibility of the data. The camera can be configured to transform at least a portion of the green image data in a manner that enhances the compressibility of the data. The data can then be compressed and stored in this form. This allows a user to reconstruct the red, blue, and/or green image data to obtain the original raw data or a modified version of the original raw data that is visually lossless when demosacied. Additionally, the data can be processed in a manner in which at least some of the green image elements are demosaiced first and then the red, blue, and/or some green elements are reconstructed based on values of the demosaiced green image elements.
US09521379B2

Method for the adjustment of a photo finish camera including a matrix color filter, characterized in that the method includes the following steps: a first step of selecting a basic pattern having optical properties of sensitivity, of color quality and of resolution which are predefined according to race parameters; a second step of software selection of a set of adjacent columns whose number corresponds to the width of said selected basic pattern; a third step of centering said set of adjacent columns on the finish line.
US09521372B2

There is provided a technique to correctly select and measure a pattern to be measured even when contours of the pattern are close to each other in a sample including a plurality of patterns on a substantially same plane.A pattern measuring apparatus that scans a sample with charged particles, forms a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measures a pattern imaged on the detected image includes: an image acquiring section acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different imaging conditions; a contour extracting section extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; a contour reconstructing section reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; and a contour measuring section making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured.
US09521369B2

A set top box for a television receiver has a paired viewing card. It is also coupled to a hard disc drive for the recording and storage of received broadcasting. If the viewer has a full subscription, the viewer is able to access and view subscription broadcasting by way of the set top box. If the subscription is no longer paid, different usage rights are associated with the set top box so that, while the set top box can no longer access the subscription broadcasting, the viewer is still able to access and play any previously stored subscription programming.
US09521368B1

Systems and methods for enabling a visitor to access VR representations authored by different authors of locations in a virtual universe via a computer network are provided. A plurality of VR data sets may be stored. Each VR data set comprise web or IP camera VR datasets and may be independently authored by a respective author different from the other authors. One or more VR data servers may be adapted to access and transmit the VR data sets, and each VR data set may be associated with a VR data server for access to the VR data set. A domain server may be adapted to access and transmit domain data comprising the location within the universe of each VR representation and the network address of the VR data server associated with the VR representation. Further, a client host may be adapted to communicate with the domain server to receive domain data representing the network address of the VR data server associated with a selected VR representation, the client host further adapted to communicate with that VR data server to access the VR data set defining the VR representation without leaving the virtual universe.
US09521367B2

A method, apparatus, and system to provide the ability for a user to make audio and/or audio-video phone calls simultaneously while watching (co-viewing) provider video content in remote locations. A control system is provided to set up call, direct provider video content, and provide for the phone calls and video content to be delivered and then synchronized. The phone calls may be routed by the control system to PSTN destinations or Internet based destinations and calls made or received may be bridged to other Internet based sources. The provider video content may be provided directly from its source or routed through NAT traversal or through the control system.
US09521366B2

A method for playing a conference signal, a video conference terminal, and a mobile device, related to the field of communications technologies, are provided to improve effects of displaying a main stream signal and a presentation stream signal. The method includes establishing a connection channel between a mobile device held by a conference participant and a video conference terminal that are at a site; sending, through the established connection channel, a first type signal in to-be-played signals to the mobile device for play, where the to-be-played signals are signals that are received by the video conference terminal and are to be played; and sending a second type signal in the to-be-played signals to a primary playing device of the site for play.
US09521365B2

A method includes receiving, at a device from a first media device associated with a first user, image information indicating vibrations of an object. The vibrations are caused at least in part by speech of the first user. The method further includes generating audio content by the device based on the image information. The audio content represents the speech of the first user. The method further includes transmitting the audio content from the device to a second media device.
US09521364B2

A system facilitates managing one or more devices utilized for communicating data within a telepresence session. A telepresence session can be initiated within a communication framework that includes a first user and one or more second users. In response to determining a temporary absence of the first user from the telepresence session, a recordation of the telepresence session is initialized to enable a playback of a portion or a summary of the telepresence session that the first user has missed.
US09521357B2

In at least one embodiment, a method and a computer system for implementing the method are provided. The method may include streaming temporal video to obtain a streamed temporal video having a current incomplete segment and dynamically buffering the current incomplete segment to store data associated thereto and a current incomplete segment buffer. The method may further include receiving first and second inputs to obtain start and end time markers for a first video segment and continuously recording the streamed temporal video based on receipt of the first input and until receipt of the second input to obtain a raw recorded first video segment. A recorded first video segment may be generated based on the raw recorded first video segment and the current incomplete segment data. The method may be used to generate recordings of discontinuous events from streaming video, for example, individual plays during sporting events.
US09521356B2

A digital security surveillance system allows a user to store selected security surveillance feeds while the user is simultaneously watching or reviewing another feed. User control commands are accepted and sent through the system. The system parses the resulting digital stream and generates identifying information associated with at least one video segment of the digital stream. The video segments are stored on a storage device. When a security surveillance feed is requested for display, a corresponding stored digital stream is found and its video segments are extracted from the storage device and sent to a decoder that converts the digital stream into display output signals. The security surveillance feeds can be simultaneously sent to an external storage device such as a DVD recorder or VCR.
US09521346B1

Provided is a readout integrated circuit (ROIC). The ROIC includes a memory for each of a plurality of pixels, an address selector to synchronize a subsequent bias voltage for each of the pixels, a reference voltage recover switch to subtract the initial bias voltage from an output voltage of the integrated circuit and to result an integrator voltage for a sample and hold block, and a pulse-width control circuit to prevent crosstalk of the subsequent bias voltage between first and second ones of the pixels while a pixel clock selects adjacent columns. The memory maintains an initial bias voltage for each pixel during an initial integration frame time and during a sample and hold readout processing time. The sample and hold readout processing time is utilized to write a subsequent bias voltage for each pixel for a subsequent integration frame time to allow the first one of the pixels to have a different bias voltage than the second one of the pixels inside each integration frame time.
US09521344B2

A method of operating an image sensor includes generating a plurality of ramping up/down signals, and comparing a correlated double sampled pixel signal produced from an output of a pixel with a correlated double sampled first ramping up/down signal among the plurality of ramping up/down signals in a reset interval. The method further includes comparing the correlated double sampled pixel signal with the correlated double sampled first ramping up/down signal at one sampling time or more in an image interval, and a step of outputting a selected ramping up/down signal among the plurality of ramping up/down signals based on a result of the comparison.
US09521342B2

Presented herein are novel shared amplifier charge mode readout architectures for image sensors, for example, configured to process a pair of signals comprising photointegration and reset signals from a pixel. The invention encompasses a novel 2-channel configuration wherein a single amplifier can serve the two channels in alternating phases. In the first phase, a selected pair of signals from the first channel is read out to an ADC using the amplifier while the readout components of the second channel are reset. In the second phase, a selected pair of signals from the second channel is read out an ADC using the amplifier while the readout components of the first channel are reset. This alternating arrangement allows a single amplifier to be shared between two readout channels. Level shifting may be included in the signal pathway to modulate output swing and other signal parameters.
US09521338B2

In an integrated-circuit image sensor, binary sample values are read out from an array of pixels after successive sampling intervals that collectively span an image exposure interval and include at least two sampling intervals of unequal duration. Each pixel of the array is conditionally reset after each of the successive sampling intervals according to whether the pixel yields a binary sample in a first state or a second state.
US09521335B2

What is disclosed is a system and method for detecting febrile seizure using a thermal video camera. In one embodiment, a video is received comprising time-sequential thermal images of a subject. The video is acquired of the subject in real-time using a thermal video system. Each thermal image comprises a plurality of pixels with an intensity value of each pixel corresponding to a temperature. The thermal images are processed to determine an occurrence of a febrile seizure. The processing involves identifying a region of interest in the thermal image and determining a temperature for the region of interest based on values of the pixels isolated in that region of interest. Thereafter, a rate of change of temperatures is obtained for the subject in real-time on a per-frame basis. If the rate of change is determined to have exceeded a pre-defined threshold level, then the subject is having a febrile seizure.
US09521334B2

An image capturing apparatus includes an interval shooting section (51) that performs an interval shooting process, a lighten compositing section (54) that performs a lighten compositing process using images captured one by one by the interval shooting process, and a composite-image-in-progress displaying section (55) that, when a first operation is performed, causes a composite image in a first memory area, which is used as a compositing buffer for the lighten compositing process, to be displayed on an LCD monitor without causing the interval shooting process to be stopped.
US09521327B2

An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a recording control unit configured to perform control to record an image captured by the image capturing unit on a recording medium, a display unit configured to display the image, a detection unit configured to detect information about ambient brightness of the image capturing apparatus, and a control unit configured to perform control to change brightness of the display unit based on a detection result by the detection unit, wherein the control unit performs control so as not to change the brightness of the display unit based on the detection result by the detection unit while the image is recorded on the recording medium.
US09521301B2

At least one aspect of present disclosure is directed towards a camera that includes a magnetic base and a removable main camera unit. The removable main camera unit may include an outer casing, a processor, a lens housing, a wireless communications interface, and an inner casing. The inner casing may reside within the outer casing and includes at least a metallic portion and a non-metallic portion. The non-metallic portion may form a non-metallic region that may extend from at least a first boundary of the metallic portion to a second boundary of the metallic portion through a central axis of the inner casing. The removable main camera unit may be configured to be removably coupled to the magnetic base based on a magnetic force between the magnetic base and the metallic portion of the inner casing.
US09521297B2

A reference color selection device includes a determination unit that compares a first and second magnitudes of a first second candidate colors with respect plural wavelengths and determines whether or not there is any wavelength that provides a reverse magnitude relationship between the first and second magnitudes reverse to a magnitude relationship at other wavelengths, the first and second candidate colors being included in a color group of reference colors used in color correction of a target color; and a selection unit that selects the color group as the reference colors when there is not a combination of the first and second candidate colors about which the determination unit determines that there is the wavelength that provides the reverse magnitude relationship in the color group to be the candidates of the reference colors.
US09521293B2

A management apparatus includes a search part that requests a plurality of communication devices to search for a terminal device to obtain search information from a communication device that detects the terminal device via communication. The search information includes object identifying information for identifying an object to be managed to which the terminal device is attached, location information regarding a location where the object locates, and storage location information indicating a storage location of the object. The terminal device stores the object identifying information and the storage location information. The management apparatus also includes a determination part that determines whether the object is stored at the storage location based on the search information; and an output part that outputs a result of the determination.
US09521291B2

The present disclosures relates generally to digital watermarking and data hiding. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining data representing captured imagery, the captured imagery depicting packaging including digital watermarking, the digital watermarking including an orientation signal that is detectable in a transform domain; generating a n-dimensional feature set of the data representing captured imagery, the n-dimensional feature set representing the captured imagery in a spatial domain, where n is an integer great than 13; using a trained classifier to predict the presence of the orientation signal in a transform domain from the feature set in the spatial domain. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.
US09521288B2

A sheet-fed scanner comprising a scan channel, a feeding unit, a transmitting unit, a background sheet, a background light source and a scan module is provided. The feeding unit is disposed at an inlet of the scan channel for feeding a document. The transmitting unit transmits the document to pass through the scan channel. The background sheet is disposed on a side of the scan channel, and has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces towards the scan channel. The background light source faces towards the second surface to provide an intermittent light signal to the background sheet, so that the background sheet correspondingly displays an intermittent variation background image on the first surface. The scan module is disposed on another side of the scan channel, and captures a document image of a document and the intermittent variation background image to generate scan data accordingly.
US09521287B2

A light guide for use in an image reading apparatus. The light guide extends in a predetermined direction. The light guide comprises an emitting surface, through which light rays entering the light guide are emitted, and a reflecting surface configured to reflect the light rays to the emitting surface. A cross-sectional surface of the light guide, which is a sectional surface of the light guide along a plane orthogonal to the predetermined direction in which the light guide extends, has a shape including a combination of an ellipse and a parabola. The parabola on the cross-sectional surface of the light guide defines the reflecting surface. A focal point of the parabola is located on a first focal point of the ellipse that is closer to the reflecting surface.
US09521284B2

Devices, methods, and software are disclosed for an interactive user interface for capturing a frame of image data having a representation of a feature. In an illustrative embodiment, a device includes an imaging subsystem, one or more memory components, and one or more processors. The imaging subsystem is capable of providing image data representative of light incident on said imaging subsystem. The one or more memory components include at least a first memory component operatively capable of storing an input frame of the image data. The one or more processors may be enabled for performing various steps. One step may include receiving the image data from the first memory component. Another step may include attempting to identify linear features defining a candidate quadrilateral form in the image data. Another step may include providing user-perceptible hints for guiding a user to alter positioning of the device to enhance a capability for identifying the linear features defining a candidate quadrilateral form in the image data.
US09521280B2

Provided are embodiments of systems and methods related to labeling, and more particular to labeling that may be guided by regulatory requirements. A system comprises an electronic device having a user interface capable of displaying a WYSIWYG image of a label and providing access to regulatory information related to the displayed label. The system may further determine compliance with regulatory guidelines by a user-edited label. The electronic device may be, or be in communication with, a label printer to initiate printing of a displayed label. A method includes the steps of accessing a WYSIWYG image of a label and accessing regulatory information related to such label using a handheld electronic device. The method may further include the steps of verifying compliance of a label with regulatory guidelines or requirements and initiating printing of such label, which may be adhesive.
US09521278B1

A magnetic data processing device includes a magnetic head configured to read data from or write data to a magnetic stripe extending in a first direction on a medium, while moving in the first direction, a pad facing the magnetic head and extending in the first direction, and a controller configured to cause the pad to be in contact with the magnetic head and cause the magnetic head to move in the first direction while being in contact with the pad.
US09521263B2

The present document relates to audio communication systems. In particular, the present document relates to the control of the level of audio signals within audio communication systems. A method for leveling a near-end audio signal (211) using a leveling gain (214) is described. The near-end audio signal (211) comprises a sequence of segments, wherein the sequence of segments comprises a current segment and one or more preceding segments. The method comprises determining a nuisance measure (416) which is indicative of an amount of aberrant voice activity within the sequence of segments of the near-end audio signal (211); and determining the leveling gain (214) for the current segment of the near-end audio signal (211), at least based on the leveling gain (214) for the one or more preceding segments of the near-end audio signal (211), and by taking into account—according to a variable degree—an estimate of the level of the current segment of the near-end audio signal (211); wherein the variable degree is dependent on the nuisance measure (416).
US09521256B1

A contact center dialing a telephone number to a destination party, such as a debtor, may discover that the number is subject to a prohibition of being autodialed. In other embodiments, a number that was subject to the prohibition of being autodialed is now discovered to no longer be subject to such prohibition. Various mechanisms may be defined to indicate how such a prohibition associated with the number may be indicated in a dialing list and how various contact center architectures may be used to process the dialing list. In one embodiment, separate sub-systems are used to dial separate dialing lists based on whether the number is to be manually dialed or dialed using an autodialer. In another embodiment, another architecture is used to process an integrated dialing list to determine whether a number is to be manually dialed or autodialed.
US09521250B2

A secure telephone call management system is provided for authenticating users of a telephone system in an institutional facility. Authentication of the users of the telephone call management system is accomplished by using a personal identification number, biometric means, and/or radio frequency means. The secure telephone call management system includes accounting software capable of limiting access to the system based on funds in a user's account, and includes management software capable of implementing widespread or local changes to the system. The system monitors a conversation in the telephone call to detect a presence of a first characteristic in audio of the conversation, and terminates the telephone call if the first characteristic does not match a second characteristic of biometric information of a user or a called party.
US09521245B2

A smart watch including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a battery configured to supply power to the smart watch; a base including a display configured to display information; first and second bands connected to the base such that the smart watch is attachable to a wrist of a user; and a processor configured to receive a palm touch input of the user on the display, and change a current status of the smart watch based on the received palm touch input.
US09521236B2

Disclosed herein are visual notification devices that are capable of wirelessly connecting to a mobile device to provide visual and/or audible notification to users of status changes on their mobile device, such as receipt of SMS, MMS, phone calls, voice mails, calendar appointments, and battery status in a location different from that of the mobile device. In operation a user can place the device in or near a working space (e.g. on a desk, book shelf or table), plug it into an automobile charging port, or strap it on the user's arm, so that the device is in a location different than the user's mobile device The user can visually and/or audibly notified of status changes by simply glancing at the device. The notifications can be user customizable through a user application on the mobile device. Additional user interfaces can be incorporated into the device to provide a set of remote controls for various operation of the mobile device. The user therefore need not repeatedly and continuously open and close the mobile device to determine whether there has been a status change, which is not only time consuming, an unnecessary consumption of battery life, but can also be burdensome and a hazardous distraction.
US09521235B2

A two-way mirroring system for sound data comprises a display device configured to output data including video or sound through a display; and a source device configured to be connected with the display device and output the data to the display device. The display device includes an audio transmission server which encodes the sound received from a sound input device receiving the sound and transmits it to the source device, and the source device includes an audio transmission client which receives the encoded sound transmitted from the audio transmission server and transmits the received, encoded sound to an application provided in its inside.
US09521233B2

A method and device for recording data of a terminal are disclosed. The method includes: setting a relation condition list for triggering recording among function modules, and setting a corresponding random probability generator for each function module; determining whether to start recording data, and whether to end the data recording operation in accordance with the relation condition list or the random probability generator, during the operation process of each function module; and sending the respective data packets obtained by recording to a data management module for storage after the data record operation of each function module is ended. By adopting the method and device, fuzzy recording can be performed on data of the terminal, and data of different function modules can be stored centrally, and a query operation is simplified.
US09521228B2

Provided herein is a mobile electronic apparatus or a control method of the mobile electronic apparatus, the mobile electronic apparatus including an operating unit for performing a character input operation, an acquiring unit that acquires a photographed image of a subject, an analyzing unit that analyzes the photographed image acquired by the acquiring unit and extracts character information contained in the photographed image, and a control unit that detects an input operation as a character input operation when the input operation is performed with the operating unit while the photographed image is being analyzed by the analyzing unit. Accordingly, detecting an input operation in the operating unit as entering characters even during an analysis in the analyzing unit makes it possible to use time efficiently.
US09521219B2

Described herein are systems, methods, and apparatuses for device communication over IP. In some embodiments, IPv6 addresses are compressed into ISO/IEC 14908-1 addresses, and use leading zero suppression to compress the headers. In some embodiments, IPv4 the least significant two bytes of the IPv4 address are used as an ISO/IEC 14908-1 subnet and node number.
US09521217B2

A system and method for optimizing communication between a client and a cloud-enabled network device communicating over the internet are provided. The method includes receiving a request from the client to access a user interface of the cloud-enabled network device; checking if the request is for a static resource of the user interface; upon determining that the request is for a static resource, sending the static resource from the cloud relay server to the client over the internet; and relaying the request to the cloud-enabled network device over the secure tunnel if the request cannot be served by the cloud relay server. In an embodiment, the cloud-enabled network device is connected in a local area network and communicates with the cloud relay server over a secure tunnel.
US09521211B2

A content processing device accumulates, at every predetermined time period, social information that defines the relationship and the degree of intimacy between users calculated based on lifelog information between the users; determines a time period when a content was generated, out of the predetermined time periods, from meta-information of the content; determines an evaluation time period from the determined time period; calculates a degree of intimacy between shared users during the evaluation time period; determines the priority of the evaluation time period according to the magnitude of the degree of intimacy; and controls output of the content generated during the evaluation time period according to the determined priority.
US09521209B2

The present invention provides a method of generating computer executable code using components, each of which corresponds to a respective data manipulation service, typically implemented by a respective entity. The method includes defining a combination of components corresponding to a sequence of data manipulations. The data manipulations are then performed, which can be achieved by requesting the provision of each service from the respective entities in accordance with the defined component combination, thereby causing computer executable code to be generated.
US09521206B2

A method, an equipment, and a system for pushing network content are provided that relate to the field of communications technologies. The method for pushing network content includes: setting, by a user, selected network content as a feature of a mobile equipment according to the interest point of the user on a network portal, and pushing an identifier of the network content and setting information to the mobile equipment, so the mobile equipment obtains the corresponding network content according to the identifier of the network content, and sets the network content as an attribute of the mobile equipment according to the setting information. With the present invention, the mobile equipment automatically sets the attribute of the mobile equipment according to the received identifier of network content and setting information pushed by a network side, thereby reducing operations of the user, and improving the user experience.
US09521201B2

A method for data storage includes, in a system that includes multiple servers and multiple storage devices, holding in a server a definition of a stripe that includes multiple memory locations on the storage devices, to be used by the servers for storing multiple data elements and at least a redundancy element calculated over the data elements. One or more of the data elements in the stripe are modified by the server, by executing in the storage devices an atomic command, which updates the redundancy element to reflect the modified data elements only if a current redundancy element stored in the storage devices reflects the multiple data elements prior to modification of the data elements, and storing the modified data elements in the storage devices only in response to successful completion of the atomic command.
US09521197B2

A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module dividing a very large data object into a plurality of data regions and generating a data object storage tracking table that includes sections for identifying one or more data regions that are available or unavailable for retrieval. The method continues with the DS processing module dividing a first data region into data segments and disperse storage error encoding the data segments to produce sets of encoded data slices. The method continues with the DS processing module sending DSN write requests regarding storing the sets of encoded data slices to storage units and when at least a write threshold number of write responses is received for each of the sets of encoded data slices, updating the data object storage tracking table to indicate that the first data region is available for retrieval.
US09521195B1

A method, system, and medium are provided for a computer system for downloading an application from a computing client onto a mobile information device through wireless telecommunications. An application is located from a multitude of resources available on the World Wide Web through the Internet. After an application is selected from a particular resource, it is uploaded onto the computing client. A web server receives this uploaded application by means of the Internet. Another server is used as an intermediate communications device to receive notification from the web server of the available uploaded application. This intermediate communications server notifies the mobile device by way of wireless telecommunications of a pending application that is ready for downloading onto the mobile device. The mobile device user downloads the application, which is also accomplished via wireless telecommunications.
US09521188B1

Techniques are disclosed for a client-and-server architecture where the client makes scheduled execution of instances to the server. The server may then launch occurrences as indicated by one of these API calls at each of the scheduled times. The server may also implement operations to selectively execute particular occurrences, such as executing a new occurrence only when no other occurrences are still running. In other embodiments, the server may implement pricing information in a determination of whether to execute a particular occurrence.
US09521180B2

An adaptive variable fidelity media provision system and method are provided herein.
US09521179B2

A method includes receiving at least one manifest file, playlists and video chunks for at least one channel of a live media stream. The method includes validating, by a processing device, the live media stream to ensure that the at least one manifest file, the playlists and the video chunks are available. Validating the live media stream includes determining whether the at least one live media stream complies with at least one predetermined standard. The method includes validating the live media stream to ensure that the files are not stale and live. The method also includes validating the live media stream to ensure that the video chunks are properly sequenced, and validating the live media stream based on Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) headers for the video chunks to determine whether errors are received associated with the live video stream.
US09521178B1

Dynamic bandwidth thresholds enable substantially uninterrupted transmission of a highest compatible bit rate of a stream of media from a host to a client via a network connection. The client may include one or more buffers for receiving the stream of media. Attributes including the geolocation information of the client, buffer activity, and a bandwidth of the network connection may be monitored to determine an alternative bit rate of the stream of media. Future streams of media may be served at the alternative bit rate to provide clients sharing one or more of the monitored attributes with the highest compatible bit rate based on the monitored attributes.
US09521168B2

A method and apparatus are provided for management of registrations in an IMS network. The method includes: creating, for a given public identity, at least two registration queues, each one being associated with a registration policy; receiving a registration message sent by a terminal having the public identity; and assigning one of the registration queues to the terminal on the basis of a field included in the message.
US09521166B2

Systems and methods are provided for automatically monitoring a compliance of web pages and graphical user interfaces with governmental and self-regulatory privacy and security policies. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided that comprises instructing the execution of an operation on content associated with at least one web page is generated. The operation may include at least one of (i) a scanning operation that generates forensic data corresponding to the web page or (ii) an analytical operation that analyzes at least a portion of the forensic data corresponding to the web page. The method further comprises obtaining output data associated with the executed operation, and generating information indicative of a compliance of the web page with at least one of a privacy regulation or a security regulation, the information being generated based on the output data.
US09521163B2

A system manager sets a port connected to a specific device (for example, a router device) among a plurality of ports of a switch device as a reliable port. If a packet is received in the reliable port, the switch device manages an IP address and a MAC address of the router device by a reliable port information table. When a packet is received from a port not set as the reliable port, the switch device refers to the reliable port information table. At this time, when the received packet is an address resolution packet having impersonated a router device, the switch device discards the packet without transmitting the packet, thereby preventing a cyber attack on a terminal.
US09521161B2

Techniques are provided for detecting computer fraud. The techniques include obtaining a text version of a candidate destination and a graphical rendering of the candidate destination, comparing the text version of the candidate destination and the graphical rendering of the candidate destination with a corresponding text version of a stored destination and a corresponding graphical rendering of the stored destination, and generating a fraud warning if the graphical rendering of the candidate destination is substantially similar to the graphical rendering of the stored destination while the text version of the candidate destination differs substantially from the corresponding text version of the stored destination.
US09521151B2

A system and method for optimizing a cloud environment using a workflow.
US09521150B2

A system, method, and profiler for regulating access between a remote network and a host network. The profiler includes a processor for executing a set of instructions and a memory for storing the set of instructions. The set of instructions are executed to determine one or more target devices for the host network, determine authorized content for messages from one or more remote networks to the one or more target devices, analyze the messages to determine whether the messages comply with message thresholds for the remote networks, and communicate the messages between the host network and the one or more remote networks in response to compliance with the message thresholds and the authorized content.
US09521148B2

An on-line portal access and management system uses multiple ip devices organized on a server application with multiple level restricted log-in and event logging. The program with multiple connected IP devices allows the credentialed user to access and organize the capabilities of the multiple system connected IP devices through a single login portal. The IP devices operate equipment such as doors, gates, cameras, access control systems, VOIP intercoms, HVAC systems and other IP based systems typically found in multi-story buildings or multi building campuses. The IP devices generate data logged and archived to the IP device memory media or local data storage device. The application program sifts the IP device generated data for user important information and moves important IP device generated information to the server based memory and data files.
US09521144B2

An authority delegate system, including a server system which provides a service to a device having an application, and an authorization server system which performs authorization processing to delegate user authority in the service to a usage source of the service, includes a management unit, and a providing unit. The management unit identifies authority of the application, in accordance with having received a request to register the application as the usage source, and manages the identified authority, and an identifier of the application, in an associated manner. The providing unit provides the service, in a case where an authorization operation has been performed to permit delegating of the user authority to the application transmitting a request to use the service, and an authority which the application uses is included in authorities associated with the identifier of the application.
US09521135B2

