US09668381B2

A channel diversion device includes a supporting structure, a piercing hole structure, a guiding baffle and a collecting mask. An electronic component can be accommodated inside the supporting structure. The supporting structure includes a first structural layer and a second structural layer. An opening is formed on the second structural layer. The piercing structure is formed on a lateral wall of the first structural layer, and the guiding baffle is disposed by a side of the opening on the second structural layer. The collecting mask is disposed by the first structural layer to cover the piercing hole structure, and a direction of an outlet of the collecting mask is substantially different from a direction of the opening on the second structural layer.
US09668375B2

A building for a data center (or server farm) includes a stack structure that interfaces with an environment and one or more housings coupled to a floor and the stack structure. Each of the housings includes one or more racks with a plurality of servers and each of the servers includes a computer fan capable of varying speed or reversing direction. The building also includes one or more filters between the one or more housings and the environment and one or more walls operable to be between the one or more filters and the environment.
US09668367B2

One embodiment provides a computing device comprising a computing device body, a display coupled with the computing device body, a first set of computing components incorporated into the computing device body, and a securing system configured to secure the body to a wrist, the securing system comprising a plurality of detachable modular segments joined together to form a second set of computing components that is modifiable by changing segments. Each modular segment comprises a first mechanical connector and a second mechanical connector, a first set of electrical connectors and a second set of electrical connectors, and one or more electrical components incorporated into the modular segment, such that a functionality of the computing device is modifiable by changing modular segments.
US09668356B2

A method and apparatus for adjusting circuit operation in response to physical orientation of an integrated circuit (IC) coupled to a host site via direct soldering or a socket. The IC can be installed in a correct orientation or rotated and installed in an incorrect orientation. The IC may have a square, substantially symmetric footprint and the incorrect orientation may correspond to 90 or 180 degree rotation of the IC from the correct orientation. The orientations may be discerned by sensing electrical characteristics of the installed IC. For example, the IC may ground a detection line when installed in the correct orientation, while the detection line may be floating when the IC is installed in an incorrect orientation. The IC may be switchably connected to other components such as a power supply only when it is detected as being installed in the correct orientation.
US09668345B2

A multilayer wiring board includes a first metal foil wiring layer that has at least two or more layers of metal foil wiring lines and is arranged on a mounting surface side for mounting a surface mount type component, a wire wiring layer that is arranged on an opposite side of the mounting surface, and in which an insulation coating wire is wired, and a first interlayer conduction hole that has a conduction part which electrically connects the metal foil wiring line positioned on a surface of the first metal foil wiring layer to at least one of the metal foil wiring line in an inner layer of the first metal foil wiring layer and the insulation coating wire of the wire wiring layer. A hole diameter of the first interlayer conduction hole varies in a board thickness direction of the multilayer wiring board.
US09668340B1

A build-up process for fabricating a multi-layer PCB is provided that prevents, or at least reduces the lengths of, overhangs in the finishing metal layer that is plated onto the electrical contact metal layer. The metal seed layer is etched away prior to plating the finishing metal layer onto the electrical contact metal layer. The electrical contact metal layer is covered with a layer of dielectric material, which is then patterned to selectively expose preselected areas of the electrical contact metal layer. The exposed preselected areas of the electrical contact metal layer are then plated with the finishing layer of metal. The result is that overhangs are eliminated or at least greatly reduced in length. In addition, the dielectric material layer serves a function similar to that of a solder mask and obviates the need to apply the oxide to serve as a solder mask.
US09668338B2

A semiconductor device is provided that is inexpensively manufactured with variation in high-frequency characteristics suppressed. Internal matching circuit boards are disposed on at least one signal transmission path of an input-side signal transmission path between an input terminal and a semiconductor element and an output-side signal transmission path between the semiconductor element and an output terminal and is provided for matching at least between output impedance of an external circuit connected to the input terminal and input impedance of the semiconductor device or between input impedance of an external circuit connected to the output terminal and output impedance of the semiconductor device, and components are electrically connected by at least one wire causing a change exceeding an allowable value in high-frequency characteristics of the semiconductor device due to a change in wire length and are disposed in contact with each other inside a package.
US09668324B2

A solid-state drive is provided, including: a substrate, a flash memory module, at least one light-emitting portion and at least one light-guiding portion. The substrate has a transmit port. The flash memory module is disposed on the substrate, and the flash memory module is electrically connected with the transmit port. The at least one light-emitting portion is disposed on the substrate, and the at least one light-emitting portion is electrically connected with the transmit port. The at least one light-guiding portion at least partially covers the at least one light-emitting portion.
US09668320B2

A path light that utilizes an ambient light sensor to determine the lighting conditions may experience feedback from its light source if it determines that the lighting conditions are appropriate to illuminate the path light's light source. The path light, as disclosed herein, may compute an offset value to ascertain the amount of feedback from the light source. Upon learning the offset value, the path light may subtract the offset value from a detected amount of light to determine whether the lighting conditions of its surroundings still meet a threshold level of darkness for the path light to illuminate.
US09668315B2

Controlling the color temperature of a composite light source including at least one discrete-spectrum light source is disclosed. For example, the color temperature of a composite light source including at least one discrete-spectrum light source may be determined and/or adjusted based on one or more of the ambient color temperature of a space, the actual temperature of the space, the relative brightness of the space, the occupancy of the space, a time clock, a demand response command (e.g., from an electrical utility), the absolute location of the composite light source, the location of the composite light source relative to other light sources, inputs from a camera or other external devices, the operation of appliances or other machines in the vicinity of the composite light source, media content being utilized in the vicinity of the composite light source, and/or other sensor inputs.
US09668308B2

A linear light-emitting diode (LED) tube lamp using a six-diode combination and a ballast compatible and AC mains operable (BA) LED driving circuit operate normally with AC mains in a single end and with an electronic ballast in double ends. The BA LED driving circuit configured to operate in a wide range of input voltages and frequencies, especially for various high voltages and high frequencies associated with various electronic ballasts to provide a regulated power and a current from either electronic ballast or AC mains. With a cycle-by-cycle current control and power switching at a constant on-time and varied off-time, an over-rated surge current is limited, preventing occasional fire hazards occurred in the ballast. An additional frequency sensitive device is used to prevent a possible electric shock from occurring for both configurations during initial installation and re-lamping, thus no shock protection switches needed.
US09668289B2

An MR code is generated within a browser on a client device and is read by a mobile application on a mobile device. A communication channel is then established through a web-based service, between the browser and the mobile application on the mobile device. The mobile application generates a user interface display on the mobile device that allows user selection of content. The mobile application sends a link to that content to the browser, which accesses and renders the content on the client device. User input commands to control the rendered content are also received at the mobile device and sent to the browser through the communication channel.
US09668285B2

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for enabling an establishment of a connection between a wireless device and a core network via an access node of a standalone LTE RAN using an unlicensed frequency band. The method performed by the access node comprises transmitting a broadcast message in a cell served by the access node. The message indicates that the access node supports connectivity to at least one core network associated with another RAN than the standalone LTE RAN. The method also comprises receiving a request to attach from a wireless device in the cell, for establishing a secure connection for user data between the wireless device and a target core network via the access node. The method further comprises transmitting a request to a target core network node to establish the secure connection.
US09668270B2

A wireless access point employs monitor to scrutinize priority of mobility unit assigned priority values, and replaces invalid or reserved values to prevent rogue or poorly constructed applications (apps) from improper priority specification and subsequent imbalance of priority message transmission for control and other high-priority message traffic. The access point receives an indication of reserved message priorities from a wireless switching point at a remote end of an access tunnel providing backhaul network access to mobility units coupled to the access point. The access point stores the reserved message priorities for comparison with priorities assigned at the mobility units. Messages having invalid priorities are modified to reduce the priority to an allowed value, such as best effort, prior to the message transmission through the access tunnel to the backhaul network.
US09668261B1

A communication device generates an informational element (IE) to include an indication of a minimum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) allowable in a wireless communication network. The minimum MCS is from an ordered set of multiple MCSs defined by a communication protocol utilized by the wireless communication network. The indication of the minimum MCS also indicates use of any MCSs below the minimum MCS in the ordered set of MCSs is not allowed in the wireless communication network. The communication device generates a data unit that includes the IE.
US09668257B2

The present invention discloses a method and a device for implementing multi-cell service on a base station device, and relates to the communications field. The base station device includes at least two base station function entities, a base station function entity provides service to one or more cells and the base station function entity corresponds to a global identifier. The method further includes creating, by the base station device, a communication interface with a network node by using the global identifier. Data from the network node is received at the base station device by using the communication interface. The data is sent by the network node according to the global identifier of the base station function entity. The data is forwarded to the base station function entity corresponding to the global identifier of the base station function entity.
US09668256B2

To solve a problem that although the increase of the number of frequency blocks by allocating discontinuous subcarriers (RBs) as in OFDM enables an increase in multi-diversity effect and an improvement in throughput, the number of RB allocation patterns increases with the increase of the number of frequency blocks, resulting in an increase in the amount of information relating to the allocated RBs, the resource block allocation unit is determined when resource blocks discontinuous on the frequency axis are allocated to a terminal, and the number of bits of scheduling information indicating the allocated resource blocks by using Tree Based is set to the number of bits corresponding to the determined allocation unit.
US09668250B2

A base station allocates at least one of a plurality of wireless channels included in a used frequency hand to a mobile station. The base station includes: a used frequency hand determination unit for determining at least a part of a predetermined frequency band as the used frequency band; a message generation unit for generating a control message including used frequency band information which is placed in a predetermined position and which indicates the determined used frequency hand, and channel allocation information which has a size corresponding to a bandwidth of the used frequency band and which indicates the wireless channel to be allocated to the mobile station; and a modem and a wireless communication unit for transmitting the generated control message to the mobile station.
US09668249B2

The present invention pertains to a terminal device, which, when ARQ is used for communication that uses an uplink unit band and a plurality of downlink unit bands associated with the uplink unit band, and when a transmission mode that supports up to 2 TB in a PCell is set in the terminal, is capable of reducing the amount of signaling from a base station while eliminating a lack of PUCCH resources when semi-permanent scheduling (SPS) is used in the PCell. A control unit in this device selects one value among values obtained by adding 1 to four PUCCH resource indexes, which have been preset for PUCCH resource 1 by the base station, on the basis of values for transmission power control information (TPC command for PUCCH) in a PDCCH, for which notification has been received at the start of SPS.
US09668248B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting ACK/NACK information in a wireless communication system are disclosed. In accordance with a method for transmitting ACK/NACK information, an ACK/NACK signal of downlink transmission in a downlink subframe set is transmitted in a single uplink subframe. In this case, if a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) format is established by a higher layer for a downlink receiver, and if one physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) is transmitted in a downlink subframe set, the ACK/NACK information can be transmitted using a second PUCCH format on PUCCH resources established by a higher layer for the second PUCCH format.
US09668236B2

Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for monitoring UE reachability in a wireless communication system. A method for monitoring UE reachability may include receiving, by a Mobility Management Entity, a monitoring request message for UE reachability including a maximum response time from a Home Subscriber Server, detecting, by the MME, the UE reachability if it is expected that paging is able to be transmitted to UE when extended Discontinuous Reception is applied to the UE, and sending, by the MME, a UE reachability notification to a Service Capability Exposure Function before a next paging occasion of the UE, wherein the maximum response time may indicate a time during which the UE maintains a reachable state so that downlink data is reliably delivered to the UE, and wherein an occasion when the UE reachability notification is transmitted may be determined by taking into consideration the maximum response time.
US09668231B2

A user terminal includes processor configured to execute a process of receiving, from a serving cell, broadcast information on a device-to-device (D2D) discovery, a procedure used by the user terminal to discover a proximal user terminal. The broadcast information includes a cell identifier of a neighbor cell, and synchronization information on the neighbor cell. The synchronization information includes a first value or a second value. The processor executes processes of: receiving both a D2D synchronization signal and a D2D discovery signal that are transmitted by a proximal user terminal in the neighbor cell in response to the synchronization information including the first value; and receiving the D2D discovery signal without receiving the D2D synchronization signal in response to the synchronization information including the second value.
US09668223B2

A system that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may perform operations including, for example, obtaining performance parameters in a communications network, identifying a degradation in performance of one or more nodes of the communications network according the monitored performance parameters, and initiating corrective action to mitigate the degradation in performance of the one or more nodes of the communications network. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09668213B2

A core network entity includes a core network entity processing circuit. The core network entity processing circuit calculates a plurality of dormancy timer adjustment parameters in response to a received service request from a user equipment, and adjusts a dormancy timer for the user equipment based on (i) at least one load condition for the wireless network, and (ii) a comparison between each of the plurality of dormancy timer adjustment parameters and a corresponding one of a plurality of dormancy timer adjustment parameter threshold values. The core network entity then outputs the adjusted dormancy timer to a base station serving the user equipment.
US09668210B2

A multiple access slotted wireless communication system comprising a plurality of terminals and a multi-access receiver is described. The multi-access receiver can decode multiple transmissions in each slot of a frame from terminals in its field of view. Each terminal has an active state for transmitting and an inactive state. After receiving acknowledgement of a successful transmission by the terminal, the terminal enters the inactive state for at least a transmission delay time. This may be the remaining time that the terminal is in the field of view of the multi-access receiver. This may be achieved by the terminal using a probability of transmission to determine whether or not to transmit in the next frame. The terminal may also be configured to select the slot in a frame, and this may be based upon information such as which slots were acknowledged. The receiver may use compression to transmit acknowledgement messages.
US09668165B2

Methods and systems of measuring communication quality are provided, by which various types of communication quality measurements can be flexibly performed as the measurement condition can be set or changed easily and optionally, while load of processing in the communication terminal apparatus can be suppressed. Measurement condition for measuring communication quality is delivered to a communication terminal apparatus capable of communicating via a mobile communication network and a communication with the communication terminal apparatus via the mobile communication network is performed at a predetermined timing that satisfies the measurement condition. Then, at least one of terminal-side measurement data including terminal-status log information and network-side measurement data including terminal-existing base-station quality information corresponding to communication corresponding to the predetermined timing which are recorded in the communication terminal apparatus is acquired, and an index value of communication quality in communication via the mobile communication network is calculated based on at least one of the terminal-side measurement data and the network-side measurement data.
US09668159B1

When a wireless device is configured to function as a relay for a donor access node, the donor access node is configured such that the relaying wireless device is given preferential treatment when compared to non-relaying wireless devices. The communication network and/or donor access node can be configured to provide improved RF conditions, higher throughput, lower latency, etc. to a relaying wireless device than is provided to non-relay wireless devices.
US09668153B2

Techniques for monitoring presence of a remote device at Layer 2 that allow reducing power consumption without compromising the device's availability. A device that pairs with a remote wireless device may establish a Layer 3 connection, such as an IP connection, to the remote device to provide services to a user. The Layer 3 connection may be formed over a Layer 2 connection via an access point or as a peer-to-peer wireless connection between the devices. When the Layer 3 connection is not actively used to access the remote device, the Layer 3 connection and the supporting Layer 2 connection (e.g., WI-FI, WI-FI DIRECT™ or BLUETOOTH®) may be terminated and presence of the remote device may be monitored using a Layer 2 device discovery mechanism. The Layer 2 and Layer 3 connections to the device may be reestablished when use of the remote device is desired.
US09668152B2

There is a method for performing measurements. The method may be performed by a user equipment (UE) and comprise: receiving a measurement subframe pattern for a neighbor cell and a measurement timing configuration for a discovery signal; selecting at least one or more subframes to perform the measurement based on both of the measurement subframe pattern and the measurement timing configuration; and performing the measurement by using the discovery signal of the neighbor cell on the selected subframes.
US09668147B2

A microwave transceiver comprises a plurality of antenna arrays, each of which is oriented in a different direction, and circuitry operable to automatically select which of the antenna arrays to use for establishing a microwave backhaul link with a link partner. The circuitry may comprise a plurality of front-ends, each of which may be operable to perform beamforming of signals transmitted and received via a respective one of the antenna arrays. The circuitry may comprise a modem circuit. For transmit operations, the modem may generate a modulated signal for output to one of the plurality of front-end circuits. For receive operations, the modem may demodulate a signal received from one of the plurality of front-end circuits. Each of the antenna arrays may be mounted to a different one of a plurality of surfaces of a housing of the microwave transceiver. The housing of the microwave transceiver may form a polyhedron.
US09668138B2

Mobile devices and methods are disclosed for providing privacy and confidentiality of information through the provision of multiple profiles that control access to the information, and operation of the mobile device in accordance with a profile chosen by entry of an associated access code.
US09668129B2

To allow devices to authenticate to a wide area mobile network when they temporarily do not have a connection to a SIM card and to authenticate the base station and so protect against false base stations, a system is provided where certain authentication credentials are pre-fetched while connection to the SIM card and the authentication subsystem of the wide area mobile network are in signaling connection. These advance credentials are then presented by the devices in authentication requests without requiring access via the mobile network or the connected presence of the SIM card being necessary for successful authentication.
US09668123B2

An image is saved to a contact record or set as a home screen directly from a camera application of a portable electronic device. The method includes: capturing an image using a camera that is integrated into the portable electronic device, selecting at least a portion of the image, selecting a contact record from an address book application or selecting a set as home screen option.
US09668120B2

An MSC-VLR of a wireless telecommunications network also having an HLR and at least a second MSC-VLR and a plurality of mobiles. The MSC-VLR includes a network interface unit which communicates with the network. The MSC-VLR includes a processing unit that is in communication with the network interface unit and which produces a message that is sent to the HLR through the network from the network interface unit which causes the HLR to re-register at least two mobiles which are registered in the HLR for the second MSC-VLR to the MSC-VLR. An HLR of a wireless telecommunications network also having an MSC-VLR and at least a second MSC-VLR and a plurality of mobiles. A method of re-registering mobiles to an MSC-VLR of a wireless telecommunications network also having an HLR from a second MSC-VLR and a plurality of mobiles.
US09668115B2

A system, method, and computer-readable storage device for sending a spoken message as a text message. The method includes receiving from a subscriber a spoken message and spoken disambiguating information indicating how to deliver the spoken message to a recipient. The method further includes converting the spoken message to text and communicating the text to the recipient address. The method can also include determining a recipient address for the recipient based on spoken disambiguating information.
US09668113B2

Systems and methods disclosed herein provide proximity services using a proximity services server that can be integrated into existing network infrastructure. Proximity services procedures are disclosed, including procedures for registration to a proximity services server, publication of the direct path of a proximity services enabled user equipment (UE) to a proximity services server, requesting proximity information by a UE, and notifying UEs that are in proximity.
US09668108B2

In at least some examples, a control center, which provides remote driving assistance service, may be configured to receive traffic data from sensors and to identify an area of congested traffic, based on the received traffic data, within a predetermined range of the sensors. When the control center receives a request for the remote driving assistance service, from a vehicle within the predetermined range of the sensor, the control center may generate and transmit remote driving commands to the vehicle.
US09668106B2

The BLUETOOTH® indoor positioning system can include a plurality of mobile phones forming a signal coverage area indoor and a server. The mobile phone is configured to transmit, receive BLUETOOTH® signals and generate, transmit position information. The server is configured to receive the position information and process the position information to be position coordinates. A method for BLUETOOTH® indoor position executed by a BLUETOOTH® indoor positioning system is also provided. A wearable terminal is also provided.
US09668104B1

Systems and methods including computing patterns of visitation to predefined regions by converting coordinates of mobile devices to cell identifiers and searching a database to find matches between cell identifiers representing regions and the cell identifiers of the device locations. Devices having similar visitation patterns are divided into two groups, based on status data of whether or not information about a region has been transmitted to respective users. The visitation patterns after the transmission are compared by a system between the two groups to measure a difference. Identifiers of devices, users, or households are initially provided to the system without the status data to obtain attributes associated individually with the identifiers. In return, the system is provided with the status data associated with the attributes individually for the devices, users, or households but without sufficient information to map the status data individually to the identifiers of the devices, users, or households.
US09668100B2

Locating misplaced mobile computing devices through transmission of location information. Mobile computing devices periodically request information from surrounding mobile computing devices to more accurately identify the location where a mobile computing device was misplaced.
US09668095B1

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and method for adaptive monitoring of physical movement.
US09668094B2

A method of selecting a cellular network entails detecting a Wi-Fi signal, obtaining a country code from the Wi-Fi signal, prioritizing cellular network frequency bands based on the country code to define a band priority, and selecting a cellular network based on the band priority. The country code may be an IEEE 802.11d Country Code Information Element.
US09668091B2

A method for providing information to a plurality of vendors located remotely from a broadcast network. A plurality of user-defined parameters are received by a user input database with at least one of the user-defined parameters including a user profile. Each of the user profiles includes a user identifier code identifying a communicator device associated with a particular user. Real-time data indicative of the spatial locations of the communicator devices is received by a communicator location database. Search information is received independently from a plurality of vendors and a data set is generated for each vendor.
US09668090B2

An E-CSCF receives a Session Initiation Protocol (“SIP”) invitation message initiating an emergency communication session from a calling device. The E-CSCF generates an information request message based on the received SIP message and sends the information request message to a location server. The location server determines a geographical location of the calling device and uses the geographical location to determine a destination emergency response center, such as a Public Safety Access Point (PSAP). The location server provides location information for the destination PSAP to the E-CSCF. The E-CSCF generates a modified SIP invitation message using the presence information and sends the modified SIP invitation message to an emergency services network where it is routed to the emergency response center.
US09668085B2

In one embodiment, a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media stores computer instructions. The computer instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to send one or more requests including an access token to retrieve, access, view, subscribe, or modify data elements of a data model representative of one or more smart environments. The access token is associated with at least an application programming interface (API) client or API client device and one or more scopes granted to the API client or API client device. The one or more scopes provide one or more access rights to one or more of the data elements of the data model defined by a hierarchical position of the data elements in the data model represented by a respective path to the data elements.
US09668084B2

A wireless communication assembly includes a driver module connected to a first portion of a machine, such as a laundry machine, and a receiver module connected to a second portion of the machine, such as a rotatable drum. The first module includes a primary coil configured to generate an electromagnetic field and a first wireless transceiver. The second module includes a secondary coil configured to convert energy within the electromagnetic field into electric power, and a second wireless transceiver powered by the secondary coil and configured to communicate with the first wireless transceiver. One or more sensors may be positioned within the drum to measure various conditions. The receiver module may be powered by the secondary coil and when powered on, may communicate data from the one or more sensors to the first module.
US09668082B2

A request to provision a virtual machine (VM) based on a mobile communications device may be received. In response to the request to provision the VM, a phone number may be allocated to be associated with the VM based on the mobile communications device. Furthermore, VM based on the mobile communications device may be provisioned in view of the allocated phone number.
US09668080B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to adaptive audio content generation. Specifically, a method for generating adaptive audio content is provided. The method comprises extracting at least one audio object from channel-based source audio content, and generating the adaptive audio content at least partially based on the at least one audio object. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
US09668079B2

There are two representations for Higher Order Ambisonics denoted HOA: spatial domain and coefficient domain. The invention generates from a coefficient domain representation a mixed spatial/coefficient domain representation, wherein the number of said HOA signals can be variable. A vector of coefficient domain signals is separated into a vector of coefficient domain signals having a constant number of HOA coefficients and a vector of coefficient domain signals having a variable number of HOA coefficients. The constant-number HOA coefficients vector is transformed to a corresponding spatial domain signal vector. In order to facilitate high-quality coding, without creating signal discontinuities the variable-number HOA coefficients vector of coefficient domain signals is adaptively normalized and multiplexed with the vector of spatial domain signals.
US09668078B2

The following coding scenario is addressed: A number of audio source signals need to be transmitted or stored for the purpose of mixing wave field synthesis, multi-channel surround, or stereo signals after decoding the source signals. The proposed technique offers significant coding gain when jointly coding the source signals, compared to separately coding them, even when no redundancy is present between the source signals. This is possible by considering statistical properties of the source signals, the properties of mixing techniques, and spatial hearing. The sum of the source signals is transmitted plus the statistical properties of the source signals which mostly determine the perceptually important spatial cues of the final mixed audio channels. Source signals are recovered at the receiver such that their statistical properties approximate the corresponding properties of the original source signals. Subjective evaluations indicate that high audio quality is achieved by the proposed scheme.
US09668069B2

Disclosed is a hearing device that may classify sound environment based on a life pattern, and categorize sound information using a sound environment category set based on the life pattern, and control an output of the sound information based on the classified sound environment.
US09668062B2

A condenser type electroacoustic transducer includes a diaphragm, a fixed electrode having a surface facing the diaphragm, and a dielectric disposed in a partial region on the surface of the fixed electrode.
US09668060B2

A transducer including a driven element and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly is coupled to the driven element and includes a first, second and third magnet. Each of the magnets have a first and second magnetic pole. The first magnetic pole of the first magnet and the first magnetic pole of the second magnet being proximate to each other and facing each other thereby defining a magnetic zone therebetween. The second magnetic pole of the third magnet being magnetically proximate to said magnetic zone. The first magnetic poles all having the same polarity, and the second magnetic poles all having the same polarity.
US09668059B2

This invention discloses a kind of modular speaker component. A characteristic is that it includes a fixed part. This fixed part has a thin-walled structure. An active loudspeaker unit and passive diaphragm units are installed on it. Another characteristic is that it includes a sealed connection part. This sealed connection part is fixed on the said fixed part and it has sealing material; the said sealed connection part aligns, connects and secures the said fixed part to the opening of a rigid container. This causes the said fixed part and the rigid container to jointly form an airtight resonant space. The fixed part integrates the active loudspeaker unit and passive diaphragm units on top and combines with the sealed connection part fixed on it to form overall a universal high sound quality module that is unaffected by the rigid container. In a plan based on a small volume, it can also exhibit outstanding performance at medium and low frequencies; it can very conveniently form a complete high performance speaker with the rigid container, and satisfy the shape constraint requirements for the speaker in various application environments with different styles.
US09668054B2

In some embodiments, portable speakers can be small and lightweight and can communicate with one or more audio device over wired or wireless connections. In some embodiments, portable speakers achieve reduced complexity as compared to typical high fidelity systems (e.g., by including a reduced number of speaker drivers and amplifiers), while still maintaining high fidelity stereo audio playback, thereby achieving both portability and high quality audio capability. For instance, certain implementations of the speaker include two primary speakers disposed on opposing faces of the speaker enclosure (e.g., full or mid-range drivers) and two tweeters, also disposed on opposing faces. Primary speakers can be disposed on respective ends of the housing and each can output a different stereo channel. Each tweeter can be positioned on different face of the housing. The speaker system according to some embodiments generates a mono high frequency signal to drive the tweeters.
US09668052B2

A method includes receiving sound by a first audio unit installed in an electrical outlet, routing audio data corresponding to the received sound from the first audio unit to a second audio unit installed in a second electrical outlet, and sending the audio data to a mobile device using a wireless link between the mobile device and the second audio unit. Routing the audio data may include receiving the audio data from the first audio unit by a third audio unit and routing the audio data to the second audio unit by the third audio unit serving as a router. The data may be routed using table driven routing, on-demand routing or some other appropriate routing protocol. The method may also include performing voice recognition on the audio data and detecting a command word and routing command word data to the second audio unit.
US09668046B2

A noise reduction control apparatus and method for detecting a noise signal with a microphone and generating a first control sound for attenuating the noise signal based on control characteristics of a control filter. Further, the first control sound is emitted and measured during a first period. By measuring a sound reflected from an object, a position of the object is estimated. Using the estimated position of the object, the noise is attenuated at the estimated position. Accordingly, it is possible to continuously reduce noise at an estimated position of an object.
US09668044B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable medium are provided for managing connections of user devices. For example, two source devices may be configured to maintain a data stream with one another. The data stream may enable the two source devices to identify one or more connections between each other and at least a third device. In response to receiving an event that indicates content to be provided to the third device, the data stream may be used by the source devices to configure their network connections with the third device.
US09668024B2

Systems and processes are disclosed for controlling television user interactions using a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant can interact with a television set-top box to control content shown on a television. Speech input for the virtual assistant can be received from a device with a microphone. User intent can be determined from the speech input, and the virtual assistant can execute tasks according to the user's intent, including causing playback of media on the television. Virtual assistant interactions can be shown on the television in interfaces that expand or contract to occupy a minimal amount of space while conveying desired information. Multiple devices associated with multiple displays can be used to determine user intent from speech input as well as to convey information to users. In some examples, virtual assistant query suggestions can be provided to the user based on media content shown on a display.
US09668017B2

Provided is a display apparatus including a first signal receiving unit that receives a non-compressed video signal from an external device via a first transmission path through a plurality of channels by means of a differential signal, an image display unit that displays images by processing the video signal received by the first signal receiving unit, a second signal receiving unit that receives a compressed video signal of a same video source as the non-compressed video signal by using a bi-directional communication path configured by predetermined lines of the first transmission path, and a signal transmitting unit that transmits a compressed video signal corresponding to the compressed video signal received by the second signal receiving unit to another external device different from the external device.
US09668014B2

Systems and methods are described herein for a media guidance application that can cause a specific portion of a media asset to be stored based on a user command. For example, if the user requests the closing scene from a given movie, the media guidance application may detect the command, determine that it comprises an instruction to store a portion of a media asset, identify a source of the portion of the media asset, and cause the portion of the media asset to be stored. The media guidance application may also cause the entirety of the media asset to be stored and initiate playback at the start of the requested portion. This may allow users to store and watch portions of particular interest without requiring that the users seek through the entire media asset on their own.
US09668013B2

A display device includes a display portion, an input portion that receives an instruction to select a program in a program list such that the display portion displays the program with a distinguishable expression, and a controller that links a first program having a program duration shorter than a predetermined threshold with at least one second program arranged relative to the first program along a time axis of the program list as a linked program, and that controls the display portion to display the linked program with the distinguishable expression.
US09668012B2

A computer program product for notifying a viewer of content relevant to the viewer's interests is provided. A computer identifies an identity of a viewer of a display device, wherein the display device is displaying a first video feed. A computer determines a plurality of preferences of the viewer. A computer retrieves a profile of the viewer, wherein the profile includes the plurality of preferences of the viewer. In response to a determination that a content of a second video feed that is available for viewing on the display device matches at least one of the plurality of preferences of the viewer, a computer generates a notification of the second video feed. In response to receiving an acceptance of the notification, a computer sends a command to the display device to display the second video feed.
US09668011B2

A single chip set-top box system and method is provided. The system comprises, for example, a transceiver, an audio/video decoder, a CPU, peripherals, DAVIC MAC and a graphics processor. The transceiver receives a digitally modulated compressed audio/video signal, and the audio/video decoder receives the compressed audio/video signal from the transceiver and decompresses the compressed audio/video signal. The graphics processor blends the decompressed audio/video signal with graphics to generate a blended video image with audio.
US09668008B2

