US09609794B2
A conveyor device for printed circuit boards includes a carrier that continuously circulates between conveyor wheels. At least one carrier element supporting placement of the printed circuit board and at least one resilient clamping element clamping the printed circuit board on the carrier element are arranged on the carrier. A switching device moves the clamping element back and forth between an open position of the clamping element, in which the printed circuit board can be loosely placed onto the carrier element, and a spring-loaded closed position of the clamping element, in which the printed circuit board can be pressed onto the carrier element by the clamping element.
US09609791B2
A method for deploying a lightweight, flexible Faraday cage around a device can include the step of directing the conductive fluid flow in a manner that causes a shroud to form over the device. In some embodiments, a flexible material such as canvas can be deployed over the device and the conductive fluid can be sprayed onto the flexible material to form the shroud. In other embodiments, a plurality of nozzles can be placed around the perimeter of the device, and the nozzles can be directed at a predetermined point over the device. The streams can meet at the predetermined point, collide and thereby provide the conductive shroud for the device. The shroud can have a skin depth, which can be chosen according to the desired frequency of electromagnetic radiation to be blocked, typically from one to one hundred millimeters (1-100 mm).
US09609789B2
Technology leading to a size reduction in a power conversion apparatus comprising a cooling function and technology relating to enhancing productivity and enhancing reliability necessary for commercial production are provided. Series circuits comprising an upper arm and lower arm of an inverter circuit are built in a single semiconductor module 500. The semiconductor module has cooling metal on two sides. An upper arm semiconductor chip and lower arm semiconductor chip are wedged between the cooling metals. The semiconductor module is inserted inside a channel case main unit 214. A DC positive electrode terminal 532, a DC negative electrode terminal 572, and an alternating current terminal 582 of a semiconductor chip are disposed in the semiconductor module. The DC terminals 532 and 572 are electrically connected with a terminal of a capacitor module. The alternating current terminal 582 is electrically connected with a motor generator via an AC connector.
US09609782B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques and configurations for a rack assembly. In one embodiment, a tray to be disposed in a rack assembly may comprise a plurality of sleds with individual sleds including one or more compute nodes; and a networking element coupled with a sled of the plurality of sleds and configured to communicatively connect the sled to one or more other components of the rack assembly via an optical communication system. The optical communication system may include an external optical cable configured to communicatively connect the networking element with the rack assembly. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09609780B2
The invention relates to an optoelectronic sensor, in particular to a light grid (10), having at least two circuit boards (19, 19-x) which are to be arranged one after the other in a longitudinal direction (16, z direction) and on which a plurality of light transmitters (18) and/or light receivers (20) are arranged in series, wherein the circuit boards (19-1, 19-2) are fixed in a desired position with respect to one another by a functional element (34) and wherein the circuit boards (19-1, 19-2) are held in a housing (12). It is proposed to provide an improved optoelectronic sensor, in particular a light grid, that the housing (12) is configured as a section and the circuit boards (19-1, 19-2) are held via the functional elements (34) in oppositely disposed grooves (50, 52) of the section (12) which extend in the longitudinal direction (16, z direction) so that the functional elements (34) position the circuit boards (19-1, 19-2) in a fixed position perpendicular (in the x-y plane) to the longitudinal direction (16, z direction).
US09609774B2
A bottom sash of a display module is provided. The bottom sash includes a bead part formed by depressing some portions of the bottom sash toward a rear side, and a reinforcing panel attached to a front surface of the bottom sash and spaced apart from the bead part.
US09609773B2
An electronic device assembly includes an electronic device having a mount that includes a mounting opening. The mounting opening is configured to receive mounting hardware therein for mounting the electronic device to a structure. An isolator is coupled to the mount. The isolator includes an elastomeric bushing configured to attenuate at least one of shock or vibration exerted on the electronic device. The isolator is incorporated within the mount such that the elastomeric bushing is received into the mounting opening of the mount.
US09609770B2
A hinge torque fixing structure, comprising a hinge, a fulcrum and a torque shrapnel, wherein one end of the hinge is used for connecting a main body of electronic products, and the opposite end is provided with a circular hinge hole; one end of the fulcrum is used for connecting a lid of the main body, which is characterized in: the torque shrapnel is a ring-shaped polygonal shrapnel, wherein one end of the torque shrapnel is provided with an opening, each of two ends of the opening forming an outwardly protruding flange; when the torque shrapnel is disposed between the hinge and the hinge hole, the torque by rotating the hinge relative to the hinge hole is enhanced to keep the hinge closely rotated relative to the hinge hole without loose when there is an angle therebetween during positioning.
US09609764B2
Provided is an image display apparatus. The image display apparatus includes a display panel displaying an image through a display area, a plurality of acoustic devices disposed on a non-display area around the display area, a protection member accommodating the display panel and the acoustic devices, and a plurality of opening parts defined to corresponding to the acoustic devices, the plurality of opening parts being defined by opening the protection member of the non-display area in both directions perpendicular to a plane.
US09609759B2
A method of depositing one or more stiffener onto a wiring board includes the steps of engaging the wiring board onto a heat-retaining pallet to form an assembly, pre-heating the assembly to a temperature ranged from 70 to 140° C., and disposing the stiffeners onto the pre-heated wiring board of the assembly, wherein the pallet of the assembly retains sufficient heat for the wiring board to at least partially melt the stiffener, more preferably adhesive stiffener, to fix onto the wiring board upon disposition of the stiffeners.
US09609755B2
Devices with nanosized particles deposited on shaped surface geometries include a substrate with an active material of nanosized particles deposited on a surface of the substrate. The active material has an edge formed at a position determined with a shaped geometry of the surface.
US09609752B1
An interconnect structure and method for manufacturing the same includes a substrate and a copper trace line defined on a surface of the substrate. The copper trace line includes a transmission line and a contact pad. The copper trace line is plated with a layer of metal which will oxidize if exposed to the atmosphere. The layer of metal is further plated with a layer of gold. The gold layer is selectively applied to the transmission line and the contact pad to define a gap on the transmission line at the contact pad. The metal layer is exposed in the gap. An oxide layer is formed on the metal layer in the gap. The oxide layer and the substrate surround the contact pad define a barrier to spread of solder.
US09609749B2
A printed circuit board includes a laminated core including at least an internal conductive layer, and a build-up layer on the laminated core. The build-up layer includes a top conductive layer. A plurality of microvias is disposed in the build-up layer to electrically connect the top conductive layer with the internal conductive layer. A power/ground ball pad array is disposed in the top conductive layer. The power/ground ball pad array includes power ball pads and ground ball pads arranged in an array with a fixed ball pad pitch P. The power/ground ball pad array includes a 4-ball pad unit area that is comprised of only one ground ball pad and three power ball pads, or comprised of only one power ball pad and three ground ball pads. The 4-ball pad unit area has a rectangular shape and a dimension of about 2P×2P.
US09609748B2
A semiconductor module includes a printed circuit board, a ceramic substrate and a semiconductor chip. The printed circuit board includes an insulating material, a cutout formed in the insulating material, and a first metallization layer, which is partly embedded into the insulating material. The first metallization layer includes a conductor track projection projecting into the cutout. The ceramic substrate includes a dielectric, ceramic insulation carrier, and an upper substrate metallization applied to a top side of the insulation carrier. The semiconductor chip is arranged on the upper substrate metallization, and the first metallization layer is mechanically and electrically conductively connected to the upper substrate metallization at the conductor track projection.
US09609738B1
A formed graphite sheet is shaped and sized as a protective shield positioned over an electronic component coupled to a PCB. The formed graphite sheet is used to protect a body of the electronic component from heat applied during the assembly of the electronic component to the PCB, such as the heating steps used in SMT and through-hole technology. The formed graphite sheet is shaped to selective direct impinging heat. The heat can be directly away from the entire electronic component. Alternatively, the heat can be selectively directed away from some portions of the electronic component and toward other portions of the electronic component.
US09609734B2
A plasma arc system includes a plasma torch having a torch nozzle with an opening at a distal end for a plasma jet to exit. An electromagnetic shield cap is disposed near the distal end of the torch nozzle with the shield cap having an opening that is coaxial with the opening of the torch nozzle. A plasma cutting power source supplies current to the torch to create the plasma jet. A magnetic field power source provides a current to the electromagnetic shield cap to generate a magnetic field near the plasma jet to focus the plasma jet as the plasma jet exits the torch nozzle. A controller synchronizes operation of the power sources during a transition from a piercing operation to a cutting operation.
US09609733B2
A front end assembly for a plasma torch and methods for assembling and disassembling a torch wherein a plurality of front end parts form a unit that is removable from, and installable in, the torch in a single operation without a special fixture. The front end assembly includes a nozzle retaining cup body connectable to a body of the torch, and a forward end connectable to a shield retainer. A nozzle retaining cup insert fits into the nozzle retaining cup body. The shield retainer has an inner surface for retaining the shield. A nozzle is received within the nozzle retaining cup insert. A stop on the nozzle engages the nozzle retaining cup insert when the front end assembly is removed from the torch so the nozzle does not remain in the torch. The shield engages an insulator, which engages the nozzle, to limit forward axial movement of the nozzle.
US09609722B2
Described herein is a lighting system capable of responding to user input provided via proximity sensors. In some embodiments, proximity sensors are communicatively coupled to a processor capable of receiving input from the sensors. The sensors may be arranged in a row such that an object moving down the row proximate to the sensors may trigger each sensor sequentially. In some embodiments, the lighting system may alter a beam configuration or cycle between various lighting modes in response to receiving input from the proximity sensors. In some embodiments, the order in which the sensor input is received may be used to determine which lighting mode to cycle to.
US09609717B2
In various embodiments, a light-emitting apparatus is disclosed. In one example, the light-emitting apparatus comprises a substrate, an LED string mounted on the substrate, in which LED string a plurality of LEDs are connected in series, a power supply path connected in series to the LED string, and a plurality of protection elements, each protection element having a first node commonly connected to the power supply path and a second node connected between a pair of the LEDs in the series, wherein the protection elements include capacitors or zener diodes, and an AC impedance of each protection element is smaller than an impedance between the pair of LEDs and a case ground.
US09609715B1
The present disclosure provides systems for generating tunable white light. The systems include a plurality of LED strings that generate light with color points that fall within blue, yellow/green, red, and cyan color ranges, with each LED string being driven with a separately controllable drive current in order to tune the generated light output.
US09609714B2
A power supply device includes LED driver circuits electrically connected to LED light sources, respectively, and a control circuit. Each of the LED light sources includes light-emitting diodes electrically connected in series. The control circuit is configured, when current is prohibited from flowing through a target light source, to perform control of a target driver circuit so that a voltage lower than a threshold voltage at which current starts to flow through the target light source is applied across the target light source. The target light source is a part of the LED light sources. The target driver circuit includes an LED driver circuit, corresponding to the target light source, of the LED driver circuits.
US09609711B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) tube lamp comprises a lamp tube, a first rectifying circuit, a filtering circuit and an LED driving module. The lamp tube has a first pin and a second pin for receiving an external driving signal. The first rectifying circuit is coupled to the first and second pins, for rectifying the external driving signal to produce a rectified signal. The filtering circuit is coupled to the first rectifying circuit, for filtering the rectified signal to produce a filtered signal. The LED driving module is coupled to the filtering circuit to receive the filtered signal for emitting light. Wherein, the filtering circuit includes a capacitor and an inductor connected in parallel and between one of the first and second pins and the first rectifying circuit, and the parallel-connected capacitor and inductor are configured for presenting a peak equivalent impedance to the external driving signal at a specific frequency.
US09609706B2
A luminaire for use with power over an Ethernet emergency lighting is disclosed. The luminaire includes a rechargeable battery pack, an emergency backup LED driver, a normal lighting LED driver and an LED lamp. The luminaire also includes a power loss monitor that monitors the presence of normal lighting power present on a power over Ethernet link, and connects the emergency backup LED driver to the LED lamp through a relaying device in the event of a loss of normal lighting power. Furthermore, a method of detecting the power loss in a POE link segment is provided, wherein the method includes detecting a differential DC voltage between a first conductor in a first data pair on the POE link segment and a second conductor in a second data pair on the same POE link segment.
US09609700B2
Various embodiments may relate to a Light Engine Module including a plurality of series connected LEDs, a positive power supply line, a common ground line, a communication line, a current set resistor) coupled to the communication line, with its value of conductance being indicative for the current demand of the Light Engine Module, and a variable current generator connected to the communication line. The variable current generator is responsive to at least one measurement signal provided by at least one sensor. Various embodiments may further relate to a Power Supply Unit, and a lighting system including the Power Supply Unit with at least one Light Engine Module.
US09609699B2
A display device of the present invention includes a body stand unit; a display displaying unit; and an arm unit, arranged upright from the body stand unit, for supporting the display displaying unit; where the arm unit is arranged on either left or right end side from a center in a horizontal direction of the display displaying unit, and supports the display displaying unit in a cantilever state.
US09609698B2
A microwave heating device mountable to an electric device, includes: a commercial power supply; an AC/DC converter which outputs a plurality of DC voltages according to power supplied from the commercial power supply; a controller which receives power from the AC/DC converter and totally controls the electric device; a microwave processing device using a compound semiconductor which receives a plurality of outputs of the AC/DC converter and outputs a microwave; and a plurality of loads connected between, of the DC voltages output from the AC/DC converter, a predetermined Vd voltage and ground through a plurality of contacts. The loads form a group of electric components in the electric device. The controller controls power supply to the loads, and controls on/off of the contacts to drive the loads by the Vd voltage regardless of the voltage of the commercial power supply.
US09609697B2
A cooktop is provided that includes heating elements which are combined to a heating zone; a power supply to generate a heating current that operates the heating elements; a switch to open and close a power circuit that includes the power supply and one of the heating elements; and a controller that determines a characteristic variable of the heating current, actuates the switch as a function of a selected power level to operate the heating zone, and activates, in a first operating state, two of the heating elements, which are combined to form the heating zone, in different phases of a heating period.
US09609690B2
A communication device may receive first information from a terminal device in a case where a first communication link is established via a first type of interface between the communication device and the terminal device. The communication device may determine whether a communication via a second type of interface between the communication device and the terminal device is performable, establish a second communication link via the first type of interface between the communication device and the terminal device, and perform a two-way communication of second information with the terminal device by using the second communication link in a case where it is determined that the communication via the second type of interface is performable. The communication device may not perform the two-way communication of the second information with the terminal device in a case where it is determined that the communication is not performable.
US09609687B2
A method of controlling connection between nodes in a digital interface whereby a first node that is a master node determines a second node to be the master and controls a point-to-point connection or a broadcast connection to another node. The first node having the display device determines the second node to be the master in accordance with a user selection, and transmits a connection command of a predetermined format for transmitting a data stream to the second node. The second node determined as the master in accordance with the transmitted connection command of the predetermined format is allocated with a channel and a bandwidth from an isochronous resource manager (IRM), and performs a point-to-point connection between the second node and the first node to transit the data stream. Thus, the transmission/reception, reproduction, and control of the data stream of the program can be smoothly performed.
US09609686B2
A method and an apparatus for simultaneously receiving on two carriers and performing discontinuous transmission (DTX) and discontinuous reception (DRX) in dual cell high speed downlink packet access (DC-HSDPA) are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) receives a message for activating DRX for at least one of an anchor carrier and a supplementary carrier and applies the same DRX pattern to the anchor carrier and the supplementary carrier upon reception of the message. The message may be received via a high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) order. The WTRU may activate or de-activate the supplementary carrier based on the physical layer signal. Upon activation of the supplementary carrier, the WTRU may apply the same DRX pattern on both the anchor carrier and the supplementary carrier. The WTRU may flush a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) buffer associated with the supplementary carrier upon de-activation of the supplementary carrier.
US09609678B2
A method for a wireless local area network, the method including selecting, by an access point (AP), a direct link setup (DLS) channel among a plurality of channels, the DLS channel being used for a communication of a DLS link between a first station and a second station; and transmitting, by the AP, a control frame to the first station and the second station, the control frame including a channel field indicating the DLS channel.
US09609677B2
The system provides secure controlled access to multiple Bluetooth devices issued to users. For example an officer may be issued a weapon. To enable monitoring of weapon status, a Bluetooth sensor may be fitted to a holster and the Officer issued with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. In order to establish a secure Bluetooth connection between the devices, sensor contains a restored link key and the mobile phone stores a partial link key. The supervisor enters their username and password, and a secret key into the phone which is then used with the partial link key to generate a copy of the link key stored in the first device, so that a secure connection can be established with the first device. The officer enters their username and password into the sensor, and once the secure connection is established it is sent over the secure connection to the mobile phone which then sends both user names and passwords to a verification authority. If the officer is verified and authorized to issue the devices, an authorization message is returned and use of the devices allowed. If the authorization fails, a failure message is returned and the devices are not issued and features may be blocked. The verification authority may be internal or external to the phone. If the authority is external, then the supervisor's user name and password could be omitted.
US09609673B2
A communication apparatus according to the present invention includes a storage unit that stores, when the communication apparatus is connected to a first wireless network at a predetermined position, information about the predetermined position, a detection unit that detects whether the communication apparatus exists within a predetermined range including the predetermined position, and a transmission unit that transmits predetermined information, for connecting another communication apparatus to the first wireless network, to the another communication apparatus using a second communication system with a lower power consumption than a first communication system used in the first wireless network in response to the detection unit detecting that the communication apparatus exists within the predetermined range.
US09609670B2
A system and method for providing wireless communications between a medical controller hub and an implant node are disclosed. The hub transmits signals to facilitate communication connections with the node. The signals include connection invitation polls with identification parameters. A node monitors the hub's transmissions for the connection invitation polls. When a poll is detected, the node compares the identification parameters to a list of preferred identification values. If the received identification parameter is on the preferred list, and the node and hub are not already connected, then the node responds to the connection invitation poll. If the received identification parameter is not on the preferred list, then the node continues to monitor hub transmissions for other connection invitation polls that include identification parameters that are on the preferred list.
US09609667B2
This document discloses a solution for determining a channel assessment threshold in an apparatus. A method according to this solution includes: determining, by the apparatus, a channel assessment threshold based on a factor representative of a signal-to-interference ratio at another apparatus with which said apparatus has established a link; determining, by the apparatus on the basis of the channel assessment threshold, whether or not a channel is free for transmission over the link; and upon determining the channel to be free, causing transmission of a frame.
US09609666B2
A shared-channel device is configured to perform a method for reserving a shared channel in a wireless communication system. The method includes, upon a determination to utilize a shared channel for payload data communication starting at a first time, calculating a push-forward duration. The method also includes performing a channel reservation procedure to reserve the shared channel, wherein the channel reservation procedure is started at a second time that is before the first time by the push-forward duration.
US09609664B2
A layered channel access method of a Group Representative-station (GR-STA) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes receiving a management, including setting information indicative of a first phase and a second phase frame, from an Access Point (AP), receiving a first radio frame from the AP or accessing a channel and sending a second radio frame to the AP during the first phase indicated by the setting information, and receiving a third radio frame from an affiliated STA of a group to which the GR-STA belongs or accessing a channel and sending a fourth radio frame to at least one STA of the group to which the GR-STA belongs during the second phase indicated by the setting information.
US09609662B2
The present disclosure discloses a method for delay scheduling, comprising: sending, by a base station, delay scheduling information to a terminal for performing delay scheduling on the terminal; receiving, by the terminal, the delay scheduling information, and stopping monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel PDCCH and entering a delay scheduling state according to the received delay scheduling information; and restarting monitoring the PDCCH and terminating the delay scheduling state according to the delay scheduling information. The present disclosure also discloses a delay scheduling system, which enhances an overload processing ability of network. Meanwhile, a mass of radio resources required to access to the network may be saved, and thereby the radio resources can be saved effectively, the load at the network side is relieved.
US09609652B2
A system, apparatus and method is disclosed for multiband wireless communication. Frequency bands and/or transmission formats are identified as available within a range for wireless communication. The system evaluates signal quality metrics for each frequency band and selects a communication method based on the evaluation. Multiple frequency bands and communication methods can be utilized by the system such that a combination of licensed, unlicensed, semilicensed, and overlapped frequency bands can be simultaneously used for communication. The system monitors communications and can report link performance for adaptive control of the selected communication methods.
US09609633B2
The present invention relates to a data transmitting method using a bandwidth request channel and a user terminal and a base station conducting the same. The present invention provides a communication method by a user terminal which transmits data to a base station via a bandwidth request channel, including: generating a preamble for bandwidth request; determining whether a message for the bandwidth request is generated; generating a first signal value to be operated with the preamble when it is determined that the message is generated and generating a second signal value to be operated with the preamble when it is determined that the message is not generated; operating the preamble with the generated first signal value or second signal value; and transmitting a signal including the operated preamble to the base station, thereby reducing overhead occurring when the bandwidth request information is demodulated.
US09609629B2
A system and method for delivery of unmanaged over-the-top (OTT) streams in a cellular network are provided. The method includes monitoring unmanaged OTT streams flow in the cellular network; determining if at least one of the monitored unmanaged OTT streams can be delivered as an OTT stream in a multicast format; reformatting the at least one unmanaged OTT stream into a multicast OTT stream, if the at least one unmanaged OTT stream can be delivered in a multicast format; and delivering the at least one unmanaged OTT stream as a multicast OTT stream to a user edge device over the cellular network.
US09609621B2
System and methods are described to track and warn a person suspected of texting while driving, or alternately to block texting for drivers of moving vehicles. The position and speed of cell phones, and a GPS-enabled telematics system if present, are compared with those of other GPS-enabled devices in the vicinity. If the position and speed of a phone track that of one or more neighboring phones or a telematics system, it is assumed that a cell phone user may under certain conditions be texting while driving. For circumstances where persons suspected to be in the same vehicle utilize different service providers, parameters such any of cell phone position, velocity, and direction of travel are time-stamped and then compared. Texting is detected emanating directly from cell phones, or from a telematics system in a vehicle, or via a WiFi hotspot of a cell phone in the vehicle.
US09609615B2
A method for building a database for fingerprinting positioning including: generating, by a database building device, raw data by collecting received signal strengths (RSSs) for access points (APs) at each sample point (SP); and generating a cluster table by clustering SPs for each of the APs according to the RSS for the AP, using the generated raw data.
US09609606B2
A method for integrating network subscribers into a time-synchronized ad-hoc network forms individual clusters in each case of regionally adjacent network subscribers and implements a time synchronization of the network subscribers within each cluster. Following this, a network subscriber at the periphery of each cluster is selected in order to identify at least one network subscriber to be integrated into the respective cluster. Finally, the subscribers of the respective cluster are time-synchronized with every identified network subscriber.
US09609600B2
A method is provided for a wireless communication device containing at least a main processor for data processing, and a transmitter and a receiver for wireless communication. The method includes providing power to the main processor using a power source via a power switch, performing device initialization of the wireless communication device, and determining whether the wireless communication device recovers from a power-down standby mode, where the power source is disconnected to the main processor such that the main processor does not consume power from the power source. Further, the method includes recovering device states based on information stored on a non-volatile storage when it is determined that the wireless communication device recovers from a power-down standby mode. The method also includes reporting device status including at least battery level of the wireless communication device to an external server based on configuration information on the wireless communication device.
US09609596B2
An apparatus and a method for controlling traffic of a second electronic device, which interworks with a first electronic device, in the first electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting occurrence of an event which needs to be notified to the second electronic device, determining a time to notify the occurrence of the event based on a driving time of the second electronic device, and transmitting an event occurrence notification signal to the second electronic device at the determined notification time.
US09609592B2
A method for operating a first user equipment in a wireless communication network, a method for operating a second user equipment in a wireless communication network, a method for operating a wireless communication network, and a wireless communication system are described.
US09609584B2
A method for controlling delay tolerant access of a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) device based on a backoff mechanism is provided. The method includes receiving, at a terminal, a paging message including an access barring information update indicator from a base station, and receiving a System Information Block (SIB) including updated access barring information, the SIB being received regardless of modification periods. The terminal receives the SIB including the updated access barring information immediately without waiting for the arrival of next modification period, resulting in improvement of access barring efficiency.
US09609580B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for transmitting backhaul link information. A method for acquiring backhaul link state information for a station (STA) may comprise the steps of: an STA transmitting, to an access point (AP), a generic advertisement service (GAS) request frame requesting a backhaul link state information of the AP; the STA receiving, as a response to the GAS request frame, a GAS response frame comprising backhaul link state information, wherein the GAS request frame is a frame transmitted by an STA, before an authentication or an association procedure and after a scanning procedure of the AP, to request availability-related information of a network to be accessed by the STA, and the backhaul link state information can comprise information regarding the load of a backhaul link linking network apparatuses other the AP and the STA.
US09609578B2
This application relates to wireless communication technologies, and more particularly, to a method, a apparatus and a system for transmitting a gateway address, which are used to solve the problem in the prior art that a DeNB is incapable of assisting an MME in selecting an SGW/PGW for a mobile relay node (RN). The method for transmitting a gateway address in an embodiment of this application comprises: a base station determining, when determining an access device to be a mobile RN, a gateway IP address of a mobility anchor serving as a gateway of the mobile RN; and sending the determined gateway IP address to a mobility management entity (MME) corresponding to the mobile RN. In the embodiment of this application, the DeNB is capable of assisting the MME in selecting a suitable mobility anchor for the mobile RN as the SGW/PGW, thereby guaranteeing normal work of the mobile RN.
US09609575B2
A telecommunication device configured to select one of a plurality of network connectivities of the telecommunication device to use for transmission of a network packet is described herein. The telecommunication device may select the network connectivity based on user routing criteria, connectivity metrics, or transmission times. The user routing criteria may be dynamically updated during a communication or connection, affecting selection of the network connectivity for further network packets. The network connectivities may be respectively associated with different network operators. Also, the telecommunication device may select a first network connectivity for transmitting a first network packet and a second network connectivity for transmitting a second network packet. Further, the telecommunication device may select a first network connectivity for uplink communications and a second network connectivity for downlink communications.
US09609572B2
A method and system for supporting the mobility of a mobile terminal in a software-defined network are disclosed. A method for supporting the mobility of a mobile terminal in a software-defined network according to an embodiment of the invention can include: routing a data packet of the mobile terminal to an authority switch serving as an anchor within a first partition, said routing performed by a switch by referencing a flow table; and setting a data path to an authority switch of a second partition, which is the partition containing the destination of the data packet, based on a rule provided by a controller and transmitting the data packet to a destination, said setting and transmitting performed by the authority switch of the first partition.
US09609564B2
Embodiments for providing fast modulation and coding scheme adaptation for LTE regardless of transmission using single-user multiple-input and multiple-output (SU-MIMO) or multiple-user multiple-input and multiple-output are generally described herein. In some embodiments, channel state information reference signals are sent to user equipment by a node. First channel quality indication feedback based on the channel state information reference signals is received from the user equipment. Physical downlink shared channel data and demodulation reference signals are transmitted using a first modulation and coding scheme based on the first channel quality indication feedback. Second channel quality indication feedback based on measurements performed by the user equipment on the demodulation reference signals is received by a node. Physical downlink shared channel data is transmitted using a second modulation and coding scheme based on the second channel quality indication feedback.
US09609562B2
A method for changing a communication network for video communication is provided. The method includes performing, by a User Equipment (UE), video communication through a mobile communication network; searching for whether there is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) accessible by the UE; displaying, if a WLAN accessible by the UE is found, the accessible WLAN; and when the displayed WLAN is selected by a user, changing a communication network for the video communication to perform the video communication through the selected WLAN.
US09609561B2
The embodiments of present invention provide a mobile communications method, a device, and a system. The method is performed by an access network device, including: receiving, by using a terrestrial interface of a first network standard between an access network and a first core network, a first terrestrial interface message of the first network standard sent by the first core network; generating, according to an air interface protocol of an air interface of a second network standard between the access network and UE and the first terrestrial interface message, a first air interface message of the second network standard; and sending, by using the air interface of the second network standard, the first air interface message to the UE. The method implements direct communication between network devices of different standards in a mobile communications system, thereby decoupling an air interface from a terrestrial interface.
US09609557B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate processing service data units (SDU) in-order during communication handover in wireless networks. In particular, for mobile devices using re-transmission schemes, SDUs can be processed in-order by indicating to a target base station an index of a last SDU received in-order before handing off communication to the target base station. Additionally, SDUs received subsequent to one or more non-acknowledged SDUs can be forwarded to the target base station. Utilizing this information, the target base station can determine one or more SDUs the mobile device is preparing to re-transmit and can wait for this SDU before processing subsequently received SDUs. Also, a timer can be utilized to end a waiting period for the SDU.
US09609555B2
According to some wireless network standards the size of a neighbor cell list is restricted to a maximum size. The limited size of a neighbor cell list may not reflect the realities of a wireless network deployment, especially for deployments including numerous femto cells clustered in close proximity. Accordingly, as the concentration of macro cells and/or femto cells in an area increases, there lies a challenge to identify and communicate neighbor lists to user devices that reflect the arrangement of a particular portion of the deployment and the needs of the user devices. Various systems, methods and apparatus described herein are configured to provide a user device or a group of user devices a neighbor cell list that includes neighbor cell identifiers chosen from a candidate list.
US09609538B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for efficiently controlling a minimization of drive test (MDT) in a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs). The method for controlling an MDT of a terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: performing a tracking-area update; receiving a logged measurement configuration message; determining whether or not the received logged measurement configuration message comprises an MDT PLMN list; and a applying, if the MDT PLMN is comprised, the MDT PLMN list to the MDT. The method and apparatus according to the present invention may efficiently control an MDT in a plurality of PLMNs.
US09609532B2
A method, an apparatus and a system for data transmission are provided. The method includes: receiving processed first microwave data information that is received through a microwave antenna; performing multiplexing through a preset rule on the first microwave data information and processed first radio frequency data information that is received through a base station antenna, and sending multiplexed information to a baseband unit, so that the baseband unit sends the first microwave data information to a microwave indoor unit. In the method, the apparatus and the system for data transmission, microwave data information and radio frequency data information are multiplexed, and then multiplexed information is transmitted together. The microwave data information can be transmitted through a transmission medium between base station devices, such as a fiber, thereby saving connection cables between microwave transmission devices and reducing a device cost and an installation cost of the microwave transmission devices.
US09609528B2
A first transmission controller (13) causes a second base station (7) to transmit first configuration information (CFG1) regarding a first cell (11) using a radio channel capable of being received by at least one first base station (1). A second transmission controller (14) selects a base station from among the at least one first base station (1), and transmits second configuration information (CFG2) regarding the first cell (11) to the selected base station from a higher-level network (15) via an access line (16).
US09609515B2
Systems and methods for verifying physical proximity to a network device are provided. The method includes acquiring a tag identifier from a tag fixed in, on, or proximal to a network device, using a computing device. The tag is configured to be read and written to by electronic communication with the computing device, when the computing device is disposed in proximity to the tag. The method further includes transmitting data indicative of the tag identifier to a server, and receiving an authorization confirmation from the server. The method also includes rewriting the tag so as to replace the tag identifier with a new tag identifier, using the computing device, and performing one or more operations with the network device after receiving the authorization.
US09609504B2
Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and a Visitor Location Register (VLR) node, as well as corresponding methods therein, for monitoring a VLR node registration of a wireless device The MME is currently serving.
