US09699932B2
The invention pertains to a system for mounting components to a rack comprising brackets that can be mounted to the rear of the rack through the opening in the front of rack before the component is inserted into the slot and mating sleeves running along the sides of the components. The brackets include arms that extend forwardly towards the front of the slot. After the brackets are attached, the component can be slid into the slot from the front with the sleeves sliding over and engaging the brackets. In this manner, the component can be slid into a slot on the rack with the brackets sliding into the sleeves, thereby providing support for the component along a substantial portion of the depth of the component without the need to bolt or otherwise fixedly attach the component to the bracket after the component is in the rack. Accordingly, a component can be installed in a rack without the need for any access except from the front of the rack.
US09699928B2
An item of print media (30) including an inductive secondary (50) for providing power to a load (32). The inductive secondary is responsive to an electromagnetic flux to generate a time-varying current or voltage therein. The current or voltage induced in the inductive secondary directly or indirectly powers the load to thereby enhance the functionality and/or the appeal of the item of print media without significantly adding to its cost. The load can provide a visual and/or auditory output, and can include an electroluminescent display, an e-ink display, a piezo speaker coil, an electrostatic speaker, an OLED, an LED or an LCD display. Embodiments of the invention can be utilized in connection with a wide variety of print media, including for example books, booklets, pamphlets, labels, magazines, manuals, brochures, maps, charts, posters, journals, newspapers or loose leaf pages.
US09699923B1
A shroud including a body comprising a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a printed circuit board assembly (“PCBA”) reception unit configured to receive a PCBA unit of an electronic device, wherein the PCBA unit comprises multiple light emitting diode (“LED”) units which emit multiple light emitting diode (“LED”) signals. The shroud can also include a plurality of ribs located on the body and configured to contact a cover for the electronic device, wherein the plurality of ribs are configured to substantially isolate each of the multiple LED signals, and wherein the body and the plurality of ribs comprise a resilient material.
US09699920B2
A printed wiring board includes a first substrate having first pads and second pads such that the first pads are positioned to mount an electronic component on the first substrate and that the second pads are positioned to electrically connect a second substrate to the first substrate, and metal posts formed on the second pads, respectively, such that the metal posts are positioned to mount the second substrate on the first substrate. The first substrate and the metal posts satisfy that a ratio, b/e, is in a range from 0.3 to 1.0, where b represents a length of each of the metal posts and e represents a thickness of the first substrate.
US09699919B2
An electronic component unit and a wire harness are provided with a bus bar plate. The bus bar plate is provided with a metallic bus bar that is built in a resin material, and including a through-hole in which a terminal of a relay mounted on a mounting surface is soldered. The through-hole is provided with a bus bar through-hole which penetrates the bus bar, and a resin material through-hole which penetrates the resin material and is formed to be larger than the bus bar through-hole to expose the surface of the bus bar. When an inner diameter of the bus bar through-hole is defined as r and an inner diameter of the resin material through-hole is defined as R, 1.5r≦R is satisfied.
US09699914B2
Methods and devices for patterning electroless metals on a substrate are presented. An active catalyst layer on the substrate can be covered with a patterned mask and treated with a deactivating chemical reagent, which deactivates the catalyst layer not covered by the mask. Once the patterned mask is removed, the electroless metal layer can be placed to have a patterned electroless metals. Alternatively, a substrate can be coated with a blocking reagent in a pattern first to inhibit formation of the catalyst layer before a catalyst layer can be placed over the blocking agent layer and then electroless metal layer is placed on the catalyst layer. The pattern of the blocking reagent acts as a negative pattern of the final conductive line pattern.
US09699909B2
A wiring board with a built-in electronic component includes a core substrate, an electronic component in the substrate, a first upper-layer structure on first surface of the substrate, a second upper-layer structure on second surface of the substrate, and via conductors in the substrate and first upper-layer structure such that the via conductors are connected to an electrode of the component. The substrate has an accommodating layer, a first connection layer on first surface of the accommodating layer, and a second connection layer on second surface of the accommodating layer, the accommodating layer includes inner wiring and insulation layers and has cavity accommodating the component, the first connection layer includes inner wiring and insulation layers, and the second connection layer includes inner wiring and insulation layers such that the second connection layer includes greater number of inner wiring and insulation layers than the first connection layer.
US09699908B2
A component-embedded board includes a multilayer board obtained by stacking resin layers and an electronic component in the multilayer board having terminal electrodes on at least one principal face. The resin layers include a first resin layer having a space to accommodate the electronic component and at least one first interlayer connector formed by solidifying a conductive paste outside each of at least three sides of a principal face of the electronic component and a second resin layer having second and third interlayer connectors formed by solidifying a conductive paste. At least one second interlayer connector is positioned outside the three sides of the principal face. The third interlayer connectors are joined to the terminal electrodes. The first resin layer and the second resin layer are adjacent to each other in a stacking direction within the multilayer board. The first interlayer connector and the second interlayer connector are joined.
US09699901B2
A golden finger and a board edge interconnecting device are disclosed. The golden finger includes a printed circuit board (PCB) surface layer and at least one PCB inner layer, where a metal foil of the PCB inner layer is connected to a metal foil of the PCB surface layer through a current-carrying structure, so that a current-carrying channel of the golden finger passes through the PCB surface layer and the PCB inner layer. The board edge interconnecting device includes the foregoing golden finger. In the embodiments, a current-carrying capacity of a PCB in the golden finger is increased without increasing a size and thickness of a copper foil of the PCB in the golden finger, thereby effectively improving the current-carrying capacity of the PCB in the golden finger.
US09699899B2
A plastic film for a multi-modal input device has conductors that link a touch module and an operating element. Such input devices, for example, are in consoles of motor vehicles, dishwashers, washing machines, telephones, or the like. Touch modules and operating element modules are interconnected by the layout of conductors in the form of a geometrically distorted electrical matrix on a single plastic film which forms a carrier for a combined input device. The conductors are electrically insulated from each other, but capacitively coupled to crossover points in the electrical matrix, the crossover points dividing the matrix into at least two areas. Strip conductors extend from the matrix at an edge area of the matrix of the touch module and connected to the operating elements forming a geometrically distorted matrix of conductors on the plastic film.
US09699884B2
A latch device for heat dissipation unit is applied to and mounted on a motherboard in tight contact with at least one heat source. The latch device includes a heat sink, a first elastic abutment member having a first protrusion block and a second elastic abutment member having a second protrusion block. A first latch member and a second latch member are disposed on two opposite sides of the heat sink. The first and second latch members are freely latchable with the corresponding first and second protrusion blocks or unlatchable from the corresponding first and second protrusion blocks. Accordingly, along with the latching or unlatching, the first and second elastic abutment members are elastically deformed into abutment against or out of abutment with the other face of the heat sink. Therefore, the heat sink can be easily and securely fixed on or detached from the motherboard.
US09699881B2
A diaphragm flange for connecting the tubes in a particle accelerator while minimizing beamline impedance. The diaphragm flange includes an outer flange and a thin diaphragm integral with the outer flange. Bolt holes in the outer flange provide a means for bolting the diaphragm flange to an adjacent flange or beam tube having a mating bolt-hole pattern. The diaphragm flange includes a first surface for connection to the tube of a particle accelerator beamline and a second surface for connection to a CF flange. The second surface includes a recessed surface therein and a knife-edge on the recessed surface. The diaphragm includes a thickness that enables flexing of the integral diaphragm during assembly of beamline components. The knife-edge enables compression of a soft metal gasket to provide a leak-tight seal.
US09699874B2
A lighting control device is provided which includes a microcontroller, at least one wireless transceiver, at least one dimmer, one or more lighting terminals powered by the at least one dimmer, at least one environmental sensor, and at least one input device. In operation, the microcontroller obtains environmental data from the at least one environmental sensor, obtains input data from the at least one input device, transmits the environmental data and the input data to an external server, obtains a lighting operating schedule based on the environmental data and the input data from the external server, and executes the lighting operating schedule from the external server by controlling one or more smart bulbs via the at least one wireless transceiver and controlling the electrical current output to lighting terminals.
US09699870B2
A wall-mountable remote control device may be installed in place of an existing light switch and may be configured to transmit wireless signals to an electrical load device, such as a screw-in light-emitting diode (LED) lamp, to provide control of the electrical load device. The remote control device may comprise an air-gap switch adapted to be electrically coupled in series between a power source and the controllable light source, but may not comprise a bidirectional semiconductor switch for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load device using a phase-control dimming technique. The remote control device may have a low-profile enclosure that is smaller than an enclosure of a standard dimmer switch, and thus may be easier to install in an electrical wallbox. The remote control device may comprise two parts including an air-gap switch device and a wireless communication device mounted to the air-gap switch device.
US09699863B2
A multiple location load control system comprises a main device and remote devices, which do not require neutral connections, but allow for visual and audible feedback at the main device and the remote devices. The main device and the remote devices are adapted to be coupled together via an accessory wiring. The main device can be wired on the line side and the load side of the load control system. The main device is configured to enable a charging path to allow the remote devices to charge power supplies through the accessory wiring during a first time period of a half-cycle of the AC power source. The main device and the remote devices are configured to communicate with each other via the accessory wiring during a second time period of the half-cycle, for example, by actively pulling-up and actively pulling-down the accessory wiring to communicate using tri-state logic.
US09699855B2
An add-on IPS (Indoor Positioning System) controller for an LED lighting device includes a power input port, a power output port, a housing, a control unit in the housing, and at least one data signal receiver in the control unit. A power input of the control unit is connected to the power input port. A power output of the control unit is connected to the power output port. The data signal receiver is configured to receive data from the external data source. The control unit further includes a two-way wireless module configured to send and receive the data between the IPS server and the IPS-enabled end-user device. The control unit is configured to activate and deactivate the power output port to supply output voltage responsive to the data signals.
US09699851B2
A dimming lighting circuit includes: a rectifier circuit; a phase detection circuit which outputs a dimming signal having a signal level corresponding to a conduction phase angle of an AC voltage; and a DC-DC converter which receives a DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit and supplies a light source with a DC current corresponding to the signal level of the dimming signal output from the phase detection circuit. If the conduction phase angle detected when the dimming lighting circuit receives the AC voltage at power-on is less than or equal to a predetermined angle, the phase detection circuit outputs, as the dimming signal, a substitute signal having a signal level corresponding to a conduction phase angle greater than the conduction phase angle of the AC voltage, for a predetermined time period.
US09699847B2
The light source unit includes a light source circuit including N (N≧3) pairs of a light source group including one or more solid light emitting elements and a constant current circuit connected in series with the light source group to keep, constant, current flowing through the light source group, a full-wave rectification circuit for performing full-wave rectification on AC voltage, and a control circuit. The first pair is connected to the full-wave rectification circuit. The k-th (2≦k≦N) pair is connected in parallel with the constant current circuit of the (k−1)-th pair so that the light source groups of the k-th and (k−1)-th pairs are in series. The control circuit terminates operations of the constant current circuits of the N pairs or limits currents flowing through the light source groups of the N pairs in response to detection of light or a signal.
US09699842B2
A complementary converter is a switch mode converter circuit that uses one pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller and one power MOSFET to run a two-stage power-factor-corrected (PFC) power supply. The two-stage power-factor-corrected power supply can include a power-factor-corrected boost converter, and a DC-to-DC converter (either step-up or step-down). The DC-to-DC converter can be, e.g., a Flyback, Forward, Cuk, or Buck Converter. The complementary converter circuit includes a voltage input section that takes a universal VAC input and rectifies the input. Then the PFC boost converter boosts the rectified half-cycle DC to a DC line at a higher voltage. The complementary converter circuit further includes an integrated circuit with the power-factor-correction and PWM switching capabilities to control the converters. The DC-to-DC converter brings the voltage down to an appropriate level for the final load (e.g., LEDs).
US09699839B2
A multichannel constant current LED controlling circuit can include: (i) a control loop configured to generate a first control signal in accordance with a current feedback signal that represents a driving current flowing through an LED load, where the LED load comprises a plurality of LED strings coupled in series; (ii) a loop steady state network comprising a plurality of steady state holding components configured to hold a plurality of steady state control signals that correspond to a plurality of load states of the LED load, where when a state of the LED load varies, at least one of the steady state holding components is selected by the control loop to generate the first control signal; and (iii) a power switching transistor of a power stage circuit configured to generate a pseudo-constant output current to drive the LED load.
US09699834B2
An induction heating cooker includes a top plate on which an object to be heated is placed, a plurality of heating coils disposed adjacent to one another below the top plate to generate inductive magnetic fields to heat the object to be heated, a plurality of temperature detectors operable to detect a temperature of the object to be heated; and a controller operable to control operating states of the heating coils based on detection results of the temperature detector, wherein the plurality of temperature detectors are disposed widely below the top plate, and the number of the temperature detectors is less than the number of the heating coils.
US09699828B2
A wireless device and method are described herein for implementing synchronization procedures when the wireless device operates using a prolonged sleep mode in a cellular network, wherein the synchronization procedures have a benefit of reducing the energy consumption of the wireless device's battery.
US09699826B2
A method for device-to-device (D2D) operation performed by a terminal in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state in a wireless communication system, and a terminal using the method are provided. The method comprises: determining whether a serving cell of the terminal is a suitable cell; determining whether the serving sell provides resource pool information; and, if the serving cell is a suitable cell, and the serving cell provides the resource pool information, transmitting a D2D signal within resources indicated by the resource pool information.
US09699820B2
A method is disclosed for establishing a device-to-device communication session between mobile devices which are mutually connectable via a D2D communication channel (DDC) and individually connectable to a mobile network (MN), including preloading an initiation key on each of the mobile devices, the initiation key being associated with a validity period; and on each of the mobile devices: verifying a validity of the initiation key based on a current time; if the initiation key is deemed valid, generating a session key using the initiation key by using the initiation key in performing a key agreement procedure between the mobile devices over the D2D communication channel (DDC), the key agreement procedure resulting in the session key if the initiation key used by each of the mobile devices matches; and establishing the D2D communication session over the D2D communication channel (DDC) based on the session key.
US09699819B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method by which a first device for supporting a WiFi direct service establishes a session, the method including: causing an application service platform (ASP) layer to receive an Advertise Service method from a service layer; causing the ASP layer to receive a REQUEST_SESSION message from a second device; causing the ASP layer to receive a SetSessionReady method from the service layer; and causing the ASP layer to transmit an ADDED_SESSION message to the second device in response to the REQUEST_SESSION message, wherein each of the AdvertiseService method, the REQUEST_SESSION message, and the ADDED_SESSION message includes port information, and the port information included in the AdvertiseService method is the same as the port information included in the ADDED_SESSION message when the first device gives, to the second device, the port information related to the session.
US09699817B2
The disclosure generally relates to preemptively searching and selecting LTE-Direct Expressions to maintain continuity in availing services via LTE-Direct and thereby support uninterrupted device-to-device (D2D) communication when a current LTE-Direct session experiences loss or degradation. For example, in various embodiments, a wireless device may establish a first D2D connection with a peer device to access a service shared at the peer device. The wireless device may further discover at least one alternate peer device sharing the service while the first D2D connection is active such that a second D2D connection with the at least one alternate peer device can be established in response to loss and/or degradation associated with the first D2D connection.
US09699809B2
Various communication systems may benefit from power efficiency. For example, certain communication systems associated with the long term evolution (LTE) of the third generation partnership project (3GPP) may benefit from methods and devices for providing power efficient support of small packet transmission. A method can include determining whether a position of a device is static. The method can also include, when the position of the device is determined to be static, allocating at least one semi-persistent resource for a time when the device is in an idle state.
US09699805B2
Provided are a scheduling apparatus and method for a multicast broadcast service. Scheduling information is configured with at least one of information related to a location in which each multicast broadcast service, which is identified by a unique identifier within one scheduling period, starts and information related to a location in which each multicast broadcast service ends, and a scheduling block including the configured scheduling information is generated. There is an advantage that power management of user equipment is easy, and a time delay when initially entering the MBMS and a channel change time when selecting a different MBMS are reduced.
US09699793B2
A method and system reduce interference between overlapping first and second wireless LAN cells in a medium. Each cell includes a respective plurality of member stations and there is at least one overlapped station occupying both cells. An inter-cell contention-free period value is assigned to a first access point station in the first cell, associated with an accessing order in the medium for member stations in the first and second cells. The access point transmits a beacon packet containing the inter-cell contention-free period value, which is intercepted at the overlapped station. The overlapped station forwards the inter-cell contention-free period value to member stations in the second cell. A second access point in the second cell can then delay transmissions by member stations in the second cell until after the inter-cell contention-free period expires.
US09699789B2
A method of a beacon transmitting a beacon signal is provided. The method including, receiving, by the beacon including a processor, authentication-related information of the device from a server, broadcasting a beacon signal generated based on the authentication-related information, and when a receiver located at an arbitrary location receives the generated beacon signal, receiving beacon service information corresponding to information about the receiver from the server.
US09699787B2
Method for efficiently performing initial access in a multi-carrier broadband wireless access system
A method for efficiently performing an initial access in an MS in a multi-carrier broadband wireless access system is disclosed. The method includes scanning a plurality of carriers supported by a BS, and selecting one of the scanned carriers as a first carrier and receiving an SFH of the first carrier. The SFH of the first carrier includes at least one of a field indicating load status of the first carrier and recommended network entry carrier information including information about a second carrier in good load status.
US09699785B2
A distributed antenna and backhaul system provide network connectivity for a small cell deployment. Rather than building new structures, and installing additional fiber and cable, embodiments described herein disclose using high-bandwidth, millimeter-wave communications and existing power line infrastructure. Above ground backhaul connections via power lines and line-of-sight millimeter-wave band signals as well as underground backhaul connections via buried electrical conduits can provide connectivity to the distributed base stations. An overhead millimeter-wave system can also be used to provide backhaul connectivity. Modules can be placed onto existing infrastructure, such as streetlights and utility poles, and the modules can contain base stations and antennas to transmit the millimeter-waves to and from other modules.
US09699781B2
According to an exemplary embodiment, a communications node for use in a communications system wherein the communications node is adapted to: transmit to user equipments (UEs) within a node coverage area a first uplink-downlink configuration within a first time interval; and transmit to selected user equipments (UEs) within the node coverage area secondary uplink-downlink configurations over a plurality of secondary time intervals within the first time interval, wherein the secondary uplink-downlink configurations contain information on reconfigurable subframes within the first uplink-downlink configuration which can be reconfigured by the communications node for use by one or more of the selected UEs.
US09699778B2
A method of transmitting and receiving control information in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method of receiving control information related to a specific point-to-multipoint service in a user equipment of a wireless communication system comprises receiving a notification message including indication information and an identifier identifying the point-to-multipoint service from a network, the indication information indicating at least one downlink channel related to the specific point-to-multipoint service among a plurality of downlink channels established for transmission of control information for at least one or more point-to-multipoint service, and receiving at least one downlink channel indicated by the indication information.
US09699776B2
An embodiment of a system for operating a communications controller for a group of user equipments engaged in a DMC link in a wireless communications system is provided. The communications controller is configured to allocate a set of subframes in one periodic group of subframes to the group of UEs for the DMC link, signal the set of allocated subframes to the group of UEs, and transmit parameters related to a group of HARQ processes of the DMC link. In an embodiment, the communication controller uses HARQ processes for cellular UE transmission that are determined independently from HARQ processes of the group of HARQ processes for the DMC link, and the parameters are configured to enable the group of UEs to manage the group of HARQ processes for the DMC link.
US09699772B2
Embodiments of this application relate to the field of wireless communications and particularly to a method of and system and apparatus for transmitting information so as to transmit DCI over E-PDCCHs. A method according to an embodiment of the invention includes: the network side selecting candidate E-PDCCHs for carrying DCI from a set of candidate E-PDCCHs, wherein the set of candidate E-PDCCHs includes E-PDCCHs occupying a plurality of time-frequency resources consecutive in frequency domain and E-PDCCHs occupying a plurality of time-frequency resources inconsecutive in frequency domain; and the network side transmitting the DCI over the selected candidate E-PDCCHs. With the method according to the embodiment of the invention, DCI can be transmitted over E-PDCCHs to thereby enable effectively the E-PDCCHs to occupy both the resources consecutive in frequency domain and the resources inconsecutive in frequency domain and improve the transmission efficiency and the system performance.
US09699767B2
A communication control method includes: a step A of receiving, by UE 100-1 in a coverage of the mobile communication system, broadcast information transmitted from eNB 200; a step B of transferring, by the UE 100-1, the broadcast information to UE 100-2 outside the coverage of the mobile communication system; and a step C of receiving, by the UE 100-2, the broadcast information transferred from the UE 100-1.
US09699764B2
Method for carrying out multimedia broadcast multicast service, home base station and user equipment
A method for carrying out a multimedia broadcast multicast service, a home base station, a network management system of the home base station and user equipment. The method includes: acquiring, by a home network side entity, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) configuration information of a macro cell, the MBMS configuration information of the macro cell comprising first MBMS configuration information, the first MBMS configuration information comprising position information of a multimedia broadcast multicast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe in the macro cell; and configuring a subframe of a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell at a position which is the same as that of the MBSFN subframe of the macro cell into a first almost blank subframe (ABS) or into a first ABS and MBSFN subframe, according to the acquired first MBMS configuration information, so that the user equipment (UE) is capable of receiving the MBMS of the macro cell.
US09699761B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method for selecting a positioning solution. The method includes receiving information of a channel allocated to a terminal, and selecting, based on the information of the channel, a solution from a set of positioning solutions for the terminal. The method of the present invention is robust and automatically adapts itself to different traffic scenarios.