In a method and a system for a computer-based and secured communication between data processing units a sender selects an alphanumeric and/or image data set, which is sent to at least one contact selected by sender out of a contact list. The selected contact is assigned an authorization by the sender, wherein the authorization is stored on the server. The selected alphanumeric and/or image data set is pixelated before sending it to the at least one selected contact. The pixelated data set is transmitted to a data processing unit of the at least one contact. The data processing unit of the at least one selected contact communicates with the server and the authorization is requested or obtained. At authorization of the contact, the pixelation of the pixelated data set, sent by sender, is removed.
US09521132B2

A method and apparatus for storing data and performing logical comparisons and other operations on said data, the results of said comparisons and operations reveal only limited information about the stored data. Stored data may include, but is not limited to, confidential information such as passwords, biometric data, credit card data, personal identifiers that uniquely identify an individual, authorization levels where an entity may make a claim to have a certain level of access right or authorization, votes cast in an election, and encryption keys. Control logic within the apparatus prevents direct access to the data store other than via a restricted command interface which prevents data from being revealed. For example, operations such as checking a putative password against a password in the data store is performed by the apparatus which returns a pass or fail, but does not reveal the stored password.
US09521130B2

Systems and methods are provided for establishing an encrypted communication link between a first device and a second device. One exemplary computer-implemented method includes accessing, from a storage, identification information of a user of the first device. The method further includes receiving, at a domain name server, a Domain Name Service (DNS) request from the first device requesting a network address corresponding to a domain name associated with the second device, the domain name being used to establish the encrypted communication link to the second device. The method further includes authenticating the user based on the user identification information, the user identification information including biometric information of the user. The method also includes transmitting network address in response to the DNS request based on a determination that the user has been authenticated at the domain name server using the biometric information of the user. The encrypted communication link between the first device and the second device is established based on the network address.
US09521125B2

The present application is directed to pseudonymous attestation utilizing a chain of trust. An example prover device may include a chain-of-trust based on keys derived cryptographically from a shared symmetric key and pseudonymous identification data. The chain-of-trust may be used to cryptographically generate a pseudonymous public key and private key. The prover device may provide at least pseudonymous identification data and the pseudonymous public key to a verifier device. The verifier device may access pseudonymous data published by a certifier determine whether the prover device is authentic and includes known-good versions of software (e.g., sourced from the certifier). In this manner, the verifier device may be assured that the prover device is authentic without knowing the actual identity of the prover device. In at least one embodiment, the prover device may also include a trusted execution environment (TEE).
US09521123B2

A method for encryption and sealing of a plaintext file by hashing the plaintext file to produce a plaintext hash, encrypting the plaintext file to produce ciphertext, hashing the ciphertext to produce a ciphertext hash, hashing the plaintext hash and the ciphertext hash to produce a result hash, and sealing the ciphertext together with the result hash. This provides verification for non-repudiation and protects against undetected malware corrupting the plaintext or ciphertext files.
US09521122B2

An approach is provided for managing a message in a transfer from a computer. A level of sensitivity of data in a payload of the message is determined. A level of security protecting the transfer of the data is determined. Based on the level of sensitivity, the level of security is determined to satisfy or not satisfy a threshold level. If the level of security satisfies the threshold level, the computer is connected and the message is transferred using the level of security. If the level of security does not satisfy the threshold level, then based on the levels of sensitivity and security, an action to change the level of security is determined so that the changed level of security satisfies the threshold level. The action is executed to connect the computer and transfer the message using the changed level of security.
US09521120B2

This method securely transmits data from a secure control system [110] located on an isolated computer network [100] to a separate computer [210] outside the isolated control network [100]. The method includes several features designed to minimize the risk of outside cyber attack on the control system [110] while ensuring that the data is transmitted correctly and promptly. The system uses a non-routable unidirectional physical data link [300]. Messages [400] are redundantly transmitted to computer [210] without acknowledgement along with checksums [430,450]. The checksum information is used to validate that the message header [420] and the message data [440] have been received correctly. Redundant information contained in repeated message data blocks [440] is discarded after the transmitted message [400] is correctly received and decoded. An ordered transmission sequence is used to minimize the message delay if an individual message [400] was not received correctly on its first transmission.
US09521113B2

Technologies for providing electronic security to a first network are disclosed. The system may include a user equipment, a gateway device configured to mediate communication between a first network and a second network for the user equipment, and an electronic security device communicatively coupled to the gateway device. The electronic security device may include a gateway interface module configured to assume an identity associated with the gateway device, a network interface module configured to present the identity to the second network, and a traffic inspection module configured to monitor traffic without substantially affecting a topology of the first network, wherein the electronic security device is configured to identify undesirable traffic; and implement a security policy.
US09521111B2

Methods, systems, and products translate addresses in residential networks. A residential gateway translates requests for content such that the residential gateway appears as both a requestor and a destination for requested content, regardless of an actual requesting device or a desired output device.
US09521109B2

Embodiments relate to methods, devices, and computer-implemented methods for internet protocol (“IP”) address assignment by a dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) server. The method includes receiving, from a client device, a DHCP discovery message for allocation of an IP address; assigning, by a processor, an IP address to the client device for a first lease period based on the DHCP discovery message; providing the IP address that was assigned to the client device; receiving, from the client device, an IP address lease renewal request during the first lease period; and renewing the first lease period to establish a second lease period that is longer than the first lease period based on a length of time the IP address that was assigned is in use by the client device.
US09521098B2

Embodiments provide a system and method for providing personal safety for a user.
US09521087B1

A system and method for serving requests using multiple release cycles is disclosed. The data release application includes a controller, a configuration data engine, a matching engine and a rendering engine. The controller receives a request from a client. The configuration data engine determines a set of criteria and a collection of release datasets corresponding to configuration data. The matching engine matches the request with the set of criteria and determines a combination of release cycle and release stage for servicing the request. The rendering engine retrieves a release dataset from the collection of release datasets that corresponds to the combination of release cycle and release stage and generates a response based on the release dataset.
US09521075B2

A communication device is included in an ad hoc network in a reactive routing scheme. The communication device includes a receiving unit, a selecting unit, and a transfer control unit. The receiving unit receives a route request frame including overall quality information on routes through which the route request frame has passed. The selecting unit selects a route request frame to be transferred to another communication device based on the quality information, from the route request frames received by the receiving unit through a plurality of routes. The transfer control unit transfers the route request frame selected by the selecting unit to the another communication device, and discards the route request frame when a quality value indicated by the quality information of the route request frame is smaller than a predetermined reference value.
US09521073B2

In some embodiments, edge devices associated with a network segment are identified. One of the devices is elected as an authoritative device and any previous authoritative devices are instructed to halt forwarding network traffic to an overlay network.
US09521070B2

An information processing apparatus includes a first port coupled to a first network, a second port coupled to a second network, a first memory, and a first processor coupled to the first memory and configured to execute first routing processing related to communication performed by the information processing apparatus and a first information processing apparatus coupled to the first port through the first network, execute second routing processing related to communication performed by the first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus coupled to the second port through the second network, when a failure occurs in the first port, cause a third information processing apparatus coupled to both of the first and second networks to execute the first routing processing, and when a failure occurs in the second port, cause the third information processing apparatus to execute the second routing processing.
US09521051B2

A method for handling an invalid packet for a blade server includes identifying whether a packet is valid, when the packet is identified as invalid, comparing the invalid packet with a plurality of packet data stored in a storage module, when the invalid packet is similar to a first packet datum among the plurality of packet data, executing a command indicated by the first packet datum, and ignoring the invalid packet when the invalid packet is not similar to any of the plurality of packet data.
US09521049B2

A system and method are disclosed herein for providing a unidirectional outage bypass for incoming communications via a hosted Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) private branch exchange (PBX) system to a session initiation protocol (SIP) device. An outage monitoring system is in communication with both the unidirectional bypass system and one or more bypass enablers that act at the direction of the unidirectional bypass system. The outage monitoring system detects outages and overloads, as well as, network failures between network components, the VoIP PBX, Client Devices and the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The unidirectional bypass system, in response to detection of an outage, determines error-handling procedures for the unidirectional bypass based on bypass configuration data. The bypass enablers forward incoming communications between the PSTN and a bypass destination following a bypass route in accordance the error-handling procedures, by bypassing components that are currently experiencing failures or overloads.
US09521047B2

Raw machine data are captured and may be organized as events. Entity definitions representing machine entities that perform a service identify the machine data pertaining to respective entities. KPI search queries each define a KPI. Each KPI search query derives one or more values for the KPI from machine data identified in the entity definitions. The derivation may be performed on a per-entity basis and on the aggregate. The derived values may then be translated into a state value domain using per-entity thresholds, aggregate thresholds, or a combination.
US09521044B2

Methods, devices, and computer program products communicating discovery information in a wireless neighborhood aware network (NAN). One method includes receiving a message from a neighboring wireless device. The message includes an identifier associated with the neighboring wireless device. The method further includes adding the identifier to a data structure indicative of discovered device identifiers. The method further includes transmitting a message including the data structure indicative of discovered device identifiers.
US09521038B2

A mobile communications network can establish one or more communications bearers for communicating data packets to/from a communications terminal via a radio network and a core network, each of the communications bearers established using context information associated with connections from the communications terminal to destination addresses, or to the communications terminal from source addresses. The communications terminal can, in an idle state, communicate a short signalling message data packet to a base station of the radio network, using predetermined parameters for configuring a mobile communications terminal transmitter, which correspond with parameters with which a receiver in the base station can receive the short message data packet, the short message data packet including an indication of context information usable by the mobile communications network for communicating the short message data packet to a mobility manager of the mobile communications network. The short message data packet can be context-less or quasi-context-less.
US09521035B2

Handling alerts in a system to reduce to the number of non-actionable alerts that are provided to an alert handling portion of the system. A method includes receiving an alert. The alert is an unstructured data alert. The method further includes comparing the alert to a plurality of known non-actionable alerts to determine a similarity of the alert to one or more of the known non-actionable alerts. The method further includes dispatching the alert based on the similarity of the alert to one or more of the known non-actionable alerts.
US09521031B2

A system and method of accessing web or network sites interfacing through a walled garden web server by dynamically expanding the reach of the walled garden on a user-by-user basis, based on the content that is returned to the user. The system includes a traffic analyzer and filter, a traffic forwarder, a traffic tagger, and a traffic redirector. A plurality of databases interface with the traffic analyzer and filter for appropriately manipulating web traffic from users by matching URL requests from a user with seed URLs in one or more of the databases. A depth parameter may be associated with a URL, indicating the number of times a particular domain has been traversed by a particular user. A depth rating database may be used to specify the number of times a particular URL may be accessed.
US09521030B2

A device may receive campaign information for deploying a toll-free data service campaign. The campaign information may identify a uniform resource identifier for accessing a toll-free data service associated with the toll-free data service campaign. The device may determine a host name included in the uniform resource identifier. The device may determine a network address associated with the host name. The device may modify the uniform resource identifier, to generate a modified uniform resource identifier for accessing the toll-free data service, by replacing the host name, included in the uniform resource identifier, with the network address. The device may deploy the toll-free data service campaign by providing, to an enforcement device, the modified uniform resource identifier.
US09521029B2

A system and method is disclosed herein for providing a bidirectional outage bypass for a hosted voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) private branch exchange (PBX) system. An outage monitoring system is in communication with both the bidirectional bypass system and one or more bypass enablers that act at the direction of the bidirectional bypass system. The outage monitoring system detects outages and overloads, as well as, network failures between the VoIP PBX and the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The bidirectional bypass system, in response to detection of an outage, determines error-handling procedures for the bidirectional bypass based on bypass configuration data. The bypass enablers forward outgoing communications between a client device and the PSTN, in accordance the error-handling procedures, by bypassing components that are currently experiencing failures or overloads. The bypass enablers forward incoming communications for the VoIP PBX to an alternative destination in accordance with the error-handling procedures.
US09521020B2

It is disclosed to insert an anti-whitened data block, which is obtainable from a specific data block by anti-whitening, into a data block that is to be whitened by a whitening to yield a whitened data block, wherein the anti-whitening compensates the whitening so that the whitened data block will comprise the specific data block in non-whitened form. It is further disclosed to output, in a first operating mode, an output data block generated by one of whitening and de-whitening an input data block in its entirety, and outputting, in a second operating mode, one of: an output data block generated by one of whitening and de-whitening all parts of an input data block under exclusion of a specific data block contained in the input data block.
US09521015B2

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for enhancing media quality by dynamically inserting a quality enhancement gateway are disclosed. According to one method, steps are performed at a service node. The method includes detecting a condition associated with a session between two endpoints that indicates that the session could benefit from media quality enhancement processing. The method also includes signaling the endpoints to route at least a portion of the session through a quality enhancement gateway (QEG) capable of providing the media quality enhancement processing for the session.
US09521014B2

A data transmission method and network system are provided. The data transmission method is applied to a data center when a data packet can't be transmitted from the first virtual machine of a first server to the second virtual machine of a second server due to the data center occurring lookup fail. The data transmission method includes the steps of transmitting the data packet through a downlink port of a first TOR switch according to an ISID; encapsulating the data packet and setting a CVID to a first value; transmitting the encapsulated data packet to a first spine switch; and transmitting the encapsulated data packet to the second virtual machine by the first spine switch according to the flooding information, wherein the flooding information is generated according to an f-BVID.
US09521013B2

Users in public forums often mention certain topics in the course of their discussions. Member's comments in messages to other members are analyzed to obtain terms that co-occur with topics. Frequencies of co-occurrence of a term with topics are normalized based on frequency of the term in a random sample of message. The terms are ranked by their normalized frequency of co-occurrence with a topic in messages. The top terms are selected based on their rank. Analysis of demographic information associated with members that mentioned top terms associated with a topic is displayed in graphical format that highlights the relationship between the age, gender, and usage of the top terms over time. The demographic information presented includes average age of members that mentioned a top term or their gender information within a selected time interval.
US09521003B2

A multicarrier transceiver is provided with a sleep mode in which it idles with reduced power consumption when it is not needed to transmit or receive data. The full transmission and reception capabilities of the transceiver are quickly restored when needed, without requiring the full (and time-consuming) initialization commonly needed to restore such transceivers to operation after inactivity.
US09521002B2

A method for storing digital data information on a data carrier and for reading the information therefrom uses a disk having an individual digital identifier. A signature is formed, and the information includes information items, which can be processed by a first electronic data processing device only if the identifier and the signature are in a predefined relation to one another. To supply a household appliance operated by an electric motor with process control data, while ensuring that only original data are used, the information components can be processed by a second electronic data processing device even if the signature and the identifier are not in the predefined relation to one another. Also, a household appliance operable by an electric motor, in particular a food processor, has an electronic data processing device. A system and an integrated semiconductor circuit also realize the features for storing digital data information.
US09520992B2

A method for making memory more reliable involves accessing data stored in a removable storage device by translating a logical memory address provided by a host digital device to a physical memory address in the device. A logical memory address is received from the host digital device. The logical memory address corresponds to a location of data stored on the removable storage device. A physical memory address corresponding to the local address is determined by accessing a lookup table corresponding to the logical zone.
US09520991B2

An apparatus (10) for handling bills and/or coins has a control unit (12) that detects a peripheral device connected to the control unit (12), generates a data encryption key (DEK), reads from the peripheral device identification information (W) that denotes the peripheral device, generates a key encryption key (KEK) based the read identification information (W), stores an encrypted data encryption key (VDEK) generated by encrypting the data encryption key (DEK) using the key encryption key (KEK) in a memory area of a hard disk (14), and ascertains the data encryption key (DEK) by decrypting the encrypted data encryption key (VDEK) using the key encryption key (KEK). The control unit (12) encrypts useful data to be stored on the hard disk (14) in encrypted form using the data encryption key (DEK) or decrypts useful data stored on the hard disk in encrypted form using the data encryption key (DEK).
US09520986B2

Source-synchronous communications between networked devices can be hindered by differing clock rates and data interface formats among the devices. By implementing a plurality of clock converters, a data interface format of a transmitting device is converted to a data interface format compatible with a receiving device. The clock converters provide a clock signal based on the source-synchronous data clock, and having a phase controlled with respect to an associated data signal. As a result, data exchange between devices operating at different clock rates is made possible.
US09520975B2

A method for transmission of control data to a user equipment in a mobile telecommunication system, wherein the method comprises sending control data to the user equipment in a data transmission, and performing, by the user equipment, a blind decoding of transmission elements within the data transmission in order to detect the control data in a data region in the data transmission.
US09520965B2

A method for reducing a frequency error, including: applying a plurality of dither values to a local reference clock over a first time interval; sampling, during the first time interval and using the local reference clock, a first plurality of data values received over an asynchronous link, where the first plurality of data values are transmitted over the asynchronous link based on a remote reference clock; tracking a plurality of errors from sampling the first plurality of data values; and adjusting, based on the plurality of errors, a frequency of the local reference clock to reduce the frequency error between the local reference clock and the remote reference clock.
US09520962B2

A transport management system receives a request for a planned interruption in an optical network, and identifies transport equipment of the optical network affected by the planned interruption. The transport management system selectively sends a notification, from the network device, the identified transport equipment affected by the planned interruption, including a scheduled time of the planned interruption and a duration associated with the planned interruption, where the notification enables the notified transport equipment to buffer data to be transmitted on links affected by the planned interruption for the notified duration of the planned interruption.
US09520954B1

A system and method supply a test signal having a first tone at a first RF frequency and a second tone at a second RF frequency to a frequency converter; provide a local oscillator (LO) signal to the frequency converter, wherein an IF output signal of the frequency converter is supplied to an input of an intermediate frequency (IF) filter, in response to which the IF filter provides a filtered IF output signal; for each of N>1 different LO frequencies, measure the filtered IF output signal at a pair of IF frequencies corresponding to differences between the first and second RF frequencies and the LO frequency, where the measurements of the filtered IF output signal measure time-invariant phase; and ascertain N−1 values of phase dispersion D of the IF filter at N−1 corresponding IF frequencies from the N measurements of the filtered IF output signal at the N different LO frequencies.
US09520942B2

The present disclosure provides a millimeter-wave waveguide communication system. The millimeter-wave waveguide communication system may comprise: a clock component, and at least two sets of millimeter-wave receiving/transmitting channels. The clock component is configured to provide a clock signal to sending ends and receiving ends of the two sets of millimeter-wave receiving/sending channels respectively. Each set of millimeter-wave receiving/sending channels comprises: a transmitter component, a receiver component and a transmission waveguide. The transmission waveguide is located between the transmitter component and the receiver component and is configured to provide a channel for millimeter-wave transmission. The top face, side face and/or bottom face of the transmission waveguide, except for active devices and accessories thereof, are plated with a metal conductive wall to form an electromagnetic shield from a transmission waveguide in an adjacent millimeter-wave receiving/sending channel. The metal conductive wall can minimize the crosstalk between the channels during high-speed communications, thereby improving data bandwidth and data throughput of the millimeter-wave communication system.
US09520940B2

The present disclosure provides a method operable in a balloon network. The method can include determining that a balloon is at a location associated with a first legally-defined geographic area, wherein an area profile identifies a list of geographically-prohibited data that is restricted from being cached in the first legally-defined geographic area. The method can also include receiving first data. The method can also include using the list of geographically-prohibited data to determine whether or not the first data is geographically-prohibited data. If the first data is geographically-prohibited data, then the method can further include refraining from storing the first data in data storage at the first balloon.
US09520936B2

A method for efficiently updating system information of a base station at a relay station of a broadband wireless access system and an apparatus for performing the method are disclosed. The method for updating system information of an advanced base station (ABS) at an advanced relay station (ARS) of a broadband wireless access system comprises receiving a first message, which includes changed information of the system information of the base station, from the base station; transmitting a second message for acknowledgment of the first message to the base station; and performing application for the changed information.
US09520934B2

A transmission method includes mapping processing, phase change processing, and transmission processing. In the mapping processing, a plurality of first modulation signals and a plurality of second modulation signals are generated using a first mapping scheme, and a plurality of third modulation signals and a plurality of fourth modulation signals are generated using a second mapping scheme. In the phase change processing, a phase change is performed on the plurality of second modulation signals and the plurality of fourth modulation signals using all N kinds of phases. In the transmission processing, the first modulation signals and the second modulation signals are respectively transmitted at a same frequency and a same time from different antennas, and the third modulation signals and the fourth modulation signals are respectively transmitted at a same frequency and a same time from the different antennas.
US09520933B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for enabling multiple transmission modes based on control information of different formats.
US09520926B2

A method of transmitting a beamforming report frame for transmit beamforming is provided. The method may include acquiring, by a receiver, data of a signal transmitted by a transmitter, selecting either media access control (MAC) software or MAC hardware, to assign a sequence number based on a type of the data, and assigning a sequence number to the management frame based on the data, using either the MAC software or MAC hardware that is selected.
US09520923B2

The present disclosure relates to a low-complexity transmitter architecture that drives phase modulators with digital signals to generate a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal that is transmitted by an antenna. In some embodiments, the system has a pre-processing element that generates first and second digital control signals from a digital baseband signal. A first phase modulation component introduces a first phase shift into a first local oscillator signal based upon the first control signal and generates a first digital signal corresponding to the first phase shift. A second phase modulation component introduces a second phase shift into the first local oscillator signal based upon the second control signal and generates a second digital signal corresponding to the second phase shift. A combination element is configured to combine the first and second digital output signals to generate an RF pulse width modulated (RF-PWM) signal.
US09520917B2

Described herein are techniques related to near field coupling and wireless power transfers. A portable device may include a coil antenna that includes an upper loop and a lower loop to form a figure-eight arrangement. The figure-eight coil antenna arrangement is wrapped against top and bottom surfaces of a component to establish near field coupling through front side, top side, bottom side, or corner side of the portable device. Further, a flux guide may be placed between the coil antenna and the component to facilitate magnetic flux at the upper loop and the lower loop to induce current of the same phase during receive mode. During transmit mode, the flux guide facilitates the magnetic flux at the upper loop and the lower loop to generate magnetic fields of the same direction.
US09520916B2

An opening area between twisted portions of a pair of twisted wires is arranged to be opposite to an opening area of an aperture antenna of each of communication apparatuses. Thus, the use of the pair of twisted wires permits division of electric power among the communication apparatuses and also communication of signals. In particular, among the opening areas between the twisted portions of the pair of twisted wires, only an opening area, which is in between the twisted portion and the twisted portion and is opposite to the aperture antenna, is formed to be larger than a different opening area. This provides a vehicular power line communication system and a transmitter in the system; the system strengthens electromagnetic induction connection between the transmitter and the receiver to permit power line communication.
US09520914B2

A system, apparatus, and method use full duplexing with polarization. A wireless communication system includes a first transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless signals to and from at least a second transceiver. The first transceiver includes a plurality of transmitter antennas and a plurality of receiver antennas. At least one of the transmitter antennas is configured to transmit a first signal with a first polarization weight to at least the second transceiver. At least one of the receiver antennas is configured to receive a second signal with a second polarization from the second transceiver. The second polarization is cross polarized with the first polarization.
US09520900B2

A transmitter for transmitting a signal including an interleaved symbol stream includes a convolutional interleaver including a plurality of delay portions, each of which is arranged to delay symbols from an uninterleaved symbol stream from an input to an output by a different amount, the delay portions being arranged in a sequence. An input selector inputs the symbols from the uninterleaved symbol stream to the delay portions so that successive symbols are input in accordance with the sequence of the delay portions. An output selector reads the symbols from the delay portions by successively selecting the symbols from the outputs of the delay portions in accordance with the sequence of the delay portions to form an interleaved symbol stream.
US09520899B2

A method is provided for generating a maximized linear correcting code from a base linear correcting code, the base correcting code and the maximized linear correcting code being associated with one and the same parity matrix H, the matrix being used to generate syndromes, the syndromes being used for decoding code words. The method comprises a step of identifying the syndromes unused for decoding the base linear correcting code, a step of identifying the errors that can affect the code words and make it possible to obtain the unused syndromes when a code word is multiplied by the matrix H and a step of selecting a unique error for each unused syndrome from among the identified errors, the error being called additional error.
US09520891B1

The present invention relates to a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) for providing a digital approximation of a sampled differential input signal as a result of a successive approximation operation. The SAR ADC comprises a first comparison stage configured to perform a first set of decision steps of the successive approximation operation and a second comparison stage configured to perform a second set of decision steps of the successive approximation operation. Furthermore, the SAR ADC comprises a regulation circuit configured to adjust the common mode of the input signal towards a target common mode before the second comparison stage performs the second set of decision steps. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method and a corresponding design structure.
US09520887B1

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques and apparatus for glitch-free bandwidth switching in a phase-locked loop (PLL). One example PLL generally includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising a first variable capacitive element and a second variable capacitive element and a bandwidth adjustment circuit comprising a first switch in parallel with a resistor of a resistor-capacitor (RC) network. The bandwidth adjustment circuit is configured to open the first switch for a first bandwidth mode, close the first switch in a transition from the first bandwidth mode to a second bandwidth mode, and control a capacitance of the second variable capacitive element based on a voltage of a node of the RC network.
US09520878B1

An integrated circuit may include a first logic region having a first bidirectional driver circuit and a second logic region having a logic circuit and a second bidirectional circuit. The first bidirectional driver circuit may be coupled to the second bidirectional driver circuit via a conductive path. The second bidirectional circuit may receive a dynamic control signal from the logic circuit to selectively transmit a signal to the first bidirectional driver circuit based on the dynamic control signal. The first logic region further includes an additional logic circuit. The additional logic circuit may provide an additional dynamic control signal to the first bidirectional driver circuit to selectively transmit an additional signal to the second bidirectional driver circuit over the conductive path. To prevent current contention, only one bidirectional driver circuit may be activated to drive the conductive path at a given time.
US09520861B1

A system to generate an oscillator signal. The system includes a multi-stage oscillator, where each stage generates an output. The system also includes a first weighting circuit coupled to the multi-stage oscillator. The first weighting circuit taps the outputs of at least some of the stages and applies a first variable weighting factor to each output of the tapped stages to generate a first weighted output for each of the tapped stages. The system also includes a first summing circuit coupled to the first weighting circuit. The first summing circuit sums the first weighted outputs of the tapped stages to produce the oscillator signal.
US09520860B2