US09609501B2
A network device may be configured to provide a gateway between a remote host and a mobile node using multiple interconnection protocols. The network device may include database circuitry configured to query a database for a first or second address of a mobile node using a domain name of the mobile node. The addresses may be associated with different interconnection protocols. The network device may include communication interface circuitry configured to receive a request from a remote host to communicate with the mobile node. The request may include the domain name. The interface circuitry may also be configured to transmit a message indicating the request using the first address, and transmit the second address to the remote host so that the remote host can communicate with the mobile node using the second address. The message may include a command to establish a data bearer through the second address.
US09609497B2
An access control device may include logic configured to receive a request from a user device to set up a packet connection for an emergency session to a packet data network via an access network. The logic may be further configured to determine a location associated with the user device; identify a public safety answering point associated with the determined location; determine whether a connection capacity associated with the identified public safety answering point has been reached; and reject the request to set up the packet connection for the emergency session, in response to determining that the connection capacity associated with the identified public safety answering point has been reached.
US09609496B2
A method and a terminal for acquiring information on the media supported by an emergency center to provide the terminal with the emergency call service using non-voice media as well voice media are provided. A method includes receiving information on media supported by an Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) from a server, storing the information on the media supported by the IMS, and transmitting a signal to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) based on the information on the media supported by the IMS and the terminal. The emergency call processing method of the present invention allows only the terminal capable of NOVES to perform the media information acquisition procedure, thereby avoiding overhead caused by media acquisition attempts of a large number of terminal.
US09609489B2
A data network receives data associating media content identifiers with a content network identifier and a content user identifier. A wireless network receives a registration indicating the content network identifier and the content user identifier and transfers the content network identifier and the content user identifier to the data network. The data network identifies the media content identifiers associated with the content network identifier and the content user identifier and transfers the media content identifiers to the wireless communication network. The wireless network receives a media request from a wireless communication device indicating the content network identifier and the content user identifier. The wireless network transfers the media content identifiers associated with content network identifier and the content user identifier to the wireless communication device.
US09609488B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for managing broadcasts of data in wireless communications. A request to join a multicast session is received. A plurality of broadcast technology based identifiers associated with the multicast session are received. Each broadcast technology based identifier identifies one of a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) broadcasting the multicast session. One of the plurality of RATs is selected. A multicast stream of data associated with the multicast session is received from the selected RAT.
US09609486B2
Methods and systems for providing situational user contexts to mobile applications, allowing for delivery of the relevant content without exposing mobile users' locations and other personal data. A plurality of space-time contexts (STCs) are stored in computer memory, with each STC representing a situational environment as a function of location and time. A mobile user device is associated with at least one of the STCs based on, for example, the location of the device and the current time. The associated STCs are provided to an application interested in delivering context-specific data to the user of the mobile user device.
US09609485B2
Various embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and wearable computing devices for identifying activities and/or destinations of relative importance. More specifically, a system, a device and a method are provided to predict a type of companion with whom a traveler collaborates to, among other things, predict activities (e.g., preferential activities) available at a geographic region association with lodging. In one or more embodiments, a method can include determining a location at which a user computing device associated with a user is disposed, and calculating that a computing device associated with a candidate companion is within a region coterminous with the location. Also, the method may include predicting data representing a companionship type for data representing the candidate companion based at least the location at which the user and the candidate companion are co-located.
US09609482B1
In general, this disclosure describes location techniques for a mobile device. A mobile device may request permission from a server device to perform a ranging operation. Responsive to receiving an indication of allowance, the mobile device may output a first data packet via a radio signal, which is received by a beacon device that activates an ultrasonic transponder upon receipt of the first data packet. The mobile device then outputs a second data packet via an ultrasonic pulse. The beacon device receives the ultrasonic pulse and outputs a third data packet via a second radio signal that includes information identifying the beacon device. The mobile device calculates a time difference between outputting the ultrasonic pulse and receiving the second radio signal and determines its location based on the third data packet and the time difference.
US09609480B2
A method for positioning a mobile terminal in a radio network including a plurality of base stations, comprising: transmitting a signal from a base station for receipt in the mobile terminal along a line of sight of a radio beam; receiving time measurement data from the mobile terminal, obtained based on receipt in the mobile terminal of the transmitted signal; calculating a distance value (DLOS) for the distance from the base station to the mobile terminal based on the time measurement data; and calculating a vertical position (Dv) of the mobile terminal, based on the distance value and an elevation angle (θ) of the line of sight of the radio beam from one or more of the plurality of base stations.
US09609478B2
A mobile device having location services stores information pertaining to a geo-fence assigned to a building and stores a geo-fence log including one or more mobile device parameters and one or more geo-fence crossing events. The mobile device may determine the location of the mobile device via the location services and may determine when a geo-fence crossing event has occurred. Each of the geo-fence crossing events may be recorded in the geo-fence log, which may be uploaded to a remote server from time to time.
US09609477B2
Generally discussed herein are systems and apparatuses for determining a location of a device. Also discussed herein are methods of using the systems and apparatuses. According to an example a mobile device may include processing circuitry including a Measurement Engine (ME) and a Position Engine (PE), wherein the PE is configured to provide a location estimate of the device using a location function, generate an estimate location function that approximates the location function to within a specified error, and provide the estimate location function to the ME, and wherein the ME is configured to receive a geo fence boundary defining a boundary of a geographical region, determine a plurality of pseudo ranges between the device and a plurality of navigation satellites, and determine, using the estimate location function and the plurality of pseudo ranges, whether the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary.
US09609466B2
An identification apparatus is provided herein. The identification apparatus may include an identification mechanism coupled to a first guide segment and a reader mechanism coupled to second guide segment. The reader mechanism may receive a set of data of the identification mechanism via a proximity connectivity method. The reader mechanism may communicate the set of data to a controller.
US09609465B2
The present invention relates to a multi-role Bluetooth device and more particularly to a multi-role Bluetooth handset. The multi-role Bluetooth device stores a plurality of SDPs (Service Discovery Protocols), and establishes Bluetooth connection with an electronic device by one of SDPs. The multi-role Bluetooth device can establish Bluetooth connection with the electronic device by a first SDP, and transmit and/or receive data to the electronic device each other via Bluetooth connection. Furthermore, the multi-role Bluetooth device also can establish Bluetooth connection with the electronic device by a second SDP, and transmit a control signal to the electronic device via Bluetooth connection to control the electronic device to execute particular function thereof.
US09609463B2
A mobile terminal in a mobile communication system supporting device to device (D2D) communication, and a method for operating the mobile terminal are provided. The terminal includes a first radio frequency (RF) chain configured to transmit a mobile communication signal and a second RF chain configured to receive a mobile communication signal, for mobile communication with a base station, a switching unit including a plurality of switches configured to establish transmission and reception paths in the first and second RF chains, and a controller configured to control switching of the switching unit to establish transmission and reception paths of a D2D communication signal for D2D communication by combining a part of the first RF chain with a part of the second RF chain. The combination of the parts of the first and second RF chains is different according to a D2D communication frequency band.
US09609462B2
A boiler control device may include a housing and a wireless communication module for receiving coded control signals from the thermostat device. The boiler control device may also include boiler control circuitry for selectively controlling activation of the boiler-based heating system according to the coded control signals from the thermostat device. An onboard antenna disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the wireless communication module, and an interface configured to receive an auxiliary antenna. The auxiliary antenna may be disposed outside of the housing. Detection circuitry may detect times when the auxiliary antenna is communicatively coupled to the interface. Switching circuitry may interrupt communication between the onboard antenna and the wireless communication module during the times when the auxiliary antenna is communicatively coupled to the interface.
US09609460B2
Cloud based mobile device security and policy systems and methods use the “cloud” to pervasively enforce security and policy on mobile devices. The cloud based mobile device security and policy systems and methods provide uniformity in securing mobile devices for small to large organizations. The cloud based mobile device security and policy systems and methods may enforce one or more policies for users wherever and whenever the users are connected across a plurality of different devices including mobile devices. This solution ensures protection across different types, brands, operating systems, etc. for smartphones, tablets, netbooks, mobile computers, and the like.
US09609457B2
In at least some embodiments, a system includes at least one server to manage voice over internet protocol (VOIP) services. The managed VOIP services provided by the at least one server include a procurement service configured to streamline configuration of at least some of the VOIP services for a mobile device during a signup session based on a VOIP services signup session token.
US09609455B2
The invention provides a new method to supply a power to a device which is used by connecting to a mobile terminal. The invention also provides a connective device which is connected and enables the mobile terminal to reproduce contents such as music on the mobile terminal. The connective device stores unique identifying information and is detachably connected to the mobile terminal provided with a communication function. The connective device is having a plug terminal connected to an earphone socket of the mobile terminal, and the plug terminal acquires a power from an audio output channel of the earphone socket and output the identifying information via a microphone channel of the earphone socket.
US09609454B2
A method for playing back the sound of a digital audio signal comprising an oversampling step consisting of producing, from a signal sampled at a frequency F, a signal sampled at a frequency N×F, where N corresponds to an integer greater than 1, then of applying convolution processing to a first digital file sampled at a frequency N×F corresponding to the acquisition of the soundscape of a reference sound space, a second digital file sampled at a frequency N×F corresponding to the acquisition of the noise footprint of a piece of reference playback equipment, a third digital file sampled at a frequency N×F corresponding to the acquisition of the noise footprint of an equalizer and a fourth file corresponding to said oversampled audio file, the resulting digital packets then undergoing digital conversion processing at a sampling frequency F/M corresponding to the working frequency of the listening equipment.
US09609451B2
A multi-rate audio processing system and method provides real-time measurement and processing of amplitude/phase changes in the transition band of the lowest frequency subband caused by the audio processing that can be used to apply amplitude/phase compensation to the higher subband(s). Tone signals may be injected into the transition band to provide strong tonal content for measurement and processing. The real-time measurement and compensation adapts to time-varying amplitude/phase changes regardless of the source of the change (e.g. non-linear time-varying linear or user control parameters) and provides universal applicability for any linear audio processing.
US09609447B2
This document discusses, among other things, circuits and methods for providing an indication of an impedance between a detecting pin and a first signal pin of an audio socket using first and second comparators to, among other things, determine if moisture is present in the audio socket. If moisture is present in the audio socket, communication between an audio processing unit and the audio socket can be disabled.
US09609442B2
A method for controlling a hearing aid based on an adjustable policy including receiving an input signal; receiving an indication signal from a user identifying the input signal; receiving an adjustment to the hearing aid with the indication signal; and utilizing a processor to store the input signal in memory with the adjustment to the hearing aid as an adjustable policy corresponding to the input signal.
US09609438B2
A speaker apparatus and an electronic device having the same are provided. The speaker apparatus includes a hollow shape frame, a magnet disposed in an internal part of the hollow shape frame, a voice coil installed in proximity to the magnet, a diaphragm including a diaphragm edge that vibrates by an electric current applied to the voice coil, and a diaphragm edge compression part extended upward along the diaphragm edge. The diaphragm edge compression part contacts an inner surface of a housing of the electronic device.
US09609426B2
An acoustic tube attaching unit that attaches an acoustic tube to a side of a main body case where a microphone unit is mounted. The acoustic tube attaching unit includes first and second elastic members lying between a fixing member and a washer, and bolts that tight the fixing member and the washer in an axial direction. A peripheral edge surface of the first elastic member is formed in a linear manner, and a peripheral edge surface of the second elastic member is formed in a recessed surface manner, so that the peripheral edge surface of the first elastic member protrudes in an outer peripheral direction by elastic deformation by the tightening of the bolts. The acoustic tube is attached to the main body case side by fixing action to an inner wall of the acoustic tube by the protrusion of the first elastic member in the outer peripheral direction.
US09609423B2
A noise abatement system for dental procedures conceived to protect the hearing of dental staff members composed of office managers, dental operators including at least one of dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, dental technician and any other dental staff member in the dental operatory, and of patients, comprises a pair of headphones composed of one left and one right phones [1] connected to each other via a flexible strap [2], an audio signal processor (ASP) [7] with a receiver [17] and an on/off talk button [13] with a transmitter and circuitry [21]. Dental operators and patients can toggle an operator/patient switch [8] in a water- and dust-resistant casing of the pair of headphones to switch between operator mode and patient mode. In operator mode, the ASP receives the audio signals captured from the surrounding environment by one left and one right microphones [3], processes the captured audio signals and sends audible speech frequencies to the ears through one left and one right speakers [4] mounted in the casing of the one left and one right phones, while actively abating [15] the high-frequency noise generated by dental tools. In patient mode, the ASP is turned off and the sounds from the surrounding environment are passively abated by the water- and dust-resistant casing, the high-frequency insulating material [6] inside the water- and dust-resistant casing and the cushion [5]; however, if any of the dental operators or the patient enables a talk button [19] belonging to the on/off talk button, the patient will be able to hear speech frequencies from any operator in the surrounding environment and vice versa. Thus, a high-frequency noise-abating system is provided to dental facilities, practitioners and technicians that prevents dental staff members, as well as patients, from being exposed to unwanted noise generated by dental tools. At the same time, dental staff members can communicate among each other during the dental procedure, or operation of dental tools, while the pair of headphones is functioning; dental operators can also communicate with the patient by pushing the talk button. This system also allows each dental staff member and patient to mix in auxiliary audio signals including at least one of music, soothing sounds, white noise, radio, TV and/or any audio signal generated by an external audio source [14]; when in patient mode, this auxiliary audio signal gets muted when any dental operator or patient pushes the talk button in order to have a conversation with each other.
US09609420B2
A first earphone of an earphone system includes a first magnet assembly and a first voice coil. A second earphone of the earphone system includes a second magnet assembly and a second voice coil. The second magnet assembly has a magnetic polarity that is opposite to the first magnet assembly. The current direction in the second voice coil is reversed relative to the current direction in the first voice coil. The first earphone and the second earphone attract each other because of the opposite magnetic polarity between the first magnet assembly and the second magnet assembly.
US09609413B2
Disclosed is a headphone, which includes a flexible inverted U-shape headband, a first headphone unit provided on an end of the headband and a second headphone unit provided on the other end of the headband. The first headphone unit is a circumaural headphone unit and the second headphone unit is an in-ear headphone unit. When using the above headphone, one ear of user is covered with the first headphone unit and the second headphone unit is put into the other ear of user. Due to the first headphone unit being a circumaural headphone unit and the second headphone unit being an in-ear headphone unit, the second headphone unit could be removed casually, which is easy to use. And such a headphone structure is novel and easy to be recognized. In addition, the unsymmetrical configuration of the headphone of the present invention can satisfy the market demand on new type headphone.
US09609405B2
A narrow-profile balanced subwoofer or similar speaker includes a number of drivers placed side by side in the same lateral plane, with a first set of drivers facing one direction and second set of drivers facing the opposite direction. Their orientation is such that the sum of the forces from the first set of drivers is equal and opposite the sum of the forces from the second set of drivers, thus cancelling, and the sum of the moments from all of the drivers about a center or pivot point substantially equals zero. The speaker may include three or more drivers, symmetrically or asymmetrically spaced. The drivers may be of the same or different sizes, and the audio signal amplitudes may be adjusted to help balance the speaker. Each set of drivers may output sound into separate sound ducts, which may output sound from one or more apertures.
US09609404B2
A cable boot is mounted to a telecommunications module housing an optical component, wherein the cable boot extends outwardly from the module. The cable boot is mounted by axially passing the cable boot over a plurality of cables carrying fiber optic signals leading to the optical component, axially passing a portion of the cable boot through a cutout defined on a main housing of the telecommunications module, placing a boot retainer over the boot in a direction transverse to the axial direction to capture the flexible boot against movement both in the axial direction and the transverse direction, and mounting a cover on the main housing to capture the boot retainer against the main housing.
US09609398B2
An information processing terminal includes an operation part to receive a user's operation, an output part to play back an arbitrarily input content while outputting posted information which is posted on the WEB in connection with the content, and a controller to output a content at a playback time, correlated to a posted time of posted information selected via the user's operation, to the output part with reference to a time table which stores the playback position of the content in connection with the posted time of the posted information relating to the content. The controller aligns a plurality of posted information, correlated to a desired content, in an order of posted times on the screen. Upon receiving a user's scroll operation, it is possible to scroll and display a plurality of posted information at the predetermined position on the screen.
US09609389B2
A method of processing a non-real time service of a broadcast receiver, which receives and processes a service being transmitted in non-real time, and a broadcast receiver are disclosed. Herein, the method of processing a non-real time service of a broadcast receiver includes receiving a signaling information table including additional information on contents configuring a non-real time service and a content identifier for each content, acquiring and storing the additional information on contents and the content identifier for each content from the signaling information table, when a non-real time specific service guide is requested from a real-time specific service guide screen, configuring the non-real time specific service guide based upon the stored additional information and content identifier of the stored contents, thereby displaying a non-real time specific service guide screen, and performing a playback or download scheduling function on the content selected from the non-real time specific service guide screen.
US09609382B2
An apparatus and method for wireless communications are provided. The apparatus for wireless communications includes a media access control processing unit providing a plurality of sub-packets, and a transmitting/receiving unit outputting a packet that includes the plurality of sub-packets using a plurality of transmission modes.
US09609375B2
Method for mapping between signaling information and announcement information and broadcast receiver
A method for mapping signaling information to announcement information and a broadcast receiver are disclosed herein. A method of providing a Non-Real-Time (NRT) service, the method comprises extracting identification information of first signaling information and second signaling information based upon a program specific information/program and system information protocol (PSI/PSIP) table, receiving the first signaling information and second signaling information based upon the extracted identification information, constructing and displaying a service guide using the received first signaling information, acquiring first content identification information as a content selected from the displayed service guide, accessing a File Delivery over Unidirectional Transport (FLUTE) session using the received second signaling information, acquiring second content identification information matched with the acquired first content identification information from the accessed FLUTE session and receiving and storing one or more file constructing corresponding content based upon the acquired second content identification information.
US09609368B2
Supplemental processing information (52, 54) defining post-decoding instructions for processing decoded media content is co-organized in a file (1) together with a pseudo-identifier of a media codec employed for encoding the media content. The co-organization trigger abortion of decoding of the media content by a legacy media terminal (210) that does not recognize the pseudo-identifier but enables decoding of the media content by a media terminal (200) that recognizes the pseudo-identifier to thereby enable post-decoding processing of the decoded media content using the supplemental processing information (52, 54). The co-organization thereby prevents legacy media terminals (210) that cannot use the supplemental processing information from decoding the media content and rendering the media content in a media presentation.
US09609361B2
The present disclosure relates to the technical field of video coding. Implementations herein provide methods for fast 3D video coding for high efficiency video coding HEVC. The methods speed up the view synthesis process during the rate distortion optimization for depth coding based on texture flatness. The implementations include extracting coding information from textures, analyzing luminance regularity among pixels from flat texture regions based on statistical method, judging the flat texture regions using the luminance regularity for depth maps and terminating the flat texture block's view synthesis process when processing rate distortion optimization. Compared to original pixel-by-pixel rendering methods, the implementations reduce coding time without causing significant performance loss.
US09609360B2
Image decoding apparatus adaptively determining a scan pattern according to an intra prediction mode
Provided is an image decoding apparatus that restores a quantized transform block by inversely scanning 1D quantized coefficients, inversely quantizes the quantized transform block using a quantization step size, inversely transforms the transform block to generate a residual block, and generates a prediction block according to an intra prediction mode. When a size of the transform block is 8×8, the quantized transform block is divided into a plurality of sub-blocks, and the plurality of sub-blocks and coefficients of each sub-block are scanned using a same scan pattern determined according to the intra prediction mode. When the intra prediction mode is a horizontal mode, the scan pattern is a vertical scan.
US09609356B2
A moving picture coding method for coding a current block derives a first candidate having a first motion vector predictor derived from a first motion vector that has been used to code a first block. It is determined whether a total number of one or more candidates having the first candidate is less than a maximum candidate number, and a second candidate having a second motion vector predictor is derived when the total number of the one or more candidates having the first candidate is less than the maximum candidate number. The second motion vector predictor is a zero vector. A candidate for coding the current block is selected out of the plurality of candidates having the first candidate and the second candidate.
US09609350B2
Provided is an apparatus for decoding a moving picture. When the current block is coded in intra prediction and a size of the transform block is larger than a predetermined size, a plurality of sub-blocks are restored by applying a first scan pattern determined according to the intra prediction mode of the current block on the quantization coefficient sequence, and the quantized transform block is restored by applying a second scan pattern determined according to the intra prediction mode of the current block on the plurality of sub-blocks. The first scan pattern for restoring the plurality of sub-blocks from the quantization coefficient sequence is the same as the second scan pattern for restoring the quantized transform block from the plurality of sub-blocks.
US09609347B2
As part of a video encoding process or a video decoding process, a video coder may determine a first available disparity motion vector among spatial neighboring blocks of a current block of the video data. Furthermore, the video coder may shift a horizontal component of the first available disparity motion vector to derive a shifted disparity motion vector candidate (DSMV). The video coder may add the DSMV into a merge candidate list.
US09609346B2
A method and apparatus for deriving a temporal motion vector predictor (MVP) are disclosed. The MVP is derived for a current block of a current picture in Inter, or Merge, or Skip mode based on co-located reference blocks of a co-located block and a flag is used to indicate the co-located picture. More than one co-located reference blocks can be used to derive the temporal MVP and the co-located reference blocks can be selected from the co-located block as well as neighboring blocks of the co-located block. A search set comprises search motion vectors associated with the co-located reference block(s) is formed. The search motion vector (MV) corresponding to the co-located reference block in the same reference list is searched before the search MV in a different reference list. Various schemes to accommodate implicit method of deriving co-located picture are also disclosed.
US09609342B2
A method of selecting reference blocks for intra or inter prediction coding of a current block of a video signal. Each reference blocks is selected by: (i) determining a group of candidate blocks comprising at least some candidate blocks other than immediately adjacent spatial neighbors of the current block; and (ii) selecting one of the candidate blocks as the reference block based on a second metric, different from the first metric, the second metric relating to a number of bits that would be required in the encoded bitstream to encode both the residual block and the side information identifying the respective reference block.
US09609335B2
A video decoding apparatus for reconstructing residual signals of a current block to be decoded by using a tree structure, includes: a decoder to decode, from a bitstream, prediction type information on the current block to be decoded, and divide, by the tree structure, the current block into one or more subblocks of which information on residual signals is to be reconstructed, by decoding, from the bitstream, a partition flag which indicates whether a block corresponding thereto is divided into blocks of a lower layer in the tree structure, wherein blocks which are not further divided are identified as the subblocks of which information on the residual signals is to be reconstructed; and a reconstructor to reconstruct information on residual signals of each of the subblocks from the bitstream.
US09609331B2
This disclosure describes methods and apparatus for decoding data. In one aspect, the method comprises decoding encoded video data to obtain decoded video frame data, the encoded video data comprising encoded video frame data encoded at a first frame rate and embedded data. The method further comprises determining a camera parameter from the embedded data and up-converting the decoded video frame data to a second frame rate based on the camera parameter. The determined camera parameter may be, for example, a parameter associated with one or more of a zoom factor, an auto focus status, lens position information, frame luma information, an auto exposure (AE) convergence status, an automatic white balance (AWB) convergence status, global motion information, and frame blurriness information, and the like. An encoding device may embed the camera parameter(s) in an encoded video bit stream for a decoder to utilize during frame rate up-conversion.
US09609319B2
Systems and methods may provide for the detection, location, and processing of static pixels during video processing. In one example, the method may include determining if a color component value of a pixel located at a pixel location remains constant between a first frame and a next frame, determining if the pixel is a low-difference pixel, calculating a motion-compensation error of the color component, determining if the motion compensation error of the color component is large, and generating a map of static pixels including the pixel.
US09609313B2
A method and system using hardware and software to enhance the realism, capabilities and efficiencies when generating and displaying 3D content is disclosed.
US09609312B2
Ghosting of images can be produced by the use anaglyph techniques to produce stereoscopic images. Ghost effects can be produced when filtering is applied to images by displays such as televisions or monitors. Techniques and apparatus are described for reducing or cancelling ghost effects. Anaglyph ghost reduction information can be produced to reduce or cancel ghost effects.
US09609306B2
A method of image processing in a structured light imaging device is provided that includes receiving a captured image of a scene, wherein the captured image is captured by a camera of a projector-camera pair in the structured light imaging system, and wherein the captured image includes a pre-determined hierarchical binary pattern projected into the scene by the projector, wherein the pre-determined hierarchical binary pattern was formed by iteratively scaling a lower resolution binary pattern to multiple successively higher resolutions, rectifying the captured image to generated a rectified captured image, extracting a binary image from the rectified captured image at full resolution and at each resolution used to generate the pre-determined hierarchical binary pattern, and using the binary images to generate a depth map of the captured image.
US09609305B1
Depth information can be used to assist with image processing functionality, such as various calibration approaches to determine and correct for misalignments between cameras. In at least some embodiments, depth information obtained from stereo imaging or distance sensing, for example, can be used to segment an image or frame of video into at least a foreground object and a background object. Once the foreground and background object has been determined, information about that objects can be used to determine a mapping, and once a subsequent stereoscopic image is captured using the cameras, the mapping can be applied to each image to account for misalignment effects due to a misaligned stereo camera pair before providing the stereoscopic image for display.
US09609304B2
Provided are three-dimensional (3D) data processing apparatus and method. 3D stereoscopic image common format data preserving common 3D image information is defined by converting 3D stereoscopic image data of each format to apply the same 3D image processing algorithm to 3D data of various formats, and native format data of each format is maintained to maintain merits of each format, and a format-specific algorithm table is maintained with respect to a common 3D image processing function, whereby the same 3D image processing algorithm may be applied to various 3D data and a unique algorithm allowing for maintaining the merits of each 3D data may be applied.
US09609298B2
Disclosed herein are an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, a recording medium, and a program which are capable of processing imaging data in a manner similar to that of a normal frame rate. Image data captured by a solid-state imaging element capable of performing imaging at a high resolution and a high frame rate is supplied to a memory control. The memory control, at the same time as writing the imaging data input from the imaging element in a frame memory, reads preceding frames of imaging data that are recorded on the frame memory, and sequentially respectively outputs them in parallel, as video image data items, for each frame, to respective camera signal processing units. In the camera signal processing units, a video output, a viewfinder output, codec units, and recording units, processing similar to that when a frame rate that is ¼ the imaging frame rate is executed.
US09609296B2
Signal detection and recognition employees coordinated illumination and capture of images under to facilitate extraction of a signal of interest. Pulsed illumination of different colors facilitates extraction of signals from color channels, as well as improved signal to noise ratio by combining signals of different color channels. The successive pulsing of different color illumination appears white to the user, yet facilitates signal detection, even for lower cost monochrome sensors, as in barcode scanning and other automatic identification equipment.
US09609294B2
To provide an illumination device and a projection type image display device that illuminate an area to be illuminated (image formation area) under conditions where speckle noise is less noticeable.An illumination device according to the present invention includes: a light source 11 that emits coherent light; an optical scanning section 15 that scans the coherent light emitted from the light source 11; a lens array 22 including a plurality of element lenses and configured to diverge the light scanned by the optical scanning section; an optical path conversion system 23 configured to control a diverging angle of the diverging light to be emitted from respective points of the lens array 22 and to allow the diverging light whose diverging angle has been controlled to illuminate an area to be illuminated sequentially in an overlapping manner.
US09609292B2
An imaging device includes a filter unit including filter areas having different wavelength selectivities; a light receiving element array configured to receive light transmitted through the filter unit; a storage unit configured to store, for each filter area, positional information indicating a position at which light transmitted is received on the light receiving element array; an area detector configured to detect, based on the positional information, an image area corresponding to the light transmitted from an image output by the light receiving element array when light from an object enters the filter unit; and a color detector configured to detect a color of the object based on an output value of the image area. The positional information indicates a position on the light receiving element array identified by using a spectral-response-coincidence-degree indicating a degree of coincidence between a spectral responsivity of each pixel and a desired wavelength selectivity.
US09609289B2
A vision system for a vehicle includes a forward viewing camera and an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. Responsive at least in part to processing of captured image data, lane markers of a road along which the vehicle is traveling are detected, other vehicles are detected, and road curvature of the road along which the vehicle is traveling is determined. The vehicle includes a global positioning system and a vehicle communication system operable for wireless communication with an external control located remote from the vehicle. The current geographic location of the vehicle and data derived from captured image data are wirelessly communicated to the external control. The received current geographic location and data are processed at the external control and information that is derived, at least in part, from such processing is wirelessly communicated from the external control to the equipped vehicle.
US09609287B2
Remote monitoring and inspection of measurement devices, emergency equipment, parking spaces, and other items is accomplished by using an image sensor (e.g., a CMOS sensor) to capture an image containing information about the monitored item. A signal containing information about the image (e.g., data representing the captured image or data indicating the state of the captured image) is transmitted to a remote central station.
US09609284B2
A subject is imaged using imaging equipment arranged on portable, wireless vehicles. The vehicles are positioned in a pattern in proximity to the subject and illuminate the subject in order to collect image data. The image data can be collected by cameras carried by the vehicles in addition to or instead of external high speed cameras.
US09609280B2
A method for controlling access to a plurality of channels by a unit comprising a security module, each channel being encrypted by a specific control word and having a channel identifier, this method comprising the steps of: tuning to a first channel having first channel identifier and receiving first messages containing a first control word; decrypting the first messages and using the first control word; storing the first control word and the first channel identifier; tuning to a second channel having second channel identifier; calculating the second control word by: calculating a root control word with an inverse cryptographic function F−1 using the first control word and the first channel identifier; calculating the second control word with the cryptographic function F using the root control word and the second channel identifier; and using the second control word to access the second channel.
US09609275B2
A method includes transmitting, from an encoding client to a first remote computing system, an encoded video stream that includes a plurality of first-resolution frames and a plurality of second-resolution frames. The method also includes transmitting, from the encoding client to the first remote computing system in the encoded video stream, a first-resolution non-displayed anchor frame. The method also includes receiving, at the encoding client from the first remote computing system, a request to change resolution. In response to receiving the request to change resolution, the method includes transmitting, from the encoding client to the first remote computing system in the encoded video stream, a set of frames that are encoded relative to the first-resolution non-displayed anchor frame.
US09609273B2
A video conference is established between a first video device and a second video device. The first video device captures a first participant's images in the video conference. The first participant's image is also captured as part of the video conference via the second video device (i.e., there are duplicate images of the first participant's image being captured). The first participant's image is detected as being captured by the first video device and the second video device in the video conference. For example, the duplicate images can be determined based on facial recognition. In response to detecting that the first participant's image is being captured by the first video device and the second video device in the video conference, the process automatically forbears from displaying at least one of the first participant's image captured by the first and second video devices.
US09609269B2
A web-based video conferencing system and method for providing remote visitation with inmates incarnated in a prison. All visitations are initiated by the inmates and no endpoint control by prison personnel is required. “Jail-hardened” terminals in the prison communicate via Internet with visitor Internet-enabled devices. Payment for services is paid by visitors using an on-line payment service relieving prison personnel of any handling of money. All calls (excluding clergy, lawyers, etc.) are typically recorded and no routine monitoring is required by prison personnel. Inmates use the “jail-hardened” terminals to initiate video conference using only a 12-key telephone style keypad. A fee-per-minute is charged. Time is tracked for each call and the call duration and remaining time for a call based upon the maximum allowed call length and an inmate's available minutes are displayed for both the visitor and the inmate.