US09699760B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a positioning processing method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: acquiring coexistence interference information of a terminal; instructing, according to the coexistence interference information, the terminal to perform measurement on a suitable positioning signal resource; and positioning the terminal based on a positioning measurement result reported by the terminal. According to the positioning processing method, apparatus, and system provided in the embodiments of the present invention, precision of terminal positioning can be improved.
US09699757B2
A device may initiate a location determination for a user device. The device may receive information identifying a set of base stations for performing the location determination. The device may retrieve, from a data structure and utilizing the information identifying the set of base stations, particular base station information associated with the set of base stations. The particular base station information may include location information for the set of base stations. The device may determine one or more signal strength measurements for one or more signals provided by the set of base stations. The device may determine an approximate location for the user device based on the location information for the set of base stations and the one or more signal strength measurements. The device may provide information associated with the approximate location for the user device.
US09699755B2
A method and apparatus of registering an entity of a secondary radio access technology (RAT) system in a management device of a primary RAT system in a wireless communication system is provided. The primary RAT system may be a cellular system, and the management device of the primary RAT system may be one of eNodeB (eNB), mobility management entity (MME), or a new entity. The second RAT system may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, and the entity of the secondary RAT system may be an access point (AP). The AP registration method may be initiated by the AP, or a general device, e.g., a multi radio access technology (RAT) device supporting a plurality of RATs.
US09699747B2
Synchronization method in distributed wireless communication system and terminal supporting the same
Disclosed is a synchronization method in a distributed wireless communication system and a terminal supporting the same. In a synchronization method, a terminal splits a synchronization period into a plurality of backoff slots and randomly selects a backoff counter using the contention window. Furthermore, the terminal checks whether a channel is idle during at least one of the plurality of backoff slots and changes the backoff counter based on a result of the check.
US09699740B2
A method for communication in a wireless network is provided. The method includes a relay node receiving a data packet and determining whether to transmit the packet without performing error checking.
US09699738B2
A base station apparatus communicates with a mobile station apparatus transmitting a data signal and a reference signal for channel estimation. The base station includes: a simultaneous transmission setting part which sets simultaneous transmission control information indicating whether or not to enable simultaneous transmission of the data signal and the reference signal, a transmission section which transmits the set simultaneous transmission control information to the mobile station apparatus; and a radio resource control section which determines whether or not to enable simultaneous transmission of the data signal and the reference signal on the basis of a power headroom which is notified from the mobile station apparatus, the headroom being a difference between the maximum transmit power value of the mobile station apparatus and a prescribed power value estimated for uplink transmission.
US09699729B2
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for regulating communications between a mobile communications device and a plurality of communication servers with improved power consumption at the mobile communications device. Such methods and systems may use a schedule that synchronizes transmission of the communications from the mobile communications device to at least a subset of the plurality of communications servers or (ii) retrieval of the communications from at least the subset of the plurality of communications servers to the mobile communications device over a period of time.
US09699727B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media are disclosed to signal a packet configuration. A HEW device to signal a packet configuration may include circuitry. The circuitry may be configured to generate a HE packet comprising a legacy signal field (L-SIG) followed by one or more HE signal fields and include in the L-SIG the packet configuration of the HE packet to signal to a second HEW device. The circuitry may configure a length field of the L-SIG to be a one or two modulo of three (MOD 3) to indicate the HE packet. The length field of the L-SIG may indicate that the HE packet includes a portion that has a one-quarter size subcarrier. The circuitry may set the length field of the L-SIG to be 1 mod 3 to indicate a first type of HE packet and to be 2 mod 3 to indicate a second type of HE packet.
US09699704B2
A wireless communication system is presented for robust mobility management in a HetNet communication system. A source cell can prepare a macro cell and a target small cell as handover candidates during handover decision making and/or preparation. The mobile device is informed about the prepared macro cell and target small cell using radio resource control (RRC) messaging. After receiving a handover command or detecting radio frequency (RF) loss, the mobile device can try to connect with the target small cell. If the mobile device is unable to connect to the target small cell, the UE can fall back and connect to the macro cell.
US09699698B2
Network controller within core network and method for connection with terminal by network controller
The present invention relates to a network controller within a core network in a radio communication system, and a method for forming an interface with a terminal. In the network controller, if a terminal requests a predetermined radio node for a connection between the terminal and a core network through a first radio interface by a first radio protocol, a connection to the terminal by a NAS protocol is established and configuration information for the connection to the terminal is stored, and if the terminal requests the radio node for a connection between the terminal and the core network through a second radio interface by a second radio protocol, a connection to the terminal by the NAS protocol may be established using the configuration information.
US09699697B2
The present disclosure relates to identifying stale failure reports in a cellular communications network. In one embodiment, a node in a cellular communications network receives a failure report associated with a connection failure for a user equipment and determines when the connection failure occurred with respect to a most recent mobility adjustment made by the node. If the connection failure occurred before the most recent mobility adjustment made by the node, the node classifies the failure report as a stale failure report. In one embodiment, if the failure report is classified as a stale failure report, the node discards the failure. In another embodiment, if the failure report is classified as a stale failure report, the node considers the failure report with reduced relevance for a next iteration of a process to determine whether new mobility adjustments are desired.
US09699689B2
A method for communication of plain information during channel access, according to a pre-defined channel access scheme, such as TDMA or FDMA or CDMA, by slightly modulating in a transmitter a parameter related to the channel access, such as time of transmission or frequency of transmission, using this modulation to encode plain information, while keeping the channel and the compatible receiver tolerant to this slight modulation.
US09699666B2
A method of optimizing the quality of a cellular network which includes at least one iteration, each iteration including a step of estimating at least one local performance indicator at a plurality of points of the cellular network as a function of parameters of the cellular network; a step of estimating a global quality level of the cellular network for the parameters on the basis of a local quality level as estimated at each of the points and for the parameters, the local quality level depending exclusively on the local performance indicators, the parameters being modified so long as the global quality level can be improved; and a step of storing the parameters corresponding to the global quality level.
US09699661B2
Provided is a method for PCI classified self-configuration, including: according to the characteristic of PCI code, dividing all PCIs into ΔL large groups in accordance with a step length ΔL, and then dividing resources of each of the large groups into ΔS small groups in accordance with a step length ΔS, generating a PCI resource list, and identifying each PCI by three sections of address codes representing a large group number, a small group number and an intra-group number of the PCI, respectively; mapping the PCI resources one by one to new base stations in accordance with a classification that each new station and heterogeneous nodes covered thereby correspond to a small group of PCI resources; allocating a first PCI in each small group of PCI resources to a new base station, and randomly allocating the remaining PCIs in the small group of PCI resources to the covered heterogeneous nodes.
US09699654B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication at a wireless station. Specifically, the present disclosure prevents a station from decrypting unauthorized messages transmitted by wireless device(s) impersonating an AP. In some examples, the AP may continuously and periodically alter the keys for each transmitted message transmitted to prevent malicious interference by unauthorized devices. In some examples, the method may use a symmetric cipher (e.g., Message Integrity Code) for a message using an undisclosed MIC key.
US09699653B2
In some embodiments, a wireless pairing method involves a touchscreen on a wireless host device combined with a switch on a wireless stylus device. The wireless pairing method uses the time-coincidence of a touch on the host device screen with the detection of a tip switch press on the stylus device as a mode of out-of-band communication to authenticate a pairing of the devices. In such embodiments, a user presses a tip portion of the stylus device against a pairing spot on the host device surface; the wireless devices then form a bonded pair if the touch and/or release of the tip portion of the stylus device with respect to the host device surface are within a pre-determined time co-incidence window of the detection by the host device of that touch and/or release of the tip portion of the stylus device.
US09699635B2
One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method implemented by a first gateway node for processing an emergency call from an untrusted non-3GPP access network. The method comprises: receiving an emergency call request initiated from a terminal device over an untrusted non-3GPP based access network; detecting an event of the emergency call depending upon the emergency network access identifier included in the request message; selecting for the terminal device an emergency access point name that identifies an external network providing an emergency call service; and establishing for the terminal device an emergency call session with a second gateway node interfacing with the external network which is identified by the selected emergency access point name. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there are provided corresponding methods and devices.
US09699632B2
Disclosed herein are example embodiments for multi-modality communication with interceptive conversion. Described embodiments may include, but are not limited to, receiving from a first communication device data corresponding to a first communication modality, with the data corresponding to the first communication modality associated with a communication flow between the first communication device and a second communication device, and with the communication flow comprising a multi-modality communication in which a first user is to interact with the first communication device using a first communication modality and a second user is to interact with the second communication device using a second communication modality. Data corresponding to the first communication modality may be converted to data corresponding to the second communication modality and transmitted to the second communication device. A notification of at least one aspect of a conversion applicable to the communication flow may be transmitted to the first communication device.
US09699631B2
A first device may be unable to access a line hosting a call that has been placed on hold by a second device when the first device and second device are located remotely from each other. A server device may manage the status of the line to prevent the first device from accessing the line when the line is currently in control by the second device. When the first device and second device communicate via NFC, the line may be automatically released, so that the control of the line and of the call may be automatically transferred to the first device.
US09699626B2
The present invention is directed to a system for displaying, organizing, and prioritizing the incoming information on a wireless device. Using the present invention the wireless device can display the number of voice mails, e-mails, pages, and Internet information alerts that have been received by the wireless device during a specified time period. The invention also allows the incoming information to be separated by any number of user-specified criteria such as the originating sender, or divided by work related and personal messages. The present invention allows the wireless device user to see at a glance what kind of information has been received and is being stored on the wireless device.
US09699618B2
A system and method is described that computes an estimated current location for a client device based on both the detected current location and the predicted current location of the client device. By utilizing the predicted current location, the system and method may account for and compensate for anomalies and inaccuracies in the detected current location. Accordingly, the system and method provides a more accurate estimation for the current location of the client device based on examination of heuristics and a priori environmental data. In particular, the system and method compensates for detected locations that are impossible or improbable based on previous locations of the client device, the layout of the environment in which the client device is traversing, data describing the user of the client device, and/or data describing the client device.
US09699605B1
A telecommunications system is disclosed comprising a wireless switching center and plurality of base stations that are configured to transmit positioning reference signals. The base stations transmit the positioning reference signals in positioning subframe time intervals. Meanwhile, the base stations also transmit cell-specific reference signals continuously, including during the positioning subframe time intervals. In order to ensure that the wireless terminal measures those cell-specific reference signals during periods of lower interference, the base station imposes a measurement restriction on the wireless terminal, in regard to when it may measure a signal. As a result of utilizing the measurement restriction in this way, in combination with the improved interference characteristics of the positioning reference signals themselves, the ability of the wireless terminal to detect the cell-specific reference signals of more distant cells is improved. The improved signal measurements are then made available to functionalities such as location estimation.
US09699599B2
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media configured to determine a location of a user, identify the user and provide additional services based on the determined location and/or identity are provided. In some examples, associate users may be identified and a location of each associate user may be tracked to identify a location of an associate user, confirm the location of the associate user is an expected location, and/or provide location information to a customer of the associate user.
US09699597B2
Forwarding wireless signals comprises a user and a counterpart opening secure applications on a user computing device and a counterpart computing device, respectively. The user places the user computing device within range of a wireless signal, such as a wireless signal provided by a point of sale (“POS”) terminal. The user computing device forwards the wireless signal from the POS terminal to the counterpart computing device. The user computing device forwards the wireless signal from the counterpart computing device to the POS terminal. Thus, the counterpart computing device may conduct a transaction with the POS terminal as if the counterpart computing device were at the location of the POS terminal. The counterpart computing device may also receive a forwarded beacon signal comprising data, such as an offer, provided by the POS terminal or another suitable beacon transmission device at the merchant location.
US09699594B2
A mobile user device, configured to communicate over a wireless medium and a corresponding computer-implemented method is described. The mobile user device in one embodiment may comprise a near field communication interface for at least sending response information to a receiver in one or more near field transmissions; and a communication control module, connected with said near field communication interface. To improve the security of the mobile user device, the communication control module is configured to control whether said response information is sent by said near field communication interface in dependence of at least a communication safety parameter.
US09699591B2
A wireless communication system includes multiple wireless communication devices including a first wireless communication device that centrally controls a plurality of second wireless communication devices and compatible with a multiple wireless communication standards. The multiple wireless communication standards includes a first wireless communication standard and one or more wireless communication standards using a frequency band lower than that of the first wireless communication standard. The first wireless communication device includes a receiver, a determination unit, and a transmitter. The plurality of second wireless communication devices each establish the wireless communication using the first wireless communication standard based on the routing information that each of the plurality of second wireless communication devices itself acquires from the first wireless communication device.
US09699581B2
An apparatus comprising: a detector configured to determine at least one microphone is impaired by analyzing at least one audio signal from the at least one microphone; and an controller configured to determine an indicator based on the determination of the impairment of the at least one microphone; and configured to apply the indicator based on the determination of the impairment of the at least one microphone, such that the at least one audio signal is processed based on the indicator.
US09699579B2
In a multi-speaker audio system for, e.g., a home entertainment system or other entertainment system, each networked-speaker (wired or wireless) is activated or deactivated as appropriate such that audio play follows a user as the user moves around the home.
US09699568B2
Disclosed is a portable piezoelectric speaker including a body configured to be coupled to and separated from a rear surface of an electronic device, and a piezoelectric speaker module coupled to a predetermined area of the body, wherein the piezoelectric speaker module includes a piezoelectric device, and a vibration transfer member provided to be in contact with at least one area of the piezoelectric device and to be spaced apart from at least one surface of the piezoelectric device.
US09699567B2
A wearable communication device includes an annular shell, a processing module, a first piezoelectric unit, and a driving unit. A cavity is formed at a part of the annular shell. The processing module processes communication data. The first piezoelectric unit is disposed in the cavity. The driving unit is used to receive the communication data and drive the first piezoelectric unit according to the communication data to make the first piezoelectric unit vibrate and trigger a corresponding audio signal. The wearable communication device can be wirelessly connected to an electronic device without physical wires to improve the convenience greatly.
US09699561B2
A method of operating an audio system having first and second sources includes outputting a first audio signal from the first source on first and second speakers. In response to a listener input, the first audio signal and a second audio signal from the second source are output simultaneously on the first and second speakers. The first signal is output from each of the first and second speakers such that the first signal is perceived by a listener to originate from a first direction toward the listener. The second signal is output from each of the first and second speakers such that the second signal is perceived by the listener to originate from a second direction toward the listener. The second direction is offset at least ninety degrees from the first direction.
US09699560B2
A method for forming a complete ring network of a plurality of Bluetooth® speakers, the method including populating a configurable speaker register of each of the plurality of Bluetooth® speakers with an address of an upstream Bluetooth® speaker that is in the plurality of Bluetooth® speakers, populating the configurable speaker register of each of the plurality of Bluetooth® speakers with an address of a downstream Bluetooth® speaker that is in the plurality of Bluetooth® speakers, and coupling an audio source to one Bluetooth® speaker of the plurality of Bluetooth® speakers.
US09699557B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and method of processing an audio signal to optimize audio for a room environment. One example method of operation may include recording the audio signal generated within a particular room environment and processing the audio signal to create an original frequency response based on the audio signal. The method may also include identifying a target sub-region of the frequency response which has a predetermined area percentage of a total area under a curve generated by the frequency response, determining whether the target sub-region is a narrow energy region, creating a filter to adjust the frequency response, and applying the filter to the audio signal.
US09699555B2
Systems and methods are provided for device playback calibration. An example implementation involves a network device detecting, at a first time, a first audio content rendered by at least one first playback device. The example implementation also involves the network device detecting, at a second time, a second audio content rendered by at least one second playback device. The example implementation further involves causing, via the network device, determination of an equalization adjustment for one or more of the at least one first playback device and the at least one second playback device based on an analysis of the detected first audio content and the detected second audio content.
US09699537B2
A vehicle headrest includes a main body portion having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user. The main body portion includes first and second speakers which are disposed within the main body portion, and a cushion layer that is configured to surround the speakers and provide cushioning for a user's head. The cushion layer includes acoustic channels for controlling a radiation pattern of acoustic energy radiated from the speakers.
US09699536B2
A loudspeaker device is presented which includes a zeolite material comprising zeolite particles having a silicon to aluminum mass ratio of at least 200. For an increased pore fraction of pores with a diameter in a range between 0.7 micrometer and 30 micrometer shows an increased shift of the resonance frequency down to lower frequencies has been observed.
US09699533B2
A system and method are disclosed for transporting deterministic traffic in a gigabit passive optical network. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an Optical Line Termination (OLT) for exchanging data traffic in a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) having a controller programmed to generate a timeslot schedule for transport of a desired bandwidth of constant bit rate (CBR) data traffic by selecting one or more timeslots from periodic frame clusters operating according to a GPON Transmission Convergence (GTC) protocol. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09699529B1
Devices state changes in a building may be determined using a combination of power monitoring and network monitoring. Power monitoring may be performed by obtaining a power monitoring signal and processing the power monitoring signal with models to determine information about state changes of one or more devices in the building. Network monitoring may be performed by receiving information about network packets transmitted by devices in the building and processing the information about the network packets to determine information about state changes of one or more devices in the building. For some devices and some implementations, information about state changes of a device may be determined by using both power monitoring and network monitoring.
US09699526B2
An apparatus for interrogating radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags within an enclosure. In an embodiment, the apparatus comprises an RFID module, a first assembly comprising a processor, a second assembly comprising an RFID radiator operatively coupled to the RFID module, and a connection element coupled to the first assembly and second assembly such that the second assembly is movable relative to the first assembly between a first configuration and second configuration. The processor may be configured to interrogate RFID tags via the RFID module and RFID radiator when the second assembly is in the second configuration, and not interrogate RFID tags when the second assembly is in the first configuration. In addition, both the first assembly and the second assembly may comprise attachment components configured to removably couple its respective assembly to one or more surfaces of an enclosure.
US09699525B2
A computer-implemented method performed by a computerized device, comprising: obtaining consumption data comprising readings indicating consumption of a product, the consumption data is monitored by a plurality of metering devices, wherein the metering devices are associated with a plurality of consumption entities, wherein the plurality of consumption entities comprising a consumption unit and one or more sub consumption units of the consumption unit, wherein the product is supplied serially to the one or more sub consumption units via the consumption unit; and calculating residual consumption of the plurality of consumption entities at a point in time, wherein the residual consumption is consumption of the consumption unit and which is not associated with a sub consumption unit, wherein the residual consumption is calculated based on the consumption by the plurality of consumption entities at a plurality of points in time.
US09699521B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving an MPEG-2 TS-based media file are provided. In the method of transmitting an MPEG2 Transport Stream (TS)-based media file, a Presentation Time Stamp (PTS) of a Presentation Unit (PU) is mapped to a Media Presentation Time (MPT) for synchronization with other media with respect to at least one program element forming a program included in the media file; and synchronization information including the mapped media presentation time is transmitted together with the media file, wherein the media presentation time is provided for a first PU in a segment of the transmitted media file.
US09699518B2
An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit that stores first moving image data and a processor. The processor performs processes including monitoring a state of a communication network, generating second moving image data in accordance with a result of the monitoring by deleting a frame from the first moving image data in a manner such that a first frame rate indicating a first number of frames per unit time of the first moving image data becomes a second frame rate that is lower than the first frame rate, generating frame information related to the deleted frame, and transmitting the second moving image data and the frame information.
US09699515B2
Systems and methods for identifying, assembling, and publishing content are described. A content item, such as a video, having a first time length, is identified by a system to be included in a program scheduled for a first time period. The video may be hosted on a third party system. A first span of time within the first program is allocated for the video, wherein the first span of time is longer than the first time length. The system determines, prior to or at the first time period, a time difference between a current length of the video and the first span of time. At least partly in response to determining that the video has a time length shorter than the first span of time, the system selects supplemental content based at least in part of the determined time difference to be streamed to user terminals over a data network within the first time period.
US09699514B2
Systems and methods for managing media mosaics are described. One embodiment provides a media mosaic management method in a media device. The method generates a mosaic filter based on a program selected from a first media mosaic. The mosaic filter is used to identify related programs for presentation in a second, customized media mosaic.
US09699510B2
A DVR sends, over the Internet, to a server, information that indicates a set of programs. The information also may indicate a ranking of the programs in the set relative to each other. In response to receiving the information from the DVR, the server determines a “to do” list of programs that the DVR should record as those programs are broadcasted in the future. The “to do” list indicates recording times and channels for each program. The server sends the “to do” list back to the DVR over the Internet. The DVR receives the “to do” list over the Internet and stores the “to do” list. As the programs on the “to do” list are broadcasted, the DVR automatically records those programs at the list-specified times and on the list-specified channels. The DVR stores those programs on the DVR's hard disk drive for later viewing by the DVR user.
US09699502B1
A system for automatically managing the delivery of digital media assets allocates media assets to video programs so that audience members will receive the digital media assets when they view the video programs. An example is the automated allocation of sponsored videos to television programs. The system includes data stores, a digital media server, and a campaign manager system. The campaign manager system receives consumption data corresponding to a first campaign, along with an allocation value and other parameters, and uses that information to automatically allocate digital media assets to additional digital programming files and their corresponding video programs for a second campaign.
US09699492B2
A method is provided for a reception apparatus to access content. The method includes outputting a distribution schedule for a plurality of content and receiving a selection of one of the plurality of content for which distribution started before or starts after a current time. At least one processor of the reception apparatus determines whether on-demand access is requested for the selected content. When on-demand access is determined to be requested for the selected content, a request for the selected content is sent over a first communication medium and the selected content is received via a second communication medium.