The present invention relates to a system and method for surveying broadcast ratings. The present invention provides a system for surveying broadcast ratings, including: a television (TV) signal reception device configured to receive a broadcast signal, to send the broadcast signal to a TV, and to send an event signal to a rating statistics information server when a predetermined condition occurs; the rating statistics information server configured to send a fingerprint extraction request signal to a previously registered user terminal when receiving the event signal from the TV signal reception device; and the user terminal configured to extract the fingerprint data of an audio signal generated from the TV being watched by a user when receiving the fingerprint extraction request signal from the rating statistics information server, and to send the extracted fingerprint data and user identification information to the rating statistics information server; wherein the rating statistics information server obtains the channel identification information of a TV channel being watched by the user based on the fingerprint data transmitted by the user terminal, and generates rating statistics information based on the obtained channel identification information and the user identification information, and also provides a method using the same.
US09668006B2

A device, system and method are provided that may allot and manage bandwidth, such as bandwidth associated with broadcast and narrowcast distribution models, in a content distribution network. The device, system and method may include qualification of content or channels for distribution as broadcast content or narrowcast content. In some embodiments, the qualification may be with regard to selection orthogonality.
US09668004B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to record stereoscopic media content supplied by a multimedia system, receive from a communication device a request for the recorded stereoscopic media content, determine rendering capabilities of the communication device, generate transcoded content by transcoding the recorded stereoscopic media content according to the rendering capabilities of the communication device, and transmit to the communication device the transcoded content. Other embodiments are disclosed and contemplated.
US09667987B2

An apparatus comprising a codec configured to predict an intra mode for a considered pixel block based on a plurality of coded intra modes for a plurality of adjacent pixel blocks to the considered pixel block, wherein the predicted intra mode and the coded intra modes correspond to a set of intra-frame modes that comprise a plurality of directional intra modes and at least two non-directional intra modes and that are assigned a plurality of corresponding group numbers and group index numbers, and wherein the intra mode is predicted based on the group numbers and group index numbers of the coded intra modes.
US09667986B2

In a moving picture coding device that further divides a first block acquired by dividing each picture of a moving picture into a predetermined size into one or a plurality of second blocks and codes the moving picture in units of blocks, a quantization parameter calculation unit calculates a quantization parameter of the second block. A predictive quantization parameter deriving unit derives a predictive quantization parameter of the second block by using the quantization parameter of one or a plurality of third blocks that are neighboring to the second block. The predictive quantization parameter deriving unit derives the predictive quantization parameter of the second block by using a quantization parameter of a fourth block coded before the second block in a case where the third block neighboring to the second block is located at a position beyond a boundary of the first block.
US09667963B2

The prediction error energy in inter-frame prediction with motion compensation is reduced and the coding efficiency is improved. A video encoding method using fractional-accuracy motion compensation includes: a step of generating multiple weighted filter coefficients from multiple interpolation filter sets using weight parameters which designate weight values of interpolation filter coefficients; a step of selecting weighted filter coefficients which minimize prediction error energy in the fractional-accuracy motion compensation from among the weighted filter coefficients; a step of interpolating fractional-accuracy pixels for a reference picture by application of an interpolation filter with the selected weighted filter coefficients and encoding an input picture with the fractional-accuracy motion compensation; and a step of encoding the weight parameters used for generating the selected weighted filter coefficients and the interpolation filter coefficients and adding encoded weight parameters and encoded interpolation filter coefficients to an encoded bitstream.
US09667962B2

A method operates within an integrated circuit device having a plurality of processing lanes. The method determines a first number of packs among one or more first packs associated with a first processing lane of the plurality of processing lanes, associates the first number of packs with a first used field of the first processing lane, determines a second number of packs among one or more second packs associated with a second processing lane of the plurality of processing lanes, and associates the second number of packs with a second used field of the second processing lane.
US09667959B2

A device for processing video data includes a memory; a receiver configured to real-time transport protocol (RTP) packets; and one or more processors configured to receive a first fragmentation unit comprising a subset of a fragmented network abstraction layer (NAL) unit; parse a start bit of the fragmentation unit to determine if the first fragmentation unit comprises a start of the fragmented NAL unit; in response to the first fragmentation unit comprising the start of the fragmented NAL unit and one or both of a transmission mode for the first fragmentation unit being a multi-session transmission mode and a first parameter being greater than a first value, parse a second parameter to determine a decoding order for the fragmented NAL unit; decode the fragmented NAL unit based on the determined decoding order.
US09667947B2

An apparatus and method of presenting air traffic data to an air traffic controller are provided. Air traffic data including a two dimensional spatial location and altitude for a plurality of aircraft is received. A disparity value is determined based on the altitude for each aircraft of the plurality of aircraft. Left and right eye images are generated of the plurality of aircraft where at least one of the left and right eye images is based on the determined disparity value. The left and right eye images are simultaneously displayed to the air traffic controller on a display. The simultaneously displayed images provide an apparent three-dimensional separation of each of the aircraft of the plurality of aircraft on the display.
US09667939B2

A depth map generating unit generates depth information indicating the depth of a subject in each pixel of frames of a moving image. An additional information generating unit generates additional information regarding a change between continuous frames. A reading and writing unit writes a depth map and the additional information on the recording medium and reads the depth map and the additional information from the recording medium. A depth map correcting unit corrects the depth map read by the reading and writing unit based on the additional information read by the reading and writing unit. The reading and writing unit performs overwriting with the depth map corrected by the depth map correcting unit on the recording medium. The present technology is applicable to an image processing apparatus that generates depth information indicating a sense of depth of a stereoscopic image.
US09667938B2

There is provided an image processing device, includes: an expansion amount decision section that, for each target pixel for image processing in a first image and a second image, decides on an expansion amount of parallax according to parallax; a coefficient decision section that, for each target pixel for image processing in the first image and the second image, decides on a parallax conversion coefficient for converting the parallax into expanded parallax based on the expansion amount decided by the expansion amount decision section; an image processing section that performs processing on the target pixels to expand parallax based on the parallax conversion coefficient decided by the coefficient decision section; a generation section that generates a first display image based on an image signal, and generates a second display image for use in focus verification based on the first image and the second image.
US09667935B2

The specification describes a white balance enclosure for use with a tip of a multi-viewing elements endoscope. The white balance enclosure is used to provide a reference white background to the plurality of viewing elements when the tip is positioned within the white balance enclosure and a white balance circuit is used to calculate and store reference white balance values based on white field/test feed signals generated by the plurality of viewing elements exposed to the reference white background.
US09667933B2

Embodiments of a color filter array include a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit comprising an M×N set of individual filters, and each individual filter in the set having a photoresponse selected from among four different photoresponses. Each minimal repeating unit includes a checkerboard pattern of filters of the first photoresponse, and filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses distributed among the checkerboard pattern such that the filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses are sequentially symmetric about one or both of a pair of orthogonal axes of the minimal repeating unit.
US09667916B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computer-readable storage medium in a media controller having computer instructions to execute a soft-phone client application on the media processor, receive a call originating from an internet protocol multimedia subsystem network where the calls are directed to the media processor by a gateway having a switch that routes the call in accordance with a destination address included in a session initiation protocol header message, and selectively answer the call at any of a plurality of terminal devices including a mobile cellular phone coupled to the media processor via a femtocell. The computer instructions can be operable to present an audio portion of the call through a speaker of a presentation device operatively coupled to the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09667915B2

Disclosed is a system and method for integrating a user computer with a Codec device so that operation of input devices to a computer is transferred to a display associated with the Codec.
US09667910B2

Video equalization including performing equalization such that a sequence of images have dynamic range (optionally other characteristics) that is constant to a predetermined degree, where the input video includes high and standard dynamic range videos and images from both. Equalization is performed with a common anchor point (e.g., 20% gray level, or log mean of luminance) input video and the equalized video, and such that the images determined by the equalized video have at least substantially the same average luminance as images determined by the input video. Other aspects are systems (e.g., display systems and video delivery systems) configured to perform embodiments of the equalization method.
US09667905B1

A media switching device includes a computer including a processor programmed to actuate the media switching device to select, based on a first input received from a user, a first media content item from one or more received media content items. The processor is further programmed to transmit a first portion of the first media content item via a first wired connection to a first media display device; and transmit a second portion of the first media content item to a second media display device via a radio frequency transceiver.
US09667888B2

An image capturing apparatus comprises a first image capturing unit, a second image capturing unit that is different from the first image capturing unit, and a control unit configured to perform control such that a second live image captured by the second image capturing unit is superimposed and displayed on a first live image captured by the first image capturing unit, wherein if first information is to be displayed on a display unit along with the first live image and the second live image, the control unit controls to switch a display state in which the first information is superimposed on the second live image or a display state in which the first information is displayed behind the second live image, according to a state of a predetermined function for shooting.
US09667865B2

A controller for an image sensor includes a mode selector that receives a selection between image capture mode and data capture mode. An exposure sensor collects exposure data for a scene falling on the image sensor. A command interface sends commands to the image sensor to cause the image sensor to capture an image with a rolling reset shutter operation in which an integration interval for the image sensor is set based on the exposure data if the image capture mode is selected. The integration interval for the image sensor is set to less than two row periods, preferably close to one row period, without regard to the exposure data if the data capture mode is selected. An analog gain may be increased to as large a value as possible in data capture mode. All pixels in a row may be summed before AD conversion in data capture mode.
US09667863B2

An information processing system that acquires first image data captured by a first camera unit disposed on a first side of a housing; acquires second image data captured by a second camera unit disposed on a second side of the housing, which is opposite to the first side of the housing; and modifies the second image data based on the first image data.
US09667859B1

A first portion of a first video segment may be obtained from a user. A second portion of a second video segment may be obtained from the user. The first portion and the second portion may be aggregated to form an aggregated video segment. A first set of capture settings associated with capture of the first portion may be obtained. A second set of capture settings associated with capture of the second portion may be obtained. Preferences for capture settings of an image capturing device may be determined based upon the first and second set of capture settings. Instructions may be transmitted to the image capturing device. The instructions may include the determined preferences for the capture settings and may be configured to cause the image capturing device to adjust the capture settings to the determined preferences.
US09667852B2

An image pickup apparatus includes a focus adjustment unit, an image sensor, a focus evaluation value calculation unit, and a control unit configured to drive the focus adjustment unit based on a focus evaluation value to perform an in-focus operation. A change curve representing a change amount of a focus evaluation value indicating a focusing state of an object image includes a first slope before inversion of a sign of an inclination of the change curve at a peak value on the change curve and a second slope after inversion of a sign of an inclination of the change curve at a peak value on the change curve. The control unit determines whether the focus evaluation value corresponding to the peak value on the change curve is used for the in-focus operation based on an inclination of the first slope and an inclination of the second slope.
US09667848B2

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for tiltable camera modules. In one aspect, the tiltable camera module may be sequentially tilted through a range of positions to capture multiple images in different orientations. The images may then be combined to form a single composite image with a higher resolution and wider field of view than the individual images captured by the camera module. By including components which tilt a sensor assembly within a camera module, a simple camera module having a fixed field of view can be operated in a way that approximates features of a more complex camera module, and the operation of more complex camera modules can be further enhanced.
US09667844B2

A mechanism that achieves size reduction of an electronic apparatus by reducing the axial size of a plurality of tiers of rotation operation members that can be rotationally operated independently of each other. An electronic apparatus includes a holder fixed to an exterior member thereof, a mode dial rotatably supported by the holder, and an exposure correction dial disposed in a manner axially opposed to the mode dial and rotatably supported by the holder. A first click mechanism generates a click force when the mode dial is rotated, and a second click mechanism generates a click force when the exposure correction dial is rotated. The first click mechanism and the second click mechanism are arranged in a space in which the mode dial and the exposure correction dial are axially opposed to each other.
US09667837B2

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a unit configured to convert colorimetric values resulting from colorimetry performed, in a first color space, on a chart output by using multi color chart data represented in a three-dimensional color space, into colors of a uniform color space, a unit configured to acquire a first color conversion table for converting a three-dimensional color space into a uniform color space, a unit configured to correct a second color conversion table for converting a uniform color space into a three-dimensional color space by using colorimetric values of the uniform color space, target values of the uniform color space, and the second color conversion table, and a unit configured to generate a color conversion table for correcting a four-dimensional color space by using the first color conversion table and the corrected second color conversion table.
US09667831B2

A controller of an information processing apparatus executes the steps of: generating a display image based on a page from a server; displaying the display image; generating print data for printing the display image; identifying whether a first display image is of the first kind; and determining whether an operation for enlarging or reducing the first display image is accepted. The print data generating step includes the steps of: generating print data for printing a second display image of the second kind corresponding to the first display image, if the first display image is of the first kind, or if the first display image is not of the first kind and an operation for enlarging or reducing is not accepted; and generating print data for printing the first display image if the first display image is not of the first kind and an operation for enlarging or reducing is accepted.
US09667830B2

If it is determined that a sheet on which image data of the front cover is to be printed is the particular sheet, a printing apparatus prints on sheets the image data of the body in an order from an end of the body toward a head of the body, discharges the printed sheets without reversing, finally prints image data of the front cover on the particular sheet, and discharges the particular sheet without reversing by the reversing unit, or firstly prints a mirror image of the image data of the front cover on the particular sheet, discharges the particular sheet without reversing, next prints on sheets the image data of the body in an order from the head of the body toward the end of the body, reverses these printed sheets and discharges these printed sheet.
US09667825B2

There is provided an information processing apparatus, and a method to improve operability of the information processing apparatus when a user manages still image files in a case where a still image is extracted from a moving image file and stored as a still image file. In information processing apparatus and the method, a moving image file is selected from a plurality of moving image files and is reproduced, and a folder corresponding to the selected moving image file is created. A still image file is generated based on a video frame extracted from the moving image file being reproduced, and the generated still image file is stored into the created folder in association with the folder. When another moving image file is selected, another folder is newly created, and a still image file generated from the other moving image file being reproduced is stored into the other folder.
US09667824B2

A method and system to facilitate identifying and recording capture location of recorded video. A computing system determines multiple locations where a video camera has been substantially stationary over time, such as by tracking location of the video camera itself or by evaluating where supplemental device carried with the video camera has been substantially stationary over time. The computing system then outputs, for presentation to the videographer or another user, a location-selection prompt that specifies the multiple determined locations as candidate capture-locations for a video that was captured by the video camera. Further, the computing system receives, in response to the location-selection prompt, data that represents a user selection of one of the specified locations. The computing system then records the selected location as capture-location metadata for the video, such as capture-location data integrated with the video or in a database relationship with the video.
US09667820B2

In an information processing apparatus, when a receiving unit receives data from an external device, a power control unit returns a power state of the apparatus from a power saving state and a transmitting unit transmits a start instruction to a connected image forming apparatus, and when a power supply switch becomes on according to a user's operation, the power control unit returns the power state of the apparatus from the power saving state but the transmitting unit does not transmit the start instruction to the image forming apparatus. Thus, it is possible to achieve both a linkage start and an individual start for an external image processing controller and the image forming apparatus, in an image processing system including the information processing apparatus, the external image processing controller and the image forming apparatus capable of performing an image process in cooperation with others.
US09667818B2

A fax maintenance system includes a fax machine. The fax machine includes an operation fault detector and an output unit. The operation fault detector detects an operation fault of a predetermined type which occurs in the fax machine. The output unit outputs information indicating an occurrence of an operation fault of the predetermined type and setting information concerning an operation fault of the predetermined type.
US09667806B2

A method and system are disclosed for connecting a device to subscriptions and cellular billing plans of separate users and for managing the concurrent use of the device by the separate users. A computer-implemented method comprises enrolling a device in a cellular subscription and billing plan of a user. The enrollment includes providing an identifier for the device to a cellular subscription, effectively adding the device to the cellular subscription and billing plan selected by the user. The method and system allows the user to use capabilities of the device as governed by the cellular subscription and an associated billing plan as selected by that user, while the device is also available for use by another user via another cellular billing plan, as selected by that user.
US09667803B2

An acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) system within an audio playback system of an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, may calculate an estimation of an acoustic echo based on parameters describing the transducer reproducing the audio playback signals. Those parameters may include, for example, a resistance and/or inductance of the transducer and a current through and/or a voltage across the transducer. The acoustic echo cancellation system may predict, for example, a coil velocity of the transducer based on the transducer impedance. Then, an echo may be estimated using the predicted coil velocity. That estimated echo may be output to the transducer to cancel echo in the playback signal. Additionally, that estimated echo may be used to predict nonlinearities in the transducer output and an appropriate signal generated to cancel nonlinear behavior.
US09667797B2

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include determining capability of each particular information handling system of a plurality of information handling systems to support combination of functionality of audio components of the particular information handling system. The method may also include determining audio performance parameters of the audio components of the information handling systems of the plurality of information handling systems which are capable of supporting combination of functionality of audio components. The method may further include, based on the audio performance parameters, combining functionality of audio components of the plurality of information handling systems which are capable of supporting combination of functionality of audio components.
US09667795B2

The methods, apparatus, and systems described herein facilitate dynamic occupancy routing decisions. The methods include predicting a likelihood, based on day or time of day, that a customer having a retrieved or predicted profile is expected to initiate a customer communication; receiving, by one or more processors, the customer communication; providing a list of currently available agents and expected available agents, wherein the currently available agents are selected by excluding agents that (i) exceed a predetermined work threshold; and (ii) have exceeded a predetermined occupancy level; providing a routing recommendation to a communication distributor based on the predicted likelihood that the customer will initiate the customer communication on a day or at a time of day, and currently available agents' and expected available agents' proficiency at handling customers with the retrieved or predicted profile; and routing the customer communication via the communication distributor to an agent based on the recommendation.
US09667792B2

An approach is disclosed that facilitates context delivery during communication sessions. The approach may be implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions operable to: render at least one service to a user device through a communication session; collect information of the communication session; and send the information of the communication session to a service provider when a call is setup between the user device and the service provider. The service provider renders the information of the communication session for viewing by the service provider.
US09667788B2

Methods, customer-responsive computer program product, and system for analyzing electronic customer communication data, generating behavioral assessment data and generating a responsive communication that includes receiving, by a server, electronic customer communication data of two or more types, determining customer identification data associated with the electronic customer communication data by the server, analyzing the electronic customer communication data by applying a predetermined linguistic-based psychological behavioral model to the electronic customer communication data, generating behavioral assessment data by the contact center based on said analyzing, the behavioral assessment data providing a personality type for the analyzed electronic customer communication data, generating a responsive communication based on the generated behavioral assessment data, and providing the responsive electronic communication via a user interface.
US09667778B2

A method and apparatus for processing a missed call are provided. In one embodiment, an electronic device checks whether an incoming call received through a communication network is connected. If the incoming call is not connected, the electronic device detects whether the incoming call is terminated. If the incoming call is terminated, the electronic device recognizes this as a missed call and maintains a call notification in the same form as used when the incoming call is received. Other various embodiments are provided.
US09667774B2

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for sending a virtual information card that is stored in a cloud storage system. The method includes determining, based on a user operation of a first terminal, whether to include the virtual information card in a call to a second terminal initiated by the first terminal, the virtual information card being associated with a user of the first terminal. The method also includes, when determining to include the virtual information card in the call, sending, by the first terminal, an instruction message to a cloud server of the cloud storage system. The instruction message instructs the cloud server to send data corresponding to the virtual information card to the second terminal such that the virtual information card is displayable in a call receiving interface of the second terminal.
US09667773B2

Embodiments of the invention provide for audio file management for synchronized audio playback in coordination with external video playback. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for audio file management for synchronized audio playback in coordination with external video playback includes receiving a request to synchronize playback of an audio file locally stored in a mobile device with audio resulting from projection of a motion picture in a movie theater. The method additionally includes synchronizing playback of the audio file with the audio resulting from the projection of the motion picture in response to receiving the request. The method yet further includes determining that the synchronized playback of the audio file in the mobile device has completed. Finally, the method includes responding to the determination, by irretrievably modifying the audio file in the mobile device and by subsequently deleting the irretrievably modified audio file from the mobile device.
US09667756B2

An apparatus for transmitting data in a communication system includes: a receiving unit configured to receive reception information of a data packet in a receiver from the receiver; a frame generation unit configured to generate a plurality of frames containing data to transmit to the receiver, in consideration of the reception information; a packet generation unit configured to include the plurality of frames into a payload and generate a data packet; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the generated data packet to the receiver, wherein the payload includes a mode field containing information on the plurality of frames and the plurality of frames.
US09667752B2

A method for wireless data transmission, a transmission system, client controllers, and server controllers are described. The method for wireless data transmission includes: establishing management connection, the server controller establishes task management connection among the client controllers respectively; task arrangement, the server controller arranges the wireless data transmission task among the client equipment based on the information of client equipment, which is acquired from the task management connection, each client equipment is coupled with corresponding client controller; task executing, based on the arranged information of wireless data transmission task; establishing data transmission connection among the client controllers; and executing the wireless data transmission task through the data transmission connection. By using the server controllers, the wireless data transmission among client equipment can be accomplished conveniently, without an operating interface.
US09667751B2

The transmission of broadcast data, such as financial data and news feeds, is accelerated over a communication channel using data compression and decompression to provide secure transmission and transparent multiplication of communication bandwidth, as well as reduce the latency. Broadcast data may include packets having fields. Encoders associated with particular fields may be selected to compress those particular fields.
US09667745B2

System(s) and method(s) are provided for prioritizing protocol messages received at a server. A client generates a request message and incorporates a data unit therein in order to indicate type of service application that triggered generation of the request message. The client conveys the request message to a server configured to respond to the request message. To supply data in response to the message request, the server prioritizes the request message based at least on the data unit that conveys the type of service application. The server can assign a set of request messages to a group of scheduling queues based at least on ranking of the type of service associated with at least one request message in the set of request messages. Based on performance conditions, the server also can reject one or more request messages according to the ranking.
US09667744B2

Implementations and techniques for outputting information about estimated QoEs on a terminal on which plural applications can be executed are generally disclosed. The estimated QoEs may be obtained by performing QoE estimation on an application basis.
US09667729B1

A host with a network interface that offloads a TCP connection is disclosed in which the notification that relatively small data transmit commands have completed is batched whereas the notification that relatively large data transmit commands have completed are not batched. The notification that data transmit commands have completed may be intrinsically modulated by the size and frequency of the commands and the processing of the data transfer by the TCP connection. One embodiment involves a method comprising: running an application on a computer having a network interface; running, on the network interface, a TCP connection for the application; providing, by the computer to the network interface, a command to send data from the application; updating, by the network interface, a SndUna value for the TCP connection; and providing, by the network interface to the computer, the SndUna value, thereby indicating to the computer that the command has been completed.
US09667720B1

Techniques are provided for shard reorganization in sharded storage systems based on a user-specified dimensional description or key range information. An exemplary method processes data in a sharded distributed data storage system that stores data in a plurality of shards by obtaining a dimensional description for a shard reorganization of the data in the sharded distributed data storage system from a user; and reorganizing a storage of the data on one or more nodes of the sharded distributed data storage system based on the dimensional description. The dimensional description comprises, for example, a semantic description of desired array dimensions or key range information. The semantic description of desired array dimensions comprises a striping of a given data array along one or more of a horizontal face, a vertical face and a sub-array of the given data array. The reorganization can be employed, for example, for key-value objects and multidimensional array objects.
US09667718B2

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing an API description of an external network service and using the API to integrate the external service into a network. An embodiment operates by receiving, from a service provider, a description of an application programming interface (API), transmitting a call to the service provider using the API for creating a new instance of a service and transmitting to the service provider a traffic flow upon which the service will be applied.
US09667710B2

A cloud-based system for integration of agricultural data with geolocation-based agricultural operations is provided. The system receives agricultural-related data associated with a given geographic area and transforms the received data into an analysis-ready format. The system processes the received data through one or more algorithms to determine at least one operation to be performed within the given geographic area. The system generates a set of instructions for execution of the at least one operation within the given geographic area as a function of geolocation, where the instructions are coded for direct use by a controller of a specified type of agricultural equipment. The system transmits the instructions over a wireless communication channel to the controller, where the instructions cause the controller to direct operation of the agricultural equipment to perform the at least one operation within the given geographic area as a function of geolocation in an automated manner.
US09667695B2

A method and device for publishing promotion contents and computer storage medium are described. The compatibility of the promotion content publishing method can be enhanced and an accurate delivery of the promotion content can be achieved. In the method, a description file is issued to the client. The client then downloads promotion content suitable for its own operation system platform and device according to the description file. Thus the method can be used in different platforms and devices including iOS, Android, WinCE, S60v3, S60v5 and etc. The server can identify the platform of the client, the type of the device and the function opened on the client, thus an accurate delivery of promotion content to specific type of client can be achieved.
US09667689B2

A system and method for providing real-time data to a Rich Internet Application is disclosed. The graphical and networking features of RIA frameworks in conjunction with at least one real-time data server provides low-latency, real-time data applications in a web browser. In one embodiment, data is produced at a data source, propagated to a server, and collected at the server. A persistent connection is created from a RIA to the server, and the RIA is subscribed to the data, wherein the subscribed data comprises at least some of the data collected at the server, and wherein the server propagates the subscribed data to the RIA through the persistent connection as the data is collected at the server.
US09667684B2

Systems and methods for saving encoded media streamed using adaptive bitrate streaming in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a playback device configured to perform adaptive bitrate streaming of media includes a video decoder application and a processor, where the video decoder application configures the processor to select a download stream from a set of alternative streams of video data, measure streaming conditions and request a stream of video data from the alternative streams of video data, receive portions of video data from the requested stream of video data, decode the received video data, save the received video data to memory, when the received video data is from the download stream and separately download and save the corresponding portion of video data from the download stream to memory, when the received video data is not from the download stream.
US09667680B2

A method, system and computer program product for servicing media content. In one embodiment, the media content is processed by having each of a group of services process increments of the media content, one increment at a time; and the order in which the services process these increments is orchestrated to process all of the media content in accordance with a defined procedure. In one embodiment, the increments of the media content are passed, one increment after another, to at least a plurality of the services in a defined order. In an embodiment, each time one of the plurality of services passes one of the increments of the media content to a subsequent one of the services in the defined order, the one of the plurality of services requests another increment of the media content from a preceding one of the services in the defined order.
US09667679B2

Examples disclosed herein include a social-media computing system receiving, from a first computing device, a first message indicating that a media playback system is associated with a first social-media account; and based on the received first message, sending, to a second computing device associated with a second social-media account, a second message indicating that the media playback system is associated with the first social-media account. The examples may also include the second computing device receiving, from the social-media computing system, the second message; and based on the received second message, causing display of an indication of the association between the media playback system and the second social-media account.
US09667677B2

Systems and methods provide for autonomic collaborative workspace creation. Patterns of artifact usage for a plurality of workspaces over a plurality of collaborative interactions may be determined. Some of the multitude of collaborative interactions may be between a subset of the plurality of workspaces. A workspace may be initialized with artifacts for a scheduled collaboration based on the patterns of artifact usage.
US09667676B1

A content management system allows users to collaboratively edit, draft, or otherwise work with the same content item simultaneously by displaying a real-time data stream of a native application displaying a content item on a host device in a screen sharing window of a webpage. The screen sharing window is capable of receiving edit inputs and sending the edit inputs to a client application on the host device. The edit inputs are provided as interpretable code for the native application for the content item and the client application provides the interpretable code to the native application to have the changes corresponding to the edit inputs incorporated into the content item. Further, the cursors of other users participating in the collaborative editing session are displayed in the screen sharing window to allow each participant to view and follow the changes made by the other participants of the session.
US09667674B2

A method and apparatus include a first server that communicates with a second server to cause a call back request to be communicated to an endpoint so that the endpoint can initiate a call back connection with the first server or a third server. Such a call back connection may occur near real time or in substantially real time so that updates can be supplied to an endpoint running an application supported by the server quickly and efficiently. The endpoint may register with the second server such that the second server is able to utilize notification messages for providing call back request information to the endpoint to advise the endpoint of a call back request.
US09667673B2

A method implemented by a middlebox comprising registering a customer premises equipment (CPE) in the middlebox, wherein the CPE is coupled to the middlebox via an electrical line, and facilitating registration of the CPE in a central office (CO) equipment coupled to the middlebox.
US09667672B2

A method, client, server and system for multi-person audio-video interaction are disclosed in the present invention, which belong to the field of internet terminal. The method includes: obtaining channel configuration information corresponding to current channel from a server; loading a scene module corresponding to the current channel according to the obtained channel configuration information and pre-stored configuration information; obtaining and displaying pictures or videos corresponding to the current channel from the server; displaying the text information by a simulation object corresponding to the client in a user interaction region of the scene module; and sending the text information to the server, when the text information that triggered by the user in the user interaction region of the scene module is received. The present invention achieves that every simulation object can be used to display the text information in different space position of the user interaction region, thus making an audience realize well communication and interaction effect in a scene environment simulated by a virtual scene.
US09667663B2

A computer-implemented system and method for secure electronic message exchange including coupling a control platform to a workstation of a plurality of workstations via a communications medium, where the control platform includes one or more apparatuses for monitoring, controlling, conversion, and billing, related to messages exchanged between a plurality of local, users and a plurality of remote users. The system, prevents forwarding or copying of a message sent by a local user of the plurality of local users and received by a remote user of the plurality of remote users, to another party by the control platform. The system and method also provides for authenticating the remote user with the control platform.
US09667649B1

Attacks, such as MITM and DoS attacks, on a distributed computing system may be detected by sending a work assignment to an execution device through a first communication channel. A report may then be received through a second communication channel of the work assignment received by the execution device. Information regarding the received work assignment may then be in view of information regarding the sent work assignment to determine whether an error, such as an MITM or DoS attack, has occurred. If the analysis indicates that the report does not include the sent work assignment, then a DoS attack may have occurred. If the analysis indicates that the work assignment received by the recipient does not correspond to the sent work assignment, then a MITM attack may have occurred. If an error has occurred, an indication might be recorded and/or other types of actions might also be taken.
US09667642B2

An apparatus, systems, and methods for matching network assets that were previously discovered by a network vulnerability assessment to a not yet reconciled network vulnerability assessment, and allowing for the associating of network assets to their corresponding assessed hosts that were discovered as part of different point-in-time network vulnerability assessments.
US09667627B2

A decryption system for decrypting user identification information encrypted on a storage device associated with a user identity document is disclosed. The system comprises: a server configured to collect user identity document data from the user and to construct a token including the user identity document data encoded in a machine readable form; a key construction unit communicatively coupled to a reader configured to read the data from the token and configured to read the data encoded on the storage device. The key construction unit uses the user identity document data read from the token to construct a key which enables the identity document reader to decrypt the user identification information stored on the storage device.
US09667618B2