US09609259B1
A pipelined ADC incorporating variable input gain has a novel first stage generating a first digital output and a residue according to an analog input. The first stage comprises a novel MDAC. The MDAC comprises an operational amplifier, a feedback capacitor, a first sampling capacitor and a second sampling capacitor. First terminals of the feedback capacitor, the first sampling capacitor and the second sampling capacitor are connected to an inverted input terminal of the operational amplifier. A non-inverted input terminal of the operational amplifier is connected to a ground. In a sampling phase, second terminals of the feedback capacitor, the first sampling capacitor and the second sampling capacitor are connected to the analog input. In a charge transferring phase, second terminals of the feedback capacitor, the first sampling capacitor and the second sampling capacitor are respectively connected to the output terminal, a flash ADC output and the ground.
US09609249B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a photodiode that generates a signal charge by photoelectric conversion according to received light, a floating diffusion that accumulates the signal charge generated by the photodiode, an amplification transistor that amplifies and outputs a power source voltage according to the signal charge accumulated in the floating diffusion, a dummy transistor having the same characteristics as the amplification transistor, and a negative feedback circuit that applies a negative feedback to the dummy transistor such that respective source currents of the amplification transistor and the dummy transistor are equal to each other. The respective source currents of the amplification transistor and the dummy transistor are controlled so as to coincide with each other by the negative feedback circuit.
US09609247B2
A solid-state imaging device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a charge multiplying solid-state imaging device, and includes an imaging area 10 that generates a charge according to the amount of incident light, an output register unit 20 that receives the charge from the imaging area 10, and a multiplication register unit 28 that multiplies the charge from the output register 20, and performs feed-forward control of the multiplication factor of the multiplication register unit 28 according to the charge amount from the imaging area 10.
US09609244B2
Adverse effects of noise are reduced. A photodetector circuit, a difference data generation circuit, and a data input selection circuit are included. The photodetector circuit has a function of generating an optical data signal. A first data signal and a second data signal is input to the difference data generation circuit and the difference data generation circuit has a function of generating difference data of data of the first data signal and data of the second data signal. The data input selection circuit has a function of determining that the data of optical data signal is regarded as data of the first data signal or data of the second data signal.
US09609242B2
A depth-sensing camera may be used to locate objects on a planar surface. A planar fit calculation is used to model the surface. One problem with the best planar fit calculation is that it is not robust over time. Firstly, this is because the depth data has a non-linear curve near its extremities because of camera lens distortion. Secondly, as the depth-sensing camera warms up and its thermal activity changes, the depth data drifts and the initial plane fit is no longer valid. The position and the amount of curvature and drift may be different for cameras of the same make and model in some cases. In accordance with some embodiments, algorithms may be used to detect and correct for these types of errors to support more robust plane fitting in real time.
US09609238B2
A method and apparatus is provided for modeling a three-dimensional topological surface of an object acquiring, using a thermal imaging camera, a first image of the object, wherein the first image comprises a plurality of pixels each representative of at least one component of thermal data, calculating a normal vector for each pixel in the first image, corresponding to the normal vector on a surface of the object, generating a three-dimensional model representing a surface of the object based on aggregating the normal vector for each pixel together in the first image.
US09609236B2
A camera system and method provide a trailing motion blur effect without the use of a flash. In one embodiment, a variable light-transmissive filter is positioned in front of an image sensor. While the light-transmissive property of the filter is lower, the blurred image of the object in motion is produced. The light-transmissive property of the filter is increased during the exposure in order to produce a clearer image of the object. In a method, a plurality of images taken in rapid succession are combined to produce a clear image of the object with a trailing blurred image of the object.
US09609228B2
Provided is a solid-state image pickup device that includes: a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element; and a transmittance control element provided on a light incident side of the photoelectric conversion element of at least a part of the plurality of pixels, and configured to change a transmittance of incident light by an external input.
US09609227B2
A photographing apparatus includes an image pickup section configured to output a first picked-up image obtained by photographing an object, a display control section for displaying the first picked-up image, a comparing section configured to compare an angle of view of the first picked-up image from the image pickup section and an angle of view of a second picked-up image from a second photographing apparatus, and an angle-of-view determining section configured to control, based on a comparison result of the comparing section, the display control section to display, in the first picked-up image, a display indicating a part or whole of an image pickup range of the second picked-up image.
US09609226B2
A system for improved camera focusing systems using subject location tags. More particularly, the disclosed subject matter relates to providing a system comprising camera accessories and in-lens technologies that allows for the continuous, automated focus of a subject by measuring the distance between the camera and a subject that has been “tagged” with a locator beacon.
US09609216B2
An image capturing device includes an image capturing unit capturing an image at a timing based on a first frame rate and outputs data corresponding to the image after a first period, an image data generation unit generating image data based on the output data and outputting the image data after a second period, a display unit displaying a display image based on the image data after the second period and at a timing based on a second frame rate, and a mode selecting unit selecting a first or second mode. The first mode prioritizes reduction in a display delay time. The second mode prioritizes image quality of the display image over reduction in the display delay time. A total period of the first and second periods is less than or equal to a first vertical synchronization period based on the first frame rate when the first mode is selected.
US09609212B2
An image processing apparatus detecting a plurality of joint positions between a plurality of input images includes a target image generation unit configured to generate a plurality of target images to be searched in a second input image among the input images from a first input image among the input images; a characteristic amount calculation unit configured to calculate a characteristic amount for each of the target images generated by the target image generation unit; and a matching calculation unit configured to calculate a matching between the target image of interest among the target images having the characteristic amounts calculated by the characteristic amount calculation unit, and a part of the second input image, using an evaluation method depending on the characteristic amounts calculated by the characteristic amount calculation unit.
US09609211B2
The present invention provides a method of image conversion operation for panorama dynamic IP camera. Three wide-angle cameras are used for obtaining a panorama dynamic image, and then to be compressed and transferred through Internet to a PC/smartphone/tablet for being decompressed and image conversion operation, so that a user can use the PC/smart phone/tablet to slide a touch screen thereof for viewing the desired dynamic image.
US09609210B2
A technique for computing an image of a virtual view based on a plurality of camera views is presented. One or more cameras provide the plurality of camera views. As to a method aspect of the technique, two or three camera views that at least partially overlap and that at least partially overlap with the virtual view are selected among the plurality of camera views. The image of the virtual view is computed based on objects in the selected camera views using a multilinear relation that relates the selected camera views and the virtual view.
US09609208B2
An image generation method is provided for generating an output image from an input image acquired by an image sensor that has an array of multiple pixels, each of which has arranged therein multiple sub-pixels that each receive a light beam that passes through a different pupil sub-area of an imaging optical system. The method includes a step of generating multiple parallax images that respectively correspond to the different pupil sub-areas; a step of generating multiple pixel shifted images by performing different shifting for each of the parallax images according to a virtual image forming plane of the imaging optical system; and a step of generating an output image that has a higher resolution than the resolution of the parallax images from the pixel shifted images through composition processing.
US09609202B2
An image pickup apparatus comprising an imaging element for capturing an object image, and a sensor dedicated to focus detection for receiving light reflected from the object to output a signal for focus detection is provided. The image pickup apparatus carries out continuous shooting that sequentially exposes an imaging element. The image pickup apparatus acquires mode related information used in the determination of a focus adjusting mode applied to an interval between each of the exposures during the continuous shooting, and based on the acquired mode related information, determines either a first focus adjusting mode for calculating a defocus amount based on a signal output by the imaging element or a second focus adjusting mode for calculating the defocus amount based on a signal for focus detection output by the sensor dedicated for focus detecting, to be the focus adjusting mode applied to the interval between each of the exposures.
US09609201B2
To achieve focusing suitable for a perspective-conflict object in AF control using a phase difference detection method, a focus adjustment apparatus detects a defocus amount of an image pickup optical system based on plural image signals generated from an exit pupil of the system, sets plural areas including a predetermined area used for focus adjustment of the system as areas of the plural image signals used for detecting the defocus amount, generates a focus adjustment signal for performing the focus adjustment based on the defocus amount detected in the predetermined area, and determines whether a perspective conflict occurs in the predetermined area according to the defocus amount detected in each set area. If the perspective conflict occurs in the predetermined area, the area used for the focus adjustment is changed from the predetermined area to any of other set areas, according to the defocus amount detected from each area.
US09609198B2
An image capturing apparatus includes: an encoding unit configured to perform encoding processing on an image output from an image capturing unit for obtaining an image; a communication unit configured to receive designation of a resolution of the encoding unit from an information processing apparatus; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a resolution which is associated with the resolution set for the image capturing unit, and is settable for the encoding unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether the designated resolution is the resolution obtained by the obtaining unit and settable for the encoding unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmit an error response to the information processing apparatus, if the determination unit determines that the designated resolution is not the resolution obtained by the obtaining unit and settable for the encoding unit.
US09609188B2
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element converting an object image to an electric signal, a magnetic shield member arranged in front of the image pickup element, a fixing member to which the image pickup element and the magnetic shield member are attached, and an elastic member arranged between the magnetic shield member and the image pickup element, and configured to press the image pickup element so as to surround a circumference of a light receiving plane of the image pickup element and to press the magnetic shield member toward the fixing member.
US09609185B2
There is provided an image capturing apparatus, comprising an image capturing device disposed inside of a housing; and a holding unit held by an image capturer upon an image capture, a first turning axis substantially orthogonal to an optical axis being disposed in the holding unit, a display unit on which an image captured by the image capturing device is displayed turning freely opened/closed to the housing centering around the first turning axis.
US09609183B2
There is provided a camera module including: a lens housing in which a lens is disposed; a glass cover formed of a transparent material and covering the lens housing; and a coil conductive part formed between an outer surface of the lens and an inner surface of the glass cover.
US09609175B2
A method for creating PDF trapping objects from a PDF page description without a known contour description by using a computer for a printing process includes using the computer to generate a colored tiling pattern out of a part of the PDF page description without the top object to be choked, using the computer for clipping with a mask of the background object, using the computer for clipping with the top object or text to limit following frame additions to the top object, using the computer for adding a frame to the top object, using the generated colored tiling pattern as an inner frame between the background object and the top object, using the computer for adding a frame to the top object while activating overprinting of the background in the required object colors and using the computer for inserting the trapped top object into the PDF page description.
US09609164B2
A scanning device includes a visible light source, an infrared light source, a visible light sensor and an infrared light sensor. The visible light source provides visible light to a scan section of an original. The original reflects the visible light to generate reflected light. The infrared light source provides infrared light to the scan section. The infrared light penetrates through the original to generate penetrating light. The visible light sensor receives the reflected light at a first scan position and generates a visible light image signal representative of a visible light image of the scan section. The infrared light sensor receives the penetrating light at a second scan position and generates an infrared light image signal representative of an infrared light image of the scan section. A relative positional relationship between the first and second scan positions is fixed.
US09609162B2
An image reading apparatus includes a movable body supported so as to be movable along a support table, the movable body supporting at least a light source; a controller that controls the light source; a connection member that electrically connects the movable body and the controller together, the connection member formed into a strip shape whose longitudinal direction extends in a direction in which the movable body moves and whose lateral direction extends in a widthwise direction, the connection member including a folded-back portion that is folded back in a direction opposite to the direction in which the movable body moves; and a guide member disposed along the connection member, the guide member having a high flexural rigidity in a portion that extends along the direction in which the movable body moves, the guide member having a low flexural rigidity in a portion corresponding to the folded-back portion.
US09609146B2
A management device performs any one of first processing where an image forming apparatus whose operation set as a mode transfer operation is the same as an unauthorized operation detecting image forming apparatus is made to change the presently set mode transfer operation, second processing where image forming apparatuses which belong to a group that the unauthorized operation detecting image forming apparatus belongs to are made to change the presently set mode transfer operation and third processing where the image forming apparatuses which belong to the group that the unauthorized operation detecting image forming apparatus belongs to are prevented from being transferred to a maintenance mode.
US09609144B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing policy control and charging for device to device (D2D) services. A network entity transmits, to at least one mobile entity, configuration data including device-to-device data, and receives, from the at least one mobile entity, an accounting report associated with device-to-device communication. The network entity transmits, to a charging function entity, a charging report based on the accounting report received from the at least one mobile entity. A policy control function entity performs a policy control and enforcement based at least on the accounting report received from the at least one mobile entity.
US09609134B2
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for handling calls based on a voice biometric confidence score are presented. In some embodiments, a computing device may receive a voice sample associated with a telephone call. Subsequently, the computing device may determine a voice biometric confidence score based on the voice sample. The computing device then may determine to route the telephone call to a certain endpoint based on the voice biometric confidence score.
US09609133B2
A predictive model for abandoned calls provided by a contact center communication system for routing optimization is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. Based on multiple attributes, the system can calculate the probabilities, risks, and costs associated with abandonment and wait, taking into account the patience of a caller, region where the caller lives, agents available to handle the call, length of time that the caller has already been waiting, potential cost of having the caller and call type abandon, and potential total cost of having the caller wait to be served.
US09609119B2
The restricted use of a cellular network to facilitate disablement of a device that is suspected lost or stolen. Accordingly, even if the device is not capable of general use of the cellular network, disablement communications are still permitted across the cellular network. Accordingly, the device may receive a disable command from the disablement service over the cellular network, and acknowledge processing of the disable command to the disablement service also over the cellular network. Thus, efforts by an unauthorized possessor of the device to prevent disablement by removing the physical authentication module are thwarted. Likewise, turning the cellular service off using software settings at the device also does not prevent the device from being disabled via cellular network communication.
US09609106B2
A display apparatus and method of using the same is provided. The display apparatus includes a display unit for displaying a lock view comprising an affordance object including a connected section and a disconnected section; and a control unit for, when drawing is performed according to user touch on the lock view and the disconnected section is connected by the drawing, controlling the display unit to switch to an unlock view.
US09609105B1
An apparatus for holding a cell phone or a mobile device in a vehicle that includes a cradle assembly configured to receive the cell phone or the mobile device and a speaker assembly. The cradle assembly includes a cradle base and a cradle attached to the cradle base, wherein the cradle base includes a power charger adapter connection and a USB connector connection. The speaker assembly connects to the cradle assembly and includes one or more speakers, wherein the speaker assembly includes a Bluetooth connection for wireless connection of the one or more speakers to the cell phone.
US09609104B2
An intermediate server communicatively coupled to a mobile phone associated with a first phone number corresponding to a first contact type and a second phone number corresponding to a second contact type, receives a request to receive an incoming call associated with a caller phone number. The request corresponds to the first or second phone number. The intermediate server identifies a contact type associated with the request and a contact type associated with the caller based on the caller phone number. The intermediate server further determines whether the caller is misclassified by comparing the contact type associated with the request and the contact type associated with the caller. In addition, the intermediate server sends a notification indicating that the caller is misclassified to the mobile phone in response to determining the contact type associated with the request and the contact type associated with the caller do not match.
US09609103B2
A method includes providing a contact list comprising a plurality of contacts and in response to at least one of (1) occurrence of a predetermined time and (2) receiving a manual initiation input, presenting at least one communication option of a first contact of the plurality of contacts selected from the contact list. The plurality of contacts is not presented during the period of time between the occurrence of the predetermined time and the presenting of the at least one communication option of the first contact.
US09609101B1
A mobile device protection case includes a hard case body, and a flexible adapter member connected to one end of the case body and elastically bendable for allowing a mobile device to be inserted into the case body without scratching and then stopped in the case body by the adapter member that is immediately returned to its former shape after releasement of the applied pressure.
US09609095B2
A dual-axle hinge structure includes a dual axle assembly, at least one sleeve, and a contactor. The dual axle assembly includes first and second axles that are connected by and mutually push/pull each other through connection members for synchronous rotation. The sleeve is fit over and houses the first and axles. The contactor is arranged between the first and second axles and has two opposite sides respectively in contact engagement with surfaces of the first and second axles. By means of the tight retention achieved with the sleeve and the abutting engagement achieved with the two sides of the contactor, tight engagement is established among the sleeve, the first and second axles, and the contactor to allow for synchronous rotation, in a step-less manner, and positioning of the first axle and the second axle in a tightly retained condition.
US09609090B2
A signaling method is provided by a device in a WLAN. The device includes signaling information in an address field, generates a MAC frame including the address field, and transmits a PHY frame including a data field into which the MAC frame is inserted.
US09609088B2
The invention relates to a method in which a message is received to a communication server from a node. The communication server obtains user information with recipient information in the message. The user information comprises user entity state and user entity protocol information. A first protocol is determined to become a preferred protocol based on the user entity protocol information. The delivery of said message is attempted with a delivery mechanism of the preferred protocol. A second protocol is determined to become the preferred protocol with said user entity protocol information upon a failure to deliver said message with said first protocol. The attempting of the delivery of said message is repeated with a delivery mechanism of the preferred protocol.
US09609078B2
Systems and methods are described for translating an HTTP/2 message into an HTTP/1 message by an HTTP proxy that connects HTTP/2 enabled clients with HTTP/1 only servers. According to an embodiment, an HTTP/2-HTTP/1 proxy receives an HTTP/2 request message from an HTTP/2-enabled client and directed to an HTTP/1-only server. The HTTP/2-HTTP/1 proxy translates the HTTP/2 request message into an HTTP/1 request message and sends the HTTP/1 request message to the HTTP/1-only server. The HTTP/2-HTTP/1 proxy receives an HTTP/1 response message from the HTTP/1-only server and translates the HTTP/1 response message into an HTTP/2 response message. Then, the HTTP/2-HTTP/1 proxy sends the HTTP/2 response message to the HTTP/2-enabled client.
US09609074B2
Methods for predicting future data based on time-dependent data with increased accuracy include generating resampled datasets from a base dataset having at least one time dependent characteristic. Generating the resampled datasets includes randomly resampling data points in the base dataset to increase a pool of data for predicting future data while at least partially maintaining one or more time dependent characteristics of the base dataset. One or more embodiments apply a modified bootstrapping algorithm to the base dataset to generate the resampled datasets. Predicting the future data includes applying a time series algorithm to the resampled datasets to generate a predicted future dataset with improved accuracy by utilizing the time dependent characteristic maintained in the resampled datasets.
US09609066B2
Systems, methods, and software are disclosed herein for enhancing ad-hoc online meetings. In an implementation, a service client receives an initial handoff of an online session from an initial service client that was ongoing between the initial service client and at least one other service client. The service client detects when proximate to an in-room service client. When proximate to the in-room service client, the service client initiate a subsequent handoff of the online session to the in-room service client.
US09609064B2
Techniques for propagating communication awareness for communication sessions are described. In at least some embodiments, a communication session refers to an exchange of communication media between different communication endpoints. According to various embodiments, communication awareness of a communication session is propagated among various autonomous networks involved in routing the communication session. Communication awareness, for instance, is propagated out-of-band from a data stream that carries the communication session.
US09609062B2
A mechanism for semantically mapping Internet of Things (IoT) devices maps human-readable information from an Internet of Things (IoT) device to a programmatic interface to enable a user to control the IoT device. The human-readable information includes at least one of text, video, audio, haptics, and images.
US09609059B2
Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, are described for synchronization of shared initial filter criteria in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. A first computing device in the IMS network transmits a registration request to a second computing device in the IMS network. The first computing device receives a response to the registration request from the second computing device, including an identifier associated with a shared initial filter criteria set stored at the first computing device. The first computing device determines whether the shared initial filter criteria set corresponding to the identifier is stored at the first computing device and transmits a retrieval request to the second computing device if the shared initial filter criteria set corresponding to the identifier is not stored. The first computing device receives the shared initial filter criteria set from the second computing device, and stores the shared initial filter criteria set.
US09609052B2
A service gateway processes a service request received from a host by: relaying the service request from the service gateway to a server over a service session between the service gateway and the server; determining a service request time for the service session; receiving by the service gateway a service response from the server; determining by the service gateway a service response time; calculating by the service gateway a service processing time for the service request from the service request time and the service response time; comparing the service processing time with an expected service processing time; and updating a server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing. If the service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time, the server busy indicator is updated to indicate that the server is busy. Otherwise, the server busy indicator is updated to indicate that the server is not busy.
US09609051B2
Method and system of network transfer adaptive optimization in large-scale parallel computing system
A method and apparatus for performing network transfer adaptive optimization in a computing system. The method includes forming a message to be transferred through the network based on obtained information related to a task executed by computing nodes, wherein the message includes identification of the computing nodes to perform data transfer and corresponding sink nodes, and an amount of data the computing nodes to transfer to the corresponding sink nodes; transferring the message to a network layer; and forming a data transfer pattern for data transfer between the computing nodes and the corresponding sink nodes in accordance with the message.
US09609050B2
Techniques for facilitating and accelerating log data processing are disclosed herein. The front-end clusters generate a large amount of log data in real time and transfer the log data to an aggregating cluster. When the aggregating cluster is not available, the front-clusters write the log data to local filers and send the data when the aggregating cluster recovers. The aggregating cluster is designed to aggregate incoming log data streams from different front-end servers and clusters. The aggregating cluster further sends the aggregated log data stream to centralized NFS filers or a data warehouse cluster. The local filers and the aggregating cluster stage the log data for access by applications, so that the applications do not wait until the data reach the centralized NFS filers or data warehouse cluster.
US09609048B1
Selective resource migration is disclosed. A computer system includes physical memory and a plurality of physical processors. Each of the processors has one or more cores and each core instantiates one or more virtual processors that executes program code. Each core is configured to invoke a hyper-kernel on its hosting physical processor when the core cannot access a portion of the physical memory needed by the core. The hyper-kernel selectively moves the needed memory closer to a location accessible by the physical processor or remaps the virtual processor to another core.
US09609045B2
The server device includes: an allocation unit for allocating a unique identifier to each of first data and second data; a management unit for managing a correspondence between the identifier and a method for accessing the first data or second data identified by the identifier; a presentation unit for presenting the identifier managed by the management unit to the client device; a conversion unit for converting an identifier-specifying request for access to the first data or second data from the client device into a method for accessing the first data or second data corresponding to the identifier using an access method associated by the management unit with the identifier; and a data access unit for requesting access to the first data or second data using the access method converted to by the conversion unit, and sending an access result to the client device.
US09609040B2
Systems and methods of dynamically adapting multimedia data transmit rates of data senders to available bandwidths of data receivers, in which the available bandwidths are estimated by the data senders using at least reception quality feedback information provided in real-time transport control protocol (RTCP) report packets. The data senders can obtain several bandwidth estimation parameters, such as a packet loss ratio and a round trip delay, from the reception quality feedback information, as well as multimedia data transmit rates from the data senders to the data receivers, and obtain estimates of the available bandwidths of the data receivers using at least the bandwidth estimation parameters and multimedia data transmit rates. Further, using the estimated available bandwidth, the data senders can dynamically adapt the multimedia data transmit rates to the available bandwidths for more reliably achieving the quality of experience (QoE) desired and/or required for multimedia data transmissions.
US09609030B2
An arrangement for a collaborative videoconferencing environment is disclosed. A display having a substantially “L-shaped” configuration allows for display of collaborative materials and video of remote participants simultaneously, which provides for a more natural interaction for a meeting participant interacting with the collaborative materials. Additionally, a camera is arranged to focus on the meeting participants shoulder while the meeting participant is interacting with the collaborative materials. Such location of the camera provides a more natural view of the collaborator to remote users.
US09609026B2
Systems for providing scanning within distributed services are provided herein. In some embodiments, a system includes a plurality of segmented environments that each includes an enforcement point that has an active probe device, and a plurality of workloads that each implements at least one service. The system also has a data center server coupled with the plurality of segmented environments over a network. The data center server has a security controller configured to provide a security policy to each of the plurality of segmented environments and an active probe controller configured to cause the active probe device of the plurality of segmented environments to execute a scan.
US09609020B2
Methods and systems described herein relate to enhancing security on a device by enforcing one or more policies on the loading, linking, and/or executing of native code by one or more applications executing on the device.
US09609019B2
A system of client devices and a server system implementing services makes use of credentials to facilitate authentication of the client devices with the server and generates log entries for different accesses to the server system. A monitoring system places credentials and log entries referencing the monitoring system with the credentials and log entries on the client devices without any authentication or actual access attempts by the client devices to the monitoring system. Unauthorized access to the client devices may result in the credentials and log entries to the monitoring system being accessed and used to access the monitoring system. Attempts to exploit the monitoring system using the credentials and log entries is contained within the monitoring system and data is collected to characterize malicious code attempting to exploit the monitoring system. The data is then used to prevent attacks and detect compromised client devices and server systems.
US09609018B2
System architecture and methods for controlling improper network activity in a wide area network, where the system includes multiple service provider devices configured to provide communications service to attack vector devices. Each service provider device or plurality of devices is provided with at least one policy agent. The policy agent of each of the service provider devices is placed in communication with a security service system. The method includes detecting an improper network event using one of the policy agents and providing the security service device associated with that policy agent/service provider device with vector data characterizing the improper network event. The method further includes forwarding the vector data relating to the improper network event from the security service system to other of the security service systems, and from those to the policy agents in the other service provider devices. The method then inhibits the transfer of messages, data, or other forms of traffic corresponding to the vector data.
US09609017B1
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and global traffic manager computing device for preventing distributed denial of service attack comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps including obtaining network information relating to a request in response to receiving the request. A rating is determined for the obtained network information based on one or more network parameters. An action to be taken for the received request is determined based on a comparison of the determined rating and a threshold rating. The determined action is executed for the received request.
US09609013B1
In an embodiment, a method providing an improvement in remediating vulnerabilities in computer security comprising: receiving, using a network tap of a sensor computer that is coupled to a compromised computer, a communication packet that was sent from the compromised computer to a target computer; using the sensor computer, determining that the target computer is one of a plurality of enterprise computers; reading, at the sensor computer, a plurality of fields within a header of the communication packet; and performing a remediation measure by generating a header of an action packet, wherein the header comprises duplicates of at least some fields of the plurality of fields so as to appear to be generated by the target computer, generating a payload of the action packet, and sending the action packet comprising the generated header and the generated payload to the compromised computer.
US09609007B1
According to one embodiment, a computerized method comprises receiving a set of indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with a known malware of a first message type from a first source and receiving one or more IOCs (IOC(s)) from a second source that is different from the first source. Thereafter, a determination is made as to whether the received IOC(s) from the second source correspond to the set of IOCs received from the first source. If so, information associated with at least the set of IOCs is used to locate a malware of the first message type that is undetected at the second source.
US09609004B2
Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) including the Dendritic Cell Algorithm (DCA) are an emerging method to detect malware in computer systems. An implementation of the DCA may detect anomalous behavior in various processes of a device or devices. Unlike previous approaches, the DCA implementation may use an inflammation signal to communicate information among the processes of device or a network, where the inflammatory signal indicates a likelihood that a process has been attacked by malicious software.
US09608996B2
A device newly introduced to a network is automatically credentialed to be able to communicate over a network before the device first communicates with the network. For example, at a point of purchase, a user can provide network identification information to a merchant computing device that effects transfer of that information to the new device such that the new device can communicate directly with the network without initial credentialing directly between the unique device and the local network. In another example, the merchant computing device communicates with the local network to register a newly purchased device with the local network before the newly purchased device is introduced to the network. Accordingly, the network is configured to begin communications with the unique device without initial credentialing directly between the unique device and the local network.
US09608995B2
An system comprises: a first storage that stores access destination information, characteristic information, and first identification information in a manner associated with one another; a transmitter that transmits a captured image of a medium; a first-acquiring-unit that extracts the characteristic information and acquires the access destination information and the first identification information associated with the characteristic information, access based on the access destination information being controlled by an authentication device comprising a second storage that stores second identification information allocated to each medium, third identification information corresponding to the first identification information, and collation information indicating an access source in a manner associated with one another; a second-acquiring-unit that acquires fourth identification information allocated to each medium from the captured image; and an access unit that transmits the first identification information, the fourth identification information, and the collation information when accessing an access destination indicated by the access destination information.
US09608984B2
A computer implemented method for accessing one or more files including scanning a storage device using a processor for one or more signed files in response to the storage device coupling to a machine, authenticating one or more of the signed files, and configuring the processor to access accessible files from the storage device in response to authenticating one or more of the signed files.
US09608980B2
The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer implemented method that includes receiving, at a processing device, information about one or more assets associated with a network of devices. The method also includes generating, for at least one of the assets, a security token that is based at least on a portion of the received information about the corresponding asset. The security token can be configured to identify a home network defined for the asset, and to restrict access to the corresponding asset upon detecting an occurrence of an unauthorized activity involving the asset. The method further includes storing, in a storage device, information about the security token and information linking the security token to the corresponding asset, and initiating integration of the security token with the corresponding asset.
US09608974B2
Approaches are described for automatically generating new security credentials, such as security tokens, which can involve automatically re-authenticating a user (or client device) using a previous security token issued to that user (or device). The re-authentication can happen without any knowledge and/or action on the part of the user. The re-authentication mechanism can invalidate and/or keep track of the previous security token, such that when a subsequent request is received that includes the previous security token, the new security token can be invalidated, and the user caused to re-authenticate, as receiving more than one request with the previous security token can be indicative that the user's token might have been stolen.
US09608973B2
The present invention relates to a security management system of a computer network, which includes a center server and two or more relay servers. The relay servers receives at least some of data stored in the center server and stores the received at least some of data. A first relay server stores access authentication information and transmits data requested by the client to the client, when access information received from a client does not match with the access authentication information. The center server transmits a ‘block relay’ command to the first relay server and a ‘start relay’ command to a second relay server, when the center server receives information on the malicious access. Accordingly, the second relay server performs a relay function instead of the first relay server.
US09608971B2
A method comprising the use of a bootstrapping protocol to define a security relationship between a first server and a second server, the first and second servers co-operating to provide a service to a user terminal. A bootstrapping protocol is used to generate a shared key for securing communication between the first server and the second server. The shared key is based on a context of the bootstrapping protocol, and the context is associated with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) associated with the user terminal and provides a base for the shared key. A method of the invention may, for example, be employed within a computing/service network such as a “cloud”, and in particular for communications between two servers in the cloud that are co-operating to provide a service to a user.
US09608969B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for storing and retrieving encrypted data. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a server computer separate from a user device, a first encrypted resource encrypted by use of a public encryption key, wherein the public encryption key is paired with a private encryption key according to an asymmetric encryption key scheme; retrieving, by the server computer, a second encrypted resource encrypted by use of the public key; augmenting, by the server computer, the first encrypted resource with the second encrypted resource to form an encrypted data tuple; encrypting, by the server computer, the encrypted data tuple; and storing, by the server computer, the encrypted data tuple as the second encrypted resource.
US09608965B2
Network request anonymizing nodes (“NRANs”) may be described herein. The NRANs may act as anonymizing proxies by generating additional anonymizing network requests to help anonymize a network request sent by a requesting computing node. By generating the additional anonymizing network request, the NRANs may cause a relatively large number of similar network requests to be transmitted in an approximately contemporaneous fashion with the transmission of the network request. The NRANs may receive indication of network requests via a secure anonymization proxy tunnel, which may be established through transmission of an anonymizing proxy request from the requesting computing node to the NRANs. The secure anonymization proxy tunnel may be established between a secure enclave of the requesting computing node and secure enclaves of the NRANs. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09608962B1
Virtual private network (VPN)-related techniques are described. The techniques provide intuitive mechanisms by which a client device more efficiently establishes a VPN connection. In one example, a client device includes a memory, processor(s), and a VPN handler. The VPN handler is configured to monitor actions initiated by one or more applications executable by the programmable processor(s), and determine whether each of the initiated actions requires a VPN connection via which to transmit outbound data traffic corresponding to a respective application of the one or more applications. The VPN handler is further configured to, in response to a detection that at least one initiated action requires the VPN connection via which to transmit the outbound data traffic, automatically establish the VPN connection to couple the client device to an enterprise network, and transmit the outbound data traffic corresponding to the respective application, via the VPN connection.