US09699473B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing a video signal, which can increase the accuracy of the motion vector prediction through motion vector scaling which takes a difference in the temporal distance between reference pictures into consideration. To this end, the present invention provides a video signal processing method and a video signal processing apparatus using the same, and the method comprises the steps of: scaling at least one neighboring partition motion vector for a motion vector prediction of the current partition; scaling the neighboring partition motion vector, which has been selected, when the reference picture of the neighboring partition motion vector is different from the reference picture of the current partition; acquiring a motion vector prediction value of the current partition using the scaled motion vector; and acquiring a motion vector of the current partition using the motion vector prediction value.
US09699471B2
Provided are methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding an image. The method of encoding includes: determining a maximum size of a buffer to decode each image frame by a decoder, a number of image frames to be reordered, and latency information of an image frame having a largest difference between an encoding order and a display order from among image frames that form an image sequence, based on an encoding order the image frames that form the image sequence, an encoding order of reference frames referred to by the image frames, a display order of the image frames, and a display order of the reference frames; and adding, to a mandatory sequence parameter set, a first syntax indicating the maximum size of the buffer, a second syntax indicating the number of image frames to be reordered, and a third syntax indicating the latency information.
US09699467B2
A higher coding efficiency for coding a significance map indicating positions of significant transform coefficients within a transform coefficient block is achieved by the scan order by which the sequentially extracted syntax elements indicating, for associated positions within the transform coefficient block, as to whether at the respective position a significant or insignificant transform coefficient is situated, are sequentially associated to the positions of the transform coefficient block, among the positions of the transform coefficient block depends on the positions of the significant transform coefficients indicated by previously associated syntax elements. Alternatively, the first-type elements may be context-adaptively entropy decoded using contexts which are individually selected for each of the syntax elements dependent on a number of significant transform coefficients in a neighborhood of the respective syntax element, indicated as being significant by any of the preceding syntax elements.
US09699466B2
Methods for determining reference type of each image unit and adjusting the corresponding lambda table of the reference type are disclosed. Embodiments according to the invention are used to improve the quality of video compression or reduce the requirement of memory buffer, memory power or computation power. The reference type is determined based on the encoder system information or image unit information. The frame/slice type structure of a video sequence is adjusted according to the image unit information of encoded frames or together with input frames. By fine-tuning the mode decision process, the coding efficiency can be improved. The mode decision process is modified by adaptively adjusting the lambda table. The lambda table is adaptively determined according to the conventional image unit type (such as Intra coded, predicted or bi-directional predicted type) and the reference type determined.
US09699461B2
Methods and devices for image and video coding. A block of N coefficients is defined as an input vector of N dimensions having a magnitude value and N−1 angle values. The encoder normalizes and quantizes the angle values to produce quantized angle values, reconstructs the angle values from the quantized angle values and determines a quantizer based on the reconstructed angle values. The determined quantizer is then used to quantize the magnitude value. The quantized angle values and the quantized magnitude value are entropy encoded. The decoder preforms the reverse process, and determines the quantizer for inverse quantizing the quantized magnitude value from the reconstructed angle values.
US09699456B2
In an example, aspects of this disclosure relate to a method of coding video data that generally includes determining prediction information for a block of video data, where the block is included in a coded unit of video data and positioned below a top row of above-neighboring blocks in the coded unit, and where the prediction information for the block is based on prediction information from one or more other blocks in the coded unit but not based on prediction information from any of the top row of blocks in the coded unit. The method also generally includes coding the block based on the determined prediction information.
US09699449B2
The present invention relates to a video encoding method and apparatus for setting and encoding quantization parameters, and to a video decoding method and apparatus for decoding and setting quantization parameters in a video encoding and decoding apparatus which uses blocks having various sizes and depths as encoding and decoding units.
US09699444B2
An electrically controlled spectacle includes a spectacle frame and optoelectronic lenses housed in the frame. The lenses include a left lens and a right lens, each of the optoelectrical lenses having a plurality of states, wherein the state of the left lens is independent of the state of the right lens. The electrically controlled spectacle also includes a control unit housed in the frame, the control unit being adapted to control the state of each of the lenses independently.
US09699442B2
The invention relates to the production of images associating with each point of the image a depth, i.e. a distance between the observed point and the camera that produced the image.A light source emits N trains of light pulses. For each train of rank I=1 to N, charge is integrated in a short time slot of length Tint that starts with a temporal offset ti relative to the pulse, this temporal offset representing a journey time of the light pulse between the light source and the sensor after reflection from a point placed a distance di from the sensor. The temporal offset ti is the same for all the light pulses of the ith pulse train but the temporal offsets ti of the N trains are different from one another in order to correspond to various distances relative to the sensor. The charge photogenerated by the pulses of a given train is accumulated; then the accumulated charge is read in order to produce an image of rank i representing the pixels located at the distance di. The observation of a scene comprises producing N different images by virtue of which it is possible to associate a distance with each pixel.
US09699441B2
Disclosed is a stereoscopic imaging device which answers the need for system compatibility over the entire range of long-distance (telescopic) imaging to close-up imaging, and which can faithfully reproduce stereoscopic images on the display side without adjustment. To that end, stereoscopic imaging device is disclosed in which the imaging lens optical axes (phi (L), (R)) in an imaging unit provided with imaging lenses and imaging elements (S) are arranged so as to be laterally parallel, and the distance between the optical axes (DL) is set to the interpupillary distance (B) of a human. One reference window (Wref) is defined as a virtual view frame in the image viewfield of said imaging unit. In a state in which said reference window (Wref) is projected to form reduced images by means of the left and right imaging lenses, the left and right imaging elements (S) are arranged to match the width of the left and right projected images (Iret(L) and Iref(R)) of the reference window, and left and right image data is read and sent as reference stereoscopic image data. Also disclosed is a stereoscopic imaging device which is based on the aforementioned stereoscopic imaging device and which enlarges or reduces the distance between optical axes to greater or smaller than the interpupillary distance and is adapted for a wide range of imaging, from long-distance imaging to close-up imaging.
US09699435B2
The invention discloses a liquid crystal driving method and apparatus for black frame insertion of an image, and a liquid crystal display device. The method includes, in a black frame insertion period after the frame period ends, sending, by a timing controller, a row of black image data to a register of a source driver; and in the black frame insertion period, maintaining, by the register, the row of black image data being output until the black frame insertion period ends, so as to enable the row of black image data to refresh each row of liquid crystal cells. Accordingly, the complexity of driving processes and the data calculations in the black frame insertion are greatly reduced.
US09699432B2
An image pickup apparatus 12 includes a first camera 22 and a second camera 24. The cameras pick up an image of a target at the same timing and at the same frame rate from left and right positions spaced by a known distance from each other. Picked up frame images are converted into image data of a predetermined plurality of resolutions. An input information acquisition section 26 of an information processing apparatus 14 acquires an instruction input from a user. A position information production section 28 approximately estimates a region of the target or a region which involves some movement on an image of a low resolution and a wide range from within stereo image data as a target region and carries out stereo matching only in regard to the region on an image of a high resolution to specify a three-dimensional position of the target. An output information production section 32 carries out a necessary process based on the position of the target to produce output information. A communication section 30 carries out request for and acquisition of image data to and from the image pickup apparatus 12.
US09699424B2
A projection display unit includes: an illumination optical system including one or more light sources; a reflective liquid crystal device that generates image light by modulating light from the illumination optical system, based on an input image signal; a polarizing beam splitter disposed on an optical path between the illumination optical system and the reflective liquid crystal device; a polarization compensation device disposed on an optical path between the polarizing beam splitter and the reflective liquid crystal device, and the polarization compensation device that provides a phase difference to light incident thereon to change a polarization state of the light; and a projection optical system that projects image light generated by the reflective liquid crystal device and then being incident thereon through an optical path, the optical path passing through the polarization compensation device and the polarizing beam splitter. The polarization compensation device has a first surface and a second surface that faces each other along an optical axis, and provides a phase difference between absolute values at light incidence from the first surface and at light incidence from the second surface, the absolute values being opposite in polarity to each other and being substantially equal to each other.
US09699421B2
A motorcycle has a video camera attached thereto in such a manner as to shoot sharp images. A motorcycle includes a camera adapted to shoot a road surface. The camera is arranged below an engine or a swing arm and more rearward than the center of a crankshaft of the engine. The swing arm pivotally supports a rear wheel with a rear edge portion thereof. The camera is fastened to, and supported either by a lower portion of the engine or by a lower portion of a vehicle body frame connected to the engine.
US09699418B2
Synchronizing cameras, connected via a telecommunication network, for capturing a multi-view session can be controlled by a synchronization module. The synchronization module determines a multi-view capturing parameter from a capturing parameter that is received from at least one camera. The multi-view capturing parameter is provided by the synchronization module to the cameras participating in the capturing session in order to synchronize the capturing of the multi-view session. Further, a camera device informs the synchronization module of the disposability and capturing parameter of the camera. The camera receives the multi-view capturing parameter for use in capturing the session.
US09699417B2
A device for searching for defects on parts that are masked, such as turbine engine blades, the device including a tubular sheath, a light-guide guiding light, an image-transmission mechanism transmitting images housed inside the sheath, an examination head at a distal end of the sheath including an illumination mechanism and an image-taking mechanism connected to the light-guide and to the image-transmission mechanism housed in the sheath, a mechanism spraying a succession of penetrant test materials on the part for inspection including a capillary slidably guided in a duct housed in the sheath, and a mechanism adjusting orientation of the examination head at the distal end of the sheath.
US09699414B2
An information processing apparatus includes an imaging unit, a voice input unit, a cutting-out unit, a transmitting unit, an acquiring unit, and a cutting-out control unit. The voice input unit switches a sound pickup direction for voice. The cutting-out unit cuts out, as a cut-out image, a cutting-out area which is at least a part of an image captured by the imaging unit. The transmitting unit transmits video information including the cut-out image and voice data of voice input to the voice input unit. The acquiring unit acquires setting information including layout information indicating arrangement of seat areas at a time of a conference and priority information indicating a priority of each of the seat areas indicated by the layout information. The cutting-out control unit controls the sound pickup direction of the voice input unit and the cutting-out area of the cutting-out unit in accordance with the acquired setting information.
US09699412B2
Implementations generally relate to displaying a presenter during a video conference. In some implementations, a method includes providing a user interface of a video conference between at least a first user and a second user, where the first user is associated with a first endpoint and the second user is associated with a second endpoint. The method also includes determining view rank values for each of the first endpoint and the second endpoint. The method also includes causing the user interface to display a first user video stream in a current presenter position and to display a second user video stream in a secondary presenter position based on the view rank values.
US09699411B2
An interactive whiteboard appliance includes the capability to integrate and manage, in a user-friendly manner, interactive electronic whiteboard sessions and videoconferencing sessions between the interactive whiteboard appliance and one or more client devices. An application manager executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance manages an interactive whiteboard application and a collaboration client executing on the interactive whiteboard appliance to maintain a videoconferencing session window on top of an interactive whiteboard session window during videoconferencing sessions. The application manager also provides graphical user interface controls displayed on the interactive whiteboard appliance that allow users to initiate and manage interactive electronic whiteboard sessions and videoconferencing sessions, including switching between interactive electronic whiteboard sessions and videoconferencing sessions. The approach may be implemented on interactive whiteboard appliances that are not natively configured to allow users to select and/or switch control between an interactive whiteboard session window and a videoconferencing session window.
US09699404B2
Aligning a closed caption track to a media content includes calculating the offset and the drift between the closed caption track and the media content item. The closed caption track is aligned to the media content item as a function of the calculated offset and drift.
US09699397B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array with unit pixels each having a photoelectric conversion device arranged in a matrix. Column signal lines are wired with respect to one column in the pixel arrangement and pixels are regularly connected to the column signal lines in accordance with rows in which pixels are positioned. A pixel signal reading unit has a column processing unit that reads pixel signals in units of plural pixels from the pixel array and performs column processing to read signals on a column basis, wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a column input unit which can connect one or plural column signal lines arranged at a corresponding column to an input of one column processing unit through plural capacitors connected in parallel The column input unit has switches which can change a connection state between capacitors and column signal lines corresponding to the column.
US09699394B2
An apparatus for capturing two different types of light simultaneously is described. A filter array is used for filtering light arriving at an image sensor. The filter array comprises per pixel filters arranged in rows, so if a row comprises filters, they are all of the same type. Different exposure settings may be used for rows having different filter configurations.
US09699387B2
The image processing device includes an imaging unit configured to capture a plurality of pupil-divided images obtained from light fluxes passing through different pupil regions of an imaging optical system, and a control unit configured to select images to be used for image processing from the pupil-divided images captured by the imaging unit, according to the position of the imaging area in the imaging unit.
US09699386B2
An image processing apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain a first image of an object shot with flashing of an illumination device and distance information of distances to a plurality of positions of the object; a determination unit configured to determine a position of a virtual light source that emits virtual light; and a processing unit configured to obtain shape information of the object based on the distance information, and generate an image in which the object is illuminated by the virtual light source by processing the first image based on the obtained shape information of the object, the distance information, and the position of the virtual light source with respect to the object.
US09699379B1
Approaches are described for constructing a single camera by combining an array (or other arrangement) of multiple smaller and lower resolution cameras. Each of the smaller cameras is aimed in a different direction in order to provide a wider angle and higher resolution field of view (FOV) for the resulting composite camera. Images captured by all of the cameras in the array can be stitched together using software to produce a single composite photograph. This construction method can enable the camera unit to be thinner and potentially cheaper in construction costs than an equivalent single-piece camera that has been conventionally implemented in portable devices.
US09699378B2
A digital camera 1 includes an image composition unit 52 and a composite position determining unit 53. The image composition unit 52 acquires a plurality of images which have been captured continuously. The composite position determining unit 53 sets candidate areas for determining composite positions in adjacent images, from the plurality of images acquired by the composite position determining unit 52. Furthermore, the composite position determining unit 53 determines composite positions of the adjacent images based on a degree of similarity between the set candidate areas. The image composition unit 52 combines the adjacent images at the determined composite positions.
US09699377B2
A gesture detecting apparatus including a light emitter configure to emit light towards an object, a camera configured to capture light emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the object, and a signal controller configured to control the light emitter and the camera, in which the light emitter comprises a first light and second light, at least one of which is configured to emit light having non-monotonic intensity characteristics.
US09699351B2
Methods, system and computer-readable media are disclosed to facilitate presenting a plurality of digital images in a user interface window that includes an image display region and at least one other region available for re-use, receiving input from a user indicating a selection of at least one of the digital images, and modifying the presentation of the user interface window to present the selected at least one digital image in the image display region and to present the non-selected digital images as thumbnail images displayed within the at least one other region available for re-use. The thumbnail images displayed in the re-use region may be selectively displayed in a more prominent manner to facilitate user interaction.
US09699345B2
A processing apparatus capable of registering applications which periodically execute processes manages one of a plurality of applications registered with the processing apparatus, as a reference application. When registering a new application, the processing apparatus sets an execution cycle of the new application based on an execution cycle of the reference application if the execution cycle of the new application is modifiable, but changes the reference application to be managed to the new application if the execution cycle of the new application is not modifiable.
US09699342B2
An image reading device includes: a transport path; a reading member that reads an image of a document at a reading position on the transport path, and that includes a light source movable with respect to the reading position in a sub scanning direction which extends along a document transport direction and being capable of reading at positions in the vertical scanning direction; a reflecting member that has a reflecting surface that faces the reading member; a movement controller that controls the reading member so as to move the light source with respect to the reading position before the document is transported to the reading position when the reading member reads the image; a dust determination unit that determines presence of dust; and an announcement member that announces presence of dust to a user when dust is present.
US09699338B2
An image forming apparatus includes an exit tray, an image forming section, a user identification section, a printed sheet receipt managing section, and a fetch sensor. The image forming section performs a printing operation based on a print instruction issued from a user. The fetch sensor is capable of detecting that a printed sheet has been fetched from the exit tray. The user identification section identifies a print requester corresponding to a user having issued a print instruction, and a fetcher corresponding to a user fetching the printed sheet from the exit tray. If the printed sheet is fetched from the exit tray and the fetcher is different from the print requester, the printed sheet receipt managing section sends, to a computer of the user, a notice of printed sheet taken away notifying that the printed sheet has been taken away.
US09699334B2
A display control apparatus enables a user to easily recognize that a selectable item is present in addition to a displayed item and to recognize without being confused that a target item has been touched. The apparatus is capable of displaying an item group including a plurality of items which are a part of all items, when a touch is detected on any item in the item group displayed on the display unit, displaying the touched item in a selected state, and if release of the touch is detected, and if the selected item is an end item among the displayed group of items but is not an end item among all the items, moving the displayed item among all the items in a direction for displaying an item that is not being displayed in the direction of an end based on the release of the touch.
US09699331B2
An apparatus for verifying whether a user of an object is an authorized user of the object includes: (a) means for detecting a biometric feature of the user and generating data representing the biometric feature; and (b) a reader-printer for reading and printing on the object, which includes: (i) reader system for reading the object to obtain a digital representation of biometric information associated with the authorized user; and (ii) printer system for printing on the object; the apparatus being operable to cause the printer system to print on the object if the data matches the digital representation. Separately or incorporated into the apparatus, the reader-printer may include: (a) reader for reading the object to obtain a digital signature representing a unique feature of the object; and (b) printer for printing on the object if the digital signature matches a reference digital signature associated with the object.
US09699324B1
An unlicensed spectrum usage monitoring and reporting method is disclosed. The unlicensed spectrum usage monitoring and reporting method employs a new logical entity in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) enhanced Node B (eNB) as well as a dedicated interface between the eNB and the Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF). The method employs a diameter-based protocol for communication between the eNB and the PCEF, and defines several new Attribute-Pair Values (AVPs) and message commands to enable exchange of unlicensed spectrum usage information for User Equipment (UE) operating in the LTE network.
US09699323B2
Systems and methods that provide charging for supplemental content in a data flow separately from other content in the data flow. One embodiment comprises a network element of a Packet-Switched (PS) network that serves mobile User Equipment (UE). The network element receives a data flow of packets for a download of content requested by the UE, and identifies supplemental content in the data flow not requested by the UE, such as advertising content. The network element generates a charging request, inserts charging information for the supplemental content in the charging request, and transmits the charging request to a charging system so that the supplemental content can be charged separately from other content of the data flow.
US09699315B2
A computer-implemented system and method for processing caller responses is provided. Scripts each including at least one block of dialog are stored. Information is received from a caller during a call with an agent. A selection of a least one of the scripts is received from the agent based on the received information from the caller. The selected script is presented to the caller. A response is received from the caller. A direction of the call is changed. A further selection of one of the scripts is received from the agent based on the response from the caller. The further selected script is presented to the caller.
US09699310B2
A community safety system, comprising a notification management entity comprising one or more servers, the notification management entity is communicatively coupled to a one or more user devices and one or more administrator devices; a plurality of registered users, wherein each registered user of the plurality of registered users is associated with a user category of a set of user categories; the notification management entity maintaining a list of the plurality of registered users and each registered user's associated user category; and a community safety system application operating on each of the one or more user devices and the one or more administrator devices; wherein at least one of the one or more administrator devices is associated with a police department.
US09699307B2
A method for automatically routing a telephonic communication is provided, and includes receiving a customer identifier and communicating with a customer history database storing historic data and determining whether the received customer identifier corresponds to a stored customer identifier in the customer history database, wherein the customer profile included in the stored historic data is based on a portion of a customer's demographic identity. Historic data corresponding to the stored customer number is identified based on the comparison of the received customer identifier and the stored customer identifier. The telephonic communication is associated with a predetermined communication destination based on the identified historic data. The method and systems additionally generate a customer routing record for the customer that includes the analyzed historic data, and associate the customer routing record with each customer identifier and store the customer routing record in the customer history database to facilitate future customer call routing.
US09699305B1
The method includes identifying, by one or more computer processors, incoming data related to a source. The method further includes identifying, by one or more computer processors, data related to a recipient of incoming data from the source. The method further includes determining, by one or more computer processes, a relationship between the source and the recipient of the incoming data from the source. The method further includes calculating, by one or more computer processors, a risk indicator associated with the incoming data from the source based upon the identified data related to the source, the identified data related to the recipient and the determined relationship between the source and the recipient. The method further includes sending, by one or more computer processors, a notification to the recipient, wherein the notification includes at least the calculated risk indicator.
US09699304B1
A method and system are described for enhancing the security of calls made by a member of a controlled environment to an outside party, particularly when the outside party communicates via a cellular phone. An application is provided for the cellular device, which must communicate and register with a calling platform of the controlled environment. Certain elements of personal verification data are obtained by the user of the cellular device and stored at the calling platform for later reference. Calls from the inmate to the cellular device cause the calling platform to issue a notification to the user via the application. The user verifies his/her identity using the application, after which the call can be connected. As a further security measure, certain conditions can be required and periodically checked during the call to ensure the user remains verified.
US09699298B2
An electronic communication device and method for communication including automatically selecting, composing, and/or presenting a number of proposed responses to a message is disclosed. The device can present the incoming message content to the user together with an alert to the user that one or more proposed responses are available for review and selection. The device can calculate a confidence metric for each proposed response. The user alert and/or presentation of the messages can be made to vary in intensity in accordance with the confidence metric of the one or more proposed responses. The presentation of the proposed responses can be alternated and/or combined with a method for the device to receive user input to the content of the proposed response. The user can edit a proposed response rather than composing a complete response.