Systems and methods for detecting the failure of a precision time source using an independent time source are disclosed. Additionally, detecting the failure of a GNSS based precision time source based on a calculated location of a GNSS receiver is disclosed. Moreover, the system may be further configured to distribute a time derived from the precision time source as a precision time reference to time dependent devices. In the event of a failure of the precision time source, the system may be configured to distribute a time derived from a second precision time source as the precision time signal during a holdover period.
US09520857B2

An electronic device includes a main circuit connected between an input terminal and an output terminal, and an auxiliary circuit connected in parallel to the main circuit between the input terminal and the output terminal. The main circuit includes a filter having a first passband and a stopband. The auxiliary circuit has a passing characteristic that allows a signal having a frequency in a certain frequency band inside the stopband to pass through the auxiliary circuit. The main circuit is configured to output a main signal in response to an input signal. The auxiliary circuit is configured to output an auxiliary signal in response to the input signal. The main signal and the auxiliary signal contain phase components opposite to each other in the certain frequency band inside the stopband. This electronic device has an attenuation amount in the stopband.
US09520850B2

Techniques for providing multiple power supplies in electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an appropriate power supply is provided only to accommodate a volume setting. In other words, there are at least two power supplies, one with a low voltage and the other with a high voltage. The high voltage power supply is only applied when there is a need to accommodate a volume setting. Thus the power consumption of the amplifiers is well controlled. As a result, the designs of the device and heat dissipation therein can be simplified and lowered in cost.
US09520848B2

Disclosed herein is an amplifier including a voltage follower circuit having differential input terminals and an output terminal fed back to a first one of the differential input terminals, the voltage follower circuit being configured to amplify an input signal inputted to a second one of the differential input terminals and output the amplified signal from the output terminal; a first current source configured to supply a predetermined current to the voltage follower circuit; and a second current source configured to supply current to the voltage follower circuit when a potential difference between the second one of the differential input terminals and the output terminal is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
US09520847B2

The present invention is applied to a switching amplifier that includes a first high-side gate and a first low-side gate having output terminals connected together, and a high-side driver and a low-side driver that drive the first high-side gate and the first low-side gate, respectively. In the switching amplifier of the present invention, the high-side driver includes an input switching amplifier that uses the output terminal of the first high-side gate as a power source.
US09520846B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for processing an input signal. One example apparatus is a circuit that generally includes an amplifier, comprising a first transistor and a second transistor connected in cascode with the first transistor; a buffer coupled to an output of the amplifier and configured to provide feedback to the amplifier; and a current source coupled to the second transistor and incorporated into a loop of the feedback to the amplifier.
US09520842B2

A transmission line driver circuit includes: a transmission line driving amplifier having a first transmission terminal and a second transmission terminal; a first signal node; a second signal node; a first adjustable resistor positioned between the first transmission terminal and the first signal node; a second adjustable resistor positioned between the second transmission terminal and the second signal node; an internal node; a first divider resistor positioned between the first signal node and the internal node; a second divider resistor positioned between the second signal node and the internal node; a comparing circuit for comparing a divided voltage at the internal node with a reference voltage to generate a comparison signal; and an adjusting circuit for adjusting resistance of at least one of the first and second adjustable resistors according to the comparison signal.
US09520834B2

A quadrature mixer arrangement is disclosed, which is adapted to translate an input signal by a translation frequency. The mixer arrangement is operated at a clock rate that equals the translation frequency times an oversampling rate, wherein the oversampling rate is not a multiple of four. The mixer arrangement comprises a sequence generator, at least one pair of mixers, and one or more correction networks. The sequence generator generates an in-phase mixer translation sequence and a quadrature-phase mixer translation sequence based on the oversampling rate. The in-phase mixer translation sequence is a time-discrete representation of a translation frequency sinusoidal function sampled at the clock rate, and the quadrature-phase mixer translation sequence is a time-discrete representation of the translation frequency sinusoidal function phase-shifted by π/2 plus a phase deviation and sampled at the clock rate, wherein the phase deviation is a function of the oversampling rate. Each pair of mixers comprises an in-phase mixer and a quadrature-phase mixer, each adapted to translate a respective input signal based on the respective translation frequency. The one or more correction networks are adapted to, based on the oversampling rate and the phase deviation, compensate for the phase deviation by adjusting at least one of the in-phase mixer input signal, the quadrature-phase mixer input signal, the in-phase mixer output signal, and the quadrature-phase mixer output signal.
US09520832B2

A connection device for connecting a first piece of electronic equipment to a second piece of electronic equipment, the device comprising two Ethernet type interfaces that are linked together by an up line and a down line and that are arranged for each of them to be linked to a respective one of the pieces of equipment and to transmit data in differential mode, two power supply modules, each associated with a respective one of the pieces of equipment and wired in common mode between the up and down lines in order to transmit a power supply carrier signal in alternating current, and two secondary transmission modules, each associated with a respective one of the power supply modules and arranged to enable data to be transmitted by modulating the power supply carrier signal.
US09520824B2

An object of the present invention is to achieve stable inverter control by means of current detection using one current sensor in all of periods in which overmodulation control is performed. An inverter controller includes a γ-axis current calculation section that holds, in advance, a γ-axis current arithmetic expression including a direct current as a parameter, and calculates a γ-axis current using a direct current detected by a current sensor for the γ-axis current arithmetic expression.
US09520818B2

The present invention relates to a method for driving an emergency generator using an energy storage system in which, when the power of an emergency generator is applied, an energy storage system is allowed to handle the load demand, thereby driving the emergency generator at maximum efficiency. For this purpose, the method for driving an emergency generator using an energy storage system (ESS), including, after an emergency generator has been applied and until the emergency generator reaches a preset maximum efficiency driving state, handling, by an ESS, load demand using previously stored power, and, when the emergency generator reaches the preset maximum efficiency driving state, maintaining the driving of the emergency generator in the maximum efficiency driving state.
US09520808B2

A method and system for a control circuit are provided. The circuit includes an integrating counter coupled to a process wherein the integrating counter is configured to integrate over time a process parameter signal received from the process and to generate a trigger signal when the integrated signal equals a predetermined count. The control circuit also includes a transition controller electrically coupled to a respective control element and configured to receive the trigger signal generated by the integrating counter.
US09520804B2

The number of ICs used for a power converter is reduced. The power converter includes n power transistors each having an emitter terminal or a source terminal connected to a common line, and driver ICs. Each of the driver ICs includes n pre-drivers that drive the respective n power transistors, and a receiver circuit that is integrated monolithically with the n pre-drivers. The receiver circuit is coupled with a transmitter circuit by AC coupling, and outputs a control signal that controls the n pre-drivers in response to a signal received from the transmitter circuit.
US09520791B2

Power supplies and power controllers are disclosed. A disclosed power supply has a power controller, a power switch, an auxiliary winding, a first circuit and a second circuit. The power controller is a monolithic integrated circuit with a multi-function pin and a gate pin. A control node of the power switch is coupled to the gate pin. The first circuit is coupled between the multi-function pin and the auxiliary winding and has a diode. The second circuit is coupled between the multi-function pin and a ground line, and has a thermistor.
US09520790B2

Methods and systems for current sharing using interleaved LLC power converters are described herein. The method provides for current sharing between a first LLC power converter interleaved with a second LLC power converter. The method includes determining an expected output voltage for at least one of the first and second LLC power converters and measuring an output voltage of at least one of the first and second LLC power converters. The method also includes increasing a dead-time of at least one of the first and second LLC power converters when the measured output voltage exceeds the expected output voltage. Finally, the method includes interleaving the first and second LLC power converters, wherein an output current of the first LLC power converter is substantially equal to an output current of the second LLC power converter.
US09520786B2

A regulating device for a multi-phase voltage converter includes a connecting element for picking-off an input/output voltage signal at a power path of the multi-phase voltage converter, and a filter, which is configured and coupled to the connecting element so as to cause the filter to output a filter output signal, which correlates to the ripple of the input/output voltage signal. A correcting unit is configured and connected to the filter and to the multi-phase voltage converter such that, owing to the correcting unit, an actuating signal is output to the multi-phase voltage converter, which actuating signal generates a change in the ripple of the input/output voltage signal.
US09520783B2

In various embodiments, a control system for an electronic circuit iteratively applies voltage to and senses current from a load to regulate operation of the load.
US09520779B2

A switching power supply in an integrated circuit, an integrated circuit comprising a switching power supply, and a method of assembling a switching power supply in an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention provides a three-dimensional switching power supply in an integrated circuit comprising a device layer. The switching power supply comprises three distinct strata arranged in series with the device layer, the three distinct strata including a switching layer including switching circuits, a capacitor layer including banks of capacitors, and an inductor layer including inductors. This switching power supply further comprises a multitude of connectors electrically and mechanically connecting together the device layer, the switching layer, the capacitor layer, and the inductor layer. The switching circuits, the capacitors and the inductors form a switching power supply for supplying power to the device layer.
US09520770B2

A soft start circuit accepts an input of a reference voltage set arbitrarily, and generates a soft start voltage that takes a predetermined sweep time to slowly rise from a predetermined lowest value to a highest value that is higher than the reference voltage and changes in accordance with the reference voltage.
US09520762B2

A twisting method is described, for twisting free end portions of bar conductors for the stator or rotor bar winding of an electrical machine. The twisting method allows achieving a non uniform twisting of the bar conductors from the welding side of the stator or rotor core by means of a twisting fixture. The twisting fixture comprises a pocket member including a main structure provided with an arc of adjacent pockets and a secondary structure, provided with at least one further pocket, which can axially translate with respect to the main structure.
US09520755B2

A heat sink apparatus for induction motors and other dynamoelectric machines. The heat sink has a mounting portion adapted for coupling to a motor housing. A first heat sink portion is adapted for insertion into a motor housing interior, such as through an aperture in the frame or bearing bracket, and is thermally coupled to a second heat sink portion that is adapted for orientation outside the housing. The heat sink apparatus first heat sink portion may be inserted within an air channel of a TEFC induction motor. The heat sink preferably has a higher heat transfer rate than the motor housing.
US09520754B2

A motor for use in a disk drive apparatus includes a bearing, a rotary unit, a stator, a thin flat base member, and a cylindrical holder extending in an axial direction. The base member includes a first through-hole, a peripheral edge portion, and a thin portion. The thin portion is located radially outward of the peripheral edge portion. The thin portion has an axial thickness smaller than an axial thickness of the peripheral edge portion. The holder includes a first protrusion portion and a second protrusion portion. The first protrusion portion extends radially outward and is located axially above the peripheral edge portion. The second protrusion portion extends radially outward and is located axially below the peripheral edge portion. The bearing is located inside the holder. A stator core is located radially outside the holder and axially above the thin portion.
US09520750B2

A method and apparatus for transmission of charged particles along a laser-induced conduction path of concentric plasma channels in atmosphere. The apparatus comprises a high power laser array in operable communication with a high energy output means to accomplish initiation of at least two concentric plasma channels in atmosphere, a second energy source for outputting the charged particles to be transmitted, and means for introducing the charged particles to be transmitted into the wall of at least one of the laser-induced conduction channels. Other embodiments further include means for inducing the energy across the conduction path to a target capable of receiving and storing the energy, and a plurality of charging rods bearing a negative or positive charge and in communication with each conductive channel for shaping and stabilizing the charge transmitted therethrough.
US09520748B2

In an embodiment, a wireless power distribution system is disclosed. The wireless power distribution system includes a routing module having at least one processor configured to determine a route for a power-receiving device to travel responsive to receiving input about one or more characteristics associated with the power-receiving device or one or more wireless power transmitters for delivering power to the power-receiving device. The wireless power distribution system further includes the one or more wireless power transmitters operably coupled to the routing module. The one or more wireless power transmitters are configured to wirelessly transmit the power to the device at one or more locations along the route.
US09520736B2

A charging control apparatus for a secondary battery, including a current control apparatus for, upon charging for a secondary battery from an electric generator regenerating kinetic energy as regenerative energy, performing control so as to suppress charging current for the secondary battery at a start of charging to a predetermined suppression rate with respect to charging current at the start of charging in the case that the charging current is not suppressed, and decrease the suppression rate as time elapses.
US09520734B2

A control apparatus is used for a power-supply apparatus with power-supply systems connected in parallel between a pair of power wires connected to a load. Each power-supply system has a series circuit of a battery and a contact of a relay. When the control apparatus determines that at least one relay suffers from a contact welding, the control apparatus performs a battery charge/discharge process to charge/discharge the batteries through the pair of power wires by turning ON one of possible relays while turning OFF the others of the possible relays. The possible relay is defined as having a possibility of suffering from the contact welding. After the battery charge/discharge process, the control apparatus identifies which possible relay actually suffers from the contact welding based on a change in a state of the battery connected in series with the contact of each possible relay.
US09520722B2

A solar power generation management apparatus which manages a solar power generation system includes: an output sensor that senses respective output current values or output voltage values of a plurality of unit power generation modules; and a calculator that receives sensing information from the output sensor and displays it on a display (50). The calculator acquires the sensing information of the output sensor and simultaneously displays a plurality of display frames (212) corresponding to the plurality of unit power generation modules on the display. Furthermore, it sets a color level of information displayed in the display frame (212) correspondingly to a level of the sensing information. As a result, operating situations of the plurality of unit power generation modules can be visually monitored based on the color levels in the display frames on the display, which enables maintenance timing of solar panels to be visually recognized.
US09520703B2

A busway splice connector can include a first connector and a second connector. Each of the first connector and the second connector can define a busbar volume for receiving a portion of two busbars. The busway splice connector can also include a first housing that defines a first compartment for receiving the first connector. The busway splice connector can also include a second housing that defines a second compartment for receiving the second connector. The busway splice connector can also include an insulator configured to be positioned between the first housing and the second housing and to insulate the first connector from the second connector when the busway splice connector is assembled.
US09520698B2

An outdoor enclosure for housing power distribution equipment is disclosed herein. The outdoor enclosure includes improved means for evacuating arc flash gases from inside the enclosure to the atmosphere, comprising an expansion chamber and improved chimney. The chimney includes a chimney base and chimney capping structure arrangement designed to allow for the safe ventilation of arc fault gases to the atmosphere, while maintaining weather-proof characteristics.
US09520691B2

A connector is disclosed. The connector includes a conductive housing. The conductive housing includes a wall region enclosing a space for receiving an adapter. The conductive housing also includes an annular end piece extending radially inward from a first end of the wall region and terminating the space. The annular end piece includes a flat annular surface, and a raised deformable annulus mounted on the flat annular surface. The raised deformable annulus is of a height such that an insertion of the adapter into the space deforms the raised deformable annulus to generate a physical contact connection between the flat annular surface and the adapter.
US09520686B2

An electrical connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of conductive terminals, a detecting contact and a metallic shell. The insulating housing has a base portion extending along a longitudinal direction and a mating tongue extending forwardly from the base portion. The mating tongue has a receiving slot recessed therefrom in which the detecting contact received. The metallic shell surrounds the insulating housing to form a receiving room. The detecting contact defines a detecting section extending out of the receiving slot for protruding into the receiving room. The insulating housing defines a supporting block formed in the receiving slot for supporting the detecting contact to prevent the detecting contact from over-skewing.
US09520683B2

An electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof includes a housing made of plastic material and at least one terminal module fixed in the housing. The housing defines a mating portion extending along a front-to-rear direction and the mating portion defines at least one mating surface in a vertical direction. The terminal module includes a plurality of conductive terminals with contacting portions and an insulating block, the housing is injection molded with the terminal module to form the mating portion so that the contacting portions of the conductive terminals are exposed on the mating surface. It is simple to manufacture and conducive to reduce the manufacturing cost.
US09520680B2

An electrical connector includes a housing defining a front and a rear and a first group of contacts. The housing includes a rear base and a front mating tongue defining a first face and a second face opposite to the first face. The first group of contacts is held in the first face of the front mating tongue, the contacts include grounding contacts and signal contacts, each contact includes a retained portion retained in the housing, a contacting portion exposed upon the first face and a connecting leg. The contacting portions of the grounding contacts electrically connect with each other, the retained portions of the grounding contacts electrical connect with each other to reduce electrical length of the electrical connector.
US09520678B2

A signal transmission connector includes an insulating body, a plurality of first terminals, a plurality of second terminals, and a rear casing. The insulating body has a dielectric constant of about 3 to 3.4. The first and second terminals are disposed on the insulating body. The first and second terminals have widths of about 0.36 to 0.42 mm. The rear casing is assembled at the second end of the insulating body. The rear casing envelops the first and the second terminals. The rear casing has a dielectric constant of about 3.5 to 3.8. The connector provides adjustable impedance without modifications to the terminal structures and also reduces cost.
US09520668B2

A method is provided for crimping an electrical terminal to an electrical wire having electrical conductors. The method includes positioning the electrical wire and the electrical terminal between opposing crimp tooling members of a crimp tool. The method also includes pressing a crimp barrel of the electrical terminal against the electrical conductors of the electrical wire using the crimp tooling members such that the electrical conductors are mechanically and electrically connected to the crimp barrel. The crimp barrel is pressed against the electrical conductors such that at least some contact portions of metallic surfaces of at least some of the electrical conductors melt and form hot weld bonds with one or more contact portions of the metallic surface of one or more adjacent electrical conductors.
US09520651B2

Disclosed is a dual-band Global Navigation Satellite System antenna with a hollow core. The antenna includes a conductive cylindrical tube with a longitudinal axis. A ground plane, a low-frequency radiator, and a high-frequency radiator are annuli orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The inner peripheries of the ground plane and the low-frequency radiator are electrically connected to the outer surface of the cylindrical tube. The outer periphery of the high-frequency radiator is electrically connected to the low-frequency radiator. A vertical low-frequency radiating gap is configured between the ground plane and the outer periphery of the low-frequency radiator. A horizontal high-frequency radiating gap is configured between the inner periphery of the high-frequency radiator and the outer surface of the cylindrical tube. In an embodiment, the inner diameter of the cylindrical tube has a value from about 27 mm to about 102 mm, permitting insertion of a post or pole.
US09520644B2

This antenna (10) has an underlying print layer (2) which is upon the surface of a material (1) to be printed in a predetermined antenna pattern, and an electro-less plating layer (3) applied to the surface of the underlying print layer (2). The underlying print layer (2) is formed from an ink (2a) and a metallic powder (2b). A portion of the particles of the metallic powder (2b) are entrained within the ink layer in which the ink (2a) has been printed in a substantially uniform thickness. Some particles which are of large particle size project from the ink layer, and a portion of the ink (2a) covering the projecting portions is removed.
US09520642B2

A telescoping mast assembly having a mast axis and comprising a plurality of telescoping mast sections having axially opposite ends and being axially slidable relative to one another along the mast axis between retracted and extended positions, the telescoping mast sections including a base tube adapted to be fixed to a support surface and an innermost telescoping section, and wherein the innermost telescoping section supports a cylindrical nest lock platform assembly adapted to cover an axial end of the base tube when the mast assembly is in the retracted position, wherein each telescoping mast section includes an internal collar and a cylindrical body and the nest lock platform assembly includes a payload platform and one or more wedges that mate with corresponding notches in the internal collar.
US09520640B2

Disclosed herein is a top load multi-band monopole antenna that is utilized with an integrated electromagnetic coupling feed wire and resonator combination achieving broad band and multi-band performance for multiple frequency spectrums. The top loaded monopole can utilize 450-520 MHz, 698 through 960 MHz and 1000 through 3000 MHz bands contiguously and simultaneously by implementation of the coupling feed wire and resonator combination. The electromagnetically coupled top load resonator in conjunction with the lower monopole resonator section matches impedance for both low frequency and high frequency range operation. A flexible radome housing structure augments impact resistance by permitting the monopole radiator aperture to flex under mechanical load while maintaining reliable signal transmission and reception properties.
US09520635B2

An apparatus includes an IC package comprising a substrate having a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second metal layers. The IC package further comprises an IC die disposed at a surface of the substrate and comprising RF circuitry. The first metal layer comprises a microstrip feedline extending from a pin of the IC die. The microstrip feedline includes a conductive trace having a probe element at a tip distal from the pin. The first metal layer further comprises a waveguide opening comprising a region surrounding the probe element, the region being substantially devoid of conductive material. The substrate further comprises a plurality of metal vias disposed at the perimeter of the region, the metal vias extending from the first metal layer to the second metal layer.
US09520633B2

A waveguide circulator comprising at least three waveguide arms intersecting at a junction, wherein the junction has an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface; and a ferrite element positioned within a recess formed within one of the upper inner surface and the lower inner surface of the junction, the ferrite element including a first portion that projects into the junction and a second portion that extends into the recess. A projection extends from an upper outer surface of the junction opposite the upper inner surface of the junction, the projection being positioned opposite the recess formed on the upper inner surface of the junction. In use, the ferrite element is magnetized by applying a magnetic field thereto using a magnet or electromagnet shaped for matingly engaging the projection. A method for manufacturing a waveguide circulator of the type described above is also provided.
US09520631B2

An embodiment filter including metallic plating unitarily forming a spherical shell and a resonator, the resonator defining a resonator cavity, a tuning nut disposed in a lower portion of the resonator cavity, and a tuning screw threadably secured within the resonator cavity by the tuning nut, the tuning screw rotatable to deform an upper portion of the resonator to tune the filter.
US09520622B2

The present disclosure provides a detection device for lithium-ion battery, which comprises an insulative housing having a receiving chamber; an insulative separator positioned between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet when the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are received in the receiving chamber; a positive electrode sheet conductive fastener passing through the insulative housing and fixedly connected to a positive electrode current collector at a positive electrode current collector non-film-coating region; a negative electrode sheet conductive fastener passing through the insulative housing and fixedly connected to a negative electrode current collector at a negative electrode current collector non-film-coating region; an insulative cover engaged with the insulative housing and the insulative separator; a positive electrode region detection hole communicated to the positive electrode sheet gas region; and a negative electrode region detection hole communicated to the negative electrode sheet gas region.
US09520612B2

There is provided a fuel cell. The fuel cell comprises a stacked body that has a stacked configuration by stacking a plurality of single fuel cells; a fastening support member that is extended along a stacking direction of the plurality of single fuel cells and is configured to fasten the stacked body in the stacking direction; and an impact transmission member that is configured to include a dilatant fluid and is placed between the stacked body and the fastening support member to be arranged in a location corresponding to multiple consecutive single fuel cells along the stacking direction among the plurality of single fuel cells.
US09520610B2

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a 5-layer MEA having an improved electrical conductivity capable of reducing electrical contact resistance between a catalyst layer and a micro-porous layer (MPL) by forming a new electrical conductive layer between the catalyst layer of a 3-layer MEA and the MPL.
US09520598B2

A printed energy storage device includes a first electrode including zinc, a second electrode including manganese dioxide, and a separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode, second, electrode, and separator printed onto a substrate. The device may include a first current collector and/or a second current collector printed onto the substrate. The energy storage device may include a printed intermediate layer between the separator and the first electrode. The first electrode, and the second electrode may include 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (C2mimBF4). The first electrode and the second electrode may include an electrolyte having zinc tetrafluoroborate (ZnBF4) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (C2mimBF4). The first electrode, the second electrode, the first current collector, and/or the second current collector can include carbon nanotubes. The separator may include solid microspheres.
US09520597B2

A cathode material for a solid oxide fuel cell comprises a complex oxide having a perovskite structure expressed by the general formula ABO3, a content amount of P included in the complex oxide being at least 1 ppm and no more than 50 ppm, a content amount of Cr in the complex oxide being at least 1 ppm and no more than 500 ppm, and a content amount of B in the complex oxide being at least 1 ppm and no more than 50 ppm in a weight ratio relative to a total weight of the complex oxide.
US09520595B2

A negative electrode for a lithium-ion secondary cell is configured in a novel manner, having a charge-discharge capacity, as determined per unit weight of the carbon used in the electrode, that is markedly higher than the theoretical capacity of graphite, and having a surface that is stabilized against repeated charging and discharging. A negative electrode for a lithium-ion secondary cell in which a carbon layer obtained by building up and growing a graphene sheet is formed on the surface of a substrate comprising an iron-based metal, the carbon layer being formed in a diagonal direction in relation to the substrate, and the carbon layer being used as the surface of the negative electrode. As measured using an argon laser having a wavelength of 532 nm, the Raman spectrum of the graphite that constitutes the carbon nanochip layer has a g/d ratio of 0.30-0.80.
US09520594B2

Inexpensive product consisting of porous carbon, with a pore structure which is suitable for retaining electrode parts which can be used in particular for a use as an electrode material for a lithium-sulphur secondary battery, and a method comprising the following method steps: (a) providing a template consisting of inorganic material which contains spherical nanoparticles and pores, (b) infiltrating the pores of the template with a precursor for carbon of a first variety, (c) carbonizing so as to form an inner layer on the nanoparticles with a first microporosity, (d) infiltrating the remaining pores of the template with a precursor substance for carbon of a second variety, (e) carbonizing the precursor substance, wherein an outer layer with a second microporosity which is lower than the first microporosity is produced on the inner layer, and (f) removing the template so as to form the carbon product with layer composite structure, comprising an inner layer consisting carbon with a first, relatively high microporosity, which has a free surface facing a cavity, and an outer layer consisting of carbon with a second, relatively low microporosity, which has a free surface facing away from the cavity.
US09520590B2

A terminal for a battery has a mounting section and a contacting section. There is a torque ring between the mounting section and the contacting section. The mounting section is for holding the terminal within a battery cover, into which it preferably is injection molded. The terminal is a hollow body, which has an outer surface and an inner surface. At the contacting section, the outer surface is conically shaped. At the mounting section, the outer surface has at least one labyrinth ring forming a labyrinth. The inner surface comprises at least two sections. An upper section is essentially surrounded by the contacting section, and preferably has a conical shape. A lower section is essentially surrounded by the mounting section. The lower section preferably has a concave cross-sectional shape. Between the upper section and the lower section, there is an edge. The edge at the inner surface may be essentially surrounded by the torque ring at the outer surface.
US09520578B2

A flexible organic electroluminescent device and a method for fabricating the same includes a substrate defined with a display area including a plurality of pixel regions and a non-display area at the outside thereof; a switching thin film transistor and a drive thin film transistor formed at the each pixel region on the substrate; an organic insulating layer deposited on the substrate including the switching thin film transistor and drive thin film transistor to expose a drain electrode of the drive thin film transistor; a first electrode formed in each pixel region on the inorganic insulating layer, and connected to the drain electrode of the drive thin film transistor; banks formed around each pixel region on the substrate including the first electrode and separated from one another; an organic light emitting layer separately formed for each pixel region on the first electrode; a second electrode formed on an entire surface of the display area on the organic light emitting layer; and an organic layer formed on an entire surface of the substrate including the second electrode.
US09520577B2