US09608948B2
A method for presenting an attachment within an email message on a display of a portable electronic device includes displaying the email message using a messaging application, sending a conversion request to an attachment server in order to view the attachment in an attachment viewer of the portable electronic device, receiving a converted attachment from the attachment server; and upon receiving the converted attachment from the attachment server, inserting a thumbnail image in a message body of the email message.
US09608942B1
The invention provides, in some aspects, digital data processing methods of generating digital content pieces (e.g., email messages or portions thereof) that are customized in accord with individual recipient behaviors. Such methods include the step of generating and digitally transmitting to a digital data devices of a recipient a digital content piece that (i) has a call to action to which the recipient can respond and (ii) that has a plurality of features selected so as to maximize a probability, P(b1,b2, . . . ,bM,x1,x2, . . . ,xM), that the recipient will respond to that call to action, where that probability is defined by the relation P(b1,b2, . . . ,bM,x1,x2, . . . ,xM)=exp(Σj=1, . . . ,Mbjxj)/(1+exp(Σj=1, . . . ,Mbjxj)) where x1,x2, . . . ,xM are values for each of a plurality, M, of features characterizing the digital content piece and/or the recipient, b1,b2, . . . ,bM are respective coefficients for each of the values x1,x2, . . . ,xM.
US09608937B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for switching a network packet. One method includes operations for receiving a packet having a media access control (MAC) address, and for switching the packet by a first packet switching device (PSD) when the MAC address is present in a first memory. Further, the method includes operations for transferring the packet to a second PSD when the MAC address is absent from the first memory and present in a second memory associated with the second PSD, and for transferring the packet to a third PSD when the MAC address is absent from the first memory and the second memory.
US09608934B1
Techniques for efficient bandwidth estimation are described herein. In some cases, the bandwidth estimation techniques disclosed herein may, for example, calculate bandwidth based on multiple packet groups transmitted at different times. Additionally, in some cases, the bandwidth estimation techniques disclosed herein may, for example, capture cross traffic and its effects on bandwidth. Furthermore, in some cases, the bandwidth estimation techniques disclosed herein may, for example, employ dynamic self-correcting techniques for more reliable estimates.
US09608931B2
Various embodiments provide an assessment tool that enables an automated functional assessment of applications for migration to target cloud computing platforms, such as a Platform as a Service (PaaS). The technical capabilities of various types of applications in a traditional non-platform deployment are studied and support for these technical capabilities is evaluated relative to the target platform.
US09608929B2
A system and method for efficiently processing and managing data stored in a queue. A processing device may process the data stored in the queue. Queue protocols can be applied to the queue to efficiently process and manage data stored in the queue. Queue protocols may facilitate efficient use of processing resources that process the data stored in one or more queues. A queue protocol may include at least a first protocol for facilitating transfer of data in the queue to another queue processed by another processing device or a second protocol for inhibiting transfer of data in the queue to another queue.
US09608919B2
Various methods, systems, and apparatuses can be used to control flow in an ethernet environment. In some implementations, methods can include receiving a flow of ethernet frames at a first device via an ethernet switch, determining that a buffer at the first device exceeds a threshold for an incoming flow, generating an initial pause frame operable to pause only a second device, and transmitting the initial pause frame to the ethernet switch.
US09608918B2
In one embodiment, a network device is provided that includes a plurality of ports, where each port is associated with a plurality of traffic classes for prioritizing traffic received on the port. The network device further includes a packet buffer memory, an ingress traffic management engine, and an egress traffic management engine. The network device is configured to allow, for each port, concurrent operation of tail-drop and priority-based flow control (PFC) with respect to different traffic classes of the port.
US09608916B2
Herein described is a collection of traffic classifiers communicatively coupled to a classification aggregator. Traffic classifiers may use conventional techniques to classify network traffic by application name, and thereafter may construct mappings that are used to more efficiently classify future network traffic. Mappings may associate one or more characteristics of a communication flow with an application name. In a collaborative approach, these mappings are shared among the traffic classifiers by means of the classification aggregator so that one traffic classifier can leverage the intelligence (e.g., mappings) formulated by another traffic classifier.
US09608915B2
A methodology is described for achieving efficient forwarder appointments. Such efficient appointment may provide an equal load on each participating routing bridge in the TRILL LAN. Load may be viewed as the number of VLANs for which a given node is an appointed forwarder. Furthermore, efficient appointment may be executed with a minimum of traffic disruption. Minimal disruption may be ensured by forwarder appointments by moving a minimum number of VLANs to ensure an equal load on each participating routing bridge.
US09608914B2
The information processing apparatus relays a communication between a server providing a service and a terminal provided with the service. The information processing apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The processor executing a process that causes the information processing apparatus to perform receiving a service interruption notification and a service restarting notification of the service provided by the server from a device to monitor an operation state of the service, perform storing data, to a hold unit on the memory, to be transmitted to the server from the terminal when the receiving receives the service interruption notification of the service provided by the server, and perform transmitting the data stored in the hold unit to the server when the receiving receives the service restarting notification of the service provided by the server.
US09608913B1
A method for weighted data traffic routing can include generating an integer hash value based on a header of a data packet and encoding the integer hash value to generate a search key for a content addressable memory included in the data switch. The method can also include performing a lookup in the content addressable memory to match the search key with one of a plurality of prefixes stored in the content addressable memory, the plurality of prefixes including an encoded set of routing weights associated with a plurality of egress ports of the data switch. The method can further include forwarding the data packet on an egress port of the plurality of egress ports associated with the one of the plurality of prefixes in the content addressable memory.
US09608911B2
Systems, devices, and methods for routing information from one network to a load balancing network are provided. The provided system includes a server, and at least one switch in communication with the server over a physical port. The switch includes a network interface component configured to receive information from the server on the physical port, a memory configured to store the address of the server and a virtual port in an address table, the virtual port pointing to the physical port, and one or more processors coupled to the network interface component and the memory. The one or more processors are configured to identify the physical port on which the information arrives and assign the identified physical port to the virtual port and route information from a different network to the server over the physical port pointed to by the virtual port stored in the address table.
US09608896B2
An example method for service node originated service chains in a network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet at a service node in a network environment that includes a plurality of service nodes and a central classifier, analyzing the packet for a service chain modification or a service chain initiation, classifying the packet at the service node to a new service chain based on the analysis, initiating the new service chain at the service node if the analysis indicates service chain initiation, and modifying an existing service chain for the packet to the new service chain if the analysis indicates service chain modification. In specific embodiments, the analysis includes applying classification logic specific to the service node. Some embodiments, service node attributes and order of service nodes in substantially all service chains configured in the network may be received from a central controller.
US09608895B2
A forecast model processes performance data from a site, e.g., a cable modem termination system (CMTS), to obtain a set of concurrency equations for existing speed tiers that is based on an observed subscriber bandwidth for the site. A new set of concurrency equations is obtained for new speed tiers so that a new subscriber bandwidth can be predicted for the new speed tiers. Based on the new subscriber bandwidth, expected subscriber growth, and changes in data consumption, the site is reconfigured with additional ports based on the forecast. This process can be repeated for the other sites. Sites may be grouped together based on the observed subscriber bandwidth. A new subscriber bandwidth may be predicted for the group with the new speed tiers so that additional ports can be configured for each of the sites in the group.
US09608894B2
Method for testing one or more of a group of radio frequency (RF) data packet signal transceiver devices under test (DUTs) with reduced signal interference from the remaining DUTs. A tester broadcasts a signal containing power control instructions about uplink signal power characteristics for communication with the tester. For example, for the LTE 3GPP standards, such characteristics could include power ramping step size, preamble initial received target power or maximum number of preamble transmissions for uplink signals transmitted from the DUTs. Following initiation of communication between the tester and one or more DUTs, the tester broadcasts a signal containing power control instructions to instruct the remaining DUTs to transmit any future signals with different uplink signal power characteristics. For the LTE 3GPP standards, such different characteristics could include reduced power ramping step size, reduced preamble initial received target power or reduced maximum number of preamble transmissions for uplink signals.
US09608887B2
A communication device detects whether anomalous events occur with respect to at least one node in a utility network. The communication device has recorded therein threshold operating information and situational operating information. The threshold operating information includes data indicative of configured acceptable operating parameters of nodes in the network based on respective locational information of the nodes. The situational information includes data indicative of configured operation data expected to be received from nodes in the network during a predetermined time period, based on a condition and/or event occurring during the time period. The communication device receives operation data from nodes in the network, and determines whether the operation data from a node constitutes an anomalous event based on a comparison of the received operation data with (i) the threshold operating information defined for the node and (ii) the situational information. The communication device outputs notification of any determined anomalous event.
US09608877B2
A network device has a packet input unit, a checking unit, and a discovery unit. The packet input unit is configured to receive ingress packets. The checking unit is configured to determine whether identifying characteristics of received ingress packets match stored identifying characteristics of a packet flow that is stored in a memory, to perform a network action when the identifying characteristic of the received ingress packet matches the stored identifying characteristic. The discovery unit is configured to intercept an egress packet received from the control plane processor, the egress packet corresponding to the received ingress packet, to determine one or more differences in selected portions of a header portion of the received ingress packet resulting from processing at the control plane processor, and to store in the memory a new network action based on the one or more differences.
US09608871B1
Performance analysis for an electronic system includes determining, using a processor, data traffic patterns stored within a core library of an electronic design automation system, wherein the data traffic patterns are part of cores stored within the core library. The determined data traffic patterns are displayed using a display as modeling options. A user input selecting a displayed data traffic pattern is received; and the selected data traffic pattern is executed as part of modeling the electronic system.
US09608868B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for parallel processing a network of nodes having at least one ordering constraint and at least one conflict constraint is provided. The method may include breaking a plurality of loops caused by the at least one ordering constraint. The method may also include determining a node order based on the at least one ordering constraint. The method may then include determining a conflict order based on the at least one conflict constraint, whereby no new loops are created in the network. The method may further include performing parallel processing of the network of nodes based on the node order and the conflict order.
US09608867B1
Various systems and methods for detecting a deviation of an existing connectivity of a data center from a pre-determined connectivity are presented. One method involves detecting a deviation of an existing connectivity of a data center from a pre-determined connectivity by defining a start node. The start node is defined based on a condition of a component of the data center. The condition is determined based on an explicit relationship between a node and another node of the data center. The method involves conditionally matching a sub-graph and a portion of a main graph by identifying the deviation. The conditional matching is begun at the start node. A failure to conditionally match a portion of the sub-graph and a portion of the main-graph indicates that the deviation exists.
US09608866B2
A device may receive optical network information associated with a plurality of super-channels. Each super-channel, of the plurality of super-channels, may include a plurality of optical channels transported as a single optical channel. The device may assign the plurality of super-channels to a plurality of sets of super-channels. The device may receive a request for a subset of the optical network information associated with a set of super-channels of the plurality of sets of super-channels. The device may provide, based on the request, information that identifies the subset of the optical network information associated with the set of super-channels via a user interface.
US09608858B2
In one embodiment, an ingress router sends a multipath information query across a computer network toward an egress router, and builds an entropy table based on received query responses. The entropy table maps the egress router to one or more available paths to the egress router, and associated entropy information for each respective available path of the one or more available paths. The ingress router may then forward traffic to the egress router using the entropy table to load share the traffic across the one or more available paths using the associated entropy information for each respective available path. In response to detecting a failure of a particular path of the one or more available paths, however, the ingress router then removes the particular path from the entropy table, thereby ceasing forwarding of traffic over the particular path.
US09608856B2
A system and method for identification and handling of a flood of alarms in a telecommunications system. A flood event occurs when a plurality of alarms in a queue of an alarm management system exceeds a threshold. The threshold may be a static, dynamic or adaptive threshold. A classification is determined for each flood event and preventive measures are determined. A plurality of floods having identical or different classifications may be identified respective of the plurality of alarms. A classification may be related, for example, to a network element (NE), element manager (EM), sync event, user actions, external application or rules. Preventive measures may be, for example, resetting a NE or EM or diverting alarms from the queue into another memory portion. The threshold may be determined respective of the total number of alarms in queue, the rate of alarms received and the rate of processing the alarms.
US09608853B1
An IP origination point and method to determine transcoding in packet communications are provided. The IP origination point in one example embodiment includes a communication interface configured to exchange packet communications with a media transport path, a storage system configured to store an origination communication, payload data for the origination communication, integrity information for the origination communication that is configured to be modified by one or more transcoding operations, and returned integrity information that may have been modified by the one or more transcoding operations. A processing system generates and transmits the origination communication into the media transport path, compares the returned integrity information to the integrity information, and determines a transcoding level of transcoding that occurred in the media transport path if the returned integrity information is not equal to the sent integrity information.
US09608842B2
An embodiment may include circuitry that may provide, at least in part, at least one indication that at least one portion of data is available for processing by at least one data processor. The at least one indication may be provided, at least in part, prior to the entirety of the at least one portion of the data being available for the processing by the at least one data processor. The at least one data processor may begin the processing in response, at least in part, to the at least one indication. Many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible.
US09608833B2
Systems and techniques for supporting multiple multicast trees are described. Some embodiments provide a system that determines an internal multicast group identifier based on a source address, a multicast address, and a multicast tree identifier field associated with a multicast packet. The system can then forward the multicast packet based on the internal multicast group identifier. Specifically, the system can determine a first set of bits based on the source address and the multicast address of the multicast packet. The system can determine a second set of bits based on the multicast tree identifier field of the multicast packet. Next, the system can combine the first set of bits and the second set of bits to obtain the internal multicast group identifier. In some embodiments, the scope of an internal virtual network identifier does not extend beyond a switch or a forwarding module within a switch.
US09608829B2
The present invention generally relates to blockchain technology. Specifically, this invention relates to creating a blockchain called a slidechain that allows for multiple valid branches or forks to propagate simultaneously with a customized set of protocol rules embedded in and applied to each fork chain that branches from another chain. The invention generally provides a computer-implemented method for accessing, developing and maintaining a decentralized database through a peer-to-peer network, to preserve the original state of data inputs while adapting to changing circumstances, user preferences, and emerging technological capabilities.
US09608824B2
A computing device, during sampling or playback of a work, receives a command to associate data with the work at a particular point in the work. The computing device generates a digital fingerprint of a segment of the work, wherein the segment corresponds to the particular point in the work. The computing device then associates the data with the digital fingerprint.
US09608811B2
In a method for managing access to a secure digital document by workflow participants, in which a respective public key is associated with each of the workflow participants, an entry table is populated with a participant entry for each of the workflow participants. Each of the participant entries includes a map entry identifier that corresponds to a map entry tag in a map file, and a first label associated with the map entry identifier. In addition, symmetric keys for the workflow participants are accessed and each of the first labels is encrypted using a respective symmetric key to generate a plurality of second labels, the entry table is populated with the plurality of second labels, each of the plurality of symmetric keys is encrypted with the public key of a respective workflow participant, and the entry table is incorporated into the digital document.
US09608808B2
There is provided a mobile terminal for use in a system which includes a backend server having a first encryption key and an onboard unit (OBU). A first receiving unit receives, from the backend server, a base shared key encrypted with a second encryption key, the base shared key encrypted with the first encryption key, and a digital signature. A deriving unit decrypts the base shared key with the second encryption key and derives first authentication information based on the base shared key and a first temporary parameter. A second sending unit sends, to the OBU, the base shared key encrypted with the first encryption key, the digital signature, the first authentication information, identification information of the base shared key, and the first temporary parameter.
US09608804B2
Method and system for secure key authentication and key ladder are provided herein. Aspects of the method for secure key authentication may include generating a digital signature of a secure key in order to obtain a digitally signed secure key and transmitting the digitally signed secure key from a first location to a second location. The digital signature may be generated by utilizing an asymmetric encryption algorithm and/or a symmetric encryption algorithm. The digitally signed secure key may be encrypted prior to transmission. The secure key may be a master key, a work key and/or a scrambling key. The digitally signed secure key may be received at the second location and the digitally signed secure key may be decrypted to obtain a decrypted digitally signed secure key.
US09608801B2
A divider circuit determines whether an input factor (N) is an even number or an odd number. If N is an even number then the input clock is divided by N/2 to generate an intermediate clock. The intermediate clock is further divided by two to generate a div-by-2 clock, which is provided as the output clock with fifty percent duty cycle. If N is an odd number, the input clock is divided by (N/2−0.5) in a first duration and by (N/2+0.5) in a second duration to generate the intermediate clock, which is then divided by two to generate the div-by-2 clock. A delayed clock is generated from the div-by-2 clock, wherein the delayed clock lags the div-by-2 clock by half cycle duration of the input clock. The div-by-2 clock and the delayed clock are combined to generate the output clock with fifty percent duty cycle.
US09608798B2
A method for performing phase shift control for timing recovery in an electronic device and an associated apparatus are provided, where the method includes: generating an output signal of an oscillator, wherein a phase shift of the output signal of the oscillator is controlled by selectively combining a set of clock signals into the oscillator according to a set of digital control signals, and the set of clock signals is obtained from a clock generator, wherein the phase shift corresponds to the set of digital control signals, and the set of digital control signals carries a set of digital weightings for selectively mixing the set of clock signals; and performing timing recovery and sampling on a receiver input signal of a receiver in the electronic device according to the output signal of the oscillator to reproduce data from the receiver input signal.
US09608795B2
When a wireless communications device intends to communicate with another device over a wide channel consisting of multiple narrow channels, but detects interference on one or more of those narrow channels, it may restrict subsequent communications with that other device to those narrow channels that don't suffer from the interference. In one embodiment the device may simply refuse to monitor the interfering channel(s) for signals for a particular period of time. In another embodiment the device may use a CTS to signal the other device not to use the interfering narrow channel(s). That may result in using a wide channel with a reduced bandwidth for communications.
US09608791B2
A method and an apparatus for transmitting Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) are provided. The HARQ ACK/NACK transmission method includes receiving a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in a subframe of a first cell, identifying an ACK subframe for transmitting HARQ ACK/NACK corresponding to the PDSCH, and transmitting the HARQ ACK/NACK in the identified ACK subframe of a second cell.
US09608787B2
A method and a device for notifying reference signal configuration information are disclosed. Channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration information is coded, to obtain a CSI-RS configuration information code. A mapping relation between the CSI-RS configuration information code and the CSI-RS configuration information is stored. A CSI-RS configuration information code corresponding to CSI-RS configuration information to be notified is searched in the stored mapping relation between the CSI-RS configuration information code and the CSI-RS configuration information. The searched CSI-RS configuration information code is sent to a user equipment (UE), so that the UE determines CSI-RS configuration information according to the received CSI-RS configuration information code and the mapping relation between the CSI-RS configuration information code and the CSI-RS configuration information.
US09608781B2
A method and an apparatus for transmitting broadcast signals thereof are disclosed. The apparatus for receiving broadcast signals, the apparatus comprises a receiver to receive the broadcast signals, a demodulator to demodulate the received broadcast signals by an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) scheme, a frame parser to parse a signal frame from the demodulated broadcast signals, wherein the signal frame includes at least one service data, a time deinterleaver to time deinterleave each the service data, wherein the time deinterleaving is performed depending on a number of physical paths for each the service data, a damapper to demap the time deinterleaved data and a decoder to decode the demapped service data.
US09608778B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for hierarchical communications within a wireless communications system. An eNB and/or a UE may be configured to operate within the wireless communications system which is at least partially defined through a first layer with first layer transmissions having a first subframe type and a second layer with second layer transmissions having a second subframe type. The first subframe type may have a first round trip time (RTT) between transmission and acknowledgment of receipt of the transmission, and the second layer may have a second RTT that is less than the first RTT. Subframes of the first subframe type may be multiplexed with subframes of the second subframe type, such as through time division multiplexing.
US09608776B2
A method and apparatus may be used for supporting multiple hybrid automatic repeat request (H-ARQ) processes per transmission time interval (TTI). A transmitter and a receiver may include a plurality of H-ARQ processes. Each H-ARQ process may transmit and receive one TB per TTI. The transmitter may generate a plurality of TBs and assign each TB to a H-ARQ process. The transmitter may send control information for each TB, which may include H-ARQ information associated TBs with the TBs. The transmitter may send the TBs using the associated H-ARQ processes simultaneously per TTI. After receiving the TBs, the receiver may send feedback for each of the H-ARQ processes and associated TBs indicating successful or unsuccessful receipt of each of the TBs to the transmitter. The feedback for multiple TBs may be combined for the simultaneously transmitted H-ARQ processes, (i.e., TBs).
US09608763B2
An all-optical time slice switching method based on time synchronization is provided. With the method, continuous data streams in an optical network are assembled to time domain periodic optical time slices and are transmitted in an asynchronous transmission mode. Network nodes obtain high precision synchronization time via a network and control optical switches to switch arriving optical time slices to a target port at precise time points periodically, therefore all-optical switching is implemented. When a connection request arrives, an available path, a wavelength and time slots to be occupied are calculated by a source node according to information on available time slots of the optical network, and the time slots are reserved by a connection management module. After the time slots are reserved, the source node send optical time slices carrying services periodically at reserved time slots. A destination node restores the optical time slices to the data streams.
US09608762B2
A method and system for distributed spatial mode processing is disclosed a number of optical signals are received over an optical link. Each optical signal is received via a respective one of a number of spatial modes of the optical link. The optical link includes a particular spatial mode not used for the receiving. A first one of the number of optical signals received from a first one of the number of spatial modes is transferred to a second one of the number of spatial modes via the particular spatial mode, wherein the first one of the number of optical signals is transmitted via the second one of the number of spatial modes.
US09608761B2
Tuning parameters of individual wavelength channels transmitted over a multimode optical fiber is provided. Characteristics of the multimode optical fiber used for an optical data link within an optical signal transmission system are retrieved. A wavelength channel grid including each central wavelength in a plurality of central wavelengths that corresponds to each particular wavelength channel in a plurality of wavelength channels used to transmit data via optical signals over the multimode optical fiber is determined. A maximum allowable data rate is calculated for each wavelength channel based on the characteristics of the multimode optical fiber at defined channel wavelengths, optical signal transceiver specifications, and data transmission performance requirements for the optical signal transmission system. Operational parameters are assigned to each wavelength channel based on the calculated maximum allowable data rate for each wavelength channel to achieve the data transmission performance requirements for the optical signal transmission system.
US09608757B2
An optical device includes a first optical port connected to a first optical fiber, and a second optical port connected to a second optical fiber. The optical device further includes first optical components that switch first optical traffic carried via a first set of optical channels from the first optical port to the second optical port, and second optical components that switch second optical traffic carried via a second set of optical channels from the second optical port to the first optical port. The second set of optical channels includes different optical channels than the first set of optical channels. The optical device also includes a receiver that coherently detects portions of the first optical traffic and the second optical traffic, and converts the detected portions of the first and second optical traffic to electrical signals for delivery to a node or network external to the optical device.
US09608755B2
The present disclosure provides Network Element (NE) clock synchronization using Optical Transport Network (OTN) delay measurement systems and methods such as described in ITU-T G.709 (December 2009) “Interfaces for the Optical Transport Network (OTN)” and G.798 (October 2010) “Characteristics of optical transport network hierarchy equipment functional blocks”. OTN provides a Delay Measurement (DM) function to measure fiber path latency between two network elements to within microsecond accuracy. The convergence of packet switching and OTN transport into the same network element allows the sharing of this information between the two applications. The OTN delay measurement value can be used to synchronize two network element clocks to within microsecond accuracy without the need for a costly GPS synchronization solution or reduced accuracy NTP solutions.
US09608754B2
A system may include a transmitting device. The transmitting device may include one or more terminals for receiving a data signal and a first clock signal. A first phase lock loop may lock a phase of an initial periodic signal with a phase of the first clock signal, the first phase lock loop including a divider to generate the initial periodic signal based on the first clock signal. A decimation module may sample the initial periodic signal at a decimated rate of a backplane clock, the backplane clock being asynchronous with a clock that generated the first clock signal. A transmitting data block interface may construct data blocks and provide the data blocks to a receiving device, each of one or more of the data blocks including a portion of the data signal and at least one sample of the initial periodic signal.
US09608753B2
A time synchronization system comprises a time master, a time slave, and a management node which are coupled to one another via a plurality of networks. The time master transmits to the time slave a time packet at a given timing through at least one of the plurality of networks. The time slave has a time correcting part for receiving the time packet transmitted from the time master and for correcting time based on the received time packet. The management node has: a network switching determining part for determining whether to switch the network for transmitting a time packet to another of the plurality of networks; and a network switching notifying part for notifying, in a case where it is determined that the network for transmitting the time packet is to be switched, information for identifying the switched-to network to the time slave.
US09608746B1
A computer-implemented method includes identifying a broadcasting device. The broadcasting device operates via a short-range wireless communication protocol. The computer-implemented method further includes determining one or more affinity indications associated with the broadcasting device. The computer-implemented method further includes determining one or more deviation indicators based on the one or more affinity indications. The one or more deviation indicators are associated with the broadcasting device. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed.
US09608743B2
A method (300) for determining inter-modulation distortions products of a mixing stage includes: driving (301) a signal input of the mixing stage based on an input signal, wherein an amplitude of the input signal is switched between a first level and a second level, and wherein a frequency of switching the amplitude is smaller than a frequency of the input signal; detecting (302) at a signal output of the mixing stage a first output signal responsive to the driving of the signal input with the input signal, wherein the amplitude of the input signal is switched to the first level, and a second output signal responsive to the driving of the signal input with the input signal, wherein the amplitude of the input signal is switched to the second level; and determining (303) the inter-modulation distortions based on the first output signal and the second output signal.
US09608740B2
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system that performs operations including receiving electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of a transmission medium having a non-hybrid wave mode and a cutoff frequency, detecting a degradation of a signal quality of the electromagnetic waves, generating adjusted electromagnetic waves having a hybrid wave mode and a non-optical frequency range responsive to the detecting, and directing the adjusted electromagnetic waves having the hybrid wave mode and the non-optical frequency range to the outer surface of the transmission medium for guiding propagation of the adjusted electromagnetic waves without utilizing an electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09608739B2
The system includes a controller communicatively connected to a first and second device. The first and second devices have multiple wireless technologies capabilities, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other known wireless technologies. The controller is configured to combine two signals generated from the wireless technologies into a single blended signal to transmit data from the first device to the second device or vice versa. The wireless technologies may be selected via a user interface which is communicatively connected to one of the first and second devices. Additionally, the wireless technologies may be selected using voice command or automatically selected by the type of data an operator designates. The controller is configured to combine two signals generated from the wireless technologies into a blended signal as well as allow two-way communication between the first and second device.
US09608727B2
In a transmitting method that enables communication between various devices including devices other than lightings, a luminance change pattern is determined by modulating a visible light signal, a common switch for turning ON, in common, a plurality of light sources which are included in a light source group of a display and are each used for representing a pixel in an image is switched according to the luminance change pattern, and a first pixel switch for turning ON a first light source among the plurality of light sources included in the light source group is turned ON, to cause the first light source to be ON only for a period in which the common switch is ON and the first pixel switch is ON, to transmit the visible light signal.
US09608726B2
A display device according to the present disclosure includes: a backlight control unit configured to divide the luminescence surface of the backlight into a plurality of areas, and, based on the image signal, (i) perform luminescence control in each of the plurality of areas and (ii) set off periods starting at different times for the plurality of areas. The backlight control unit performs luminescence control in a visible light communication area which is at least one area among the plurality of areas in a period in which the visible light communication signal is output, based on the visible light communication signal, instead of performing luminescence control based on the image signal, and performs the luminescence control based on the image signal, in the visible light communication area, in a period in which the visible light communication signal is not output.
US09608725B2
An information processing program causes a computer to execute: encoding information to be transmitted, to determine a luminance change frequency; and outputting a signal of the determined luminance change frequency to cause a light emitter to change in luminance according to the determined luminance change frequency to transmit the information. In the encoding, each of a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency is determined as the luminance change frequency. In the outputting, each of a signal of the first frequency and a signal of the second frequency is output as the signal of the determined luminance change frequency, to cause the light emitter to change in luminance according to the first frequency during a first time and change in luminance according to the second frequency during a second time different from the first time after the first time elapses.
US09608719B2
A method for operating an optical network (ON) using a control plane (CP), including: identifying, by the CP, a failure of a client facility connecting a network element of the ON and a client device; and terminating, by the CP and in response to identifying the failure, an optical connection through the ON for the client device.
US09608718B2
A method and apparatus are provided for demodulating a received signal containing modulated desired-signal digital data and relayed-interference that results from a nonlinear-distorted interference signal. Estimation of the nonlinear-distorted interference from a pre-distortion interference signal and subsequent cancellation within the received signal of the distorted interference produces a residual-interference signal that is subsequently demodulated to produce estimates of the desired-signal data. The estimation is adapted for changing nonlinear distortion effects.
US09608710B2
Examples may include techniques to enable user equipment (UE) to establish a device-to-device (D2D) communication link for D2D communications with another UE. In some examples, the D2D communications may occur when either both or at least one UE is within a coverage area for a wireless wide area network (WWAN). In some other examples, both UEs may be outside of the coverage area and may utilize a third UE to provide or relay information for use to establish the D2D communication link.
US09608706B2
Embodiments are provided to enable effective cancellation or reduction of the self-interference (SI) introduced when applying full-duplex (FD) transmission to Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems. A method embodiment includes forming, using a precoding matrix generated in accordance with channel conditions, a plurality of beams for a plurality of transmit signals and a plurality of self-interference cancellation signals corresponding to the plurality of transmit signals. The method further includes transmitting, at a plurality of antennas, the plurality of beams for the transmit signals, and receiving, via the plurality of antennas, a plurality of receive signals. A corresponding self-interference cancellation signal is then added to each of the plurality of receive signals to obtain a plurality of corrected receive signals, and the plurality of corrected receive signals are detected at a plurality of receivers.
US09608705B2
In a MIMO communication system that includes a transmitter and a receiver and forms line-of-sight orthogonal channels between the transmitter-side transmitting antenna and the receiver-side receiving antenna, the MIMO communication system is provided between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna with an optimum antenna-to-antenna spacing shortening unit to shorten an optimum antenna-to-antenna spacing by changing the phase rotation of a carrier wave used for directly opposed waves between opposed antennas, and the phase rotation of a carrier wave used for intersecting waves between oblique antennas in such a manner that the amount by which one of the phase rotations changes is different from that by which the other phase rotation changes.
US09608704B2
In a closed-loop wireless communication system, a codebook-based feedback mechanism is provided to enable non-unitary precoding for multi-stream transmission, where in each stream is optimized with suitable transmission power allocation and AMC. The codebook-based feedback mechanism uses a precoding codebook having a power allocation matrix which is constrained to specify that beamforming always applies full power to a predetermined beam. With this constraint, a one-bit power allocation feedback index may be used to switch between beamforming and spatial multiplexing.