US09699294B1
A mobile smart massage device includes a mobile device having a first connector; a connective wire having one end installed with a second connector connectable to the first connector of the mobile device and another end thereof being installed with a plurality of conductive connecting units each capable of being connected with a conductive adhering sheet; and a chip control module installed on the second connector of the connective wire for determination of connection coupling and for data transmission. The conductive adhering sheet is installed with a connecting portion for connecting with the conductive connecting unit. The and second first connector of the mobile device is one of a USB 2.0 socket, a USB3.0 socket, a MICRO USB plug and an AUDIO JACJ plug. The mobile device is installed with an application program which may be a mobile application.
US09699292B2
A content reproducing method and system for performing seamless playback of contents between devices is provided. The contents reproducing system includes a portable device which, when a short distance communication with a remote control which is configured to control an electronic device occurs during reproducing of contents, generates data required by the electronic device for reproducing the contents that are being reproduced, and which transmits the generated data to the remote control; the remote control which receives the data from the portable device and which transmits the received data to the electronic device, in conjunction with the occurrence of the short distance communication with the portable device; and the electronic device for receiving the contents from a contents provider and reproducing the contents.
US09699290B2
A communication module, a vehicle including the same, and a method for controlling the vehicle can solve a timing issue encountered when signals for the same service are communicated between different communication schemes, thereby guaranteeing stability in a telematics remote service. The vehicle includes a first communication unit configured to perform wired communication; a second communication unit configured to perform wireless communication to receive a remote signal; a control unit configured to generate a communication signal by adding a wake-up signal to a drive command signal of the received remote signal upon receiving the remote signal from the second communication unit, and to transmit the generated communication signal to the first communication unit; and a drive unit configured to receive the communication signal from the first communication unit, and to drive load on the basis of a drive command signal of the received communication signal.
US09699287B2
A content search method and a terminal using the same are provided. The method for displaying content in the mobile terminal includes displaying a content list including a plurality of different content files, receiving a request from a user, and displaying responsive to the request one of the plurality of different content files as a background media while the content list is displayed.
US09699280B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a back cover releasing mechanism, a back cover and a mobile device using the same. The back cover releasing mechanism for a mobile device comprises an elongated side key comprising a first end and a second end, configured to be mounted along and in parallel with a side of the mobile device; and a sliding member comprising a base portion configured to be coupled to the side key, and a latch portion, wherein the latch portion is configured to engage a back cover of the mobile device, and wherein the latch portion is also configured to be disengaged from the back cover of the mobile device if the first end and the second end of the side key are both pressed toward the interior of the mobile device and the base portion of the sliding member is forced to move toward the interior of the mobile device.
US09699277B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving network traffic, determining whether packets have an overlay header, terminating a tunnel and de-encapsulating inner packets of packets having an overlay header, performing services on the inner packets in response to a determination that services are to be performed on the inner packets, originating a tunnel, encapsulating a first packet of the serviced inner packets with an overlay header, and switching the encapsulated serviced inner packets to a destination address in a virtual network in response to determining that the first packet is to be switched to the destination address in the virtual network, and switching a second packet of the serviced inner packets to a destination address in a non-virtual network without encapsulating the serviced inner packets with the overlay header in response to a determination that the second packet is to be switched to the destination address in the non-virtual network.
US09699275B2
A mobile communication device including a Baseband processor is provided. The Baseband processor determines an ending period of time of a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) for processing one or more first Service Data Units (SDUs) in a first protocol layer, and prior to the ending period of time, pre-processes one or more second SDUs, which are received during the remaining period of time of the TTI, and re-processes the pre-processed second SDUs in a second protocol layer to generate the first SDUs. Particularly, the second protocol layer is hierarchically higher than the first protocol layer in a communication protocol stack.
US09699272B2
A system and method for facilitating native client device application interaction with a web application. An example method includes monitoring request messages output from the web application; determining one or more of the request messages include an indication that the one or more request messages represent a request to implement an action that can be performed via one or more resources of a client device, and providing a signal in response thereto; and implementing the action in response to the signal. In a more specific embodiment, the method further includes employing a client request interceptor in communication with the web application to forward requests output by the web application and determined by the interceptor to be requests for native content or functionality to a native behavior dispatcher, which communicates with a native container application to facilitate implementing the action.
US09699263B1
The various implementations described herein include methods and systems for automatic management of data access acceleration in a computer system executing a plurality of clients. The method includes: receiving data access commands from two or more clients to access data in objects identified by the data access commands; and processing the data access commands to update access history information for portions of the objects identified by the data access commands. The method further includes: in accordance with the access history information, automatically identifying and marking for acceleration the portions of the objects identified by the data access commands that satisfy an access based data acceleration policy; and accelerating the object portions marked for acceleration, including accelerating data writes and data reads of the object portions to and from the persistent cache, where the persistent cache is shared by the two or more clients.
US09699255B2
A device driver includes an aggregator aggregating data blocks into one or more container objects suited for storage in an object store; and a logger for maintaining in at least one log file for each data block an identification of a container object wherein the data block is stored with an identification of the location of the data block in the container object.
US09699253B2
Information processing techniques for improving access to product and service information associated with a business entity. For example, a method comprises the following steps. A plurality of dedicated information modules is maintained in a repository. At least a portion of the plurality of dedicated information modules each comprises information specifically relating to at least one of a given product and a given service of an entity. One or more of the plurality of dedicated information modules is identified based on one or more input selection criteria. The identified one or more dedicated information modules are stored in a mobile storage container. The mobile storage container is transferred to a mobile device.
US09699249B2
An application specific interface (API) for a service that is accessible by remote procedure calls is generated at run-time from an interface language definitions file. In operation, a client application requests a connection to a server and then a runtime API generator connects to the server and downloads an interface definition language (IDL) file that defines services provided by the server. The runtime API generator parses the IDL file and generates the corresponding service API. Subsequently, upon receiving a client application request, the API generator generates a set of instructions that, when executed, emit one or more remote procedure calls that cause the server to implement the client application request. Because the API is generated at run-time, the runtime API generator enables client applications that are implemented in dynamically typed languages to access the service by providing access to the data type metadata that cannot be expressed in such languages.
US09699244B2
A system comprises control circuitry that is operable to assign a first of a plurality of computing devices to serve file system requests destined for any of a first plurality of network addresses; assign a second of the computing devices to serve file system requests destined for any of a second plurality of network addresses; maintain statistics regarding file system requests sent to each of the first plurality of network addresses and the second plurality of network addresses; and reassign, based on the statistics, the first of the computing devices to serve file system requests destined for a selected one of the second plurality of network addresses.
US09699232B2
Media consumers can elect to have local news, weather, traffic, or other perishable content inserted into customized media streams. The perishable content is inserted into the media stream as an add-in block containing items associated with a particular locale that matches a user location source preference. The user can specify a static location source preference, or a follow-me, or roaming preference, in which the user's current location is used. The perishable content is selected for inclusion in an add-in block by matching a user's location preference to a locale associated with the perishable content.
US09699231B2
Stream-based data deduplication is provided in a multi-tenant shared infrastructure but without requiring “paired” endpoints having synchronized data dictionaries. Data objects processed by the dedupe functionality are treated as objects that can be fetched as needed. As such, a decoding peer does not need to maintain a symmetric library for the origin. Rather, if the peer does not have the chunks in cache that it needs, it follows a conventional content delivery network procedure to retrieve them. In this way, if dictionaries between pairs of sending and receiving peers are out-of-sync, relevant sections are then re-synchronized on-demand. The approach does not require that libraries maintained at a particular pair of sender and receiving peers are the same. Rather, the technique enables a peer, in effect, to “backfill” its dictionary on-the-fly. On-the-wire compression techniques are provided to reduce the amount of data transmitted between the peers.
US09699229B2
In one example, a device for receiving data related to streaming media data includes one or more network interfaces configured to send and receive data via a network, and one or more processors configured to receive, via the network interfaces, data for a first period of media content and a second period of the media content, wherein the data for the first period indicates that at least some media data of the first period is not available, and wherein the data for the second period indicates available media data for the second period, and based on the data for the first period and the second period, omitting requests for media data of the first period that the data for the first period indicates is not available and sending one or more requests for the media data of the second period.
US09699228B2
A content management system pre-transcodes portions of content items provided for storage. When a content item is uploaded to the content management system for storage, the content management system stores the content item in an original format. The content management system transcodes a portion of the content item from the original format to a streaming format. The content management system stores the transcoded portion and makes the content item available for access. When a client device requests the content item from the content management system, the content management system first sends by streaming to the client device the stored transcoded portion in the streaming format. During the sending of the transcoded portion, the content management system transcodes a remainder of the content item that has not been transcoded to the streaming format. The content management system sends the transcoded remainder of the content item to the client device.
US09699220B2
A system and method in which a notification is received of a call from a first device to a second device in a first domain. A context is created for the first type of call. A notification is received of initiation of a call from the second device to the first device in a second domain. The call context is utilized to notify the first device of the initiation of the call from the second device to the first device.
US09699212B2
A device may detect an attack. The device may receive, from a client device, a request for a resource. The device may determine, based on detecting the attack, a computationally expensive problem to be provided to the client device, where the computationally expensive problem requires a computation by the client device to solve the computationally expensive problem. The device may instruct the client device to provide a solution to the computationally expensive problem. The device may receive, from the client device, the solution to the computationally expensive problem. The device may selectively provide the client device with access to the resource based on the solution.
US09699186B2
A schedule recording method includes the following steps: an authentication server receiving triggering information and then acquiring key information from the triggering information, the key information comprising an authentication code; acquiring an authentication window, and searching the authentication window for the authentication code; if the authentication code is found, extracting a time factor corresponding to the authentication code, and generating and storing an authentication code list and/or staff log.
US09699183B2
Disclosed is a process for mutual authentication of a user and service provider. The process receives, at a key generation module (KGM), a notification of an event generated at a computing device. The process transmits the notification of the event to an authentication server. A third party server receives a shared secret provided by a registered user for the event. The shared secret transmitted to the KGM by the authentication server. The KGM generates a one-time key for the event. The process appends the shared secret to the one time key to generate an appended key, which is transmitted to a registered user mobile device. The process authenticates the event in response to receiving a notification from the computing device within a predetermined time period indicating the one-time key was entered at the computing device.
US09699179B2
A method for authenticating a user of a computing device. The method includes a computer processor receiving an indication that a user of a computing device is accessing an object that utilizes an authentication process. The method further includes a computer processor selecting a first multi-media file that is associated with a user profile of the user and the object of the authentication process, wherein the first multi-media file is associated with a baseline user input authentication sequence. The method further includes creating a first temporal manipulation vector based on the user profile and a security requirement of the object of the authentication process, wherein the temporal manipulation vector modifies a presentation of a multi-media file and a corresponding time sequence of a user input authentication sequence in the multi-media file. The method further includes transmitting the first temporal manipulation vector and the first multi-media file to the computing device.
US09699171B1
The disclosed computer-implemented method for logging out of cloud-based applications managed by single sign-on services may include (1) identifying an attempt by a single sign-on service to log a user out of a set of cloud-based applications, (2) in response to identifying the attempt to log the user out of the set of applications, tracking a logout status of each application within the set of cloud-based applications by, for each application (a) identifying a logout request sent by the single sign-on service to the application and (b) determining whether the application has sent a logout response to the single sign-on service that verifies that the user has been successfully logged out of the application, and (3) determining that the user is still logged into at least one application managed by the single sign-on service by determining that the application did not send a logout response to the single sign-on service.
US09699162B2
An entity may store various levels of sensitive and personal data in a secure computing environment. The entity may create permission rules which allow the data to be shared or not shared depending on the circumstances and situation. As an entity such as a human moves through life, the entity may be in touch with numerous electronic devices that act like sensors. The entity may share a token which may allow a sensor or operator of the sensor to access various levels of the sensitive data stored in the secure computing environment.
US09699160B2
A system and method for exchanging identity information and for correlating protected data across independent data systems connected through a network is disclosed. The system contains connectors in communication with protected data systems which house the protected data. Data is correlated between the protected data systems through coincident authentication of both systems by a user. Messages are exchanged which allow the identity exchange system to correlate data based on a session identifier from an authenticated session on one of the protected data systems.
US09699159B2
The methods, apparatuses and systems described herein provide a system for authenticating users, authorization or information during secure transactions. The system may include a transaction device requiring user authentication, a personal communication device, and a wearable authentication device that communicates with both of the other devices. In one aspect, the wearable authentication device may be configured to communicate with the transaction device requiring authentication and the personal communication device through one or more wireless communication technologies, wherein the wearable authentication device may be configured to act as an intermediary between the transaction device and the personal communication device to facilitate the exchange of at least one authentication information or transaction completion information between the personal communication device and the transaction device.
US09699158B2
A method of identifying and authenticating a network user includes receiving a first network layer packet from a first user entity. The first network layer packet may include first unique identification information unique to the first user entity and independent of a first network address associated with the first network layer packet. The method further includes verifying, at a network layer of a network, that the first network layer packet is from the first user entity based on the first unique identification information.
US09699150B2
In a method for secure cloud computing, a virtual machine (VM) associated with a client is executed at a computer within a trusted computing cloud. An image including state information of the VM is obtained; storage of the image is arranged; a freshness hash of the image is determined; and the freshness hash is sent to the client. Subsequently, at the same computer or at a different computer within the trusted computing cloud, the stored image may be retrieved; a freshness hash of the retrieved image may be determined; the freshness hash of the retrieved image may be sent to the client; and an indication may be received from the client verifying the integrity of the freshness hash of the stored image.
US09699149B2
A client receives sensitive data to be tokenized. The client queries a token table with a portion of the sensitive data to determine if the token table includes a token mapped to the value of the portion of the sensitive data. If the mapping table does not include a token mapped to the value of the portion of the sensitive data, a candidate token is generated. The client queries a central token management system to determine if the candidate token collides with a token generated by or stored at another client. In some embodiments, the candidate token includes a value from a unique set of values assigned by the central token management system to the client, guaranteeing that the candidate token does not cause a collision. The client then tokenizes the sensitive data with the candidate token and stores the candidate token in the token table.
US09699141B2
An apparatus identifies a request from a user device to access data on a storage server. The apparatus determines a sensitivity level of response data for a response to the request, security context of the response, and a routing action to perform for the response by applying a policy to the sensitivity level of the response data and the security context of the response. The apparatus executes the routing action for the response.
US09699131B2
A method of providing a user interface with recipient status information, in one aspect, may comprise detecting a message (e.g., online message such as instant messaging, chat, etc.) being initiated by a first user to a second user; gathering information associated with the second user; analyzing the gathered information; predicting a state of the second user based on the analyzing; and determining a notification action based on the predicted state of the second user, the notification action notifying the first user of the second user's state; and presenting a notification comprising one or more of graphical, textual, auditory, or tactile indications or combinations thereof to the first user.
US09699126B2
A device is configured to report spam on demand. The spam is reported to a spam reporting service center in a communications network. As content is received by the device, the user of the device analyzes the content to determine if the content comprises spam. If the user determines that the content comprises spam, the user triggers the device to report the spam. The content can be of any type of content or combinations of content type, such as SMS, SMS, VM, email, VVM, VVM, and advertisements. The device comprises multiple clients configured to processes, respectively, each content type. In response to receiving the trigger, the appropriate client encapsulates the content. The encapsulated content is sent to a Report Spam client to generate a spam report. The spam report includes the encapsulated content and a disposition instruction.
US09699121B2
An instant text message conductor is provided. A server device receives an instant text message from a user entity. The instant text message is addressed to a conductor entity. It is determined that a previous instant text message from the user entity was sent to a first potential responder entity. The instant text message is sent to the first potential responder entity. The server device determines that no response to the instant text message will be received from the first potential responder entity within a first period of time. A second potential responder entity is selected from a predetermined set of potential responder entities. The previous instant text message, a first response instant text message sent by the first potential responder entity in response to the previous instant text message, and the current instant text message are sent to the second potential responder entity.
US09699114B1
A method, computer program product, and system performing a method that includes a processor(s) of a local/private computing system (LPCS) receiving, via a public computing system and a communication network, on behalf of a user of the public computer system, a request to use computing resource(s) belonging to the LPCS. The processor(s) determine a set of usage parameters comprising a first usage limitation, with the first usage limitation including a first limitation type and first limitation value, and with the first usage limitation defining a limit on usage of the computing resource(s) on behalf of the user. The processor(s) receives, via the public computing system and the communication network, a workload of the user. The processor(s) processes the workload, which includes the processor limiting, by machine logic, usage of the resources(s), on behalf of the user, in accordance with the usage parameters.
US09699111B2
Systems and methods for the control of supplemental content in a data flow are provided such that supplemental content, such as advertising content, may be handled separately from other content in the data flow. One embodiment comprises a network element of a Packet-Switched (PS) network that serves mobile User Equipment (UE). The network element receives a data flow of packets for a download of content requested by the UE, identifies in the data flow supplemental content that was not requested by the UE, makes a determination concerning transmission of the supplemental content, and transmits at least a portion of the data flow based on the determination. For example, a repetition frequency limit, a temporal limitation, or a repetition frequency limit and corresponding temporal limitation can be utilized to control transmission of the supplemental content. The supplemental content also can be charged separately from other content of the data flow.
US09699110B2
Lock access is managed in a data network having an initiator node and a remote target by issuing a lock command from a first process to the remote target via an initiator network interface controller to establish a lock on a memory location, and prior to receiving a reply to the lock command communicating a data access request to the memory location from the initiator network interface controller. Prior to receiving a reply to the data access request, an unlock command issues from the initiator network interface controller. The target network interface controller determines the lock content, and when permitted by the lock accesses the memory location. After accessing the memory location the target network interface controller executes the unlock command. When the lock prevents data access, the lock operation is retried a configurable number of times until data access is allowed or a threshold is exceeded.
US09699107B2
Within a networking device, packet portions from multiple PDRSDs (Packet Data Receiving and Splitting Devices) are loaded into a single memory, so that the packet portions can later be processed by a processing device. Rather than the PDRSDs managing and handling the storing of packet portions into the memory, a packet engine is provided. The PDRSDs use a PPI (Packet Portion Identifier) Addressing Mode (PAM) in communicating with the packet engine and in instructing the packet engine to store packet portions. The packet engine uses linear memory addressing to write the packet portions into the memory, and to read the packet portions from the memory.
US09699104B2
A network and a communication method are described. The network comprises: source nodes, receiver nodes, and coding nodes. The coding nodes are connected with input links for communication of input signals to the coding nodes and output links for communication of output signals from the coding nodes. The output signals are a linear combination of the input signals. The coefficients of the linear combination are deterministically chosen based on local information available locally at the coding node.
US09699103B2
Content delivery to end user devices (EUD) is controlled by transmitting content portions at a controlled flow. The time for the EUD to process the data is used to control the flow. The first portion is transmitted to the EUD and the amount of time to process the first portion is noted. Threshold values to stop and start transmissions are examined prior to the transmission of each content portion. If the amount of data remaining to be processed by the EUD is below the stop transmission threshold, transmission continues with the next portion. If the amount of data remaining to be processed by the EUD is above the stop threshold, transmission is either stopped or retarded. When it is determined that the amount of data remaining to be processed by the EUD is above the start transmission threshold, transmission is started or continued.
US09699102B2
A system for increasing bandwidth to a communication device, comprising:a packet scheduler; and a transmitter; the system configured to operate the packet scheduler to schedule packets of a service flow onto multiple media access control (MAC) channels forming a MAC channel group before operating the transmitter to send the scheduled packets from an origination device toward a destination device, the packet scheduler waiting a maximum group cross channel skew time for an out-of sequence packet, the maximum group cross channel skew time a maximum of multiple pair cross channel skew times, one pair cross channel skew time associated with each pair grouping of MAC channels configured to be formed from the MAC channel group; and the system configured with a setting to allow only a single channel of the multiple channels of the MAC channel group to carry DOCSIS messages, and to override the setting to share at least some of the channels of the MAC channel group among multiple cable modems while the MAC channel group forms a bonded channel.
US09699099B2
A method of transmitting image data from a first node to a second node during a communication event, wherein the second node comprises a display for displaying image data at the second node, includes receiving at the first node, information indicating at least one display characteristic with which image data received at the second node will be displayed on the display; inputting image data at the first node; determining a processing step to be applied to the inputted image data to generate adapted image data, such that at least one characteristic of the adapted image data is optimized for the at least one display characteristic; applying the processing step to generate the adapted image data; and transmitting the adapted image data to the second terminal.
US09699094B2
A system for providing differentiated services to traffic flows of a content distribution network is disclosed. In particular, the system may include determining if a first portion of an internet protocol address associated with a traffic flow includes an identifier for a node in the content distribution network by comparing the identifier to a set of prefixes for the content distribution network. Additionally, the system may include determining if a second portion of the internet protocol address matches a unique host address specified by the content distribution network for a customer of the content distribution network. If a rule for providing a differentiated service exists for the customer, the first portion is in the set of prefixes, and the second portion matches the unique host address specified for the customer, the system may provide the differentiated service for the traffic flow.
US09699079B2
Systems and methods described herein are directed to streaming bridge design implementations that help interconnect and transfer transaction packets between multiple source and destination host interfaces through a Network on Chip (NoC) interconnect, which includes a plurality of NoC router layers and virtual channels (VCs) connecting the router layers. Implementations are configured to support a variety of different traffic profiles, each having a different set of traffic flows. Streaming bridge design implementation can divide streaming bridge into a streaming TX bridge and a streaming RX bridge, wherein TX bridge is operatively coupled with host TX interfaces and RX bridge is operatively coupled with host RX interfaces, and where TX bridge forwards transaction packets from host TX interfaces to different router layers/VCs of NoC, and RX bridge, on the other hand, receives packets from NoC router layers/VCs and transmits the packets to host RX interfaces based on Quality of Service.