A sealing film includes a first inorganic layer that has, in a surface thereof, a convex portion corresponding to an upper surface of an element layer, a second inorganic layer that covers the first inorganic layer, and an organic layer disposed between these layers. The surface of the first inorganic layer includes a recurved area changed from an area around the convex portion to the convex portion, and a flat area surrounding the element layer. The flat area includes an outer peripheral area on an outer end of the first inorganic layer, and an inner peripheral area between the outer peripheral area and the recurved area. The organic layer has an end in the outer peripheral area, has another portion in the recurved area, and avoids the inner peripheral area. A part of the second inorganic layer contacts the first inorganic layer in the inner peripheral area.
US09520576B2

A gas barrier film (10) that comprises a gas barrier layer (14), which is obtained by irradiating a layer that contains a polysilazane with vacuum ultraviolet light, on a base (11) is formed to contain a compound (A) that satisfies all of the conditions (a), (b) and (c) described below in an amount within the range from 1% by mass to 40% by mass (inclusive) relative to the total mass of the gas barrier layer. (a) The compound (A) has an Si—O bond and an organic group that is directly bonded to Si. (b) The compound (A) has an Si—H group or an Si—OH group. (c) The compound (A) has a molecular weight of from 90 to 1,200 (inclusive).
US09520575B2

An organic light-emitting component has an active layer for emitting electromagnetic radiation. It also has an anode and an organic charge transport layer, arranged between the active layer and the anode, for transporting charge carriers from the anode to the active layer. The anode can be used to decouple electromagnetic radiation emitted by the active layer from the organic light-emitting component. The organic charge transport layer comprises a copper complex which has at least one ligand with the chemical structure as per a formula I.
US09520573B2

A device comprises an anode; a cathode; a layer therebetween comprising quantum dots; and a first layer comprising a material capable of transporting and injecting electrons in, or forming, contact with the cathode, the material comprising nanoparticles of an inorganic semiconductor material. In one embodiment of the device, quantum dots comprise a core comprising a first semiconductor material that confines holes better than electrons in the core and an outer shell comprising a second semiconductor material that is permeable to electrons. In another embodiment of the device, the nanoparticles comprise n-doped inorganic semiconductor material, and a second layer comprising a material capable of transporting electrons is disposed between the layer including quantum dots and the first layer, wherein the second layer has a lower electron conductivity than the first. In a further embodiment of the device, the first layer is UV treated. A method and other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09520569B2

The present invention provides a compound that has high solubility in a highly polar solvent and is usefully usable for an application method using a highly polar solvent, the compound that can manufacture an electroluminescent device having high light-emitting efficiency. Specifically, the present invention provides a compound containing a structure represented by Formula (1): wherein: Ar1, Ar2, Ar3, and Ar4 each independently represent a divalent aromatic group optionally having substituent(s); Ar5 represents a monovalent aromatic group optionally having substituent(s); p and q each independently represent an integer of 0 or more; and R1 represents a given monovalent group.
US09520566B2

A condensed cyclic compound represented by Formula 1 below and an organic light-emitting device (OLED) including the condensed cyclic compound are presented. Ar1 and Ar2 in Formula 1 are each independently one of a hydrogen atom, an aryl or heteroaryl group and an arylamino group, at least one of Ar1 and Ar2 being a substituted or unsubstituted 1,2,4-triazol-4-yl group; L1 and L2 in Formula 1 are linking groups, each independently one of a cyclic or noncyclic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group and a heteroarylene group; a and b in Formula 1 are each independently one of 0 or 1; and R1 to R8 in Formula 1 being each independently one of a variety of inorganic and organic substituents including cyclic or noncyclic, saturated or unsaturated and aromatic, nonaromatic or heteraromatic groups. The OLED may have a low driving voltage, a high emission efficiency and long lifespan characteristics.
US09520565B2

The invention relates to novel organic semiconducting compounds containing one or more dialkylidene-s-indacenodiheteroarene groups, methods for their preparation and educts or intermediates used therein, polymers, blends, mixtures and formulations containing them, the use of the compounds, polymers, blends, mixtures and formulations as semiconductor in organic electronic (OE) devices, especially in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, and to OE and OPV devices comprising these compounds, polymers, blends, mixtures or formulations.
US09520564B2

A bulk heterojunction-type organic photovoltaic cell, i.e., BHJ solar cell, has a photoelectric conversion layer containing a mixture of a donor domain and an acceptor domain. The donor domain contains a polymer as a donor (photoelectric conversion material), and the polymer is obtained by reaction of a polyphenylene represented by the following general formula (1). For example, the acceptor domain contains phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an acceptor. At least one of R1 to R6 in the general formula (1) is an alkoxy group, and R7 to R10 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or an alkoxy group.
US09520559B2

A memory device includes a first metal layer and a first metal oxide layer coupled to the first metal layer. The memory device includes a second metal oxide layer coupled to the first metal oxide layer and a second metal layer coupled to the second metal oxide layer. The formation of the first metal oxide layer has a Gibbs free energy that is lower than the Gibbs free energy for the formation of the second metal oxide layer.
US09520547B2

A method for fabricating a chip surface base includes preparing a first substrate, preparing a plurality of vias in the first substrate, depositing metal fillings into the plurality of vias, preparing a second substrate, bonding the first and second substrates and exposing the metal fillings. A method for fabricating a chip surface base includes preparing a first and second substrate, depositing a metal on at least one of the first and second substrates, bonding the first and second substrates, preparing a plurality of vias in the first substrate, depositing metal fillings into the plurality of vias and exposing the metal fillings. A chip surface base device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a metal layer disposed between the first and second substrates and a plurality vias disposed on the first substrate.
US09520546B2

Disclosed are a light emitting diode and a light emitting diode module. The light emitting diode module includes a printed circuit board and a light emitting diode joined thereto through a solder paste. The light emitting diode includes a first electrode pad electrically connected to a first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second electrode pad connected to a second conductive type semiconductor layer, wherein each of the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad includes at least five pairs of Ti/Ni layers or at least five pairs of Ti/Cr layers and the uppermost layer of Au. Thus a metal element such as Sn in the solder paste is prevented from diffusion so as to provide a reliable light emitting diode module.
US09520544B2

A light source includes a light emitting element configured to emit a light; a mounting substrate; and a ceramic substrate having a light emitting element mounted thereon and being bonded to the mounting substrate via a plurality of metal bumps made of gold, copper, a gold alloy, or a copper alloy. A method of manufacturing a light source includes forming a plurality of metal bumps on a mounting substrate; providing a ceramic substrate having at least one light emitting element mounted thereon; and bonding the mounting substrate and a ceramic substrate to each other via the metal bumps.
US09520543B2

Disclosed are a light emitting diode and a light emitting diode module. The light emitting diode module includes a printed circuit board and a light emitting diode joined thereto through a solder paste. The light emitting diode includes a first electrode pad electrically connected to a first conductive type semiconductor layer and a second electrode pad connected to a second conductive type semiconductor layer, wherein each of the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad includes at least five pairs of Ti/Ni layers or at least five pairs of Ti/Cr layers and the uppermost layer of Au. Thus a metal element such as Sn in the solder paste is prevented from diffusion so as to provide a reliable light emitting diode module.
US09520539B2

An optoelectronic component includes a plastics housing, wherein a first leadframe section is embedded into the plastics housing, a chip landing face and a soldering contact face of the first leadframe section are at least partly not covered by the plastics housing, the soldering contact face has a groove, and the groove is not covered by the material of the plastics housing.
US09520533B2

A UV light emitting device and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The method includes forming a first super-lattice layer including AlxGa(1-x)N on a substrate, forming a sacrificial layer including AlzGa(1-z)N on the first super-lattice layer, partially removing the sacrificial layer, forming an epitaxial layer on the sacrificial layer, and separating the substrate from the epitaxial layer, wherein the sacrificial layer includes voids, the substrate is separated from the epitaxial layer at the sacrificial layer, and forming an epitaxial layer includes forming an n-type semiconductor layer including n-type AluGa(1-u)N (0
US09520525B1

An infrared photo-detector with multiple discrete regions of a first absorber material. These regions may have geometric shapes with sloped sidewalls. The detector also may include a second absorber region comprising a second absorber material that absorbs light of a shorter wavelength than the light absorbed by the multiple discrete absorber regions of the first absorber material. The geometric shapes may extend only through the first absorber material. Alternatively, the geometric shapes may extend partially into the second absorber region. The detector has a metal reflector coupled to the multiple discrete absorber regions. The detector also has a substrate containing the discrete absorber regions and the second absorber region. The substrate can further include geometric shaped features etched into the substrate, with those features formed on the side of the substrate opposite the side containing the discrete absorber regions and the second absorber region.
US09520522B2

A method of manufacturing a solar cell module comprising pressing a first silicone gel sheet provided on a sunlight receiving surface of a solar cell string and a second silicone gel sheet provided on an opposite side sunlight non-receiving surface of the solar cell string in vacuum to encapsulate the solar cell string with the first and second silicone gel sheets; disposing the sunlight receiving surface side of the first silicone gel sheet on one surface of a transparent light receiving panel and disposing butyl rubber in a picture frame-like shape along an outer peripheral portion of a panel where the first silicone gel sheet is not formed and laying the light receiving panel and the light non-receiving panel or back sheet over each other with the silicone gel sheet-encapsulated solar cell string on the inside, and pressing them at 100 to 150° C. in vacuum to press bond the light receiving surface panel and the light non-receiving surface panel or back sheet to each other through the butyl rubber.
US09520517B2

A solar cell including a non-amorphous semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type; at least a first semiconductor layer on the non-amorphous semiconductor substrate, the first semiconductor layer including a portion that is amorphous and a plurality of portions having crystal lumps, so that the plurality of portions having the crystal lumps are distributed in the first semiconductor layer; a first electrode on the semiconductor substrate; and a second electrode on the semiconductor substrate.
US09520512B2

Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes. The active layer may have perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The active layer may include a titanate. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.
US09520506B2

A capacitor and method of forming a capacitor are presented. The capacitor includes a substrate having a capacitor region in which the capacitor is disposed. The capacitor includes first, second and third sub-capacitors (C1, C2 and C3). The C1 comprises a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor which includes a gate on the substrate. The gate includes a gate electrode over a gate dielectric. A first C1 plate is served by the gate electrode, a second C1 plate is served by the substrate of the capacitor region and a C1 capacitor dielectric is served by the gate dielectric. The C2 includes a back-end-of-line (BEOL) vertical capacitor disposed in ILD layers with metal levels and via levels. A plurality of metal lines are disposed in the metal levels. The metal lines of a metal level are grouped in alternating first and second groups, the first group serves as first C2 plates and second group serves as second C2 plates and the dielectric layers between the first and second groups serve as C2 capacitor dielectrics. The C3 includes a first C3 plate served by the gate electrode, a second C3 plate served by second group lines in the first metal level of the ILD layers, and a C3 capacitor dielectric is served by the first via level dielectric below M1 and above the gate electrode. A first capacitor terminal is coupled to first capacitor plates of C1, C2 and C3 and a second capacitor terminal is coupled to second capacitor plates of C1, C2 and C3.
US09520501B2

The present invention is a semiconductor device comprising a semiconducting low doped vertical super-thin body (VSTB) formed on Dielectric Body Wall (such as STI-wall as isolating substrate) having the body connection to bulk semiconductor wafer on the bottom side, isolation on the top side, and the channel, gate dielectric, and gate electrode on opposite to STI side surface. The body is made self-aligned to STI hard mask edge allowing tight control of body thickness. Source and Drain are made by etching holes vertically in STI at STI side of the body and filling with high doped crystalline or poly-Si appropriately doped with any appropriate silicides/metal contacts or with Schottky barrier Source/Drain. Gate first or Gate last approaches can be implemented. Many devices can be fabricated in single active area with body isolation between the devices by iso-plugs combined with gate electrode isolation by iso-trenches. The body can be made as an isolated nano-plate or set nano-wire MOSFET's on the STI wall to form VSTB SOI devices.
US09520479B1

A low-temperature epitaxial method manufactures backside field stop layer of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) first provides a first conductive type substrate and fabricates front-side elements and front metal layer on a front side of the IGBT. A second conductive type impurity layer is formed on a back side of the first conductive type substrate by low-temperature epitaxial process and a collector metal layer is formed on bottom face of the first conductive type substrate.
US09520478B2

Some embodiments include methods of forming diodes in which a first electrode is formed to have a pedestal extending upwardly from a base. At least one layer is deposited along an undulating topography that extends across the pedestal and base, and a second electrode is formed over the least one layer. The first electrode, at least one layer, and second electrode together form a structure that conducts current between the first and second electrodes when voltage of one polarity is applied to the structure, and that inhibits current flow between the first and second electrodes when voltage having a polarity opposite to said one polarity is applied to the structure. Some embodiments include diodes having a first electrode that contains two or more projections extending upwardly from a base, having at least one layer over the first electrode, and having a second electrode over the at least one layer.
US09520476B2

A semiconductor device (100A) includes a substrate (2), an oxide semiconductor layer (5) formed on the substrate (2), source and drain electrodes (6s, 6d) electrically connected to the oxide semiconductor layer (5), a first transparent electrode (7) electrically connected to the drain electrode (6d), a dielectric layer (8) formed on the source and drain electrodes (6s, 6d), and a second transparent electrode (9) formed on the dielectric layer (8). The upper and/or lower surface(s) of the first transparent electrode (7) contacts with a reducing insulating layer (8a) with the property of reducing an oxide semiconductor included in the oxide semiconductor layer (5). The second transparent electrode (9) overlaps at least partially with the first transparent electrode (7) via the dielectric layer (8). The oxide semiconductor layer (5) and the first transparent electrode (7) are formed out of the same oxide film.
US09520472B2

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a groove. A buffer layer is formed on a surface of the groove. The buffer layer comprising at least one material chosen from AIN, GaN or AlxGa1-xN, where x is between zero and one. An epitaxially grown semiconductor material is disposed over the buffer layer, at least a portion of the epitaxially grown semiconductor material having a cubic crystalline phase structure. Methods of forming the semiconductor devices are also taught.
US09520469B1

High Ge content SiGe fins are provided, as well as improved techniques for forming high Ge content SiGe fins. A high Ge content fin is formed by obtaining one or more low Ge content SiGe fins having a hard mask deposited thereon; forming a high Ge content SiGe fin around the one or more low Ge content SiGe fins by oxidizing one or more sidewalls of the one or more low Ge content SiGe fins to create one or more oxide shells on the one or more sidewalls; removing the one or more oxide shells; and selectively removing the one or more low Ge content SiGe fins to produce a high Ge content SiGe fin device. A Fin Field Effect Transistor (FinFET) is also provided, comprising an insulating layer; and at least one high Ge content fin formed on the insulating layer, wherein the at least one high Ge content fin has asymmetric recesses into the insulator layer.
US09520466B2

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. A template layer is formed on a substrate, the template layer having a recess therein. A plurality of nanowires is formed in the recess. A gate stack is formed over the substrate, the gate stack surrounding the plurality of nanowires.
US09520465B2

Disclosed is a technique capable of reducing loss at the time of switching in a diode. A diode disclosed in the present specification includes a cathode electrode, a cathode region made of a first conductivity type semiconductor, a drift region made of a low concentration first conductivity type semiconductor, an anode region made of a second conductivity type semiconductor, an anode electrode made of metal, a barrier region formed between the drift region and the anode region and made of a first conductivity type semiconductor having a concentration higher than that of the drift region, and a pillar region formed so as to connect the barrier region to the anode electrode and made of a first conductivity type semiconductor having a concentration higher than that of the barrier region. The pillar region and the anode are connected through a Schottky junction.
US09520453B2

An electroluminescent device and manufacturing method thereof are provided. The electroluminescence device comprises an array substrate (10). The array substrate (10) comprises a substrate (11); and a thin film transistor (12), a protection layer (13) and a connection electrode (14) provided in turn on the substrate (11). The protection layer (13) covers the thin film transistor (12); and the connection electrode (14) is provided on the protection layer (13). The protection layer (13) below the connection electrode (14) protrudes towards a side away from the substrate (11) to form a boss (131). The protection layer (13) comprises a via hole (132) provided at a position corresponding to a drain electrode (122) of the thin film transistor (12). The connection electrode (14) is connected with the drain electrode (122) of the thin film transistor (12) through the via hole (132). The electroluminescent device and manufacturing method thereof shorten the film formation time, reduce the etching difficulty and accordingly improves the production efficiency in the process of manufacturing the connection electrode while the reliability of electrical connection between a thin film transistor and a second electrode is improved.
US09520449B2

A photoelectric conversion device includes an organic photoelectric conversion film; a first electrode and a second electrode provided with the organic photoelectric conversion film in between; and a charge block layer provided between the second electrode and the organic photoelectric conversion film, in which the charge block layer includes a work function adjustment layer including a metal element on the second electrode side of the organic photoelectric conversion film, the metal element being adopted to adjust a work function, and a first diffusion suppression layer provided between the work function adjustment layer and the second electrode and suppressing diffusion of the metal element to the second electrode side.
US09520446B2

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a memory array comprising memory cells having vertical gate-all-around (GAA) selection transistors. In some embodiments, the memory array has a source region disposed within an upper surface of a semiconductor body, and a semiconductor pillar of semiconductor material extending outward from the upper surface of the semiconductor body and having a channel region and an overlying drain region. A gate region vertically overlies the source region at a position laterally separated from sidewalls of the channel region by a gate dielectric layer. A first metal contact couples the drain region to a data storage element that stores data. The vertical GAA selection transistors provide for good performance, while decreasing the size of the selection transistor relative to a planar MOSFET, so that the selection transistors do not negatively impact the size of the memory array.
US09520445B2

Various embodiments describe an integrated non-volatile component. The component may include a surface contact with associated mating contact wherein a ferroelectric layer is used as a conductive channel having variable conductivity and the surface contact and/or the associated mating contact are/is embodied as a rectifying contact and, as a result of an applied voltage between the surface contact and the associated mating contact, a non-volatile space charge zone forms in the surface contact terminal region and/or mating contact terminal region in the ferroelectric layer.
US09520442B2

An optoelectronic component can be used for mixing electromagnetic radiation having different wavelengths, in particular in the far field. The optoelectronic component includes a carrier. A first semiconductor chip has a first radiation exit surface for emitting electromagnetic radiation in a first spectral range is provided on the carrier and a second semiconductor chip as a second radiation exit surface for emitting electromagnetic radiation in a second spectral range is provided on the carrier. A diffusing layer is provided on the radiation exit surfaces of the semiconductor chips which face away from the carrier.
US09520441B2

A method for fabricating a back-illuminated imager which has a pinned back surface is disclosed. A first insulator layer is formed overlying a mechanical substrate. A conductive layer is deposited overlying the first insulator layer. A second insulator layer is formed overlying the conductive layer to form a first structure, an interface being formed between the conductive layer and the second insulator layer, the conductive layer causing band bending proximal to the interface such that the interface is electrically pinned. Hydrogen is implanted in a separate device wafer to form a bubble layer. A final insulator layer is formed overlying the device wafer to form a second structure. The first structure and the second structure are bonded to form a combined wafer. A portion of the combined wafer is removed underlying the bubble layer to expose a seed layer comprising the semiconductor material substantially overlying the second insulator layer.
US09520430B2

A solid state imaging apparatus includes an insulation structure formed of an insulation substance penetrating through at least a silicon layer at a light receiving surface side, the insulation structure having a forward tapered shape where a top diameter at an upper portion of the light receiving surface side of the silicon layer is greater than a bottom diameter at a bottom portion of the silicon layer. Also, there are provided a method of producing the solid state imaging apparatus and an electronic device including the solid state imaging apparatus.
US09520429B2

An image sensor includes a plurality of filters, an air spacer formed between the plurality of filters, and a protection layer including a first part formed on the plurality of filters and a second part formed on the air spacer. The second part of the protection layer may have a convex lens shape that protrudes over the plurality of filters.
US09520424B2

One or more techniques or systems for forming a black level correction (BLC) structure are provided herein. In some embodiments, the BLC structure comprises a first region, a second region above at least some of the first region, and a third region above at least some of the second region. For example, the first region comprises silicon and the third region comprises a passivation dielectric. In some embodiments, the second region comprises a first sub-region, a second sub-region above the first sub-region, and a third sub-region above the second sub-region. For example, the first sub-region comprises a metal-silicide, the second sub-region comprises a metal, and the third sub-region comprises a metal-oxide. In this manner, a BLC structure is provided, such that a surface of the BLC structure is flush, at least because the third region is flush, for example.
US09520423B2

An image sensor includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface, a first device isolation layer disposed in the substrate and defining a plurality of pixels in the substrate, and having a lower surface adjacent the first surface of the substrate and an upper surface adjacent the second surface of the substrate. Each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element, a floating diffusion region adjacent the first surface of the substrate, and a grid pattern on the second surface of the substrate. At least one of the grid patterns is not vertically aligned with the first device isolation layer.
US09520421B1

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a LTPS TFT substrate and a LTPS TFT substrate. The method for manufacturing the LTPS TFT substrate of the present invention forms a thermally conductive electrical insulation layer having excellent properties of electrical insulation and thermal conductivity on a buffer layer to quickly absorb a great amount of heat during a RTA process to be transferred to an amorphous silicon layer in contact therewith so that the portion of the amorphous silicon at this site shows an increased efficiency of crystallization, whereby polycrystalline silicon has an increased grain size and reduced gain boundaries and thus the mobility of charge carriers of a corresponding TFT device is increased and the influence of the leakage current caused by grain boundary is reduced. The LTPS TFT substrate of the present invention includes a thermally conductive electrical insulation layer formed on a buffer layer at a location exactly under a polycrystalline silicon semiconductor layer and the grain size of the crystallization of the polycrystalline silicon is relatively large, the grain boundaries are reduced in number, the mobility of charge carriers of a TFT device is increased, and the electrical property of the TFT is improved.
US09520417B2

A method of manufacturing an alignment film is provided, and has steps of determining printing regions for an alignment agent, which including display portions and transfer portions; printing the alignment agent within the printing regions to form an alignment thin layer; and performing an alignment process to the alignment thin layer to form the alignment film. The unevenness on the edge of the alignment film is moved away from the display portions by expanding the printing regions for the alignment agent, so as to promote the imaging quality of the finished LCD.
US09520411B2

A display device includes a pixel portion including a plurality of pixels each including a first transistor, a second transistor, and a light-emitting element, in which a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a scan line, one of a source and a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to a signal line, and the other of them is electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor; one of a source and a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to a power supply line and the other of them is electrically connected to the light-emitting element, and the first transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer. A period when the display device displays a still image includes a period in which output of a signal to all the scan lines in the pixel portion is stopped.
US09520409B2

A three-dimensional nonvolatile memory device includes a first vertical channel layer and a second vertical channel layer extending from a substrate, a plurality of memory cells, first selection transistors and second selection transistors spaced apart from each other along the first vertical channel layer and the second vertical channel layer, a pad, a contact plug and a bit line in a stacked configuration over the first vertical channel layer, and a common source line formed over the second vertical channel layer.
US09520403B2

A semiconductor memory device includes: a plurality of first channel columns including a plurality of first channel layers that are arranged in a direction and offset by their centers; a plurality of second channel columns alternately arranged with the plurality of first channel columns and having a plurality of second channel layers that are arranged in the direction and offset by their centers; first insulating layers and first conductive layers alternately stacked to surround the first channel layers; second insulating layers and second conductive layers stacked to surround the second channel layers; and spacers placed between the first channel columns and the second channel columns and interposed between the first conductive layers and the second conductive layers.
US09520402B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques to provide etch stops to the wordlines that form a staircase structure of a 3D memory array. In one embodiment, the apparatus may comprise a 3D memory array having wordlines disposed in a staircase structure. A wordline may include a silicide layer and a spacer disposed to abut the silicide layer around an end of the wordline. The silicide layer and the spacer may form an etch stop of the wordline for a wordline contact structure to electrically connect the wordline with the memory array in response to a deposition of the wordline contact structure on the etch stop. The etch stop may be configured to prevent a physical or electrical contact of the wordline contact structure with an adjacent wordline of the staircase structure, in order to avoid undesired short circuits. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09520401B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of first signal lines crossing a plurality of second signal lines. At least one of the first signal lines has a first end to receive a first voltage and a second end to receive a second voltage. The first and second voltages are applied simultaneously to respective ones of the first and second ends. A difference between the first and second voltages causes joule heating in the at least one first signal line. The joule heating may correct one or more defects in the semiconductor device.
US09520387B2

A stacked package structure is provided. The stacked package structure includes a stacked package including a lower semiconductor package, an upper semiconductor package disposed on the lower semiconductor package and spaced a predetermined distance apart from the lower semiconductor package, an inter-package connecting portion electrically connecting the lower semiconductor package and the upper semiconductor package while supporting a space therebetween, and an insulation layer disposed at least outside the inter-package connecting portion and filling the space between the lower semiconductor package and the upper semiconductor package, and an electromagnetic shielding layer surrounding lateral and top surfaces of the stacked package.
US09520379B2

In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method of integrated chip bonding. The method forms a conductive trace on a surface of a first work piece, and a conductive bump on a surface of a second work piece. The conductive bump has a recess. A reflow process is performed on a solder layer to electrically couple the conductive trace and the conductive bump. The solder layer fills a part of the recess during the reflow process. By filling the recess during the reflow process, electrical shorting between the conductive trace and an adjacent conductive is reduced.
US09520366B2

An electronic chip including an integrated circuit arranged a face of a substrate, and a protection device arranged partially facing the integrated circuit is provided. The protection device includes a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode between which a layer of phase change material is disposed changing locally from a first resistive state to a second resistive state different from the first state by penetration of a beam. The first state is an amorphous state wherein the capacitor has a first capacitance and/or a first resistance and the second state is a crystalline state wherein the capacitor has a second capacitance and/or a second resistance different from the first capacitance and first resistance. The protection device is electrically connected to the integrated circuit by at least one of the first or second electrodes so that the integrated circuit measures the resistance and/or capacitance of the capacitor.
US09520364B2

A method of making a semiconductor device can include providing a plurality of semiconductor die, wherein each semiconductor die comprises an active surface and a backside opposite the active surface. The method can include forming a build-up interconnect structure that extends over the active surface of each of the plurality of semiconductor die within the wafer, and forming a unique identifying mark for each of the plurality of semiconductor die as part of a layer within the build-up interconnect structure while simultaneously forming the layer of the build-up interconnect structure. The layer of the build-up interconnect structure can comprise both the unique identifying marks for each of the plurality of semiconductor die and functionality for the semiconductor device. Each unique identifying mark can convey a unique identity of its respective semiconductor die. The method can further include singulating the plurality of semiconductor die into a plurality of semiconductor devices.
US09520362B2