US09608702B2
One embodiment of the disclosure relates to supporting distinct single-input single-output (SISO) services in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) baseband circuit, particularly suited for a distributed antenna system (DAS). In this regard, in one aspect, two communication paths in the MIMO baseband circuit are reconfigured to distribute two distinct SISO signals. A quadrature modulator modulates the two distinct SISO signals to two different radio frequency (RF) bands, respectively, based on a modulation frequency. In another aspect, the two or more distinct SISO signals are provided to the quadrature modulator using two intermediate frequencies (IFs) that are determined based on the center frequencies and bandwidths of the two different RF bands. By reconfiguring the MIMO baseband circuit to distribute the two distinct SISO signals, it is possible to retro-support new wireless communication services and/or new RF bands in existing DAS installations without replacing the MIMO baseband circuit.
US09608701B2
An apparatus for transmitting and receiving signal and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus for transmitting signals selects at least one array of a plurality of arrays connected to the apparatus based on a spatial covariance matrix of an uplink from a terminal to the plurality of arrays, wherein the spatial covariance matrix ensures channel reciprocity at downlink from the plurality of arrays with the terminal, and forms a transmission beam to be transmitted to the terminal through the at least one selected array.
US09608694B2
A method for locating an impairment within a telecommunication line may include determining measurement data related to the telecommunication line and estimating a location of the impairment depending on the measurement data. The measurement data includes crosstalk data including at least one transfer function element of a crosstalk matrix. The transfer function element characterizes a crosstalk transfer function from the telecommunication line towards the at least one further telecommunication line, and the method includes detecting oscillations in the crosstalk transfer function.
US09608685B2
An electronic device that includes a deformable feature designed to seal two or more parts of the electronic device is disclosed. The deformable feature may be designed to deform, in response to a force applied to the deformable feature, with little or no compression. The deformable feature may include a cavity or relief volume extending along the deformable feature to define a space or void in the deformable feature. In response to a force, the deformable feature may deform such that a material (or materials) defining the deformable feature occupies or extends into the space or void, or in a location previously occupied by the space or void. The deformable feature may provide a protective seal between two or more parts that prevents ingress of contaminants, such as a liquid.
US09608684B2
Several embodiments of the present technology are related to network-on-chip based integrated circuits, methods of manufacturing or fabricating such integrated circuits, and electronic/computing devices incorporating such integrated circuits. In one embodiment, a computing device includes a substrate, a plurality of computing nodes interconnected by a plurality of interconnects on the substrate to form a wired network. The individual computing nodes include one or more computing processors. The computing device further includes a pair of wireless transceivers individually connected to one of the computing nodes and spaced apart from each other by a network diameter of the wired network.
US09608683B2
The device includes: a signal generating unit generating a millimeter wave signal by signal processing of an input signal; a coupling circuit transmitting an electromagnetic wave from the millimeter wave signal generated by the signal generating unit to one end of a circuit board; a coupling circuit receiving the electromagnetic wave from the millimeter wave signal from the other end of the circuit board; and a signal generating unit that generates an output signal by signal processing of the millimeter wave signal from the electromagnetic wave received by the coupling circuit. Preferably, the circuit board is constituted by a dielectric material whose the dielectric loss tangent is relatively large, and a transmission line functioning as a millimeter wave transmission path is constituted within this circuit board. With this construction, extremely high-speed signals can be transmitted through a circuit board having a prescribed dielectric constant representing a large loss.
US09608682B2
The present invention reduces the degradation in performance of one or more radio signals that are co-transmitted with a first radio signal from the same transmitting antenna in the same frequency channel and received by the same antenna due to multipath or other shared interference, where the one or more radio signals can be separated from the first radio signal. All received signals are coupled to the same adaptive array or adaptive filter to reduce multipath or other shared interference of the first radio signal, which reduces multipath and other shared interference in the other radio signals before they are separated and processed by their respective receivers, or the individual radio signals are separated before the first signal enters the adaptive array and coupled to a slave weighting network slaved to the weights of the adaptive array of the first signal to reduce interference in all the signals.
US09608679B2
A very low intermediate frequency (VLIF) receiver and a method of controlling a VLIF receiver. The method comprises estimating energy levels in first and second signals and detecting interference from a first adjacent channel interferer based upon a difference in energy in the first and second signals. The first signal comprising a first on-channel portion and an adjacent channel portion and the second signal comprises an intermediate frequency translation of the first on-channel portion. The energy levels are estimated for corresponding time instances and the adjacent channel interferer is of the adjacent channel portion. The VLIF receiver is then controlled based upon the detected interference.
US09608671B2
An error detection method of a variable-length coding (VLC) code stream includes at least the following steps: decoding a data frame of the VLC code stream; and determining whether the data frame is erroneous according to length information of the data frame and a bit number of decoded data of the data frame. According to the method, the present invention realizes the objective of performing error detection upon data frames during the decoding process.
US09608661B2
A cellular radio architecture that includes a programmable bandpass sampling radio frequency front-end and an optimized digital baseband. The architecture includes a multiplexer having signal paths that include a bandpass filter that passes a different frequency band than the other bandpass filters and a circulator that provides signal isolation between the transmit signals and the receive signals. The architecture also includes a receiver module having a separate signal channel for each of the signal paths in the multiplexer, where each signal channel in the receiver module includes a receiver delta-sigma modulator that converts analog receive signals to a representative digital signal. The architecture further includes a transmitter module having a transmitter delta-sigma modulator for converting digital data bits to analog transmit signals, where the transmitter module includes a power amplifier and a switch for directing the transmit signals to one of the signal paths in the multiplexer.
US09608659B2
An A/D conversion circuit includes: first/second pulse circulation circuits delaying an input signal and circulating a pulse signal; a circulation number difference measurement section outputting a difference between circulation time numbers of the pulse signal through the first/second pulse circulation circuits; a conversion control circuit outputting the difference as A/D conversion data when outputting a conversion data output processing signal; and a signal ratio change circuit: outputting, from a first output terminal, a voltage calculated by adding the reference voltage and a voltage obtained by multiplying a differential voltage, obtained by subtracting the reference voltage from the analog input voltage, by a first proportional coefficient; and outputting, from a second output terminal, a voltage calculated by subtracting, from the reference voltage, a voltage obtained by multiplying the differential voltage by a second proportional coefficient. The first/second pulse circulation circuits receive power source voltage supply from the first/second output terminals and a ground line.
US09608657B1
An A/D converter circuit has an amplifier circuit to amplify an input signal and output a first amplification signal and a second amplification signal, the second amplification signal having an amplification error smaller than that in the first amplification signal, a first sampling circuit to sample the first amplification signal, a first A/D converter to perform A/D conversion on the first amplification signal sampled by the first sampling circuit and output a first digital signal, a second sampling circuit to sample the second amplification signal, a D/A converter to perform D/A conversion on the first digital signal and output a first analog signal, a subtracter to subtract the first analog signal from the second amplification signal sampled by the second sampling circuit and output a second analog signal, and a second A/D converter to perform A/D conversion on the second analog signal and output a second digital signal.
US09608656B2
Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuitry includes a first binary-weighted capacitor array having a total capacitance of 2n-2C. The value of n represents number of bits of a digital signal that represents an analog signal. The ADC circuitry also includes a second binary-weighted capacitor array having a total capacitance of 2n-2C. In addition to that, the ADC circuitry further includes a comparator circuit having first and second terminals. The first terminal is coupled to the first binary-weighted capacitor array, and the second terminal is coupled to the second binary weighted capacitor array. The switching circuit within the second binary-weighted capacitor array may be configurable to couple a largest capacitance capacitor within the second binary-weighted capacitor array from remaining capacitors within the second binary weighted capacitor array.
US09608653B2
A device can be used for compensating bandwidth mismatches of time interleaved analog to digital converters. A processor of the device determines, for each original sample stream, an estimated difference between the time constant of a low pass filter representative of the corresponding converter and a reference time constant of a reference low pass filter, and uses this estimated difference and a filtered stream to correct the original stream and deliver a corrected stream of corrected samples.
US09608644B1
An example phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to generate an output clock based on an oscillator control voltage, a sub-sampling phase detector configured to receive a reference clock and the output clock, and a phase frequency detector configured to receive the reference clock and a feedback clock. The PLL circuit includes a charge pump configured to generate a charge pump current, a multiplexer circuit configured to select either output of the sub-sampling phase detector or output of the phase frequency detector to control the charge pump, and a lock detector configured to receive the reference clock, the feedback clock, and the output of the phase frequency detector to control the multiplexer. The PLL circuit includes a loop filter configured to filter the charge pump current and generate the oscillator control voltage, and a frequency divider configured to generate the reference clock from the output clock.
US09608643B1
A delay lock loop is provided. A delay unit delays a first clock signal to generate a second clock signal according to the delay factor. An elimination unit delays a third clock signal to generate a fourth clock signal. A phase detection unit generates an indication signal according to a phase difference between the second and fourth clock signals. When a duration of the indication signal being at a first level does not arrive at a pre-determined value and the indication signal is at a second level, the control unit increases the delay factor. When the duration of the indication signal being at the first level arrives at the pre-determined value and the indication signal is at the second level, the control unit reduces the delay factor.
US09608641B2
An all-digital phase-locked loop (AD-PLL) and related methods and computer readable medium are provided. The AD-PLL comprises a reference phase generator for receiving a digital signal and splitting the digital signal into an integer part and a fractional part, an estimator block for estimating a control signal, and a digital-to-time converter for receiving the estimated control signal and a reference clock signal and for deriving a delayed reference clock signal. The AD-PLL also includes a time-to-digital converter for receiving the delayed reference clock signal and a desired clock signal phase, and for deriving a fractional phase error. The estimator block receives the fractional phase error and determines the estimated control signal by correlating the fractional phase error with the fractional part, yielding a correlated signal, multiplying the correlated signal with its absolute value, and integrating the outcome of the multiplying to obtain the estimated control signal.
US09608635B1
A digital input circuit includes a series connection of a current limiter and a switch having a switch control input coupled between a signal input and ground, and a logic level shifter coupled to the signal input and having a switch control output coupled to the switch control input and a signal output, where a maximum amplitude at the signal input is greater than a maximum amplitude at the signal output. A digital input method includes coupling an input signal to ground with a current limiter by closing an electronic switch, providing an output signal responsive to the input signal, where a maximum amplitude of the input signal is greater than a maximum amplitude of the output signal, by latching the output signal while the input signal is above a threshold voltage and opening the electronic switch after the output signal is latched.
US09608634B1
A physical unclonable function (PUF) located on a supply item for an imaging device is disclosed. The PUF has a toothed rack configured to mate with a gear. During reading operations, the gear turns and translates the PUF linearly under a magnetic sensor. This configuration is inexpensive and robust. Other devices are disclosed.
US09608633B1
An interface circuit includes a pre-driver that converts the single-ended signal to an intermediate differential signal having a first voltage swing responsive to a first supply voltage supplied to the pre-driver. An output driver is coupled to receive the intermediate differential signal from the pre-driver to convert the intermediate differential signal to an output differential signal coupled to be received by a load coupled to the output driver. The output differential signal has a second voltage swing responsive to a second supply voltage supplied to the output driver. An internal regulator is coupled to receive a variable supply voltage to supply the second voltage to the output driver. The second supply voltage is generated in response to a bias signal. A replica bias circuit is coupled to receive the variable supply voltage to generate the bias signal.
US09608627B2
A method of controlling electrical power delivery to a well tool can include transmitting trigger light via an optical waveguide to a circuit in a well, and the circuit delivering the electrical power to the well tool in response to the circuit receiving the trigger light. A circuit for supplying electrical power to at least one well tool can include a photodiode which receives light from an optical waveguide in a well, a voltage increaser which increases a voltage output by the photodiode, and an electrical energy storage device which receives electrical energy via the voltage increaser, whereby the electrical power can be supplied to the downhole well tool from the storage device.
US09608626B1
An integrated circuit with precision current source includes a first MOSFET, a second MOSFET, an op-amp and a resistor formed on a common semiconductor substrate. The first MOSFET is characterized by a first multiplier (×M1) and the second MOSFET is characterized by a second multiplier (×M2) where a ratio of ×M2 to ×M1 is greater than one. An inverting input of the op-amp is coupled to a drain of the first MOSFET and an output of the op-amp is coupled to a gate of the first MOSFET. A negative feedback circuit limits a rise in output current under low output voltage conditions.
US09608622B2
A driver circuit for turning ON and OFF one of two parallel-connected insulated-gate semiconductor elements includes a voltage control circuit that controls a level of a power supply voltage in response to a detected element temperature of the one semiconductor element, a constant current supply section, responsive to a drive signal, for supplying a constant current to a gate of the one semiconductor element to turn the one semiconductor element ON, the power supply voltage being supplied to the constant current supply section from the voltage control circuit, and a discharge circuit, responsive to the drive signal, for discharging an electric charge accumulated in the gate to turn the one semiconductor element OFF.
US09608621B1
Disclosed are a power on reset circuit, a power on reset method and an electric device using the same. In the power on reset circuit and method, a first voltage detecting circuit and a second voltage detecting circuit detect the voltage of a power supply and output a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal respectively. A logic circuit receives the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to turn no or off the first voltage detecting circuit for detecting the voltage of the power supply. Specifically, merely when the voltage value of the power supply is less than a rising threshold voltage value of the first voltage detecting circuit or a falling threshold voltage value of the second voltage detecting circuit, the first voltage detecting circuit is turned on to detect the voltage value of the power supply.
US09608618B2
A temperature detection circuit for detecting a temperature of a switching element, a current source for causing a forward current to flow to the temperature detection circuit, an amplifier circuit for amplifying a forward voltage of the temperature detection circuit, a current adjustment circuit for adjusting a magnitude of a gate current to the switching element on the basis of an output voltage of the amplifier circuit, and a drive circuit for receiving an external signal and turning ON/OFF the switching element, are included. The magnitude of the gate current caused to flow from the current adjustment circuit to the gate electrode of the switching element is adjusted on the basis of a change in a magnitude of the forward voltage corresponding to a change in the temperature of the temperature detection circuit.
US09608615B2
A biasing circuit includes cascoded transistors including a first transistor and a second transistor. A first gate of the first transistor is coupled to a second gate of the second transistor at a first node. The circuit also includes a voltage control circuit coupled to at least one of the first transistor or the second transistor. The voltage control circuit is configured to change a voltage level of at least one of the first transistor or the second transistor to allow voltage domain transition of an output signal in view of a change in state of an input signal without ramping a supply signal of the biasing circuit.
US09608604B2
This invention discloses a voltage level shifter, which comprises a first P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistor having a gate, a source and a bulk coupled to an input terminal, a first positive voltage power supply and a second positive voltage power supply, respectively, and a second PMOS transistor having a source, a drain and a bulk coupled to a third positive voltage power supply, an output node and the second positive voltage power supply, respectively, wherein the first and second PMOS transistors are formed in a single Nwell.
US09608596B2
An acoustic wave device includes a first longitudinally-coupled acoustic wave filter having interdigital transducer (“IDT”) electrodes arranged in a propagation direction of acoustic wave, and a second longitudinally-coupled acoustic wave filter having IDT electrodes arranged in a propagation direction of acoustic wave. In the IDT electrodes of the first longitudinally-coupled acoustic wave filter, a comb-shaped electrode connected to an input port and another comb-shaped electrode connected to an output port are disposed in an in-phase relation. In the IDT electrodes of the second longitudinally-coupled acoustic wave filter, a comb-shaped electrode connected to an input port and another comb-shaped electrode connected to an output port are disposed in an anti-phase relation. This acoustic wave device has an excellent attenuation characteristic while maintaining a preferable insertion loss.
US09608589B2
A method of forming an acoustic resonator includes forming a seed layer on a first electrode layer, forming a piezoelectric layer directly on a surface of the seed layer, and forming a second electrode layer on the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer includes multiple crystals of piezoelectric material, and the seed layer causes crystal axis orientations of the crystals to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the seed layer.
US09608585B2
A zero-crossing amplifier unit for use in high speed analog-digital-converters. A gain stage compares a sampling voltage at an input node with a provided threshold voltage to obtain a gain stage output signal. A voltage controlled current source provides a load current depending on a time window between an initial slope and an end slope of the gain stage output signal. A slope control means increases a duration of a rise and/or fall time of at least one of the initial and end slopes of the gain stage output signal.
US09608564B2
The present disclosure is directed a metamaterial circuit may further be coupled to a möbius strip resonator or a substrate integrated waveguide. The disclosure is also directed to a device having a tuning circuit and a metamaterial resonator operatively coupled to the tuning circuit. The metamaterial resonator operatively coupled to the tuning circuit may likewise be coupled to a möbius strip resonator or a substrate integrated waveguide.
US09608562B2
The cooling fixture for solar photovoltaic panels has a hollow support platform made from thermally conductive metal that contains a heat exchange medium, preferably water. The solar photovoltaic panel is supported atop the platform so that heat absorbed by the panel is transferred to the platform by conduction and through the media by convection. The platform is pivotally supported on a base frame, and can be adjusted to any desired angle by a brace releasably engaging lugs projecting from the edge of the platform. The heat exchange medium is circulated from the top of the platform to the bottom of the platform by a thermo-siphon effect through at least one thin, rectangular duct having at least one fin for cooling the medium by heat exchange with air.
US09608559B2
A module bracket includes first and second mounting clips (202, 204) that are spaced from each other along the pitch of a roofing surface. An inlet (212) to the first mounting clip (202) faces or projects in the general direction that the second mounting clip (204) is spaced from the first mounting clip (202). An inlet (212) to the second mounting clip (204) faces or projects in the general direction that the first mounting clip (202) is spaced from the second mounting clip (204). A second module flange (134) of a first photovoltaic module (120) is slid into the first mounting clip (202) of the module bracket. A first module flange (128) of a second photovoltaic module (120) is slid into the second mounting clip (204) of this same module bracket.
US09608557B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling operation of an electric motor in a height-adjustable furniture arrangement, wherein operation of the electric motor provides a height-adjusting function in the height-adjustable furniture arrangement. The method comprises the steps of providing, by a power supply unit connected to the electric motor, an incoming power comprising an incoming current and an incoming voltage, transforming the incoming current and the incoming voltage to a motor supply current and a motor supply voltage supplied to the electric motor, measuring load on the electric motor, and when the measured load requires a current higher than the incoming current for providing the height-adjusting function, setting the levels of the motor supply current and/or the motor supply voltage such that the motor supply current is higher than the incoming current and the motor supply voltage is lower than the incoming voltage.
US09608537B1
The various embodiments described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to produce a rectified and regulated output signal. In one aspect, the method includes, at a circuit, comparing an output signal at an output node with an input signal at an input node, wherein the output signal is a rectified and regulated signal, and the input signal is an unrectified and unregulated signal, and computing a difference between a reference signal and a comparison signal. Power transfer from the input node to the output node is prevented when the output signal is greater than the input signal. Furthermore, power transfer from the input node to the output node is regulated to produce the rectified and regulated output signal when both the input signal is greater than the output signal, and when the magnitude of the reference signal exceeds the magnitude of the comparison signal.
US09608520B2
A voltage converter can include a voltage conversion circuit having an inductor configured to be charged and discharged to facilitate conversion of an input voltage to an output voltage, and a switch configured to allow the inductor to be charged and discharged. The voltage converter can further include a logic drive unit configured to provide a drive signal to the switch to control the charging and discharging of the inductor. The voltage converter can further include a mode control unit configured to provide a mode-switching signal to the logic drive unit to control switching between a continuous control mode and a discontinuous control mode based on an inductance current associated with the inductor and a constant load-current threshold.
US09608519B2
A switching converter having a power stage with a main switch to convert an input voltage to an output voltage; a current sense circuit generating a current sense signal indicative of a current flowing through the main switch; a PWM generator generating a PWM signal; an OFF time controller generating an OFF time control signal relating to the input voltage and the output voltage; and a logic circuit generating a switching signal based on the OFF time control signal and the PWM signal to control the main switch.
US09608514B2
Embodiments relate to a diode circuit which uses a Schottky diode. A parallel bypass branch has a switch and bypass diode in series. The operation of the switch is dependent on the voltage across the Schottky diode so that the bypass function is only effective when a desired voltage is reached. The diode circuit can be used as a replacement for a single diode, and provides bypass current protection preferably without requiring any external control input.
US09608513B2
Methods and systems for improving load transient response in LLC converters are provided herein. The method includes coupling a current sensing circuit to an output of the LLC converter, sensing load current of the LLC converter, and increasing a setpoint voltage for a power factor correction (PFC) circuit output based on the sensed load current.
US09608511B2
A method for charging a modular multilevel converter includes: firstly, electrifying DC side of a converter; after voltages of submodules are stabilized, deblocking the converter, turning on all the submodules, then reducing the number of turned on submodules in phase unit; when over-current occurs on a bridge arm, temporarily increasing the number of turned on submodules to suppress the over-current; after the voltages of the sub-modules are stabilized, continuously reducing the number of the turned on submodules until the number of the turned on submodules in the phase unit is finally equal to the number of working submodules of the bridge arm, so as to smoothly transit to a normal operation state. The DC side is charged, such that the voltages of the submodules reach a working voltage before the converter normally operates, and an impacting current is avoided in the charging process by using a proper control strategy.
US09608504B2
The present invention provides a The vibration-based electric power generator in which one of ends of a magnet holding member 20 and one of ends of an outer yoke 30 are connected to each other through a first support spring 41 which is a leaf spring, the other end of the magnet holding member 20 and the other end of the first support spring 41 are connected to each other through a second support spring 42 which is a leaf spring, and the outer yoke 30 or the magnet holding member 20 is fixed to a structure 50 such as a wall surface, a road sign, a vehicle body and a railway bridge for generating electric power from vibration of the structure 50. The vibration-based electric power generator has excellent durability and can generate electric power even by slight vibration.
US09608498B2
A method and device for generating electrical energy in a combined system of power plant, cold storage system and air compression system. The air compression system has a primary air compressor for generating a primary compressed air flow at a first pressure level. The power plant has a combustion unit which operates at a second pressure level and generates a combustion gas from which electrical energy is generated. The cold storage system has means for generating cold from compressed air, means for storing cold thus produced and means for generating a compressed air flow at the second pressure level using the stored cold. In a first operating mode (charging mode), a first compressed air flow is introduced from the air compression system into the cold storage system to charge the cold reservoir. In a second operating mode (discharging mode), the first compressed air flow generated in the primary air compressor, is introduced into the cold storage system to discharge the cold reservoir and to generate a third compressed air flow at the second pressure level, which is introduced into the combustion unit. The air compression system has a first booster for boosting compressed air compressed in the primary air compressor to the second pressure level. In a third operating mode (normal mode), the entire primary compressed air flow generated in the primary air compressor is boosted in the first booster to the second compressed air level and introduced into the combustion unit.
US09608494B2
An opening of a yoke provided to an electric motor is closed by a brush holder of an electricity supply unit. A pair of electricity supply terminals connected to respective brushes is fixed on the brush holder by outsert molding. A brush-side fixing pillar is inserted into a caulking hole piercing through a pigtail connecting portion of each electricity supply terminal, an input-side fixing pillar is inserted into a fixing hole piercing through an input-side connecting portion, and then the brush-side fixing pillar and the input-side fixing pillar are thermally caulked, whereby each electricity supply terminal is fixed on the brush holder. Each input-side fixing pillar and the corresponding brush-side fixing pillar, provided on the brush holder, are spaced away from each other by a predetermined distance so that a first terminal, a second terminal and a choke coil connected therebetween is attachable in place of the electricity supply terminal.
US09608484B2
A motor includes a first rotor and a second rotor which are disposed at opposite sides of a stator, and each of the first rotor and the second rotor includes a plurality of modules, each including a pair of permanent magnets and a connection unit which connects ends of the permanent magnets.
US09608476B2
A charging system includes a transmission line, a power adaptor, and an electronic device. The transmission line includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The power adaptor is coupled to the first terminal and generates a charging voltage and a first voltage signal. The charging voltage is at a first voltage level. The electronic device is coupled to the second terminal and receives the first voltage signal. When the first voltage signal is larger than a first preset voltage signal, the electronic device outputs a second voltage signal to the power adaptor. When the second voltage signal is larger than a second preset voltage signal, the power adaptor adjusts the charging voltage into a second voltage level.
US09608450B2
A static converter with parallel architecture or series architecture comprises a plurality of switching cells, arranged in parallel or in series, and controlled in a decentralized manner by associated control modules, strung together according to a loop by a series of communication links.Each control module comprises a single and different local unit for generating the triangular carrier of the module which controls the positioning of its interleaving phase as a function only of the signals of the triangular carriers of the two adjacent modules.Each control module comprises a local unit for balancing the currents of branches and/or a unit for internal regulation of the output voltage of AVP type, or a local unit for balancing the cell voltages and/or a unit for internal regulation of the input current or output current of the ACP type.
US09608447B2
The invention provides a solar photovoltaic three-phase micro-inverter, comprising DC terminals, connected with three DC photovoltaic assemblies for receiving DC; three single-phase inverter circuits, having DC input terminals connected with the DC photovoltaic assemblies via the terminals, for converting the DC to AC; AC terminals, connected with the AC output terminals of the inverter circuits and a three-phase AC power grid, for outputting the AC generated by the inverter circuits; wherein DC input terminals of each inverter circuit are connected in parallel with each other, and AC output terminals are connected with one phase of the three-phase AC power grid and a neutral wire via the AC terminals. The invention further provides a solar photovoltaic generation system. The invention connects DC sides of three single-phase inverter circuits in parallel, which can simply eliminate ripple power at DC side input terminals in a three-phase micro-inverter.
US09608441B2
A single-wire electric transmission line system that includes a power sources having first and second poles and a phase shifting device, coupled to one of the poles of the power source, in such a manner that the phase shifting device shifts the phase of a first signal propagating through the pole such that the shifted phase of the first signal will be essentially identical to the phase of a second signal propagating through the other pole. The shifted first signal is added to the second signal with essentially the same phase of second signal, whenever both poles are connected together to form a single-wire, through which the resulting added signal propagates.
US09608433B2
A circuit interrupting device having an auto-monitoring circuit for periodically testing various functions and structures of the device. The auto-monitoring circuit initiates an auto-monitoring routine which, among other things, generates a self-test fault condition and determines whether the detection mechanisms within the device properly detect the self-test fault. Processing an early detection signal determines whether the self-test fault was properly detected without interfering with the normal operation of the detection circuitry and without causing a false trip within the device. Additional functionality of the auto-monitoring circuit permits automatic verification that the device is properly wired, that is, not miswired, and determines whether the device has reached the end of its useful life.
US09608431B2
An electrical circuit to interrupt a DC current includes a bypass switch and an AC high voltage breaker which includes interrupters that are rated for carrying a current having a value of the DC current for a period of time less than or equal to continuous duty. The first interrupter is electrically coupled in parallel with the bypass switch. A making switch causes a cancellation current to flow from an energy source through the second interrupter, and through the first interrupter, in addition to the DC current. The AC high voltage breaker is adapted to a DC service as the DC current in addition to the cancellation current causes an arc quench which allows the AC high voltage breaker to cause the interruption of the DC current in the electrical circuit. A method for interrupting a DC current flowing in an AC high voltage circuit breaker is also described.
US09608417B2
An electrical fitting to secure multiple non-metallic electrical cables has a body having a first end for insertion into an electrical panel box or to receive conduit, and a second end having an opening with apertures formed near a periphery thereof, the body having a hollow interior for passage of cables, and a cable securing device having a plate dimensioned to mount to the body and clamping devices, each having a pair of resilient clamp fingers to secure at least one cable, each finger having a terminating end adjacent the terminating end of the other finger, a pair of squeezable arms extending to facilitate cable insertion and removal, and a pair of anchoring fingers extending from the first surface of the plate, each anchoring finger having a protruding member to snap into one of the apertures so as to secure the cable securing device especially when the arms are squeezed.
US09608410B2
A surface-emitting light source includes a substrate including a light emitting region where plural light emitting points are disposed and a non-light emitting region located around the light emitting region; and a lens array including plural lenses and a non-lens region around the plural lenses. The substrate and the lens array are directly bonded with each other at the non-light emitting region and the non-lens region such that the plural light emitting points and the plural lenses face each other, and the lens array has a linear expansion coefficient not greater than a linear expansion coefficient of the substrate.
US09608409B2
A laser component assembly includes a carrier including first and second component portions wherein each component portion has a chip mounting surface, a lens mounting surface and a stop surface, the stop surface of each component portion includes first and second stop partial surfaces, the first stop partial surface is formed on a first stop element and the second stop partial surface is formed on a second stop element, the chip mounting surface is arranged between the first stop element and the second stop element, the stop surface is oriented perpendicularly to the chip mounting surface, a laser chip arranged on the chip mounting surface, the laser component assembly as a lens bar comprising an optical lens component portion and the lens bar is arranged on the lens mounting surfaces of the component portions and bears against the stop surfaces of the component portions.
US09608406B1
An optical source includes a semiconductor optical amplifier that provides an optical signal, and a photonic chip with first and second ring resonators that operate as Vernier rings. When the optical source is operated below a lasing threshold, one or more thermal-tuning mechanisms, which may be thermally coupled to the first ring resonator and/or the second ring resonator, may be adjusted to align resonances of the first ring resonator and the second ring resonator based on measured optical power on a shared optical waveguide that is optically coupled to the first and second ring resonators. Then, when the optical source is operated above the lasing threshold, a common thermal-tuning mechanism may be adjusted to lock the aligned resonances with an optical cavity mode of the optical source based on a measured optical power on an optical waveguide that is optically coupled to the first ring resonator.
US09608398B2
The present application is directed to an optical apparatus including an optical waveguide configured to receive an optical signal at an input wavelength. The apparatus also includes one or more optical pump sources connected to transmit pump light to the optical gain medium for the optical gain medium to amplify the optical signal. The apparatus also includes an optical feedback loop for a protection wavelength that includes the optical gain medium and at least a portion of the optical waveguide. A round-trip optical gain of the optical feedback loop is higher at an optical wavelength of the pump light than at the input wavelength less than unity in the presence of the optical signal. In addition, the round-trip gain of the optical feedback loop is greater than or equal to unity in the absence of the optical signal.
US09608397B2
Provided is a laser processing device capable of performing high-power laser processing while preventing reduction of life duration of a light source for excitation light. By collecting the light emitted from single emitters of a plurality of single emitter LDs onto one end face of an optical fiber cable, high-power excitation light is transmitted to a marking head through the optical fiber cable. Excitation light emitted from the other end face of the optical fiber cable is separated into first excitation light and second excitation light. The first excitation light excites a first laser medium to generate laser light. The generated laser light enters a second laser medium. The second excitation light enters the second laser medium. With this, the second laser medium is excited, and the laser light that has entered the second laser medium from the first laser medium is amplified.
US09608394B2
A light bulb socket assembly including an inner socket member having an interior chamber sized to receive a threaded end of a light bulb, and having a threaded member configured to screw into a conventional light bulb socket, a spring positioned between the inner socket member and an outer sleeve, locking tabs positioned extending through openings in an outer wall surrounding the interior chamber, where in a first secured position the locking tabs are in engagement with the threaded end of light bulb, and in a second unsecured position when the outer sleeve is refracted, the locking tabs are no longer in secured engagement with the threaded end of the light bulb, such that the light bulb may be removed by pulling the light bulb out of the inner socket member.