US09699070B2
Some embodiments provide a set of one or more network controllers that communicates with a wide range of devices, ranging from switches to appliances such as firewalls, load balancers, etc. The set of network controllers communicates with such devices to connect them to its managed virtual networks. The set of network controllers can define each virtual network through software switches and/or software appliances. To extend the control beyond software network elements, some embodiments implement a database server on each dedicated hardware. The set of network controllers accesses the database server to send management data. The hardware then translates the management data to connect to a managed virtual network.
US09699060B2
A method of high packet rate network processing in a system that includes a physical host and a set of physical network interface controllers (PNICs). The physical host is hosting a set of data compute nodes (DCNs). Each DCN includes a virtual network interface controller (VNIC) for communicating with one or more PNICs to exchange packets. The method determines that a rate of packets received from a particular DCN at the VNIC of the particular DCN exceeds a predetermined threshold. The method performs polling to determine the availability of packets received at the VNIC from the particular DCN while the rate of packets received from the DCN at the VNIC is exceeding the threshold. The method utilizes interrupts to determine the availability of packets received at the VNIC from the particular DCN while the rate of packets received from the DCN at the VNIC does not exceed the threshold.
US09699058B2
Technologies are generally described for monitoring application health in datacenters through load rebalancing. In some examples, a domain name server (DNS) module may cyclically vary load provided to an application instance. A monitoring module may then measure application output data and/or parameters associated with the processing of the load by the application based on a difference or a comparison between parts of the cyclical load variation. The monitoring module may use the measured data/parameters to both determine the health of the application instance and to cause the DNS module to adjust the periodic variation of the load.
US09699037B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for browsing offline and queried content are presented herein. Specifically, embodiments may receive a request for content from a mobile application. Embodiments may also determine whether the requested content is in a cache associated with the mobile application. If it is determined that the content is not in the cache, embodiments may deliver the requested content to the mobile application.
US09699032B2
A system for improving performance of a network includes a monitor that obtains data sets corresponding to network performance, infers characteristics from the data set and generates visualizations and recommendations. In one aspect, the network is a storage area network and the system generates a box plot showing response time based on inferred queue depth, and recommending a queue depth setting if possible.
US09699031B2
Examples relate to cloud models based on logical network interface data. Some examples disclosed herein may enable obtaining first cloud definition data that describes a first cloud infrastructure. The first cloud definition data may comprise logical network interface data that describes a first set of network interfaces to be bonded to form a first logical network interface for the first cloud infrastructure. Some examples further enable generating a first cloud model based on the first cloud definition data. The first cloud model may comprise first cloud configuration data that, when executed, causes the first cloud infrastructure to be deployed. Some examples further enable storing a first checkpoint image of the first cloud model. The first checkpoint image may comprise at least a portion of the first cloud configuration data.
US09699029B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a switch group module, a persistent storage module, and a distributed configuration management module. The switch group module maintains a membership in a switch group. The switch group includes a plurality of switches and operates as a single switch. The persistent storage module stores configuration information associated with the switch group in a table, which includes one or more columns for attribute values of the configuration information, in a local persistent storage. The distributed configuration management module verifies whether the configuration information is eligible for a distributed commit to the switch group. If the configuration information is eligible for the distributed commit, the distributed configuration management module commits the configuration information to the persistent storage and switch modules of the switch.
US09699022B2
An apparatus includes a first controller having at least one interface and at least one processing device. The at least one interface is configured to communicate with a second controller and with a controlled network having multiple EtherNet/IP-compatible input/output (I/O) modules and multiple EtherNet/IP-compatible controlled devices. The at least one processing device is configured to detect a fault associated with the second controller while the second controller is in communication with at least one of the I/O modules and at least one of the controlled devices. The at least one processing device is also configured, upon detection of the fault associated with the second controller, to resume the communication with the at least one I/O module and the at least one controlled device without the at least one I/O module updating the at least one controlled device to a failsafe condition.
US09699019B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for displaying related content associated with browsing a website. For example, a user may access a website to view content provided by the website. As opposed to the user manually searching for interesting content through trial and error, related content that may be interesting to the user may be identified and surfaced to the user. For example, a user profile specifying user interests of the user may be used to identify related content assigned topics corresponding to the user interests (e.g., content provided by the website or other web source). In this way, the related content may be displayed to the user through a content recommendation reader interface. In an example, the content recommendation reader interface may be provided by a web browser so that related content may be identified and/or provided to users of any website from any device.
US09699015B2
A digital audio gateway device for use in a wireless network of digital audio playback devices. The gateway device is wirelessly linked to one or more digital audio playback devices to provide a gateway to the Internet for the digital audio playback devices. In addition to functioning as a gateway, the device provides additional functionality and may act as a cache of digital audio data for the various digital audio players connected in the wireless network and may also act to automatically update digital audio content on the audio players, synchronize digital audio content and playlists between the digital audio players and continue automatically or upon user request a particular playlist as the user moves from one digital audio player to another.
US09699008B2
The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). A performance of the existing sliding-window superposition coding (SWSC) is degraded when a wireless channel state is changed due to a large scale fading and a small scale fading. In addition, the performance of the existing SWSC is degraded when channel state information at a receiver is different from that of the real channel. To resolve these problems, a transmitter applies an accurate data transmission rate suitable for a channel state. Therefore, a receiver applies an adaptive SWSC and to reduce a block error rate (BLER) and a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) overhead of the receiver. In addition, to resolve wireless channel state change due to large and small scale fading, the transmitter may use the adaptive transmission method.
US09699006B1
A method of selecting filter patterns is provided. The method may include measuring an average sign value of aggregate inter-symbol interference (ISI) for a data sequence using multiple filter pattern combinations of multiple filter patterns; estimating a first analog level of aggregate ISI for a first filter pattern based on a first average sign value, and a second analog level of aggregate ISI for a second filter pattern based on a second average sign value; estimating an analog level of individual ISI of the first filter pattern pair based on the first analog level and the second analog level; estimating, for each possible filter pattern combination, an analog level of aggregate ISI for the first filter pattern pair; and selecting a filter pattern combination for the first filter pattern pair that reduces the analog level of aggregate ISI.
US09699002B1
The web-enabled system provides an electronic document exchange environment where transactional information is received by the system in one format, translated to a second format, and sent. The system allows its users to bypass the costs involved in owning or accessing an EDI translator or a value-added network and generates and sends an electronic receipt for auditing purposes. In addition to the translation of information, the system creates the functional acknowledgment message (the electronic receipt), associates it with the transactional information, and sends it to the intended recipient. The functional acknowledgement message is then returned to the system by that recipient. The system may translate the functional acknowledgement to the first format or may not. Once received, the system then sends the acknowledgement to the original provider of the transactional information. This loop allows the originator to determine whether its transactional information was received.
US09698996B2
Information is acquired from a geographically-distributed sensor network using a scalable wireless geocast protocol. Geographically distributed networks of unattended sensors are placed at desired locations to collect various types of information, such as, for example, environmental parameters, temperature, humidity, rainfall, heat signatures, video, audio, seismic activity, and/or wind conditions. To acquire information, a query is provided to the geographic area at which the sensors are located utilizing the geocast protocol. Delivery of the query is based on a physical location of a region in which a sensor network is located, the type of information being queried, and/or temporal conditions. Each sensor that receives a query determines if all requirements/conditions are satisfied. If so, the query is accepted and processed by the recipient sensor, and responded to accordingly. Responses to queries are provided via the geocast protocol.
US09698991B2
The systems, methods and apparatuses described herein provide a computing device that is configured to attest itself to a communication partner. In one aspect, the computing device may comprise a communication port configured to receive an attestation request from the communication partner, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may be configured to receive the attestation request, which may include a nonce. The ASIC may be further configured to generate a verification value, capture data representing a state of computation of the ASIC when the verification value is being generated, and send the verification value and captured data to the communication port to be transmitted back to the communication partner. The verification value may be a computation result of a predefined function taking the nonce as an initial value. In another aspect, the communication partner may be configured to attest the computing device using speed of computation attestation.
US09698982B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, system, and computer program product for bluesalt security. A computer receives a confidential data configuration wherein specific sensor are assigned to specific confidential information. The assigned sensors are measured for values as a system administrator enters a password corresponding to the confidential information. The measured values are converted into a salt and concatenated with the password to generate a primary key. The primary key is used to encrypt the confidential information, then the primary key is encrypted using a secondary key comprised of a second password with a second set of sensor information as the salt. The encrypted key is saved securely while the secondary key is destroyed. In order to decrypt the confidential information, a user must replicate the password and sensor values to generate the primary or secondary key.
US09698980B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods for key fob to control unit verification, retention, and revocation. After an initial pairing between a key fob and a control unit, the devices share a secret operation key (OpKey). For verification, the key fob sends the 8 lowest-order bits of a 128-bit counter and some bits of an AES-128, OpKey encrypted value of the counter to the control unit. For key revocation and retention, the control unit is prompted to enter an OpKey retention and revocation mode. Subsequently, each of the remaining or new key fobs is prompted by the user to send a verification message to the control unit. When the control unit is prompted to exit the OpKey retention and revocation mode, it retains the OpKeys of only the key fobs that sent a valid verification message immediately before entering and exiting the OpKey retention and revocation mode.
US09698971B2
A phase to digital converter determines whether a phase of an internal clock advances or delays with respect to an input serial signal and outputs a first determination code, a determination circuit outputs, for each of first periods, a second determination code based on a plurality of the first determination codes, a gain control code generator circuit generates a gain control code based on a total sum of the first determination codes during the first period, and a phase adjustment code generator circuit gives a gain in accordance with the gain control code to the second determination code, and generates and outputs a phase adjustment code so that the phase of the internal clock is adjusted to make the phase of the internal clock follow the input serial signal.
US09698966B2
A method and apparatus are provided for signal transmission and reception in a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system. The method includes receiving, from a base station, first configuration information including an uplink reference Uplink-Downlink (UL-DL) configuration; receiving, from the base station, second configuration information including a downlink reference UL-DL configuration; receiving, from the base station, third configuration information including an equivalent UL-DL configuration based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information; and communicating signals with the base station based on the third configuration information.
US09698953B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for signal transmission in a wireless communication system. The apparatus comprises: an information processor for generating a first information sequence based on a first transmission symbol and a first resource index, and a second information sequence based on a second transmission symbol and a second resource index; a reference signal generator for generating a different reference signal depending upon whether a first resource block indicated by the first resource index and a second resource block indicated by the second resource index are the same; and an antenna for transmitting a signal generated based on the first information sequence, the second information sequence, and the reference signal sequence.
US09698951B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. A method for user equipment transmitting channel state information (CSI) in the wireless communication system, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: receiving information on an N number of CSI configurations for reporting the CSI; receiving information for selecting an M (2≦M≦N) number of the CSI configurations for joint CSI from the N number of the CSI configurations; calculating the M number of rank indexes (RI) based on each channel corresponding to the M number of CSI configurations; calculating a joint RI based on a synthetic channel generated by synthesizing the channels corresponding to the M number of the CSI configurations; and transmitting information on whether to report the joint CSI based on a result from comparing the M number of the RIs and the joint RI.
US09698948B2
A device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a plurality of distributed beamformers, a baseband processor, and a network management engine. The distributed transceivers perform beamforming in a radio frequency band. The distributed beamformers, however, performs beamforming in an intermediate frequency band. Each of the distributed transceivers is coupled to a corresponding one of the distributed beamformers. Each transceiver-beamformer pair is coupled to the baseband processor utilizing a same communication medium such as a cable. For transmission, a data stream generated at baseband is converted to intermediate frequencies. With a low-power transmission, the distributed beamformers transmit the data stream wirelessly in the intermediate frequencies to a receiving device. With a normal-power transmission, the distributed transceivers transmit the data stream to the receiving device in the radio frequency band. The transceivers and the beamformers are turned OFF whenever not being used. A high-throughput communication link may be established through resource sharing.
US09698947B2
In a WLAN, a device sets a first NAV to a bandwidth used by a signal from a second device. The device selects a channel that does not correspond to the bandwidth from among a plurality of channels when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition includes a condition that the first NAV is set. The device transmits a first frame on the selected channel.
US09698939B2
A method of transmitting a data signal using an optical transmitter of an optical communications system. A first encoder processes an N-bit input vector in accordance with a first mapping to generate a corresponding M-bit data stream. A Forward Error Correction encoder processes the M-bit data stream in accordance with a predetermined FEC encoding scheme to generate an encoded signal. A constellation mapper maps the encoded signal to symbol values in accordance with a predetermined modulation scheme to generate a corresponding symbol stream. A modulator modulates a carrier light in accordance with the encoded symbol stream to generate an optical signal for transmission through the optical communications system. The first mapping can be adjusted to maximize performance of the optical communications system.
US09698938B2
A communication method and an apparatus for transferring interference-related control information in order to enhance reception performance of a user terminal that receives downlink signals in a cellular mobile communication system based on a long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) system are provided. The method includes receiving transmission parameters of interference, which include information on a resource by which interference data is not transmitted, performing blind detection using the information on a resource by which interference data is not transmitted, performing error correction encoding using the transmission parameters of the interference and the blind detection result, and decoding the received data.
US09698935B2
An integrated circuit device includes an output buffer circuit that provides a first output having a first code rate. The first output is provided in response to a first indication of a change in a parameter that affects an error rate of the first output. The first output includes redundant information. The output buffer circuit provides a second output having a second code rate. The second output is provided in response to a second indication of the second output having an error rate that is different than the error rate of the first output. The second code rate of the second output is different than the first code rate.
US09698932B2
An optical transmission and reception system includes a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter differentially encodes control information to generate a differentially coded signal; uses the differentially coded signal to modulate a signal sequence in which electricity concentrates at a particular frequency; applies time-division multiplexing on the modulated signal sequence and a primary signal in one of two polarized wave components, and applies time-division multiplexing on the other polarized wave components and the signal sequence itself; and polarization-multiplexes the both of the time-division multiplexed polarized waves into an optical signal; and transmits the optical signal to the receiver. The receiver polarization-demultiplexes the received optical signal to generate two polarized wave signals; extracts the signal sequence in which electricity concentrates at the particular frequency from the two polarized wave signals; and applies differential detection on the extracted signal sequence to demodulate the control information.
US09698930B2
A method for bandwidth map update includes: after receiving a bandwidth report carried by a control frame, a master node newly establishing a bandwidth map, newly establishing a resource state table, and setting all resource states in the newly established resource state table to be available; adding a cross-master node transport channel drop allocation structure of the newly established bandwidth map in accordance with a cross-master node transport channel add allocation structure of a bandwidth map to be updated, and updating the resource state table; according to the bandwidth report carried by the control frame, allocating a wavelength and an optical burst timeslot one by one to a current bandwidth request, adding wavelengths and optical burst timeslots to the newly established bandwidth map, generating a new bandwidth map, and updating the resource state table; and distributing the control frame carrying the new bandwidth map to slave nodes hop by hop.
US09698929B2
An optical receiver receives a wavelength multiplexed optical signal including wavelength channels. A superimposition signal is superimposed by frequency modulation on each of the wavelength channels. The optical receiver includes: an optical filter that filters the wavelength multiplexed optical signal; a filter controller that controls a wavelength of a transmission band of the optical filter; a photo detector that generates an intensity signal representing a change in the intensity of an output light of the optical filter; an signal detector that detects, according to the intensity signal, a superimposition signal superimposed on a specified wavelength channel. The filter controller controls the wavelength of the transmission band so that the amplitude of the intensity signal is larger, and then controls the wavelength of the transmission band so that the number of errors in the superimposition signal detected by the signal detector is reduced.
US09698922B2
A first base station provides overlapping coverage area with each of a plurality of second base stations. Each of the plurality of second base stations transmits a message comprising a subframe allocation bitmap indicating a plurality of subframes. The plurality of subframes comprises a plurality of almost blank subframes. Base stations in the plurality of second base stations configure the same set of subframes as the plurality of almost blank subframes.
US09698915B2
A system and method for processing an input signal includes a non-linear material component for receiving the signal. The non-linear material component is selected to mix the input signal with an optical pump wave to output an optical signal. The system also includes a parametric amplifier coupled to the non-linear material to obtain the optical signal and to amplify the optical signal to generate an amplified signal and an amplified idler which is a conjugate image of the amplified signal. The system also includes a frequency converter, to obtain the amplified signal and the amplified idler from the parametric amplifier and to convert the amplified signal and the amplified idler into a first output and a second output. The system also includes a first spectral sampling and processing apparatus to obtain and process the first output.
US09698914B2
Systems, devices and techniques for processing received QPSK modulated optical signals include sampling the received signal at twice the baud rate, thereby producing samples that are then processed as 9-QAM symbols using a decision directed least squares optimization method. A third stage of channel equalization is filtering performs channel equalization to mitigate linear filtering effects along the transmission link. Data bits are then recovered from the resulting symbol estimates. The received optical signal may also include dual polarized signals for increased bandwidth capacity.
US09698910B2
In one embodiment, a network server layer provides disjoint channels in response to client-layer disjoint path requests. For example, the network layer can be an optical network, and the client layer may be a packet switching layer (e.g., label switching, Internet Protocol). In one embodiment, a server-layer node receives a client-layer disjoint path request to provide a server-layer channel through a server-layer network. The client-layer disjoint path request includes an identifier corresponding to an existing client-layer path that traverses a current channel through the server-layer network that does not include the server-layer node. The server-layer network determines a particular channel through the server-layer network that is disjoint to the current channel based on route information of the current channel, and then signaling is performed within the server-layer network to establish the particular channel.
US09698909B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide training sequence generation method which includes generating a pseudo random sequence; obtaining a chirp coefficient of a modulator using a negated chirp coefficient to modulate the pseudo random sequence; constructing a training symbol segment that includes L subcarriers in a frequency domain, transforming the training symbol segment from the frequency domain to a time domain to obtain a training symbol segment in the time domain, and generating a training sequence based on the training symbol segment in the time domain and outputting the training sequence.
US09698895B2
A relay device includes first demultiplexing units that demultiplex reception signals into demultiplexed signals in a narrower band, first and second multiplexing units that multiplex input signals to generate multiplexed signals, transmission antennas that transmit the multiplexed signals generated by the multiplexing units, a regenerative relay unit that modulates an information sequence obtained by carrying out demodulation processing to the multiplexed signal generated by the second multiplexing unit to generate a modulated signal, a second demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes the modulated signal into a demultiplexed signal in a band narrower than the band of the reception signal, and a switch unit that inputs the demultiplexed signals demultiplexed by the first demultiplexing units to the multiplexing units and inputs the demultiplexed signal demultiplexed by the second demultiplexing unit to the first multiplexing units.
US09698884B2
A method of control signaling in a beamforming system is proposed. A base station allocates a first sets of DL control resource blocks for DL transmission to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in a beamforming network. Each set of DL control resource blocks is associated with a corresponding set of beamforming weights. The base station also allocates a second sets of UL control resource blocks for UL transmission from the UEs. Each set of UL control resource blocks is associated with the same corresponding set of beamforming weights. The base station transmits cell and beam identification information using a set of control beams. Each control beam comprises a set of DL control resource block, a set of UL control resource block, and the corresponding set of beamforming weights.
US09698870B2
A system for transmission of data and electrical power comprising: a plurality of independent power sources, each one of the plurality of independent power sources being connected to a respective one of a plurality of electrical power lines; and a modulator configured to modulate a carrier signal with a data signal received at an input of the modulator so as to generate a modulated carrier signal at an output thereof, wherein the output of the modulator is coupled to each of the plurality of electrical power lines, to permit transmission of the modulated carrier signal over the plurality of electrical power lines, such that the plurality of electrical power lines form a data network while maintaining electrical isolation between each of the plurality of electrical power lines.
US09698866B2
Systems and methods for establishing scheduling for charger and electric vehicle communication in a PLC system are described. In an illustrative embodiment, a method performed by a PLC device. In a further embodiment, the PLC device may be configured to operate according to a narrow-band PLC communication protocol. In a further embodiment, the narrow-band PLC communications between PLC devices in the charger and the electric vehicle are conducted over a pilot wire coupling the charger to the electric vehicle. In still a further embodiment, the pilot wire may be one of a standard set of existing wires in a standard cable used for connecting the charger to the electric vehicle.
US09698857B1
Antenna structures and methods of operating the same of an electronic device are described. One apparatus includes an antenna element that is self-resonant at a first frequency in a first mode and self-resonant at a second frequency in a second mode. A radio frequency (RF) is coupled between the antenna element and a ground plane. A RF circuit, coupled to the antenna element via an RF feed, is operable to control the RF switch to switch the antenna element between the first mode and the second mode. The RF circuit is operable to cause the antenna element to radiate or receive electromagnetic energy in a first radiation pattern in the first mode and to radiate or electromagnetic energy in a second radiation pattern in the second mode.
US09698853B2
Various implementations include circuits, devices and/or methods that provide open loop current limiting power amplifiers and the like. In some implementations, an open loop current clamp includes a trim module to provide a control value and a limiting source having respective input and output terminals. The input terminal is coupled to the trim module to receive the control value. The output terminal coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor to provide a limiting electrical level produced in response to the control value by the limiting source. The limiting electrical level substantially setting a first mode of operation for the first transistor such that the current draw of the first transistor is substantially determined by the first mode of operation and the limiting electrical level such that a voltage at an output terminal of the first transistor exerts reduced influence on the current draw.
US09698843B2
A method for extracting a parameter of a communication channel from a channel estimate that characterizes the communication channel in terms of a frequency response over time. The method includes generating a set of feature identifiers that characterize features of the channel, for example energy peaks or troughs and determining the parameter, for example time delay of a multipath signal or frequency offset of a multipath signal, dependent on the feature identifiers. Methods using the parameter are also described including methods to estimate the environment.