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a patterned dielectric layer having a plurality of first openings. The method includes forming a conductive liner layer over the patterned dielectric layer, the conductive liner layer partially filling the first openings. The method includes forming a trench mask layer over portions of the conductive liner layer outside the first openings, thereby forming a plurality of second openings, a subset of which are formed over the first openings. The method includes depositing a conductive material in the first openings to form a plurality of vias and in the second openings to form a plurality of metal lines. The method includes removing the trench mask layer.
US09520360B2

A method for fabricating a multilayer structure includes providing a mask on a device stack disposed on the substrate, the device stack comprising a first plurality of layers composed of a first layer type and a second layer type; directing first ions along a first direction forming a first non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a normal to a plane of the substrate, wherein a first sidewall is formed having a sidewall angle forming a first non-zero angle of inclination with respect to the normal, the first sidewall comprising a second plurality of layers from at least a portion of the first plurality of layers and composed of the first layer type and second layer type; and etching the second plurality of layers using a first selective etch wherein the first layer type is selectively etched with respect to the second layer type.
US09520352B2

A wiring board includes a first wiring layer, a first insulating layer, first via wirings, connection terminals and a protection layer. The first insulating layer is formed with through holes. The first via wirings are formed in the through holes. The connection terminals are electrically connected to the first wiring layer through the first via wirings. The connection terminals protrude upward from the first insulating layer. The protection layer is made of insulating resin which contains photosensitive resin as a main component. The protection layer is formed on an upper surface of the first insulating layer. The protection layer includes first and second protection layers. The first protection layer surrounds the connection terminals. The second protection layer is separated from the first protection layer. The second protection layer is thinner than the first protection layer.
US09520351B2

A packaging substrate and a package structure are provided. The packaging substrate includes a plurality of dielectric layers, two of which have a difference in thickness; and a plurality of circuit layers alternately stacked with the dielectric layers. Therefore, the package warpage encountered in the prior art is avoided.
US09520349B2

A semiconductor package is provided. In one configuration, the semiconductor package includes a substrate. A conductive trace is disposed on the substrate. A conductive pillar bump is disposed on the conductive trace, wherein the conductive bump is coupled to a die. In another configuration, a first conductive trace is disposed on the substrate, and a second conductive trace is disposed on the substrate. In the second configuration, a conductive pillar bump disposed on the second conductive trace, connecting to a conductive bump or a metal pad of the semiconductor die. A first conductive structure is disposed between the second conductive trace and the conductive pillar bump or between the second conductive trace and the substrate, and a die is disposed over the first conductive trace.
US09520343B1

A field-effect transistor (FET) structure for preventing from shorting is disclosed. The field-effect transistor (FET) structure is applying to a power discrete device, such as the MOSFET or IGBT. The field-effect transistor structure comprises a MOSFET chip and a metal clip. A silver layer (or silver string) is welded on the surface of the metal clip jointed with the source pad so that the silver paste may be not overflowed and permeated into the gate bus to achieve the effect of preventing from shorting.
US09520342B2

Various applications of interconnect substrates in power management systems are described.
US09520334B2

An integrated structure includes a support supporting at least one chip and a heat dissipating housing, attached to the chip. The housing is thermally conductive and has a thermal expansion compatible with the chip. The housing may further including closed cavities filled with a phase change material.
US09520332B2

An electronic device and methods of manufacture thereof. One or more methods may include providing a lid wafer having a cavity and a surface surrounding the cavity and a device wafer having a detector device and a reference device. In certain examples, a solder barrier layer of titanium material may be deposited onto the surface of the lid wafer. The solder barrier layer of titanium material may further be activated to function as a getter. In various examples, the lid wafer and the device wafer may be bonded together using solder, and the solder barrier layer of titanium material may prevent the solder from contacting the surface of the lid wafer.
US09520329B2

A fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) semiconductor structure includes: a first PFET, a second PFET, and a third PFET each having a different threshold voltage and each being over an n-well that is biased to a first voltage; and a first NFET, a second NFET, and a third NFET each having a different threshold voltage and each being over a p-type substrate that is biased to a second voltage. The second voltage is different than the first voltage.
US09520325B2

A method for producing a semiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments may include providing a semiconductor workpiece attached to a first carrier; dicing the semiconductor workpiece and the carrier so as to form at least one individual semiconductor chip; mounting the at least one semiconductor chip with a side facing away from the carrier, to an additional carrier.
US09520323B2

Embodiments of a microelectronic package including at least one trench via are provided, as are embodiments of a method for fabricating such a microelectronic package. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of depositing a dielectric layer over a first microelectronic device having a plurality of contact pads, which are covered by the dielectric layer. A trench via is formed in the dielectric layer to expose the plurality of contact pads therethrough. The trench via is formed to include opposing crenulated sidewalls having a plurality of recesses therein. The plurality of contact pads exposed through the trench via are then sputter etched. A plurality of interconnect lines is formed over the dielectric layer, each of which is electrically coupled to a different one of the plurality of contact pads.
US09520314B2

Methods and apparatus for bonding an electrostatic chuck to a component of a substrate support are provided herein. In some embodiments, an adhesive for bonding components of a substrate support may include a matrix of silicon-based polymeric material having a filler dispersed therein. The silicon based polymeric material may be a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structure having a molecular weight with a low molecular weight (LMW) content Σ D3-D10 of less than about 500 ppm. In some embodiments, the filler may comprise between about 50 to about 70 percent by volume of the adhesive layer. In some embodiments, the filler may comprise particles of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the filler may comprise particles having a diameter of about 10 nanometers to about 10 microns.
US09520310B2

A wafer container may be a front opening wafer container comprising a container portion and a door, one of the container portion and the door having a radially installed seal with a plurality of opposing lateral projections that deflect from a normal position in a direction away from an install direction when the seal is installed in a groove, the lateral projections resisting removal of the seal after the seal is seated in the groove. A core portion and a cantilevered finger member engages the other of the door and container portion when the door is seated in the container portion. Other lateral projections on the seal effectively seal the path between the seal and groove surfaces.
US09520309B2

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate includes a transfer device which has a drive motor and transfers a substrate, a peripheral device which has a drive motor and loads and unloads the substrate in substrate-transfer operation of the transfer device, and a control device which conducts drive control on the drive motor of the transfer device and drive control of the drive motor of the peripheral device.
US09520305B2

A power semiconductor device comprising a power semiconductor module and a heat sink; and a method for its manufacture. The module has a cooling plate, with an opening delimited by a lateral first surface thereof extending circumferentially around the opening. The cooling plate is arranged in the opening and has a lateral first surface which extends circumferentially around the cooling plate. The two first surfaces are at a respective angle of less than 90° with respect to a main surface of the cooling plate facing the power semiconductor components. The two first surfaces are pressed together, extending circumferentially along the first surface of the cooling plate and extending circumferentially along the first surface of the heat sink. The inventive power semiconductor device has good heat conduction from the power semiconductor components to the heat sink through which a liquid can flow, and which is reliably leaktight over the long term.
US09520303B2

Methods of selectively etching aluminum and aluminum layers from the surface of a substrate are described. The etch selectively removes aluminum materials relative to silicon-containing films such as silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon carbon nitride, silicon oxycarbide and/or silicon nitride. The methods include exposing aluminum materials (e.g. aluminum) to remotely-excited chlorine (Cl2) in a substrate processing region. A remote plasma is used to excite the chlorine and a low electron temperature is maintained in the substrate processing region to achieve high etch selectivity. Aluminum oxidation may be broken through using a chlorine-containing precursor or a bromine-containing precursor excited in a plasma or using no plasma-excitation, respectively.
US09520297B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes sequentially forming a hard mask layer and a first sacrificial layer on a substrate, forming a first mandrel on the first sacrificial layer, forming a first spacer on both sidewalls of the first mandrel, removing the first mandrel, forming a second mandrel by etching the first sacrificial layer using the first spacer as an etch mask, forming a second spacer on both sidewalls of the second mandrel, removing the second mandrel, forming a hard mask pattern by patterning the hard mask layer using the second spacer as an etch mask, the hard mask pattern including first to ninth fin-type mask patterns extending to be parallel with each other in a first direction and sequentially spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, removing the third, fifth and seventh fin-type mask patterns, forming first to sixth active patterns by etching the substrate using the hard mask pattern as an etch mask, and forming a first gate electrode extending in the second direction to intersect the first to fourth active patterns and a second gate electrode extending in the second direction to intersect the third to sixth active patterns and spaced apart from the first gate electrode in the first direction without intersecting the first and second active patterns.
US09520293B2

A method for making a mechanically flexible silicon substrate is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a silicon substrate. The method further includes forming a first etch stop layer in the silicon substrate and forming a second etch stop layer in the silicon substrate. The method also includes forming one or more trenches over the first etch stop layer and the second etch stop layer. The method further includes removing the silicon substrate between the first etch stop layer and the second etch stop layer.
US09520288B2

It is an object to provide a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability and a semiconductor device which includes the thin film transistor as a switching element. An In—Ga—Zn—O-based film having an incubation state that shows an electron diffraction pattern, which is different from a conventionally known amorphous state where a halo shape pattern appears and from a conventionally known crystal state where a spot appears clearly, is formed. The In—Ga—Zn—O-based film having an incubation state is used for a channel formation region of a channel etched thin film transistor.
US09520280B2

Mass analyzers and methods of ion detection for a mass analyzer are provided. An electrostatic field generator provides an electrostatic field causing ion packets to oscillate along a direction. A pulse transient signal is detected over a time duration that is significantly shorter than a period of the ion oscillation or using pulse detection electrodes having a width that is significantly smaller than a span of ion harmonic motion. A harmonic transient signal is also detected. Ion intensity with respect to mass-to-charge ratio is then identified based on the pulse transient signal and the harmonic transient signal.
US09520274B2

The invention relates to an ion implanter that comprises an enclosure ENV having arranged therein a substrate carrier PPS connected to a substrate power supply ALT via a high voltage electrical passage PET, the enclosure ENV being provided with pump means PP, PS, the enclosure ENV also having at least two cylindrical source bodies CS1, CS2 free from any obstacle and arranged facing the substrate carrier. This implanter is remarkable in that it includes at least one confinement coil BCI1-BCS1, BCI2-BCS2 per source body CS1, CS2.
US09520273B2

A tuner (43) includes a microwave transmission path (51), having a coaxial structure, configured to transmit a supplied microwave to a planar slot antenna (101); slugs (61a) and (61b made of a dielectric material and configured to be moved along the microwave transmission path (51); a slug driving unit (70) configured to move the slugs (61a) and (61b) along the microwave transmission path (51); and a control unit (80) configured to perform impedance matching by controlling positions of the slugs such that they are located at a matching position where a reflection coefficient is small, and configured to control, based on a state of the plasma, a matching track through which the slugs (61a) and (61b) reach the matching position.
US09520272B2

A microwave emission mechanism includes: a transmission path through which a microwave is transmitted; and an antenna section that emits into a chamber the microwave transmitted through the transmission path. The antenna section includes an antenna having a slot through which the microwave is emitted, a dielectric member through which the microwave emitted from the antenna is transmitted and a closed circuit in which a surface current and a displacement current flow. A surface wave is formed in a surface of the dielectric member. The closed circuit has at least: an inner wall of the slot; and the surface and an inner portion of the dielectric member. When a wavelength of the microwave is λ0, a length of the closed circuit is nλ0±δ, where n is a positive integer and δ is a fine-tuning component including 0.
US09520270B2

Techniques herein include methods for curing a layer of material (such as a resist) on a substrate to enable relatively greater heat reflow resistance. Increasing reflow resistance enables successful directed self-assembly of block copolymers. Techniques include receiving a substrate having a patterned photoresist layer and positioning this substrate in a processing chamber of a capacitively coupled plasma system. The patterned photoresist layer is treated with a flux of electrons by coupling negative polarity direct current power to a top electrode of the plasma processing system during plasma processing. The flux of electrons is accelerated from the top electrode with sufficient energy to pass through a plasma and its sheath, and strike the substrate such that the patterned photoresist layer changes in physical properties, which can include an increased glass-liquid transition temperature.
US09520263B2

The present invention pertains to an apparatus for generating a charged particle beam comprising a magnetic element for controlling the profile of the beam in a predetermined plane. A cathode can be provided for emitting charged particles and an anode for accelerating the charged particles along an axis of travel. The present invention also pertains to a method for generating a particle beam that has a uniform profile in a predetermined plane comprising inducing emission of charged particles from an emitter, accelerating those particles along and toward an axis of beam travel, generating a magnetic field with a component aligned with the axis of beam travel but different in the predetermined plane than at the emitter, and modifying the beam profile.
US09520260B2

A photo-emitter x-ray source is provided that includes a photocathode electron source, a laser light source, where the laser light source illuminates the photocathode electron source to emit electrons, and an X-ray target, where the emitted electrons are focused on the X-ray target, where the X-ray target emits X-rays. The photocathode electron source can include alkali halides (such as CsBr and CsI), semiconductors (such as GaAs, InP), and theses materials modified with rare Earth element (such as Eu) doping, electron beam bombardment, and X-ray irradiation, and has a form factor that includes planar, patterned, or optically patterned. The X-ray target includes a material such as tungsten, copper, rhodium or molybdenum. The laser light source is pulsed or configured by light modulators including acousto-optics, mode-locking, micro-mirror array, and liquid crystals, the photocathode electron source includes a nano-aperture or nano-particle arrays, where the nano-aperture is a C-aperture or a circular aperture.
US09520236B2

A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic element body including internal electrodes and external electrodes electrically connected to respective internal electrodes. Each of the external electrodes includes a sintered metal layer including glass and metal and a conductive resin layer including resin and metal particles. In a cross section of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, at an interface between the sintered metal layer and the conductive resin layer, recesses having a shape in which a dimension of an inner portion is larger than a dimension of an inlet are present, and L1/L2 is about 0.2 or more and about 1.5 or less, where L1 is a length along the interface at which the glass of the sintered metal layer is exposed at the interface, and L2 is a length along the interface at which the metal of the sintered metal layer is exposed at the interface.
US09520234B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor and manufacturing method therefor, in which the capacitor includes a ceramic body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes; electrode layers connected to the internal electrodes; and a conductive resin layer formed on the electrode layers and including a first conductor, a second conductor having a fiber shape, and a base resin.
US09520220B2

A device having a variable inductor includes an inductor having an inductance, a first conductor having a first grounding property, and a second conductor having a second grounding property. The device further includes a first single-mesh structure including a first grid. The first grid includes a first conducting wire electrically connected to the first conductor, and a second conducting wire electrically connected to the first conducting wire and the first conductor, wherein the first conducting wire, the second conducting wire and the first conductor are configured to form a first loop corresponding to the inductor for tuning the inductance. The first single-mesh structure further includes a second grid. The second grid includes a third conducting wire electrically connected to the first conducting wire and the second conductor, and a fourth conducting wire electrically connected to the third conducting wire and the second conductor, wherein the third conducting wire, the fourth conducting wire and the second conductor are configured to form a second loop corresponding to the inductor for tuning the inductance.
US09520214B2

There is provided an electric wire holder for holding electric wires connected to terminal fittings at end portions of the wires, the holder configured to attach to a shielding pipe to cover an edge of the shielding pipe into which the electric wires are inserted and from which the terminal fittings and a portion of the electric wires are drawn out to an outside of the shielding pipe, the holder comprising: a first holding piece configured to hold the portion of the electric wires that is drawn out from the shielding pipe and to fix a draw-out position of the terminal fittings.
US09520206B2

Disclosed herein are an anisotropic conductive film and a method for manufacturing the same. The anisotropic conductive film according to the present invention includes: an insulating resin; and a plurality of conductive graphenes dispersed into the insulating resin.
US09520181B1

One embodiment describes a JMRAM memory cell system. The system includes a phase hysteretic magnetic Josephson junction (PHMJJ) that stores one of a first binary state and a second binary state in response to a write current provided during a data write operation and to provide a superconducting phase based on the stored digital state. The system also includes a directional write element configured to provide a directional bias current during the data write operation to provide the superconducting phase of the PHMJJ in a predetermined direction corresponding to the first binary state. The system further includes at least one Josephson junction having a critical current that is based on the superconducting phase of the PHMJJ and being configured to provide an output corresponding to the stored digital state in response to a read current that is provided during a read operation.
US09520160B2

A memory module includes a plurality of semiconductor memory devices and a circuit board. The circuit board is electrically connected to the plurality of semiconductor memory devices, and a signal line is disposed in the outermost layer of the circuit board. An electrical reference for the signal line is provided in a layer of the circuit board that is not adjacent to the outermost layer. Accordingly, an impedance of the signal line may be increased, and signal integrity of a signal transmitted through the signal line may be improved.
US09520157B2

In one aspect, a portable handheld measurement device automatically stores measurement values in volatile memory in a limited replay storage mode that comprises a storage limitation that applies to the plurality of measurement values stored in the limited replay storage mode; receives a replay request; and, responsive to the replay request, presents at least some of the measurement values stored in the limited replay storage mode. In another aspect, a portable handheld measurement device automatically stores measurement values and associated contextual data according to a persistent storage mode; and automatically stores the measurement values according to a limited replay storage mode, wherein the limited replay storage mode comprises a storage limitation that is not present in the persistent storage mode.
US09520156B2

A content preview of a content item is generated by extracting one or more clips from the content item, each clip is identified using a clipping point, a clip duration, a starting point, which is identified using the clipping point, and an ending point, which is identified using the clip's starting point and clipping duration. By way of a non-limiting example, shot boundaries are identified within the content item, the clip's starting point is identified to be the shot boundary before and closest to the clip's clipping point, the clip's ending point is identified to be the shot boundary after and closest to the clip's starting point plus clip duration. In a case that multiple clips are generated for the content preview, the clips are multiplexed to form the content preview. In a case that the content item comprises different types of content, such as audio and video content, the audio and video content is extracted from the content item for each clip, and synchronized to form the clip.
US09520154B2

Disclosed herein is an image display apparatus including a storage unit storing a plurality of images, an input unit receiving a selection command for selecting one or more images from among the plurality of images, and a display unit displaying at least one image of the selected images in a first zone and at least one second image of the selected images in a second zone.
US09520147B2

A MR sensor is disclosed that has a free layer (FL) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) which eliminates the need for an adjacent hard bias structure to stabilize free layer magnetization and minimizes shield-FL interactions. In a TMR embodiment, a seed layer, free layer, junction layer, reference layer, and pinning layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield. After patterning, a conformal insulation layer is formed along the sensor sidewall. Thereafter, a top shield is formed on the insulation layer and includes side shields that are separated from the FL by a narrow read gap. The sensor is scalable to widths <50 nm when PMA is greater than the FL self-demag field. Effective bias field is rather insensitive to sensor aspect ratio which makes tall stripe and narrow width sensors a viable approach for high RA TMR configurations. Sensor sidewalls may extend into the seed layer or bottom shield.
US09520146B1

A method of forming a wrapped-around shielded perpendicular magnetic recording writer pole is disclosed. A structure comprising a leading shield layer and an intermediate layer disposed over the leading shield layer is provided, the intermediate layer comprising a pole material and a dielectric material. A trench is formed in the dielectric material. A non-magnetic layer in the trench is removed via an ion beam etching process. A seed layer is deposited in the trench and over the pole material. A magnetic material comprising a side shield layer is deposited on at least a portion of the seed layer.
US09520135B2

A method performed in an audio decoder for decoding M encoded audio channels representing N audio channels is disclosed. The method includes receiving a bitstream containing the M encoded audio channels and a set of spatial parameters, decoding the M encoded audio channels, and extracting the set of spatial parameters from the bitstream. The method also includes analyzing the M audio channels to detect a location of a transient, decorrelating the M audio channels, and deriving N audio channels from the M audio channels and the set of spatial parameters. A first decorrelation technique is applied to a first subset of each audio channel and a second decorrelation technique is applied to a second subset of each audio channel. The first decorrelation technique represents a first mode of operation of a decorrelator, and the second decorrelation technique represents a second mode of operation of the decorrelator.
US09520134B2

A system for processing compressed audio includes a signal enhancer module configured to generate one or more signal treatments. The one or more signal treatments may be generated by the signal enhancer module based on analysis of the incoming audio signal. Alternatively, or in addition, characteristics of the incoming audio signal may be provided to the signal enhancer module for use in generating the one or more signal treatments. The one or more signal treatments may be added to file audio signals.
US09520130B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining, for each of multiple words or sub-words, audio data corresponding to multiple users speaking the word or sub-word; training, for each of the multiple words or sub-words, a pre-computed hotword model for the word or sub-word based on the audio data for the word or sub-word; receiving a candidate hotword from a computing device; identifying one or more pre-computed hotword models that correspond to the candidate hotword; and providing the identified, pre-computed hotword models to the computing device.
US09520129B2

Provided is a speech recognition system, including: a first information processing device including a speech recognition processing unit for receiving data to be used for speech recognition transmitted via a network, carrying out speech recognition processing, and returning resultant data; and a second information processing device connected to the first information processing device via the network. The second information processing device performs conversion of the data into data having a format that disables a content thereof from being perceived by application of a mapping function on phoneme ID's associated with the content, and also enables the speech recognition processing unit to perform the speech recognition processing. Thereafter, the second information processing device transmits the data to be used for the speech recognition by the speech recognition processing unit and constructs resultant data returned from the first information processing device into a content of a valid and perceivable recognition result.
US09520128B2

Techniques related to implementing neural networks for speech recognition systems are discussed. Such techniques may include implementing frame skipping with approximated skip frames and/or distances on demand such that only those outputs needed by a speech decoder are provided via the neural network or approximation techniques.
US09520127B2

Providing a framework for merging automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems having a shared deep neural network (DNN) feature transformation is provided. A received utterance may be evaluated to generate a DNN-derived feature from the top hidden layer of a DNN. The top hidden layer output may then be utilized to generate a network including a bottleneck layer and an output layer. Weights representing a feature dimension reduction may then be extracted between the top hidden layer and the bottleneck layer. Scores may then be generated and combined to merge the ASR systems which share the DNN feature transformation.
US09520117B2

An optical electronic musical instrument device (“e-instrument”) that is configured to identify colors and output sounds that are associated with the identified color is disclosed. The e-instrument may detect colors using a color sensor and generate a color signal as a result. Additionally, the volume of the sound may be influenced by a motion signal generated by a motion sensor, wherein the lower or higher the motion signal's value corresponds to a lower or higher volume. The color and motion signals may be sent to one or more processors, either local or remote from the e-instrument, that generates or retrieves a sound signal based on the color and motion signals. The sound signal may then be transmitted to a speaker and the speaker outputs the sound signal accordingly. The sound signal may be any instrument, including a sound of a guitar, piano, drum, etc.
US09520114B2

An acoustic-drum tuning method, apparatus, and a system are disclosed which are configured to tune different regions of the drumhead membrane separately or the drumhead membrane in its entirety. Various embodiments of the acoustic-drum tuning assembly include a single adjustment feature to vary the drumhead tension uniformly around the drumhead's periphery and include multiple other adjustment features to vary the drumhead tension non-uniformly around the drumhead's periphery In some embodiments the tuning mechanism includes a semi flexible hoop or rim, for example a semi-rigid metal hoop, that restraints the drumhead membrane with respect to the drum. The restraining hoop may be pulled uniformly away from the drumhead to uniformly increase the tension in the drumhead membrane and/or may be pulled non-uniformly away from the drumhead to increase the tension in the drumhead membrane non-uniformly.
US09520113B2

A resonance control compression pad for the acoustic bass drum which in some embodiments may comprise: an elongate batter head contacting surface; an elongate resonance head contacting surface opposingly positioned to the elongate batter head contacting surface; and a plurality of baffles coupled to the elongate batter head contacting surface and to the elongate resonance head contacting surface. The elongate resonance head contacting surface may be configured to contact portions of a resonant head when the pad is positioned within a drum instrument, while the elongate batter head contacting surface may be configured to contact portions of a batter head when the pad is positioned within a drum instrument. The elongate resonance head contacting surface may exert pressure on the resonant head and the elongate batter head contacting surface may likewise exert pressure on the batter head, thereby providing resonance control to the drum instrument.
US09520112B1

An accordion includes a right hand play side, a left hand play side, a bellow provided between the right hand play side and the left hand play side, and four rows of buttons provided on at least one of the right hand play side and the left hand play side. The four rows of buttons include a first column to which first continuous four pitches are assigned, a second column, provided adjacent to the first column, to which second continuous four pitches are assigned, the second continuous four pitches being adjacent to the first continuous four pitches, and a third column, provided adjacent to the second column, to which third continuous four pitches are assigned, the third continuous four pitches being adjacent to the second continuous four pitches.
US09520110B1

The present invention is a novel variable tension string instrument that relies on a kinetic shape to actively alter the tension of a fixed length taut string. A mathematical model was derived that relates the two-dimensional kinetic shape equation to the string's physical and dynamic parameters. With this model, an automated instrument was designed and constructed to play frequencies within predicted and recognizable frequencies along with programmed melodies.
US09520101B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for creating an image rendering filter that can be used to produce a desired view of an image. Monitor characteristics can be identified for a monitor that is displaying the image, and viewing characteristics of a viewer intending to view the image can also be identified. The monitor characteristics and the viewing characteristics can be used to create the image rendering filter, which may be applied to the input image the monitor, resulting in an “ideal” image for the particular viewer viewing the image on the particular monitor.
US09520100B2

In a network service system, first data is uploaded from a terminal of a member to a server and second data and the first data are viewable by members. The terminal includes a display, a detector configured to detect a screen change operation in a first direction and a screen change operation in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a display controller configured to successively switch and display the first data on the display when the detector detects the screen change operation in the first direction, and successively switch and display the second data when the detector detects the screen change operation in the second direction.
US09520096B2

A liquid crystal display device includes: a light source section so configured that independently-controllable emission subsections are formed on a light-exit plane of a light-guide plate; a liquid crystal display panel modulating, based on an input picture signal, light exited from each of the emission subsections in the light source section; and a display controlling section having a partitioning-drive processing section generating, based on the input picture signal, an emission pattern signal representing a light emission pattern of the emission subsections in the light source section, and a partitioning-drive picture signal. The display controlling section performs, based on the partitioning-drive picture signal, display-drive on each pixel in the liquid crystal display panel, and performs, based on the emission pattern signal, light-emission drive through allowing one or more of first light sources and one or more of second light sources to emit concurrently so as to form the emission subsections.
US09520088B2