US09608392B1
Arrangement introduced on rail for movable sockets susceptible to receive several sockets by the fitting and turn on the rail's body. It comprises an electrical energy conductor rail with a body that internally has a rectangular gap that prolongs for the whole extension of the rail configuring an access and housing for movable sockets to be inserted on the rail. Once chosen the assembly local of the movable sockets along the rail longitudinal profile, each socket has its metallic contacts inserted in the rail's gap from the frontal aperture and turned to 90 degrees, making the convex saliences, with interference, to meet the metallic plates, closing electric contact and energizing said socket. The removal of a socket occurs by a new 90 degrees turn in relation to the rail, resulting on the separation of the metallic contacts of the plates and the consequent desenergization of the socket.
US09608391B2
A receptacle includes an insulating housing including a base and a mating tongue, upper contacts and lower contacts, a metallic shell and a shielding plate. The contacts include plate contacting sections exposed upon the mating tongue. The shielding plate is disposed in the mating tongue and the base and isolated from the upper and lower contacts. The metallic shell is retained on the base and surrounding the mating tongue to define a mating port which is inserted with a plug connector in either of two insertion orientations. The front sides of the shielding plate is exposed to the front side of the mating tongue and the lateral sides of the shielding plates is exposed to the corresponding lateral sides of the mating tongue for protection under an improper angular mating of the plug connector.
US09608389B2
A connector for receiving a cylindrical plug includes a body defining a plug aperture and a cavity for receiving the cylindrical plug. A plurality of electrical contacts in communication with the cavity make electrical connections with the cylindrical plug and retain the cylindrical plug. A microphone is coupled to the body such that the plug aperture and the cavity provide an acoustic path to the microphone. The microphone may be at an end of the connector opposite the plug aperture or on a side of the connector adjacent the plug aperture. The connector allows a microphone to be added to a device, such as a mobile telephone, without the need for an additional external aperture. The microphone in the connector may operate with a second microphone and processing electronics in the device to provide audio processing functions such as noise cancellation or audio beamforming.
US09608377B1
An electrical connector assembly includes a cage member having a plurality of walls defining a port configured to receive a pluggable module therein through a front end of the cage member. The port extends to a rear end of the cage member. The walls are manufactured from a conductive material and provide electrical shielding. A communication connector is disposed within the cage member and is positioned at the rear end of the cage member to mate with the pluggable module when the pluggable module is inserted into the port. The communication connector has a mating face being forward facing. A communication connector light pipe is mounted to the communication connector and provided at the mating face. The communication connector light pipe has an emitting face emitting light into the pluggable module.
US09608372B2
An electrical card connector assembly includes an electrical card connector and a printed circuit board. The electrical card connector includes: a first contact module and a second contact module assembled to the printed circuit board along a transverse direction perpendicular to a card-inserting direction; a shielding shell enclosing the contact modules to form a receiving room; a tray movably received in the receiving room along the insertion direction and having a first receiving groove receiving a first card corresponding to the first contact module and a second receiving groove receiving a second card corresponding to the second contact module; an ejector comprising a lever located at a lateral side of the first contact module and a cam located at a rear of the first contact module; and a detecting terminal positioned at a rear of the second contact module beside the cam along the transverse direction.
US09608363B2
Disclosed is a method and structure for sealing an electrical connector. The structure includes a sealing insert for insertion into the housing of an electrical connector. The sealing insert has a flared lip spaced from and extending above a base and the flared lip has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the base. The sealing insert further includes a retention feature and at least one electrical pin guide. The sealing insert is inserted into the housing of an electrical connector after applying a form in place sealant inside the housing. The flared lip forms a seal against an inner wall of the housing and the retention feature of the sealing insert engages a retention feature inside the housing thereby locking the sealing insert into the housing and forcing the sealant into a sealant gap formed between the housing and the sealing insert thereby sealing the electrical connector.
US09608362B2
A mat seal for an electrical connector, including: a front face, a rear face opposite to the front face, and a plurality of passageways each adapted to receive a cable to be inserted through the passageway, at least one cavity in at least one of the front face and the rear face, wherein at least two first passageways of the plurality of passageways open into one of the at least one cavity, and wherein at least one second passageway of the plurality of passageways opening into the front face and the rear face of the mat seal.
US09608357B1
A connector assembly, such as a high voltage electrical connector assembly, includes a first connector having a first housing and an intermediate housing attached to the first housing. The intermediate housing is moveable from a first position to a second position. A flexible retaining arm is configured to hold the intermediate housing in the first position. The connector assembly further includes a second connector having a second housing. The second housing defines a release wedge that engages and flexes the retaining arm, thereby releasing the intermediate housing from engagement with the retaining arm and allowing the intermediate housing to move from the first position to the second position as the first connector is connected to the second connector. A terminal in the first housing is enclosed within the intermediate housing in the first position, and protrudes from an aperture in a surface of the intermediate housing in the second position.
US09608354B2
A joint connector includes: a connector housing formed with a plurality of terminals that receive a plurality of sockets to which wirings are connected; and a holder that is fitted into the connector housing and electrically connects the sockets which are inserted into the terminals, respectively. Also, a plurality of fitting pieces are inserted into connection portions of the sockets, respectively, which are arranged inside the terminals so as to protrude in a length direction on an inner side of the holder.
US09608351B2
An electrical connector includes a housing stack and plural conductors. The housing stack includes a front housing and a rear housing. The rear housing is disposed rearward of the front housing. The housing stack defines plural cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing. The front housing includes a forward-facing shoulder within at least some of the cavities. The rear housing includes a rear-facing shoulder associated with the cavities that include the forward-facing shoulder. The conductors are disposed in the cavities of the housing stack. At least some of the conductors have a first projecting feature that engages the forward-facing shoulder in the corresponding cavity and a second projecting feature that engages the rear-facing shoulder to secure the front housing to the rear housing.
US09608349B2
A contact configured to be retained and arranged in an insulating object includes a contact portion that is configured to come into contact with a counterpart object, a connecting portion connectable to an object to be connected, a main body portion having two side walls and a joining wall that joins the side walls, the main body portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section, first and second contact pieces protruding from the two side walls and extending along a direction of mating with a counterpart object, and first and second contact portions disposed at free end parts of the first and second contact pieces, respectively. The first and second contact portions each has a curved shape and configured to come into contact with the same surface of the counterpart object. The first and second contact portions are spaced apart along the direction of mating, the first and second contact portions being configured to come into roll-face contact with the counterpart object.
US09608345B2
A post having a first end, a second end, and a flange proximate the second end, wherein the post is configured to receive a center conductor surrounded by a dielectric of a coaxial cable, a connector body attached to the post, a coupling element attached to the post, the coupling element having a first end a second end, and a biasing member disposed within a cavity formed between the first end of the coupling element and the connector body to bias the coupling element against the post is provided. Moreover, a connector body having a biasing element, wherein the biasing element biases the coupling element against the post, is further provided. Furthermore, associated methods are also provided.
US09608341B2
A socket for a high-current plug-in connection is provided, which includes a contact sleeve and a hollow cylindrical contacting system. The contacting system includes a plurality of elongated contact lamellae, is situated in an inner area of the contact sleeve, and is supported with at least a portion of its outer wall on the inner wall. The contact lamellae extend between a first collar and a second collar of the contacting system. The socket includes a contact lamella, in an area between the first collar and second collar, having an arm, via which the contact lamella is additionally connected to a collar of the contacting system in a supporting manner.
US09608338B2
Following the cylindrical bend processing of the shape crimping portion corresponding part corresponding to the crimping section in the sheet-shaped terminal base material, the high bending-rate processing process of bend processing at a bending rate higher than a bending rate for plastically deforming at least a part of a deformation portion to be plastically deformed in a predetermined bend processing shape in the crimping portion corresponding part, and the shaping process of shaping the crimping portion corresponding part into the cylindrical crimping section are performed in this order.
US09608337B2
A built-in antenna for an electronic device is provided. The built-in antenna includes a substrate, a 1st antenna radiator with at least two radiating portions, a 2nd antenna radiator, and a switching means. The substrate has a conductive area and a non-conductive area. The 2nd antenna radiator is arranged within the non-conductive area of the substrate and fed by a Radio Frequency (RF) end of the substrate. The 2nd antenna radiator is configured to operate at a band different from at least one operating band of the 1st antenna radiator, and is fed by the RF end in a position adjacent the 1st antenna radiator. The switching means switches to selectively feed the 1st antenna radiator and the 2nd antenna radiator.
US09608335B2
Antennas and other transducers for use in transmitting and receiving twisted waves are disclosed. A reflector includes numerous parabolic segments having focal lengths that decrease monotonically with azimuth angle. A feed is used that is located at a focal length associated with one of the segments. Thus, each segment has a phase delay that is related to a difference between the primary focal length and the focal length of the segment. This variation of phase delay with azimuth allows twisted waves to be transmitted and received.
US09608320B2
A method for opening a dome for the protection of a device to be protected, fitted in a part described as fixed, in which, in the initial position before opening, a generally plane interface separates the dome from the fixed part, is provided. The method includes connecting the dome to the fixed part by at least two independent double-link connections that are movable in rotation between the dome and the fixed part. The links in a single connection being fitted in common to the dome and to the fixed part to form overall a pantograph in the shape of an isosceles trapezium which, during opening, opens out by pivoting until maximum opening is achieved, so that the dome moves away from the fixed part via a combination of movements in translation and in rotation.
US09608314B1
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, which includes a terminal body having a rear surface and side surfaces extending from each end portion of the rear surface toward a front surface, the terminal body made of a metal, a lower cap detachably coupled to a lower end of the terminal body and externally exposed to operate as a radiator of an antenna apparatus, a non-metal member interposed between the terminal body and the lower cap and forming a slot by spacing the terminal body and the lower cap apart from each other, and a dividing member crossing the non-metal member, and dividing an area where the terminal body and the lower cap are electrically connected and generate an electric field accordingly, the dividing member dividing the slot into first and second slots.
US09608310B2
An apparatus and a portable electronic device are provided to facilitate tuning of the resonance of an antenna at least partially disposed within a conductive housing. As such, an apparatus is provided that includes a conductive housing having a first conductive portion. The first conductive portion defines a non-conductive aperture. The apparatus also includes a second conductive portion disposed at least partially within the conductive housing. The second conductive portion defines an open-ended non-conductive slot. The slot is configured to couple to radio frequency circuitry. The apparatus further includes a conductive element extending between and conductively coupling the first and second conductive portions. A personal electronic device that embodiments the apparatus is also provided.
US09608298B2
A battery pack is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery pack includes a battery cell, a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the battery cell, and an inner cover substantially covering the battery cell. The inner cover includes a sensor attachment fixing the temperature sensor to the battery cell. The battery pack has a structure for easily attaching the temperature sensor to the battery cell.
US09608294B2
An electrode assembly and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The electrode assembly includes a first electrode laminate formed by stacking one or more electrode units having a first area, and a second electrode laminate formed by stacking one or more electrode units having a second area different from the first area. The first electrode laminate and the second electrode laminate are stacked on each other in a direction perpendicular to a plane and have a step portion formed by a difference in areas of the first and second electrode laminates, the step portion is present on at least one side of four sides of the electrode assembly, at least one step portion includes at least a portion of tape taped across a stacked side, and the portion of tape has a form corresponding to a stepped shape of the step portion.
US09608285B2
The preset invention relates to a solid oxide fuel cell stack capable of producing electricity, in which unit cell modules are connected in series and in parallel, and to a manufacturing method thereof. The solid oxide fuel cell stack is manufactured by: making a unit cell module comprising at least one unit cell formed on the outer surfaces of a flat tubular support, a first electrical interconnector formed on the front end of the support and at least a portion of the outer surfaces so as to be connected to a first electrode of the unit cell, and a second electrical interconnector formed on the rear end of the support and at least a portion of the outer surfaces so as to be connected to a second electrode of the unit cell; and stacking the unit cell modules such that the electrical interconnectors come into contact with each other.
US09608284B2
A “Cascading Startup Controller” provides various techniques for quickly and efficiently initializing grids of interconnected fuel cells. In general, the Cascading Startup Controller dynamically controls heat exchange between fuel cells in the grid to produce a cascading startup of the fuel cell grid via an expanding pattern of excess thermal energy routing from hotter fuel cell stacks to cooler fuel cell stacks. This expanding pattern of excess thermal energy routing is dynamically controlled via automated valves of a heat exchange grid coupled to the fuel cell grid to decrease a total startup time for fuel cell stacks in the grid. Additional excess heat beyond that used to heat fuel cells to operational temperatures is then made available for a variety of purposes, including, but not limited to, preheating gas or other fuel for use by the fuel cells, local or community-based heating systems, heat-based energy cogeneration systems, etc.
US09608282B2
A fuel cell system includes a bipolar plate having a flow field formed therein. The flow field is partially defined by at least two adjacent channel portions separated by a wall portion. The wall portion includes a surface at least partially defining a passageway between the channel portions. The passageway may be sized so as to create a pressure difference between the channel portions. The pressure difference may draw at least a portion of a liquid droplet obstructing one of the channel portions toward and into the passageway.
US09608279B2
Provided is a metal-air battery which has higher discharge capacity than conventional metal-air batteries. The present invention is a metal-air battery, which comprises a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer and an electrolyte layer that is arranged between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer, and wherein the positive electrode layer contains a carbon material and is provided with two or more through holes that penetrate the positive electrode layer in the thickness direction.
US09608275B2
Provided are an electrically conductive layer coated aluminum material having properties which can withstand long term use; and a method for manufacturing the electrically conductive layer coated aluminum material. The electrically conductive layer coated aluminum material includes: an aluminum material (1); a first electrically conductive layer (2); an interposing layer (3); and a second electrically conductive layer (4). The first electrically conductive layer (2) is formed on a surface of the aluminum material (1) and includes an organic substance having electrical conductivity. The interposing layer (3) is formed between the aluminum material (1) and the first electrically conductive layer (2) and includes a carbide of aluminum. The second electrically conductive layer (4) is formed on a surface of the first electrically conductive layer (2) and includes carbon-containing particles (41). A resin is attached onto the surface of the aluminum material (1) and is dried, a carbon-containing substance is attached thereonto, and thereafter, the aluminum material (1) is placed in a space including a hydrocarbon-containing substance and is heated, thereby forming the first electrically conductive layer (2), the interposing layer (3), and the second electrically conductive layer (4).
US09608255B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, having an internal resistance of 10 mΩ or less as an alternating-current impedance value of 1 kHz, comprises a metal outer container, a nonaqueous electrolyte contained in the container, a positive electrode contained in the container, a negative electrode contained in the container, a separator interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, a negative electrode lead having one end connected to the negative electrode, and a negative electrode terminal attached to the outer container so as to be connected electrically to the other end of the negative electrode lead, at least the surface of the negative electrode terminal which is connected to the negative electrode lead being formed of aluminum alloy with an aluminum purity of less than 99 wt. % containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cr, Mn, Cu, Si, Fe and Ni.
US09608254B1
A battery terminal clamp, comprising a body portion made of a conductive material and having top and bottom planar elements. The battery terminal clamp includes a first pull bar, and also includes a second pull bar positioned below the first pull bar. A threaded element extends through the upper pull bar and the lower pull bar, and facilitates the movement of the upper and lower pull bar towards and away from each other, so as to close and open the clamp.
US09608247B2
An energy storage device including a spiral electrode group in which a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate having polarity reverse to that of the first electrode plate are spirally wound with a separator interposed therebetween, wherein the second electrode plate is opposed to an inner circumference and an outer circumference of the first electrode plate, portions of the separator are reinforced, the reinforced portions of the separator include a first reinforced portion formed between a winding-start end of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate located on a radially outer side of the winding-start end, and a second reinforced portion formed between the winding-start end of the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate located on a radially inner side of the winding-start end, and the first reinforced portion and the second reinforced portion are arranged apart from each other.
US09608246B2
The present invention provides a resin composition comprising the following resin (a) and filler particles. The use of this composition makes it possible to obtain a separator having excellent heat resistance. Resin (a): a polymer which comprises a structural unit represented by a formula (1), and which has a weight average molecular weight of 200000 to 500000, provided that the polymer does not comprise a structural unit represented by a formula (2), wherein, Mn+ represents a metal ion, and n represents the valence thereof,
US09608244B2
Disclosed herein is a battery module including (a) a battery cell stack including two or more battery cells or unit modules electrically connected to each other in a state in which the battery cells or unit modules are vertically stacked, (b) a first housing to cover the entirety of the end of one side of the battery cell stack and portions of the top and bottom of the battery cell stack and (c) a second housing to cover the entirety of the end of the other side of the battery cell stack and the remainder of the top and bottom of the battery cell stack, wherein the first housing and the second housing are provided with coupling holes formed to couple the first housing and the second housing to each other, the coupling holes being horizontal coupling holes, through which coupling members can be inserted in the lateral direction.
US09608239B2
A battery includes an external terminal member and an insulating member on an outer surface of a lid member so that an interval between the insulating member and the lid member is smaller in a long side of the lid member than in a short side. A weld mark is formed over the entire circumference of the lid member to extend across the outer surface of the lid member and an open end face of the case body. The weld mark not only extends across the outer surface of the lid member and the open end face of the case body but also reaches an outer side surface of the case body in a zone of the long side of the lid member facing the insulating member, but does not reach the outer side surface of the case body in a zone except the former zone.
US09608238B2
Disclosed is a display panel including: a flexible substrate; a buffer layer disposed on the flexible substrate; a pixel disposed on the buffer layer and comprising a thin film transistor and an image device connected to the thin film transistor; a barrier layer disposed on the flexible substrate to protect the pixel from a substance from the flexible substrate; and a diffusion prevention layer disposed between the barrier layer and the buffer layer and configured to prevent hydrogen generated from the barrier layer from being diffused into the thin film transistor.
US09608234B2
According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a display apparatus includes: a substrate; a display unit which is formed on the substrate and includes an emission area and a non-emission area; a first coating layer which is formed on the display unit and has an uneven area formed on the emission area; a first blocking layer which is formed on the non-emission area of the first coating layer; and a second blocking layer which is formed on the first blocking layer and prevents reflection of external light.
US09608230B2
An organic electroluminescent device and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. The organic electroluminescent device comprises comprising a base substrate, a packaging structure, an organic electroluminescent structure located between the base substrate and the packaging structure, and a flexible printed circuit board; the base substrate being provided with a peripheral wiring structure electrically connected with an internal wiring of the organic electroluminescent structure; the peripheral wiring structure including a welding part. The welding part has a first surface facing the base substrate, at least a portion of the first surface being exposed to electrically connect with a welding terminal of the flexible printed circuit board.
US09608229B2
Disclosed is an organic EL lighting panel substrate that can improve the uniformity in luminance and chromaticity in an organic EL lighting panel plane and can suppress deterioration in reliability due to disconnection and the like caused by an auxiliary electrode. The organic EL lighting panel substrate (10) includes: a light-transmitting substrate (11); and a transparent electrode (12). The transparent electrode (12) is arranged on one surface of the light-transmitting substrate (11). The organic EL lighting panel substrate (10) further includes an auxiliary electrode (13) electrically connected to the transparent electrode (12). The light-transmitting substrate (11) has a groove (11c), and the auxiliary electrode (13) is arranged in the groove (11c) of the light-transmitting substrate (11). The auxiliary electrode (13) is formed of a material having a volume resistivity at 20° C. in the range from 1.59×10−8 to 13×10−8 Ω·m.
US09608217B2
The present invention provides a transistor element having a laminated structure, the laminated structure comprising a sheet-like base electrode being arranged between an emitter electrode and a collector electrode; at least one p-type organic semiconductor layer being provided on each of the surface and the back sides of the base electrode; and a current transmission promotion layer being formed, on each of the surface and back sides of the base electrode, between the base electrode and the p-type organic semiconductor layer or layers provided on each of the surface and back sides of the base electrode. According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a transistor element (MBOT) that is, in particular, stably supplied through a simple production process, has a structure capable of being mass-produced, and has a large current modulation effect and an excellent ON/OFF ratio at a low voltage in the emitter electrode and the collector electrode.
US09608215B2
Disclosed herein is a display apparatus, including: a foldable substrate; a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels disposed on the substrate and each including an electro-optical device; the foldable substrate being folded at a substrate end portion at least on one side thereof around the pixel array section; a peripheral circuit section disposed on the substrate end portion and adapted to drive the pixels of the pixel array section; and a pad section provided on the substrate end portion on which the peripheral circuit section is provided and adapted to electrically connect the peripheral circuit section to the outside of the substrate.
US09608213B2
A method for manufacturing a functional material including a porous metal complex with nanoparticles included therein, the method including a configuration of adding more than one particle constituent raw material constituting the nanoparticles and a porous metal complex to a solvent, and then synthesizing nanoparticles included in the porous metal complex by heating to a desired temperature. In addition, provided is an electronic component including an electronic component element using a functional material including a porous metal complex with nanoparticles included therein.
US09608208B2
The present invention relates to a compound of a formula (I), (II) or (III), to the use of this compound in an electronic device, and to an electronic device comprising one or more compounds of the formula (I), (II) or (III). The invention furthermore relates to a process for the preparation of a compound of the formula (I), (II) or (III) and to a formulation comprising one or more compounds of the formula (I), (II) or (III).
US09608200B2
A hard mask stack for etching a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure is described. The hard mask stack is formed on a stack of MTJ layers on a bottom electrode and comprises an electrode layer on the MTJ stack, a buffer metal layer on the electrode layer, a metal hard mask layer on the buffer metal layer, and a dielectric layer on the metal hard mask layer wherein a dielectric mask is defined in the dielectric layer by a photoresist mask, a metal hard mask is defined in the metal hard mask layer by the dielectric mask, a buffer metal mask is defined in the buffer metal layer by the metal hard mask, an electrode mask is defined in the electrode layer by the buffer metal mask, and the MTJ structure is defined by the electrode mask wherein the electrode mask remaining acts as a top electrode.
US09608196B2
Provided is an information storage element comprising a first layer, an insulation layer coupled to the first layer, and a second layer coupled to the insulation layer opposite the first layer. The first layer is capable of storing information according to a magnetization state of a magnetic material. The insulation layer includes a non-magnetic material. The second layer includes a fixed magnetization. In an embodiment, the first layer has a transverse length that is approximately 45 nm or less and a volume that is approximately 2,390 nm3 or less. In a further embodiment, the second layer includes MgO and is capable of allowing electrons passing through the second layer reach the first layer before the electrons enter a non-polarized state.
US09608195B2
A device includes creating an opening in a dielectric layer that is disposed over a bottom electrode layer. A top electrode layer is disposed over the dielectric layer. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) layer is formed in the opening over the bottom electrode layer.
US09608191B2
A superconducting thin film having excellent critical current characteristics is provided. A substrate for a superconducting thin film includes a substrate body (10A) having a main surface (10B) in which the root mean square slope RΔq of a roughness curve is 0.4 or less.
US09608188B2
A method includes preparing a thermoelectric material including p-type or n-type material and first and second caps including transition metal(s). A powder precursor of the first cap can be loaded into a sintering die, punches assembled thereto, and a pre-load applied to form a first pre-pressed structure including a first flat surface. A punch can be removed, a powder precursor of the p-type or n-type material loaded onto that surface, the punch assembled to the die, and a second pre-load applied to form a second pre-pressed structure including a second substantially flat surface. The punch can be removed, a powder precursor of the second cap loaded onto that surface, the first punch assembled to the die, and a third pre-load applied to form a third pre-pressed structure. The third pre-pressed structure can be sintered to form the thermoelectric material; the first or second cap can be coupled to an electrical connector.
US09608178B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor light emitting device including: a substrate for element mounting; a wiring provided on the substrate; an LED element provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the wiring; an encapsulating resin layer for encapsulating the LED element; and a wavelength conversion layer which contains a phosphor material and converts a wavelength of light emitted by the LED element, in which the wavelength conversion layer is provided on an upper side of the LED element, and a diffusive reflection resin layer is provided in a state that side faces of the LED element are surrounded therewith, and an area at the LED element face side of the wavelength conversion layer is at least twice larger by area ratio than an area of light emitting area on an upper surface of the LED element.
US09608161B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device including an N-type semiconductor layer, a plurality of P-type semiconductor layers, a light-emitting layer, and a contact layer is provided. The light-emitting layer is disposed between the N-type semiconductor layer and the whole of the P-type semiconductor layers. The P-type semiconductor layers are disposed between the contact layer and the light-emitting layer. All the P-type semiconductor layers between the light-emitting layer and the contact layer include aluminum.
US09608135B2
A solar cell according to an embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate; a first dopant layer formed at one surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a first electrode electrically connected to the first dopant layer. At least a part of the first dopant layer includes a pre-amorphization element, and a concentration of the pre-amorphization element in one portion of the first dopant layer is different from a concentration of the pre-amorphization element in another portion of the first dopant layer.
US09608130B2
Semiconductor devices are described that include a capacitor integrated therein. In an implementation, the semiconductor devices include a substrate. The substrate includes multiple capacitor regions, such as a first capacitor region and a second capacitor region that are adjacent to one another. Each capacitor region includes trenches that are formed within the substrate. A metal-insulator-metal capacitor is formed within the trenches and at least partially over the substrate. The trenches disposed within the first capacitor region are at least substantially perpendicular to the trenches disposed within the second capacitor region.
US09608129B1
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a well region of a first-conductivity type disposed in the substrate, a first impurity region of a second-conductivity type and having a plurality of branches disposed in the well region, a second impurity region of the first-conductivity type and having a plurality of branches, and a third impurity region of the first-conductivity type disposed in the well region. The second-conductivity type is opposite to the first-conductivity type. A portion of the first impurity region overlaps a portion of the third impurity region. The plurality of branches of the second impurity region are disposed in the third impurity region, and a portion of the third impurity region is disposed between the first impurity region and the second impurity region.
US09608127B2
Embodiments of the disclosed technology provide an amorphous oxide thin film transistor (TFT), a method for preparing an amorphous oxide TFT, and a display panel. The amorphous oxide thin film transistor includes: a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The semiconductor active layer comprises a channel layer and an ohmic contact layer, and the channel layer has a greater content of oxygen than the ohmic contact layer; the channel layer contacts the gate insulating layer, and the ohmic contact layer comprises two separated ohmic contact regions, one of which contacts the source electrode and the other of which contacts the drain electrode.
US09608110B2
The present disclosure provides methods of forming a semiconductor circuit element and a semiconductor circuit element, wherein the semiconductor circuit element includes a first semiconductor device with a first gate structure disposed over a first active region of a semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor device with a second gate structure disposed over a second active region of the semiconductor substrate, the first gate structure comprising a ferroelectric material buried into the first active region before a gate electrode material is formed on the ferroelectric material and the second gate structure comprising a high-k material different from the ferroelectric material.
US09608109B1
An n-channel DEMOS device a pwell finger defining a length and a width direction formed within a doped surface layer. A first nwell is on one side of the pwell finger including a source and a second nwell on an opposite side of the pwell finger includes a drain. A gate stack is over a channel region the pwell finger between the source and drain. A field dielectric layer is on the surface layer defining a first active area including a first active area boundary along the width direction (WD boundary) that has the channel region therein. A first p-type layer is outside the first active area at least a first minimum distance from the WD boundary and a second p-type layer is doped less and is closer to the WD boundary than the first minimum distance.
US09608106B2
A semiconductor device and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a first junction region formed at the bottom of a vertical pillar, a bit line formed below the first junction region, and an insulation film formed below the bit line. As a result, the 4F2-sized semiconductor device is provided and the bit line is configured in the form of a laminated structure of a conductive layer and a polysilicon layer, so that bit line resistance is reduced. In addition, the semiconductor device reduces ohmic contact resistance by forming silicide between the conductive layer and the polysilicon layer, and includes an insulation film at a position between the semiconductor substrate and the bit line, resulting in reduction of bit line capacitance. Therefore, the sensing margin of the semiconductor device is increased and the data retention time is also increased.
US09608103B2
A method for forming a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device with a plurality of alternating layers of one or more undoped gallium nitride (GaN) layers and one or more carbon doped gallium nitride layers (c-GaN), and an HEMT device formed by the method is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a channel layer stack on a substrate, the channel layer stack having a plurality of alternating layers of one or more undoped gallium nitride (GaN) layers and one or more carbon doped gallium nitride layers (c-GaN). The method further includes forming a barrier layer on the channel layer stack. In one embodiment, the channel layer stack is formed by growing each of the one or more undoped gallium nitride (GaN) layers in growth conditions that suppress the incorporation of carbon in gallium nitride, and growing each of the one or more carbon doped gallium nitride (c-GaN) layers in growth conditions that promote the incorporation of carbon in gallium nitride.
US09608101B2
The present invention concerns semiconductor devices comprising a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconducting layer consisting of a single or double 2-dimensional layer(s) made from one of the following materials: MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, WSe2, MoTe2 or WTe2. Replacing a stack by only one or two 2-dimensional layer(s) of MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, or WSe2, MoTe2 or WTe2 provides an enhanced electrostatic control, low power dissipation, direct band gap and tunability.
US09608098B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a silicon-controlled-rectifier (SCR). The SCR includes a longitudinal silicon fin extending between an anode and a cathode and including a junction region there between. One or more first transverse fins traverses the longitudinal fin at one or more respective tapping points positioned between the anode and the junction region. Other devices and methods are also disclosed.
US09608095B2
Concerning a thermoelectric conversion element, it is desired to provide a new spin current to charge current conversion material. A thermoelectric conversion element includes a magnetic layer possessing in-plane magnetization, and an electromotive layer magnetically coupled to the magnetic layer. The electromotive layer is formed of a carbon material, possesses anisotropy of electric conductivity, and further includes an additive.
US09608092B2
A method for forming a field-effect semiconductor device includes: providing a wafer having a main surface and a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type; forming at least two trenches from the main surface partly into the first semiconductor layer so that each of the at least two trenches includes, in a vertical cross-section substantially orthogonal to the main surface, a side wall and a bottom wall, and that a semiconductor mesa is formed between the side walls of the at least two trenches; forming at least two second semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type in the first semiconductor layer so that the bottom wall of each of the at least two trenches adjoins one of the at least two second semiconductor regions; and forming a rectifying junction at the side wall of at least one of the at least two trenches.
US09608084B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe apparatuses, methods, and systems of an integrated circuit (IC) device. The IC device includes a diffusion control layer as part of an emitter epitaxial structure. The IC device may utilize a common metallization scheme to simultaneously form an emitter contact and a base contact. Other embodiments may also be described and/or claimed.
US09608083B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer formed over a substrate, a second semiconductor layer formed over the first semiconductor layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed over the second semiconductor layer, an insulating film formed over the second semiconductor layer, a gate electrode formed over the insulating film, and a protection film covering the insulating film, the protection film being formed by thermal CVD, thermal ALD, or vacuum vapor deposition.
US09608072B2
A semiconductor device is provided with a first well region of a first conduction type having a first voltage (voltage VB) applied thereto, a second well region of a second conduction type formed in the surface layer section of the first well region and having a second voltage (voltage VS) different from the first voltage applied thereto, and a charge extracting region of the first conduction type formed in the surface layer section of the second well region and having the first voltage applied thereto. This inhibits the operation of a parasitic bipolar transistor.