US09698839B2
Circuitry includes an input node, an output node, acoustic filtering circuitry, an inductive element, and a capacitor. The acoustic filtering circuitry includes an acoustic filtering input node and an acoustic filtering output node. The inductive element is coupled in series with the acoustic filtering circuitry between the input node and the output node such that the inductive element is coupled between the input node and the acoustic filtering input node and the acoustic filtering output node is coupled to the output node. The capacitor is coupled in parallel with the acoustic filtering circuitry and the inductive element between the input node and the output node. Providing the inductive element in series with the acoustic filtering circuitry and the capacitor in parallel with the acoustic filtering circuitry and the inductive element provides a highly selective notch filter response between the input node and the output node with high attenuation.
US09698832B2
Apparatus and methods for negative voltage generation with reduced clock feed-through are provided. In certain configurations, a method of negative voltage generation in a wireless device is provided. The method includes generating a regulated voltage from a battery voltage using a voltage regulator, powering a first charge pump and a second charge pump using the regulated voltage, generating a first negative voltage based on timing of a first clock phase using the first charge pump, generating a second negative voltage based on the first negative voltage and on timing of a second clock phase using the second charge pump, and generating the first clock phase and the second clock phase with different phases using a poly-phase oscillator such that the first charge pump and the second charge pump draw from the regulated voltage at different points in time.
US09698830B2
Embodiments include device, storage media, and methods for decoding a codeword of encoded data. In embodiments, a processor may be coupled with a decoder and configured to multiply the codeword and a parity-check matrix of the encoded data to produce a syndrome. If the syndrome is non-zero then the processor may identify a bit error in the codeword based at least in part on a comparison of the syndrome to one or more columns of the parity-check matrix. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09698828B2
A two-dimensional interleaving method is provided. The two-dimensional interleaving method includes dividing a first page having N2×N2 pixels, N being a natural number, into a plurality of blocks, wherein each of the plurality of blocks includes N×N pixels, rearranging each of the plurality of the blocks of the first page into a second page, wherein each of two index located at same position in two adjacent block of the first page, respectively, is rearranged to have at least a dispersion distance D in the second page, and relocating an index pixel located at same position of each of the plurality of the blocks of the first page into a k-th block of the second page.
US09698825B2
A device includes a processor and a checksum module, wherein the checksum module calculates, for first data, an updated checksum that complies with Internet Engineering Task Force Request For Comments Number 1624 using twos-complement arithmetic. The processor replaces the original checksum with the updated checksum to update a data packet.
US09698817B2
A data compression apparatus and a data recovery apparatus for a digital baseband transmission system. The data compression apparatus includes compressor A configured to generate a first compression signal through up-down sampling an input signal; and compressor B configured to generate a second compression signal through partial bit sampling whereby at least one least-significant bit is eliminated from the first compression signal.
US09698807B1
A technique for on-chip time measurement includes dynamically scaling a range of a time-based digital-to-analog converter to enhance resolution of the time measurement. An apparatus includes a first time-based digital-to-analog converter configured to generate a first clock signal based on a first reference clock signal and a first digital code. The apparatus includes a second time-based digital-to-analog converter configured to generate a second clock signal based on a second reference clock signal and a second digital code. The first reference clock signal has a first frequency and the second reference clock signal has a second frequency that is harmonically related to the first frequency. The apparatus includes a time signal converter configured to generate an output signal having a level indicative of a time-of-arrival of a first edge of the first clock signal relative to a time-of-arrival of a second edge of the second clock signal.
US09698805B1
A system and method can be provided for sampling the residual error in an oversampled SAR ADC, bandpass filtering the sampled residual error, and providing the bandpass filtered signal to an input of a DAC, such as to provide a bandpass filtered output of the SAR ADC. The bandpass filtered output of the SAR ADC can have a reduced electrical noise.
US09698796B2
A semiconductor device includes: a clock synchronizing circuit that operates in synchronization with a clock; an enable signal generating circuit that generates an enable signal in an operation period during which the clock synchronizing circuit is operated; and a clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to the clock synchronizing circuit or stop the supply of the clock according to the enable signal when a clock frequency is equal to or lower than a predetermined frequency, and supply a clock to the clock synchronizing circuit, irrespective of the enable signal, when the clock frequency is higher than the predetermined frequency.
US09698768B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a switching transistor includes turning-off the switching transistor by transferring charge from a gate-drain capacitance of the switching transistor to a charge storage device, and turning-on the switching transistor by transferring charge from the charge storage device to a gate of the switching transistor. Turning off the switching transistor includes hard-switching and turning-on the switching transistor includes soft-switching.
US09698767B2
A low voltage AC power controller uses a line coupled capacitor AC to DC converter circuit to obtain energy from AC line power supplied to an AC load and may be used with an external high voltage AC switching device to control power supplied to the AC load. The line coupled capacitor AC to DC converter circuit provides a low power device that senses characteristics of the power supplied to the load and can communicate sensed information and/or receive control information related to the power supplied to the load.
US09698754B2
A capacitive coupled resonator device includes a substrate, a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, a top electrode, and at least one support frame positioned between the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode and/or positioned between the piezoelectric layer and the bottom electrode. The top electrode includes a first top comb electrode having a first top bus bar and first top fingers extending in a first direction from the first top bus bar, and a second top comb electrode having a second top bus bar and second top fingers extending in a second direction from the second top bus bar, the second direction being substantially opposite to the first direction such that the first and second top fingers form a top interleaving pattern. The at least one support frame includes air-gaps separating at least one of the top electrode and the bottom electrode from the piezoelectric layer, respectively.
US09698747B2
In an impedance conversion circuit, a first coil element and a third coil element are arranged coaxially adjacent to each other, and a second coil element and a fourth coil element are arranged coaxially adjacent to each other. By arranging the first and third coil elements in close proximity and arranging the second coil element and the fourth coil element in close proximity in a layering direction, the first coil element is mainly magnetically coupled with the third coil element, and the second coil element is mainly magnetically coupling with the fourth coil element. The first coil element is connected in parallel to the second coil element, and the third coil element is connected in series to the fourth coil element.
US09698746B2
An object of the present invention is to realize a loop through circuit, in an active connector, securely having a preferable mismatching attenuation characteristic and having a preferable signal transmission characteristic, with respect to an input port, an output port, and an internal port, without providing a special circuit outside the connector. A connector base part has the input port inputting an external signal, the output port outputting a loop through signal, and the internal port outputting a signal into a device. First and second matching circuits, an equalizer circuit, a dividing circuit, and a driving circuit are stored in the connector base part. The matching circuit is supplied with an external signal input from the input port. The dividing circuit divides a signal to be input to generate first and second divided signals, and outputs them to the internal port and the output port. The equalizer circuit compensates for a frequency characteristic and/or loss of a signal to be input. The driving circuit is provided between the dividing circuit and the matching circuit, and drives a transmission line to be coupled to the output port.
US09698745B2
Adjustment of volume level of a mobile device, by the mobile device without direct or manual user-input, based on one or more contextual parameters detected by the mobile device, such as ambient noise level. A query or other techniques may be used for the adjustment to be ignored. The system may be trained over time by modifying the one or more contextual parameters due to detecting events or sequences of events, such as a user ignoring attenuation in a particular situation.
US09698744B1
In some embodiments, a method for processing an audio signal in an audio processing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes receiving an audio signal and a parameter, the parameter indicating a location of an auditory event boundary. An audio portion between consecutive auditory event boundaries constitutes an auditory event. The method further includes applying a modification to the audio signal based in part on an occurrence of the auditory event. The parameter may be generated by monitoring a characteristic of the audio signal and identifying a change in the characteristic.
US09698734B2
Power amplification system with adjustable common base bias. A power amplification system can include a first transistor having a base coupled to a radio-frequency input. The power amplification can further include a second transistor having an emitter coupled to a collector of the first transistor and having a collector coupled to a radio-frequency output. The power amplification system can include a biasing component configured to apply a fixed biasing signal to the base of the first transistor and to apply an adjustable biasing signal to the base of the second transistor.
US09698716B2
The controller estimates torque output by the motor and controls the current supplied to the motor in such a manner that a torque estimate of the motor obtained by the estimation corresponds to the torque command value. A torque estimation calculator 120 estimates the torque output by the motor. A phase error command calculator 125 calculates a command value of a phase error from the deviation between the torque estimate and a torque command value. A speed estimation calculator 130 outputs a speed estimate in such a manner that a phase error estimate corresponds to the command value of the phase error.
US09698710B2
A solar energy utilization system includes a solar panel, a motor driven by an inverter circuit functioning as a motor drive circuit with power output by the solar panel, a solar output voltage monitor functioning as a monitor that monitors an input or an output of the solar panel and also functioning as a monitor that monitors an input or an output of the inverter circuit, and a controller. The controller has a control mode in which the inverter circuit is controlled such that an output voltage of the solar panel is maintained at a voltage higher than a maximum power point voltage. In this control mode, the controller performs the control such that a rotation speed of the motor is changed repeatedly at predetermined timings.
US09698696B2
A power supply apparatus comprises: a transformer that includes primary/secondary windings that are electromagnetically connected to each other with polarities opposite to each other, an output switch that activates/inactivates an electric-current route that extends from an application terminal for an input voltage to a ground terminal via the primary winding a rectifying-smoothing portion that generates an output voltage from an induced voltage, a feedback voltage generation portion that monitors a switch voltage appearing at a connection node between the primary winding and the output switch and generates a feedback voltage in accordance with the output voltage, a reference voltage generation portion that generates a reference voltage, a comparator that compares the feedback voltage and the reference voltage with each other to generate a comparison signal, and a switching control portion that generates an output switch control signal by means of an on-time control method in accordance with the comparison signal.
US09698691B2
A switching DC-to-DC converter has an adaptive duty cycle limiting circuit with an inductor current sensor to generate a sense signal indicative of magnitude of the inductor current. A replica signal is generated from the sense signal and transferred through a replica parasitic resistance circuit. A differential voltage is developed across the replica parasitic resistances and compared with a maximum limit voltage level. The maximum limit voltage level is indicates that a gain level of the switching DC-to-DC converter has decreased even though the duty cycle has increased. A duty cycle limit signal is generated and transferred to disable a switch in a switching circuit for limiting the duty cycle of the switching DC-to-DC converter, when the gain level has decreased such that the switching DC-to-DC converter does not enter a region where the gain of the switching DC-to-DC converter has a negative slope.
US09698683B2
Control loop coefficients for a digital voltage regulator controller are determined by determining PID (proportional-integral-derivative) coefficients that satisfy gain and phase margin targets for a digital voltage regulator controller, as a function of a plurality of system parameters for the digital voltage regulator controller, and re-determining one or more of the PID coefficients to flatten an output impedance response of the digital voltage regulator controller for frequencies below a bandwidth of the digital voltage regulator controller.
US09698679B2
A circuit for DC-DC conversion with current limitation comprises a DC-DC converter (100) with a coil (110) and a controllable switch (120) that can be switched into a low-impedance and a high-impedance state, and a current limiter (300a, 300b) for generating a control signal (IOC) for controlling the state of the controllable switch in the DC-DC converter (100). The current limiter (300a, 300b) is constructed such that the current (IL) through the coil at which the current limitation takes place is nearly independent of the ratio of the on-times and off-times of the controllable switch in the DC-DC converter (100).
US09698675B2
Provided are a driving circuit and its operation method and a display apparatus. The driving circuit comprises a boost circuit unit, a load unit and a voltage monitoring unit, the load unit is connected to a power source providing an initial input voltage, the boost circuit unit is connected to both the load unit and the voltage monitoring unit, the load unit is connected to the voltage monitoring unit; the load unit provides a resistor of fixed resistance value; and the voltage monitoring unit determines whether an actual voltage input into the boost circuit unit is smaller than a predetermined voltage, and generates a reset signal which is used to control the driving circuit to restart if it is determined that the actual voltage is smaller than the predetermined voltage. The driving circuit can perform self-detection of its own electro-static electricity, and perform self-recovery when detecting that an electro-static current exceeds the maximum current that the driving circuit can withstand, such that the capability of anti electro-static electricity of the display apparatus is improved.
US09698663B2
Provided is an orientation control device for a magnetic fluid, includes: a magnetic fluid having magnetic nanoparticles; an induction power generation unit configured to include a silicone tube through which the magnetic fluid passes and a solenoid coil which is wound around a predetermined section outside the silicone tube to generate induced power when the magnetic fluid passes through an inner side of the silicone tube; and a magnetic pole direction control unit configured to include a silicone tube at an entrance portion of the induction power generation unit and a solenoid coil wound around a predetermined section outside the silicone tube and generating a flux when a current flows therein so as to control pole orientation of the magnetic fluid.
US09698655B2
Provided is a pump that includes an annular molded stator having a substrate mounted with a Hall element and that includes a rotor having an annular rotor unit rotatably housed in a cup-shaped partition component, with one end thereof in an axial direction facing the Hall element and the other end thereof in the axial direction provided with an impeller attachment unit. The rotor unit includes a resin magnet, a sleeve bearing, and a resin portion. The resin magnet includes a rotor-position detecting magnetic-pole portion protruding axially with a predetermined height in an annular shape having a predetermined width in a radial direction on an outer periphery of an end face opposite to the Hall element. The rotor-position detecting magnetic-pole portion includes a plurality of arc-shaped notches on the same circumference on an inner diameter side thereof.
US09698653B2
The arrangement directed to a generator, which contains a rotor and a stator us disclosed. The stator contains at least two stator segments. At least one of the stator segments contains a number of stacked laminate plates. The stacked laminate plates contain a number of slots at a first side, while the first side of the stacked laminate plates is aligned to the rotor. The slots support a metal-winding of a stator coil. At least one hollow cooling-pipe is partly integrated into the stacked laminate plates of the stator segment to cool its laminate plates by a cooling-medium, which is located into the cooling-pipes.
US09698634B2
A stator core includes a first core sheet having a plurality of teeth that is radially protruded outward and a teeth coupling portion that couples the plurality of teeth, and at least two kinds of second core sheets having a plurality of teeth that is radially protruded outward and slot openings that are provided between the plurality of teeth. The first and second core sheets are laminated to form a stack structure, and, in the second core sheets of an identical kind, the slot openings are identical in opening angle and are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction.
US09698632B2
A wireless charger includes a plurality of conductive coils and electronic circuitry. The coils are disposed around a perimeter and face a generally central area of the perimeter. The coils are connected to and controlled by the electronic circuitry, which includes an electric power receiving circuit and a coil controller. The electric power receiving circuit receives electrical power from an external source and conditions the power for provision to the coil controller. The coil controller controls provision of an oscillating current to select coils within the plurality of coils. A protective enclosure or portable electronic device may have receiving coils disposed at its sides for corresponding to at least two of the conductive coils of the wireless charger.
US09698625B2
Systems and methods include operating a power system in a first state, and detecting an anticipated load increase. The systems and methods further include changing operation of the power system from the first state to a second state upon detection of the anticipated load increase.
US09698624B2
In a charging device having a power element for producing a charge voltage for charging a battery pack from an input voltage provided by an input voltage source, the power element and the input voltage source being capable of being connected to one another in electrically conductive fashion via a separator that can be controlled by a control unit, and the separator being fashioned for the purpose of producing, in an allocated switching mode, an electrically conductive connection between the power element and the input voltage source and, in an allocated separating mode, separating this electrically conductive connection, the control unit is connected, at least for standby power supply, to an allocated energy storage device, and is fashioned for the purpose of controlling the separator during the transition from a charge operating mode to a standby operating mode of the charging device, in order to change the separator over from switching mode to separating mode.
US09698615B2
An electric vehicle includes: a storage device configured to store power used for traveling; an auxiliary battery configured to store power supplied to an auxiliary load; a converter configured to charge the auxiliary battery by using power supplied from the storage device; and a shut-off device configured to switch between a supply condition in which power is supplied to the auxiliary load from the auxiliary battery and a shut-off condition in which power is not supplied to the auxiliary load from the auxiliary battery. During control of the electric vehicle, the converter is controlled such that an output voltage of the converter is higher when the shut-off device is in the shut-off condition than when the shut-off device is in the supply condition.
US09698611B2
A battery module includes: a battery pack including multiple cells; control circuits corresponding to the cells, each control circuit including a control unit for managing the corresponding cell and a compensation unit for generating a corresponding compensation current such that the sum of the corresponding consumed current and the corresponding compensation current is equal to a target total current, where the control circuits include a first control circuit and a second control circuit, where the first control circuit includes a first control unit operating with a first consumed current, the second control circuit includes a second control unit operating with a second consumed current, and where the first control circuit conditionally generates a first compensation current and the second control circuit conditionally generates a second compensation current based on a comparison of the first consumed current and the second consumed current.
US09698609B2
A system includes a testing device, a current clamp, and circuitry for converting an electrical current. The testing device is configured to measure a characteristic relating to electrical equipment and to transmit data representing the measured characteristic to a remote computing device. The electrical equipment includes an electrical conductor carrying an electric current. The current clamp forms a current transformer. The current clamp is configured to be clamped around the electrical conductor and the current transformer is configured to induce an electric current from the electrical conductor. The circuitry is configured to convert the induced electric current to a direct current that is usable to power the testing device.
US09698607B2
A wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply, the first electromagnetic resonator having a mode with a resonant frequency ω1, an intrinsic loss rate Γ1, and a first Q-factor Q1=ω1/2Γ1, and the wireless receiver includes a load configured to power a system using electrical power, a second electromagnetic resonator configured to be coupled to the load and having a mode with a resonant frequency ω2, an intrinsic loss rate Γ2, and a second Q-factor Q2=ω2/2Γ2, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator; and a communication facility to confirm compatibility of the first and second resonators and provide authorization for initiation of transfer of power.
US09698606B2
A wireless power transmission antenna apparatus (100, 200) is mounted on a wireless power transmitting apparatus configured to transmit electric power in a wireless manner, and is provided with: an antenna coil (10) obtained by winding a conductive member; a plurality of plate-like members (21, 22, 23, 24), each containing metal and disposed in surroundings of the antenna coil and in a radial direction of the antenna coil; and a housing case (30) containing metal and configured to accommodate therein the antenna coil and the plurality of plate-like members. The plate-like member is disposed such that a plate face thereof crosses a direction of extension of the conductive member. According to the wireless power transmission antenna apparatus, it is possible to improve power transmission efficiency while complying with radio wave protection guidelines.
US09698605B2
In a power transmission apparatus which transmits power from a power transmission device to a power reception device in a noncontact manner, the power transmission device includes a first main body supporting the power reception device on adjacent first and second surfaces, and a power transmission coil formed by planar coils which are respectively symmetrically disposed on the first and second surfaces with respect to an intersection between the first and second surfaces inside the first main body, and includes an extension region in which an occupation area of the coils gradually increases while becoming distant from a part close to the intersection. The power reception device includes a second main body that includes third and fourth surfaces which respectively face the first and second surfaces, and a power reception coil disposed in the second main body so as to correspond to the third and fourth surfaces.
US09698595B2
The dynamic system is part of a dynamic apparatus having at least one photovoltaic generator, at least one battery and at least one device for controlling the dynamic apparatus. The method for controlling the dynamic system on the basis of sunlight involves electrically isolating the photovoltaic generator from the battery, reading the no-load voltage of the photovoltaic generator, determining a numerical value on the basis of the no load voltage, corresponding to the no-load voltage reading, and comparing the predetermined numerical value with at least one reference threshold value. When the predetermined numerical value corresponds to a value range limited by at least one such reference threshold value the dynamic system is controlled so as to thereon confer a configuration corresponding to the value range.
US09698593B2
A method is provided for reducing an impact of an unbalanced short circuit event that occurs in a polyphase permanent magnet generator of a wind turbine. According to the method, an unbalanced short circuit event is detected in the generator of the wind turbine, and, in response to detecting the unbalanced short circuit event, at least one phase of the generator is shorted at a switch-point between the generator and a converter of the wind turbine to create a balanced short circuit in the generator. By doing so, the torque response of the generator is altered to avoid high amplitude torque oscillations that would otherwise occur as a result of the unbalanced short circuit event.
US09698583B1
An electric junction box assembly configured to store an electric component is provided. The electric junction box assembly includes a corrugated tube configured to hold a wire for supply power. The electric junction box assembly includes a junction box having an outer wall and a bottom wall. The outer wall includes an outer opening for receiving the corrugated tube. The junction box includes a plurality of inner walls. Each of the inner walls is spaced apart from each other so as to form an inner chamber and each inner wall further including an inner opening configured to receive the corrugated tube. Each inner chamber includes a drain hole so as to allow fluids to escape and prevent the electric components from being damaged by water or humidity.
US09698570B2
A quantum dot laser includes a GaAs substrate, a quantum dot active layer which has a barrier layer of GaAs and quantum dots, a GaAs waveguide core layer which is joined to the quantum dot active layer, and a lower cladding layer and an upper cladding layer which sandwich the quantum dot active layer and the GaAs waveguide core layer. The GaAs waveguide core layer extends from a front end of the quantum dot active layer and has a thickness which gradually decreases in a direction to depart from the front end of the quantum dot active layer, a refractive index of a first cladding layer is higher than a refractive index of a second cladding layer. With this structure, expansion of the optical mode diameter that is more than necessary is inhibited to prevent leakage of light, thereby obtaining sufficient optical output.