A system and method for domain control validation is presented. At a certificate authority a request is received. The request includes a certificate signing request and a first Internet protocol address. The certificate signing request identifies a domain and a certificate. A second Internet protocol address for the domain is retrieved from a domain name system. When the first Internet protocol address is the same as the second Internet protocol address, the certificate is signed, and the signed certificate is transmitted to a requester of the request. When the first Internet protocol address is not the same as the second Internet protocol address, the certificate signing request is rejected.
US09667615B2

The present invention is directed to solve a problem that time is required for a process related to verification of a public key certificate of a message sender. An in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle has a memory for holding information of a device which failed in verification of a public key certificate. At the time of performing communication between vehicles or between a vehicle and a roadside device, a check is made to see whether or not information of a device included in a message transmitted matches information of a device which failed and held in the memory. When the information matches, verification of a public key certificate is not performed.
US09667610B2

Techniques for managing network-connected objects are provided. In some examples, code for accessing a network-connected object may be received. The code may be configured to enable generation of an application programming interface method. In some aspects, account information associated with a user may be stored. A particular method call corresponding to the application programming interface method may be received from a computer device of the user. The particular method call may include a request to access the network-connected object. In some examples, the request to access the network-connected object may be authenticated based at least in part on the account information. Additionally, in some examples, an instruction to the network-connected object may be provided over a network if the request is authenticated.
US09667608B2

A novel method for out-of-band key verification that improves on both the usability and the security of the numeric-code method is provided. The method use portions of the generated keys as inputs to perform procedural image generation to produce a visualization at each of the two devices that the user can visually compare and confirm. This visualization can be a static image or a motion animation. The method can uses more of the key data to generate visualizations with more features to reduce the likelihood of false matches. The method can also use less key data to allow for quicker comparison and confirmation.
US09667598B2

A computerized methods and systems to create, control and manage restricted scope and closed internet interactive networks, subnetworks and sub-subnetworks. The invention permits the protected network, subnetworks and sub-subnetworks to be connected to an open or previously established network, yet still remaining protected, secure and anonymous. Entrance into the protected interactive networks, subnetworks and sub-subnetworks by the user is achieved through a protected network device, anonymous address code, anonymous access code and/or anonymous login information. As the user interacts with the digital elements within the protected interactive networks, subnetworks and sub-subnetworks, a database of said interactions is created and used by the protected network provider in various ways, such as for user behavior information. No personal identifiable information is stored within interactive networks, subnetworks and/or sub-subnetworks and communication on said networks is unique, which inhibits and deters the targeting of the networks by cyber-criminals.
US09667593B2

Facilitating communications within a processing environment. Inbound traffic and outbound traffic on one or more virtual interfaces of the processing environment are monitored for a predefined amount of time. Based on the monitoring, a determination is made as to whether for a selected component of a virtual interface of the one or more virtual interfaces an inbound frame has been received but an outbound frame has not been transmitted for the predetermined amount of time. Based on determining that the inbound frame has been received but the outbound frame has not been transmitted, a generated outbound frame is forwarded to cause address registration information for the virtual interface to be refreshed.
US09667583B2

Systems and methods for sorting electronic messages using attributes of senders or of sender addresses. An electronic messaging server sorts electronic messages using attributes associated with the senders or sender addresses of the electronic messages. The sender addresses and associated attributes are stored in an accept list. A sorting module uses the accept list to sort the electronic messages into various folders. The sorting module can also access other data sources, such as a contact list, to assist in sorting the electronic messages. The attributes can be determined independently of the user or can be set directly by the user. The attributes can also identify a status of a sender such as whether the sender is authorized, unauthorized, or unconfirmed.
US09667574B2

An electronic message is transformed into moving images uttering the content of the electronic message. Methods of the present invention may be implemented on devices such as smart phones to enable users to compose text and select an animation character which may include cartoons, persons, animals, or avatars. The recipient is presented with an animation or video of the animation character with a voice that speaks the words of the text. The user may further select and include a catch-phrase associated with the character. The user may further select a background music identifier and a background music associated with the background music identifier is played back while the animated text is being presented. The user may further select a type of animation and the animation character will be animated according to the type of animation.
US09667573B2

Non-automated read-and-reply console messages may be automated. These messages may be classified into impact groups in which the messages may be removed from the database or sent to an automation analyzer for analysis. As more messages become automated, a debugging mode may be enabled to allow an operator to respond to a message with a proposed action. If the proposed action is aligned with an action predetermined in response to the automation analysis, the operator may be allowed to respond to future actions.
US09667562B2

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a first message from an application associated with a variable bit-rate (VBR) media flow, the first message including information that has at least an approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate and an amount by which a bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. The method also includes determining an amount of available bandwidth in a network, and identifying the approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate and the amount by which the bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed. Finally, the method includes identifying a bandwidth allocation identified based on the amount of available bandwidth in the network, the approximately minimum bandwidth at which the VBR media flow may operate, and the amount by which the bandwidth of the VBR media flow may be trimmed.
US09667545B2

A virtual link bandwidth control scheme is described that is a software-based mechanism for achieving distributed and coordinated bandwidth control. The scheme can be seamlessly integrated with the data transfer protocols utilizing queuing delay as part of rate control mechanism for data transfer and allows multiple processes to self-limit their transfer speeds, so that the aggregate rate stabilizes at a pre-configured level below the physical bottleneck capacity.
US09667543B2

Embodiments are directed to routing requests with different protocols to the same destination. In one scenario, a computer system receives a request that uses a specified protocol. The request includes a request source identifier and a request destination identifier. The computer system identifies, based on both the request source identifier and the request destination identifier, a destination to send the request to and generates a routing entry for the request that indicates which destination the first request was sent to. The computer system receives another request that uses a different protocol. This request includes a request source identifier and a request destination identifier of its own. The computer system determines that the request source identifier and request destination identifier of the subsequent request match those of the generated routing entry, and routes the subsequent request to the destination indicated in the routing entry.
US09667537B2

A transport system comprises a transport apparatus, which is used to construct a transport network using MPLS-TP; and a control apparatus for establishing a path in the transport network. The transport apparatus is coupled to a transfer apparatus, which is used to construct a transfer network using a network protocol different from an MPLS-TP protocol and uses the network protocol to establish a path in the transfer network in an autonomous distributed manner. The control apparatus and the transfer apparatus use the network protocol of the transfer network to transmit/receive, via the transport apparatus, control messages for controlling the transfer network. The transport apparatus avoids notifying the transfer apparatus of the fact that the control apparatus is not in a normal state, in a case where the path established in the transport network is determined as the normal state, even the control apparatus is determined as the abnormal state.
US09667533B2

This disclosure describes a network flow framework that generates customized network applications based upon user inputs that invokes various software building block functions to process ingress data packets. The network flow framework creates a network application pointer that points to the customized network application, and stores the network application pointer with application classification keys in a classification entry. When the network flow framework receives an ingress data packet, the network flow framework matches the ingress packet's classification key to the application classification key in the classification entry. As such, the network flow framework retrieves the network application pointer from the classification entry and stores the network application pointer in the ingress data packet's header. In turn, the network flow framework retrieves the customized network application corresponding to the network application pointer and processes the ingress data packet accordingly.
US09667525B2

A Path Computation Client (24) of a node in a network sends a request message (52) to a Path Computation Element (28) of the network for computation of a path, and the Path Computation Element sends a response message (54) comprising information identifying a calculated path. The Path Computation Element also sends a request for feedback on a result of the attempt to set up the connection. The Path Computation Element attempts to set up a connection based on the calculated path, and reports (64) to the Path Computation Element the result of the attempt to set up the connection.
US09667520B2

A system includes a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus configured to generate medical images of subjects and to generate connection verification support information to be used by a connection-target apparatus to verify connection with medical diagnostic imaging apparatus; a peripheral apparatus expected to be connected with the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus via a communication network and configured to operate the medical images generated by the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus; and a web server apparatus configured to record the connection verification support information generated by the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus. The peripheral apparatus verifies connection with the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus by using the connection verification support information acquired from the web server apparatus.
US09667517B2

A method for checking connectivity between a first device and a second device on a bidirectional Label Switched Path LSP, includes the first device sends, to the second device, an echo request including a reply mode and a return address, the reply mode requesting an echo reply to be delivered through backward LSP, and the return address being the unique ID of the first device; the first device receives an echo reply from the second device, the echo reply including the unique ID of the first device and return code related to connectivity of the backward LSP; and the first device correlates the echo reply with the echo request to verify connectivity between the two devices on the bidirectional Label Switched Paths.
US09667515B1

An electronic marketplace for service images permits users to browse descriptions of service images implementing desired functionalities of a virtual machine image. The described service images may contain one or more software applications and may be further offered for purchase through an electronic service image marketplace. Notifications, such as updates, regarding software applications contained within a service image can be uploaded to the electronic service image marketplace. The electronic service image marketplace identifies customers associated with service images containing outdated software applications and generates notifications for the customers.
US09667514B1

A sampler tool for an electronic discovery system implementing an electronic discovery workflow is provided. The sampler tool defines a workflow, identifies, a data set, then calculates results and generates reports and archival records. In particular, the sampler tool calculates and/or obtains various metrics characterizing the workflow and generates reports based on such metrics. These reports can serve as historical snapshots which can be used for quality control purposes and/or to provide support regarding the efficacy of the data selection process or large-scale document review in the context of the electronic discovery process. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09667507B2

According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more computer processors determine a source for a performance indicator of a target service element is known. The one or more computer processors select, at run time, a source for the performance indicator that has a least amount of information gaps. The one or more computer processors determine information associated with the performance indicator from the source. The one or more computer processors determine whether the determined information associated with the performance indicator is more current than a quality indicator periodicity value that is associated with the target service element. In response to determining that the determined information associated with the performance indicator is more current than a quality indicator periodicity value that is associated with the target service element, the one or more computer processors selecting the performance indicator.
US09667506B2

A computer-implemented method is operable in a content delivery framework having a network comprising multiple service endpoints running on a plurality of devices. A plurality of the service endpoints comprise a peer group. Each node in the peer group has at least one kind of responsibility. The method includes receiving a request at a first node in the peer group, wherein the nodes in the peer group are ranked hierarchically, and wherein the first node has a first rank in the peer group; and, based on a kind of responsibility the first node has for the request, attempting to process the request using a second node in the peer group, wherein the second node has a second rank in the peer group distinct from the first rank of the first node.
US09667504B2

To facilitate account information setting, in a communication system including a management apparatus which manages account information to be used to use a service provided by a server apparatus, and a user apparatus which uses the service, the management apparatus selects, based on device classification information acquired from the user apparatus, account information to be provided to the user apparatus from one or more pieces of account information stored in a storage unit, and provides the account information to the user apparatus. The user apparatus sends the device classification information of the user apparatus to the management apparatus, receives, from the management apparatus, the account information selected based on the device classification information, and uses the service provided by the server apparatus.
US09667503B2

A system and method identify a set of rules for determining a commonality of attributes across different behavior changes for a network. The system performs the method by receiving a set of data correlating network triggers to performance changes of one or more network devices. The set of data further includes an indication of a sign of the performance change for each of the network devices based on the triggers. The method further includes extracting a set of rules relating to a set of relationships between the triggers and the performance changes. The rules identify a commonality of the performance changes for multiple network devices based on the triggers.
US09667500B2

A computer system may include logic configured to generate a topology model of an autonomous system; detect a route advertisement, relating to an external autonomous system, from a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) router; select a client BGP router; determine a next hop destination to the external autonomous system for the selected second BGP router, based on the detected route advertisement and based on the generated topology model; and provide the determined next hop destination to the selected client BGP router.
US09667498B2

A self-adaptive control system based on proportional-integral (PI) control theory for dynamic capacity management of latency-sensitive application servers (e.g., application servers associated with a social networking application) are disclosed. A centralized controller of the system can adapt to changes in request rates, changes in application and/or system behaviors, underlying hardware upgrades, etc., by scaling the capacity of a cluster up or down so that just the right amount of capacity is maintained at any time. The centralized controller uses information relating to a current state of the cluster and historical information relating to past state of the cluster to predict a future state of the cluster and use that prediction to determine whether to scale up or scale down the current capacity to reduce latency and maximize energy savings. A load balancing system can then distribute traffic among the servers in the cluster using any load balancing methods.
US09667483B2

The invention relates to a method for configuring a device in a local area network using a gateway. The gateway is being communicatively coupled to a remote management server outside the local area network. The local area network comprises a protected portion and an unprotected portion. The method comprises the following actions: First a connection request is received from a user device. The user device is provided with an address that enables the user device to establish a connection with the gateway within the unprotected portion of the local area network. Then a configuration request is received from the user device, in which the configuration request includes device information. Network information is appended to the configuration request and the appended configuration request is sent to the remote management server. In response a configuration response message is received. The response message includes the configuration data from the remote management server. Finally, configuration of the user device is established within the protected portion of the local area network using the configuration data.
US09667480B2

Presented herein are techniques for collecting and delivering consolidated nameserver information in a merged Fiber (Fiber) Channel (FC) fabric. A principal switch in a merged FC fabric collects information from one or more subordinate switches. The principal switch consolidates the information collected from the subordinate switches to generate consolidated nameserver information. The principal switch then pushes the consolidated nameserver information from the principal switch to each of the subordinate switches.
US09667476B2

The health of a computing network is checked to determine whether there is a current fault in the network or a prediction of a potential fault in the network. The fault can be any type of fault, including a link failure, a failure in the transmitter of data over the link, a failure in the receiver of the data, or any other type of failure. If a fault or potential fault is indicated, a deterministic approach is provided for finding the source of the fault or potential fault within the network. The deterministic approach uses current values for selected operational parameters of components within the network, as well as historical data to determine the source.
US09667474B2

A method and system for providing a payment network via a plurality of multiprotocol label switching networks using a network interface device are provided. The method includes receiving, a first network message containing financial transaction data from a first one of a plurality of multiprotocol label switching networks, determining a destination of the financial transaction data from the network message, transmitting the financial transaction data to a second one of the plurality of multiprotocol label switching networks using a second network containing the financial transaction data, where at least one of the first one and the second one of the plurality of multiprotocol label switching networks is an Internet-based network that provides back-up access for transmitting the financial transaction data between a payment card interchange network and at least one of an issuer bank and a merchant bank using a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnel inside an IPSec connection.
US09667471B2

The present disclosure relates to a technique for scheduling resource reservations of services in a service providing network. A method embodiment comprises the steps of receiving a resource reservation request indicating a preferred time period for delivery of a requested service available in the network; and scheduling resource reservation of the requested service based on statistical information related to resource utilizations or reservations of one or more services available in the network and the preferred time period for delivery of the requested service.
US09667465B2

Systems, methods, and devices for wireless communication. In one aspect, an apparatus for wireless communication is provided. The apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal comprising a packet. At least a portion of the wireless signal is configured to be received over a bandwidth lower than or equal to 1.25 MHz. The packet is formed from at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol comprising thirty-two tones. The thirty-two tones correspond to frequency subcarriers within the bandwidth. The thirty-two tones of the at least one OFDM symbol are allocated as: twenty-four data tones, two pilot tones, five guard tones, and one direct current (DC) tone. The apparatus includes a processor configured to evaluate the wireless signal. The processor includes a transform module configured to convert the at least one OFDM symbol into a frequency domain signal using a thirty-two point mode.
US09667459B1

The present invention provides a methods, apparatus and systems for improving a systems-level data rate on a communications link such the orthogonal frequency division multiplexed multiple access (OFDMA) downlink used in used in WiFi and LTE cellular/wireless mobile data applications. The present invention preferably uses a form of multilevel coding and decoding known as tiled-building-block encoding/decoding. With the present invention, different receivers coupled to different parallel downlink channels with different channel qualities decode different received signal constellations at different levels of resolution. This allows the downlink of the OFDMA system to operate with a significantly higher data rate, thus eliminating existing inefficiencies in the downlink and significantly increasing system level bandwidth efficiency.
US09667452B2

The present invention relates to a system and method for integrating useful data while measuring available bandwidth between a cloud computing client device and a server farm. More specifically the present invention relates to the method for integrating useful application data carried inside probe packets, by tools that estimate available bandwidth between two nodes connected through the internet (cloud). Importantly, the present invention relates to the method to overcome application data loss that typically happens during the available bandwidth estimation process. Advantageously, the Cloud Computing Environment (CCE) user's internet usage billing reduces significantly and also Available Bandwidth Measurement Tools (ABMT) could be run more frequently without significant increase in billing.
US09667439B2

Various implementations disclosed herein include systems, methods and apparatuses that determine connections between disconnected partial trees. For example, in some implementations, a method includes obtaining a respective device identifier of a first network device included in a first one of a plurality of partial trees included in a network, wherein each partial tree includes at least one network device, and connectivity from the at least one network device to other partial trees is undefined based on associated uplink metadata; querying a plurality of compliant devices within the plurality of partial trees in order to trace a path traversal of the respective device identifier within the network; and selecting one of the plurality of compliant devices as connecting the first network device to a second one of the plurality of partial trees based at least on query responses provided by the plurality of compliant devices.
US09667435B2

Various embodiments for remote presentation of an interface of a computing device, such as a PC, are described herein. In particular, in various illustrated embodiments, a local device such as a Digital Media Adapter (DMA), mobile device, cellular telephone, etc. may be used to receive input from a remote control, where the local device provides human perceptible feedback, such as a sound, visual response, etc., responsive to use of the remote control. In some embodiments, the local device may contain a memory or cache for locally storing particular feedback data for human perceptible feedback. In various embodiments, a communication protocol is provided for storing, triggering, deleting, etc. feedback data in the memory cache. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.
US09667431B2

Systems, methods and transitory computer-readable storage media for constructing a loop free multicast tree. The methods include observing a network topology transition affecting a first path from the particular node to a root node, calculating a second path from the particular node to the root node and sending a message to an upstream node requesting that the upstream node be a root port in the calculated second path. If the upstream node agrees to be the root port in the calculated second path, the method further includes creating a new FTAG tree topology view that includes the upstream node as the root port in the second path.
US09667429B2

A PSE includes a PSE controller that performs a handshaking routine with any PDs connected to the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs and applies power to the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs, via a switch, if certain conditions are met. Two different levels of currents are supplied to different terminals of the PSE controller that are connected to the data wire pairs and the spare wire pairs, and the resulting voltages are measured. The voltages are used to determine the PD impedances at the ends of the data wire pairs and spare wire pairs to determine whether a PD is connected to the data wire pair, whether another PD is connected to the spare wire pair, or whether a single PD is connected to both the data wire pairs and the spare wire pairs.
US09667428B2

A method and system configured to produce a cryptographic signature on a message, under a key, at a user computer wherein the key is shared between the user computer, which stores a first key-share, and an authentication computer, which stores a second key-share and a first authentication value. The user computer encodes the message to produce a blinded message, produces the first authentication value from a user password and a secret value, and produces a second authentication value by encoding the first authentication value and a nonce. The authentication computer uses the nonce to determine if the first authentication value is correct and, if so, encodes the blinded message using the second key-share to produce a partial signature. The user computer produces a signature on the message under the key by encoding the partial signature and the message using the first key-share and an unblinding function.
US09667421B2

A system uses information submitted in connection with a request to determine if and how to process the request. The information may be electronically signed by a requestor using a key such that the system processing the request can verify that the requestor has the key and that the information is authentic. The information may include information that identifies a holder of a key needed for processing the request, where the holder of the key can be the system or another, possibly third party, system. Requests to decrypt data may be processed to ensure that a certain amount of time passes before access to the decrypted data is provided, thereby providing an opportunity to cancel such requests and/or otherwise mitigate potential security breaches.
US09667418B2

There is described an electronic data communication system in which encrypted mail messages for a recipient are sent in two parts: message data encrypted by a symmetric encryption algorithm using a session key and session key data encrypted by an asymmetric encryption algorithm using a public key associated with the recipient. If the recipient uses a webmail service to access the encrypted electronic mail message, the encrypted session key data is sent to a trusted third party server which has access to the private key of the user. The trusted third party server decrypts the encrypted session key using the private key of the user, and then sends the decrypted session key to a remote network device for decryption of the encrypted message.
US09667409B2

A sensor comprises a transmitter to transmit signals over a communication path, the sensor further capable to receive signals from the communication path, wherein the sensor is configured to communicate sensor data having a nibble data signal format at the transmitter in response to a trigger signal received at the sensor.
US09667404B2

A duplexer-less transceiver arrangement (300) is disclosed. The transceiver comprises a receiver (302) arranged for frequency-division duplex communication with a communication network; a transmitter (304) arranged for frequency-division duplex communication with the communication network; an antenna port (306) for connecting to an antenna; a balancing impedance circuit (308) arranged to provide an adaptive impedance arranged to mimic the impedance at the antenna port; and an impedance network differentially connecting the receiver (302), transmitter (304), antenna port (306) and balancing impedance circuit (308), wherein the impedance network includes a cross-connection.
US09667401B2

A method is provided for transmitting Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information in a wireless communication system. The method is performed by a User Equipment (UE) configured to use a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) format 3. The UE determines a PUCCH format and a PUCCH resource through which ACK/NACK information for downlink transmission in a downlink subframe set including M downlink subframes is to be transmitted, wherein M>1. The UE transmits the ACK/NACK information using the PUCCH format and the PUCCH resource in one uplink subframe. A plurality of serving cells are configured for the UE and include one Primary Cell (PCell) and at least one Secondary Cell (SCell).
US09667396B2

A method of a first cell for supporting a downlink channel demodulation at a user equipment. The method according to one embodiment includes transmitting, by the first cell to the user equipment, information on a Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS) of a second cell including at least one CRS antenna port count information of the second cell or Multicast/Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe configuration information of the second cell; and transmitting, by the first cell to the user equipment, a downlink signal on the downlink channel. The information on the CRS of the second cell is used by the user equipment to demodulate the downlink channel.
US09667395B2

Techniques and apparatus for selectively switching among two or more possible reference signal densities are disclosed. An example method comprises obtaining (110) one or more reference signal conditions that governs the density of the reference signal format to be transmitted by a wireless communication device in conjunction with data transmissions, where the one or more reference signal conditions are defined in advance of any scheduling of those data transmissions. The example method further comprises evaluating (120) the one or more reference signal conditions and selecting (130) a density of a reference signal format, from two or more possible densities, based on the outcome of the evaluation. In embodiments where the node that carries out the evaluation is the transmitting node, the method further comprises transmitting (140) one or more reference signals in conjunction with one or more data transmissions, in accordance with the selected reference signal density.
US09667387B2

According to one embodiment, an IC card includes a first transmission processing section, creation section, second transmission processing section, third reception processing section, and third transmission processing section. The first transmission processing section transmits a first response including the request data. The creation section creates a detailed redundancy check code including a redundancy check code of each of divided blocks. The second transmission processing section transmits the detailed redundancy check code. The third reception processing section receives a third command to request an erroneous divided block. The third transmission processing section transmits a third response including a divided block corresponding to the erroneous divided block.
US09667383B2

The present invention relates to a method of transmitting and a method of receiving signals, and corresponding apparatus. One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining a field for indicating a time de-interleaving depth from a layer 1 (L1) header of preamble symbols.
US09667381B2

A method and an apparatus for encoding and decoding packets using a polar code is provided. The method includes acquiring a plurality of blocks constituting the packet, extracting a plurality of codeword candidates corresponding to the blocks, selecting some of the codeword candidates in a descending order of posterior probability among the codeword candidates corresponding to the blocks, combining the selected codeword candidates into a plurality of codeword combinations, selecting a codeword combination having the highest posterior probability and passed Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) test without error among the plurality of codeword combinations, and decoding the selected codeword combination. The packet encoding and decoding apparatus and method of the present disclosure is capable of encoding and decoding packets in a unit of blocks efficiently.
US09667375B2

A channel establishment method and device are provided. The method includes: establishing a media channel between a first node and a second node; establishing a signal channel between a third node and a fourth node after the media channel is established, wherein the signal channel passes a frequency slot matrix of one or more intermediate nodes between the third node and the fourth node and a traffic engineering link between any two nodes; and allocating frequency spectrum to the signal channel from available frequency spectrum of the traffic engineering link, wherein the frequency spectrum includes multiple split frequency spectrums which bear one optical channel and each of which contains a plurality of optical carriers or only contains a single optical carrier. The solution can address the problem as to how to effectively plan and manage frequency spectrum for an introduced flexible grid technology and improve waveband frequency spectrum efficiency.
US09667369B2

A video signal and an audio signal are TMDS transmitted from a source device to a sink device. Through a reserved line and a HPD line provided separately from a TMDS transmission line, an Ethernet™ signal is bidirectionally transmitted, and also, a SPDIF signal is transmitted from the sink device to the source device. The Ethernet™ signal bidirectionally transmitted between Ethernet™ transmitter/receiver circuits is differentially transmitted by an amplifier and is received by the amplifier. The SPDIF signal from a SPDIF transmitter circuit is common-mode transmitted from an adder and is received by the adder to be supplied to the SPDIF receiver circuit.
US09667360B2

Systems and methods may use proximate communication to retrieve information pertaining to a target device. In one example, the method may include detecting the target device within a vicinity of a user device, receiving an information request response communication including information pertaining to the target device, and receiving an operation request response communication including information pertaining to a performed operation.
US09667351B2

An optical communication system, a linear optical receiver, and an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip are disclosed, among other things. One example of the disclosed IC chip includes a transimpedance amplifier that receives an input electrical signal from a photodiode and provides an amplified version of the input electrical signal as an output, at least one variable gain amplifier that receives the amplified electrical signal output by the transimpedance amplifier and a bandwidth control mechanism that extends a bandwidth of the second amplified output at a maximum gain of the second amplification phase and also reduces a peaking of the second amplified output at a minimum gain of the second amplification phase.
US09667347B2

A non-linear distortion compensator includes: a first signal generator configured to generate a signal with a second multivalued level lower than a first multivalued level from an input signal; a non-linear distortion calculator configured to calculate non-linear distortion of the signal with the first multivalued level based on the signal with the second multivalued level generated by the first signal generator; and a non-linear compensator configured to compensate the non-linear distortion of the signal with the first multivalued level based on the non-linear distortion calculated by the non-linear distortion calculator.
US09667339B2

A telecommunication system comprises channels connected to a spot generation device, each spot being able to cover a dedicated user cell. All the channels have an identical bandwidth. The spot generation device comprises channel amplifiers with variable gain and with constant output power dedicated to each channel, the output power levels of all the channel amplifiers being constant and identical, frequency demultiplexers respectively connected to the channel amplifiers and intended to split the bandwidth assigned to each channel into N sub-bands having the same width corresponding to N carriers having different frequencies, a device for selecting and distributing all the carriers between the spots, and frequency combiners respectively dedicated to each spot, the number of carriers assigned to each spot being variable from one spot to another spot according to the needs of the corresponding users.
US09667338B2

Provided are methods and systems for multiband wireless data transmission between aircraft and ground systems. The transmission uses different wavelength ranges, each wavelength range corresponding to a different data domain and establishing a different communication channel. This wavelength differentiation provides physical separation between different data domains and, as a result, improves data security. Furthermore, a single broadband antenna is used on the exterior of the aircraft for transmitting data sets from different data domains. The single antenna configuration reduces drag and weight and improves structural integrity of the aircraft in comparison to multi-antenna configurations. Different aircraft communication modules, which are connected to different aircraft systems, handle different data domains and operate at different wavelength ranges. These modules are connected to the same antenna using a multiplexer. This connection may be controlled using gate devices and may be conditioned on verification of communication channel availability, security status, and other factors.
US09667334B2

The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for transmitting a common signal in hybrid beamforming. The method includes: acquiring an analog common signal to be transmitted; selecting a different codeword for each RF chain from a codebook for analog beamforming and obtaining an analog beamformer; beamforming the analog common signal to be transmitted in each RF chain according to the analog beamformer; and transmitting the beamformed analog common signal in each RF chain.
US09667331B2

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may be a UE. The UE determines a first CSI subframe set including a first set of subframes of a frame and a second CSI subframe set including a second set of subframes of the frame. Subframes in the first set of subframes are different than subframes in the second set of subframes. The UE determines a CSI reference subframe in one of the first CSI subframe set or the second CSI subframe set. The UE measures CSI in the CSI reference subframe. The UE receives an aperiodic CSI request in a triggering subframe in one of the first CSI subframe set or the second CSI subframe set. The triggering subframe is after the CSI reference subframe.
US09667327B2

The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). A method for channel-related information feedback in a beamforming system, performed by a transmitter is provided. The method includes determining whether a receiver is to feed back gain information about an effective channel established between the transmitter and the receiver using channel-related information between the transmitter and the receiver, notifying the receiver of a feedback mode indicating whether the gain information is to be fed back, upon receipt of feedback information configured based on the feedback mode from the receiver, reconfiguring the effective channel based on the feedback information, and transmitting a signal on the reconfigured effective channel.
US09667325B1

The present disclosure discloses a receiver device, including receiving antennas, radio frequency receivers, a configurable precision analog-to-digital converter, a switch device, a baseband processor, and an analog-to-digital controller. The switch device converts a first number of baseband analog signals into a second number of baseband analog signals. The configurable precision analog-to-digital converter converts the second number of baseband analog signals into a third number of first baseband digital signals. The configurable precision analog-to-digital converter combines at least two of first analog-to-digital converters into at least one second analog-to-digital converter so that the total number of the rest of the first analog-to-digital converters and the at least one second analog-to-digital converters is equal to the third number. The resolution of each of the second analog-to-digital converters is higher than the resolution of each of the first analog-to-digital converters.
US09667300B2

A frequency synthesizer that includes a reference frequency scaler and a phase locked loop (PLL) coupled to the reference frequency scaler. The reference frequency scaler is configured to generate a first reference frequency and a second reference frequency. The PLL is configured to generate a first output frequency based on the first reference frequency during a first timeslot and a second output frequency based on the second reference frequency during a second timeslot. The PLL comprises a loop filter that includes a first switch connected in series to a first capacitor and configured to close during the first timeslot and a second switch connected in series to a second capacitor and configured to open during the first timeslot.
US09667298B2

A multiplexer including a housing including an antenna connector coupled to an antenna and a plurality of input and output connectors configured to receive or output a signal transmitted or received via the antenna according to a predetermined frequency band; a plurality of band pass filter units included in the housing and configured to pass a signal of a predetermined frequency band between the antenna connector and the plurality of input and output connectors; and a coupling unit including a plurality of feeding units to couple the antenna connector and the plurality of band pass filter units with one another.
US09667294B2

A low power long range transceiver is presented. The transceiver includes: an antenna configured to receive an RF signal; an analog front-end circuit configured to receive the RF signal from the antenna and pre-condition the RF signal by at least one of amplify the RF signal, shift frequency of the RF signal and filter the RF signal; and a demodulator configured to receive the preconditioned signal from the front-end circuit and an assertion trigger signal signifying an end of a predefined time period, where the demodulator, in response to the assertion trigger signal, outputs a data value for a given data bit in the RF signal. A controller is also configured to receive the assertion trigger signal and, in response to the assertion trigger signal, disables at least one component of the transceiver, thereby reducing power consumption.
US09667292B2