US09608070B2
A semiconductor device comprises a field effect transistor in a semiconductor substrate having a first main surface. The field effect transistor comprises a source region, a drain region, a body region, and a gate electrode at the body region. The gate electrode is configured to control a conductivity of a channel formed in the body region, and the gate electrode is disposed in gate trenches. The body region is disposed along a first direction between the source region and the drain region, the first direction being parallel to the first main surface. The body region has a shape of a ridge extending along the first direction, the body region being adjacent to the source region and the drain region. The semiconductor device further comprises a source contact and a body contact, the source contact being electrically connected to a source terminal, the body contact being electrically connected to the source contact and to the body region.
US09608069B1
A method of forming a semiconductor device that may include etching source and drain portions of a fin structure of a first semiconductor material selectively to an underlying semiconductor layer of a second semiconductor material, and laterally etching undercut region in the semiconductor layer underlying the fin structure. The method may further include filling the undercut region with a first conductivity type semiconductor material, and forming a second conductivity type semiconductor material for a source region and a drain region on opposing sides of the channel region portion of the fin structure.
US09608068B2
A method is provided for forming an integrated circuit. A trench is formed in a substrate. Subsequently, a silicon-germanium feature is formed in the trench, and an etch stop layer is formed on the substrate and on the silicon-germanium feature. Lastly, a silicon device layer is formed on the etch stop layer. The silicon device layer has a tensily-strained region overlying the silicon-germanium feature. Regions of the silicon device layer not overlying the silicon-germanium feature are less strained than the tensily-strained region. The tensily-strained region of the silicon device layer may be further processed into channel features in n-type field effect transistors with improved charge carrier mobilities and device drive currents.
US09608064B2
Provided is a MOSFET, comprising: a substrate (100); a gate stack (500) on the substrate (100); source/drain regions (305) in the substrate on both sides of the gate stack (500); an interlayer dielectric layer (400) covering the source/drain regions; and source/drain extension regions (205) under edges on both sides of the gate stack (500); wherein insulators, which are not connected each other, are formed beneath the source/drain extension regions (205) under edges on both sides of the gate stack (500). By means of the MOSFET in the present disclosure, negative effects induced by DIBL on device performance can be effectively reduced.
US09608062B1
The present invention provides a semiconductor structure including a fin structure formed on a substrate, and an isolation structure formed in the fin structure. The isolation structure includes a trench, and a first dielectric layer disposed in the trench wherein the first dielectric layer includes a body portion in the bottom, a protruding portion in the top with a top surface, and a shoulder portion connecting the body portion and the protruding portion. The protruding portion has a smaller width than the body portion. The semiconductor structure further includes a second dielectric layer covering a top corner of the trench and sandwiched between the protruding portion, the shoulder portion of the first dielectric layer and the upper sidewall of the trench.
US09608059B2
Semiconductor devices with isolated body portions are described. For example, a semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor body disposed above a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor body includes a channel region and a pair of source and drain regions on either side of the channel region. An isolation pedestal is disposed between the semiconductor body and the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode stack at least partially surrounds a portion of the channel region of the semiconductor body.
US09608058B1
A semiconductor device includes a SiC layer that has a first surface and a second surface, a first electrode in contact with the first surface, a first SiC region of a first conductivity type in the SiC layer, a second SiC region of a second conductivity type in the SiC layer and surrounding a portion of the first SiC region, a third SiC region of the second conductivity type in the SiC layer and surrounding the second SiC region, the third SiC region having an impurity concentration of the second conductivity type lower than that of the second SiC region, and a fourth SiC region of the second conductivity type in the SiC layer between the second SiC region and the third Sic region, the fourth SiC region having an impurity concentration of the second conductivity type higher than that of the second SiC region.
US09608045B2
A display device includes a first substrate, an organic EL layer formed on the first substrate and curved in each pixel, and color filters disposed in the respective pixels, and curved to match the organic EL layer. With this configuration, a change in the chromaticity and brightness of the display device depending on a viewing angle of a user is reduced.
US09608042B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe electrode configurations to increase electro-thermal isolation of phase-change memory elements and associated techniques. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of phase-change memory (PCM) elements, wherein individual PCM elements of the plurality of PCM elements include a phase-change material layer, a first electrode layer disposed on the phase-change material layer and in direct contact with the phase-change material layer, and a second electrode layer disposed on the first electrode layer and in direct contact with the first electrode layer. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09608038B2
The present invention is directed to an STT-MRAM device comprising a plurality of memory elements. Each of the memory elements includes an MTJ structure in between a seed layer and a cap layer. The MTJ structure includes a magnetic free layer structure and a magnetic reference layer structure with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween; and a magnetic fixed layer separated from the magnetic reference layer structure by an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The magnetic reference layer structure includes a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer and a second magnetic reference layer separated from the first magnetic reference layer by an intermediate magnetic reference layer. The first, second, and intermediate magnetic reference layers have a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof. The magnetic fixed layer has a second invariable magnetization direction that is opposite to the first invariable magnetization direction.
US09608034B2
Disclosed is a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including a step of attaching semiconductor wafers together, in which it is prevented that the bonding strength between the attached semiconductor wafers may be decreased due to a void caused between the two semiconductor wafers. Moisture, etc., adsorbed to the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers is desorbed by performing a heat treatment on the semiconductor wafers after cleaning the surfaces thereof with pure water. Subsequently, after a plasma treatment is performed on the semiconductor wafers, the two semiconductor wafers are attached together. The wafers are firmly bonded together by subjecting to a high-temperature heat treatment.
US09608032B2
A method for manufacturing a BSI image sensor includes following steps: A substrate is provided. The substrate includes a front side and a back side opposite to the front side. The substrate further includes a plurality of isolation structures and a plurality of sensing elements formed therein. Next, the isolation structures are exposed from the back side of the substrate. Subsequently, a thermal treatment is performed to the back side of the substrate to form a plurality of cambered surfaces on the back side of the substrate. The cambered surfaces are formed correspondingly to the sensing elements, respectively.
US09608030B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes an imaging region in which pixels are arranged, a connection region that surrounds the imaging region and includes an electrode pad, and an in-layer lens that is formed in the imaging region for each of the pixels. The in-layer lens is formed of a coating-type high-refractive-index material. The connection region includes an opening that is formed such that an upper surface of the electrode pad is exposed from the high-refractive-index material applied to the electrode pad.
US09608028B2
Disclosed is an image sensor, which is characterized by increased strength of adhesion between a photoconductive layer and a front electrode made of aluminum, and which includes a first electrode composed of aluminum, copper or an aluminum-copper alloy on a substrate, a buffer layer formed on the first electrode, a photoconductive layer formed on the buffer layer, and a second electrode formed on the photoconductive layer, wherein the buffer layer includes a material having higher strength of adhesion than the photoconductive layer to the first electrode.
US09608027B2
A pixel array includes a plurality of visible light pixels arranged in the pixel array. Each one of the plurality of visible light pixels includes a photosensitive element arranged in a first semiconductor die to detect visible light. Each one of the plurality of visible light pixels is coupled to provide color image data to visible light readout circuitry disposed in a second semiconductor die stacked with and coupled to the first semiconductor die in a stacked chip scheme. A plurality of infrared (IR) pixels arranged in the pixel array. Each one of the plurality of IR pixels includes a single photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD) arranged in the first semiconductor die to detect IR light. Each one of the plurality of visible light pixels is coupled to provide IR image data to IR light readout circuitry disposed in the second semiconductor die.
US09608024B2
An image sensor such as a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The CMOS image sensor includes: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a third surface formed by removing a part of the semiconductor substrate from a second surface opposite to the first surface; a plurality of active regions which are formed between the first surface and the third surface and each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element generating charges in response to light input through the third surface; and an isolation region vertically formed from either of the first and third surfaces to isolate the active regions from one another. When the CMOS image sensor is viewed from the above of the third surface, each of the active regions may have round corners and concave sides.
US09608023B1
An image sensor package includes an image sensor with a pixel array disposed in a semiconductor material, and a transparent shield adhered to the semiconductor material. The pixel array is disposed between the semiconductor material and the transparent shield. A light blocking layer is disposed in recessed regions of the transparent shield, and the recessed regions are disposed on an illuminated side of the transparent shield. The light blocking layer is disposed to prevent light from reflecting off edges of the transparent shield into the image sensor.
US09608016B2
A method according to embodiments of the invention includes providing a wafer comprising a semiconductor structure grown on a growth substrate. The semiconductor structure includes a light emitting layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region. The wafer includes trenches defining individual semiconductor devices. The trenches extend through an entire thickness of the semiconductor structure to reveal the growth substrate. The method further includes forming a thick conductive layer on the semiconductor structure. The thick conductive layer is configured to support the semiconductor structure when the growth substrate is removed. The method further includes removing the growth substrate.
US09608011B2
The present invention discloses a thin-film transistor and a fabricating method thereof, an array substrate and a display apparatus. An active layer in the thin-film transistor comprises a first active layer and a second active layer which are stacked; wherein, an orthographic projection of the first active layer on the substrate covers orthographic projections of the source electrode, the drain electrode as well as a gap located between the source electrode and the drain electrode on the substrate, and covers an orthographic projection of the gate electrode on the substrate; the second active layer is located at the gap between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and an orthographic projection of the second active layer on the substrate is located in a region where the orthographic projection of the gate electrode on the substrate is located.
US09608000B2
Protective dielectrics are discussed generally herein. In one or more embodiments, a three-dimensional vertical memory may include a protective dielectric material. A device may include an etch stop material, a first control gate (CG) over the etch stop material, a first CG recess adjacent the first CG, a trench adjacent the first CG recess, and an at least partially oxidized polysilicon on at least a portion of the etch stop material. The at least partially oxidized polysilicon may line a sidewall of the trench and may line the first CG recess.
US09607993B1
Capacitor strap connections for a memory cell and device structures for making such capacitor strap connections. A deep trench capacitor is formed in a substrate. A collar comprised of an electrical insulator is formed at least partially inside an upper section of a deep trench in which the deep trench capacitor is formed. A portion of the collar is removed to define a notch extending through the collar, and a connection strap is formed in the notch. A fin is formed from a portion of the substrate, and is coupled by the connection strap with an electrode of the deep trench capacitor that is located inside the deep trench.
US09607986B2
A method of making a semiconductor device begins with a semiconductor wafer that includes a first semiconductor layer overlying a second semiconductor layer. A first trench is etched in the semiconductor wafer. The first trench is filled with insulating material. A second trench is etched within the first trench and through the insulating material, such that insulating material remains along sidewalls of the first trench. The second trench exposes a portion of the second insulating layer. A semiconductor layer can then be grown within the second trench using the second semiconductor layer as a seed layer.
US09607980B1
The present invention provides a high voltage transistor including a substrate, a first base region having a first conductivity type, and a first doped region, a second doped region, a second base region and a third doped region having a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type. The first base region, the second doped region, the second base region and the third doped region are disposed in the substrate, and the first doped region is disposed in the substrate. The third doped region, the second base region and the second doped region are stacked sequentially, and the doping concentrations of the third doped region, the second base region and the second doped region gradually increase.
US09607955B2
The present disclosure relates to forming multi-layered contact pads for a semiconductor device, wherein the various layers of the contact pad are formed using one or more thin-film deposition processes, such as an evaporation process. Each contact pad includes an adhesion layer, which is formed over the device structure for the semiconductor device; a titanium nitride (TiN) barrier layer, which is formed over the adhesion layer; and an overlay layer, which is formed over the barrier layer. At least the titanium nitride (TiN) barrier layer is formed using an evaporation process.
US09607952B1
A method includes embedding high-z oxide nanoparticles in a semiconductor package of a semiconductor packaged assembly, wherein the high-z nanoparticles are operative to emit electron radiation when exposed to a radiation source to render a semiconductor device in the semiconductor package inoperable.
US09607951B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a chip package is provided. The chip package includes a substrate. A chip is disposed on the substrate. A stiffener is disposed on the substrate. The thermal conductivity of the stiffener is higher than the thermal conductivity of the substrate.
US09607948B2
Various example implementations are directed to circuits and methods for inter-die communication on a multi-die integrated circuit (IC) package. According to an example implementation, an IC package includes a first semiconductor die having a plurality of communication circuits for communicating data over respective data terminals of the package. The package also includes a second semiconductor die having N contacts for communicating data to and from the semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die includes a logic circuit configured to communicate M parallel data signals with one or more other semiconductor dies of the package, wherein M>N. The second semiconductor die also includes a plurality of serializer circuits, each configured to serialize data from a respective subset of the plurality of the M signal lines to produce serialized data and provide the serialized data to a respective one of the contacts.
US09607947B2
Reliable microstrip routing arrangements for electronics components are described. In an example, a semiconductor apparatus includes a semiconductor die having a surface with an integrated circuit thereon coupled to contact pads of an uppermost metallization layer of a semiconductor package substrate by a plurality of conductive contacts. A plurality of discrete metal planes is disposed at the uppermost metallization layer of the semiconductor package substrate, each metal plane located, from a plan view perspective, at a corner of a perimeter of the semiconductor die. Microstrip routing is disposed at the uppermost metallization layer of the semiconductor package substrate, from the plan view perspective, outside of the perimeter of the semiconductor die.
US09607946B2
The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a back-end-of-the-line metallization layer. The method is performed by forming a plurality of freestanding metal layer structures (i.e., metal layer structures not surrounded by a dielectric material) on a semiconductor substrate within an area defined by a patterned photoresist layer. A diffusion barrier layer is deposited onto the metal layer structure in a manner such that the diffusion barrier layer conforms to the top and sides of the metal layer structure. A dielectric material is formed on the surface of the substrate to fill areas between metal layer structures. The substrate is planarized to remove excess metal and dielectric material and to expose the top of the metal layer structure.
US09607940B2
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment is a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip mounted on a chip mounting part is sealed by resin and a first member is fixed to a chip mounting surface side between a peripheral portion of the semiconductor chip and a peripheral portion of the chip mounting part. Also, the first member is sealed by the resin. Also, a length of the first part of the chip mounting part in the first direction is larger than a length of the semiconductor chip in the first direction, in a plan view.
US09607938B2
An integrated circuit packaging system and method of manufacture thereof includes: a dielectric core having an embedded pad; a top solder resist layer on the dielectric core, a pad top surface of the embedded pad below the top solder resist layer; a device interconnect attached to the embedded pad; and an integrated circuit device having an interconnect pillar, the interconnect pillar attached to the device interconnect for mounting the integrated circuit device to the dielectric core.
US09607934B2
A lead frame includes at least one row of a plurality of unit regions arranged in a first direction. Each of the unit regions includes: a first lead; a second lead; and an isolation region configured to isolate the first lead from the second lead, the isolation region including a bent portion that is located at an end part of the second lead. The first lead has an extending portion extending along the end part of the second lead. The plurality of unit regions includes a first unit region, and a second unit region that is adjacent to the first unit region in the first direction. The first lead of the first unit region is connected to the first lead or second lead of the second unit region via the extending portion.
US09607927B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip including a semiconductor substrate, an element formed in an element forming region of the semiconductor substrate, and a through-via penetrating across a front surface and a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate while avoiding the element forming region of the semiconductor substrate to form a conductive path between the front surface and the rear surface; a circuit component mounted on a circuit component connection surface at the same side as the front surface of the semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor chip; and an external connection members formed on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09607925B2
A semiconductor device may include: a plurality of output paths, which include a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs), respectively, and suitable for transmission of test confirmation information; an information provider suitable for providing the test confirmation information to the plurality of TSVs; and an output controller suitable for selectively blocking one of the output paths including a failed one among the plurality of TSVs.
US09607923B2
An electronic device is provided, which includes an electronic element and a heat dissipating element disposed on the electronic element through a thermal conductor, wherein a width of the thermal conductor is smaller than a width of the electronic element. The thermal conductor includes silver to thereby greatly increase the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor and hence improve the thermal conduction efficiency of the electronic device.
US09607911B2
A system for programming integrated circuit (IC) dies formed on a wafer includes an optical transmitter that outputs a digital test program as an optical signal. At least one optical sensor (e.g., photodiode) is formed with the IC dies on the wafer. The optical sensor detects and receives the optical signal. A processor formed on the wafer converts the optical signal to the digital test program and the digital test program is stored in memory on the wafer in association with one of the IC dies. The optical transmitter does not physically contact the dies, but can flood an entire surface of the wafer with the optical signal so that all of the IC dies are concurrently programmed with the digital test program.
US09607901B2
A tensile strained silicon layer is patterned to form a first group of fins in a first substrate area and a second group of fins in a second substrate area. The second group of fins is covered with a tensile strained material, and an anneal is performed to relax the tensile strained silicon semiconductor material in the second group of fins and produce relaxed silicon semiconductor fins in the second area. The first group of fins is covered with a mask, and silicon-germanium material is provided on the relaxed silicon semiconductor fins. Germanium from the silicon germanium material is then driven into the relaxed silicon semiconductor fins to produce compressive strained silicon-germanium semiconductor fins in the second substrate area (from which p-channel finFET devices are formed). The mask is removed to reveal tensile strained silicon semiconductor fins in the first substrate area (from which n-channel finFET devices are formed).
US09607899B1
A method for integrating a vertical transistor and a three-dimensional channel transistor includes forming narrow fins and wide fins in a substrate; forming a first source/drain (S/D) region at a base of the narrow fin and forming a gate dielectric layer and a gate conductor layer over the narrow fin and the wide fin. The gate conductor layer and the gate dielectric layer are patterned to form a vertical gate structure and a three-dimensional (3D) gate structure. Gate spacers are formed over sidewalls of the gate structures. A planarizing layer is deposited over the vertical gate structure and the 3D gate structure. A top portion of the narrow fin is exposed. S/D regions are formed on opposite sides of the 3D gate structure to form a 3D transistor, and a second S/D region is formed on the top portion of the narrow fin to form a vertical transistor.
US09607895B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor structure. The method includes providing a substrate having an upper surface and a bottom surface; and forming a deep hole in the substrate from the upper surface. The method also includes forming an amorphous silicon layer on a side surface and a bottom surface of the deep hole to promote a preferred crystal orientation in subsequently formed layers. Further, the method includes forming a barrier layer having a preferred orientation along the (111) crystal face on the barrier layer. Further, the method also includes forming a metal layer having a preferred orientation along the (111) crystal face on the barrier layer to fill the through hole.
US09607891B2
An aluminum interconnection apparatus comprises a metal structure formed over a substrate, wherein the metal structure is formed of a copper and aluminum alloy, a first alloy layer formed underneath the metal structure and a first barrier layer formed underneath the first alloy layer, wherein the first barrier layer is generated by a reaction between the first alloy layer and an adjacent dielectric layer during a thermal process.
US09607890B1
Methods and systems for stress relieving through-silicon vias are disclosed and may include forming a semiconductor device comprising a stress relieving stepped through-silicon-via (TSV), said stress relieving stepped TSV being formed by: forming first mask layers on a top surface and a bottom surface of a silicon layer, forming a via hole through the silicon layer at exposed regions defined by the first mask layers, and removing the first mask layers. The formed via hole may be filled with metal, second mask layers may be formed covering top and bottom surfaces of the silicon layer and a portion of top and bottom surfaces of the metal filling the formed via hole, and metal may be removed from the top and bottom surfaces of the metal exposed by the second mask layers to a depth of less than half a thickness of the silicon layer.
US09607887B1
In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a convex portion including an interconnect and a first film above a substrate, forming a second film on the convex portion, and forming a concave portion having a first bottom face of the first film and a second bottom face lower than the upper face of the first film in the second film. The method further includes forming a polymer film in the concave portion by using a polymer that includes first and second portions respectively having first and second affinities for the first film, phase-separating the first and second portions to form a first pattern containing the first portion and located on the first bottom face and a second pattern containing the second portion and located on the second bottom face in the polymer film, and selectively removing the first or second pattern.
US09607880B2
A method of manufacturing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate is provided. The method includes forming an island-shaped insulating layer on a first surface of a first semiconductor substrate in a first region, forming a silicon epitaxial layer on the first surface of the first semiconductor substrate so as to cover the island-shaped insulating layer, forming a trench by etching the silicon epitaxial layer so as to expose the island-shaped insulating layer, and forming a first insulating adhesive layer on the silicon epitaxial layer and the island-shaped insulating layer so as to fill the trench.
US09607875B2
An adhesive composition for temporarily attaching a substrate to a support plate which supports the substrate, and includes a thermoplastic resin and a release agent.
US09607872B2
An inline system including a first apparatus having a first processing unit for processing a workpiece and an unloading area for unloading the workpiece processed by the first processing unit, a second apparatus having a loading area for loading the workpiece unloaded from the unloading area and a second processing unit for processing the workpiece loaded to the loading area, a transfer unit for transferring the workpiece from the unloading area to the loading area, and a position detecting unit for imaging the unloading area to detect the position of the unloading area and also imaging the loading area to detect the position of the loading area. The transfer unit transfers the workpiece from the unloading area to the loading area according to the position of the unloading area and the position of the loading area detected by the position detecting unit.
US09607870B2
A flash heating part in a heat treatment apparatus includes 30 built-in flash lamps, and irradiates a semiconductor wafer held by a holder in a chamber with a flash of light. Thirty switching elements are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the 30 flash lamps. Each of the switching elements defines the waveform of current flowing through a corresponding one of the flash lamps by intermittently supplying electrical charge thereto. Radiation thermometers measure an in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer during flash irradiation. Based on the results of measurement with the radiation thermometers, a controller individually controls the operations of the 30 switching elements to individually define the light emission patterns of the 30 flash lamps.
US09607861B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including steps of: (a) bonding a support plate to a first main face of a wafer, the first main face having an integrated circuit disposed thereon; (b) thinning the wafer by polishing or grinding a second main face after step (a), the second main face being opposite to the first main face; (c) dividing the wafer into multiple chip bodies concurrently with or after step (b); (d) bonding multiple reinforcing layers to second main faces of the respective chip bodies after step (c); and (e) removing the support plate after step (d).
US09607846B2
A device includes a crystalline material within an area confined by an insulator. A surface of the crystalline material has a reduced roughness. One example includes obtaining a surface with reduced roughness by using a planarization process configured with a selectivity of the crystalline material to the insulator greater than one. In a preferred embodiment, the planarization process uses a composition including abrasive spherical silica, H2O2 and water. In a preferred embodiment, the area confined by the insulator is an opening in the insulator having an aspect ratio sufficient to trap defects using an ART technique.
US09607844B2
The method includes holding a substrate horizontally with a holding and rotating mechanism; introducing processing liquid from a fluid introduction portion of, in a processing liquid pipe in which a processing liquid nozzle having a discharge port at a tip end is provided at one end, the other end of the processing liquid pipe into the processing liquid pipe so as to discharge the processing liquid from the discharge port toward the substrate; introducing, after stopping the processing liquid discharge step, a gas from the fluid introduction portion into the processing liquid pipe so as to extrude the processing liquid within the processing liquid pipe and within the processing liquid nozzle outwardly; and stopping, after starting the introduction of the gas, the introduction of the gas into the processing liquid pipe with the processing liquid being left within the processing liquid pipe and/or the processing liquid nozzle.
US09607835B2
A transistor including a gate structure with a first portion and a second portion; the first and second portions each have a first edge and an opposing second edge that are substantially collinear. The gate structure also includes an offset portion interposing the first portion and the second portion. The offset portion has a third edge and an opposing fourth edge. The third edge and the fourth edge are non-collinear with the first and second edges of the first and second portions of the gate structure. For example, the offset portion is offset or shifted from the first and second portions.
US09607834B2
A method for etching an antireflective coating on a substrate is disclosed. The substrate comprises an organic layer, an antireflective coating layer disposed above the organic layer, and a photoresist layer disposed above the antireflective coating layer. The method includes patterning the photoresist layer to expose a non-masked portion of the antireflective coating layer and selectively depositing a carbon-containing layer on the non-masked portions of the antireflective coating layer and on non-sidewall portions of the patterned photoresist layer. The method further includes etching the film stack to remove the carbon-containing layer and to remove a partial thickness of the non-masked portions of the antireflective coating layer without reducing a thickness of the photoresist layer. The method further includes repeating the selective depositing and etching, at least until the complete thickness of the non-masked portions of the antireflective coating layer is removed, to expose the underlying organic layer.
US09607832B2
Provided is an epitaxial wafer manufacturing device (1) that deposits and grows epitaxial layers on the surfaces of wafers W while supplying a raw material gas to a chamber, wherein a shield (12), arranged in close proximity to the lower surface of a top plate (3) so as to prevent deposits from being deposited on the lower surface of the top plate (3), is removably attached inside the chamber, has an opening (13) in the central portion thereof that forces a gas inlet (9) to face the inside of a reaction space K, and has a structure in which it is concentrically divided into a plurality of ring plates (16), (17) and (18) around the opening (13).
US09607826B2
Semiconductor device manufacturing methods and methods of forming insulating material layers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of forming a composite insulating material layer of a semiconductor device includes providing a workpiece and forming a first sub-layer of the insulating material layer over the workpiece using a first plasma power level. A second sub-layer of the insulating material layer is formed over the first sub-layer of the insulating material layer using a second plasma power level, and the workpiece is annealed.
US09607824B2
A semiconductor device includes a support substrate, an insulating layer provided on the support substrate, and a semiconductor element provided on the insulating layer. The insulating layer has a lower insulating layer consisting of amorphous boron nitride, and an upper insulating layer provided on the lower insulating layer and including amorphous boron nitride and an hexagonal system boron nitride (h-BN) particles.
US09607820B2
A mass spectrometer includes an ion mobility spectrometer or separator arranged upstream of a collision or fragmentation cell. Ions are separated according to their ion mobility within the ion mobility spectrometer or separator. The kinetic energy of the ions exiting the ion mobility spectrometer or separator is increased substantially linearly with time in order to optimize the fragmentation energy of ions as they enter the collision or fragmentation cell. During the time that the potential of the ion mobility spectrometer or separator is being varied, the potential of ion-optical components upstream of the ion mobility spectrometer or separator such as an ion source, ion guide, quadrupole mass filter, optional second collision or fragmentation cell and an ion trapping device are kept constant.
US09607813B2
Provided is a magnetic field generation apparatus including: two or more main magnetic pole portions configured to generate a main magnetic field; one or more secondary magnetic pole portions including a plurality of first divisional magnets obtained by a division, that generate a secondary magnetic field for adjusting the generated main magnetic field; and a yoke portion including one or more first yokes opposing the plurality of first divisional magnets in correspondence with the one or more secondary magnetic pole portions.
US09607789B1
A switch assembly and method of operation comprises a housing having top and bottom ends spaced about a longitudinal axis and a selectively movable knob coupled to a plunger arrangement having a shaft that extends from inside the housing to couple to the knob. The switch assembly also comprises a printed circuit board having at least one wiper for engaging a contact extending from the plunger arrangement. A step shaft projects from the shaft of the plunger arrangement such that when a maintained mode of operation is desired by the switch assembly, the step shaft engages a retaining assembly formed by a portion of the housing, and when a momentary mode of operation is desired by the switch assembly the step shaft is positioned such that is free from engaging the retaining assembly.
US09607782B2
An electronic housing is disclosed for switching devices, including a housing lower part and a housing upper part. In an embodiment, a guide is formed in the interface region between the housing upper part and the housing lower part such that the housing upper part can be slid onto the housing lower part in the X direction via the guide in a fully automatic process.
US09607781B2
A tap changer for uninterrupted switching between winding taps of a tapped transformer has first and second load branches for each phase to be switched. Each load branch has a main vacuum switch and in parallel thereto a series connection of a switch-over resistance and a respective auxiliary vacuum switch. First and second vacuum switching tubes each contain the main vacuum switch of the respective first and second load branches and the auxiliary vacuum switch of the other of the load branches.
US09607779B2
An emergency button for a vehicle used for emergency rescue when a vehicle accident or an emergency situation occurs has a design structure reflecting a design to prevent an erroneous operation for conforming to governmental regulations, and an intuitive human-machine interface (HMI) to allow a user to easily operate the emergency button and prevent an erroneous operation from being generated. The emergency button includes a case; a cap coupled to an upper portion of the case so as to move up and down during rotation; and a button part which is interfered in a rotation direction and slidably coupled with the cap to be rotated together with the cap, receives elastic support by a spring at a lower side to be movable up and down, and is in contact with the switch for transmitting a call connection signal within the case to transmit a call connection signal.
US09607775B2
A positive electrode for an energy storage device includes a first activated carbon material comprising pores having a size of ≦1 nm, which provide a combined pore volume of >0.3 cm3/g, pores having a size of >1 nm to ≦2 nm, which provide a combined pore volume of ≧0.05 cm3/g, and <0.15 cm3/g combined pore volume of any pores having a size of >2 nm. A negative electrode for the energy storage device includes a second activated carbon material comprising pores having a size of ≦1 nm, which provide a combined pore volume of ≦0.3 cm3/g, pores having a size of >1 nm to ≦2 nm, which provide a combined pore volume of ≧0.05 cm3/g, and <0.15 cm3/g combined pore volume of any pores having a size of >2 nm. The total oxygen content in at least the first activated carbon material is at most 1.5 wt. %.
US09607774B2
AMTEC unit cell with partially opened internal electrode and method for manufacturing the AMTEC cell
Disclosed are an open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell, a method for manufacturing the same and a method for connecting circuits. In order to overcome the difficulty in collecting electricity within a conventional AMTEC unit cell, an internal electrode of which a portion is open to the outside, so that the internal electrode and an external electrode can be electrically connected to each other at the outside of the unit cell, and a metal support is used as the internal electrode, so that the internal electrode has durability and stability, and a solid electrolyte is formed in the form of a thin film, and as a result, the AMTEC unit cell has an improved efficiency and a simpler manufacturing process.
US09607768B2
A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes first through fourth internal electrodes. The first and second internal electrodes are connected to first and second external electrodes, respectively, and disposed to face each other. The third and fourth internal electrodes are connected to the first and second external electrodes, respectively, and disposed to face each other, with a connection area of the third and fourth internal electrodes with the first and second external electrodes being different from the connection area where the first and second internal electrodes connect with the first and second external electrodes. The first and second external electrodes include first and second conductive layers disposed in inner portions thereof, and first and second conductive resin layers disposed in outer portions thereof, respectively.
US09607763B2
A monolithic ceramic electronic component includes a component body and outer electrodes. The component body includes a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and a plurality of inner electrodes which extend between the ceramic layers, which contain Ni, and which include exposed ends exposed on predetermined surfaces of the component body. The outer electrodes are electrically connected to the exposed ends of the inner electrodes and are formed on the predetermined surfaces of the component body by plating. The inner electrodes include Mg—Ni coexistence regions where Mg and Ni coexist.
US09607756B2
A transformer includes a primary winding; a secondary winding; a first electrostatic screen located between the primary winding and the secondary winding and most proximate to the primary winding; and a second electrostatic screen located between the primary winding and the secondary winding and most proximate to the secondary winding. The first electrostatic screen is electrically connectable to a power supply electrically connectable to the primary winding and the second electrostatic screen is electrically connectable to a load electrically connectable to the secondary winding. The invention also includes an inverter system including the transformer.
US09607754B2
Disclosed herein is a pre space transformer including: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, which is an opposite surface to the first surface; individual electrodes disposed on the first surface; and common electrodes disposed in the substrate, wherein the individual electrodes are repeatedly disposed while configuring a unit pattern.