US09698566B1
An optical module includes: a semiconductor laser emitting laser light; an optical device having a butt joint interface; an optical amplifier amplifying the laser light passed through the optical device; an equivalent resonator length adjustor inserted between the optical amplifier and the optical device; a wavelength spectrum measuring device measuring a wavelength of light output from the optical amplifier; and a refractive index adjustment circuit controlling a current applied to the equivalent resonator length adjustor based on a result of measurement performed by the wavelength spectrum measuring device to adjust a refractive index of the equivalent resonator length adjustor. Parasitic oscillation light in a plurality of Fabry-Perot modes is generated as the butt joint interface is one of reflection ends. The refractive index adjustment circuit adjusts the refractive index so that none of peak wavelengths of the parasitic oscillation light coincides with an oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser.
US09698563B2
Provided is a flexible light emitting semiconductor device, such as an LED device, that includes a flexible dielectric layer having first and second major surfaces with a conductive layer on the first major surface and at least one cavity in the first major surface with a conductive layer in the cavity that supports a light emitting semiconductor device. The conductive layer in the cavity is electrically isolated from the second major surface of the dielectric layer.
US09698562B2
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.
US09698549B2
An arrangement of connector ports for an electronic device, specifically for a weighing platform unit (1), includes a plurality of connector sockets (22, 23, 25, 26) which are installed in one or more walls of a chassis (4) thereof. The one or more walls that carry the connector sockets are interior partitioning walls that define a connector port compartment (20) inside the chassis. Furthermore, at least one wall section of the connector port compartment is an exterior wall section of the chassis and contains a passage opening (21). Electrical cables (30) that are terminated by plugs matching the connector sockets can be introduced into the connector port compartment through this passage opening.
US09698547B2
The present invention provides a communication jack for connecting to one of a first plug and a second plug. The jack includes a housing, plug interface contacts, and coupling circuitry. The plug interface contacts are at least partially within said housing and include a plurality of contact pairs having at least a first contact pair and a second contact pair. The coupling circuitry is configured for engaging said first contact pair and said second contact pair when said first plug is inserted into said housing. The coupling circuitry is configured for disengaging from said first contact pair and said second contact pair when said second plug is inserted into said housing.
US09698543B2
A fuse-equipped connector (1) is configured in combination of a first connector (10) and a second connector (30) which can be assembled to each other in an attachable and detachable state. The first connector (10) includes a first terminal (13) electrically connected to an external apparatus (50) and a connection portion (12a) mechanically connectable to the external apparatus (50). The second connector (30) includes a second terminal (33) electrically connected to the first terminal (13) and a fuse (35) being electrically connected to the second terminal (33). In a state where the first connector (10) and the second connector (30) are assembled with each other, the first terminal (13) and the second terminal (33) are electrically connected to each other.
US09698541B2
An electrical receptacle connector includes a metallic shell, an insulated housing, a plurality of first receptacle terminals, a plurality of second receptacle terminals, and a rear cover plate. The insulated housing is received in the receiving cavity. The first receptacle terminals and the second receptacle terminals are respectively disposed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the insulated housing. The rear cover plate includes a baffle plate and a connecting portion formed at one of two sides of the baffle plate and connected to the rear of the metallic shell. The rear cover plate is closeable and openable, so that the soldering condition between the first receptacle terminals and contacts of a circuit board can be checked when the rear cover plate is opened.
US09698535B2
Connector inserts and receptacles that provide signal paths having desired impedance characteristics. One example may provide a connector system having a connector insert and a connector receptacle. Contacts in the connector insert may form signal paths with corresponding contacts in the connector receptacle. Additional traces in the connector insert and receptacle may be part of these signal paths. The signal paths may have a target or a desired impedance along their lengths such that the power paths electrically appear as transmission lines. Constraints on physical dimensions of the connector insert and connector receptacle contacts may result in variations in impedance along the signal paths. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide structures to reduce these variations, to compensate for these variations, or a combination thereof.
US09698529B1
A cable holder includes a holder body and cable-holding portions that couple with one or more cables. The cable-holding portions hold portions of two or more cables in a predetermined spacing and arrangement with respect to one another.
US09698527B2
An electrical connector assembly includes: an insulative housing defining a receiving room; an arrangement module assembled on a rear end of the insulative housing and defining a riveting slot on a rear end thereof; a number of contacts retained in the receiving room and exposing to a rear end of the arrangement; a metal case enclosing the insulative housing and the arrangement module and having a riveting arm riveted into the riveting slot to fix the metal case on the insulative housing; and a reinforcing member assembled in the arrangement module and disposed near the riveting slot.
US09698518B1
A wire connector kit and a method of protecting an electrical connection comprising a wire connector and a source of expandable sealant wherein the expandable sealant is injected into a wire connector after the electrical connection has been formed with the expandable sealant undergoing an in situ internal expansion from a site proximate the electrical connection to encapsulate and protect the electrical junction from the environment or through forming a sealant plug in a housing through an in situ expansion of the sealant plug to protect an electrical connection cocooned within the housing by the sealant plug.
US09698517B2
A connector (10A) includes a main body (300) with a wire pull-out surface (66) through which wires (100) are pulled out and a wire cover (50) mounted on the main body (300). The wire cover (50) includes a back plate (51) and two covering portions (53) projecting from opposite ends of the back plate (51) to face each other and cover the wires (100) from opposite sides. The covering portions (53) have an opening (55) configured to expose parts of the wires (100) when viewed in the facing direction at a position overlapping a formation area of the wire pull-out surface (66). A mounting portion (59) extends from an edge of the opening (55) to the back plate (51) and is configured such that a binding band (75) for fixing the wires (100) is mounted thereon.
US09698509B2
A connector which makes it possible to prevent an object to be connected from being easily removed therefrom. When a flexible printed wiring board is inserted into an insertion portion from an insertion slot of a housing, abutment portions of an operation member are pushed and rotated by the flexible printed wiring board, and are moved in a direction away from the insertion portion, and an operation portion of the operation member is rotated, whereby movable arm portions of first contacts and second contacts are moved in the direction away from the insertion portion. When the flexible printed wiring board is inserted to a predetermined position in the insertion portion, locking portions of the abutment portions are inserted in receiving portions of the housing through receiving portions of the flexible printed wiring board, and the movable arm portions are moved in a direction approaching to the insertion portion.
US09698506B2
An electric connection structure electrically connecting an electric device and a circuit board includes a connection terminal including a press-welded terminal portion welded to a device terminal of the electric device by pressing, and a press-fit terminal portion fitted in a through-hole of the circuit board by pressing. A direction of the pressing of the press-welded terminal portion against the device terminal is the same as a direction of the pressing of the press-fit terminal portion into the through-hole.
US09698497B2
A repair sleeve has first and second end portions, each of which has a substantially cylindrical outer surface. The end portions are bored to receive a cable of a particular diameter. The inner surface of each end portion may be stepped or tapered. The center portion of the repair sleeve, between the two end portions, has an interior diameter substantially larger than the nominal diameter of the cable so that the repair sleeve can be use on a frayed cable or a cable with a failing splice. The repair sleeve is split longitudinally into two interlocking portions, which, when separated, allows the damaged cable or failing splice under repair to be inserted into a first one of the portions in a radial direction. The other portion is then inserted into the first portion and the repair sleeve is swaged onto the cable.
US09698496B2
A crimp terminal includes a core-wire crimping part that crimps a core wire including strands of an electrical wire so as to surround the core wire from the outside. The core-wire crimping part is provided, on its surface for arranging the core wire thereon, with serrations extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the core wire. The serrations include central serration parts and end serration parts which are arranged on respective surfaces that face each other when the core-wire crimping part is crimped to the core wire and which have protruding cross-sectional shapes. The central serration parts and the end serration parts are arranged at respective positions deviated from each other in the axial direction of the core wire.
US09698487B2
In a multilayer substrate, eight front-side antenna portions and eight back-side antenna portions are disposed. Front-side radiation elements in the front-side antenna portions and back-side radiation elements in the back-side antenna portions are arranged in a staggered pattern when being vertically projected onto an back side of the multilayer substrate. The front-side radiation elements are disposed on a front side of the multilayer substrate, and a front-side ground layer is formed near the back side of the multilayer substrate. On the other hand, the back-side radiation elements are disposed on the back side of the multilayer substrate, and a back-side ground layer is formed near the front side of the multilayer substrate. The front-side radiation element and the back-side radiation element are disposed so as not to overlap each other when being vertically projected onto the back side of the multilayer substrate.
US09698484B1
The invention relates to a method for automatically adjusting a plurality of tunable passive antennas, for instance a plurality of tunable passive antennas of a radio transceiver using several antennas simultaneously. The invention also relates to an automatically tunable antenna array using this method. An automatically tunable antenna array of the invention has 4 user ports, and comprises: 4 tunable passive antennas, the 4 tunable passive antennas operating simultaneously in a given frequency band and forming a multiport antenna array; 4 sensing units; 4 feeders; a signal processing unit delivering a tuning instruction; and a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving the tuning instruction from the signal processing unit, the tuning control unit delivering tuning control signals to the tunable passive antennas, the tuning control signals being determined as a function of the tuning instruction.
US09698479B2
A method and apparatus for electronically steering an antenna system. The apparatus comprises a dielectric substrate, a plurality of radiating spokes, and a number of surface wave feeds. The plurality of radiating spokes is arranged radially with respect to a center point of the dielectric substrate. Each radiating spoke in the plurality of radiating spokes forms a surface wave channel configured to constrain a path of a surface wave. Each of the number of surface wave feeds couples at least one corresponding radiating spoke in the plurality of radiating spokes to a transmission line that carries a radio frequency signal.
US09698477B1
A cell tower is manufactured from a steel plate that is pressed into a polygon form, such as a 12-sided polygon or a 16-sided polygon. The tower is designed for direct embedding into the ground or attachment to a buried portion. The base portion contains apertures sized to permit the installation of an equipment rack directly into the interior of the tower. Other apertures in the tower provide handholes for installation of the equipment, backup batteries, and cabling. The top section of the cell tower includes mounting members for one or more sets of cellular radio antennas and/or microwave antennas. The antennas, and associated remote radio units, are mounted to the top of the cell tower and are hidden from view by one or more shrouds. The shrouds provide a visible barrier, but have minimal impact on the radio frequency characteristics.
US09698459B2
A substrate-based circuit (31) provides a carrier substrate (2), wherein a bond layer (5) is embodied on at least one part of the carrier substrate (2), and wherein a contact layer (6) which forms at least one conductor line (7) and/or at least one antenna element (8) is embodied on at least one first part (51) of the bond layer (5). The carrier substrate (2) provides at least one fastening element (20), which is deposited at the outer region of the carrier substrate (2) and projects beyond the outer region of the carrier substrate (2).
US09698453B2
Disclosed herein is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a sensor head section, a base section, a telescoping section, and an electronic component. The base section is connected to the sensor head section. The telescoping section includes a first end and a second end. The telescoping section is connected to the base section. The electronic component is proximate the first end of the telescoping section. The electronic component is protected from making contact with high current, electrically conductive battery elements and configured to sense battery parameters.
US09698449B2
A connection mode of a plurality of arbitrarily connected storage units is detected and the plurality of storage units is controlled according to the detected connection mode.Six storage modules MOD1 to MOD6 are connected in series. A total voltage V(Total) and individual output voltages V(1) to V(6) of respective storage modules are supplied to an output controller ICNT. A controller PR of the output controller ICNT determines the connection mode depending on whether a determination equation is satisfied. When the number of storage modules is set to N, the total output voltage is set to V(Total), the individual output voltages are set to V(1), V(2), . . . , and V(N), and the number of parallels of the connection mode is set to M, (determination equation: V(1)=V(2)= . . . =V(N)=(1/M)×V(Total)) is used. When the determination equation is satisfied, (N/M) parallel M series is determined.
US09698446B2
According to one embodiment, a solid electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a solid electrolyte layer. The solid electrolyte layer includes a lithium-ion conducting oxide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, N, F and S, wherein a total content of the element in the lithium-ion conducting oxide is 0.05% by mass or more and 1% by mass or less.
US09698440B2
A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack, a reformer, and a hydrodesulfurizer. A fuel gas is supplied to the fuel cell stack through a fuel gas supply channel, and the reformer and the hydrodesulfurizer are provided for the fuel gas supply channel. A fuel exhaust gas is discharged from the fuel cell stack into a fuel exhaust gas channel, and a recycling channel is connected to the fuel exhaust gas channel, for circulating some of the fuel exhaust gas to return to a position of the fuel gas supply channel, the position provided upstream of the reformer and the hydrodesulfurizer.
US09698437B2
A method for operating a fuel cell stack (10) for a fuel cell system, in particular of a vehicle, in which by reversing the flow direction (14, 16) of a coolant during a cooling operation, the coolant in the fuel cell stack (10) is initially conveyed in a first direction (14). The coolant is subsequently conveyed in a second direction (16) which is at least substantially opposite to the first direction (14). A time period, after the elapse of which the flow direction (14, 16) is reversed, is changed during the cooling operation. In addition, a distance at which a coolant volume is situated from a heat source (12) that is present in the fuel cell stack (10) may be changed during the cooling operation. The invention further relates to a fuel cell system.
US09698433B2
A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, a separator, and a sealing member. The sealing member is provided on a separator surface and includes a base seal portion, a protruding seal portion, a first recessed portion, and a second recessed portion. The protruding seal portion protrudes from the base seal portion in a stacking direction so as to block leakage of at least one of a fuel gas, an oxidant gas, and a coolant which flow along the separator surface. The first recessed portion is disposed on a first side of the protruding seal portion. The second recessed portion is disposed on a second side of the protruding seal portion opposite to the first recessed portion. The first recessed portion and the second recessed portion have a height in the stacking direction smaller than a height of the base seal portion in the stacking direction.
US09698432B2
A fuel cell includes three membrane-electrode assemblies. and first and second bipolar metal plates interposed between the membrane-electrode assemblies. Each of the bipolar plates comprises two metal sheets facing a respective membrane-electrode assembly and fixedly attached by welds. The two metal sheets comprise successive guiding channels for guiding gas extending in a common longitudinal direction. The guiding channels are distributed in a transversal direction The welds are made in bottoms of the guiding channel and include welds of the first bipolar plate and welds of the second bipolar plate. Some of the welds of the first bipolar plate are not superimposed on the welds of the second bipolar plate and are offset longitudinally and transversally relative to the welds of the second bipolar plate.
US09698431B2
Resinous fibers of nanometer to micrometer width dimensions are drawn from a multi-component system by a melt extrusion process. The process includes a step of combining a fiber resin with a water-soluble carrier resin to form a resinous mixture. The resinous mixture is extruded to form an extruded resinous mixture, the extruded resinous mixture having strands of the fiber resin with the carrier resin. The extruded resinous mixture is then contacted with water to separate the strands of the fiber resin from the carrier resin. An electrically conductive fibrous sheet is then formed from the strands of fiber resin. The fibrous sheets are useful as diffusion layers in fuel cells.
US09698421B2
The present invention relates to an active cathode material of the general formula (I): MxN iaM1bM2cO2 (I) in which the variables are each defined as follows: M is an alkali metal, M1 is V, Cr, Mn, Fe or Co, M2 is Ge, Sn, Ti or Zr, x is in the range from 0.5 to 0.8, a is in the range from 0.1 to 0.4, b is in the range from 0.05 to 0.6, c is in the range from 0.05 to 0.6, wherein a+b+c=1. The present invention further relates to an electrode material comprising said active cathode material, to electrodes produced from or using said electrode material and to a rechargeable electrochemical cell comprising at least one electrode. The present invention further relates to a process for preparing said active cathode material of the general formula (I).
US09698419B1
A battery with improved properties is provided. The battery has a cathode material prepared by the complexometric formulation methodology comprising MnXp wherein: Mj is at least one positive ion selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition metals and n represents the moles of said positive ion per mole of said MjXp; and Xp is a negative anion or polyanion selected from Groups IIIA, IV A, VA, VIA and VIIA and may be one or more anion or polyanion and p representing the moles of said negative ion per moles of said MjXp. The battery has a discharge capacity at the 1000th discharge cycle of at least 120 mAh/g at room temperature at a discharge rate of 1 C when discharged from at least 4.6 volts to at least 2.0 volts.
US09698414B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode composite material layer containing first positive electrode active material particles containing a lithium nickel composite oxide, second positive electrode active material particles containing lithium iron phosphate, and a conductive material. A ratio of the second positive electrode active material particles in a total mass of the first positive electrode active material particles and the second positive electrode active material particles is not lower than 5 mass % and not higher than 20 mass %. A standard deviation σ representing distribution of an iron element satisfies a condition of 0.28≦σ≦0.52 when distribution of the iron element is determined by conducting area analysis with an electron probe microanalyzer in a cross-section of the positive electrode composite material layer.
US09698409B2
[Object] It is an object to provide an injection method for injecting an electrolyte and an electrolyte injection apparatus which allow the electrolyte to be injected and filled into an electrode assembly within an outer can with favorable permeation, thereby easily manufacturing an electrolyte secondary battery having favorable cycle characteristics at good yield.[Solution] A solution injection nozzle 10 is inserted into a solution injection hole 101 of an outer can 100 in which an electrode assembly 110 is stored, and the solution injection hole 101 is hermetically sealed by a pressure reducing pad 11 provided so as to surround a periphery of the solution injection nozzle 10. An inside of the outer can 100 is made into a negative pressure through the pressure reducing pad 11, and an electrolyte L is supplied from the solution injection nozzle 10 into the outer can 100. The outer can 100 is rotated with the solution injection nozzle 10 as a rotation center.
US09698396B2
The present disclosure relates to a separator for a secondary battery including a dual porous coating layer of inorganic particles with different surface characteristics, a secondary battery including the same, and a method of manufacturing the separator. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a separator including a porous substrate, a first porous coating layer, and a second porous coating layer is provided. According to the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a separator including forming a first slurry, forming a second slurry, forming a first porous coating layer, and forming a second porous coating layer is provided. A separator according to the present disclosure has uniform dispersion of inorganic particles in a coating layer of the separator, and adsorbs an excess of metal ions generated in the battery when the battery is out of a normal operating temperature range, thereby ensuring safety of the battery.
US09698391B2
A power storage device includes a plurality of power storage modules, a first connecting plate, and a second connecting plate. Each of the plurality of power storage modules includes a plurality of power storage cells, a first end plate, and a second end plate. The first end plate includes a first main plate and a first sub-plate. The first sub-plate includes a first securing hole. The first main plate and the first sub-plate are provided to be connected to each other in at least two positional relationships with different positions of the first securing hole. The first connecting plate includes a first reference securing hole aligned with the first securing hole. The first securing hole is secured to the first reference securing hole by a first securing member.
US09698386B2
A method of increasing a work function of an electrode is provided. The method comprises obtaining an electronegative species from a precursor using electromagnetic radiation and reacting a surface of the electrode with the electronegative species. An electrode comprising a functionalized substrate is also provided.
US09698375B2
A flexible display apparatus including: a first film including a first surface and a second surface that are opposite each other, and a first groove formed in the first surface, the first film having a first rigidity; a third film on the second surface of the first film; a fourth film facing the third film; an emission display unit between and encapsulated by the third film and the fourth film; and a second film on the fourth film and facing the first film, the second film having a second rigidity that is less than the first rigidity.
US09698369B2
The present invention discloses a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The display panel comprises a first substrate divided into a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area, a plurality of sub-pixel units are provided on a part of the first substrate corresponding to the display area, a photo spacer is provided between two adjacent sub-pixel units and comprises a base and a plurality of protruding structures provided on the base, and the base is made from material including In+ ions which are replaceable with H+ ions. For the display panel, the photo spacers are manufactured using Haze phenomenon generated by contacting ITO thin film with ionized H2, so as to provide support between the encapsulation substrate and the evaporated substrate encapsulated by frit seal and effectively protect the OLED devices from damage, and therefore, the display panel has better performance.
US09698368B2
A FET is formed on a semiconductor substrate, a curved surface having a radius of curvature is formed on an upper end of an insulation, a portion of a first electrode is exposed corresponding to the curved surface to form an inclined surface, and a region defining a luminescent region is subjected to etching to expose the first electrode. Luminescence emitted from an organic chemical compound layer is reflected by the inclined surface of the first electrode to increase a total quantity of luminescence taken out in a certain direction.
US09698366B2
Provided are a substrate for an organic electronic device (OED), an organic electronic system, a method of manufacturing the system or substrate, and lighting. The substrate for an OED may be increased in durability by preventing penetration of an external material such as moisture or oxygen, and thus an organic electronic system having excellent light extraction efficiency may be formed. In addition, since the substrate may be stably attached to an encapsulating structure sealing the organic electronic system, the device may have excellent durability with respect to abrasion of an electrode layer or pressure applied from an external environment. In addition, surface hardness of an external terminal of the organic electronic system may be maintained at a suitable level.
US09698365B2
A light-emitting element having high external quantum efficiency is provided. A light-emitting element having a long lifetime is provided. A light-emitting layer is provided between a pair of electrodes. The light-emitting layer is a stack of a first light-emitting layer, which contains at least a first phosphorescent compound, a first organic compound having an electron-transport property, and a second organic compound having a hole-transport property and is provided on the anode side, and a second light-emitting layer, which contains at least a second phosphorescent compound and the first organic compound having an electron-transport property. A combination of the first organic compound and the second organic compound forms an exciplex.
US09698364B2
An organic thin film transistor, a preparing method thereof, and a preparation equipment. The preparation equipment of an organic thin film transistor comprises: forming a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an organic semiconductor layer, and source-drain electrodes on a substrate; the step of forming the organic semiconductor layer comprises: blade-coating a solution in which an organic semiconductor material used to forming the organic semiconductor layer is dissolved to form the organic semiconductor layer. The preparing method can avoid the difference between the edge and the center of the substrate caused by the impact of centripetal force when a spin-coating method is applied, so that the yield of the organic thin film transistor devices is improved.