A data processing system may include a transmit circuit configured to transmit a first signal sequence comprising one or more signals, a receive circuit configured to transmit a second signal sequence comprising one or more additional signals, wherein one or more signals of the second signal sequence comprise an interference component related to the first signal sequence, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be configured to generate a kernel set comprising one or more kernels based on the first signal sequence, wherein a first kernel of the kernel set comprises: a first complex exponential component of the first kernel based on the phase of a first signal of the first signal sequence, and a second complex exponential component of the first kernel based on the amplitude of the first signal of the first signal sequence, and apply the kernel set to generate a solution to a linear system, wherein the solution to the linear system represents a substantially linear relationship between the kernel set and the signal component of the second signal sequence arising from the first signal sequence.
US09667287B2

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed for providing interference rejection in ultra-wideband real time locating systems. In one embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver is configured to: receive an interference signal from a source positioned outside a monitored region; receive a composite signal transmitted from a tagged object moving about a playing field within the monitored region, wherein the composite signal comprises a location signal and a component of the interference signal; detect whether the component of the interference signal exceeds a threshold value; and adjust, via a processor, filtering of the composite signal to attenuate the component of the interference signal based on whether the component of the interference signal exceeds the threshold value. Some embodiments provide for filtering of the composite signal using a combiner while others employ a tunable notch filter. Corresponding systems, methods, and computer-readable storage medium are also provided.
US09667262B2

A digital control oscillator circuit includes: a ring oscillator having delay elements delaying a pulse signal; a counter circuit counting the circulation number of the pulse signal; a rough period generation unit acquiring a period setting value as a magnification ratio for a reference clock, and counting the reference clock using an integer part of the ratio to generate a rough period timing; a fraction conversion unit converting a decimal point part of the ratio into the number of the elements passed by the pulse signal to generate a fraction; and an output processing unit selecting a timing when outputs of the ring oscillator and the counter circuit become values corresponding to the fraction as an output timing when a time corresponding to the fraction has passed after the rough period timing, and generating an output signal oscillating at a period represented by the period setting value according to the output timing.
US09667258B2

An electronic device includes a control logic portion suitable for generating a hold control signal based on a count enable signal, and a counting portion suitable for performing a counting operation while a latch operation stops during a counting section and performing the latch operation while the counting operation stops during a holding section based on the hold control signal and a counting clock signal.
US09667247B2

An radio frequency switch according to an example includes a first switching circuit including first switching elements connected in series between an antenna port and a transmission port and operated by a first gate signal, a second switching circuit including second switching elements connected in series between the antenna port and a reception port and operated by a second gate signal, a first shunt circuit connected between the transmission port and a ground and operated by the second gate signal, a second shunt circuit connected between the reception port and the ground and operated by the first gate signal, and a third shunt circuit connected between the reception port and the other end of an inductor grounded at one end and operated by the second gate signal.
US09667240B2

Circuits, systems, and methods for starting up analog devices are provided. One circuit includes an output node at an output voltage (VOUT), a comparator configured to be coupled to a reference voltage (VREF), a feedback loop coupling the output node to the comparator, and a turbo circuit coupled between the output and the output node. The turbo circuit is configured to increase VOUT, the comparator is configured to compare VOUT and VREF, and the turbo circuit is enabled and disabled based on the comparison of VOUT and VREF. One system includes an analog device coupled to the above circuit. A method includes enabling the startup portion to start up the driver portion when VOUT is outside a predetermined voltage of VREF, disabling the startup portion when VOUT is within the predetermined voltage, and enabling the driver portion to drive the analog device subsequent to disabling the startup portion.
US09667219B2

Methods and apparatuses for measuring a phase noise level in an input signal are disclosed. An input signal can be delayed to generate a delayed version of the input signal. Next, a phase difference can be detected between the input signal and the delayed version of the input signal. A phase noise level in the input signal can then be determined based on the detected phase difference. The measured phase noise level can then be used to suppress phase noise in the input signal.
US09667217B2

A high performance integrated tunable impedance matching network with coupled merged inductors. Embodiments include a combination of merged multiport constructively coupled spiral inductors and tunable capacitors configured to reduce insertion losses, circuit size, and optimization time while maintaining a high Q factor for the coupled spiral inductors.
US09667215B2

A high-frequency switch module includes a switch IC, a phase adjustment circuit, and a filter circuit. The phase adjustment circuit, which includes an inductor and capacitors, includes a π-type circuit in which the inductor is connected in series between an individual terminal and the filter circuit. The filter circuit is an LC parallel resonant circuit including a filter inductor and a filter capacitor. A distortion second harmonic signal from the individual terminal of the switch IC is reflected by the filter circuit through the phase adjustment circuit and returns to the switch IC through the phase adjustment circuit. This distortion second harmonic signal, whose phase is adjusted by the phase adjustment circuit, is cancelled out by a distortion second harmonic signal output to a common terminal of the switch IC.
US09667210B2

Apparatus and methods for providing variable regulated voltages are disclosed. Variable voltage control elements can adjust a regulated voltage provided by a single voltage regulator, thereby providing a variable regulated voltage. The regulated voltage can be used in a variety of applications, for example, as a bias voltage for a power amplifier.
US09667203B2

Apparatus and methods for biasing a power amplifier are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of biasing a power amplifier includes shaping an enable signal using a time-dependent signal generator to generate a control current, amplifying the control current using a current amplifier to generate a correction current, and generating a bias current for a power amplifier using a primary biasing circuit. The primary biasing circuit is configured to use the correction current to correct for a variation in gain of the power amplifier when the power amplifier is enabled.
US09667202B2

A power amplifier may include an amplifying unit configured to amplify an input signal, an impedance varying unit connected between the amplifying unit and an output port that is for outputting an amplified signal of the input signal, and a controller configured to output a first control signal based on a level of power of the amplified input signal of the amplifying unit to control a varying of impedance of the impedance varying unit.
US09667200B2

Peak detecting cascode for breakdown protection. In some embodiments, a power amplifier can include an amplifying transistor configured to amplify a radio-frequency (RF) signal, and a bias circuit coupled to a bias node of the amplifying transistor and configured to yield a bias voltage at the bias node. The power amplifier can further include a bias adjustment circuit that couples an output node of the amplifying transistor and the bias circuit. The bias adjustment circuit can be configured to adjust the bias voltage in response to a potential difference between the output node and the bias node exceeding a threshold value.
US09667190B2

Disclosed herein is a device for controlling a sample temperature during photoelectric measurement of the sample. The device for controlling a sample temperature during photoelectric measurement of the sample includes: a sample stage to which a measurement target sample is fixed; a cooling unit for cooling the sample by injecting air; and a temperature measuring unit having a thermometer that measures a temperature of the sample. The device has an effect of easily controlling the temperature of a measurement target sample by employing a direct control method for a sample temperature, in which air or cooled air is injected to the sample.
US09667182B2

The invention describes a method for controlling a sensorless, brushless DC motor that is controlled via a bridge circuit preferably using pulse width modulation (PWM) having precommutation. According to the invention, in the braking operation each commutation interval is divided into two phases. A drive phase, lasting from the start of the commutation interval up to zero crossing in which the motor is controlled with the normal PWM, and a braking phase, lasting from zero crossing up to the next commutation time in which at least two motor phases are short-circuited and/or in which the PWM is operated with recovered energy. The efficiency of the control circuit is as low as possible so as to ensure that the braking energy is consumed in the control circuit.
US09667180B2

An inverter includes a first series circuit in which a first switching element and a second switching element are connected in series; a capacitor connected in parallel to the first series circuit; a first current detection device that detects current that flows in the first series circuit; and a discharge test execution device that outputs a signal of bringing the first switching element and the second switching element to a conducting state, and that outputs a signal of switching one of the first switching element and the second switching element to a non-conducting state before predefined power flows in the first switching element, based on a detection result by the first current detection device.
US09667176B2

In accordance with an embodiment, a method for driving a motor includes generating a position indicator signal in response to a signal from the at least one Hall sensor, wherein the position indicator signal has a first period. A phase shift value is generated using the position indicator signal. The position indicator signal is used to generate an adjusted position indicator signal in response to the phase shift value. In accordance with another embodiment, a lead angle adjustment circuit includes a counter coupled to a subtractor circuit through a multiplier circuit. A storage register is coupled to the output of the counter and to an input of a slope determination circuit, wherein the slope determination circuit is coupled to a first external pin of the lead angle adjustment circuit. A multiplier circuit is coupled to the slope determination circuit and to a second external pin.
US09667168B2

A system and method of synchronous rectification includes a synchronous rectifier circuit. The synchronous rectifier circuit includes a direct current (DC) load coupled between a DC output node and a ground node, an alternating current (AC) source applying an AC waveform to an AC input node, an upper switch coupled between the DC output node and the AC input node, and a lower switch coupled between the AC input node and the ground node. In a first state, the upper switch is turned on and the lower switch is turned off. In a second state, the upper switch is turned off and the lower switch is turned on. In a third state, the lower switch is operated in an enhanced detection mode. The synchronous rectifier circuit transitions from the second state to the third state when the voltage of the AC input node increases above a threshold voltage.
US09667161B2

A power converter includes a switching circuit, a power conversion circuit that receives an input voltage via the switching circuit and converts the input voltage into an output voltage, an input voltage sense circuit that detects the input voltage and generates an input voltage sense signal, and a PWM controller that adjusts a duty cycle of the switching circuit based at least in part on the input voltage sense signal. The power converter also includes an output sense circuit that detects the output voltage and generates an output voltage sense signal, wherein the PWM controller adjusts the duty cycle of the switching circuit based at least in part on the input voltage sense signal and the output voltage sense signal.
US09667154B2

A shunt regulator for use in a power converter having an energy transfer element for regulating a transfer energy of the output signal delivered to the load. An auxiliary winding of the energy transfer element being utilized to produce an internal bypass voltage, VBP, at a bypass pin coupled to an external capacitive load, the shunt regulator including a two-mode operational amplifier that produces an output signal that controls a shunt current through the shunt switch. At power-up, or at low load conditions, the operational amplifier operates in a low-power mode of operation with low quiescent current. When a current comparator circuit senses that the shunt current exceeds a predetermined level, the current comparator circuit sets a latch which produces a logical signal that causes the operational amplifier to switch to a high-power mode of operation.
US09667153B2

A switching power supply apparatus includes: an DC/AC converter unit for converting a DC voltage to an AC voltage based on switching operation of switching devices; a transformer for converting the AC voltage to an AC voltage having a voltage value; a resonance circuit provided between the DC/AC converter unit and the transformer; an AC/DC converter circuit for converting an AC voltage from the transformer to a DC; an output detector unit for detecting an output voltage or an output current of the apparatus; a duty ratio controller unit for controlling a duty ratio of switching of the apparatus such that a detected output voltage or current becomes a target value; an energy detector unit for detecting an energy accumulated in the resonance circuit; and a controller unit for controlling a switching frequency such that a detected energy becomes a threshold value.
US09667152B2

A power conversion system includes at least two power converters and a current sharing bus, each power converter including a switching circuit, a power conversion circuit configured to receive an input voltage via the switching circuit and to provide a local output current, an output sense circuit configured to detect the local output current and to generate a local output current sense signal, a current sharing terminal coupled to the local output current sense signal via a resistor and coupled to the current sharing bus; and a PWM controller configured to adjust a duty cycle of the switching circuit based at least in part on the local output current sense signal provided by the output sense circuit and an average current signal on the current sharing bus.
US09667150B2

Provided is an apparatus for controlling a surge voltage. An embodiment configures a snubber coil and a snubber rectifier on a secondary side circuit in series to control a high spike surge voltage across a rectifier on the secondary side. When the rectifier is turned-off, the snubber rectifier is turned-on for a predetermined time to control the surge voltage.
US09667149B2

An electric power converter apparatus incorporates a plurality of electric power converter circuits having respective output terminals connected in common, with output power being produced from the common output terminals. Each converter circuit uses an identical switching frequency, in executing power conversion based on PWM control of switching by a plurality of switching elements. The switching operations of the respective converter circuits mutually differ in phase, by an amount determined in accordance with the currently applied PWM duty ratio. The phase difference value is predetermined for minimizing the amplitude of specific harmonic frequency components of a ripple current component in the output current from the apparatus.
US09667147B2

Provided is a semiconductor device including: a DC/DC converter circuit, wherein the DC/DC converter circuit includes a transistor of a normally-off type, having a first drain electrode connected town input terminal and a first source electrode connected to an output terminal, which is formed in a first compound semiconductor substrate having a two-dimensional electron gas layer, and a transistor having a second drain electrode connected to the first source electrode and a grounded second source electrode.
US09667146B1

The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques of fast transient response for switching power regulators. In some aspects, a detection is made of a switching regulator's transition to a continuous mode of operation to provide current to a load. In response to the transition, a predefined current limit of the switching regulator's current-limit circuitry is increased effective to enable the switching regulator to draw an amount of input current that exceeds the predefined current limit. The switching regulator is then permitted to operate with the increased current limit for a predetermined number of cycles, which can be effective to enable the switching regulator to provide the current to the load more quickly.
US09667145B1

The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques of fast transient response for switching power regulators. In some aspects, a transconductance load is connected to a feedback amplifier of a switching power regulator that is operating in a discontinuous mode. This can be effective to dampen an indication, provided by the feedback amplifier, of voltage at an output of the switching power regulator while the regulator provides current to a load. Based on the dampened indication of the voltage, a current draw of the load is detected that exceeds the current provided to the load. Responsive to detecting the excessive current of the load, the switching regulator is transitioned to a continuous mode to provide an increased amount of the current to the load. Alternately or additionally, the increased amount of current can be allowed to exceed a nominal current limit protection threshold by a predefined amount of current, for a predefined number of switching cycles, or for a predefined amount of time.
US09667139B2

A converter circuit and related technique for providing high power density power conversion includes a reconfigurable switched capacitor transformation stage coupled to a magnetic converter (or regulation) stage. The circuits and techniques achieve high performance over a wide input voltage range or a wide output voltage range. The converter can be used, for example, to power logic devices in portable battery operated devices.
US09667121B2

A device and method recovering heat energy and converting the heat energy into electrical energy by heat-sensitive molecules to which are connected magnetic particles, with the heat-sensitive molecules able to move the magnetic particles in relation to a conductive circuit to generate an induced current in the circuit.
US09667105B2

A motor rotor includes a cylindrical housing, a positioning ring and a plurality of magnets. The cylindrical housing includes a plurality of securing holes. The positioning ring is disposed on the cylindrical housing. The positioning ring is disposed with a plurality of flexible ribs and a plurality of securing ribs disposed corresponding thereto. Each of the flexible ribs is radially pressable. The flexible ribs are disposed in the cylindrical housing, and each of the securing ribs is inserted in a respective corresponding one of the securing holes. The magnets are disposed in the cylindrical housing. Each of the magnets is clamped between the adjacent flexible ribs and is arranged annularly along an inner wall of the cylindrical housing, so as to facilitate assembly.
US09667100B2

A centralized voltage control device connected to a first local voltage control device adjusting the control amount every second cycle such that a voltage of a transformer-type voltage control apparatus is maintained within a range between voltage upper and lower limit values updated every first cycle and a second local voltage control device adjusting the control amount of a reactive-power-modified voltage control apparatus every third cycle, wherein the centralized voltage control device includes a load and power-generation-amount estimation unit estimating a load and power-generation-amount distribution every first cycle under condition of a mean load and mean power generation, condition of a minimum load and maximum power generation, and condition of a maximum load and minimum power generation, a voltage-fluctuation-band estimation unit estimating a voltage fluctuation band, an optimal-voltage-distribution determination unit determining a control target value of the first local voltage control device, and a voltage upper-and-lower-limit-value determination unit.
US09667096B2

Systems and methods provide LED-based emergency lighting utilizing AC-DC switch mode power conversion technology, NiMH battery technology, and emergency lighting lamps that use high power white LEDs as the emergency lighting source. A low voltage microprocessor based circuit design reduces the battery input voltage for the unit to a nominal level of 2.4 VDC. The microprocessor executes a pulse charging algorithm to lower battery maintenance mode power consumption levels and extend the useful life of the battery. Brownout detection technology does not require the determination of the AC input voltage level or transmission of the brownout detection signal to the secondary side of the circuit. A rechargeable battery is charged by a charge current selectively set to a bulk charge value, a trickle charge high value, or a trickle charge low value based on sampling of the voltage of the rechargeable battery and the charge current.
US09667093B2

Mechanical, electronic, and business method facets are combined to create a highly integrated transportable power plant. A vehicle system incorporates and transports and electrical system capable of using alternating current and direct current electrical power inputs to charge onboard energy storage modules. The electrical system also provides alternating current and direct current electrical outputs via a bank of interoperable connectors whereby appliances such as cell phones and battery operating lighting products may be efficiently recharged. An enclosure of the vehicle system protects the electrical components, provides shelter for the operator, supports roof-mounted, flexible photovoltaic panels, and provides shelf surfaces for organizing and protecting devices being recharged.
US09667092B2

A power charging kit is provided for charging one or more electronic devices. The power charging kit includes a portable charger unit that includes wireless power transmission components, such as a transmitter and a receiver for recharging the portable charger unit as well as electronic devices via wireless power transmission methods. The portable charger unit also includes at least one power connection for connecting the portable charger unit with an external power source, or at least one electronic device, or both, for direct charge connectivity. Said at least one power connection can be a power connection port or a power connector cable, attached to a charger housing, each capable of acting as a power input, a power output, or both. The power charging kit also includes a wireless charging mat that also has wireless and direct charging functionality. A processing unit controls operation of the portable charger unit for wireless and direct charging.
US09667087B2

Switchable energy storage device (10), having: —at least two energy storage modules (1) connected in series, wherein each energy storage module (1) comprises at least one electrical energy storage cell (3) which can be connected into an operating current circuit by means of a semiconductor switch (2), characterized in that the energy storage device (10) has an electrically isolated, inductive coupling device (5) for charging the energy storage cells (3).
US09667084B2

A wireless charging system includes a power transmitting device and a power receiving device. In the transmitting device, a transmitting coil converts a drive signal from a drive signal circuit into an alternating magnetic field. In the receiving device, a receiving coil produces an alternating waveform from the magnetic field, and a rectifier rectifies the alternating waveform to deliver power having a rectified voltage. A modulation circuit causes a loading circuit to be coupled to and uncoupled from the receiving coil at a pre-determined modulation rate when, for example, the rectified voltage is greater than a threshold voltage. Back in the transmitting device, a modulation detector circuit detects modulation of the load impedance, and when the load impedance is modulating at the pre-determined modulation rate, causes the drive signal circuit to adjust a characteristic of the drive signal, resulting in an adjustment in an intensity of the magnetic field.
US09667082B2

It should be possible in a motor vehicle having an electric drive to allow a deep discharge of the electrochemical energy storage device by a control input (S18), which is otherwise forbidden. In the present case, it is counted how often the deep discharge has occurred, and an event is preferably triggered when a threshold value (i-limit) has been reached for a predetermined number of times, specifically a warning signal is outputted and/or the subsequent deep discharge is blocked (S26).
US09667063B1

An improved scheme to filter harmonics and damp resonance for multipulse converter systems using a single characteristic passive filter branch without a plurality of non-characteristic harmonic filters is disclosed. The filter includes a first capacitor, a first inductor and a frequency-dependent resistor block connected in series. The frequency-dependent resistor block includes a second inductor connected in parallel with a circuit which is assembled by a second capacitor in series with a resistor.
US09667060B1

The systems and methods described are for adjusting over current protection values during changes in load current. In one aspect, a method includes, monitoring a load current amplitude value at a power input connected to an electrical load; determining a rate of change of the load current amplitude value; determining whether the rate of change of the load current amplitude value exceeds a predefined rate threshold value; in response to determining that the rate of change of the load current amplitude value exceeds the predefined rate threshold value: adjusting an over current protection value from a first over current protection value to an adjusted over current protection value for a first predefined amount of time; and at the expiration of the first predefined amount of time, at least partially reversing the adjustment to the over current protection value.
US09667059B2

There discloses a battery protection device. The battery protection device has a housing, a shunt device (4) disposed within the housing, and a positive connecting terminal and a negative connecting terminal coupled to a battery. The shunt device comprises an energy storage apparatus (1), a stabilizing circuit (3) for stabilizing the voltage of the energy storage device, and a voltage detection and display device (2) for feeding back in real time a terminal voltage of the energy storage device. The energy storage device is coupled in parallel with the stabilizing circuit and the voltage detection and display device. The positive connection terminal is coupled to a positive terminal of the energy storage device; and the negative connecting terminal is coupled to a negative terminal of the energy storage device. A battery device comprises a battery, said battery is provided with poles, and further comprises the battery protection device. The battery protection device is attached to an exterior of the battery via a double-sided adhesive. Connectors (5) at free ends of the conductive cables of the positive connecting terminal and of the negative connecting terminal are configured to encircle the poles to connect the battery protection apparatus in parallel with the battery. The battery device provides stable discharging and has an improved lifetime.
US09667047B1

An apparatus for conduit to box unitary support bracket uses a plate. An electrical conduit box has end knockout openings on sides thereof, each end knockout opening having an elevation and size and location. The plate is disposed substantially perpendicular to said end knockout openings and comprising opposing rows of thin, selectively bendable fingers bent towards the knockout openings to support at least one wire carrier in alignment with an elevation and size and location of corresponding end knockout openings. A method of assembling bends tabs on the plate 90 degrees, installs a connector in an end knockout on a side of the box, bends in a direction toward the electrical conduit box opposing rows of a plurality thin metal fingers on the tab, secures the box to the plate, and feeds a wire carrier through the tabs, resting on the metal fingers bent and feeds the wire carrier into the connector.
US09667040B2

Inductance is reduced while high insulation reliability between positive and negative electrodes of a DC bus bar is ensured. The DC bus bar 801a (801b) is held; the bus bar 801a (801b) is fixed by an insulating member 802a (802b) having an insulating property, with one surface 14 (15) of the bus bar 801a (801b) exposed; the bus bar 801a is arranged such that the surface 14 of the bus bar 801a faces the surface 15 of the second bus bar 801b; an insulating sheet 803 is held between the bus bar 801a and the bus bar 801b; the first insulating member 802a has a projecting part 804a projecting toward the second insulating member 802b; and the projecting part 804a has, at an end part thereof, an abutting surface 13 in contact with the second insulating member 802b.
US09667033B2

The invention relates to a laser device, comprising a laser configured to generate laser light and a laser control module configured to receive at least a portion of the laser light generated by the laser, to generate a control signal and to feed the control signal back to the laser for stabilizing the frequency, wherein the laser control module comprises a tunable frequency discriminating element which is preferably continuously frequency tunable, and where the laser control module is placed outside the laser cavity.
US09667031B2

An architecture for current driver circuitry for diode laser systems is contemplated whereby the circuitry is both modular and minimally complex with respect to the number of components and connections.
US09667028B2

In a laser device, a different refractive index region 6B of a photonic crystal layer is arranged at a lattice point position of a square lattice. In the case where a plane shape of the different refractive index regions 6B is a nearly isosceles right triangle, two sides forming a right angle extend along longitudinal and horizontal lateral lines of the square lattice. A direction parallel to or vertical to an oblique side of the triangle and a direction of polarization in the periodic polarization inversion structure of a nonlinear optical crystal NL are the same.
US09667016B2

A connecting blade includes an insulation board having an adjustment region; and paired differential lines disposed on the insulation board. Each of the paired differential lines has contact points at both ends thereof for connecting to a circuit connecting member. The paired differential lines include a straight pair and a cross pair. The straight pair is formed of two first lines not crossing each other. The cross pair is formed of two second lines having a crossing region where the two second lines cross each other without contacting with each other. The cross pair is arranged so that the cross pair contacts with the adjustment region at least partially. The adjustment region has a specific size and a permittivity so that a signal transmission time lag between the cross pair and the straight pair is reduced.
US09666993B2

A connector assembly includes a cage member receiving a pluggable module and providing electrical shielding for the pluggable module. The cage member is mounted behind a bezel and aligned with a bezel opening. The connector assembly includes an EMI skirt at the front end of the cage member. The EMI skirt includes plural spring beams integral and having a unibody design with the cage member. Each spring beam has a front bend at the exit point from the cage member, a base extending rearward from the front bend and an arm extending from the base outward in a direction generally away from the cage member. The cage member is positioned relative to the bezel such that the arms reside behind the bezel. The arms have bezel mating interfaces configured to engage and electrically connect to the bezel.
US09666990B1

A plug connector includes a plug body having a terminating end terminated to an electrical component and a mating end mated with a mating electrical connector. The plug body has first and second outer sides. The plug body has pockets between the first and second outer sides. A plug shroud extends from the plug body at the terminating end that is configured to be coupled to the electrical component. A contact array is held by the plug body and includes signal and ground contacts. The signal and ground contacts are exposed along the first and second outer sides. At least some of the ground contacts are aligned with corresponding pockets. Resonance-control lossy inserts are provided in corresponding pockets adjacent corresponding ground contacts. The lossy inserts are manufactured from lossy material capable of absorbing electrical resonance propagating through the plug body.
US09666987B1

A connector comprises a movable member and an operating member and is mateable with a mating connector. The movable member is movable between a front position and a rear position of a movement range. The operating member is movable between a front position and a rear position of an operation range and is movable relative to the movable member. The mated state of the connector is locked when the operating member is positioned at the front position of the operation range and when the movable member is positioned at the front position of the movement range. The mated state is unlocked when the operating member is positioned rearward of the front position of the operation range by a predetermined distance and when the movable member is positioned at the front position of the movement range.
US09666986B2

A detachment-prevention vehicle socket includes a housing (1) and an electrode body (3) installed in the housing (1). The electrode body (3) includes a movable element (31) and a resilient sleeve (32). A rotatable ring (2) is in contact with the housing (1) and is threadedly fastened to the movable element (31), so rotation of the rotatable ring (2) can drive the movable element (31) and the resilient sleeve (32) to move axially inwardly of the housing (1) and thereby clamp a cigarette lighter plug (B1) inserted in the resilient sleeve (32). Accordingly, the cigarette lighter plug (B1) can be stably fixed in the resilient sleeve (32) without loosening.
US09666980B2

A housing article for an electrical power strip has the capability to hold the electrical power strip with multiple cords from various electrical devices that are plugged into the power strip. This power strip housing has an upper tray type element on which the power strip is placed. Cords extending from the power strip in the upper tray element are channeled down to a lower tray type element for storing the cords in an organized manner to on the lower tray element. The channeling of these electrical cords to the lower tray element has creates and maintains the organized bundling and storing of the electrical cords that will substantially reduce floor clutter from the cords.
US09666964B2

An electrical receptacle connector includes an insulator and a blanking contact set. The insulator includes a tongue portion and an insulator rear end. The blanking contact set includes a plurality of blanking contacts. At least one of the blanking contacts includes a connecting portion, a contacting portion, and a soldering portion. The connecting portion is combined with the insulator. The contacting portion extends from the connecting portion toward the tongue portion and stretches out of a first surface of the tongue portion. The soldering portion extends from the connecting portion toward the insulator rear end and stretches out of the insulator rear end. A central axis of the contacting portion is spaced from a central axis of the soldering portion by an offset. The connecting portion connects the contacting portion and the soldering portion.
US09666963B2

A receptacle terminal is provide and includes a first U-shape section. The first U-shape section has a downward opening and includes a base, a first lateral arm, and a pair of extending arms. The base extending laterally thereof and the first lateral arm faces the base. The pair of extending arms is bent substantially perpendicularly towards the first lateral arm at both lateral ends of the base.
US09666961B2

An electrical connector includes a housing stack comprising a front housing and a rear housing coupled to the front housing at a seam. The housing stack defines plural contact cavities that extend continuously through the front housing and the rear housing between mating and mounting ends. A lossy spacer is disposed at the seam between the front and rear housings. The lossy spacer has plural contact cavities aligned with corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. Signal and ground contacts are disposed in corresponding contact cavities of the housing stack. The signal contacts extend through the lossy spacer such that the signal contacts do not directly engage the lossy spacer. The ground contacts extend through the contact cavities in the lossy spacer such that the ground contacts are coupled by the lossy spacer.
US09666959B2

A wire harness includes a plurality of covered electrical wires where an insulation sheath is peeled off of each covered electrical wire to expose a lead wire end portion, a connection terminal fixed to an end portion of the covered electrical wire, a heat-shrinkable tube having a hot-melt adhesive laminated to an inner surface thereof covering a predetermined area in a heat-shrunk state, and a connector that irremovably houses the connection terminal in each terminal insertion hole. A connection-side end surface of the connector that is on a side where the connection terminal is connected is positioned so as to conform to an end of the heat shrunk heat-shrinkable tube near a first barrel portion. The connector has a holding tube portion extending integrally from the connection-side end surface and that covers the heat shrunk heat-shrinkable tube, the holding tube portion having a tubular hole that holds the heat-shrinkable tube.
US09666958B2

Coaxial connector junctions include a first coaxial connector that has a first center conductor extension and a first outer conductor extension and a second coaxial connector that is mated with the first coaxial connector, the second coaxial connector including a second center conductor extension and a second outer conductor extension. A communications path between the first outer conductor extension and the second outer conductor extension includes a first capacitively coupled outer conductor communications path and a second galvanically coupled outer conductor communications path.
US09666952B2

An antenna device includes a wireless module, a module substrate, and a metal plate. The wireless module includes an antenna element that operates in a millimeter wave band. The module substrate is a multi-layer wiring module substrate on which the wireless module is mounted. The metal plate has a length of 1/10 or more of an operation wavelength and is positioned in a vertical direction relative to a plane surface of the antenna element and in a predetermined distance from the antenna element.
US09666950B1

An antenna assembly having a pair of generally cone-shaped conductive elements directed in divergent directions, with each pair of conductive elements including a conical sheet conductor and a cylindrical sheet conductor, and radiating wire conductors extending away from each cylindrical sheet conductor. A balun feed system is defined between the pair of conical sheet conductors. A radome assembly protects at least the radiating wire conductors from damage from external forces.
US09666947B2

Dielectric-free, metal-only, dipole-coupled broadband radiating array aperture with wide field of view.
US09666946B1

The four element reconfigurable MIMO antenna system includes four conducting PIFA elements disposed on a top surface of a rectangular dielectric substrate. For each PIFA, an F-head portion of the PIFA defines two arms extending to a long peripheral edge of the substrate. An F-tail portion of the PIFA extends from a short peripheral edge of the substrate. A first PIFA and a second PIFA are mirror images of each other, and a third PIFA and a fourth PIFA are mirror images of each other. A meander pattern of conducting material extends from a bottom region of the F-tail portion of the PIFAs. For each PIFA, PIN/varactor diode bias circuits are disposed on the substrate's top surface, connecting to and extending away from a unique location on the F-tail portion of the PIFA, thereby creating separate radiating branches of the PIFA to achieve reconfigurability.
US09666933B2