US09607751B2
A ferrite sintered body includes a crystal grain of a Ni—Zn ferrite and a grain boundary thereof, in which Ti is unevenly distributed in an outer region of the crystal grain, the outer region extending from an interface of the crystal grain to a length of 20% of a major axis of the crystal grain.
US09607742B2
An R-T-B based alloy strip containing dendritic crystals including a R2T14B phase, wherein on at least one surface, the average value for the widths of the dendritic crystals is no greater than 60 μm, and the number of crystal nuclei in the dendritic crystals is at least 500 per 1 mm square area.
US09607737B2
A semiconductive polyolefin composition comprising (i) up to 80 wt. % of a polyolefin (I), (ii) carbon black, and (iii) up to 60 wt. % of a polymer (II) having a melting point of not less than 100° C., wherein the polyolefin (I) comprises two different ethylene copolymers: a first ethylene copolymer and second ethylene copolymer; wherein the first ethylene copolymer comprises polar group containing co-monomers in the amount of 3.5 mol % or less; and wherein the second ethylene copolymer comprises silane group containing co-monomers in the amount of 0.7 mol % or less.
US09607736B2
According to one embodiment, an insulated wire is disclosed. The wire includes a conductor and an insulating film formed on the conductor, the insulating film including a first layer of a first polyamideimide containing an adhesion improver; a second layer of a second polyamideimide obtained by reacting an isocyanate component containing 10 to 70 mol % in total of 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and dimer acid diisocyanate with an acid component; and a third layer of a polyimide obtained by reacting an acid component containing 50 to 80 mol % of 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyl tetracarboxylic dianhydride and 20 to 50 mol % of pyromellitic anhydride with a diamine component containing 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether.
US09607732B2
Coated conductors including a conductive core at least partially surrounded by a polymeric coating. The polymeric coating has an α-olefin based polymer and an α-olefin based block composite. The α-olefin block composite has block copolymers having hard segments and soft segments.
US09607731B2
The present invention relates to an ionic interpenetrating polymer network comprising at least one elastomer and an ionic supramolecular structure comprising the reaction product of at least two chemical compounds wherein each of said compounds has at least two functional groups and wherein said compounds are able to undergo Lewis acid-base reactions. The interpenetrating polymer network may be used as dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAPs) having a high dielectric permittivity.
US09607725B2
Provided are a graphene structure and a method for producing the same in which graphene can be patterned with high precision, and thereby microfabrication of electronic device elements and electronic devices using graphene is possible and the manufacturing cost can be notably reduced. A resist film is precisely patterned on a substrate, hydrophilized films are formed in openings of the resist film, and then GO is selectively fixed on the portions of the hydrophilized films by a chemical bond utilizing the hydrophilicity of the GO, and the GO is reduced to obtain a graphene structure in which graphene is selectively fixed to only the portions of the hydrophilized films. Thus, the graphene structure is constituted by disposing graphene on a substrate and forming a bond, by hydrophilization treatment, between the hydrophilized portion of the substrate and the graphene and/or between the unhydrophobized portion of the substrate and the graphene.
US09607724B2
Objects undergoing processing by a high resolution x-ray microscope with a high flux x-ray source that allows high speed metrology or inspection of objects such as integrated circuits (ICs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), and other IC packaging technologies. The object to be investigated is illuminated by collimated, high-flux x-rays from an extended source having a designated x-ray spectrum. The system also comprises a stage to control the position and orientation of the object; a scintillator that absorbs x-rays and emits visible photons positioned in very close proximity to (or in contact with) the object; an optical imaging system that forms a highly magnified, high-resolution image of the photons emitted by the scintillator; and a detector such as a CCD array to convert the image to electronic signals.
US09607702B2
A NAND array includes blocks of memory cells. A block of memory cells includes a plurality of strings having channel lines between first and second string select switches. The strings share a set of word lines between the first and second string select switches. A channel-side voltage can be applied to the channel lines. A control voltage can be applied to a selected subset of the first string select switches. The channel lines can be floated at ends of the second string select switches. Tunneling in memory cells coupled to an unselected subset of the first string select switches can be inhibited. Word line-side erase voltages can be applied to word lines in the set of word lines in the block to induce tunneling in memory cells coupled to the word lines and coupled to the selected subset of the first string select switches.
US09607685B2
A memory array comprises a plurality of memory cells arranged in columns and rows. The memory array also comprises a plurality of first-type strap cells arranged in a row, wherein each first-type strap cell comprises a first-type well strap structure. The memory array further comprises a plurality of second-type strap cells arranged in a row. Each second-type strap cell comprises a second-type well strap structure. Each column of memory cells is bracketed by at least one first-type strap cell of the plurality of first-type strap cells or at least one second-type strap cell of the plurality of second-type strap cells.
US09607684B2
A method for predicting a condition in a circuit under design includes obtaining a set comprising first static noise margin curve for the circuit and a second static noise margin curve for the circuit, wherein the second static noise margin curve is complementary to the first static noise margin curve, matching the set to a two-dimensional model of a cell, and predicting the condition in accordance with hardware characterization data corresponding to the cell.
US09607679B1
A refresh control device is disclosed, which relates to a technology for efficiently storing weak cell refresh addresses. The refresh control device includes a weak cell address storage circuit to store a weak address, a weak cell address control circuit, and a row address control circuit. The weak cell address control circuit outputs a weak enable signal and a row address by comparing a refresh address with the weak address, and only activates the refresh address according to the comparison result or activates both the refresh address and the row address. The row address control circuit controls a refresh operation by selectively activating a word line of a bank in response to the refresh address, the weak enable signal, and the row address.
US09607665B2
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for providing power availability information to memory. A number of embodiments include a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to provide power and power availability information to the memory, and the memory is configured to determine whether to adjust its operation based, at least in part, on the power availability information.
US09607649B1
A test involves iterations over a series of laser powers of a heat-assisted read/write head. The iterations involve writing to a recording medium at the selected laser power for a sufficient duration to ensure thermal equilibrium of the read/write head at an end of the write. A clearance-control heater of the read/write head is transitioned from a pre-write power before a start of the write to a steady-state write power. The iterations further involve measuring a temperature of the read/write head during the write and adjusting the steady-state write power to achieve a predefined difference between the temperature at the start of the write and the end of the write. The adjusted steady state write power is stored for each iteration. A write-induced protrusion is determined based on the iterations and used for calibration of the read/write head.
US09607628B2
An audio system is described including an audio processor, an amplifier and a speaker and a distortion estimator. The distortion estimator calculates at least one of an expected response of the amplifier to an audio signal and an expected response of the loudspeaker to an audio signal. The distortion estimator is operable to generate a distortion prediction signal determined by a difference between an expected non-linear response of at least one of the loudspeaker and the amplifier and an expected linear response of at least one of the loudspeaker and the amplifier. A controller coupled to the audio processor and a control input of the audio processor may vary the operating parameters of the audio processor depending on the estimated distortion.
US09607621B2
Systems and methods for determining an identity of an individual are provided. Audio may be received that includes a key phrase spoken by the individual, and the key phrase may include an identifier spoken by the individual. A key phrase voice print and key phrase text corresponding to the audio may be obtained. The key phrase text may include text corresponding to the identifier spoken by the individual. Voice prints may be retrieved based on the text corresponding to the identifier, and the voice prints may be provided to a voice biometric engine for comparison to the key phrase voice print. The individual may be authenticated based on a comparison of the key phrase voice print to the voice prints. The identifier may include a first name and a last name of the individual.
US09607619B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a voice identification method, including: obtaining voice data; obtaining a first confidence value according to the voice data; obtaining a noise scenario according to the voice data; obtaining a second confidence value corresponding to the noise scenario according to the first confidence value; and if the second confidence value is greater than or equal to a pre-stored confidence threshold, processing the voice data. An apparatus is also provided. The method and apparatus that flexibly adjust the confidence value according to the noise scenario greatly improve a voice identification rate under a noise environment.
US09607618B2
A method for adapting a speech recognition system for out-of-vocabulary, comprising, decoding by a hybrid speech recognition a speech including out-of-vocabulary terms, thereby generating graphemic transcriptions of the speech with a mixture of recognized in-vocabulary words and unrecognized sub-words, while keeping a track of the decoded segments of the speech, determining in the transcription sequences of sub-words as candidate out-of-vocabulary words based on a first condition with respect to lengths of the sequences of sub-words and a second condition with respect to the number of repetitions of the sequences, audibly presenting to a user the candidate out-of-vocabulary words from the corresponding segments of the speech according to the track, and receiving from the user indications of valid words corresponding to audible presentations of the sequences of sub-words in the candidate out-of-vocabulary words, and training a speech recognition to additionally recognize the candidate out-of-vocabulary words, thereby adapting the speech recognition to recognize out-of-vocabulary words, wherein the method is performed on an at least one computerized apparatus configured to perform the method, and an apparatus for performing the same.
US09607617B2
An automated arrangement is described for conducting natural language interactions with a human user. A user interface is provided for user communication in a given active natural language interaction with a natural language application during an automated dialog session. An automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine processes unknown user speech inputs from the user interface to produce corresponding speech recognition results. A natural language concept module processes the speech recognition results to develop corresponding natural language concept items. A concept item storage holds selected concept items for reuse in a subsequent natural language interaction with the user during the automated dialog session.
US09607614B2
The present invention provides a terminal, comprising: a voice recognition unit for recognizing a voice during a call and generating recognition data; a first acquisition unit connected to the voice recognition unit and used for acquiring information correlated with the recognition data; and a display unit connected to the first acquisition unit and used for displaying the correlated information. The present invention also provides a server and an information pushing method. Through the technical schemes of the present invention, information correlated with the call content can be automatically and rapidly acquired according to the call content and presented to a user, thus facilitating timely referring of the user.
US09607612B2
Technologies for natural language interactions with virtual personal assistant systems include a computing device configured to capture audio input, distort the audio input to produce a number of distorted audio variations, and perform speech recognition on the audio input and the distorted audio variants. The computing device selects a result from a large number of potential speech recognition results based on contextual information. The computing device may measure a user's engagement level by using an eye tracking sensor to determine whether the user is visually focused on an avatar rendered by the virtual personal assistant. The avatar may be rendered in a disengaged state, a ready state, or an engaged state based on the user engagement level. The avatar may be rendered as semitransparent in the disengaged state, and the transparency may be reduced in the ready state or the engaged state. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09607599B2
A particulate sound absorption board used for sound absorption surface layer of sound absorption/insulation board is a micropore particle board formed by splicing skeleton particles and filling particles which are covered with binding agent on the surface and have small angularity coefficient. The particulate sound insulation board used for sound insulation surface layer of sound absorption/insulation board is a compressed board formed by closely splicing skeleton particles, filling particles, binding agent and coupling agent, and there is a resonance sound absorption cavity that functions together with sound absorption surface layer in the board body. The particulate sound barrier consists of column and more than two overlapped sound absorption/insulation boards fixed between adjacent columns. A convex-concave joint end face is set on the sound absorption/insulation board, and the sealing cushion is bound between adjacent end faces.
US09607596B2
The hammer union pressure transducer engages with a cinch nut of a hammer union coupling to cinch a nose end toward an internal sealing surface of a male component of the hammer union coupling. The transducer includes a connection end removably threaded to the nose end. An anti-rotation device engages the connection end and the nose end, inhibiting inadvertent unthreading. The anti-rotation device is removable or shearable, allowing unthreading of the connection end from the nose end as desired. A recess may be formed on the external sealing surface of the nose end and an insert may be disposed in the recess. The insert, if used, may be formed of a material that is different from a material of the nose end. An upgrade kit may also be employed and includes an adapter plate to connect to the nose end.
US09607594B2
A multimedia apparatus, a music composing method thereof, and a song correcting method thereof are provided. A music composing method includes setting a type of musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data according to a user's input, sensing a user interaction, analyzing the sensed user interaction and determining a beat and a pitch of the user interaction, and generating MIDI data using the set type of MIDI data and the determined beat and pitch.
US09607592B2
The present invention discloses a guitar hanger apparatus, including a fixed base and a hanger body fixedly connects to the fixed base; the fixed hanger body further includes a fixing holder, applied to support the guitar and move down following the weight of the guitar, a self-locking mechanism connecting to and driven by the fixing holder; the self-locking mechanism comprises rotating shaft assemblies, built in the main body of the hanger, and swing arms connecting to the rotating shaft assemblies; the fixed holder comprises positioning casts, applied to fix the guitar, while a driving unit is arranged in the positioning cast, applied to drive the rotating shaft assemblies. The present invention achieves fixation and protection to a guitar by the weight of the guitar, which has a simple structure, and enables mass production thus brings benefits to the manufacturer.
US09607584B2
A server receives and analyzes analytics data from an application of one or more devices. The application corresponds to a content generator. The server generates, using the content generator, a visualization content dataset based on the analysis of the analytics data. The visualization content dataset comprises a set of images, along with corresponding analytics virtual object models to be engaged with an image of a physical object captured with the one or more devices and recognized in the set of images. The analytics data and the visualization content dataset may be stored in a storage device of the server.
US09607569B2
To provide a small driver IC, in a pass transistor logic circuit that converts k-bit digital signals into analog signals, transistors supplied with a first-bit signal are arranged in a line in the channel width direction. The channel width of transistors supplied with second to kth-bit signals is made larger than (e.g., preferably larger than two times and smaller than eight times) that of the transistors supplied with the first-bit signal. The transistors are preferably arranged such that transistors of the same conductivity type are located adjacent to each other wherever possible.
US09607565B2
Disclosed is a display device that comprises: a display panel; a level shifter shifting a start pulse, an initialization pulse, and N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2)-phase shift clocks to a predetermined voltage; and a gate shift register comprising multiple stages respectively connected to scan lines of the display panel and shifting the start pulse in response to the N-phase shift clocks within a driving period defined by the start pulse to sequentially output a scan pulse, wherein the stages are simultaneously reset in response to the initialization pulse and the N-phase shift clocks within an initialization period preceding the driving period.
US09607564B2
A clock generator circuit of a liquid display panel includes a charge sharing switch unit, a first capacitor, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch. The charge sharing switch unit is configured to receive control signals and accordingly output a first-polarity voltage to the first capacitor. The clock generator circuit is configured to turn on the first switch, the second switch, the third switch and the fourth switch according to a specific sequence thereby outputting a clock signal. An operation method for the aforementioned clock generator circuit is also provided.
US09607555B2
A display apparatus includes: a light-emitting unit that includes a plurality of light-emitting devices; a display unit; a first determination unit configured to determine, in a region, whether a ratio of a total number of first type pixels is a first ratio or more; a second determination unit configured to determine, in the region, whether a ratio of a total number of second type pixels is a second ratio or more, when the determination result of the first determination unit is affirmative; and a control unit configured to increase emission brightness of a target device based on the determination result of the second determination unit.
US09607554B2
An image pickup device, having first, second and third imaging modes, includes: a camera; a display that displays a video image obtained by the camera in the first, second and third imaging modes; and a touch panel that overlaps the display, and detects a flick operation in at least left and right directions. Switching to the second imaging mode occurs by a first flick operation in the right direction in the first imaging mode. Switching to the third imaging mode occurs by a second flick operation in the right direction in the second imaging mode. Switching to the second imaging mode occurs by a third flick operation in the left direction in the third imaging mode. Switching to the first imaging mode occurs by a fourth flick operation in the left direction in the second imaging mode.
US09607546B2
A display panel includes a plurality of pixel circuits. Each of pixel circuits comprises an emission unit including an organic light emitting diode, a pixel driving unit configured to drive an emission unit based on a scan signal and a data signal, and a switch unit configured to control an electrical connection between an emission unit and a pixel driving unit based on an emission signal. A first parasitic capacitance between an emission unit included in a first pixel circuit of pixel circuits and a pixel driving unit included in a first pixel circuit is smaller than a second parasitic capacitance between an emission unit included in a first pixel circuit and a pixel driving unit included in a second pixel circuit of pixel circuits adjacent to a first pixel circuit.
US09607544B2
Embodiments of the application provide a brightness compensating method and a self-illuminating display device. The brightness compensating method includes: retrieving a table of compensation parameters pre-stored in the self-illuminating display device, which includes compensation parameters of the N zones, where a compensation parameter of a zone at higher temperature than the temperature in the reference zone is smaller than G, and a compensation parameter of a zone at lower temperature than the temperature in the reference zone is larger than G; and compensating for the brightness of an image displayed in each of the N zones according to the compensation parameters. The embodiments of the application can be applicable to compensation for the brightness of the self-illuminating display device.
US09607542B2
The embodiments of the present invention provide a display panel driving method, a driving device and a display device, which can improve the time delay of the gate driving signals of a partitioned controlled display panel and reduce the production cost. The display panel comprises at least two time sequence controllers and at least two display areas, each of the time controllers corresponding to one of the display areas respectively; the driving method comprises each of the time sequence controllers obtaining a synchronization signal according to an obtained display signal of the corresponding display area, the synchronization signal comprising a starting time of a first line of scanning signals of the corresponding display area, the time sequence controllers adjusting the starting times of the first lines of the scanning signals according to the synchronization signals of at least one display area so as to make the starting times of the first lines of the scanning signals of all display areas are the same.
US09607540B2
A display panel is disclosed, which comprises: a first substrate with plural pixel units formed thereon, wherein the pixel units at least comprise a first subpixel unit being a blue pixel unit and a second subpixel unit being a green pixel unit, wherein the first subpixel unit comprises a first subpixel electrode comprising a first trunk electrode, and the second subpixel unit comprises a second subpixel electrode comprising a second trunk electrode; and a second substrate opposite to the first substrate. When light passes through the display panel, a width of a first dark line corresponding to the first trunk electrode is larger than that of a second dark line corresponding to the second trunk electrode.
US09607536B2
A testing apparatus to establish a fault by a process of elimination includes an input unit, a signal converting unit, a switch unit, and a display unit. The input unit receives an input signal and outputs a switch signal. The signal converting unit receives the switch signal and outputs a control signal. The switch unit receives the control signal and outputs a test signal. The display unit receives the test signal and runs a built in self test (BIST) program to test the proper functioning of the display unit. The signal converting unit outputs a data signal and a clock signal to the display unit when the display unit works normally. The signal converting unit not output the data signal and the clock signal to the display unit when the input signal and resulting control signal are repeated.
US09607525B2
Golf performance and equipment characteristics may be determined by analyzing the impact between a golf ball and an impacting surface. In some examples, the impacting surface may be a golf club face. The impact between the golf ball and the surface may be measured based on sound and/or motion sensors (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, etc.). Based on motion and/or sound data, various equipment-related information including golf ball compression, club head speed and impact location may be derived. Such information and/or other types of data may be conveyed to a user to help improve performance, aid in selecting golf equipment and/or to insure quality of golfing products.
US09607523B2
Systems and methods for weather information management are provided. In one embodiment, a method for weather information management comprises: determining at a ground based weather collection station when a first set of aircraft collected weather data is available for transfer from a first aircraft based on a new weather data disclosure message received from the first aircraft; determining whether the first set is cumulative to a second set of aircraft collected weather data based on the new weather data disclosure message; evaluating at least a first communication datalink for suitability for transferring the first set based on a data size indicated in the new weather data disclosure message; and when the first set is not cumulative and the first datalink is suitable: selecting the first communication datalink; and transmitting a weather data request in response to the new weather data disclosure message, the request indicating the first datalink.
US09607518B2
Disclosed herein are vehicle accident recorders and methods for generating accident information thereof. A method may include receiving an accident message transmitted from an accident vehicle; confirming a distance between a vehicle and an accident point and whether or not a view confirming the accident point is secured, based on accident data included in the accident message; and generating witness data for the accident point depending on results of the confirming of the distance between the vehicle and the accident point and whether or not the view is secured.
US09607516B2
A remaining energy supply warning system provides different low fuel level reminders and warnings according to a driving area determined by a navigation apparatus. When within a life domain of the driver, low fuel level reminders and warnings may be set at lower threshold amounts since the driver is well-acquainted with the area. Therefore, the driver of the vehicle will not be bothered by low fuel reminders and warnings when the amount of fuel remaining is still relatively high considering the driver's knowledge of the area.
US09607512B2
A method and system utilize a logic based controller and a user actuatable device to provide a command to the logic based controller. The logic based controller receives the command, which may be prioritized, and processes the command in accordance with predefined logic to determine whether to actuate a vehicle barrier switch to raise or lower a vehicle barrier.
US09607507B1
Described are techniques and systems for determining a state of activity of a user, and performing operations responsive to the state. The state may be determined using environmental data and operational data. The environmental data provides data indicative of the user's level of activity and may include data from sensors such as cameras, microphones, motion sensors, and so forth. The operational data includes data about performance of one or more services which may be associated with the user. The state may indicate that the user is resting, awake, working, exercising, and so forth. For example, while the user is inactive, such as while resting, resource-intensive operations may be performed. By determining when the user is inactive and detecting unusual levels of activity by the service problems such as damage to the service or malicious activity may be identified.
US09607505B2
An electronic device configured for closed loop remote control functionality and related methods are disclosed herein. In particular, in one embodiment, an electronic device configured for closed loop remote control functionality is provided. The device includes a processor and a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit instructions to a remotely controlled device. Additionally, the device includes an input device configured to allow a user to provide input to the electronic device related to remote control and one or more sensors configured to obtain information related to a state of the remotely controlled device. The processor is configured to use the information obtained by the one or more sensors to determine the state of the remote controlled devices upon receiving the input from a user to transmit instructions.
US09607501B2
A personal security system for use with a personal communication device is disclosed that is capable of sending position information regarding the location of the device to a remote computer-aided dispatch system. The computer-aided dispatch system is coupled to a plurality of security resources within a defined geographic area, and includes a dynamic resource database that includes security resource location information regarding each of a plurality of security resources; and a processing unit for receiving triggering event location data from the personal communication device and for identifying, responsive to the triggering event location data, at least one security resource that is proximate the triggering event.
US09607492B2
A device that produces patterned tactile sensations or events discernible to human touch from micro-actuators housed in a fabric, or other pliable material, where such actuated sensations or events are discernible by a user donning the fabric. The device is configured to convert electronically stored music or audio data into a sequence of patterned tactile sensations or events in a matrix across the fabric, providing a tactile representation of the music or audio data to the user. The discernible tactile sensations or events may alternately comprise retractable physical features, electric stimuli, and/or combinations of these.
US09607491B1
A planar reciprocating actuator (PRA) provides a linear motor configured and optimized for small displacement and oscillation, and can use the effect of a designed mechanical or magnetic spring to increase the amplitude of displacement at certain operating points. The PRA is intended to be used in vibrotactile and haptic applications. The PRA can generate various types of vibratory characteristics that may be perceived as distinct and readily user-identifiable haptic stimuli.
US09607490B2
There is provided a haptic device including a small-size haptic unit. The haptic device includes a weight, a magnet fixed to the weight, a coil that generates a magnetic field to reciprocate the magnet along a predetermined direction, and a current control unit that presents a haptic sensation to a user by controlling a current flowing in the coil to vibrate the weight.
US09607489B2
A household appliance includes an information light device that projects light onto a surface to enable a user to determine whether or not the household device is in operation. The information light device may include a light guide. The light guide may be disposed along a side portion of the household appliance.
US09607488B2
A vehicle information indicator and a method of indicating vehicle information using the indicator are disclosed. The indicator is configured such that a driver who wears the indicator is capable of coordinating devices within a vehicle and can give commands to the coordinated devices. The indicator includes a coordinate setting module which designates a space within the vehicle as spatial coordinates, recognizes the distance of a change in line-of-sight of the user based on an eye zone, and designates a desired zone as detailed zone coordinates. A user command module recognizes a body motion pattern of the user and the number of times of the motion, or a direction and distance that the line-of-sight of the user moves, and provides commands to the devices. In addition, a wireless communication module provides wireless communication between the user command module and the vehicle. A battery is configured to supply power to the modules.
US09607487B2
Systems, methods, and media for projecting light to indicate a device status are provided. In accordance with some implementations of the disclosed subject matter, systems for projecting light to indicate a device status are provided, the systems comprising: a hardware processor that: determines a light status; determines whether to turn a light source on; selects a light format corresponding to the light status; projects light of a light source according to the light format; and determines whether to turn the light source off.
US09607480B2
Systems for providing a lottery ticket to a player of a hybrid game are provided. Systems include an entertainment software engine that provides an entertainment game, the entertainment game including a first type of enabling element and a second type of enabling element; a real world engine that provides a gambling game, and generates random gambling outcomes for a gambling bet in real world credits; and a game world engine coupled to the entertainment software engine and the real world engine via a network, that: receives a lottery ticket; monitors, via the network, the player's skillful play of the entertainment game; pays out game world credit to the player; triggers the gambling bet in the gambling game; receives a gambling outcome; determines to award the lottery ticket to the player on the basis of attendant rules; and issues the lottery ticket to the player via the network.
US09607462B2
An apparatus and system for secure packaging, shipment, receipt and storage of mail, parcels and parcels is described. The apparatus includes an appliqué with a multitude of sensitized residue within that surround the parcel; the residue in the media forms a unique optical fingerprint, which is an exemplar image data for comparison. Substantial damage to one or more fibers alters the optical fingerprint pattern. The data is read and independently verified at waypoints and the destination. Comparing the current image data to the exemplar image data indicates damage or tampering.
US09607452B2
A gas turbine engine is provided having a control and health monitoring system that includes an engine control module. At least one electronic component electronically coupled to the engine control module. The at least one electronic component includes an electronic module. The system further includes an isolation rail extending through the gas turbine engine. The at least one control component is electronically coupled to the engine control module through the isolation rail. The electronic module is in thermal communication with isolation rail.
US09607448B2
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle diagnosis system equipped with a communication terminal for transmitting vehicle information acquired from a vehicle to a server, and a server for analyzing the vehicle information received from the communication terminal and diagnosing the vehicle. The server is provided with a WEB screen providing unit for providing a WEB screen including instructions for the operator in a manner that the communication terminal can display via a communication network. The communication terminal displays the provided WEB screen via the communication network.
US09607441B2
Techniques are disclosed for creating and customizing graphical models. In one embodiment, a design application receives a morphological attractor created from the same mesh as one or more inheritance-based character generation ancestor models. Upon receiving the morphological attractor, the design application may use the attractor to align and transform the ancestor models to create a new set of ancestor models which resemble the attractor. The new set of ancestor models is referred to herein as being in the “genetic space” of the attractor. A user may then create child character models in this same genetic space by, globally or locally, blending two or more of the new ancestor models.
US09607431B2
A method for determining boundary hypersurfaces from data matrices includes identifying intermediate hypersurfaces, situated between two respective matrix elements, that correspond to at least a portion of at least one boundary hypersurface to be determined. The identified intermediate hypersurfaces are represented by points that are adjacent to the intermediate hypersurfaces. The points that are adjacent to the intermediate hypersurfaces are connected by at least one respective closed curve. Hypersurface components formed by the closed curves are combined to form at least one boundary hypersurface.
US09607425B2
A method and apparatus for ray tracing may include using texture pipeline hardware of a GPU to perform ray intersection testing for a first ray and a first shape. Using the texture pipeline hardware to perform ray intersection testing may include calculating a plurality of dot products with the texture pipeline hardware, and determining whether the first ray intersects the first shape based on the plurality of dot products.
US09607420B2
Smooth animation effects during zooming are provided by retaining content displayed at a previous zoom level. If the zoom operation is a zoom out operation, new content is stretched to a current zoom level, aligned with the retained content, and placed underneath it. If the zoom operation is a zoom in operation, new content is scaled down to the current zoom level, aligned with the retained content, and displayed on top of the retained content. The new content is then zoomed with the retained content. The retained content is then deleted. When zooming out, the retained content fades out. When zooming in, the new content fades in. Smooth scrolling animation is also provided by pre-rendering a portion of content and teleporting to a final viewport position and thereby skipping over blank content.
US09607417B2
A method of rendering an image using a number of threads, by receiving edge data for the image comprising edges identified by indices, each edge having edge scan line crossing coordinates, arranging the coordinates into partitions indexed by the indices to form a data structure that is randomly accessible by a coordinate of a portion of the image; each partition comprising a list of edge scan line crossing coordinates associated with an edge that is identified by the edge index indexing the partition, and rendering the portions of the image concurrently, using corresponding threads by identifying, by randomly accessing a partition in the indexing data structure using a coordinate of said portion in the image, at least one edge in the indexing data structure associated with said portion of the image.
US09607410B2
A surface of a product is divided into a plurality of patches and a polygon mesh is formed. Sequences of vertexes on borderlines between the adjacent patches are allowed to correspond to each other, and then, a texture is mapped on each of patch units. The vertexes of the polygon mesh displaced in accordance with the mapped texture are connected together to form crimp applied polygon data for each of the patch units. In each of processing stages, since data to be processed can be limited to data of the two adjacent patches at the maximum, a practicable range of a computer is not exceeded due to the restriction of capacity of an operation memory.
US09607406B2
A size measurement device for measuring a size of an object from a captured image of the object includes: an imaging unit that captures an image of an object; a display unit that displays image data captured by the imaging unit; an input unit for inputting instructions of a user; a region setting unit that, when positions are designated with the input unit in the image data displayed on the display unit, sets surrounding regions including therein respective designated positions; and a feature point determination unit that determines, in the surrounding regions set by the region setting unit, feature points providing coordinates of the object to be measured.
US09607403B2
A method that includes obtaining, using a processor, image data from a target coating. The method also includes performing, using the processor, an image analysis to determine at least one sparkle point from the image data, and performing, using the processor, a hue analysis to determine a sparkle color from the sparkle point. The method further includes calculating, using the processor, a sparkle color distribution, and generating, using the processor, a coating formulation that is the same or substantially similar in appearance to the target coating.
US09607402B1
Pedestrian detection and counting for traffic intersection control analyzes characteristics of a field of view of a traffic detection zone to determine a location and size of a pedestrian area, and applies protocols for evaluating pixel content in the field of view to identify individual pedestrians. The location and size of a pedestrian area is determined based either on locations of vehicle and bicycle detection areas or on movement of various objects within the field of view. Automatic pedestrian speed calibration with a region of interest for pedestrian detection is accomplished using lane and other intersection markings in the field of view. Detection and counting further includes identifying a presence, volume, velocity and trajectory of pedestrians in the pedestrian area of the traffic detection zone.
US09607387B2
A method for optimizing fiducial marker and camera positions/orientations is realized to simulate camera and fiducial positions and pose estimation algorithm to find best possible marker/camera placement comprises the steps of: acquiring mesh data representing possible camera positions and feasible orientation boundaries of cameras on the environment of tracked object; acquiring mesh data representing possible active marker positions and feasible orientation placements of markers on a tracked object; pose data representing possible poses of tracked object under working conditions; initializing the control parameter for camera placement; create initial solution strings for camera placement; solving marker placement problem for the current camera placement; evaluating the quality of the current LED and camera placement taking pose coverage, pose accuracy, number of placed markers, number of placed camera etc. into account; determining if a stopping criterion is satisfied.
US09607386B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for correcting for artificial deformations in anatomical modeling. One method includes obtaining an anatomic model; obtaining information indicating a presence of an artificial deformation of the anatomic model; identifying a portion of the anatomic model associated with the artificial deformation; estimating a non-deformed local area corresponding to the portion of the anatomic model; and modifying the portion of the anatomic model associated with the artificial deformation, based on the estimated non-deformed local area.