A display device includes a display panel including a pixel array including data lines, gate lines crossing the data lines, and pixels arranged in a matrix form, a source driver integrated circuit (IC) for supplying a data voltage to the data lines, a gate driver IC for supplying a gate pulse to the gate lines, and a first flexible film cable bonded to a substrate of the display panel. The first flexible film cable includes lines for transmitting gate timing control signals and gate driving powers received from a printed circuit board to the gate driver IC. The first flexible film cable has a thickness of about 20 μm to 100 μm.
US09520076B2

The present invention provides a method for adjusting white-balance, comprising the steps of: S1, entering a value of white-balance of a standard sample into a display panel; S2, controlling the display panel to display a test image having different grayscale value so as to attain a full grayscale value of the display panel; S3, determining whether the attained full grayscale value is within a specification, if yes, then proceeding into next step, and if no, then proceeding into step S4; and S4, recalculating the white-balance value based on a difference between the attained full grayscale value and the white-balance value of the standard sample, and reentering the calculated white-balance value into display panel, and returning to step S2. The white balance adjusting system incorporated with such white balance adjusting method can be readily and quickly implemented into the existing production line of liquid crystal display panel.
US09520072B2

In one embodiment, a method for projecting images on a subject includes determining a pose and position of the subject, adjusting a three-dimensional model of an anatomical structure of the subject to match the determined pose and position, and projecting an image of the anatomical structure onto the subject in registration with the actual anatomical structure of the subject to illustrate the location of the structure on or within the subject.
US09520065B2

A navigation aid information display device of an aircraft and primary flight display for an aircraft are disclosed. In one aspect, the navigation aid information display system includes a display screen including at least one first display area configured to display a first altitude scale including graduations, the current altitude of the aircraft on the first scale, and set altitude value. The graduations of the first scale are distributed on an arc of a first disc including a first needle centered in the disc and the first needle is configured to indicate the current altitude on the first scale. The distribution of the graduations on the arc is nonlinear and symmetrical relative to a graduation corresponding to the set altitude value and defines extension graduations decreasing from the set altitude value.
US09520062B2

A portable computing device can be used to locate a vehicle in a parking structure. In particular, the portable computing device can communicate with a parking system that manages the parking structure and/or with a vehicle in order to locate the vehicle. Communications between the portable computing device, parking system and vehicle can be based on one or more wireless connections, such as Bluetooth and/or Bluetooth LE connections.
US09520058B2

Apparatus, systems and methods are described for outputting audible or visual indicators via a remote control for a controlled device. A remote control queries an associated controlled device for information. The controlled device generates a request for the remote control to activate an audio or visual indicator. The request is integrated with a response to the query that is transmitted to the remote control. The remote control outputs an audio or visual indicator responsive to the request.
US09520055B2

Method of communication between a first node and a second node of a home-automation installation, the method comprising the transmission of a first signal from a first transmitting part of the first node to a second receiving part of the second node, upon receipt of the first signal by the second node, transmission of a second signal from a second transmitting part of the second node to a first receiving part of the first node, the second signal comprising a signal confirming to the first node that the first signal has indeed been received and understood, and placing in the inactive state or maintaining in the active state the first receiving part as a function of an information cue contained in the second signal received by the first node.
US09520050B2

An apparatus for personal security is disclosed that includes a portable accessory formed to receive an alerting device. The alerting device fits within a compartment of the portable accessory, and the portable accessory includes a communication device. The apparatus includes an alerting device with an alerting element. The alerting device is interchangeable with a plurality of portable accessories. One or more activation elements are disposed on the portable accessory and formed to activate the alerting device wherein the alerting element sends an alert signal to the communication device in response to receiving an activation signal from the one or more activation elements. In one embodiment, the alerting device sends the alert signal to the communication device in response to receiving the activation signal. In another embodiment, the communication device notifies one or more predefined contacts that an alert signal was sent in response to receiving the alert signal.
US09520049B2

Systems and techniques are provided for learned overrides for home security. A sensor of a security system may be armed. A trip signal may be received indicating a tripping of the sensor. It may be determined that the trip signal can be automatically overridden based on matching an identity of the sensor and a state of the security system with a pattern in a model. The pattern may represent a state of the security system in which automatically overriding the trip signal from the sensor is permitted. The trip signal from the sensor may be automatically overridden without input from a user.
US09520047B2

A first terminal configured to operate in conjunction with a second terminal, the first terminal including: a sensor configured to obtain information corresponding to a motion of the first terminal; a communicator configured to receive information corresponding to a motion of the second terminal from the second terminal; and a controller configured to, in response to a distance between the first terminal and the second terminal being greater than or equal to a critical value, control the communicator to transmit a notification message to the second terminal based on the information corresponding to the motion of the first terminal and the information corresponding to the motion of the second terminal.
US09520043B1

A system includes an electronic device including a baseboard management controller (BMC), a power supply unit (PSU), and an external connector, wherein the BMC controls a serial communication bus, and the external connector includes AC voltage contacts and serial communication bus contacts. A power distribution unit (PDU) includes multiple outlets, a management entity, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader, and a visual indicator. A power cable includes a first plug end for coupling to the external connector, a second plug end for coupling to one of the outlets, AC voltage wires extending end-to-end, a read/write RFID tag in the second plug end, and communication wires extending from the first plug end to the read/write RFID tag. Coupling the first plug end to the external connector connects the AC voltage and connects the serial communication bus such that the BMC is in serial communication with the read/write RFID tag.
US09520042B2

A smoke detector has enhanced audio and communications capabilities that allow audio content to be provided at each smoke detector location. This audio content may be music, intercom, doorbell actuation and radio programs. The smoke detector may also include a microphone for monitoring and two way communications between two or more smoke detectors, a intercom panel at a doorbell location, controlling lights in an area of the smoke detector with voice commands, and further providing for speakerphone answering and communications capabilities. Audio content and control may be provided to the smoke detector with a software program application running on a personal computer, tablet computer and a smart cell phone. A smoke detector may further be controlled with a Bluetooth or infrared handheld controller located in a area proximate to the smoke detector.
US09520040B2

The invention is an integrated system consisting of a network of two-dimensional sensors (such as cameras) and processors along with target detection, data fusion, tracking, and alerting algorithms to provide three-dimensional, real-time, high accuracy target tracks and alerts in a wide area of interest. The system uses both target kinematics (motion) and features (e.g., size, shape, color, behavior, etc.) to detect, track, display, and alert users to potential objects of interest.
US09520026B2

A game system that is capable of performing a game by employing an information card in place of a conventional paper-based system is provided.This game system includes: a plurality of gaming machines; a bill identifying device that is associated with each of the gaming machines, for identifying bills of different currencies and an amount of the bills, and outputting data representative of an identified result; a player tracking device that is integrated with each of the gaming machine, for converting data output from the bill identifying device to credit data for executing a game, based on a money exchange rate stored therein, and sending out the converted credit data to the gaming machine; a control device for inputting a money exchange rate from an outside, providing the input money exchange rate to the player tracking device, and updating the money exchange rate stored in the player tracking device; and an information card device that is integrated with the player tracking device, for causing an information card to store data equivalent to an amount of money to be awarded to a player according to a game result of the gaming machine, and sending out credit data for executing a game to the gaming machine.
US09520025B2

A gaming system is provided enabling real-time cash management to be performed, even while in the play of a game to be performed by employing game media rendering their items of recorded information readable. Having received a result of detection of game chips on a game betting board from a game betting device, a server device accumulates the result of the detection, and judges whether or not movement of game chips has occurred between a dealer and each player, in comparison with a past result. When movement of game chips has occurred between the dealer and such each player, data relevant to a game chip table, a player table, and a dealer table is updated so as to reflect a result of the movement.
US09520024B2

A method of operating a wagering game network the supports a plurality of award types. The method may include: detecting a player identifier associated with an award account; detecting, via at least one electronic input device, a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance; initiating the casino wagering game in response to an input indicating a wager covered by the credit balance; displaying, on an electronic display device, a result for the casino wagering game; presenting, on the electronic display device, an indication that awards of a first award type have been awarded to the award account based on the result; detecting, via at least one of the electronic input devices, a request to exchange some of the awards of the first award type for awards of a second award type, and wherein the awards of the second award type are exchangeable within the wagering game network for other awards of the plurality of award types; and submitting the request over a communications network.
US09520018B2

A wagering game system and its operations which can include analyzing electronic information associated with a first gaming effect and a second gaming effect provided for concurrent presentation via an output device, determining that the first gaming effect has a higher priority than the second gaming effect, and causing the first gaming effect to be presented via the output device before the second gaming effect is presented based on the higher priority. The operations can further include preventing, without user input, presentation of a first portion of the second amine effect via the output device while the first gaming effect is presented. The operations can further include electronically determining that a second portion of the second gaming effect is available for presentation after an ending point for the first gaming effect, and causing the second portion to be presented via the output device after the first gaming effect.
US09520007B2

A lockout system that includes a lock portion and a key portion that removably cooperate with one another to allow selective interference with a throw lever associated with operation of an electrical panel. The lock portion and key portion each include a guide arrangement and an electrical interface that cooperate with one another. The guide arrangements cooperate with one another to align the electrical interfaces of the respective key and lock portions. The lock portion includes a movable lock arm that selectively interferes with motion of the throw lever. The position of the lock arm relative to the throw lever can be manipulated when the electrical interfaces of the key portion and the lock portion are engaged with one another. Preferably, the lock and key interface includes an RFID protocol associated with authorizing respective key portions to communicate with respective lock portions.
US09520002B1

A method is disclosed that may include, in a creating phase: receiving an instruction to generate a virtual place-located anchor at a virtual location that is world-locked; receiving data items from a target data source; linking a subset of the data items to the virtual place-located anchor; and receiving a permission from a first user specifying a condition under which a second user may view one or more holograms of the subset of data items. In a viewing phase, first display data may be transmitted to cause a first display device to display the holograms to the first user at the virtual place-located anchor; and if the condition is satisfied, second display data may be transmitted to cause a second display device to display the holograms to the second user at the virtual place-located anchor.
US09519999B1

Methods and systems for providing a preloader animation for image viewers is provided. An example method includes receiving an image of an object, determining an edge gradient value for pixels of the image, and selecting pixels representative of the object that have a respective edge gradient value above a threshold. The example method also includes determining a model of the object including an approximate outline of the object and structures internal to the outline that are oriented based on the selected pixels being coupling points between the structures, and providing instructions to display the model in an incremental manner so as to render given structures of the model over time.
US09519996B2

A virtual view generating method and apparatus are provided that are used to resolve a technical problem existing in the prior art that there are holes in a virtual view, so as to improve quality of the virtual view. The method includes obtaining an original image and an original depth map of the original image; preprocessing the original depth map based on an adaptive filtering algorithm to obtain a processed depth map; generating a basic virtual view based on the original image and the processed depth map; and performing hierarchical hole filling on the basic virtual view based on a deconvolution algorithm to generate a virtual view.
US09519995B2

An information processing method transfers information from a start face to an end face with a minimum local distortion by maintaining one-to-one correspondence between the original information on the start face and the transferred information on the end face. The method includes an operation of mapping information taken from a three-dimensional surface onto a rectangular plane, or vice versa, by dividing the start face into a plurality of divisional start faces and preparing divisional end faces that just fill the end face, then deforming each divisional start face to just fit a corresponding one of the divisional end faces, so as to maintain lines and points defining each divisional end face as lines and points also on the end face and to ensure that a first area ratio between each divisional start face relative to the entire start face and a second area ratio between each divisional end face relative to the entire end face is substantially equal.
US09519982B2

A rasterizer and a method of performing rasterization in a graphics processing pipeline are disclosed. A rasterizer of a graphics processing pipeline tests larger patches of a render output to be generated against a primitive to be rasterized, to determine if the primitive covers (at least in part) any smaller patches of the render output that the larger patch encompasses. The larger patch is then sub-divided into any covered smaller patches, and the process repeated. The rasterizer also identifies when a given smaller patch of the render output is found to entirely pass the edge test for an edge of the primitive in question when the larger patch encompassing that smaller patch is tested, notes that event in state information associated with the primitive edge in question, and then uses that state information to skip the testing of the edge in question against the smaller patch of the render output.
US09519977B2

A system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for generating background for an image. A graphical interface module arranges an image in a display element. The arrangement of the image in the display element defines a space between the perimeters of image and the display element. A color detection module determines an estimate of a color of the image about the perimeter of the image. A background generator module determines a variation of color of the image about the perimeter of the image. The background generator module determines a background based at least on the estimate of the color and the variation of color. A display module provides the arrangement of the image in the display element with the background at least filling a portion of the space defined between the perimeters.
US09519971B2

A position and orientation measurement device includes a grayscale image input unit that inputs a grayscale image of an object, a distance image input unit that inputs a distance image of the object, an approximate position and orientation input unit that inputs an approximate position and orientation of the object with respect to the position and orientation measurement device, and a position and orientation calculator that updates the approximate position and orientation. The position and orientation calculator calculates a first position and orientation so that an object image on an image plane and a projection image of the three-dimensional shape model overlap each other, associates the three-dimensional shape model with the image features of the grayscale image and the distance image, and calculates a second position and orientation on the basis of a result of the association.
US09519969B1

A system and method for monitoring an individual in a dwelling so as to know when such individual falls or indicates the need of assistance. A plurality of 3D motion and sound sensors are located in the dwelling and provide data to a computerized monitoring system. The sensors are configured to recognize one or more biometric identifiers of the individual being monitored. When the monitoring system detects that the individual has fallen or gestured, a computerized communication system contacts the individual to determine the need to send assistance to help the individual. Where assistance is required the system automatics contacts the previously designated caregiver for the individual and can also contact emergency personnel.
US09519966B2

An automated content-based image retrieval method, a system and a computer program product for the classification of breast density from mammographic imagery. Raw digital mammogram images taken of patients are initially pre-processed to remove noise and enhance contrast, then subjected to pectoral muscle segmentation to produce region of interest (ROI) images. The ROI images are then decomposed using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), where a non-negative sparsity constraint and reconstruction quality measures are imposed on the extracted and retained first few NMF factors. Based on the retained NMF factors, kernel matrix-based support vector machines classify the mammogram images binomially or multinomially to breast density categories. Methods of assessing and comparing the NMF-based breast classification method to principal component analysis or PCA-based methods are also described, and the NMF-based method is found to achieve higher classification accuracy and better handling of invariance in the digital mammogram images because of its parts-based factorization.
US09519952B2

An image processing apparatus includes a gradient calculation unit, a direction determining unit, a directional interpolation unit, and a blender unit. The gradient calculation unit processes an input image to generate gradient magnitudes and gradient angles associated with input pixels of the input image. The direction determining unit generates interpolation angles and directional confidence values according to the gradient magnitudes and gradient angles. The directional interpolation unit performs directional interpolation on the input image according to the interpolation angles, so as to generate a first image with an image resolution different from the input image. The blender receives the first image and a second image generated from interpolating the input image, and blends the first image and the second image according to the directional confidence values to generate an output image.
US09519945B2

A graphic division unit divides image data to be output into a plurality of divided regions, and an order determination unit determines a generation order of a plurality of the divided regions of the image data so as to cause a first generation order of the image data and a second generation order of the image data to be different from each other. A generation stop instruction unit causes generation of the image data until the image data combining the image data generated based on the first generation order with the image data generated based on the second generation order corresponds to the image data to be output.
US09519939B2

A smart switch applied to a smart home system is connected to a power supply and at least one electronic device. The smart switch includes a screen, a power detecting unit configured to detect real-time electrical information of the electronic device, a processor unit including a calculating module configured to calculate total electricity consumption of the electronic device and a control module configured to control the screen to display instantaneous electrical information and the total electricity consumption, and a communication unit configured to connect the smart switch to a gateway of the smart home system in wired or wireless manner, and send the electrical information and the total electricity consumption to the gateway. A smart home system is also provided.
US09519927B1

A system allows people to more easily find products matching their skin tone. A kiosk at a retail store or other location can assist customers in determining what products are right for them and then purchase them from the retailer. The kiosk can include a scanning device is used to scan one or more spots of a person's skin. For example, three different spots can be scanned. The scan determines a skin-tone identifier for the person's skin. This skin-tone identifier is used by a software program (e.g., executing on a tablet computer) to determine and output a listing of products that are appropriate for the person's skin tone.
US09519925B2

A method, medium, and system are provided to facilitate local or global exchange of goods and services through a decentralized network of peer-to-peer (P2P) nodes. In one aspect of the disclosure, the nodes may be maintained or operated by the participants in the marketplace system. In one aspect, the system may operate on both desktop and mobile devices. In one aspect, the system operates with decentralized data storage. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system of incentives for participation of nodes. In one aspect, the system operates with decentralized communication. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system to escrow payments between participants. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system of load balancing. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized system by which certain listings can be prioritized in the network. In one aspect, the system operates with decentralized transaction processing. In one aspect, the system operates with a decentralized digital currency as the medium of exchange between participants.
US09519924B2

Embodiments of the invention provide for using video analysis, such as augmented reality or the like to assist a group of users to utilize mobile devices for creating a collective network environment of users that identifies objects in which one or more users in a group of users may be interested, and notifies the one or more users of information associated with the object. A collective network comprises a group of users that each have a mobile device that contains or is otherwise operatively coupled to a data capture device. For example, the mobile device may be a mobile phone that is capable of taking video with a camera device. A user in the collective network may capture video on his mobile device, and an application can identify the object in the video and provide interested users in the collective network with information about the object.
US09519921B2

A fleet management system has a communication and positioning module associated with each fleet vehicle, and a back end monitoring and control system located at a fleet data center in communication with each vehicle. The system monitors each trip automatically and generates time stamps at the start of a trip, a pick up location, a drop off location, and return of the vehicle to a garage at the end of a trip. Vehicle status information is collected and stored along with time stamps. The information is used to generate billing and payroll accounts, and also in monitoring conditions of fleet vehicles and generating alerts as needed. Turn-by-turn route instructions are provided to each vehicle.
US09519917B2

A method and a system for context-based real-time advertising are provided. In example embodiments, a document content that is displayed to a user may be analyzed and keywords may be identified. Selected listings from a publication system may be received; the selected listings may be selected using the keywords. The system may detect user events associated with the keywords and, in response to the detection of the user events, display information related to the listings while maintaining the displaying of the document content.
US09519913B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatuses for capturing a real-time video stream using a mobile computing device, determining, using a computing device processor, which images from the real-time video stream are associated with goods and businesses consistent with a predetermined social impact, and presenting on a display of the real-time video stream, one or more indicators, each indicator being associated with an image determined to be consistent with a predetermined social impact.
US09519911B2

The apparatus comprises at least one database for storing digital information associated with at least a first user and a second user, at least one links module for the first user and for the second user, at least one manipulations module and at least one display device for respectively displaying at least said linked digital information wherein said linked digital information associated with said first user is automatically updated on at least said display device of said second user when that information is manipulated, and wherein said linked digital information associated with said second user is automatically updated on at least said display device of said first user when that information is manipulated.
US09519904B2

A wireless (e.g., near field or RF) communication device, and methods of manufacturing and using the same are disclosed. The wireless communication device includes a receiver and/or transmitter, a substrate with an antenna thereon, an integrated circuit, and one or more protection lines. The antenna receives and/or transmits or broadcasts a wireless signal. The integrated circuit processes the wireless signal and/or information therefrom, and/or generates the wireless signal and/or information therefor. The integrated circuit has a first set of terminals electrically connected to the antenna. The protection line(s) are on a common or different substrate as the antenna. The protection line(s) sense or determine a continuity state of a package or container on which the communication device is placed or to which the communication device is fixed or adhered, and are electrically connected to a second set of terminals of the integrated circuit different from the first set of terminals.
US09519898B2

Systems and methods for conducting mobile transactions and/or actions on electronic wearable devices are disclosed. The electronic wearable device comprises a wearable and a base device. The wearable comprises connective hardware components and associated firmware and software for connecting the base device. The wearable comprises a dedicated communication component and at least one dedicated activatable component. The dedicated communication component establishes communication between the electronic wearable device and an application server. The at least one activatable component is operable to be activated for transactions and/or actions for at least one good or service.
US09519893B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for processing damaged items using image data lift are presented. In some embodiments, a computing platform may receive image data of a deposit item. Subsequently, the computing platform may determine whether a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line of the deposit item is readable. If the MICR line is not readable, the computing platform may perform an image data lift on the image data to extract information from one or more visible fields of the deposit item. Then, the computing platform may identify a payor of the deposit item based on the extracted information and may determine whether the deposit item is an on-us item. If the deposit item is an on-us item, the computing platform may rebuild MICR information for the deposit item. Thereafter, the computing platform may process the deposit item for deposit based on the rebuilt MICR information.
US09519891B1

A system and method for recycling non-reusable refrigerant transport containers. At least one intact refrigerant transport container is received into a sealed chamber. The refrigerant transport container is punctured to release residual refrigerant, which is removed and compressed. The container is shredded and/or compacted. A refrigerant transport container deposit program is provided, comprising: encoding a deposit container prior to use; receiving the encoded spent container and releasing the imposed deposit; automatically removing residual refrigerant from the spent container; and recycling materials from the refrigerant transport container. A database storing a record relating to the encoded refrigerant transport containers may be employed for tracking.
US09519880B1

A system for analyzing the network traffic health of an inventory management system that includes an autonomous vehicle and a plurality of access points. The autonomous vehicle interacts with access points in an inventory management system, and network traffic information related to network connectivity between the autonomous vehicle and the access points is obtained. The autonomous vehicle or the access points transmit(s) the network traffic information to a computer system that can generate a graphical user interface that represents the network traffic information for the inventory management system. The network traffic information can include a variety of information about the interactions between autonomous vehicles and access points, such as roam time of the autonomous vehicles between access points as the autonomous vehicles navigate within the inventory management system.
US09519876B2

A method for providing maintenance to an asset is disclosed. In one embodiment, a database having asset information from a plurality of disparate sources is accessed. Asset information in the database is utilized to generate an asset report. The asset report is utilized to track an asset including its location and operation. Scheduling information regarding the asset is utilized such that the manufacturer can provide a scheduled/unscheduled maintenance program for the asset.
US09519867B1

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for optimizing a user experience are provided. The method includes optimizing a user experience using clusters, user preferences, or a combination thereof. Clusters may be created based on, for example, user behaviors, or actions, exhibited by a user. User preferences may be established for each cluster in order to further customize the clusters. The clusters may be continuously monitored such that if changes are necessary they may be immediately applied such as a user exhibited different behavior and requiring association with a new cluster. This information, or clustering, may be utilized to predict user satisfaction such that more positive user experiences are encountered and negative user experiences are, to the extent possible, avoided, or at least lessened.
US09519866B2

A diagnosis support apparatus which provides information for supporting medical diagnosis obtains known medical information of a diagnosis target held in a database as “already-input” information, and has a selection unit that selects non-input information to be presented as medical information, other than the already-input information. A similar-case obtaining unit obtains, using the already-input information and the presentation non-input information, a case including the presentation non-input information from a case database, as a case similar to that of the diagnosis target, and a presentation unit presents the presentation non-input information and the similar case.
US09519865B2

Various embodiments include apparatus and methods to provide pipe analysis, annulus analysis, or one or more combinations of pipe analysis and annulus analysis with respect to one or more pipes in a wellbore. The analysis can include application of clustering and classification methods with respect to the status and the environment of the one or more pipes in the wellbore. In various embodiments, the clustering and classification can be used in characterizing borehole annular material including cement bond quality evaluation. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09519864B1

Embodiments include processing a data structure representing a dependency matrix having columns representing respective first components and rows representing respective second components. Aspects include assigning each cell of the matrix a value indicative of the level of dependency or indicative of an unknown dependency of a pair of first and second components forming the cell and assigning each component of the first and second components an affiliation vector indicative of the strength of affiliation of the component to N predefined initial clusters of cells of the matrix. Aspects also include determining a probability model using the affiliations vectors parameters and estimating the parameters of the probability model for a plurality of different numbers of clusters starting from the initial number N of clusters. Aspects further include computing a score for the parameters of the probability model estimated and selecting the parameters of the probability model with the highest computed score.
US09519859B2

A deep structured semantic module (DSSM) is described herein which uses a model that is discriminatively trained based on click-through data, e.g., such that a conditional likelihood of clicked documents, given respective queries, is maximized, and a condition likelihood of non-clicked documents, given the queries, is reduced. In operation, after training is complete, the DSSM maps an input item into an output item expressed in a semantic space, using the trained model. To facilitate training and runtime operation, a dimensionality-reduction module (DRM) can reduce the dimensionality of the input item that is fed to the DSSM. A search engine may use the above-summarized functionality to convert a query and a plurality of documents into the common semantic space, and then determine the similarity between the query and documents in the semantic space. The search engine may then rank the documents based, at least in part, on the similarity measures.
US09519857B2

An apparatus includes a deformable structure in which a neural network comprising a plurality of deformation sensors, e.g. nanowire sensors, and distributed in-situ processing circuits. The circuits generate a signal characterizing features of the local deformation of the structure and/or a command signal corresponding to the detected deformation. The structure may be a wearable sleeve that conforms to deformations of a user's skin, part of an electronic device, such as a touch sensitive screen, or an object in itself. The apparatus can provide a user interface, wherein a command corresponding to a current shape of the structure is generated and acted upon by a integrated or remote device, or a device for monitoring a user's position or movement e.g. for replication by a robotic device. The apparatus may have machine learning capability to improve the matching of commands with determined shapes of the deformable structure.
US09519853B2

A wearable, non-visible identification device that provides reliable, tamper proof, friendly-force identification and intruder detection. The device is integrated as a part of the wearer's uniform and includes a user input surface for periodic entry of a unit- or user-defined pass code. A timeout capability prevents the device and its identification signal from being used if the pass code is not entered within the specified time period. The preferred embodiment uses non-visible optical identification signals for 1-way identification using standard tactical equipment, making the device useful in the field during operations or at temporary security control points away from established bases. Alternative embodiments use radio-frequency, visible and reflective identification signals. All embodiments use identification signaling methods which are effective at safe stand-off distances to minimize the threat to security personnel. The device also supports identification at tactical distances to support identification in the field. Very low cost and low power embodiments for use by security forces in developing nations are described. This invention provides a novel and improved means for defeat of the threat of adversaries or insurgents exploiting stolen or fake uniforms to attack friendly forces.
US09519852B2

A compact form factor integrated circuit card. In one embodiment, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is disclosed. In one embodiment, the SIM card has overall dimensions optimized for a particular application; e.g., 12.30 mm (±0.10 mm)×8.80 mm (0.10 mm)×0.67 mm (+0.03/−0.07). In another embodiment, the SIM card has overall dimensions of 11.90 mm (±0.10 mm)×8.80 mm (±0.10 mm)×0.70 mm (maximum). Multiple complementary SIM card adapters and methods of use are also disclosed.
US09519846B2