A wireless local area network (“WLAN”) antenna array (“WLANAA”) is disclosed. The WLANAA may include a circular housing having a plurality of radial sectors and a plurality of primary antenna elements. Each individual primary antenna element of the plurality of primary antenna elements may be positioned within an individual radial sector of the plurality of radial sectors.
US09666932B2

A system for properly illuminating a toll collection zone without illuminating any areas outside the toll collection zone in which vehicles may be found, while minimizing lost tolls due to shadowing of shorter vehicles by taller vehicles. In one embodiment, a linear array antenna is configured to illuminate a rectangular collection zone from a point offset from the center of the roadway. The linear array antenna is configured to produce an asymmetric antenna pattern providing RF illumination over the rectangular collection zone sufficient for reliable reading of vehicle RF tags in the collection zone, and which also minimizes spillover of RF power outside the collection zone.
US09666931B2

A radio frequency electric power conversion mechanism of the present invention includes a circuit board including a fiber reinforced resin board, instead of an expensive ceramic circuit board. The radio frequency electric power conversion mechanism has a combined configuration of a plurality of fiber reinforced resin boards laminated to each other with a conductive foil therebetween, a via hole array made of an electric conductor passing through the boards, a transmission line closely adhered to the surface of a board, and a waveguide having a notch in a part of the waveguide on the aperture side. The radio frequency electric power conversion mechanism further has other structural features.
US09666913B2

A heat transfer device for a motor vehicle may include a pump and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may have a first inlet and a first outlet for a refrigerant, and a second inlet and a second outlet for a coolant. The pump and the heat exchanger may be mounted to each other forming a common assembly.
US09666912B2

For a technical object whose temperature is to be controlled, in particular a battery for an electric vehicle drive, there is provided a heat exchanger arrangement, the heat exchanger of which is in the form of a heat-exchanging pouch which has an inflow and outflow duct and which is in heat-conducting contact with internal surfaces of the object whose temperature is to be controlled. The heat-exchanging pouch is produced in a simple manner by means of edge welding of two foil pieces arranged one above the other. The mounting of said heat-exchanging pouch in a narrow gap space of a heat exchanger arrangement, and good heat transfer to adjacent walls, are made possible by means of a pressure pouch which is likewise formed from a foil material and which is filled with a compressible medium.
US09666911B2

The specification discloses a battery cell having an intrinsic overcharge protection, a battery made with the battery cell, and a method for manufacturing the battery cell. The battery cell includes, in the following order, a positive electrode, at least one polymer film that is electrically conducting and has an ion conducting electrolyte distributed therein, a P-doped and electrically semi-conducting and ion conducting film, an N-doped and electrically semi-conducting and ion conducting film, and a negative electrode.
US09666905B2

An electrolytic solution including a nonaqueous solvent (I), an electrolyte salt (II), and 0.001 to 20% by mass of a compound represented by the formula (1) or the formula (A) as defined herein.
US09666893B2

A method for producing an aqueous electrolyte comprising a redox-active coordination compound of a transition metal which comprises reacting an oxide of the corresponding transition metal in an aqueous reaction medium with a chelating agent in a hydrothermal reaction zone at a temperature in the range of from 100° C. to 160° C. for a period of from 4 hours to 48 hours.
US09666886B2

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for removing condensed water in a gas diffusion layer and a catalyst layer of a fuel cell. The method comprises steps of: a step of determining whether the condensed water is generated in the gas diffusion layer and the catalyst layer of the fuel cell; a step of reducing and supplying an amount of air supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell at a predetermined level, when it is determined that the condensed water is generated in the gas diffusion layer and the catalyst layer in the step of determining; a step of measuring a temperature of a stack of the fuel cell; and a step of increasing the amount of air supplied to the cathode of the fuel cell to an amount of air prior to being reduced at the predetermined operation level, when the measured temperature of the stack of the fuel cell is elevated to a predetermined temperature.
US09666882B2

Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells are provided. The spliced bipolar plate includes a supporting plate and a splice plate. The supporting plate has three inlet openings and three outlet openings formed thereon. A plurality of coolant flow channels are provided on one side of the supporting plate, while a recess of a uniform thickness is provided on the opposite side of the supporting plate. One side of the recess is opened to a transverse or a longitudinal side of the supporting plate. The splice plate is divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate. The size of the reaction zone part is substantially the same as the volume of the recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the recess, connecting the splice plate to the supporting plate. The extended part of the splice plate is projected beyond the supporting plate.
US09666880B2

A metal interconnect for a fuel cell stack is formed from an electrically conductive metal sheet having at least four stamped slots through the metal sheet, and often many more than four slots. The stamped slots individually extend lengthwise parallel to the direction of fluid flow during operation of the fuel cell stack assembly and are disposed on the metal sheet in a pattern extending parallel and perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow, so as to define at least one metal strip portion between adjacent slots extending parallel to the direction of fluid flow and at least one metal strip portion between adjacent slots extending perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow. The metal strip portion(s) include portions of reduced thickness that allow for fluid flow between adjacent slots and portions of greater thickness that provide discrete locations of electrical connection between the separator plate fuel cell electrode.
US09666878B2

A method for fabricating a catalytic 3-dimensional network material comprises steps: mixing an aqueous solvent with a nitrogen-containing carbon material whose surface is doped with nitrogen atoms to form a first dispersion liquid, and mixing the first dispersion liquid with ammonium carboxymethyl cellulose to form a first gel; undertaking a freeze-drying process of the first gel to remove water from the first gel to form a first product; and undertaking a low-temperature heating process of the first product at a temperature of 50-380° C. to cure the first product into a 3D network material doped with nitrogen atoms. The catalytic 3D network material of the present invention has a very high specific surface area to increase the catalytic efficiency.
US09666875B2

A catalyst-layer-supporting substrate comprising a substrate supporting a catalyst layer; wherein the catalyst layer comprises two or more porous catalyst metal particle layers that are superposed alternately with (i) two or more intersticed layers comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Sn, Al, and Cu; or (ii) two or more fibrous carbon layers having interstices among fibers of the fibrous carbon. A method for forming a catalyst-layer-supporting structure that comprises porous catalyst metal particle by removing a pore-forming metal from a mixture layer containing a pore-forming metal and a catalyst metal.
US09666872B2

The conductive porous layer for batteries according to the present invention comprises a laminate comprising a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer includes at least a conductive carbon material and a polymer. The second conductive layer includes at least a conductive carbon material and a polymer. The conductive porous layer satisfies at least one of the following two conditions: “the polymer in the first conductive layer is present with a high density at the surface of the layer in contact with the second conductive layer than at the surface not in contact with the second conductive layer” and “the polymer in the second conductive layer is present with a higher density at the surface of the layer in contact with the first conductive layer than at the surface not in contact with the first conductive layer.” This makes it possible to provide a conductive porous layer with good adhesion between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and with reduced film thickness variation in each conductive layer. The conductive porous layer of the present invention can be used for fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and the like.
US09666853B2

A bus bar module includes an output terminal that has a male screw, a tab for preventing a wiring terminal from being rotated subserviently, and a terminal connecting portion with which a terminal of a battery element in a battery pack is connected, and a module main body from which a portion of a terminal installation portion to which the output terminal is installed is protruded. The terminal installation portion has an engagement tab that elastically deforms during an installation of the output terminal and recovers after the installation to engage the output terminal with the terminal installation portion. The tab is located so as to prevent a tool from contacting with the engagement tab when connecting the terminal connecting portion with the terminal of the battery element. According to the module, the output terminal can be prevented from dropping off even during its installation to the battery pack.
US09666851B2

The present invention refers to a separator and an electrochemical device having the same. The separator of the present invention comprises a non-woven fabric substrate obtained from fibers and having multiple pores formed between the fibers; and a polymer coating layer formed on a part or the whole of the surface of the fibers, wherein the polymer coating layer comprises a polymer having a tensile strength of 80 MPa or more, a tensile modulus of 3,000 MPa or more and a flexural modulus of 3,000 MPa or more.The separator of the present invention can reduce costs for manufacturing electrochemical devices, and it can control the size of pores present in the non-woven fabric substrate to prevent the generation of a leak current and provide improved mechanical strength.
US09666849B2

A separator may include (A) a porous substrate having pores, and (B) a porous coating layer formed on at least one surface of the porous substrate and made from a mixture of inorganic particles and a binder polymer, and the binder polymer may contain a copolymer of (a) a first monomer unit with at least one of an amine group and an amide group at a side chain, and (b) a second monomer unit of (meth)acrylate with an alkyl group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms. The porous coating layer of the separator may have a high packing density, thereby easily forming a thin film battery without hindering safety, and may have good adhesive strength with the porous substrate, thereby preventing detachment of the inorganic particles in the porous coating layer during assembly of an electrochemical device.
US09666848B2

The present invention relates to a microporous polymeric battery separator comprised of a single layer of enmeshed microfibers and nanofibers. Such a separator accords the ability to attune the porosity and pore size to any desired level through a single nonwoven fabric. As a result, the inventive separator permits a high strength material with low porosity and low pore size to levels unattained. The combination of polymeric nanofibers within a polymeric microfiber matrix and/or onto such a substrate through high shear processing provides such benefits, as well. The separator, a battery including such a separator, the method of manufacturing such a separator, and the method of utilizing such a separator within a battery device, are all encompassed within this invention.
US09666833B2

An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, a flexible display panel and a display device are provided. The array substrate includes a flexible substrate divided into a display region and a periphery region, the periphery region surrounding the display region. The array substrate further includes: an array layer and a first film layer sequentially formed in the display region on the flexible substrate; a plurality of integrate circuits and a flexible printed circuit board interface formed in the periphery region on the flexible substrate; a flexible protective film layer formed on a junction of the periphery region and the first film layer and in a region of the periphery region other than the integrate circuits and the flexible printed circuit board interface on the flexible substrate.
US09666829B2

An organic electroluminescent display device includes a first insulating layer that buries a peripheral portion of a first electrode and has an opening exposing an area of the first electrode inner to the peripheral portion thereof; a second electrode that is in contact with the first electrode in the opening and is provided continuously on a top surface of the first electrode and onto a top surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer covering a peripheral portion of the second electrode; an organic EL layer; and a third electrode. The second electrode includes a stepped portion. An area where the stepped portion is included and the second electrode, the organic electroluminescence layer and the third electrode overlap each other is a light emitting area. Light emitted by the organic EL layer is reflected by the stepped portion.
US09666827B2

The present invention relates to an organic light-emitting element and a production method thereof. Specifically, the present invention relates to an organic light-emitting element, which has excellent productivity during mass production thereof and may allow simplification of vapor deposition equipment, and the like, and a production method thereof.
US09666818B2

A tandem-type organic photoelectric conversion element has at least a first electrode, a second electrode, and a plurality of bulk heterojunction layers each comprising a p-type organic semiconductor material and an n-type organic semiconductor material. The tandem-type organic photoelectric conversion element and a solar battery are characterized in that when the absorption wavelengths of the bulk heterojunction layers are such that a second bulk heterojunction layer absorbs up to a longer wavelength than a first bulk heterojunction layer, the LUMO energy level (LUMO(n1)) of the film of the n-type semiconductor in the first bulk heterojunction layer and the LUMO energy level (LUMO(n2)) of the film of the n-type semiconductor in the second bulk heterojunction layer satisfy the following equation (1): 0.4 eV≧LUMO(n1)−LUMO(n2)≧0.1 eV  (1).
US09666816B2

There is disclosed methods utilizing organic vapor phase deposition for growing bulk organic crystalline layers for organic photosensitive devices, heterojunctions and films made by such methods, and devices using such heterojunctions. There is also disclosed new methods for manufacturing heterojunctions and organic photosensitive devices, and the heterojunctions and devices manufactured thereby.
US09666808B2

An organic electroluminescent element having a small reduction rate in the luminance immediately after the start of light emission is provided. The organic electroluminescent element includes a substrate, a pair of electrodes including an anode and a cathode, disposed on the substrate, a light emitting layer disposed between the electrodes, and at least one organic layer disposed between the light emitting layer and the anode, in which at least one kind of a specific compound including a fluorene structure is contained in at least one organic layer between the light emitting layer and the anode, and at least one kind of a specific compound including a carbazole structure or a fluorene structure is contained as a light emitting material in the light emitting layer.
US09666806B2

The present invention relates to formula, comprising at least one solvent, and at least one functional composition of the general formula (I), wherein A is a functional structural element, B is a solvent-providing structural element, and k is an integer in the range of 1 to 20. The molecular weight of the functional composition is at least 550 g/mol, and the solvent-providing structural element B corresponds to the general formula ((L-I). Ar1, Ar2 JeWeUs, independently of each other, signify an aryl or heteroaryl group, which can be substituted with one or several discretionary residues R. Each X is, independently of one another, N or CR2, preferably CH. R1, R2, independently of one another, is hydrogen, a linear alkyl, alkoxy, or thioalkoxy group with 1 to 40 C atoms, or a branched or cyclic alkyl, alkoxy, or thioalkoxy group with 3 to 40 C atoms, or a silyl group, or a substituted keto group with 1 to 40 C atoms, an alkoxycarbonyl group with 2 to 40 C atoms, an aryloxycarbonyl group with 7 to 40 C atoms, a cyano group (—CN), a carbamoyl group (—C(═O)NH2), a haloformyl group (—C(═O)—X, wherein X signifies a halogen atom), a formyl group (—C(═O)—H), an isocyano group, an isocyanate group, a thiocyanate group or a thioisocyanate group, a hydroxy group, a nitro group, a CF3 group, C1, Br, F, a cross-linkable group, or a substituted or non-substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic ring system with 5 to 60 ring atoms, or an aryloxy or heteroaryloxy group with 5 to 60 ring atoms, or a combination of these systems, wherein one or several of groups R1 and/or R2 can form a monocyclic or polycyclic, aliphatic or aromatic ring system with one another and/or with the ring to which group R1 is bound, and I is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the dashed linkage indicates the linkage to the functional structure element A. The present invention further relates to preferred compositions of the formula (I) and electronic devices containing said compositions.
US09666804B2

The present specification provides a copolymer, and an organic solar cell including one or more layers of organic material layers that include the copolymer.
US09666798B1

A method of manufacturing a switching element is provided. The method includes forming a pillar-shaped structure having a first electrode, an insulation layer and a second electrode which are stacked on a substrate. A tilted doping process is performed to inject dopants into at least a portion of the insulation layer. The tilted doping process forms a threshold switching operation region in the insulation layer.
US09666797B1

A memory structure and a manufacturing method for the same are disclosed. The memory structure comprises a lower electrode, an upper insulating layer, a material layer, a dielectric film, and an upper electrode. The upper insulating layer is on the lower electrode. The material layer is on the upper insulating layer. The upper insulating layer and the material layer have a common opening to expose a portion of the lower electrode. The dielectric film is on the exposed portion of the lower electrode. The dielectric film and the material layer contain a same first transition metal. The upper electrode is on the dielectric film and fills the common opening.
US09666786B2

A bulk wave piezoelectric resonator operating at a predetermined frequency includes a substrate block, having a plane face, a first thickness and consisting of a first material, a resonant plate having a length, width and second thickness, and consisting of a second piezoelectric material, first and second metal electrodes at least partly covering the resonant plate on each side and partly facing each other. The resonant plate is fixed perpendicularly in the vicinity of the plane face of the substrate block so that the width of the resonant plate and the first thickness of the substrate block have the same direction, and the first material, the second material, the first thickness of the block of substrate, the length, the width, the second thickness of the resonant plate are configured for trapping bulk waves at the operating frequency of the resonator and for producing a plane-plane type bulk wave piezoelectric resonator.
US09666781B2

A thermal energy harvester and power conversion system employs a bleed air duct containing the flow of high temperature air from an engine. A lower temperature air source is included with an energy conversion device having a hot interface operably engaged to the bleed air duct and a cold interface operably engaged to the lower temperature air source. The energy conversion device generates electrical power from a thermal gradient between the bleed air duct and the lower temperature air source and the electrical power is routed to a power feeder.
US09666777B2

A package for a light emitting device includes a resin molding and first to third leads. The first lead is disposed near a first corner of a substantially rectangular shape of the resin molding, and has a first exposed part exposed from one of two side surfaces that share the first corner while the first lead is not exposed from the resin molding on the other of the two side surfaces. The second lead is disposed near a second corner, and has a second exposed part exposed from one of two side surfaces that share the second corner while the second lead is not exposed from the resin molding on the other of the two side surfaces. The third lead has a plurality of lower surface exposed parts that are exposed from a lower surface of the resin molding.
US09666775B2

A light emitting device package including a package body including a recess which is provided with a bottom face and a plurality of inner walls surrounding the bottom face, the plurality of inner walls including a first inner wall and a second inner wall, which are opposing walls; a lead frame including a first portion disposed on the bottom face of the package body and at least one second portion extending from the first portion, the first portion including a planar upper surface exposed at the bottom face and a planar lowermost surface positioned opposite to the planar upper surface; a light emitting element provided on the planar upper surface of the first portion; and a transparent material provided in the recess of the package body to cover the light emitting element. The at least one second portion includes an upper surface exposed at the first inner walls and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; the lower surface of the at least one second portion includes a lower curved surface; the planar lowermost surface of the first portion is positioned lower than the lower curved surface of the at least one second portion; a stepped portion is positioned between the lower curved surface of the at least one second portion and the lowermost surface of the first portion; and the stepped portion contacts the package body.
US09666769B2

A substrate-type LED light source (10) includes: at least one blue LED chip (2) which has an emission peak in a range from 400 nm to 480 nm so as to correspond to a blue light region absorption peak of chlorophyll; a red phosphor (7b) which emit, upon receiving excitation light from the at least one blue LED chip (2), light having a peak wavelength in a range from 620 nm to 700 nm so as to correspond to a red light region absorption peak of chlorophyll; and a resin layer (7) in which the red phosphor 7b is dispersed and which covers the at least one blue LED chip (2).
US09666767B2

Provided is fluorophore comprising: inorganic compound having: an inorganic crystal, where M element (M is one or more elements selected from Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Yb) is solid solved, having the same crystal structure as the crystal represented by Ca2Si5O3N6 (including Ca2Si5O3N6 crystal or a solid solution thereof where one or more elements selected from Mg, Sr, Ba, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, Hf, B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, La, and F are solid solved) and comprising: A element, D element, X element, and, if necessary, E element (A is one or more elements selected from Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba; D is one or more elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, and Hf; E is one or more elements selected from B, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Y, and La; and X is one or more elements selected from O, N, and F).
US09666755B2

Methods of manufacturing a sealed body and a light-emitting device with high airtightness in which generation of a crack in a substrate and a frit glass in an overlap region where laser light irradiation is started and ended is prevented are provided. A high-reflectivity region having high reflectivity with respect to laser light and a low-reflectivity region having lower reflectivity than the high-reflectivity region are provided in a region which overlaps with the frit glass and is over a substrate facing a substrate on which the frit glass is formed. When scanning with laser light is started from the low-reflectivity region, a crack is less likely to be generated in the frit glass.
US09666750B2

Photovoltaic cells having copper contacts can be made by using copper nanoparticles during their fabrication. Such photovoltaic cells can include a copper-based current collector located on a semiconductor substrate having an n-doped region and a p-doped region. The semiconductor substrate is configured for receipt of electromagnetic radiation and generation of an electrical current therefrom. The copper-based current collector includes an electrically conductive diffusion barrier disposed on the semiconductor substrate and a copper contact disposed on the electrically conductive diffusion barrier. The copper contact is formed from copper nanoparticles that have been at least partially fused together. The electrically conductive diffusion barrier limits the passage of copper therethrough.
US09666743B2

A detector for detecting single photons of infrared radiation. In one embodiment a waveguide configured to transmit infrared radiation is arranged to be adjacent a graphene sheet and configured so that evanescent waves from the waveguide overlap the graphene sheet. In some embodiments the waveguide is omitted and infrared light propagating in free space illuminates the graphene sheet directly. A photon absorbed by the graphene sheet from the evanescent waves heats the graphene sheet. The graphene sheet is coupled to the weak link of a Josephson junction, and a constant bias current is driven through the Josephson junction, so that an increase in the temperature of the graphene sheet results in a decrease in the critical current of the Josephson junction and a voltage pulse in the voltage across the Josephson junction. The voltage pulse is detected by the pulse detector.
US09666742B2

Solar cell structures that have improved carrier collection efficiencies at a heterointerface are provided by low temperature epitaxial growth of silicon on a III-V base. Additionally, a solar cell structure having improved open circuit voltage includes a shallow junction III-V emitter formed by epitaxy or diffusion followed by the epitaxy of SixGe1-x passivated by amorphous SiyGe1-y:H.
US09666739B2

A photovoltaic laminate is disclosed. Embodiments include placing a first encapsulant on a substantially transparent layer that includes a front side of a photovoltaic laminate. Embodiments also include placing a first solar cell on the first encapsulant. Embodiments include placing a metal foil on the first solar cell, where the metal foil uniformly contacts a back side of the first solar cell. Embodiments include forming a metal bond that couples the metal foil to the first solar cell. In some embodiments, forming the metal bond includes forming a metal contact region using a laser source, wherein the formed metal contact region electrically couples the metal foil to the first solar cell. Embodiments can also include placing a backing material on the metal foil. Embodiments can further include forming a back layer on the backing material layer and curing the substantially transparent layer, first encapsulant, first solar cell, metal foil, backing material and back layer to form a photovoltaic laminate.
US09666733B2

A solar cell using a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a substrate that is formed of an insulating material and in and through which a plurality of fixing holes and communication holes are alternately formed; a plurality of photoelectric effect generators that have ball or polyhedral shapes fixed to the substrate to be disposed over the plurality of fixing holes, and generate photoelectric effects by receiving light through light-receiving portions that are exposed to an upper portion of the substrate; a plurality of upper electrodes that are formed on a top surface of the substrate, and are connected to the respective light-receiving portions of the photoelectric effect generators; and a plurality of lower electrodes that are formed on a bottom surface of the substrate to be connected to respective non-light-receiving portions of the photoelectric effect generators, and communicate with the plurality of upper electrodes through the plurality of communication holes.
US09666728B2

A semiconductor device includes a fin-shaped silicon layer on a silicon substrate. A first insulating film is around the fin-shaped silicon layer and a pillar-shaped silicon layer is on the fin-shaped silicon layer. A gate insulating film is around the pillar-shaped silicon layer. A metal gate electrode is around the gate insulating film and a metal gate line is connected to the metal gate electrode. A metal gate pad is connected to the metal gate line, and a width of the metal gate electrode and a width of the metal gate pad is larger than a width of the metal gate line.
US09666722B2

A transistor having favorable electrical characteristics. A transistor suitable for miniaturization. A transistor having a high switching speed. One embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device that includes a transistor. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor, a gate electrode, and a gate insulator. The oxide semiconductor includes a first region in which the oxide semiconductor and the gate electrode overlap with each other with the gate insulator positioned therebetween. The transistor has a threshold voltage higher than 0 V and a switching speed lower than 100 nanoseconds.
US09666717B2

Approaches for altering the threshold voltage (e.g., to zero threshold voltage) in a fin-type field effect transistor (FinFET) device are provided. In embodiments of the invention, a first N+ region and a second N+ region are formed on a finned substrate that has a p-well construction. A region of the finned substrate located between the first N+ region and the second N+ region is doped with a negative implant species to form an n-well. The size and/or composition of this n-well region can be adjusted in view of the existing p-well construction of the substrate device to change the threshold voltage of the FinFET device (e.g., to yield a zero threshold voltage FinFET device).
US09666716B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having isolation regions formed therein and a fin-shaped semiconductor structure protruding vertically above the isolation regions and extending laterally in a first direction. The device additionally includes a gate dielectric wrapping a channel region of the fin-shaped semiconductor structure and a gate electrode wrapping the gate dielectric. The channel region is interposed in the first direction between a source region and a drain region and has sloped sidewalls and a width that continuously decreases from a base towards a peak of the channel region. The channel region comprises a volume inversion region having a height greater than about 25% of a total height of the channel region.
US09666711B1

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first conductive type substrate; a second conductive type body region disposed in the first conductive type substrate, wherein the first conductive type is different from the second conductive type; a first conductive type first well region disposed in the second conductive type body region; a gate structure disposed over the top surface of the first conductive type substrate; a source region, wherein the source region includes a heavily-doped first conductive type source region and is disposed in the second conductive type body region; and a drain region, wherein the drain region is heavily doped first conductive type and is disposed in the first conductive type first well region.
US09666698B2

A transistor with stable electrical characteristics is provided. Provided is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes, over a substrate, an oxide semiconductor, a first conductor, a first insulator, a second insulator, and a third insulator. The oxide semiconductor is over the first insulator. The second insulator is over the oxide semiconductor. The third insulator is over the second insulator. The first conductor is over the third insulator. The oxide semiconductor has a first region and a second region. To form the first region, ion implantation into the oxide semiconductor is performed using the first conductor as a mask, and then hydrogen is added to the oxide semiconductor using the first conductor as a mask.
US09666695B2

Different portions of a continuous loop of semiconductor material are electrically isolated from one another. In some embodiments, the end of the loop is electrically isolated from mid-portions of the loop. In some embodiments, loops of semiconductor material, having two legs connected together at their ends, are formed by a pitch multiplication process in which loops of spacers are formed on sidewalls of mandrels. The mandrels are removed and a block of masking material is overlaid on at least one end of the spacer loops. In some embodiments, the blocks of masking material overlay each end of the spacer loops. The pattern defined by the spacers and the blocks are transferred to a layer of semiconductor material. The blocks electrically connect together all the loops. A select gate is formed along each leg of the loops. The blocks serve as sources/drains. The select gates are biased in the off state to prevent current flow from the mid-portion of the loop's legs to the blocks, thereby electrically isolating the mid-portions from the ends of the loops and also electrically isolating different legs of a loop from each other.
US09666685B2

A radio frequency (RF) power transistor includes a semiconductor heterostructure, a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode. The drain electrode includes an ohmic contact and a Schottky contact extending from the ohmic contact toward the gate electrode, spaced apart from the gate electrode (4) by a distance (LGD), and having a length (LEXT) being not less than 2 μm and not greater than 4 μm. A ratio of the length (LEXT) to a sum of the length (LEXT) and a distance (LGD) is greater than 0.83 and less than 0.98.
US09666679B2

A transistor is formed by defining a gate stack on top of a semiconductor layer. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric and a gate electrode. A layer of a first dielectric material, having a first dielectric constant, is deposited on side walls of the gate stack to form sacrificial sidewall spacers. Raised source-drain regions are then epitaxially grown on each side of the gate stack adjacent the sacrificial sidewall spacers. The sacrificial sidewall spacers are then removed to produce openings between each raised source-drain region and the gate stack. A layer of a second dielectric material, having a second dielectric constant less than the first dielectric constant, is then deposited in the openings and on side walls of the gate stack to form low-k sidewall spacers.
US09666664B2

An object is to achieve an increase in gain by reducing a current collapse, and reducing Cgd and Rg. A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a substrate; a first semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and made of a Group III nitride semiconductor; a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and made of a Group III nitride semiconductor; a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode disposed on the second semiconductor layer; a first field plate electrode disposed on the second semiconductor layer; and a second field plate electrode disposed on the first field plate electrode, in which the first field plate electrode and the second field plate electrode are disposed between the gate electrode and the drain electrode.
US09666659B2

An external storage device including an interconnect substrate having a contact type external terminal, at least one semiconductor chip disposed over a first surface of the interconnect substrate, and a sealing resin layer which seals the at least one semiconductor chip and does not cover the external terminal. The at least one semiconductor chip includes a storage device, an inductor being connected to the storage device, a driver circuit configured to control the inductor and an interconnect layer. The interconnect layer is formed at a first surface of the semiconductor chip and includes the inductor. The first surface of the semiconductor chip is other than facing the first surface of the interconnect substrate, and the inductor and the driver circuit are connected to each other through the interconnect layer.
US09666640B2

Semiconductor devices and methods for forming a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method includes forming a storage unit of a magnetic memory cell. A bottom electrode and a fixed layer are formed. The fixed layer includes a composite spacer layer disposed on the bottom electrode. The composite spacer layer includes a base layer and an amorphous buffer layer disposed over the base layer. A reference layer is disposed on the composite spacer layer. The amorphous buffer layer serves as a template for the reference layer to have a desired crystalline structure in a desired orientation. At least one tunneling barrier layer is formed over the fixed layer. A storage layer is formed over the tunneling barrier layer and a top electrode is formed over the storage layer.
US09666633B2

A solid-state image pickup device is provided which can inhibit degradation of image quality which may occur when a global electronic shutter operation is performed. A gate drive line for a first transistor of gate drive lines for pixel transistors is positioned in proximity to a converting unit.
US09666628B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a light-receiving pixel part configured to be formed on a semiconductor substrate; a black-level reference pixel part configured to be formed on the semiconductor substrate; and a multilayer interconnect part configured to be provided over the semiconductor substrate. The multilayer interconnect part includes an insulating layer formed over the semiconductor substrate and metal interconnect layers formed as a plurality of layers in the insulating layer. The multilayer interconnect part has a first light-blocking film formed above an area between first metal interconnects of a first metal interconnect layer as one of the metal interconnect layers above the black-level reference pixel part, and a second light-blocking film that is connected to the first light-blocking film and is formed of a second metal interconnect layer over the first metal interconnect layer.
US09666619B2

A semiconductor device includes a carrier, a substrate, light-sensing devices and a bonding layer. The substrate overlies the carrier, and has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The substrate includes inverted pyramid recesses in the second surface. The light-sensing devices are disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The bonding layer is disposed between the substrate and the carrier.
US09666608B2

An array substrate includes a first electrode located above a switching element through a first insulating film, a second electrode located above the first electrode through a second insulating film, and a connection portion that is located to pass through the first insulating film, first electrode, and second insulating film and electrically connects a drain electrode of the switching element and the second electrode. The connection portion is disposed in an avoidance region provided by carving out a gate line connected to the switching element.
US09666604B2

A display device includes a first pixel, a second pixel, a first substrate, and a second substrate. The first pixel includes a first pixel electrode, a first conductive film, and a first transistor. The first pixel electrode is electrically connected to the first transistor. The first conductive film includes a region functioning as a common electrode. The second pixel includes a second pixel electrode, a second conductive film, and a second transistor. The second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the second transistor. The second conductive film includes a region functioning as a common electrode. The first conductive film and the second pixel electrode are provided on the same plane. A first insulating film is provided over the first conductive film and the second pixel electrode. The first pixel electrode and the second conductive film are provided over the first insulating film.
US09666602B2

A thin film transistor substrate includes the following elements: a base substrate, a data line disposed on the base substrate, a source electrode contacting the data line, a drain electrode spaced from the source electrode, a channel disposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode, a gate insulation pattern disposed on the channel, and a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulation pattern.
US09666596B2

According to one embodiment a semiconductor memory device includes a first stacked body, a pillar, a memory film, a capacitive element, a first wiring, and a second wiring. The capacitive element includes a first conductive member and a second conductive member. A first length of the first conductive member in a first direction is larger than a second length of the first conductive member in a second direction crossing the first direction. A third length of the first conductive member in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction is larger than the second length. A fourth length of the second conductive member in the first direction is larger than a fifth length of the second conductive member in the second direction. A sixth length of the second conductive member in the third direction is larger than the fifth length.
US09666594B2

A memory cell can be formed with a pair of charge storage regions. The pair of charge storage regions can be two portions of a charge storage region that are located at the same level and are positioned adjacent to two different control gate electrodes. Alternately, the pair of charge storage regions can be two disjoined structures located on opposite sides of a portion of a semiconductor channel. Yet alternately, the pair of charge storage regions can be two disjoined structures located at the same level, and on two laterally split semiconductor channel. The memory cell can be employed to store two bits of information within the pair of charge storage regions located at the same level within a vertical memory string that employs a single memory opening.
US09666593B2

Techniques are provided for fabricating a three-dimensional, charge-trapping memory device with improved long term data retention. A corresponding three-dimensional, charge-trapping memory device is also provided which includes a stack of alternating word line layers and dielectric layers. A charge-trapping layer is deposited in a memory hole. The refractive index of portions of the charge-trapping layer which are adjacent to the word line layers is increased relative to the refractive index of portions of the charge-trapping layer which are adjacent to the dielectric layers. This can be achieved by doping the portions of the charge-trapping layer which are adjacent to the word line layers. In one approach, the charge-trapping layer is SiON and is doped with Si or N. In another approach, the charge-trapping layer is HfO and is doped with Hf. In another approach, the charge-trapping layer is HfSiON and is doped with Hf, Si or N.
US09666591B2

An approach to use silicided bit line contacts that do not short to the underlying substrate in memory devices. The approach provides for silicide formation in the bit line contact area, using a process that benefits from being self-aligned to the oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) nitride edges. A further benefit of the approach is that the bit line contact implant and rapid temperature anneal process can be eliminated. This approach is applicable to embedded flash, integrating high density devices and advanced logic processes.
US09666582B1

Devices and methods are provided for constructing a semiconductor structure that implements a PUF (physical unclonable function) based on a FinFET structure. The PUF is based on a random pattern of merged and non-merged source and drain structures, which are formed on adjacent semiconductor fin structures of adjacent pairs of FinFET devices, as a result of process-induced variations in the epitaxial growth of source and drain structures on the semiconductor fin structures. The random pattern of merged and non-merged source and drain structures provides a random pattern of electrical open and short connections between pairs of semiconductor fin structures, wherein the random pattern of electrical open and short connections defines the physical unclonable function.
US09666569B2

Provided is switch circuit including first and second transistors, a source pad connected to a second node of the second transistor through a first signal path and connected to a gate node of the first transistor through a second signal path, a gate pad connected to a gate node of the second transistor through a third signal path; and a drain pad connected to a first node of the first transistor through a fourth signal path, wherein a second node of the first transistor and a first node of the second transistor are connected to each other through a fifth signal path, and the gate node of the first transistor and the second node of the second transistor are connected to each other through a sixth signal path separated from the first and second signal paths.
US09666564B2

A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of micro light emitting chips, a plurality of reflective structures and a plurality of conductive bumps. The substrate has a plurality of pads. The micro light emitting chips are disposed on the substrate in dispersion, and each of the micro light emitting chips includes a light emitting layer. The reflective structures are disposed around the micro light emitting chips in dispersion, and at least cover the micro light emitting layers of the light emitting chips. The conductive bumps are disposed corresponding to the micro light emitting chips and located between the micro light emitting chips and the substrate, wherein the micro light emitting chips are electrically connected to the pads of the substrate through the conductive bumps.
US09666558B2

Disclosed is a chip-mounting substrate. The chip-mounting substrate includes a plurality of conductive portions configured to apply voltages to at least two or more chips to be mounted, a plurality of insulation portions formed between the conductive portions and configured to electrically isolate the conductive portions, and a cavity formed in a region which includes at least three or more of the conductive portions and at least two or more of the insulation portions and depressed inward to form a space in which the chips are mounted.
US09666553B2

A millimeter wave integrated circuit (IC) chip. The IC chip comprises an IC die and a wire bond ball grid array package encapsulating the IC die. The wire bond ball grid array package comprises a solder ball array, a millimeter wave transmit channel, and a millimeter wave receive channel, wherein each millimeter wave transmit and receive channel electrically couples the IC die to a signal ball of the solder ball array and is configured to resonate at an operating frequency band of the millimeter wave IC chip.
US09666546B1

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a conductive liner over a first landing pad in a first region and over a second landing pad in a second region. The method further includes depositing a first conductive material within first openings within a resist layer formed over the conductive liner. The first conductive material overfills to form a first pad and a first layer of a second pad. The method further includes depositing a second resist layer over the first conductive material, and patterning the second resist layer to form second openings exposing the first layer of the second pad without exposing the first pad. A second conductive material is deposited over the second layer of the second pad.
US09666544B2

A package design method is disclosed for the optimization of package differential impedance at data rates of 25 Gb/s and beyond. The method optimizes the differential impedance of package vertical interconnections of BGA ball, via, and PTH as well as around the joint between the vertical interconnection and the horizontal interconnection of trace. At 8 ps rise time, a <5% impedance variation is obtained with a 0.8 mm BGA ball pitch and a 10-layer buildup substrate and a <10% impedance variation is obtained with a 1 mm BGA ball pitch and a 14-layer buildup substrate. The method is applicable to all BGA package designs running at 25 Gb/s and beyond.
US09666535B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a flexible display panel. The flexible display panel at least comprises an display area, a fanout area and a driver circuit area, wherein the fanout area is positioned between the display area and the driver circuit area to connect the display area with the driver circuit area, and the fanout area comprises at least one zig-zag fanout wire, each of which comprises a plurality of fanout wire segments divided by bending points. In the technical solutions of the present invention, by utilizing a zig-zag wiring manner, damage to metal wires when bending is reduced, bending resistance of the fanout area is improved and damage to the screen when bending the flexible display panel is avoided or reduced.
US09666517B2

Semiconductor packages are provided. A semiconductor package includes a first substrate including a first semiconductor chip thereon. The semiconductor package includes a second substrate on the first substrate, the second substrate including a second semiconductor chip thereon. Moreover, the semiconductor package includes a third substrate between the first and second substrates.
US09666511B2

A semiconductor package having a lead frame over which a first device and a second device are spaced is provided. The lead frame includes a die pad upon which a first chip and a second chip are spaced and bonded. The first chip includes the first device, which has a first operating voltage. The second chip includes the second device, which has a second operating voltage greater than the first operating voltage. A dielectric layer is arranged between the die pad and the second device. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor package is also provided.
US09666509B2

One embodiment provides a semiconductor device having a first chip for lowering an input voltage and a second chip for performing signal processing, mounted on a die pad. Lead terminals are divided into a first lead row and a second lead row. The first lead row are connected with the first chip, the first chip are connected with the second chip or the second lead row, and the second chip are connected with the second lead row. A distance between the lead terminals of the first lead row is set longer than a distance between the lead terminals of the second lead row, and a sealing resin is provided to fill at least between the lead terminals of the first lead row.
US09666506B2

A semiconductor device includes a wiring substrate, a semiconductor element mounted on the wiring substrate, a heat dissipation plate arranged on an upper surface of the semiconductor element with an adhesive arranged in between, and an encapsulation resin filling a gap between the heat dissipation plate and the wiring substrate. The heat dissipation plate includes a body and a projection. The body is overlapped with the semiconductor element in a plan view and has a larger planar shape than the semiconductor element. The projection is formed integrally with the body. The projection projects outward from an end of the body and is located below the body. The encapsulation resin covers upper and lower surfaces of the projection. The body includes an upper surface exposed from the encapsulation resin.
US09666503B2

A semiconductor package and an electronic system including the same include a package board having an electric circuit pattern. A semiconductor chip is mounted on the package board and electrically connected with the circuit pattern of the package board. A non-contact temperature detector is provided with the semiconductor package and detects a temperature of an external heat source without making contact with the external heat source. A temperature controller controls the semiconductor chip according to the temperature of the external heat source that is detected by the non-contact temperature detector.
US09666501B2

A semiconductor device including a die pad having a front surface made of Cu; a semiconductor chip disposed so as to be opposed to the front surface of the die pad; a bonding layer provided between the die pad and the semiconductor chip; and a plurality of leads disposed around the die pad, wherein the die pad and the plurality of leads make up a lead frame in cooperation with each other, a cavity is fabricated on the surface of the plurality of leads, and a projecting portion is fabricated next to the cavity.
US09666497B2

The crystal device has a rectangular substrate, a frame which is provided along the outer circumferential edge of the upper surface of the substrate, an electrode pad which is provided on the upper surface of the substrate, a wiring pattern which is electrically connected to the electrode pad and is provided on the upper surface of the substrate, a crystal element which is mounted on the electrode pad, and a lid for air-tight sealing the crystal element. The thickness of the electrode pad in the vertical direction differs from the thickness of the wiring pattern in the vertical direction.
US09666494B2

The present disclosure provides a technique capable of suppressing a deviation in a characteristic of a semiconductor device. There is provided a technique includes: (a) receiving data representing a thickness distribution of a polished silicon-containing layer on a substrate comprising a convex structure whereon the polished silicon-containing layer is formed; (b) calculating, based on the data, a process data for reducing a difference between a thickness of a portion of the polished silicon-containing layer formed at a center portion of the substrate and that of the polished silicon-containing layer formed at a peripheral portion of the substrate; (c) loading the substrate into a process chamber; (d) supplying a process gas to the substrate; and (e) compensating for the difference based on the process data by activating the process gas with a magnetic field having a predetermined strength on the substrate.
US09666492B2

Architectures and techniques for co-integration of heterogeneous materials, such as group III-V semiconductor materials and group IV semiconductors (e.g., Ge) on a same substrate (e.g. silicon). In embodiments, multi-layer heterogeneous semiconductor material stacks having alternating nanowire and sacrificial layers are employed to release nanowires and permit formation of a coaxial gate structure that completely surrounds a channel region of the nanowire transistor. In embodiments, individual PMOS and NMOS channel semiconductor materials are co-integrated with a starting substrate having a blanket layers of alternating Ge/III-V layers. In embodiments, vertical integration of a plurality of stacked nanowires within an individual PMOS and individual NMOS device enable significant drive current for a given layout area.
US09666491B1

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes following steps. Firstly, a first transistor is formed on a first surface of a substrate. Next, a thinning process is performed on the second surface of the substrate which is opposite to the first surface, to form a third surface. Then, a second transistor is formed on the third surface, in which the second transistor and the first transistor are electrically connected to each other through a through-silicon via penetrating through the first surface and the third surface.
US09666487B2

A semiconductor structure includes a germanium substrate having a first region and a second region. A first silicon cap is over the first region of the germanium substrate. A second silicon cap is over the second region of the germanium substrate, wherein a first thickness of the first silicon cap is less than a second thickness of the second silicon cap. A PMOS device includes a first gate dielectric over the first silicon cap. An NMOS device includes a second gate dielectric over the second silicon cap.
US09666482B1

A silicon-carbide substrate that includes a doped contact region and a dielectric layer is provided. A protective layer is formed on the dielectric layer. A structured mask is formed on the protective layer. Sections of the protective layer and the dielectric layer that are exposed by openings in the mask are removed. The structured mask is removed. A metal layer is deposited such that a first portion of the metal layer directly contacts the doped contact region and a second portion of the metal layer lines the remaining sections of the protective layer and the dielectric layer. A first rapid thermal anneal process is performed. After performing the first rapid thermal anneal process, the second portion of the metal layer and the remaining section of the protective layer are removed without removing the first portion of the metal layer.
US09666477B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first insulating film as a portion of a laminated insulating film on a substrate in which a plurality of circuit configurations is formed; polishing the first insulating film; measuring a film thickness distribution of the first insulating film; and forming a second insulating film as a portion of the laminated insulating film on the polished first insulating film at a film thickness distribution differing from the film thickness distribution of the first insulating film to correct a film thickness of the laminated insulating film.
US09666468B2

A tray for storing a wafer with a tape frame in a storage container includes a ring-shaped frame, a dicing tape and a semiconductor wafer. The dicing tape is stuck on the rear surface of the ring-shaped frame, and the semiconductor wafer is supported on the dicing tape. The tray has a substantially circular shape and is positioned on the upper side and the lower side of the wafer with tape frame. The front surface of the tray has a flat portion for mounting the wafer, and at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the front surface of the tray includes a convex portion. A projecting portion is formed on the rear surface so that the projection portion is positioned outside the outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer of the wafer with the tape frame when the tray is positioned on the wafer with tape frame.
US09666459B2

A wafer processing apparatus includes a reaction tube extending in a vertical direction, a door plate positioned under the reaction tube to seal the reaction tube. The door plate may be configured to load a boat into the reaction tube and support a plurality of wafers. The wafer processing apparatus may include a cap plate on the door plate, the cap plate including a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body may surround a lower side surface of the boat. A guiding recess may be formed in an outer surface of the cylindrical body along a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body. The wafer processing apparatus may include an exhaust portion configured to remove the first gas from the reaction tube through the guiding recess.
US09666456B2

The present invention provides a tool for treating microelectronic workpieces with one or more treatment materials, including liquids, gases, fluidized solids, dispersions, combinations of these, and the like.
US09666449B2

An embodiment of a method of forming a control gate includes forming a conductor having a concentration of germanium that varies with a thickness of the conductor, and removing portions of the conductor at a variable rate that is governed, at least in part, by the concentration of the germanium.
US09666442B2

A method including forming a pattern on a surface of a substrate, the pattern including one of discrete structures including at least one sidewall defining an oblique angle relative to the surface and discrete structures complemented with a material layer therebetween, the material layer including a volume modified into distinct regions separated by at least one oblique angle relative to the surface; and defining circuit features on the substrate using the pattern, the features having a pitch less than a pitch of the pattern.
US09666441B2

A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing are presented in which features of reduced size are formed using an irradiated mask material. In an embodiment a mask material that has been irradiated with charged ions is utilized to focus a subsequent irradiation process. In another embodiment the mask material is irradiated in order to reshape the mask material and reduce the size of openings formed within the mask material. Through such processes the limits of photolithography may be circumvented and smaller feature sizes may be achieved.
US09666437B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a semiconductor chip having a front surface electrode and a rear surface electrode provided on a front surface and a rear surface, respectively, the method includes a front surface electrode layer forming step of forming a front surface electrode layer as the front surface electrode on a front surface of a semiconductor wafer forming the semiconductor chip; a thinning step of grinding a rear surface of the semiconductor wafer to reduce a thickness of the semiconductor wafer after the front surface electrode layer forming step; a plating step of forming an electrode plating film as the front surface electrode on a surface of the front surface electrode layer after the thinning step; and a rear surface electrode forming step of forming the rear surface electrode on the ground rear surface of the semiconductor wafer after the plating step.
US09666434B2

A method for forming fine patterns includes patterning a hard mask layer on an etch target layer to form sacrificial pillars and a first opening disposed between the sacrificial pillars and exposing the etch target layer, forming a block copolymer layer on the etch target layer exposed through the first opening, phase-separating the block copolymer layer to form first block patterns spaced apart from the sacrificial pillars and a second block pattern, forming first holes by etching the etch target layer exposed by removing the first block patterns, and forming second holes in the etch target layer exposed by removing the sacrificial pillars, the second holes being different from the first holes.
US09666423B2

Instruments are disclosed for analyzing ions from about 1000 to 10,000,000 Daltons by controlling a gaseous medium through which the ions travel under the influence of an electric field so that properties of the ions, such as diameter, electrical mobility, and charge, are measured. One embodiment of the disclosed instruments include an ion source, a nozzle, a jet relaxation region, an ion accumulation region, an electronic gate, a flow chamber and an ion detector.
US09666400B2

A field emission electron source includes a linear carbon nanotube structure, an insulating layer and at least one conductive ring. The linear carbon nanotube structure has a first end and a second end. The insulating layer is located on outer surface of the linear carbon nanotube structure. The first conductive ring includes a first ring face 1301 and a second ring face, an end surface of the linear carbon nanotube structure, and the first ring face are coplanar.
US09666394B2

A thermal sensor with a simple structure can secure the deformability of a bimetal, and accurately control the position of the bimetal, to increase the response speed (heat response) of the bimetal. The thermal sensor includes a bimetal, a case, and a cover member. A pressing portion is provided between the cover member and the bimetal to press the bimetal to a bottom portion of the case. The pressing portion is deformable in accordance with the deformation of the bimetal.
US09666391B2

A retractable snap dome in a keyboard, serving as a force resistor for a key in a conventional manner, includes an additional collapsed state wherein the key can be retracted by an electromechanical polymer (EMP) actuator to a persistent down position. In one embodiment, the EMP actuator is a bimorph EMP actuator that can be actuated to bring the key from down position to up position, ready for conventional keyboard operation, and vice versa. Such operations allow the keyboard to have a desirable decreased thickness relative to conventional keyboards. Thus, a keyboard of the present invention finds application in ultra-slim electronic devices. When provided in a notebook computer wherein the keyboard is folded against a video or graphic display, the keyboard keys may be placed in the retracted down position, thereby preventing the keys from pressing against the video or graphical display with a force that may damage the display.
US09666376B2

A solid electrolytic capacitor that includes a valve action metal base, an insulating layer, a solid electrolyte layer, a carbon layer and an electrode layer sequentially formed in one of two parts of the valve action metal base. The electrode layer is formed from a conductive paste that includes at least a conductive filler, a thermosetting resin containing a phenoxy resin, and a curing agent.
US09666359B2

A vehicle is able to contactlessly receive electric power from a power transmitting device and to charge a mounted electrical storage device (electric load). The vehicle includes a communication unit that carries out wireless communication with the power transmitting device and a vehicle ECU (control unit) that controls the communication unit. The communication unit is able to switch a communication range between a wide communication range (wire-area communication) and a narrow communication range (narrow-area communication). The vehicle ECU, at the time of identifying a power transmitting device from which electric power should be received, controls the communication unit such that the communication unit communicates with the power transmitting device using the narrow-area communication.
US09666358B2

An inductive power transfer (IPT) pick-up circuit for receiving power from a primary conductor has a pick-up coil (L2) and a compensation capacitor (C2) so that the pick-up coil (L2) may be resonant at the system operating frequency a switch (S1, S2), and a plurality of reactive elements (L3, C3) whereby when the switch is in one of an on state or an off state the additional reactive elements (L3, C3) are resonant at the operating frequency to reduce power being supplied to an output of the pick-up circuit.
US09666355B1

A common mode inductor includes a bobbin with two windings. A first winding is positioned between a first end flange and a first offset flange. A second winding is positioned between a second end flange and a second offset flange. The windings are spaced apart by a center section without windings. A pair of E-cores, each having a pair of outer legs and a center leg, are positioned in a passageway of the bobbin such that the center leg of each E-core is surrounded by a respective one of the two windings. An I-bar is positioned in the center section of the bobbin between the two offset flanges with the I-bar perpendicular to the outer legs and the center legs of the two E-cores. The I-bar core increases leakage inductance between the two windings to improve the suppression of electromagnetic interference caused by common mode noise in the two windings.
US09666352B2

An inductor bridge is provided with a flexible flat plate-shaped element body, a first connector, and a second connector. The element body includes therein an inductor portion. The inductor portion is configured by a spiral conductor pattern. The first connector is provided on the element body and is connected to a first circuit. The second connector is provided on the element body and is connected to a second circuit.
US09666350B2

An electrical steel sheet has a component composition including, by mass %, C: 0.007% or less, Si: 4% to 10%, and Mn: 0.005% to 1.0%, the balance being Fe and incidental impurities, as well as a sheet thickness within a range of 0.01 mm or more to 0.10 mm or less, and a profile roughness Pa of 1.0 μm or less. The electrical steel sheet exhibits excellent iron loss properties whereby the magnetic property is free from deterioration, and degradation of the stacking factor can be avoided, even when the steel sheet with a thickness of 0.10 mm or less has been subjected to siliconizing treatment to increase the Si content in the steel.
US09666349B2

A magnetic actuator assembly is disclosed, and includes a core, wiring, and a gate assembly. The core is constructed of a magnetic material, and includes a first end and a second end. The wiring is wound around a portion of the core. A predetermined amount of electric current is applied to the wiring to induce a magnetic field within the core. The gate assembly is positioned between the first end and a second end of the core. The gate assembly comprises a first gate member traveling between the first end and a second end of the core based on a threshold force being applied to the gate assembly. The threshold force is created by the magnetic field.
US09666347B2

A magnet assembly (200) is provided that comprises a magnet keeper (204) configured to hold at least one magnet (202). The bracket (208) is configured to receive the magnet keeper (204) and also configured to be attachable to a flowmeter (5) sensor assembly (10). A first surface (216) is formed on the magnet keeper (204), and a second surface (218) is formed on the bracket (208), wherein the first and second surfaces (216, 218) are configured to mate so to provide a radial alignment of the magnet keeper (204) that is within a predefined radial tolerance range.
US09666345B1

A diamagnetic levitation system having an open torus magnet segment with a pair of arms extending from a central base. The ends of the arms form a gap. The arms are superconducting magnets and the base is an electromagnet. The magnet segment creates a planar magnetic field which forms a flat ellipse as the planar magnetic field crosses from one arm to the other and which is positioned only across the gap. The electromagnet oscillates the planar magnetic field. The magnet segment levitates a diamagnetic object within and/or above the gap. A plurality of magnet segments can be arranged in series to form a levitation system of defined length. The magnet segments are rotatable so that the planar magnetic field may be tilted.
US09666335B2

A microwave cable (10), intended for a frequency range from 0 Hz up to at least a few 10 GHz, comprises a central inner conductor (11), a dielectric (12) concentrically surrounding the inner conductor, an outer conductor (13, 14) concentrically enclosing the dielectric (12), and a sheathing concentrically enclosing the microwave cable (10) externally. Stable electrical and mechanical properties, particularly when making up cables, are achieved in that the outer conductor has two electrically conducting bands (13, 14) wound over each other, in that the bands (13, 14) are each wound in an overlapping manner and in that the bands (13, 14) are wound progressively in opposite directions.
US09666331B2

This ferroelectric thin film-forming sol-gel solution contains: a PZT-based compound; a high-molecular compound used to adjust the viscosity containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone; and an organic dopant containing N-methyl pyrrolidone, in which the amount of the PZT-based compound is greater than or equal to 17 mass % in terms of oxides, the molar ratio (PZT-based compound:polyvinyl pyrrolidone) of the polyvinyl pyrrolidone to the PZT-based compound is 1:0.1 to 1:0.5 in terms of monomers, and the amount of the organic dopant containing N-methyl pyrrolidone in the sol-gel solution is 3 mass % to 13 mass %.
US09666324B2

A transparent conductive thin film and an electronic device including the same are disclosed, the transparent conductive thin film including a titanium nitride or a zirconium nitride having a heterometal element selected from zinc (Zn), gallium (Ga), indium (In), and a combination thereof.
US09666322B2

An apparatus includes an X-ray tube, X-ray optics, one or more coils and control circuitry. The X-ray tube is configured to direct an electron beam onto an anode so as to emit an X-ray beam. The X-ray optics which configured to receive the X-ray beam emitted from the X-ray tube and to direct the X-ray beam onto a target. The coils are configured to steer the electron beam in the X-ray tube using electrical currents flowing through the coils. The control circuitry is configured to compensate for misalignment between the X-ray tube and the X-ray optics by analyzing the X-ray beam output by the X-ray optics, and setting the electrical currents based on the analyzed X-ray beam.
US09666308B2

A post package repair (PPR) device is disclosed, which relates to a technology for masking a rupture operation in case of a post package repair (PPR) operation. The post package repair (PPR) device includes: a plurality of bank groups, each including a fuse indicating repair information, configured to share a predetermined number of fuses; a resource detection unit configured to generate a resource signal which determines whether the fuses from among the plurality of bank groups are available; and a masking controller configured to output a masking signal which prevents repeated execution of a rupture operation when there is no unused fuse in response to the resource signal and a bank active signal.
US09666307B1

Apparatuses and methods for transmitting fuse data from fuse arrays to latches are described. An example apparatus includes: a plurality of fuse arrays, each fuse array of the plurality of fuse arrays being configured to store input data; a fuse circuit that receives the input data and provides the input data on a bus; and a plurality of redundancy latch circuits coupled to the bus, including a plurality of pointers and a plurality of latches associated with the plurality of corresponding pointers that load data on the bus. The fuse circuit may control loading of the input data by controlling a location of a pointer among the plurality of corresponding pointers responsive to the input data.
US09666296B1

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having memory strings that include memory cells and first and second selection transistors. During a read operation, a controller applies a first voltage higher than ground to a source line, and a second voltage to a first and second selection gate lines that are connected to a selected memory string. The second voltage is also applied to the first selection gate lines connected to non-selected memory strings during a first period of the read operation. A third voltage higher than ground and lower than the second voltage is applied to the first selection gate lines connected to non-selected memory strings during a second period of the read operation subsequent to the first period.
US09666288B2

On an IC chip, a first ground wiring line and a second ground wiring line that extends from a connection site with the first ground wiring line are disposed in a doubled manner. Among EPROMs storing identical data, the source of a first EPROM is connected to the second ground wiring line and the source of a second EPROM is connected to the first ground wiring line. The drains of the EPROMs are electrically connected to a write voltage line. An OR circuit outputs as 1-bit data of the memory circuit, the logical sum of the data stored by at least two of the EPROMs storing identical data. The EPROMs and the OR circuit are disposed near each other on the IC chip.
US09666278B2

A memory apparatus includes a content addressable memory, CAM, cell block including CAM cells and a random access memory (RAM), cell block including RAM cells. A geometric footprint of each of the CAM cells has a side bigger than a side of a geometric footprint of each of the RAM cells, where the sides of the CAM cells and the RAM cells are parallel to each other. The apparatus is configured to translate an input keyword at an input of the CAM cell block to an output word at an output of the RAM cell block when the keyword at the input of the CAM cell block is stored in the CAM cell block. The CAM cell block is split into a first part and a second part of the CAM cells.
US09666274B2

A memory has a plurality of non-volatile resistive (NVR) memory arrays, each with an associated reference voltage generating circuit coupled by a reference circuit coupling link to a reference line, the reference coupled to a sense amplifier for that NVR memory array. Reference line coupling links couple the reference lines of different NVR memory arrays. Optionally, different ones of the reference coupling links are removed or opened, obtaining respective different average and isolated reference voltages on the different reference lines. Optionally, different ones of the reference circuit coupling links are removed or opened, obtaining respective different averaged voltages on the reference lines, and uncoupling and isolating different reference circuits.
US09666269B2

Collision detection systems for detecting read-write collisions in memory systems after word line activation are disclosed. In one aspect, a collision detection system is provided. The collision detection system includes a collision detection circuit for each bit cell row of memory array. Each collision detection circuit is configured to receive a write and read word line signal corresponding to the bit cell row. The collision detection circuit is configured to detect a write and read word line signal pair being active for a write and read operation for the same bit cell row. The collision detection circuit is configured to generate a collision detection signal to notify clients associated with the memory system that a read-write collision occurred. Detecting the read-write collisions after read word line activation reduces or avoids overhead delays in the read path, as opposed to detecting read-write collisions prior to activation of the read word line.
US09666255B2

A method can include storing a plurality of addresses within one cycle of a timing clock, each address corresponding to a storage location of a memory device; and following the one cycle, accessing a plurality of banks of the memory device in response to the stored addresses corresponding to different banks and preventing access to any one of the plurality of banks by more than one address of the one cycle; wherein each bank includes memory cells arranged into rows and columns that comprise the storage locations.
US09666254B1

A semiconductor memory apparatus may include a memory bank having a plurality of memory cell arrays. The memory bank may have an open bit line structure. A sense amplifier array may be coupled in common with adjacent memory cell arrays. A sense amplifier coupled in common with a dummy array and a normal array may be coupled with one bit line disposed in the normal array and two bit lines disposed in the dummy array.
US09666246B2

A circuit comprises a first path, a second path, a current generating circuit, and a sense amplifier. The first path has a first current having a first current value. The second path has a second current having a second current value. The current generating circuit is configured to generate a reference current having a reference current value based on the first current value and the second current value. The sense amplifier is configured to receive a third current having a third current value and to generate a logical value based on the reference current value and the third current value.
US09666244B2

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for storage operations for a non-volatile medium. A control module may be configured to divide a storage procedure into multiple portions. An execution module may be configured to execute multiple portions of a storage procedure independently. A storage request module may be configured to satisfy a storage request for one or more storage elements of a storage procedure between at least a pair of portions of a storage procedure.
US09666241B2

A system for firmware protection and validation includes: a memory device, including firmware; a chipset, a microprocessor; a secure logic device in electrical communication with the chipset and the memory device; and a power on reset circuit in communication with the secure logic device, wherein, when the secure logic device receives a reset signal from the power on reset circuit, the secure logic device applies a hold signal to the chipset, when the hold signal is applied to the chipset, the power on reset circuit de-asserts the reset signal, when the reset signal is de-asserted, the secure logic device validates the content of the firmware in the memory device, and further wherein, when the content of the firmware is validated by the secure logic device, the secure logic device de-asserts the hold signal applied to the chipset.
US09666240B2

A semiconductor device includes, a semiconductor chip having a first surface over which bonding pads are positioned, a second surface which faces away from the first surface, and a plurality of signal lines formed over the first surface, extending in a first direction; a plurality of redistribution lines formed over the first surface, having one set of ends electrically coupled to the bonding pads of the semiconductor chip, and extending in a direction oblique to the first direction; and a plurality of redistribution pads disposed over the first surface, and electrically coupled with an other set of ends of the redistribution lines which face away from the one set of ends.
US09666237B2

The present invention discloses a mixed three-dimensional printed memory (3D-P). The slow contents (e.g., digital books, digital maps, music, movies, and/or videos) are stored in large memory blocks and/or large memory arrays, whereas the fast contents (e.g., operating systems, software, and/or games) are stored in small memory blocks and/or small memory arrays.
US09666231B2

Disclosed is a system and method for generating a coordinated presentation. Content selected by a user is curated for inclusion in the coordinated presentation, and a plurality of images are captured for inclusion in the coordinated presentation. A first data stream associated with the curated content and a second data stream associated with the captured images are received, and a first arrangement of content associated with at least some of the first and second data streams are output. Telemetry information associated with at least one of a gyroscope and accelerometer is processed and at least some of the curated content is modified in accordance with at least some of the telemetry information and/or at least one of the plurality of images comprised in the second data stream. Further, respective content associated the two data streams are integrated to generate the coordinated presentation.
US09666226B1