A card reader may include a card passage; a pulling-out prevention member; and a turning mechanism structured to turn the pulling-out prevention member between the closing position and the open position. The pulling-out prevention member may include a card abutting part. The card abutting part may be formed with an abutting face structured to abut with a front end of the card having been inserted into the card reader when the pulling-out prevention member is located at the closing position. The abutting face may be set to be an inclined face which is inclined to the rear side as going to the second direction side when viewed in the width direction of the card in a case that the pulling-out prevention member is located at the closing position.
US09519841B2

An attached matter detector includes a light source configured to irradiate light toward a plate-like transparent member from one surface thereof, an imaging device configured to image reflection light by attached matter on a surface of the plate-like transparent member, a memory configured to previously store flare information obtained by the image device by turning on the light source in a state without having disturbance light and the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member, and a difference information-obtaining device configured to obtain difference information between a light-up image as an image obtained by the imaging device with the turned-on light source and a light-out image as an image obtained by the imaging device with the turned-off light source, wherein the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member is detected based on the difference information and the flare information stored in the memory.
US09519836B2

A method and/or computer program product assists in locating objects using a local physical device and one or more remote physical devices having image capture capability. A local physical device captures one or more reference images of an object, and shares identification metrics associated with one or more reference images of the object with one or more of the remote physical devices. One or more remote physical devices captures one or more images of an area in which the object may be located, and determines, using the identification metrics, whether any of the images captured includes the object. In response to a determination that any of the images captured includes the object, those images are stored and associated with the object. In response to the object being lost by a user, the local physical device reviews the stored images to determine a location of the lost object.
US09519823B2

In a technique for quantifying the spatial distribution of cells or sub-cellular structures, image data representing a spatial map of biomarkers is processed to obtain a set of coordinates. Each of the coordinates in the set denotes the location of a cell or sub-cellular structure represented by a biomarker or combination of biomarkers. The set of coordinates is processed into a two-dimensional symmetric (2N−1)×(2N−1) or 2N×2N matrix. The resulting matrix may be used for various purposes, such as assigning subjects clinical characteristics, and/or forming and/or testing scientific hypotheses for interventions, for example. Also described herein is an apparatus for performing the described technique.
US09519817B1

After capturing a barcode image, generate at least one sample line accordingly, acquire sample data of the at least one sample line, generate a first and a second reference lines, generate an upper bound and a lower bound according to the first and the second reference lines, generate a first curve by interpolating all sample points, generate a plurality of effective sample shapes of the first curve according to the upper bound and the lower bound, identify an internal point of each effective sample shape, generate a second curve by interpolating all internal points, and digitize the barcode image to binary data by comparing sample data with the second curve.
US09519813B2

A radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver may be associated with an identification proximity to identify an RFID tag associated with a component. A control may determine proper inflation of component based on the RFID tag being identified.
US09519806B2

A domain-specific hardwired symbolic web server machine is described that processes information via the hardwired mapping of symbols from one or more domains onto other such domains, computing and communicating with improved security and reduced power consumption because it has no CPU, no Random Access Memory (RAM), no instruction registers, no Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), no operating system (OS) and no applications programming. The machine provides web services by recognizing legal requests such as HTTP GET request and responding with an HTML web page. In some embodiments, the machine has no unconstrained RAM into which malware may insert itself and needs no anti-virus software.
US09519802B2

The present disclosure includes a method comprising encrypting sensitive data, generating a token comprising a data identifier, tokenizing the encrypted sensitive data, and/or storing the encrypted sensitive data in association with the token to a token vault. Tokenizing may comprise mapping the encrypted sensitive data to the token. The method may further comprise storing the token to a cloud application, wherein the cloud application comprises a software application that functions within a cloud computing environment.
US09519798B2

Provided is a process of operating a zero-knowledge encrypted database, the process including: obtaining a request for data in a database stored by an untrusted computing system, wherein the database is stored in a graph that includes a plurality of connected nodes, each of the nodes including: an identifier, accessible to the untrusted computing system, that distinguishes the respective node from other nodes in the graph; and an encrypted collection of data stored in encrypted form, wherein: the untrusted computing system does not have access to an encryption key to decrypt the collections of data, the encrypted collections of data in at least some of the plurality of nodes each include a plurality of keys indicating subsets of records in the database accessible via other nodes in the graph and corresponding pointers to identifiers of the other nodes.
US09519796B1

A computer system according to certain aspects uses past ticket usage data indicating a probability that a respective entity would personally use a ticket issued to them based on a history of past ticket usage. A ticket controller can respond to ticket requests by determining whether a ticket should be issued to a requesting entity based on the past ticket usage data associated with the requesting entity's profile, and if so issue a ticket to the requesting entity in electronic form. The system can receive a ticket use notification and update the past ticket usage data associated with the requesting entity's profile based on the ticket use notification, where the updated past ticket usage data conveys whether the requesting entity presented the ticket themselves.
US09519789B2

Identifying security vulnerabilities related to inter-process communications by identifying within the instructions of a computer software application an object creation location configured to create an inter-process communications object, identifying within the instructions of the computer software application a location of an inter-process communications method, determining whether a path exists for an inter-process communications object created at the object creation location to propagate to the inter-process communications method, classifying with a classification selected from a plurality of predefined classifications, any of the inter-process communications object, the object creation location, and the location of the inter-process communications method, and reporting as a security vulnerability the classified inter-process communications object, object creation location, or location of the inter-process communications method if the path exists and if the classification is predefined to indicate that reporting is warranted.
US09519786B1

A client device includes a flash chip for storing firmware and a microcontroller for storing an image in read-only memory. The image corresponds to an accurate representation of firmware. When the client device is powered on but before the firmware is executed to boot the client device, the firmware stored on the flash chip is compared to the image. In the event that the firmware does not correspond to the image, the client device is not booted and the firmware is overwritten with the image. The client device may then be booted using the flashed firmware. To update the firmware, the client device may receive a new image from a server. The new image is stored in the read-only memory of the microcontroller. The firmware may then be re-flashed using the new image.
US09519785B2

Methods and systems for generating and using a BIOS security display include determining whether a change in a BIOS user setting is associated with security of an information handling system. When the BIOS user setting is associated with security, a security level for the BIOS may be calculated based on weighted security values for BIOS user settings. Security levels for boot phases may also be individually calculated. The security levels may be displayed in the BIOS to the user when the BIOS user setting is changed.
US09519780B1

A computer-implemented method for identifying malware may include (1) determining, for multiple commands within bytecode associated with a malware program, whether each command constitutes an invocation command, (2) filtering, based on the determination, invocation commands from the bytecode, (3) adding, for each invocation command filtered from the bytecode, an opcode, a format code, and a function prototype to a collection of opcodes, format codes, and function prototypes, (4) generating a digital fingerprint of the collection including the opcode, the format code, and the function prototype for each invocation command filtered from the bytecode, and (5) performing, by a computer security system, a remedial action to protect a user in response to detecting the presence of a variant of the malware program by determining that the digital fingerprint matches a candidate instance of bytecode under evaluation. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09519776B2

The present invention is a computer security system and method in which the various algorithms not only do not search for or detect the presence of a steganographic or other hidden image in a data file or across data files, but also includes at least one or more combined approaches for altering and neutralizing any hidden messages without significantly detracting from the underlying integrity of the data file or files thus treated.
US09519773B2

In an embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a decode unit and an execution unit. The decode unit is to decode control transfer instructions and the execution unit is to execute control transfer instructions, the control transfer instructions including a call instruction and a return instruction. The processor is to operate in a first mode in which the processor is to raise a fault if a next instruction to be executed immediately after the return instruction is not the call instruction.
US09519767B2

An apparatus and a method are provided for authenticating a combination code using a Quick Response (QR) code. The apparatus includes a QR code receiver that receives an image frame including a QR code; a QR code recognizer that recognizes the QR code within the image frame; a combination code generator that generates a combination code including the QR code; and a combination code transmitter that transmits the combination code to an authentication server.
US09519756B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for managing policy and permissions profiles. Individuals or organizations are permitted to author profiles utilizing a profile template and publish such authored profiles for access and adoption by others. Users are able to import desired profiles and subsequently have those imported profiles applied each time he or she accesses an application or service to which the profile pertains. User interfaces from which users may view profiles associated with them, make alterations to settings of profiles associated with them, and/or select from a plurality of profiles for a particular application or service are also provided. Still further, recommendations may be provided to users for policy and permissions profiles based upon, for instance, crowd-sourcing, profiles adopted by social network connections of a user or other users that are “like” a user, prior profile selections made by the user, and/or prior user behavior.
US09519752B2

A system, method and apparatus for executing a sequence analysis pipeline on genetic sequence data includes an integrated circuit formed of a set of hardwired digital logic circuits that are interconnected by physical electrical interconnects. One of the physical electrical interconnects forms an input to the integrated circuit connected with an electronic data source for receiving reads of genomic data. The hardwired digital logic circuits are arranged as a set of processing engines, each processing engine being formed of a subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits to perform one or more steps in the sequence analysis pipeline on the reads of genomic data. Each subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits is formed in a wired configuration to perform the one or more steps in the sequence analysis pipeline.
US09519747B1

Methods and systems receive an integrated circuit design into a computerized device and perform an analysis of the integrated circuit design to identify characteristics of physical features of portions of the integrated circuit design. Such methods and systems determine whether to look up sensitivity of a timing value of a portion of the integrated circuit design to manufacturing process variables, voltage variables, and temperature variables (PVT variables) by: evaluating relationships between the characteristics of physical features of the portion of the integrated circuit design to generate an indicator value; and, based on whether the indicator value is within a table usage filter value range, either: calculating the sensitivity of the timing value to the PVT variables; or looking up a previously determined sensitivity of the timing value to the PVT variables from a look-up table.
US09519745B2

A method and apparatus for an assisted metal routing is disclosed. Embodiments may include: determining an initial block mask having a first inner vertex for forming a metal routing layer of an integrated circuit (IC); adding an assistant metal portion within the metal routing layer; and determining a modified block mask based on the assistant metal portion for forming the metal routing layer.
US09519740B2

Systems and techniques are described for optimizing a circuit design by using a numerical solver. The gates sizes are optimized by modeling a set of gate optimization problems and solving the set of gate optimization problems by using a numerical solver. Modeling each gate optimization problem can include selecting a portion of the circuit design that includes a driver gate that drives one or more inputs of each gate in a set of gates, and modeling a gate optimization problem for the portion of the circuit design based on circuit information for the portion of the circuit design. A differentiable objective function for delay can be created using numerical models for the delays in the circuit. In some embodiments, gradients of the differentiable objective function can be computed to enable the use of a conjugate-gradient-based numerical solver.
US09519732B1

Some embodiments correlate various manufacturing or design information or data with patterns used to represent electronic designs and provide pertinent pattern-based information to metrology, fabrication, or testing tools to enhance their performances of their intended functions. Some embodiments further utilize cross-design or cross-process analytics to perform various pattern-based analyses on electronic designs. Some embodiments perform squish analysis with a squish pattern library on an electronic design to represent the electronic design with squish patterns by performing pattern matching, pattern decomposition, and pattern classification process.
US09519727B2

In order to improve the efficiency of website optimization processes a novel pre-processing method at least includes: a) receiving website source code or web browser code from a website to be optimized; b) converting the website source code or web browser code into an electronic image; c) mapping web page elements corresponding to areas in the image; d) performing saliency analysis on the image; e) mapping the results of the saliency analysis to the web page elements; and f) selecting at least one web page for inclusion in a website optimization process based on the saliency analysis. A corresponding novel system is also disclosed.
US09519718B2

The present application provides web information detecting method and system. The method according to the present application comprises: pre-extracting keywords from a web page; storing a corresponding relationship between the extracted keywords and a URL of the web page in a database; obtaining a source file of a web page to be detected; searching the database for keywords that have the same URL as that of the web page to be detected; comparing the searched keywords to the source file information of the web page to be detected; and determining the existence of information of the web page to be detected according to a matching degree. The present application increases the accuracy of web information detection.
US09519713B2

A method is provided for searching for multimedia content items on the internet. According to the method, a search page of a search provider is loaded, search text is transmitted from the client to the search provider, an application is executed at the search provider to detect multimedia content items stored in servers and associated with the search text, a results page is transmitted from the search provider to the client. Additionally, each detected multimedia content item is associated with a predetermined type of content items, the results page is divided into multiple areas that are each associated with a corresponding type, and internet addresses of the detected multimedia contents are placed into each of the areas.
US09519711B2

Some embodiments comprise integrating information from a social network into a multi-tenant database system. A plurality of information from the social network is retrieved, using a processor and a network interface of a server computer in the multi-tenant database system, wherein the plurality of information is associated with a message transmitted using the social network. Metadata related to the transmitted message is generated, using the processor. A conversation object is generated, using the processor, based on the plurality of information associated with the transmitted message and the metadata related to the transmitted message. The conversation object is then stored in an entity in the multi-tenant database system, using the processor of the server computer.
US09519710B1

Systems and methods for classifying and ranking one or more keywords associated with a media work may be provided. In an embodiment, a system can recommend a set of media works in response to receiving information about a keyword associated with a media work. The system can recommend the set of media works based on aggregated classification information for a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of media works, and aggregated rating information for the aggregated classification information. In an example, the aggregated rating information can represent the relevancy of a classification associated with at least one media work of the plurality of media works.
US09519704B2

A system and method are provided for real-time analysis of text. During a single sweep through the text, a detection tree is used to identify a sequence of characters in the text from a large dictionary of keywords. When a keyword is detected a rule tally database is updated. An intermediate score may be available during the sweep and a final score of the text may be available substantially immediately upon finishing the single sweep. A second text may be analyzed immediately using the same score buffer and rule tally database without updating the rule tally database.
US09519695B2

A system and computer-implemented method for automating data warehousing processes is provided. The system comprises a code generator configured to generate codes for Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) tools, wherein the codes facilitate the ETL tools in extracting, transforming and loading data read from data sources. The system further comprises a code reviewer configured to review and analyze the generated codes. Furthermore, the system comprises a data migration module configured to facilitate migrating the data read from the data sources to one or more data warehouses. Also, the system comprises a data generator configured to mask the data read from the data sources to generate processed data. In addition, the system comprises a Data Warehouse Quality Assurance module configured to facilitate testing the read and the processed data. The system further comprises a reporting module configured to provide status reports on the data warehousing processes.
US09519694B2

A recipe presentation device includes: a recipe storage unit storing recipes each including preparation elements of ingredients, intermediate ingredients, and a dish to be served; a receiving unit which receives a dish specified by a user; a search unit which searches the recipe storage unit for a first recipe which is a recipe for the dish; a similarity calculation unit which calculates similarities between the individual recipes for the dishes stored in the recipe storage unit and the first recipe; a selection unit which selects, according to the similarities, a second recipe which is a recipe similar to the first recipe among the recipes for the dishes; and a presentation unit which presents a dish corresponding to the selected second recipe.
US09519692B2

A timeline visualization system displays one or more groups of related events over a specified period of time within a timeline, where each group of related events is represented within the timeline as an event group. When a user interacts with the timeline, the event group expands and displays all the related events within the event group in a layer on top of the timeline. When a user interacts with the timeline a second time, the event group collapses, and the timeline (including the one or more event groups), is once again displayed.
US09519681B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to knowledge representation systems which include a knowledge base in which knowledge is represented in a structured, machine-readable format that encodes meaning.
US09519678B2

A network-based service may be provided for facilitating queries for a number of items, such as travel services. A user may submit a query including criteria for determining one or more relevant items. Based on the submitted query, the network-based service may present the user with information regarding the actions of other similar users of the network-based service, such as searches performed by the other users. Based on this information, the user may elect to supplement the current query to conform to the actions for other users. In some embodiments, actions by other users may be based at least in part on a category of the querying user. By presenting actions of similar users, a current user may be enabled to select the most relevant query terms for identifying a desired item.
US09519669B2

A document indexing and delivery system is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention provide an agent-based delivery platform to supply financial document images in a variety of formats to fulfill requests from various clients of an image processing system at a financial institution. Workflows can be created using extensible markup language (XML) to direct the operation of the system. Software agents on the system can include a client agent, a delivery agent, an index agent, a format agent, an image agent, and/or a workflow agent. The workflow agent manages the execution of the workflow. Images and relevant data can be located using a master index residing in partitioned, high-speed databases.
US09519668B2

A hash table is created in parallel without requiring a lock or random accesses to memory. The hash table of a database system is logically partitioned and a separate thread is assigned to each partition of the hash table. As many separate threads as can fit their corresponding hash table partitions into the processor's cache are executed in parallel with other threads without a lock. Execution of a number of separate threads includes: scanning an input data table for a thread's partition and applying a hash function to each key, inserting data of keys that hash to the thread's partition into the thread's partition, and ignoring keys that do not hash to the thread's partition.
US09519663B2

Techniques for upgrading and migrating software systems include configuring a target database on a computing appliance that is communicably coupled with a distributed computing environment that includes a source database, the source database including a plurality of productive database tables and a plurality of non-productive database tables; determining a distribution of database tables to migrate to the target database, the distribution including at least a portion of the plurality of productive and non-productive database tables from the source database and at least one new database table of a database upgrade; migrating the distribution of database tables to the target database; and pointing a productive system of the distributed computing environment to the target database.
US09519661B2

A method and system for updating a background picture of a web search results page for different search queries. The method includes receiving a search query from a user and determining one or more text search results for the search query. The method also includes determining one or more images for the search query by at least one of extracting the one or more images from webpages associated with the one or more text search results, and extracting the one or more images from an image web search. Further, the method includes assembling the one or more images to create the background picture. Moreover, the method includes rendering the one or more text search results, for the search query, in the web search results page along with the background picture. The system includes one or more electronic devices, a communication interface, a memory, and a processor.
US09519658B2

Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for determining the accuracy of map data. In one embodiment, map data and collected telematics data can be compared. The difference between the map data and the telematics data can be used to determine the accuracy of the map data.
US09519652B2

Technical effects of a method, an apparatus, and a system for operating a shared resource in an asynchronous multiprocessing system that are provided in the present invention are as follows: A processor in an asynchronous multiprocessing system implements an operation on a shared resource by locking a hardware resource lock, and the hardware resource lock is implemented by a register; in this way, a bus in the asynchronous multiprocessing system does not need to support a synchronization operation, and the processor also does not need to have a feature of supporting a synchronization operation, and is capable of implementing the operation on the shared resource only in a manner of accessing the register, which simplifies the operation on the shared resource by the processor in the asynchronous multiprocessing system, enlarges a selection range of the processor in the asynchronous multiprocessing system, and further improves flexibility of the asynchronous multiprocessing system.
US09519642B2

A system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions translatable by the processor. The instructions when translated by the processor cause the system to determine an exemplar reference which identifies a managed object stored in a repository residing in an enterprise computing environment. The system can determine a translation group utilizing the exemplar reference. The managed object may represent a content item. The translation group may include the content item and the content item may be multilingual enabled. The system can determine an effective locale for a request for content received from a client device communicatively connected to a web server in the enterprise computing environment, determine a language that is appropriate for the effective locale, and respond to the request for content with the content item or a translation of the content item that is in the language appropriate for the effective locale.
US09519641B2

Methods are described for efficient and substantially instant recognition and translation of text in photographs. A user is able to select an area of interest for subsequent processing. Optical character recognition (OCR) may be performed on the wider area than that selected for determining the subject domain of the text. Translation to one or more target languages is performed. Manual corrections may be made at various stages of processing. Variations of translation are presented and made available for substitution of a word or expression in the target language. Translated text is made available for further uses or for immediate access.
US09519640B2

A see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display apparatus for providing translations of real world data for a user. A wearer's location and orientation with the apparatus is determined and input data for translation is selected using sensors of the apparatus. Input data can be audio or visual in nature, and selected by reference to the gaze of a wearer. The input data is translated for the user relative to user profile information bearing on accuracy of a translation and determining from the input data whether a linguistic translation, knowledge addition translation or context translation is useful.
US09519636B2

A system includes reception of text, extraction of a plurality of linguistic entities and associated linguistic entity categories based on the text; determination of one or more semantic objects of a semantic layer based on the linguistic entity categories, and generation of a query of the semantic layer based on the plurality of linguistic entities, the associated linguistic entity categories, and the one or more semantic objects. The extraction of the plurality of linguistic entities may include identification of the plurality of linguistic entities from a plurality of semantic object-independent linguistic entity categories and a plurality of semantic object-dependent linguistic entity categories, the plurality of semantic object-dependent linguistic entity categories may be associated with the semantic layer, each of the plurality of semantic object-dependent linguistic entity categories may be associated with a respective semantic object of the semantic layer and each entity of each semantic object-dependent linguistic entity category may be associated with a value of its respective semantic object.
US09519631B2

Resolving conflicting changes to structured data files. A method includes for a structured data file which has both a generic structure and dialects built on top of the generic structure, for which conflicting changes have been made, and where an original version of the structured data, a first version of the structured data and a second version of the structured data exist, determining a dialect of the structured data. The method further includes, based on the determined dialect performing at least one of merge or diff operations on the original version of the structured data, the first version of the structured data and the second version of the structured data.
US09519628B2

A method for generating a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message in XML during execution of a process in a SOA-based process engine apparatus and a corresponding process engine apparatus. The method includes: generating and storing an XML character string containing a fixed SOAP message skeleton; generating and storing an XML character string containing an instance-constant variable; generating an XML character string containing a dynamic variable; and concatenating the XML character string containing the fixed SOAP message skeleton and the XML character string containing the instance-constant variable as previously stored and the XML character string containing the dynamic variable by a character string concatenating operation to generate a SOAP message. A process engine apparatus including a message analyzer unit, a message pre-composer unit, a character string depository, and a message composer unit is also provided.
US09519611B2

Methods and hardware data structures are provided for tracking ordered transactions in a multi-transactional hardware design using a counter and an indexed table. The data structure includes a counter that keeps track of the number of in-flight transactions; a table that keeps track of the age of each of the in-flight transactions using the counter; and control logic that verifies a transaction response has been received in the correct order (e.g. corresponds to the oldest in-flight transaction) based on the age information in the table.
US09519607B2

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include a chassis, one or more chassis management controllers housed in the chassis, and a switch management controller. The chassis may be configured to receive a plurality of modular information handling systems. The one or more chassis management controllers may be configured to receive a storage management command, encapsulate the storage management command in a first datagram, and communicate the first datagram to a switch management controller housed in the chassis. The switch management controller may be configured to extract the storage management command from the first datagram, identify a storage controller associated with the storage management command, and communicate an input/output control request to the storage controller based on the storage management command.
US09519606B2

A network switch, based on the PCI Express protocol, is disclosed. The switch is in communication with a processor, local memory and includes a plurality of non-transparent bridges and, optionally transparent bridges, leading to PCI Express endpoints. By configuring the non-transparent bridges appropriately, the network switch can facilitate simultaneous communication between any two sets of servers without needing to store any data in the local memory or FIFO resources of the switch. For example, the network switch may configure the non-transparent bridges so as to have access to the physical memory of every server attached to it. It can then move data from the memory of any server to the memory of any other server.
US09519603B2

To accommodate multiple masters over bus architectures supporting a single master device, a mechanism is provided for an inactive master device to trigger an IRQ signal over a shared, single line IRQ bus. A current master then polls the other inactive master devices over a shared data bus to ascertain which inactive master device is asserting the IRQ signal. Upon identifying the asserting inactive master device, the current master device grants control of the data bus to the new master device, thereby making the inactive master the new active master device.
US09519596B2

A method for controlling access of a processor to a resource, wherein the processor has an instruction set including a virtualization extension, may include executing a resource access instruction by the processor using the virtualization extension, whereby the resource access instruction conveys a virtual address (VA) and a virtual machine identifier. The method may also include translating the virtual address to a physical address based on the virtual machine identifier, and looking-up an access control rule table using the physical address as a search key. Each entry of the rule table includes a virtual machine identifier. The method further includes controlling access to the resource based on the output of the rule table and a match between the virtual machine identifier returned by the table and the virtual machine identifier conveyed in the resource access instruction.
US09519593B2

A method for increasing storage space in a system containing a block data storage device, a memory, and a processor is provided. Generally, the processor is configured by the memory to tag metadata of a data block of the block storage device indicating the block as free, used, or semifree. The free tag indicates the data block is available to the system for storing data when needed, the used tag indicates the data block contains application data, and the semifree tag indicates the data block contains cache data and is available to the system for storing application data type if no blocks marked with the free tag are available to the system.
US09519574B2

A computing device includes a primary content storage machine configured to selectively store one or more content portions of a digital content item, such as game portions of a video game. The computing device is configured to determine a size of a dynamically changing content access window including one or more content portions usable to provide an above-threshold user experience, such as uninterrupted game play, based on a current access position of the digital content item or video game and historical user-specific play patterns or game play consumption rates of different users. The computing device is configured to dynamically load the primary content storage machine with the content portions or game portions corresponding to the content access window and dynamically unload the content or game portions outside of the content access window from the primary content storage machine.
US09519561B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide tools and facilities for instrumentation of application programs, including application programs that execute on mobile-electronics devices, including web browsers. The application-program and mobile-electronics-device environment is a superset of the web-analytics problem domain and provides many new opportunities and challenges for instrumentation-based data collection and data analysis. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide configuration-controlled embedded instrumentation that allows fine-granularity control of instrumentation operation by remote data-collection servers.
US09519560B2

A system is disclosed for detecting if a remote device is associated with a power supply. The system may have a controller having machine readable, non-transitory executable code running thereon for varying a characteristic of a signal being applied to the power supply. The controller further may be configured to compare a measurement obtained from a measurement subsystem relating to a measured signal present at the remote device. The controller may also be configured to make a comparison between the signal being applied to the power supply and the measured signal obtained at the remote device, and to determine whether the remote device is electrically associated with the power supply.
US09519555B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to synchronously replicating data in a distributed computing environment. To achieve synchronous replication both an eventual consistency approach and a strong consistency approach are contemplated. Received data may be written to a log of a primary data store for eventual committal. The data may then be annotated with a record, such as a unique identifier, which facilitates the replay of the data at a secondary data store. Upon receiving an acknowledgment that the secondary data store has written the data to a log, the primary data store may commit the data and communicate an acknowledgment of success back to the client. In a strong consistency approach, the primary data store may wait to send an acknowledgement of success to the client until it receives an acknowledgment that the secondary has not only written, but also committed, the data.
US09519540B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for satisfying storage requests while destaging cached data. A monitor module samples a destage rate for a nonvolatile solid-state cache, a total cache write rate for the cache, and a dirtied data rate. The dirtied data rate comprises a rate at which write operations increase an amount of dirty data in the cache. A target module determines a target cache write rate for the cache based on the destage rate, the total cache write rate, and the dirtied data rate to target a destage write ratio. The destage write ratio comprises a predetermined ratio between the dirtied data rate and the destage rate. A rate enforcement module enforces the target cache write rate such that the total cache write rate satisfies the target cache write rate.
US09519536B2