An integrated circuit connectable to a signal transmission path of a storage device includes an impedance setting circuit including a plurality of switches, a detector configured to detect an input signal level, and a decoder. The decoder controls one or more switches of the impedance setting circuit based on the detected input signal level so as to match an impedance of the integrated circuit with an impedance of the signal transmission path.
US09666224B1

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk and a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a stator, a rotor, and a plurality of windings. The data storage device further comprises control circuitry comprising a spindle motor driver comprising a plurality of switches including a first switch and a second switch configured to commutate the windings. A current flowing through the first switch is measured for a first part of an electrical cycle of the spindle motor. The measured current is processed to generate an estimated current flowing through the second switch during a second part of the electrical cycle of the spindle motor, wherein the first part of the electrical cycle is different from the second part of the electrical cycle.
US09666222B2

In a case where (i) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P1max) or a longest space (S1max) in a first pit row is defined as a first reflectance and (ii) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P2max) or a longest space (S2max) in the second pit row is defined as a second reflectance, the first pit row is formed such that the first reflectance becomes substantially identical with the second reflectance.
US09666209B2

Preventing unintended distribution of audio information may comprise analyzing audio data of a speaker's speech received by a microphone; determining automatically by a processor, from the analyzing whether the speaker's speech is intended to be distributed to an audience via the microphone; and in response to determining that the speaker's speech is not intended to be distributed to the audience via the microphone, performing one or more actions.
US09666203B2

A device for calculating loudspeaker signals using a plurality of audio sources, an audio source including an audio signal, includes a forward transform stage for transforming each audio signal to a spectral domain to obtain a plurality of temporally consecutive short-term spectra, a memory for storing a plurality of temporally consecutive short-term spectra for each audio signal, a memory access controller for accessing a specific short-term spectrum for a combination consisting of a loudspeaker and an audio signal based on a delay value, a filter stage for filtering the specific short-term spectrum by using a filter, so that a filtered short-term spectrum is obtained for each audio signal and loudspeaker combination, a summing stage for summing up the filtered short-term spectra for a loudspeaker to obtain summed-up short-term spectra, and a backtransform stage for backtransforming summed-up short-term spectra for the loudspeakers to a time domain to obtain the loudspeaker signals.
US09666200B2

The present document relates to the technical field of audio coding, decoding and processing. It specifically relates to methods of recovering high frequency content of an audio signal from low frequency content of the same audio signal in an efficient manner. A method for determining a first banded tonality value (311, 312) for a first frequency subband (205) of an audio signal is described. The first banded tonality value (311, 312) is used for approximating a high frequency component of the audio signal based on a low frequency component of the audio signal. The method comprises determining a set of transform coefficients in a corresponding set of frequency bins based on a block of samples of the audio signal; determining a set of bin tonality values (341) for the set of frequency bins using the set of transform coefficients, respectively; and combining a first subset of two or more of the set of bin tonality values (341) for two or more corresponding adjacent frequency bins of the set of frequency bins lying within the first frequency subband, thereby yielding the first banded tonality value (311, 312) for the first frequency subband.
US09666188B2

A method of providing hybrid speech recognition between a local embedded speech recognition system and a remote speech recognition system relates to receiving speech from a user at a device communicating with a remote speech recognition system. The system recognizes a first part of speech by performing a first recognition of the first part of the speech with the embedded speech recognition system that accesses private user data, wherein the private user data is not available to the remote speech recognition system. The system recognizes the second part of the speech by performing a second recognition of the second part of the speech with the remote speech recognition system. The final recognition result is a combination of these two recognition processes. The private data can be such local information as a user location, a playlist, frequently dialed numbers or texted people, user contact list information, and so forth.
US09666180B2

A communication device establishes an audio connection with a far-end user via a communication network. The communication device receives text input from a near-end user, and converts the text input into speech signals. The speech signals are transmitted to the far-end user using the established audio connection while muting audio input to its microphone. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US09666177B2

The invention relates to an audio system for generating an audio signal. More specifically the invention relates to an audio system, especially an audio alarm system, for generating an audio signal comprising means for generating a component of the audio signal at a base frequency and means for generating further components of the audio signal at other frequencies than the base frequency, whereby the base and the other frequencies are separated from each other by separating frequency bands in order to enhance the loudness of the audio signal. The invention furthermore relates to a method for generating an audio signal, a computer program and an audio signal.
US09666175B2

Techniques for noise cancelation include an automated method having the steps of: receiving signals from a plurality of microphones positioned within a microphone array outside a target area; identifying, from the received signals, a noise and position information for a source for the noise external to the target area before the noise reaches the target area; before the noise reaches the target area, determining a cancelation sound for the noise based on the noise and the position information; and playing the cancelation sound as the noise reaches the target area so as to significantly cancel the noise within the target area.
US09666173B2

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a touch screen display, at least one of a speaker and a sound interface, a processor configured to electrically connect to the touch screen display, the speaker, and the sound interface, and a memory configured to electrically connect to the processor. The memory stores instructions for, when executed, causing the processor to display at least one item comprising a musical instrument shape on the touch screen display, receive a touch input through the touch screen display, load sound data corresponding to the at least one item based on the touch input, process the sound data based at least in part on information associated with the touch input, and output the processed sound data through the speaker or the sound interface.
US09666164B2

An image processing apparatus includes: a pattern identification unit configured to perform pattern identification for first image data; a first data conversion unit configured to perform first data conversion for the first image data, after a pattern of the first image data is identified, to generate second image data; a second data conversion unit configured to perform second data conversion for the second image data to generate third image data; and a process selection unit configured to determine whether or not to perform at least one of the pattern identification, the first data conversion, or the second data conversion according to a measured value that is input from an outside or an on/off state of a call mode.
US09666161B2

A method and a system are provided for replacing the theme of a mobile terminal on the basis of a user's clothes color, including: setting an RGB value interval of clothes through analyzing the RGB values of all pixels of the clothes location in the obtained image and calculating the clothes RGB average, analyzing the RGB values of all pixels of every theme on a mobile terminal, calculating the theme RGB value average; when the theme RGB average is within the clothes RGB average interval, and replacing the theme of the mobile terminal by the theme corresponding to the theme RGB average. Thus, the mobile terminal becomes more interesting.
US09666153B2

The present invention provides a driving method and a driving device for liquid crystal pixel unit, and a liquid crystal display device. In the driving method, the liquid crystal pixel unit comprises a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a first shared capacitor; the driving method comprises: providing a charging connection signal for charging the first and second pixel electrodes to an equivalent voltage using the data signal; providing a shared connection signal with an interval of a first time after the charging connection signal is finished, electrically connecting the first shared capacitor with first pixel electrode and changing the voltage on the first pixel electrode; said first time is larger than or equal to 1/10 and smaller than or equal to ¾ of the display period. The driving method is applicable to the liquid crystal display device of VA mode, especially to that of CS-SPVA mode.
US09666151B2

A display device including a substrate, and pixels disposed on the substrate, each of the pixels including a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, in which the first sub-pixel includes a first cover layer defining a first cavity on the substrate, a first liquid crystal layer disposed in the first cavity, and a first pixel electrode and a first common electrode configured to apply an electric field to the first liquid crystal layer, the second sub-pixel includes a second cover layer defining a second cavity on the substrate, a second liquid crystal layer disposed in the second cavity, and a second pixel electrode and a second common electrode configured to apply an electric field to the second liquid crystal layer, and a first distance between the first pixel electrode and the first common electrode is different from a second distance between the second pixel electrode and the second common electrode.
US09666150B2

A high-precision display device is capable of suppressing a leak current and operating at a low power consumption. The display device comprises a source power supply for providing a pixel electric potential to each pixel placed on a substrate through a first thin-film transistor; a gate power supply for controlling conductive and nonconductive states of the first thin-film transistor; and a second thin-film transistor disposed between the first thin-film transistor and the gate power supply, the second thin-film transistor being controllable independently of the first thin-film transistor.
US09666148B2

A system for powering and controlling an LED-backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) where redundancy is used to provide two independent paths from a pair of power supplies to the LED backlight. Further, two independent paths are also used from a pair of power supplies to the LCD. If any one of the paths were to fail or begin to degrade in performance, the system contains monitoring circuits which can direct another path to be used by the system. Two separate control circuits for the LCD may be used so that either one may be used to control the LCD if one were to fail. Two separate temperature sensors and luminance sensors may also be used to increase the durability of the system.
US09666140B2

The invention provides a gate-in-panel display device capable of preventing deterioration of thin-film transistors during pause drive, as well as a method for driving the same.At the end of a drive period, an active clear signal is provided to thin-film transistors in unit circuits, each thin-film transistor being connected to either a first or second node at a gate terminal, thereby bringing the thin-film transistors into ON state. As a result, the voltages of the first and second nodes are set to a reference voltage. Thus, even if a pause period lasts for a long period of time, the gate terminals of the thin-film transistors are not subjected to sustained voltage application, leading to no threshold voltage shifts.
US09666125B2

An organic light-emitting diode circuit and a driving method thereof are disclosed herein. The organic light-emitting diode circuit includes a storage unit, a transistor, a coupling capacitor, a compensation unit, an input unit, a switch unit, and an organic light-emitting diode. The transistor is configured to be driven by a voltage stored in the storage unit so that a second end of the transistor generates a driving current. The coupling capacitor changes a voltage of the second end of the transistor. The compensation unit changes the voltage level at the second end of the transistor according to a first scan signal. The input unit transmits a data voltage to the storage unit according to a second scan signal. The switch unit is turned on according to a light-emitting signal so that the driving current is transmitted to the organic light-emitting diode through the switch unit.
US09666124B2

A pixel includes a pixel circuit to control an amount of current supplied from a first power source to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) based on a data signal. At least one first transistor is located in a current path between the first power source and OLED. A second transistor is coupled between a gate electrode of the at least one first transistor and an emission control line through which an emission control signal is supplied. The emission control line controls a state of the at least one first transistor, and the second transistor turns on or off based on the data signal.
US09666123B2

An organic light emitting display capable of improving display quality. The organic light emitting display includes effective pixels positioned in an effective display unit, at least one dummy pixels positioned in a dummy display unit in order to generate light with predetermined luminance, at least one photodiodes arranged on the dummy display unit to be adjacent to the dummy pixels, and a sensing unit for extracting first resistance information from organic light emitting diodes (OLED) included in the effective pixels, extracting second resistance information from OLEDs included in the dummy pixels, and extracting luminance information corresponding to the second resistance information from the photodiodes.
US09666120B2

An organic light emitting display device including an emission unit and a pixel circuit unit. The emission unit includes an organic light emitting diode. The pixel circuit unit includes a driving transistor, at least one or more switching transistors, a capacitor, a light blocking unit, and an opening in which the light blocking layer is not formed. The light blocking unit includes a light blocking layer which blocks light input to the pixel circuit unit. The pixel circuit unit is configured to drive the emission unit and selectively block the light input to the pixel circuit unit.
US09666117B2

To make it difficult to obtain an original image based on display data. An image display device includes an image set generating unit that generates a plurality of image sets S, each including a plurality of modified images Cj that are obtained by modifying an original image O, and an average of pixel values of corresponding pixels of the plurality of modified images Cj included in each of the image sets S corresponding to a value of a corresponding pixel of the original image O, and an image display unit for sequentially displaying the plurality of modified images Cj included in each of the image sets S by sequentially using the plurality of image sets S generated by the image set generating unit.
US09666116B2

An image display device includes a plurality of pixels, a pixel detection unit configured to detect first pixels having same R, G, and B gray scale values for a predetermined time among the plurality of pixels, a gray scale value calculation unit configured to calculate average gray scale values of the first pixels and average gray scale values of corresponding R, G and B of second pixels in a predetermined area around the first pixels, a data correction unit configured to correct the R, G and B gray scale values of the first pixels, using the calculated average gray scale values of the first and second pixels, and a data driver configured to correct the image data with the corrected R, G and B gray scale values of the first pixels, and to supply the corrected image data to each pixel of the plurality of pixels.
US09666115B2

The present disclosure discloses an image conversion method for converting RGB signal to RGBW signal and an apparatus thereof. A substitution rate of a W luminance output value of respective pixels in each frame is determined according to RGB luminance input values of the respective pixels in each frame, and accumulated proportions of RGB luminance output values and the W luminance output value in RGBW luminance output values of the respective pixels within a preset time before each frame. The RGBW luminance output values of the respective pixels in each frame is determined according to the determined substitution rate of the W luminance output value and the RGB luminance input values of the respective pixels in each frame. In this way, the RGBW luminance output values of the respective pixels in the present frame can be adjusted according to a utilization rate of respective sub-pixels in the respective pixels within a period of time before each frame, so as to substantially maintain working lives of the respective sub-pixels in the respective pixels uniform as far as possible, and to further improve a service life of an entire display.
US09666107B2

A display device comprising a substrate (100) accommodating at least one light emitting electro-optical device (101) and a fabric layer (102) arranged on said substrate (100) to receive at least part of the light emitted by said at least one light emitting electro-optical device (101) is provided. The backside (103) of said fabric layer is provided with at least one self-supporting recess (104), and said fabric layer (102) is arranged such that said at least one recess (104) is located in front of said at least one light emitting electro-optical device (101). A gap (108) separates said at least one light emitting electro-optical device (101) from the fabric material within said at least recess (104).
US09666102B2

A model for anatomical training includes a visibly clear thermoplastic elastomer matrix formed with at least one contoured surface, the contoured surface simulating at least a portion of a human body. The visibly clear thermoplastic elastomer matrix provides visible needle tracks upon needle penetration that may be fused closed upon heating the thermoplastic elastomer matrix such that the needle tracks are no longer visible. The model includes a skeletal structure embedded within the thermoplastic elastomer matrix at the same location, relative to the contoured surface, as the corresponding skeletal structure is located in a human body, the skeletal structure producing a fluoroscopic image representative of human bone corresponding to the skeletal structure.
US09666100B2

A welding training system includes a welding surface, a computer configured to execute a welding training software, and a calibration device. The welding training system also includes a sensor communicatively coupled to the computer and configured to sense a position of the calibration device, an orientation of the calibration device, or some combination thereof. The sensor is also configured to provide calibration data to the welding training software to calibrate a location of the welding surface relative to the sensor. The calibration data includes the position of the calibration device, the orientation of the calibration device, or some combination thereof.
US09666093B2

A test device includes a base plate configured to move on a slipping floor in X-Y directions by an air bearing, and rotate around a Z axis, a platform connected on the base plate by a movement connecting mechanism, and a magnetizing device disposed on a lower surface of the base plate to face the slipping floor and configured to change a magnetizing force to the slipping floor. The X-Y directions are substantially parallel to the slipping floor, and the Z axis is substantially perpendicular to the slipping floor. The base plate is disposed between the slipping floor and the platform. A magnetizing force of the magnetizing device to the slipping floor when the air bearing operates is stronger than magnetizing force of the magnetizing device to the slipping floor when the air bearing does not operate.
US09666090B2

A method for positioning a handheld tool is disclosed. In one embodiment, information is received at a handheld tool for positioning a working end of the handheld tool at a desired position. Information is also received at the handheld tool for aligning the handheld tools at the desired position.
US09666088B2

A video-based teaching aid system and method. Video images are recorded of at least some of a plurality of people in a classroom setting by use of a video camera arrangement. Expressions of the people in the video images are identified by use of an expression recognition module configured to receive the video images from the video camera arrangement. The identified expressions of the people in the video images are correlated with at least one of an event or an outcome of an event occurring in a classroom setting by use of a correlation module. The results of the correlating are outputted by an output device.
US09666087B2

An education support method includes searching for first student information corresponding to a student whose evaluation score has been improved and discussion information on the basis of evaluation-score-and-group information in which the discussion information identifying a group discussion, group information identifying a group, student information identifying a student and an evaluation score of the student are associated with one another; searching for second student information including group information associated to the first student information on the basis of the first student information and the discussion information; and generating created group information that is associated with the second student information and a selected student information. Further, a computer-readable recording medium storing an education support program that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the education support method.
US09666083B2

The invention relates to a method for inserting a segment (Tins) of flight plan into an initial flight plan (Pini) of an aircraft, performed by a flight management system (FMS) of the said aircraft, the initial flight plan (Pini) comprising an ordered series of initial legs (Sini), the said fixed initial legs being indexed with an index i that varies from 1 to n, the method comprising the steps involving: identifying (110), using a first iterative calculation on the index i, in the segment to be inserted (Tins), the fixed legs to be inserted that have a position identical to the position of the leg of index i Sini(i)), the said legs thus determined being referred to as occurrences of the leg of index i, the said occurrences (O1, O2) being ordered by rank k varying from 1 to m, as a function of their position in the segment that is to be inserted (Tins), and searching, among the identified occurrences, for the occurrence of lowest index i and lowest rank k (Oi0(k0)) that has a type and attribute values identical to the segment of index i, referred to as equivalent point, when the said equivalent point exists, inserting the segment that is to be inserted (Tins) from the said equivalent point, otherwise, inserting the segment that is to be inserted (Tins) from the identified occurrence of lowest index i and lowest rank k (Oi1(k1)) referred to as a pseudo equivalent point, when the said pseudo equivalent point exists.
US09666079B2

Embodiments are disclosed for an example vehicle-to-vehicle communication system. The example vehicle-to-vehicle communication system includes a user input interface configured to receive a user input, an inter-vehicle communication system capable of communicating with a navigation system of a second vehicle, a processor, and a storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to receive a first separation from the user of the first vehicle, the first separation being input via the user input interface. Responsive to receiving a first separation from the user of the first vehicle, instructions are further executable to determine a space cushion between the second and first vehicles, the space cushion being determined based on one more of the first separation and a second separation communicated from the second vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system, and adjust a distance between the first and second vehicles based on the space cushion.
US09666074B2

A request to identify a parking spot is received. A response to the request, including an identification of at least one available parking spot, is provided. A parking spot selected from the response is identified. Data relating to the selected spot are collected. A user profile based on the collected data is updated.
US09666069B2

A vehicle includes an autonomous driving sensor configured to detect a road condition and output at least one road condition signal representing the road condition, an autonomous mode controller configured to control the vehicle according to the at least one road condition signal, and a communication module configured to broadcast the road condition signal.
US09666068B2

A traffic warning signal system includes a substrate, and at least one light-emitting device embedded into the substrate and placed in proximity to a traffic signal such as to be visible upon approach to the traffic signal, such as the at least one light-emitting device is synchronized in at least one of a timing, a color, or a frequency with the traffic signal.
US09666066B2

An unexpectedness prediction sensitivity determining apparatus determines a standard driving operation level of a driver when turning to the right or left at an intersection for each intersection based on intersection travel information received from plural vehicles. Subsequently, the unexpectedness prediction sensitivity determining apparatus determines the unexpectedness prediction sensitivity of the driver when turning to the right or left at the intersection based on the intersection travel information associated with the intersections where determined standard driving operation levels of the drivers are identical to one another.
US09666065B2

A wireless switch assembly, comprising: a wireless switch comprising a control switch; a wireless transmitter connected to the control switch and transmitting a corresponding control signal according to the instruction of the control switch; a first identification card pluggably mounted in the wireless switch and connected to the wireless transmitter; a wireless receiver connected to a controller of a controlled piece and communicating with the wireless switch through radio frequency signal or optical signal. The wireless receiver has a second identification card pluggably mounted therein. The present invention can achieve a remote control by a low power consumption wireless transceiver module and matches the wireless switch to the wireless receiver via the identification cards, thus eliminating the need for complicated control wiring, therefore greatly reducing the complexity of wiring, saving electric wires and cables, and reducing cost.
US09666060B2

Techniques for facilitating one or more operating modes for monitoring of an intelligent home system are disclosed. The techniques facilitate detecting an adverse condition in a building, generating an alert based on the detection, sending a notification about the alert to a user (e.g., to a mobile device), awaiting a user response, and determining whether to send the alert to a central monitoring system to facilitate notification of an appropriate responder for the adverse condition. Determining whether to send the alert to the central monitoring system may be based on an affirmative command from the user or a failure to receive any command from the user. The user may be billed for the service of notifying an appropriate responder provided by central monitoring system regularly, intermittently when the user is away from the building, or on a per-alert basis.
US09666054B2

An alarm system surrounds a pool, or other body of water, to alert a parent or other personnel of a potential drowning situation for a child. A pad borders the pool and is separated into sections. The pad encloses pressure sensors that detect when a child comes onto the pad. The different sections include different sensors. The sensors are coupled to a detector device that determines different actions to perform to alert someone of the danger situation. The actions includes an audible alarm, vibration, shock or sending an image, video or message indicating that a child is in danger.
US09666052B1

The present disclosure describes an apparatus and method for monitoring the environment of a baby, i.e. the outside environment and the direct environment in direct contact with the baby. Environment elements which can be monitored include the temperature, humidity, sunlight intensity and whether or not the environment is damp. Using the temperature and humidity data, the heat index can also be calculated. The child's direct environment is a weighted value which considers the environment elements relating directly to the child and the direct ambient surroundings of the child. This weighted value, for instance, takes into account the skin temperature of the child as well as the ambient temperature, humidity, dampness of the direct surroundings of the child.
US09666051B2

A method of detecting that an aircraft is flying in icing conditions. A processor unit determines a real power developed by the turboshaft engine and a theoretical power that the engine can develop in theory, the theoretical power being determined using a theoretical model supplying a power as a function at least of a speed of rotation of a gas generator of the engine. The processor unit determines a difference between the real power and the theoretical power. The processor unit generates a warning to indicate the presence of icing conditions when the power difference is greater than a predetermined power threshold for a length of time longer than a time threshold, and when a temperature outside the aircraft lies between a low temperature threshold and a high temperature threshold.
US09666049B2

An optical smoke detection unit for a danger alarm includes a light-emitting diode (LED) including at least one LED chip in an LED housing and connection contacts contacting the LED chip and running out of the LED housing. The smoke detection unit may include a photo-detector spectrally sensitive to emitted light for detecting smoke and a control unit for controlling the LED and for evaluating a sensor signal of the photo-detector for characteristic fire magnitudes. The LED may include a photosensor spectrally sensitive to the emitted light. The control unit may detect an electrical characteristic magnitude of the photosensor while providing electrical control of the LED, and based on the detected electrical characteristic magnitude, (a) derive and output ageing information about the LED and/or (b) determine a reduction of light current of the LED and modify the electrical control of LED to correct such reduction.
US09666041B2

A microphone having an embedded haptic device, along with an associated program product and methodology for controlling the haptic device. A microphone is disclosed that includes: a haptic device embedded therein capable of outputting a haptic response; and a haptic control system having an input system for receiving an external input associated with a use of the microphone, an analysis engine for analyzing the external input, and a haptic response controller for triggering the haptic response.
US09666038B2

The Canine Handler Operations Positioning System (the Inventors) taught by the present invention consists of one or more dog-worn sensor, one or more handler's shoe-worn sensor, and algorithms for maintaining localization of units of canines and handlers traveling in GPS and GPS-denied areas. The present invention adapts the localization algorithms from the human-based system to dogs, increase performance, reduce SWAP, and further refine the system based on user feedback. The human worn system is modified for the human handler for maximum operational practicality in regard to batteries, size, and interoperability to a radio. The Canine Handler Operations Positioning System (the Inventors) focuses on developing the dog-worn positioning system, modifying the handler's positioning sensor if needed, and integrating the system with an OCU. The complete the Inventors system would provide a positioning solution for both the dog(s) and handler(s).
US09666033B2

An electronic slot machine, having a display for displaying a plurality of symbols arrayed in at least three vertical columns of symbols, and at least three horizontal rows of symbols where game play is initiated by selecting a sequence for sequentially spinning selected columns and rows up to three total. The resulting display of symbols are analyzed to determine whether the array of symbols constitute a winning combination. Additional game playing occurs when the player selects a new sequence of rows and columns for spinning to achieve a new set of symbols for analysis to determine a winning combination.
US09666024B2

Remote live table gaming systems can include player terminal(s), electronic gaming table(s), and/or a remote server. Electronic devices can function as remote player terminals, and can have an outer housing, a controller located therewithin, input and output component(s), and a communications interface to an outside gaming network having other functionally similar gaming device(s), gaming table(s), and a remote server. The controller and/or server can facilitate the remote play of live table games at physical gaming tables. Remote game play can include asynchronous and individually paced tournament play, switching between different tournament tables on demand, and play of non-tournament table games simultaneously. Portable computing devices can be used as player terminals and can permit players to play in actual or practice play-along modes.
US09666022B2

A system and method of locating gaming tokens on a gaming table. Two sets of overlapping antennas are arranged in intersecting directions. The system uses the data from intersecting antennas to determine the positions of the gaming tokens. Having overlapping antennas reduces dead spots.
US09666016B1

A casino style system and method involving the use of a pair of spinning tops to generate random outcomes. A dealer's top and player's top are spun simultaneously before which players are able to place wagers on a series of colors (e.g., red, green, blue and yellow) and/or symbols (e.g., wild jokers) depicted on different facets of the tops and win awards responsive to random outcomes generated by said tops once toppling over. The tops are adapted to land such that a single facet is facing upwards identifying a color/symbol. Players may be able to place combo outcome wagers on specific combinations of random outcomes generated by the tops. A calibration/balance device is used to check and maintain the randomness of the tops.
US09666012B2

A smoothie dispenser (20, 20S, 20A) comprises a frame (22); a smoothie receptacle storage section (24); and a receptacle conformed chiller section (26). The smoothie receptacle storage section (24) is provided within the frame (22) and configured to house plural smoothie receptacles (30) at a first temperature. The chiller section (26) is arranged to receive a selected smoothie receptacle released from the smoothie receptacle storage section and configured to crystallize contents of the selected smoothie receptacle. The receptacle conformed chiller section (26) is “receptacle conformed” in the sense that a surface of the chiller section is configured to conform to (e.g., have a surface of shape to mate with or to form substantially greater than linear contact with) at least a portion an exterior profile or periphery of the selected smoothie receptacle.
US09666011B2

Provided is a money processing device whereby it is possible to alleviate a deterioration in security when a storage unit is extracted. A money processing device comprises: a deposit/withdrawal part which is disposed upon one end side of a device main body in the longitudinal direction which faces a customer, and whereby money is either deposited or withdrawn; and storage units which are disposed to be removable with respect to the device main body and which store money. The storage units are extracted from the device main body at a location which is removed from the customer. The storage units are disposed to be removable with respect to the device main body from the other end side in the longitudinal direction.
US09666010B2

A cash box (10) has a holding area (24) bordered by a bottom unit (26) for holding a stack of currency bills. The bottom unit (26) has at least one belt (28, 30), on which the currency bills accommodated in the holding area (24) stand on their edges. Furthermore, at least one belt support (50, 52) is adjustable between a first position and a second position. The belt support (50, 52) in the second position raises the belt (28, 30) in the direction of the holding area (24) relative to the first position.
US09666009B2

The present invention provides an authentication apparatus operative to determine the authenticity of a polymer film, comprising: an optical response modifier operative to modify a first effect influenced by said birefringence characteristic of said to a modified first effect; and an optically-based birefringence measuring arrangement operative to measure said modified first effect; and wherein said apparatus is operative to: compare a value, or range of values, representative of said modified first effect as measured with a value, or range of values representative of a specified first effect as modified by a same optical response modifier and corresponding to a predetermined birefringence characteristic of an authentic polymer film; and output an authenticity signal indicative of authenticity or otherwise of said film based upon said comparison. There are also provided one or more methods of determining the authenticity of a polymer film.
US09666005B2

A system and method for using a portable device to communicate with a vehicle to authorize one or more vehicle operations. The portable device may authorize the vehicle to unlock/lock doors, start the vehicle engine, or mobilize the vehicle, or a combination thereof. The vehicle may include a vehicle transmitter system with one or more transmitters disposed at various locations on the vehicle, and the portable device may be configured to monitor a communication strength between the portable device and the one or more transmitters of the transmitter system. Based on the monitored signal strength, the portable device may determine location information about itself.
US09665999B2

A method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment (PPE) and actions of individuals includes the following steps. An article of PPE configured with a smart tag is provided to an individual prior to performance of a task. After the individual performs the task, the article of PPE is processed. Information is retrieved from the smart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processing the article of PPE. After the performance of the task, the individual's data is read and the individual enters into a designated area.
US09665992B2

A computer-implemented method for automated service management includes identifying a period of time to perform a service on a transporter, wherein the transporter is one of: a vehicle, an aircraft, a watercraft, or a rail based transportation. A first location within a vicinity of the transporter is identified, wherein the vicinity is based at least in part on a known location of the transporter. The transporter is instructed to relocate to the first location and responsive to the computer determining the service of the transporter is complete, the transporter is instructed to relocate to the known location.
US09665980B2

A method of operating a graphics processing unit includes determining, based on input data, whether to perform a tiling operation before or after a tessellation operation and performing the tiling operation according to the determination result. Performing the tiling operation after the tessellation operation if the input data is not a patch, and if a geometry of the patch is at the out-side of a convex hull defined by control points of the patch. Performing the tiling operation after the tessellation operation if a geometry of a tessellated primitive corresponding to the patch changes according to a shading operation.
US09665971B2

Techniques for multiple pass rendering include receiving vertex data for one or more objects to be enhanced. Parameters in a display list may be determined using the vertex data. Multiple pixel rendering passes may be run using the parameters in the display list. An enhanced depiction of the one or more objects may be rendered based on the multiple pixel rendering passes. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09665967B2

A better basis for a further processing such as virtual view rendering, in form of a disparity map is achieved. To this end, the disparity map generation is done in two separate steps, namely the generation of two depth/disparity map estimates based on two different pairs of views of the scene in a manner independent from each other, with then comparing both depth/disparity map estimates so as to obtain a reliability measure for one or both of the depth/disparity map estimates.
US09665942B2

Methods and apparatuses for analyzing a sequence of images for an object are disclosed herein. In a general embodiment, the method identifies a region of interest in the sequence of images. The object is likely to move within the region of interest. The method divides the region of interest in the sequence of images into sections and calculates signal-to-noise ratios for a section in the sections. A signal-to-noise ratio for the section is calculated using the section in the image, a prior section in a prior image to the image, and a subsequent section in a subsequent image to the image. The signal-to-noise ratios are for potential velocities of the object in the section. The method also selects a velocity from the potential velocities for the object in the section using a potential velocity in the potential velocities having a highest signal-to-noise ratio in the signal-to-noise ratios.
US09665938B2