Systems and methods for generating a visual indicator based on receiving a report of a transaction processing error, the error comprising an informality in a software instruction code executed during a first attempt to process a transaction. The systems may be configured to determine a preconfigured time period for correcting the software instruction code causing the transaction processing error and compare it to the actual time it took to correct the software instruction code to determine whether the processing error was corrected within the preconfigured time period. The system and method may then generate and communicate a visual indicator based on determining whether the error was corrected within preconfigured time period.
US09519535B1

An approach for two stage log normalization is provided. The approach retrieves a message format and a plurality of parameters from one or more log files. The approach determines a classification for one or more first sequence files, wherein the one or more first sequence files includes the message format from the one or more log files. The approach determines a classification of error for the one or more first sequence files. The approach determines whether there is a high confidence in the classification of error for the one or more first sequence files. The approach determines whether there is an improvement in confidence in the classification of error from one or more second sequence files, wherein the one or more second sequence files includes the message format and the plurality of parameters from the one or more log files.
US09519525B2

Various embodiments provide a commenting system for multiple users to provide and share comments to shared content items. For example, users can share a web link to a collection of content items, such as documents, spreadsheets, photos, and any other media, with other users stored in an online content management system. To enable such functionality, the online content management system can expose an application programming interface to enable third-party service providers to develop and attach a comment interface to content items. Accordingly, such a commenting system can provide a comment interface for concurrent display alongside a respective content item in which users can provide comments to shared content items or to use as notes for their personal content items.
US09519524B2

A method of providing lock-based access to nodes in a concurrent linked list includes providing a plurality of striped lock objects. Each striped lock object is configured to lock at least one of the nodes in the concurrent linked list. An index is computed based on a value stored in a first node to be accessed in the concurrent linked list. A first one of the striped lock objects is identified based on the computed index. The first striped lock object is acquired, thereby locking and providing protected access to the first node.
US09519523B2

In an illustrative embodiment of a method for managing a resource pool for deadlock avoidance, a computer receives a request from a thread for a connection from the resource pool, and determines whether the thread currently has at least one connection from the resource pool. Responsive to a determination that the thread currently has at least one connection from the resource pool, a new concurrent connection from one of a reserved partition of the resource pool is allocated and the connection is returned to the thread.
US09519520B2

Platforms, systems, software, and methods for deploying and maintaining distributed computing, networking and storage comprising a configuration of dedicated service meshes. The invention further comprising a module for dynamically managing physical nodes; a module for dynamically managing nodes on physical nodes; a module for dynamically managing services/workers on nodes; a module for governing communication within the system and with the system; a plurality of communication endpoints; a plurality of services, wherein each service is associated with one or more endpoints, wherein services communicate by message exchange via their endpoints; a module for grouping nodes into clusters; a module for grouping endpoints into meshes such that all member services of a mesh can be addressed as a whole or as pertinent subsets thereof; and a module for dynamically effecting topology changes.
US09519518B2

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods deploying a virtual server on a subset of devices in a cluster of devices. A first device of a cluster of devices intermediary between at least one client and at least one server, may identify a first virtual server to establish on one or more devices of the cluster. The first device may associate, to the identified virtual server, a group comprising a subset of devices in the cluster of devices. The cluster may establish the first virtual server on each device in the group responsive to associating the group to the first virtual server. Each virtual server on each device of the group may be assigned a same internet protocol address.
US09519517B2

Systems and methods for data center control are provided that identify parameters of one or more data centers, where each data center includes a plurality of devices. The systems and methods receive a command to execute an application, and identify a selected data center from the one or more data centers as a location to run the application based at least in part on an evaluation of the parameters.
US09519515B2

A usage allocation of a hardware resource to each of a number of workloads over time is determined using a demand model. The usage allocation of the resource includes a current and past actual usage allocation of the resource, a future projected usage allocation of the resource, and current and past actual usage of the resource. A capacity allocation of the resource is determined using a capacity model. The capacity allocation of the resource includes a current and past capacity and a future projected capacity of the resource. Whether a gap exists between the usage allocation and the capacity allocation is determined using a mapping model. Where the gap exists between the usage allocation of the resource and the capacity allocation of the resource, a user is presented with options determined using the mapping model and selectable by the user to implement a remediation strategy to close the gap.
US09519513B2

Methods and apparatus to automatically configure monitoring of a virtual machine are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a virtual machine in an application definition, automatically installing an agent on the virtual machine when the virtual machine is identified as having a designated configuration, automatically identifying, via the agent, a resource associated with the virtual machine and, based on the resource, applying a monitoring policy to the virtual machine to be executed by the agent.
US09519509B2

A system and method can support transaction processing in a middleware environment. A processor, such as a remote method invocation stub in the middleware environment, can be associated with a transaction, wherein the transaction is from a first cluster. Then, the processor can handle a transactional request that is associated with the transaction, wherein the transactional request is to be sent to the first cluster. Furthermore, the processor can route the transactional request to a said cluster member in the first cluster, which is an existing participant of the transaction.
US09519492B2

Systems and methods for accessing functional interface properties for data objects through a value map. The value map may or may not be visible at the client interface.
US09519487B2

A system-on-chip (SoC) includes a slave intellectual property (IP) block, a master IP block, and an update control unit. The slave IP block is configured to perform first processing on first data based on first control information stored in a first storage unit. The master IP block is configured to perform second processing on second data in response to receiving a first processing result obtained by performing the first processing on the first data. Performing the second processing is based on second control information stored in a second storage unit. The update control unit is configured to determine an update time of the first control information or an update time of the second control information in response to performing the first processing and performing the second processing.
US09519481B2

Branch sequences for branch prediction performance test are generated by performing the following steps: (i) generating a branch node graph, by a branch node graph generator machine logic set, based, at least in part, upon a set of branch traces of a workload or benchmark code; (ii) generating a first assembly pattern file, for use with a first instruction set architecture (ISA)/microarchitecture set, by an assembly pattern generator machine logic set, based, at least in part, upon the branch node graph so as to mimic the control-flow pattern of the workload or benchmark code; and (iii) running the assembly pattern file on the first ISA/microarchitecture set to obtain first execution results.
US09519479B2

Techniques for increasing vector processing utilization and efficiency through use of unmasked lanes of predicated vector instructions for executing non-conflicting instructions are provided. In one aspect, a method of vector lane predication for a processor is provided which includes the steps of: fetching predicated vector instructions from a memory; decoding the predicated vector instructions; determining if a mask value of the predicated vector instructions is available and, if the mask value of the predicated vector instructions is not available, predicting the mask value of the predicated vector instructions; and dispatching the predicated vector instructions to only masked vector lanes.
US09519466B2

A system and method for facilitating adjusting computer code running in computing environments where writing of executable memory is restricted. An example method includes using a virtual machine to generate a first executable image from software code, and employing the first executable image to selectively modify the virtual machine and the first executable image, resulting in an updated virtual machine and a second executable image. The second executable image represents an updated version of the first executable image. To transform dynamic code, such as natively produced computer code, into one or more executable images for running on constrained devices, embodiments may leverage existing dynamic code generators (e.g., within Java HotSpot Performance Engine, also simply called HotSpot), selectively modifying them to generate different, i.e., updated code that is usable on subsequent runs of the associated software application, thereby effectively enabling modification of executable code used to run the software.
US09519465B2

A computer implemented method and system to generate final code for execution in a runtime environment, the method including creation, via a compiler, of intermediate code from destination source code, wherein the destination source code has been compiled from original source code which includes at least one jump instruction, by omitting the at least one jump instruction, the destination source code existing in a destination programming language and the original source code in a source programming language, loading the intermediate code into an intermediate code manipulation unit, and creation, via the intermediate code manipulation unit, of the final code from the intermediate code, wherein the creation comprises an insertion of at least one jump statement into the final code, and wherein the inserted at least one jump statement is functionally equivalent to the at least one omitted jump instruction.
US09519464B2

The disclosure generally relates to code recommendation. In one embodiment, code snippets may be extracted using an invocation-centered code slicing process and then grouped according to the method usages. For each method usage, a representative code snippet may be selected and stored in the knowledge base in association with metadata. In operation, the programming context may be obtained and used to query the knowledge base to retrieve one or more code snippets for recommendation. In one embodiment, the recommended code snippets may be ranked to improve the utility and user friendliness, and the metadata may be used to provide variation points and possibly other auxiliary information to improve the operation efficiency and user experience.
US09519463B1

Flowchart generation method and tool is provided with an easy-to-use graphical user interface. The graphical user interface of the tool enables a user to select a programming language which the test program was written in, and a test station which the test program was developed for. Upon these selections, a parser will point to the configuration files appropriate for the selected language and test station. The configuration files contain rules and definitions of the chosen programming language and test station, so that the parsing of the test program language can begin. Utilizing the data created from the parsing process, the tool points to other configuration files, referred to as a flowcharting configuration file, that each contain information on how to present the parsed data in a flow chart.
US09519460B1

A single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) multiplier-accumulator apparatus and method. A multiplier block with two 16-bit by 32-bit multiplier circuits transform a selectable number of input multipliers and multiplicands into a selected number of products. Each multiplier circuit comprises an array of full adders that generates and sums partial products using carry-save addition. An accumulator block, with additional data width to help prevent overflow, adds the products to a selectable number of input addends and outputs a number of results. Embodiments perform one to four multiplications together, depending on the number of bits (eight, 16, 24, or 32) selected for the input operands. Embodiments output 20-bit, 40-bit, or 80-bit multiply-accumulate results at rates of at least 1.1 GHz. Embodiments support signed inputs, negated multiplication products, and Q-format data. A hybrid sign extension management approach improves performance for 80-bit outputs.
US09519449B2

Electronic systems, such as printing systems, often use components that have integral memory. The integral memory can be used to store information about the component. In some printing systems this memory includes a portion that stores a value indicative of a print yield. Disclosed is a method and system for allowing the memory to have data indicative of an increased print yield.
US09519424B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a touch-control method, which is used for distinguishing a normal operation from a misoperation. The method provided by the embodiments of the present invention includes: receiving a touch instruction of a user; determining a user touch area corresponding to the touch instruction; determining whether a user observation area has an overlapping portion with the user touch area; and if the user observation area has an overlapping portion with the user touch area, responding to the touch instruction of the user. In the touch method provided by the embodiments of the present invention, a normal operation can be distinguished from a misoperation. The embodiments of the present invention further provide a related touch-control apparatus and terminal device.
US09519419B2

Skinnable touch device grip pattern techniques are described herein. A touch-aware skin may be configured to substantially cover the outer surfaces of a computing device. The touch-aware skin may include a plurality of skin sensors configured to detect interaction with the skin at defined locations. The computing device may include one or more modules operable to obtain input from the plurality of skin sensors and decode the input to determine grips patterns that indicate how the computing device is being held by a user. Various functionality provided by the computing device may be selectively enabled and/or adapted based on a determined grip pattern such that the provided functionality may change to match the grip pattern.
US09519414B2

Technologies are generally described for providing whiteboard records accessibility to users interacting with a whiteboard. A whiteboard may enable two or more users to interact with the whiteboard concurrently. The whiteboard may identify the users interacting with the whiteboard and may identify permission settings associated with the users. Based on the identification of the users and detected permission settings, the whiteboard may activate a whiteboard records accessibility mode to provide access to whiteboard records. In a public mode, any user may interact with the whiteboard, and the whiteboard may provide access to a public records data store. In a private mode, the whiteboard may provide access to a separate private records data store associated with an authenticated user interacting with the whiteboard. When two users interact with the whiteboard concurrently, the whiteboard may separate the whiteboard records such that each user can access records corresponding to the detected permission settings.
US09519389B2

A display device with a touch panel includes: a plurality of scanning signal lines, which are aligned in a rectangular display region and in parallel with a side of the rectangular display region, to which an active potential as a potential for making a pixel transistor conductive is applied; drive pulse output circuits which sequentially apply the active potential to the scanning signal lines in the display region; a clock signal output circuit which applies a first clock signal as a clock signal for the drive pulse output circuits to a first clock signal line and stops the application of the first clock signal to the first clock signal line for a stop period during which the sequential application of the active potential is stopped in the middle thereof; and a touch panel control unit which detects contact with a display surface during the stop period.
US09519388B2

A touch sensor includes a controller to detect a touch on a screen. The controller includes a voltage analyzer and a calculator. The voltage analyzer measures an output voltage of a sensing electrode of a touch sensor. The calculator calculates a capacitance between the sensing electrode and a driving electrode. The calculator calculates the capacitance based on a voltage matrix and the output voltage for one or more time periods. The voltage matrix is based on a code matrix of a plurality of code matrices.
US09519381B2

A touch screen panel for display apparatus is provided, which includes a substrate; an electrode forming part including a plurality of first electrode serials and a plurality of second electrode serials arranged to cross over the plurality of first electrode serials; a routing wire forming part including a plurality of first routing wires connected to the plurality of first electrode serials, respectively and a plurality of second routing wires connected to the plurality of second electrode serials, respectively; a plurality of first insulation patterns formed at a cross region of the first and second electrode serials to insulate the first electrode serial from the second electrode serial; and at least one buffer pattern to be positioned at least one side of each of the first insulation patterns, and be spaced at a predetermined distance from the first insulation pattern.
US09519376B2

A method in an electronic device includes displaying an image on a screen, detecting a swiping of a finger through a sensor, and selecting at least a portion of the image based on the swiping of the finger. An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a memory configured to store one or more pieces of fingerprint information, a screen configured to display an image, and at least one processor configured to detect a swiping of a finger through a sensor, and select at least a portion of the image based on the swiping of the finger. Other various embodiments are also disclosed.
US09519372B2

The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a gate driving circuit, a gate line driving method and a display apparatus capable of solving the technical problem of display defects caused by the interrupt of the scan signal in the touch screen technology with time division driving. The gate driving circuit comprises multiple shift register units connected in series, and further comprises a shift delay module and a repeat output module, wherein the shift delay module is connected in series between the jth stage of shift register unit and the (j+1)th stage of shift register unit which are adjacent to each other; the shift delay module is connected to the output terminal of the jth stage of shift register unit and the input terminal of the (j+1)th stage of shift register unit, and the shift delay module is also connected to the repeat output module; the repeat output module is connected to the output terminal of the (j−n+1)th stage of shift register unit and a clock control terminal. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to display manufacture.
US09519364B2

A touch screen sensing device includes a touch screen including touch sensors formed at crossings of Tx lines and Rx lines, a Tx driving circuit supplying a driving pulse to each of the Tx lines N times, and an Rx driving circuit which samples a signal voltage of the touch sensors received through the Rx lines and converts the sampled signal voltage into digital data. The Rx driving circuit includes a differential amplifier differentially amplifying signals received through the Rx lines, a low pass filter removing a radio frequency noise from an output of the differential amplifier, an amplifier amplifying an output of the low pass filter, and an integrator accumulating signal voltages which are successively output from the amplifier.
US09519358B2

A pen-shaped coordinate indicator is provided, which is capable of preventing erroneous detection of the pressing force (writing pressure) and widening the detection range of the pressing force. The indicator includes a core body that forms a pen tip; a columnar first magnetic body having one end in contact with the core body and having another end opposing a columnar second magnetic body; and an elastic body provided between the first and second magnetic bodies. The elastic body is composed of a main body and at least one projection provided thereon, wherein the projection has a smaller resistance to the pressing force applied to the core body than the main body. When the pressing force is applied, initially the projection is mainly deformed, and thereafter the main body is mainly deformed to thereby change a distance between the first and second magnetic bodies according to the pressing force device.
US09519349B2

A mechanical interface device having a number of three-dimensional tactile actuators is mounted to the touchscreen of an electronic device having a monitor, wherein a controller coupled to the touchscreen and to the monitor is operative to cause the monitor to display graphic images and/or text in response to engagement with or movement along the surface of the touchscreen by the three-dimensional tactile actuators.
US09519343B2

An information processing apparatus includes a communication unit, a storage, and a controller. The storage is configured to store rule information indicating a rule for calculating points of a user in accordance with a type of an operation by the user. The controller is configured to calculate, based on a detected operation of a first user and the rule information, points of the first user in accordance with a type of the detected operation, to control the storage to store first point information indicating the calculated points, and to control the communication unit to perform one of transmission of the stored first point information to another information processing apparatus and reception of second point information from the other information processing apparatus, the second point information indicating points of a second user and being stored in the other information processing apparatus.
US09519340B2

A mobile terminal including a main body configured to be worn on a user's wrist; a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a glasses-type terminal worn by the user, said glasses-type terminal including a camera configured to capture an image including operational data for operating an external apparatus; and a controller configured to receive including the operational data from the glasses-type terminal, store the operational data in a memory associated with the mobile terminal, and transmit a control signal to the external apparatus to control the external apparatus according to the stored operational data.
US09519334B2

Methods and articles of manufacture for hosting a safety critical application on an uncontrolled data processing device are provided. Various combinations of installation, functional, host integrity, coexistence, interoperability, power management, and environment checks are performed at various times to determine if the safety critical application operates properly on the device. The operation of the SCA on the UDPD may be controlled accordingly.
US09519328B2

Methods for performing power management of InfiniBand (IB) switches and apparatus and software configured to implement the methods. Power management datagrams (MADs) are used to inform IB switches that host servers connected to the IB switch's ports are to transition to a reduced-power or offline state or have returned to a normal operating state. A subnet management agent (SMA) on the IB switch receives the power MADs from the host servers and tracks each server's operating state. In response to power down MADs, the SMA coordinates power reduction of the switch's ports and other switch circuitry. For switches with multi-port IB interfaces, a multi-port interface is caused to enter a reduced-power state when all of its ports are connected to host servers that are idle or offline. Additionally, when all of a switch's ports are connected to idle or offline servers the SMA may put the switch's core switch logic into a reduced-power state. Power MADs are also used to inform upstream IB switches when a switch is to transition to a reduced power state or has returned to a normal operating state.
US09519326B2

A power management controller for controlling start and stop of a plurality of power supplies is disclosed. Each of the power supplies belongs to one of N rails, in which (N+1) states including a first state where all of the rails are turned off and a (k+1)th state (k=1, 2, . . . N) where a first rail to a kth rail are turned on are specified. The power management controller includes a task list memory, a head address register file, a state indicator, and an event management unit.
US09519305B2

Techniques described herein generally relate to multi-core processors including two or more processor cores. Example embodiments may set forth devices, methods, and computer programs related to calculating a clock rate for one or more of the processor cores in the multi-core processor. One example method may include determining a first estimated workload for a first processor core and a second estimated workload for a second processor core within a scheduling interval in a periodic scheduling environment. In addition, a first clock rate for the first processor core may be calculated based on one or more of the first estimated workload, a maximum clock rate supported by the multi-core processor and/or the scheduling interval. Similarly, a second clock rate for the second processor core may also be calculated based on one or more of the second estimated workload, the maximum clock rate, and/or the scheduling interval.
US09519298B2

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to methods, apparatuses and systems involving a multi junction semiconductor circuit. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus includes a multi junction semiconductor circuit including a first current path and a second current path, each current path having respective first and second common voltage nodes to provide an output that is proportional to absolute temperature. The first current path includes a first p-n junction exhibiting a first current density. The second current path includes a second p-n junction exhibiting a second current density that is proportionally different than the first current density, and a resistor connected between the second p-n junction and the second common voltage node. Further, the apparatus includes a current-tap path connected to a node between the resistor and the second p-n junction, the current-tap path diverts a portion of current that flows through the resistor away from the second p-n junction.
US09519297B1

A system and method for controlling a building system includes a supply temperature sensor upstream of a thermal load, a return temperature sensor downstream of the thermal load, and a controller. The controller is configured to calculate an actual thermal energy difference from the supply and return temperature sensors. The controller is configured to control a flow rate of a pump such that the measured thermal energy difference is equal to a desired thermal energy difference for the system, and the measured thermal energy difference is constant for a time interval. A system and method for controlling a building system includes determining a desired thermal energy difference for a load, measuring a supply and return temperature of the load, and reducing the system flow rate such that a valve controlling the load flow rate is at an at partially open condition when the return temperature of the load is the desired return temperature.
US09519290B2

A method and apparatus for associating passenger docking locations with destinations are disclosed. Associating passenger docking locations with destinations may include an autonomous vehicle identifying transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, including a primary destination, wherein identifying the transportation network information includes identifying the transportation network information such that the transportation network information includes docking location information representing a plurality of docking locations, wherein each docking location corresponds with a respective location in the vehicle transportation network, and such that at least one docking location from the plurality of docking locations is associated with the primary destination. The autonomous vehicle may determine a target docking location from the plurality of docking locations for the primary destination based on the transportation network information, identify a route from an origin to the target docking location, and travel from the origin to the target docking location using the route.
US09519278B2

A method performed by a control unit in an array of multiple self-addressable control units arranged in at least two dimensions involves obtaining information to be used to determine a self-address, determining a self-address value based upon the information, storing the determined self-address value, based upon the self-address value, specifying first data to be provided to a next self-addressable control unit in a first group of self-addressable control units for a first dimension of the array, providing the first data to the next self-addressable control unit in the first group, based upon the self-address value, specifying second data to be provided to a different self-addressable control unit in a second group of self-addressable control units for a second dimension of the array different from the first dimension of the array, and providing the second data to the different self-addressable control unit in the second group.
US09519273B2

An electronic timepiece has a display device that displays display information, a drive mechanism that drives the display device, a crown that can perform a rotary operation, and a control device that corrects the display information displayed on the display device by the rotary operation of the crown. The control device has a single correction mode and a continuous correction mode which are selected by the rotary operation of the crown. In the single correction mode, a single correction signal is output to the drive mechanism so that the display device is corrected as much as a single correction quantity. In the continuous correction mode, a continuous correction signal is output to the drive mechanism so that the display device is corrected as much as a continuous correction quantity. The continuous correction quantity is set depending on types of the display information to be corrected in the continuous correction mode.
US09519270B2

Timepiece power reserve indicator for the display of the power reserve indication of a plurality of energy accumulators each including one indicator cooperating with one accumulator input of a differential mechanism comprised in the power reserve indicator, and wherein one output of the differential mechanism cooperates with a mechanism for the display of the total power reserve of the plurality of energy accumulators, and at least two of the inputs are coaxial.
US09519258B1

An image forming unit includes an image carrying body, a plate-shaped cleaning member, and a powder of a fatty acid metal salt. The image carrying body is configured to be rotatable and carries an image formed on a surface thereof with a toner. The plate-shaped cleaning member includes a tip portion which is pressed against the surface and which scrapes a material adhering onto the surface in response to rotation of the image carrying body. The powder of the fatty acid metal salt is applied to at least one of the tip portion and the surface.
US09519257B2

A cleaning device includes a cleaner, a casing, and an exit seal. The cleaner is configured to remove toner from a cleaning target. The casing accommodates the cleaner. The exit seal is attached to the casing and has a free end contacting the cleaning target at a position downward from the cleaner in a direction of movement of the cleaning target and an attached end attached to the casing. A space is disposed between a surface of the cleaning target and an opposite face of the exit seal opposite the cleaning target. The space includes an opening at a lateral end of the exit seal. The exit seal contacts the cleaning target from a trailing direction of the exit seal and seals the opening at at least an attached end side of the exit seal.
US09519256B2

An image forming apparatus includes a measurement unit configured to measure a density of an image that an image forming unit forms, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image processing parameter serving as a correction value used to correct the measured density of the image, a generation unit configured to generate a cleaning patch image using the acquired image processing parameter, and a cleaning patch image forming unit configured to form the cleaning patch image generated by the generation unit on an image bearing member, wherein the cleaning patch image is formed during an interval after a first image is formed by the image forming unit on the image bearing member but before a second image having a printing instruction issued subsequent to a printing instruction issued for the first image is formed by the image forming unit on the image bearing member.
US09519252B2

In a fixing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a projection portion projected in a direction opposite to a direction biased by the biasing member, from a body part of the biasing member, is provided in a biasing member configured to push a thermosensitive member which receives heat from a heater, toward the heater, so that a crack in the heater at the time of an abnormal temperature rise is prevented.
US09519251B2

A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation pad disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. A slide sheet is sandwiched between the nip formation pad and the endless belt and is a twill fabric containing a lubricant. The slide sheet includes a first sheet contacting the nip formation pad and including a first gutter defined by a first twill line in a first direction angled relative to the direction of rotation of the endless belt and a second sheet layered on the first sheet and contacting the endless belt. The second sheet includes a second gutter defined by a second twill line in a second direction angled relative to the direction of rotation of the endless belt.
US09519249B2

A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.
US09519247B2

The fixing device includes an abutting member and an urging member. The abutting member is provided on a sheet conveyance path between a fixing roller pair and a conveying roller pair. The abutting member abuts a surface of a sheet having passed or passing through a separation plate, and the surface faces a heating roller side. The urging member urges the abutting member such that the aforementioned sheet is pressed by the abutting member to a side separated from the separation plate.
US09519243B2

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A rotatable shaft is positioned within the reservoir and has an axis of rotation. A first magnet and a second magnet are connected to the shaft and rotatable around the axis of rotation in response to rotation of the shaft. The first magnet and the second magnet are detectable by a magnetic sensor when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. A polarity of the first magnet is oriented opposite a polarity of the second magnet relative to the shaft. An amount of angular offset between the first magnet and the second magnet varies depending on an amount of toner in the reservoir.
US09519240B1

Provided is a developing device including a rotating member that faces a formation target member on which a toner image is formed, is rotated around a rotation shaft extruded from an end portion, and includes a holding portion having an outer circumference on which a toner is held, an accommodation member that accommodates the toner, includes a wall at which a notch is formed, and in which the rotating member is disposed in a state where the rotation shaft is extruded outwardly from an inner surface of the wall through the notch, and a fixation member that is fixed on both sides of an inner surface of the wall with interposing the notch.
US09519237B2

An electrostatic latent image developing toner includes toner particles. Each toner particle includes a toner core containing a binder resin, a shell layer coating a surface of the toner core, and needle-like inorganic particulates. Each shell layer contains a thermosetting resin, and the inorganic particulates are present within the shell layer. The inorganic particulates have: an aspect ratio of 1.25 or more and 2.5 or less; and an average major diameter and an average minor diameter of 300 nm or less.