A binarization processing unit 11 performs a binarization process the basis of existence of at least one of lightness and chroma for a candidate image of template matching. A labeling processing unit 12 performs a labeling process for the binarized candidate image and thereby extracts a pixel block in the binarized candidate image. An outline determining unit 14 performs sampling of a position on an outermost periphery of the pixel block, and identifies a range from a centroid position of the pixel block and an angle from a predetermined direction as the position. A correlation determining unit 15 determines a correlation between the ranges and the angles of both the candidate image and the reference image on the basis of the reference outline data, and excludes the candidate image from a candidate of the template matching in accordance with degree of the correlation.
US09665937B2

Techniques are provided for incrementally aligning multiple scans of a three-dimensional subject. This can be accomplished by establishing an updated aligned set of scans as each new scan is sequentially processed and aligned with the existing scans. In such embodiments the pairwise and global alignment processes are effectively combined into a single collective alignment process. This collective alignment converges to an optimal alignment faster than the sequential pairwise alignment process that existing solutions use. The collective alignment enforces pairwise alignment between the individual scans in the aligned set of scans. This is because each scan comprising the aligned set can be aligned to the next incremental scan if any scan included in the aligned set can be aligned to the next incremental scan. The pairwise alignment between the scans comprising the aligned set is thus a known function.
US09665935B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing technology capable of perceiving a motion of the shape of a target area. An image processing device (3) according to the present invention includes: a dynamic image acquiring unit (110) that acquires a dynamic image; a boundary line extracting means (130) that acquires a plurality of target area boundary lines by extracting boundary lines of a target area; a displacement correcting means (140) that acquires a predetermined number of displacement-corrected boundary lines in which a removal-required component is removed by calculating a displacement amount, which is the removal-required component, using a base boundary line as a displacement base for one or more of target area boundary lines other than the base boundary line among the plurality of target area boundary lines by using pixels corresponding to the plurality of target area boundary lines and correcting a predetermined number of the target area boundary lines other than the base boundary line by using the displacement amount after the calculation of the displacement amount; and a display means (34) that displays displacement-corrected boundary line information for display based on the predetermined number of displacement-corrected boundary lines.
US09665933B2

A method and apparatus for inspecting containers, such as bottles or similar containers. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
US09665931B2

Methods and systems for use in detecting an air pocket in a single crystal material are described. One example method includes providing a matrix including a plurality of data units, the plurality of data units including image data related to a region of interest of the single crystal material; determining, by a processor, a difference between data units of the matrix and a corresponding data unit of the matrix, wherein the corresponding data unit is defined by a first operation of the matrix; calculating, by the processor, a first index value based on the differences of the corresponding data units; and identifying an air pocket within the single crystal material based on the first index value and a predetermined threshold.
US09665929B2

An image processing device includes a generation unit and a smoothing processor. The generation unit calculates an edge strength on the basis of a stairs tone strength indicative of differences between a first parameter and a second parameter. The first parameter is a first gradient based on pixel values of a pixel of interest in an input image and adjacent pixels included in a first range with respect to the pixel of interest. The second parameter is one of a variance based on pixel values of the pixel of interest and the adjacent pixels, and a second gradient based on the pixel value of the pixel of interest and adjacent pixels included in a second range. The smoothing processor performs a nonlinear smoothing operation on the pixel value of the pixel of interest and the adjacent pixels included in the first range on the basis of the calculated edge strength.
US09665927B2

A method for enhancing at least one image within a series of images is provided. The method includes: selecting the series of images; upscaling each image within the series of images; selecting a reference image among the series of images; performing image registration to align series of images with the reference image; evaluating the series of aligned images for a subset of pixel locations that exhibit high cross-frame variation; performing learning processing to substantially reduce noise and exclude motion biases at the subset of pixel locations; performing pixel fusion from the series of aligned and processed images to produce the super-resolution reference image. A computer program product and an imaging system are disclosed.
US09665926B2

An electronic device that uses a method of displaying an object by the electronic device is provided. The method includes identifying one or more objects for displaying in a display area of the electronic device and, when at least one of the one or more objects cannot be displayed in the display area, changing display attributes of the one or more objects and displaying the objects in the display area.
US09665919B2

The present invention relate generally to digital watermarking and data hiding. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: electronic memory for storing first color data and second color data, the first color data and the second color data represent data from a color image signal or color video signal, and a digital watermark signal, the digital watermark signal serving to facilitate detection of a watermark message; means for separating the digital watermark signal into first frequency components and second frequency components; means for modifying the first color data by hiding the first frequency components therein; and means for modifying the second color data by hiding the second frequency components therein. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided too.
US09665909B2

A method, executed by a processor, for generating a transaction classification rule that can be applied to unclassified transactions. The method includes receiving an identification of an existing unclassified transaction upon which the classification rule will be based; generating identification rules to identify subsequent unclassified transactions as similar to the existing unclassified transaction; generating the classification rule using the identified transaction; and storing the classification rule for application to the subsequent unclassified transactions. Application of the generated classification rule to the subsequent unclassified transactions produces transactions classified according to the classification rule.
US09665902B2

Provided is a method, system, and a computer-readable recording medium for providing a personalized recommendation of products. The method may include extracting product recommendations corresponding to a prescribed recommendation time period using two or more purchase cycle algorithms, the purchase cycle algorithms configured to calculate purchase cycles of products for a customer. The method may further include performing performance evaluation, using a processor, with respect to the product recommendations extracted using each of the purchase cycle algorithms, and recommending to the customer the product recommendation extracted from the purchase cycle algorithm having a highest ranking based on the performance evaluation.
US09665900B1

Systems and methods herein can generate sales rankings for parts based on one or more metrics, such as geographic location of purchasers of the parts or based on items owned by users that function in conjunction with the parts. The systems can present the sales rankings to a user based on another item owned by the user. For example, sales rankings of memory can be presented to a user based on a laptop model owned by the user. Thus, users can determine how popular a part is among particular segments of the population, such as among users living in a certain geographic region, or among users who own a particular item designed to operate with the part. Moreover, the sales rankings can be used to generate recommendations of parts based on a corresponding item owned by the user that is configured to function with the part type.
US09665899B1

One embodiment provides a system for dynamically optimizing inventory picking paths within a physical store. The system performs operations including receiving merchandise requests from customers, providing the merchandise requests to merchandise pickers, and receiving, from the merchandise pickers, picking data identifying picking paths executed by the merchandise pickers when picking items within the physical store to fulfill the merchandise requests. The operations further include analyzing the merchandise requests and the picking data to identify an algorithm suitable for determining an optimized picking path, and, in response to receiving a new merchandise request, applying the algorithm to determine an optimized picking path for fulfilling the new merchandise request. The optimized picking path is provided to at least one of the merchandise pickers. The algorithm is dynamically adjustable in response to receiving additional picking data identifying different picking paths that reflect changes to the store layout.
US09665894B2

A retrieval support system includes a database which stores commodity image data; a retrieval unit which acquires commodity image data having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of input image data, from the database, with respect to the input image data; and a condition setting unit which sets a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions. The retrieval unit performs retrieval of the commodity image data based on the retrieval condition set by the condition setting unit. The commodity image data acquired by the retrieval unit and information relating to a commodity different from a commodity corresponding to the commodity image data are output together.
US09665878B2

Systems, graphical user interfaces and methods for upgrading from one or more digital media assets to a set of digital media assets over a network are described. A potential purchaser can be notified of available upgrade opportunities that are available for purchase. The potential purchaser can elect to pursue an upgrade opportunity so as to purchase a set of digital media assets. Upon upgrading to the set of digital media assets, the digital media assets within the set of digital media assets are made available to the purchaser. According to one aspect, a graphical user interface facilitates presenting and requesting upgrade opportunities. According to another aspect, equivalency rules and/or eligibility rules can be used to control which sets of digital media assets are available for upgrade by respective potential purchasers.
US09665877B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for reverse couponing. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine user information and account information associated with a user; adjust offer information associated with an offer based on the user information and the account information, wherein the offer enables the user to receive at least one of a discount or a rebate on a purchase from a merchant; and transmit the adjusted offer to the user.
US09665873B2

The invention relates to a system and method for analyzing an activity session. Data from a monitoring device worn by a user of the system for example is received over a period of time or distance and a classification system of the invention is utilized in real time or post session to determine the activities performed by the user during the session. The data collected relates to multiple parameters monitored during the activity session. The classification system defines an activity using a set of threshold criteria for a combination of parameters and therefore identifies a particular activity performed during the activity session when a combination of monitored parameters satisfies the threshold criteria for a particular activity. Determining the activities performed in this way allows for more useful interpretation of the data which in turn leads to more effective coaching advice and feedback for the user.
US09665871B2

A method of generating notifications related to availability of media content is provided. The method includes receiving a watchlist subscription including a request to monitor for availability of media content. The method also includes detecting a change in the availability of media content based on the subscription, and if a change is detected, determining an access right and transmitting a notification of the change in the availability of the media content. The metadata of the media content is used in the subscriptions to determine when to generate notifications. The media content may include a media article, media selection, live content, or a theatrical media release.
US09665863B2

Receiving payment includes the establishment, at a first server, a transaction record including information identifying a payment amount, a first account to be credited by the payment amount, and a second account to be debited by a debit amount. A financial authorization network performs an authorization analysis on at least the second account. The second account is debited if the authorization analysis is successfully completed, and the first account is directly credited by the payment amount to conclude the transaction. Risk analysis may be performed for each individual. Payment is integrated with shipping.
US09665857B2

A method, system, and computer program product for enterprise analytics. The method commences by requesting and receiving bank statement information from a bank computer where the bank statement information comprises at least a then current balance, then accessing a transaction repository to retrieve a transaction pipeline comprising deposit transactions and/or withdrawal transactions to be applied at future times to the then current balance. The method continues by forecasting a balance by applying at least a portion of the transaction pipeline to the then current balance. The resulting forecasted balance and reports are displayed for review by a user. The displays can include desktop or mobile displays or both. Transactions that involve multiple currencies can be converted into a selected currency of choice, and the balances and transactions are displayed in the denomination of the selected currency.
US09665856B1

A hand-held ordering device and system which allows a user to order a meal at a restaurant or place an order at any business using a wireless transmission means.
US09665848B1

A system for monitoring inventory items, with each inventory item being associated with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The system comprises a check-in station for checking in inventory items. The check-in station comprises a first reader antenna for receiving information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked in, and a first indicator for providing an indication of the inventory items being checked in. The system additionally comprises a check-out station for checking out inventory items. The check-out station comprises a second reader antenna for receiving information from RFID tags of inventory items being checked out, and a second indicator for providing an indication of the inventory items being checked out.
US09665847B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to a method and apparatus for storing data for a batch of manufactured items. The method comprises defining in a processor, using a lower limit identifier and an upper limit identifier, a range of unique item identifiers for the batch, wherein each manufactured item in the batch is allocated a unique item identifier falling within the range. The item identifiers are stored in allocated storage space. If an upper limit identifier is specified for each time interval, an amount of storage specified for all manufactured items during a production time period is calculated as a sum of a first product and a second product, the first product being a product of a production time and a size allocated to each upper limit identifier, and the second product being a product of the production time, a total number of manufactured items, and a percentage of unused identifiers.
US09665846B2

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for arranging for shipping a package without the customer needing to generate or apply a shipping label, or any other information, to the package. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a carrier server and a carrier device. The carrier server may receive and store a smart code and shipping information associated with the package, which it may link together. The carrier device may capture the smart code from the package and send a request, including the smart code, to the carrier server for related shipping information. The carrier server may receive the request from the carrier device, retrieve the shipping information based on the smart code, and send the shipping information to the carrier device. The carrier device may receive the shipping information and generate a shipping label for the package based on the shipping information.
US09665835B2

A social networking system distributes information related to emergency events. The social networking system provides an interface for users to view information about the users' connections related to the emergency event. The interface allows users to filter the users' connections to search for connections affected by the emergency event. The interface also includes a status indicator for the users and provides a method for providing input to the connections' status.
US09665829B1

Systems and methods for optimized testing of partially symmetric quantum-logic circuits. A test system receives information that describes the architecture of a quantum-logic circuit to be tested. The system uses this information to organize the circuit's inputs into two or more mutually exclusive blocks of inputs. The system computes a wreath product of a set of groups associated with the blocks in order to generate an invariance group that contains one or more invariant permutations of the circuit's inputs. These invariant permutations can be used to reduce the number of tests required to fully verify the circuit for all possible input vectors. Once one specific input vector has been verified, there is no need to test other vectors that can be generated by performing any one of the invariant permutations upon the previously verified vector.
US09665828B2

Receiving, by a computer, data identifying one or more flavor compounds and their respective quantities in a food and an enhancement objective. Identifying one or more flavor compounds associated with a distinct flavor of the food. Creating a vector of physicochemical properties associated with the one or more flavor compounds associated with the distinct flavor of the food. Creating a vector of physicochemical properties associated with each of one or more additive flavor compounds. Identifying an additive flavor compound to enhance the food based on the angle between the physicochemical property vector associated with the distinct flavor of the food and the physicochemical property vectors for the one or more additive flavor compounds, and the enhancement objective.
US09665823B2

Systems and methods for training networks are provided. A method for training networks comprises receiving an input from each of a plurality of neural networks differing from each other in at least one of architecture, input modality, and feature type, connecting the plurality of neural networks through a common output layer, or through one or more common hidden layers and a common output layer to result in a joint network, and training the joint network.
US09665815B2

This invention relates to a transparent or translucent transaction card having a base comprising a core of substantially transparent or translucent material with a plurality of coats, including optically recognizable ink comprising one or more infrared blocking dyes and other nanoparticles, such as rare earth nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles, and/or optically recognizable film comprising nanoparticles, such as rare earth nanophosphors, and other metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes, and methods for their preparation.
US09665814B2

A transaction card having a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is metal and the second layer is carbon.
US09665812B2

Upon occurrence of a paper jam at a circulation conveyer with a switching direction being set at a paper discharge guiding direction, a controller performs control of maintaining the switching direction at the paper discharge guiding direction and discharging sheets at a section of the circulation conveyer downstream of a position of the paper jam, the printing conveyer, and the paper discharger. Upon occurrence of the paper jam with the switching direction being set at a circulation guiding direction, the controller performs control of switching the switching direction to the paper discharge guiding direction after a sheet passing a switch exits the switch, and discharging the sheets at the section of the circulation conveyer downstream of the position of the paper jam, the printing conveyer, and the paper discharger.
US09665809B2

An apparatus including a communication unit configured to communicate with a communication device and be able to output data stored in a memory to the communication device even without power supplied from a power supply to the apparatus stores, in the memory, status information to specify the status of the apparatus in a state in which the power supply supplies the power to the apparatus.
US09665801B1

In general, embodiments of the technology relate to extracting content from documents. More specifically, embodiments of the technology relate to using fuzzy regular expressions to process content results obtained from one or more documents in order to extract content for these documents. Further, embodiments of the technology enable the format modification of the content after the content has been identified and extracted from the documents.
US09665800B1

Methods and systems for rendering virtual views of three-dimensional (3D) object data models are described. An example method may include receiving information associated with rendering a 3D object data model, and determining virtual views for rendering the 3D object data model. Based on the virtual views and the received information, synthetic training images of the object may be rendered, and information identifying a given virtual view used to render a synthetic training image may be stored with the synthetic training images. A visual object recognition module may determine from a plurality of images and image that substantially matches one or more of the synthetic training images, and the matched image may be associated with information identifying the object and a virtual view used to render a matching synthetic training image. Another method may also leverage information from a synthetic training image to help recognize other objects of the matched image.
US09665797B2

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards environmental based location monitoring. Environmental based location monitoring can include collecting, a first set of image data that corresponds to a first set of environmental characteristics existing within a bounded area encompassing a hardware element of the computer and determining an environmental difference based on a difference between a first location corresponding to a geographic position of the hardware element relative to the first set of environmental characteristics and a second location corresponding to an approved geographic position of the hardware element. Environmental based location monitoring can include determining that the environmental difference does not satisfy a threshold and executing a reaction sequence in the computer, in response to determining that the environmental difference does not satisfy the threshold.
US09665796B2

A system and method for determining if a first image and a second image are correlated images includes partitioning a first image and a second image into a plurality of corresponding pixel partitions, calculating an average luminance value for each of the plurality of pixel partitions, determining if each of the plurality of pixel partitions of the first image is correlated with each of the corresponding plurality of pixel partitions of the second image, calculating a percentage of correlated pixel partitions of the first image and the corresponding plurality of pixel partitions of the second image and determining that the first image and the second image are correlated images if the percentage of correlated pixel partitions exceeds a predetermined pixel partition correlation threshold. The objective metric of the present invention determines whether two static rendered images are correlated enough to be undetectable by a human observer.
US09665794B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an inventory management method and system. The present invention addresses the foregoing need of an inventory management system through which all size and shape of components can tracked before and after an assembly process in a manufacturing facility. The invention address the challenges faced by store keeping clerks in locating the position of excess components returned from assembly floor, which are taken in excess but not being utilized during assembly process. Since basic spare parts which are smaller in size but taken in large quantity from store room due to their frequent usage, excess components needs to be kept back in store keeping units for effective inventory management.
US09665786B2

An image is received that contains handwritten characters as answers to an inquiry. An automatic character recognition process is performed on the image to generate initially recognized characters from the handwritten characters. The initially recognized characters of an incorrect answer to a question of the inquiry are analyzed to automatically identify alternative recognized characters of the incorrect answer. Then, it can be determined whether one or more of the alternative recognized characters, when substituted in place of the initially recognized characters of the incorrect answer, change the incorrect answer to a correct answer to the question. If the alternative recognized characters substituted in place of the initially recognized characters in the correct answer exceed a minimum character recognition confidence value, the incorrect answer is changed to the correct answer to modify the initially scored answers to modified scored answers, and such are output.
US09665780B2

In a travel division line recognition apparatus, an extracting unit extracts a travel division line candidate from an image of a surrounding environment including a road, captured by an on-board camera. A calculating unit calculates a degree of reliability that the extracted travel division line candidate will be the travel division line. A recognizing unit selects the travel division line candidate based on the calculated degree of reliability, and recognizes the travel division line using the selected travel division line candidate. In the calculating unit, a solid object processing unit recognizes solid objects including vehicles, sets a suppression area including a frontal-face suppression area covering a frontal face of the other vehicle and a side-face suppression area covering a side face of the other vehicle, based on the recognized solid objects, and reduces the degree of reliability of the travel division line candidate present within the suppression area.
US09665779B2

In a cruising lane deviation detection system, when a boundary line is detected, a paint line drawn on a road surface to the left and right of an own vehicle is detected and a virtual line is set based on the position of a previously detected boundary line. The boundary line is set using at least either of the paint line and the virtual line. However, approach information indicating that the own vehicle is approaching a toll booth is acquired. When the approach information is acquired, setting of the virtual line as the boundary line is prohibited. Furthermore, whether or not there is risk of the own vehicle deviating from the boundary line is determined. When there is risk of deviation, an output that there is risk of deviation is performed. As a result, setting an erroneous virtual line as the boundary line can be suppressed.
US09665775B2

A method for identifying a set of key video frames from a video sequence comprising extracting feature vectors for each video frame and applying a group sparsity algorithm to represent the feature vector for a particular video frame as a group sparse combination of the feature vectors for the other video frames. Weighting coefficients associated with the group sparse combination are analyzed to determine video frame clusters of temporally-contiguous, similar video frames. The video sequence is segmented into scenes by identifying scene boundaries based on the determined video frame clusters.
US09665771B2

The present invention refers in general to the measurement of aberrations of the optical system (E) of a living being, in particular human. More specifically, the invention refers to methods and systems for reconstructing a wavefront (W(z,p)) and/or for constructing a refracting error map.
US09665760B1

This patent specification describes a barcode-reading system for a mobile device. The mobile device include an image sensor array for generating a color image of a target area. The color image includes sub-images each captured with a portion of the image sensor array sensitive to different bands of illumination. The barcode reading system may include an optic system configured to produce a targeting illumination pattern of a particular band of illumination passed by an optical filter within the target area. An image processing function of a barcode-reading application may create a grayscale composite image of a barcode by combining the sub-images. In combining the sub-images, a contribution from a sub-image captured by a portion of the image sensor array most sensitive to the particular band for the targeting illumination may be smaller than a contribution from the other two sub-images captured by other portions of the image sensor array.
US09665744B2

An inverting amplifier creates a voltage C using a reference voltage (voltage B) as a reference point. An adder composed of two input inverting amplifier circuits ultimately creates a voltage D by carrying out weighted addition of the voltage A and the voltage C. By using the voltage D created by an input front-end circuit, the internal functions of the control IC can prevent the operating points and control amounts for each function from being different relative to the input voltage and make it possible to distinguish voltage within the control IC from zero voltage when the lowest input voltage is received.
US09665739B2

Display device includes timing controller, display panel, data driver, and scan driver. The timing controller includes an authentication processing unit configured to generate an authentication result based on an authentication control signal. The timing controller converts an input image data signal to data driver control signal and scan driver control signal when the authentication result represents success. The timing controller deactivates the data driver control signal and the scan driver control signal when the authentication result represents fail. The display panel includes plurality of pixels. The data driver generates plurality of data signals based on the data driver control signal and provides the data signals to the pixels through plurality of data signal lines. The scan driver generates plurality of scan signals based on the scan driver control signal and provides the scan signals to the pixels through plurality of scan signals lines.
US09665735B2

The tool to provide anonymous data in response to a request for information is configured to receiving a request for information relating to a population of interest from a user; determining criteria associated with the population of interest, wherein the criteria define an individual representative of the population of interest; determining a characteristic of the individual within one or more categories; classifying the characteristic of the individual into a cluster, the cluster comprising a subset of all possible outcomes for the category; classifying a plurality of individuals from a database into clusters based on the one or more categories; determining a subset of the plurality of individuals that are similar to the individual representative of the population of interest based on the clusters; transforming the characteristics of the individuals in the subset to generate anonymous data responsive to the request for information; and providing the anonymous data to the user.
US09665724B2

Embodiments of an invention for logging in secure enclaves are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes an instruction unit and an execution unit. The instruction unit is to receive an instruction having an associated enclave page cache address. The execution unit is to execute the instruction without causing a virtual machine exit, wherein execution of the instruction includes logging the instruction and the associated enclave page cache address.
US09665723B2

A method, system and non-transitory computer-readable medium product are provided for watermarking detection and management. In the context of a method, a method is provided that includes identifying at least one resource accessible to a user device and determining whether a watermark template is applied to the at least one resource accessible to the user device. The method further includes identifying at least one compliance rule and determining whether the at least one compliance rule is satisfied in response to a determination that the watermark template is applied to the at least one resource accessible to the user device. The method yet further includes performing at least one remedial action in response to a determination that the at least one compliance rule is not satisfied.
US09665713B2

Improved systems and methods for automated machine-learning, zero-day malware detection. Embodiments include a method for improved zero-day malware detection that receives a set of training files which are each known to be either malign or benign, partitions the set of training files into a plurality of categories, and trains category-specific classifiers that distinguish between malign and benign files in a category of files. The training may include selecting one of the plurality of categories of training files, identifying features present in the training files in the selected category of training files, evaluating the identified features to determine the identified features most effective at distinguishing between malign and benign files, and building a category-specific classifier based on the evaluated features. Embodiments also include by a system and computer-readable medium with instructions for executing the above method.
US09665711B1

A first identifier associated with a first routine is received as input. A determination of whether a first list includes the first identifier is made. In response to the determination, a first action is performed in the event the first list includes the first identifier. A second action that is different from the first action is performed in the event the first list does not include the first identifier.
US09665696B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for generating encrypted media content items as well as decrypting encrypted media content items. A content type is embedded in an initialization vector corresponding to an encrypted sample. Upon decryption of encrypted content, the content type is identified and an action taken based upon the detected content type.
US09665693B2

Methods for generating molecular formula distributions beyond a predetermined threshold for a petroleum stream are disclosed. An initial molecular formula distribution within a predetermined threshold is obtained for a petroleum stream. A correlation between two or more molecular properties of the initial molecular formula distribution is identified, and the initial molecular formula distribution is extrapolated beyond the predetermined threshold along the correlation. The extrapolated molecular formula is renormalized based on renormalization data obtained from the sample. The renormalized molecular formula distribution can then be blended with the initial molecular formula distribution, reconciled to secondary analytical measurements, and/or used to create a model of composition and/or a molecular composition-based model of a resid upgrading process. Systems for implementing the methods are also disclosed.
US09665688B2

A system for dispensing product-filled containers in which the containers are filled prior to labeling, so that any container may filled at any dispensing station. The system includes multiple dispensing stations, both manual and automated, disposed adjacent a conveyor. Automated dispensing stations include quantities of products, fillable product containers, and a labeling assembly. Each dispensing station dispenses a predetermined quantity of products into a container and labels the container for transport via an exit conveyor to the main conveyor. Carriers are delivered via the main conveyor into a container carrier queue lane, where a sensor reads the RFID before a filled, labeled container is deposited into the carrier. A sensor reads the label bar code and transmits the bar code and RFID information to the computer database, mating the carrier with the filled container. System software load balances the components of an order by routing them to different dispensing stations.
US09665684B2

This invention relates to QTL responsible for significantly increased firmness in tomato fruit in the cultivated plant producing said tomato fruit, compared to fruit from a control tomato plant which does not have said genetic elements. A cultivated tomato plant producing tomato fruit with significantly increased fruit firmness and a method for detecting QTLs linked to significantly increased fruit firmness are also provided.
US09665677B2

A system including a configurable memory controller, a memory interface, and a configurable high speed communications fabric comprising a plurality of interconnect stations arranged in an array and operable to implement a plurality of pipelined buses, where the configurable memory controller is operably coupled to the configurable high speed communications fabric using a first interconnect station of the plurality of interconnect stations, where the memory interface is operably coupled to the configurable high speed communications fabric using a second interconnect station of the plurality of interconnect stations, where the plurality of interconnect stations are configured to satisfy a timing requirement of the memory interface, and where the configurable memory controller, the memory interface, and the configurable high speed communications fabric are associated with a configurable integrated circuit.
US09665674B2

In a computing system running an environment for designing operation of circuitry, at least the following are performed for providing simulations and evaluations of one or more user-defined modules of circuitry including one or more pipeline stages in a pipeline. A model of the pipeline is automatically generated by using a pipeline block diagram, where the model is generated in a high-level modeling language able to perform simulations of circuitry with the pipeline. An interface is automatically generated between the one or more user-defined modules and the generated model of the pipeline, the interface including access to the pipeline, wherein the pipeline access allows the one or more user-defined modules to interact indirectly. Evaluation is performed of the one or more user-defined modules using the automatically generated model of the pipeline and the automatically generated interface. Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are disclosed.
US09665668B2

A computer system identifies a dispatching rule that corresponds to a dispatching decision to be made in a simulation of a production environment. The dispatching rule is associated with a set of data processes. The computer system identifies a subset of the data processes that is to be executed in the simulation and executes the subset of data processes to simulate the dispatching rule to make the dispatching decision. The computing system generates a simulation decision that describes the dispatching decision made from executing the subset of data processes.
US09665666B1

A system and method determines a path in an open space that does not have a well-structured routing infrastructure. In some embodiments, the system and method may model the open space with one-dimensional segments. The system and method may determine a path between two points along the one-dimensional segments. In some embodiment, the system and method may smooth the path based on geometry of objects in the open space.
US09665657B2

A dynamic selection of content from social shares to display in a user interface is performed. A request for a user interface (UI) document is received. A set of identifiers is associated with the UI document. The set of identifiers includes a page identifier for the UI document. An identifier list for a social share associated with the UI document is obtained in view of the page identifier. The identifier list associated with the social share is updated in view of the set of identifiers associated with the UI document. The UI document is modified to provide a representation associated with an identifier selected from the updated identifier list for the social share.
US09665655B2

A data decoding system can comprise one or more computers communicatively coupled to a network. The computers can execute at least one decoding process. The decoding process can be configured, responsive to receiving a decoding request comprising an image of decodable indicia, to locate the decodable indicia within the image, and to decode the decodable indicia into a decoded message. The decoding process can be further configured, responsive to completing a decoding operation, to transmit to the client the decoded message and/or the decoding operation completion code.
US09665644B1

Systems and techniques for employing perceptual characteristic similarity for item replacement in media content are presented. The system can include an identification component, a matching component and a replacement component. The identification component identifies at least a portion of an item in a media file. The matching component determines a replacement item from a set of candidate items based on a comparison between perceptual characteristics associated with the item and corresponding perceptual characteristics associated with the set of candidate items. The replacement component replaces the item in the media file with at least a portion of the replacement item.
US09665642B2

A system for identifying digital content related to a portion of a block of text receives, automatically or via input by a user, an indication of one or more words included in the block of text. The system searches a database of digital content based on the one or more words and retrieves from the database one or more digital content items or identifiers of digital content items that are related to the one or more words. The system provides the retrieved digital content items or identifiers to the user, and receives a selection of one or more of the provided items or identifiers from the user. The system associates for display or replay the one or more selected digital content items with the one or more words in the block of text. Other embodiments of the system are also disclosed.
US09665634B2

Large-scale advanced database models, systems, and methods provide a responsive, scalable data storage solution which is ripe for use in data warehousing and analytics environments. These advanced database models, systems, and methods provide for dramatically increased performance in accessing data as well as increased storage capabilities in the data set.
US09665631B2

Data is received that is derived from a plurality of geo-spatial sensors that respectively generate data characterizing a plurality of sources within a zone of interest. The data includes series time-stamped frames for each of the sensors and at least one of the sources has two or more associated sensors. The received data can be sorted and processed, for each sensor on a sensor-by-sensor basis, using a sliding window. The sorted and processed data can then be correlated and written into a data storage application. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09665625B2

In a method for maximizing information content of logs, a log message from an executing software program is received. The log message includes a timestamp, a source code location ID, a session ID, and a log message text. The timestamp, the source code location ID, and the session ID of the log message are stored in a lossless buffer. A hash function value of the session ID is determined. It is determined that the hash function value of the session ID is less than a hash value threshold. The log message text is stored in a session buffer in response to determining that the hash function value of the session ID is less than the hash value threshold, wherein the session buffer contains log message texts of log messages with corresponding hash function values less than the hash value threshold.
US09665624B2

Partitioned join operations are performed between a first database object and a second database object by determining an agent group for an agent in response to the agent receiving rows of the second database object to process; partitioning the rows to determine a target hash table for each row and adding the partitioned rows to work performed by the agent group; and distributing the work for the group to agents of the group by assigning to a single agent all the rows associated with a particular hash table to perform a join operation on the assigned rows. Each partition is assigned a first counter value indicating an upper bound of a task id range that is most recently assigned to an agent in the agent group for processing, and a second counter value indicating the highest task id that has been processed for that partition.
US09665618B2

A processor-implemented method retrieves information from a database system. A data query, which includes a specification of information to be retrieved from the database system, is generated. A first parameter specifying a condition to be met by the retrieved information is defined. A second parameter specifying one or more data reduction operations to be executed if the condition defined by the first parameter is not met is defined. The generated data query and the first and second parameters are then transmitted to the database system.