US09698362B2
Disclosed is a rollable organic light emitting display system capable of protecting an organic light emitting display device from an external impact. The rollable organic light emitting display system has an organic light emitting diode layer between two substrates, wherein the two substrates are capable of being rolled or unrolled, includes a protection film covering a lateral surface of at least one of the substrates so as to prevent the lateral surface of the at least one substrate from being damaged by an external impact when the two substrates are unrolled and the lateral surface of the two substrates is exposed to the external.
US09698361B2
Disclosed is an organic EL panel translucent substrate that can prevent or reduce the color gap/coloring of an organic EL panel. In order to achieve the above object, organic EL panel translucent substrate 201 is formed of resins 203 and 204 and is substantially optically isotropic in its in-plane direction and thickness direction.
US09698335B2
A piezoelectric actuator device, with at least one piezoelectric transducer which has at least one piezoelectric body and an electrode unit assigned to this piezoelectric body, with overall capacitance and including two electrodes lying opposite one another. At least one of the two electrodes of the electrode unit is divided into several individual sub-electrodes, spaced apart from one another and forming with the electrode lying opposite several sub-electrode pairs defining in each case a partial capacitance of the overall capacitance. A separate current-limiting resistor active during charge flow is connected in series to each sub-electrode pair. A valve, for controlling a fluid, is equipped with such an actuator device.
US09698331B2
The invention relates to a thermoelectric heat exchanger, comprising two pipes, wherein a first pipe encloses a second pipe. In a thermoelectric heat exchanger which has a high level of efficiency, a thermoelectric material unit is arranged between the first and second pipes, preferably without mechanical contact with said first and second pipes, and a first fluid flows around the first pipe from the outside, while a second fluid flows through the second pipe.
US09698330B2
The invention relates to a thermoelectric device, comprising pipes (8), called hot pipes, through which a first fluid can flow, and elements (3p, 3n), called thermoelectric elements, that can be used to generate an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient. According to the invention, it comprises fins (5p, 5n) that can be configured in a heat exchange relationship with pipes (9), called cold pipes, through which a second fluid can flow at a temperature lower than that of the first fluid, and in that the thermoelectric elements (3p, 3n) are in contact, on the one hand, with the hot pipes (8) and, on the other hand, with the fins (5p, 5n), such that said thermoelectric elements (3p, 3n) generate said current.
US09698325B2
A light-emitting device comprises a substrate; a plurality of light-emitting diodes formed on the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes comprises a first conductivity type layer, an active layer on the first conductivity type layer, and a second conductivity type layer on the active layer; a reflective layer surrounding a sidewall of each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes; and a top electrode formed on the reflective layer and the plurality of light-emitting diodes.
US09698324B2
A light emitting device includes a package including a resin member having an inner side surface defining a recess, and a lead frame supported by the resin member and arranged at a bottom surface of the recess; and a light emitting element electrically connected to the lead frame. An outer side surface of the resin member at a portion corresponding to the recess is at least partially covered with a reflective film.
US09698320B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a polyhedral polysiloxane composition that has high heat resistance and high light resistance, is excellent in gas-barrier properties and thermal shock resistance, and exhibits good handleability when used to encapsulate an optical semiconductor device. The polyhedral polysiloxane composition of the present invention is characterized by including a modified polyhedral polysiloxane which is obtained by hydrosilylation of an alkenyl group-containing polyhedral polysiloxane compound (a) and a hydrosilyl group-containing compound (b) and has a structure derived from an organic silicon compound (a′) having one alkenyl group per molecule.
US09698317B2
The light emitting device includes: an ultraviolet light emitting diode emitting light in an ultraviolet wavelength region; and blue phosphors, green phosphors, and red phosphors excited by the ultraviolet light emitting diode, wherein white light is formed by synthesis of the light emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode, light emitted from the blue phosphors, light emitted from the green phosphors, and light emitted from the red phosphors, the white light includes ultraviolet light, green light, blue light, and red light, an intensity of a peak wavelength of the green light is in a range of 1.8 to 2.1 times the intensity of a peak wavelength of the blue light, and an intensity of a peak wavelength of the red light is in a range of 2.8 to 3.1 times the intensity of the peak wavelength of the blue light.
US09698314B2
A process for synthesizing a color stable Mn4+ doped phosphor includes contacting a precursor of formula I, in gaseous form at an elevated temperature with a fluorine-containing oxidizing agent to form the color stable Mn4+ doped phosphor Ax[MFy]:Mn4+ I wherein A is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, NR4 or a combination thereof; M is Si, Ge, Sn, Ti, Zr, Al, Ga, In, Sc, Hf, Y, La, Nb, Ta, Bi, Gd, or a combination thereof; R is H, lower alkyl, or a combination thereof; x is the absolute value of the charge of the [MFy] ion; and y is 5, 6 or 7.
US09698309B2
A method for fabricating Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) compatible contact layers in semiconductor devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, a nickel (Ni) layer is deposited on a p-type gallium nitride (GaN) layer of a GaN based structure. Further, the GaN based structure is thermally treated at a temperature range of 350° C. to 500° C. Furthermore, the Ni layer is removed using an etchant. Additionally, a CMOS compatible contact layer is deposited on the p-type GaN layer, upon removal of the Ni layer.
US09698307B2
A side-view type light emitting device having a bottom surface thereof as a light emission surface and one side surface thereof as amounting surface for mounting on amounting substrate includes a stacked semiconductor layer having a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer which are stacked in that order from a side of the bottom surface; a first connecting electrode exposed from the one side surface and electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer; a metal wire having one end thereof electrically connected to an upper surface of the second semiconductor layer; a second connecting electrode exposed from the one side surface and electrically connected to the other end of the metal wire; and a resin layer which covers at least a part of each of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer, the first connecting electrode, the second connecting electrode and the metal wire and which is configured to form an upper surface and side surfaces of the light emitting device.
US09698302B2
A method for manufacturing on a compound glass substrate a multi-colored LED for use in a video display board includes preparing a first masking layer on a compound glass substrate; depositing a first-color epitaxial layer on the first-color LED growing region and the first masking layer, to form a first-color LED; removing the first masking layer and the first-color epitaxial layer on the first masking layer; preparing a second masking layer, wherein the second masking layer is used to mask another region except a second-color LED growing region; depositing a second-color epitaxial layer on the second-color LED growing region and the second masking layer, to form a second-color LED; removing the second masking layer and the second-color epitaxial layer on the second masking layer; and grinding, cleaning, and performing an electrical test on a surface of the compound glass substrate.
US09698297B2
A method produces a light-receiving device by growing a light-receiving layer having an undoped multi-quantum well structure; growing a cap layer on the light-receiving layer while the cap layer is doped with a p-type impurity during its growth; growing a mesa structure; growing a protective film on surfaces of the mesa structure; and annealing to form a p-n junction. The mesa structure is defined by a surrounding trench. Alternatively, a selective growth mask can be formed on the light-receiving layer whereafter the cap layer is grown on the light-receiving layer by use of the mask. In the alternative, the p-n junction is formed by diffusing p-type impurity from a p-type contact layer of the cap layer through a concentration adjusting layer thereof to the light-receiving layer.
US09698293B2
A solar cell module having an interconnector and a method of fabricating the same are disclosed. The solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells and an interconnector including a first area electrically connected to one of two adjacent solar cells of the plurality of solar cells, a second area electrically connected to the other of the two adjacent solar cells, and a third area connecting the first area to the second area. At least one of the first area and the second area of the interconnector has at least one uneven surface, and the third area of the interconnector has a substantially planarized surface.
US09698292B2
In various embodiments, a tabbing ribbon for connecting at least one solar cell is provided, wherein the tabbing ribbon at least partially extends in a non-planar manner and includes a non-planar section.
US09698283B2
Materials and methods for fabrication of rear tabbing, front busbar, and fine grid line layers for silicon based photovoltaic cells are disclosed. Materials include conductive metallization pastes that contain core-shell nickel based particles.
US09698277B2
A transistor with stable electrical characteristics is provided. The transistor includes a first insulator over a substrate; first to third oxide insulators over the first insulator; a second insulator over the third oxide insulator; a first conductor over the second insulator; and a third insulator over the first conductor. An energy level of a conduction band minimum of each of the first and second oxide insulators is closer to a vacuum level than that of the oxide semiconductor is. An energy level of a conduction band minimum of the third oxide insulator is closer to the vacuum level than that of the second oxide insulator is. The first insulator contains oxygen. The number of oxygen molecules released from the first insulator measured by thermal desorption spectroscopy is greater than or equal to 1E14 molecules/cm2 and less than or equal to 1E16 molecules/cm2.
US09698271B2
To provide a semiconductor device having a structure with which the device can be easily manufactured even if the size is decreased and which can suppress a decrease in electrical characteristics caused by the decrease in the size, and a manufacturing method thereof. A source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are formed on an upper surface of an oxide semiconductor layer. A side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer and a side surface of the source electrode layer are provided on the same surface and are electrically connected to a first wiring. Further, a side surface of the oxide semiconductor layer and a side surface of the drain electrode layer are provided on the same surface and are electrically connected to a second wiring.
US09698265B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide transistor structures having strained channel regions. Strain is created through lattice mismatches in the source and drain regions relative to the channel region of the transistor. In embodiments of the invention, the transistor channel regions are comprised of germanium, silicon, a combination of germanium and silicon, or a combination of germanium, silicon, and tin and the source and drain regions are comprised of a doped III-V compound semiconductor material. Embodiments of the invention are useful in a variety of transistor structures, such as, for example, trigate, bigate, and single gate transistors and transistors having a channel region comprised of nanowires or nanoribbons.
US09698263B2
Surface tension modification using silane with hydrophobic functional group for thin film deposition
A semiconductor structure that includes crystalline surfaces and amorphous hydrophilic surfaces is provided. The hydrophilic surfaces are treated with silane that includes a hydrophobic functional group, converting the hydrophilic surfaces to hydrophobic surfaces. Chemical vapor deposition or other suitable deposition methods are used to simultaneously deposit a material on both surfaces and due to the surface treatment, the deposited material exhibits superior adherence qualities on both surfaces. In one embodiment, the structure is an opening formed in a semiconductor substrate and bounded by at least one portion of a crystalline silicon surface and at least one portion of an amorphous silicon oxide structure.
US09698262B2
A vertical FinFET semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the semiconductor device includes a current-blocking structure formed over a semiconductor structure and a semiconductor fin formed on the current-blocking structure. The current blocking structure includes a first layer of a first conductive type, a layer of a second conductive type over the first layer, and a second layer of the first conductive type over the layer of the second conductive type. The semiconductor fin has a doped bottom portion contacting the current-blocking structure, a doped top portion formed vertically opposite to the doped bottom portion and a channel portion vertically interposed between the doped bottom portion and the doped top portion.
US09698257B2
The symmetric LDMOS transistor comprises a semiconductor substrate (1), a well (2) of a first type of conductivity in the substrate, and wells (3) of an opposite second type of conductivity. The wells (3) of the second type of conductivity are arranged at a distance from one another. Source/drain regions (4) are arranged in the wells of the second type of conductivity. A gate dielectric (7) is arranged on the substrate, and a gate electrode (8) on the gate dielectric. A doped region (10) of the second type of conductivity is arranged between the wells of the second type of conductivity at a distance from the wells. The gate electrode has a gap (9) above the doped region (10), and the gate electrode overlaps regions that are located between the wells (3) of the second type of conductivity and the doped region (10).
US09698255B2
A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having at least a gate structure thereon and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer surrounding the gate structure, wherein the gate structure comprises a hard mask thereon; forming a dielectric layer on the gate structure and the ILD layer; removing part of the dielectric layer to expose the hard mask and the ILD layer; and performing a surface treatment to form a doped region in the hard mask and the ILD layer.
US09698252B1
An improved FinFET has a gate structure on only a portion of the available surface on a fin, thereby providing a FinFET with a finer granularity width dimension. To form the FinFET, a first etch-resistant sacrificial layer and a second etch-resistant spacer layer are formed on the fin. The spacer layer is etched anisotropically to remove the spacer layer from the top and upper sidewalls of the fin while leaving the spacer layer on the lower sidewalls of the FinFET. A gate dielectric and conducting layer are then deposited and shaped to form a structure that is effective as a gate only on the top and upper sidewalls of the fin.
US09698250B2
A method for etching a dielectric layer located on the surface of a three-dimensional structure formed on a face of a substrate oriented along a plane of a substrate, which includes a step of implanting ions so as to directionally create a top layer in the dielectric layer. Such top layer is thus not formed everywhere. Then, the layer in question is removed, except on the predefined zones, such as flanks of a transistor gate. A selective etching of the dielectric layer is executed relative to the material of the residual part of the top layer and relative to the material of the face of the substrate.
US09698249B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure having an insulating layer positioning on a substrate; a semiconductor fin partially located in the insulating layer; and a metal gate over the semiconductor fin and the insulating layer. The semiconductor fin includes a first region including a first lattice constant and a second region in proximity to the metal gate, including a second lattice constant. At least one dislocation is located only in the second region of the semiconductor fin. The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure, including forming a gate over a first semiconductor layer, removing a portion of the first semiconductor layer in proximity to a sidewall of the gate and obtaining a recess, and forming a second semiconductor layer in the recess. At least one dislocation is in-situ formed in the second semiconductor layer without extending to the first semiconductor layer.
US09698246B1
A laterally diffused MOS (LDMOS) device includes a substrate having a p-epi layer thereon. A p-body region is in the p-epi layer. An ndrift (NDRIFT) region is within the p-body region providing a drain extension region, and a gate dielectric layer is formed over a channel region in the p-body region adjacent to and on respective sides of a junction with the NDRIFT region, and a patterned gate electrode on the gate dielectric. A DWELL region is within the p-body region, sidewall spacers are on sidewalls of the gate electrode, a source region is within the DWELL region, and a drain region is within the NDRIFT region. The p-body region includes a portion being at least one 0.5 μm wide that has a net p-type doping level above a doping level of the p-epi layer and a net p-type doping profile gradient of at least 5/μm.
US09698234B2
Exemplary embodiments provide for fabricating a field effect transistor (FET) with an interface layer for a gate stack using an O3 post treatment. Aspects of the exemplary embodiments include: forming a semiconductor body upon a substrate; cleaning the surface of the semiconductor body; depositing a first dielectric layer on the semiconductor body; performing an O3 treatment to form a new interface layer that incorporates material from the substrate and material from the first dielectric layer; and performing gate stack processing, including deposition of a gate electrode.
US09698224B2
A method of forming a finFET device comprises forming a fin in a silicon layer of a substrate, forming a hardmask layer on a top surface of the fin, forming an insulating layer over the fin and the hardmask layer, removing a portion of the insulating layer to expose a portion of the hardmask layer, removing the exposed portion of the hardmask layer to form a cavity that exposes a portion of the silicon layer of the fin, epitaxially growing a silicon germanium (SiGe) material on exposed portions of the silicon layer of the fin in the cavity, and annealing the grown SiGe to drive germanium atoms into the silicon layer of the fin.
US09698222B2
Techniques are disclosed for forming a defect-free semiconductor structure on a dissimilar substrate with a multi-aspect ratio mask. The multi-aspect ratio mask comprises a first, second, and third layer formed on a substrate. The second layer has a second opening wider than a first opening and a third opening in the first and third layers, respectively. All three openings are centered along a common central axis. A semiconductor material is grown from the top surface of the substrate and laterally onto the top surface of the first layer within the second opening. The semiconductor material disposed within and vertically below the third opening is etched by using the third layer as an etch mask so that the remaining material that laterally overflowed onto the top surface of the first layer forms a remaining structure.
US09698220B2
A MOSFET includes: a SiC layer including one main surface and provided with a plurality of contact regions; and a plurality of source electrodes formed in contact with the contact regions. In the MOSFET, in a plan view of the one main surface, a plurality of cells including the contact regions and the source electrodes are formed adjacent to one another, each of the plurality of cells having an outer circumferential shape that is a shape of hexagon including a long axis. According to the MOSFET, a contact resistance between each contact region and each source electrode can be further reduced, thereby attaining a more improved electrical property.
US09698210B2
A display device and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a first line extending in a first direction, a second line extending in a second direction, and a storage capacitor electrically connected to at least one of the first line and the second line. The first line includes a first metal pattern layer extending in the first direction, an intermediate insulating layer formed over the first metal pattern layer, and a second metal pattern layer formed over the first metal pattern layer and the intermediate insulating layer. The second metal pattern layer extends in the first direction. The first line also includes a third metal pattern layer electrically connecting the first metal pattern layer to the second metal pattern layer via a contact hole.
US09698208B1
Array substrate, display panel and display apparatus having the same, and fabricating method thereof
The present application discloses an array substrate comprising a base substrate; and a plurality of rows of pixel units and a plurality of rows of reset signal lines on the base substrate, every two adjacent rows of pixel units share one reset signal line. Every two adjacent rows of pixel units and a reset signal line between the two adjacent rows of pixel units constitute a pixel unit group, each pixel unit group comprises a plurality of columns of pixel units. Each pixel unit comprises a reset thin film transistor, each reset thin film transistor comprises a conductive semiconductor layer on the base substrate, a first insulating layer on a side of the conductive semiconductor layer distal to the base substrate, a gate electrode on a side of the first insulating layer distal to the conductive semiconductor layer, a second insulating layer on a side of the gate electrode distal to the first insulating layer, a source/drain/metal electrode layer on a side of the second insulating layer distal to the gate electrode, and a source via, a drain via, and a metal electrode via; the conductive semiconductor layer comprises a first semiconductor electrode and a second semiconductor electrode, and the source/drain/metal electrode layer comprises a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a metal electrode. The metal electrode via is at a position corresponding to an area where the reset signal line and the second semiconductor electrode overlap in plan view of the substrate, the metal electrode via exposing part of the reset signal line and part of the second semiconductor electrode. The metal electrode within the metal electrode via is electrically connected to the reset signal line and the second semiconductor electrode, the second semiconductor electrode is electrically connected to two drain electrodes of the reset thin film transistor in two neighboring pixel units in a same column within a same pixel unit group through two corresponding drain vias. The source electrode is electrically connected to the first semiconductor electrode through the source via.
US09698206B2
An OLED apparatus includes: a substrate; a TFT on the substrate and comprising an active layer, a first interlayer insulating layer between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes and comprising an inorganic material; a second interlayer insulating layer between the first interlayer insulating layer and the source and drain electrodes and comprising an organic material; a first organic layer covering the source and drain electrodes; a second organic layer on the first organic layer; a capacitor comprising a first electrode comprising a same material as the gate electrode, and a second electrode comprising a same material as the source and drain electrodes; a pixel electrode in an opening in an area that does not overlap with the TFT and the capacitor, and contacting one of the source and drain electrodes; an emission layer on the pixel electrode; and an opposite electrode on the emission layer.
US09698202B2
Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) array includes line stack structures located over a substrate. The line stack structures are laterally spaced apart along a first horizontal direction, and extend along a second horizontal direction that is different from the first horizontal direction. Each line stack structure comprises an alternating plurality of word lines and bit lines. An intervening line stack including a memory material line structure, an intrinsic semiconductor material line structure, and a doped semiconductor material line structure is located between each vertically neighboring pair of a word line and a bit line within the alternating plurality of word lines and bit lines. A two-dimensional array of vertical selector lines functions as gate electrodes that activates a semiconductor channel between a word line and a bit line. Resistance of the memory material line structure contacting the activated semiconductor channel can be programmed and/or measured within the ReRAM array.
US09698200B2
A device and a method of forming a device are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate defined with first and second functional regions and first and second non-functional regions. The first non-functional region corresponds to a proximate memory region which is proximate to and surrounds the first functional region and the second non-functional region corresponds to an external logic circuit region which surrounds at least the second functional region. A magnetic memory element is formed in the first functional region and a logic element is formed in the second functional region. A plurality of magnetism controllable dummy structures are formed in the proximate memory region and external logic circuit region. The magnetism controllable dummy structures provide uniform magnetic field to the magnetic memory element and prevents electrical-magnetic interaction between the magnetic memory and logic elements on the same substrate.
US09698195B2
A method for producing an image pickup apparatus includes: a process of cutting an image pickup chip substrate where electrode pads are formed around each of the light receiving sections to fabricate image pickup chips; a process of bonding image pickup chips determined as non-defective products to a glass wafer to fabricate a joined wafer; a process of filling a sealing member among the image pickup chips on the joined wafer; a machining process including a thinning a thickness of the joined wafer to flatten a machining surface and a forming through-hole interconnections, each of which is connected to each of the electrode pads; a process of forming a plurality of external connection electrodes, each of which is connected to each of the electrode pads via each of the through-hole interconnections; and a process of cutting the joined wafer.
US09698189B2
The disclosure provides at least a photoelectric converter, and at least a photoelectric conversion system, including a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion layer and a pixel electrode; a first electrode that supplies a potential to each of the photoelectric conversion layers of a plurality of pixels in common, and a second electrode that supplies the potential to the first electrode. The pixel electrode is formed by metal and further includes an oxide conductive film disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09698185B2
Embodiments of an image sensor pixel that includes a photosensitive element, a floating diffusion region, and a transfer device. The photosensitive element is disposed in a substrate layer for accumulating an image charge in response to light. The floating diffusion region is dispose in the substrate layer to receive the image charge from the photosensitive element. The transfer device is disposed between the photosensitive element and the floating diffusion region to selectively transfer the image charge from the photosensitive element to the floating diffusion region. The transfer device includes a buried channel device including a buried channel gate disposed over a buried channel dopant region. The transfer device also includes a surface channel device including a surface channel gate disposed over a surface channel region. The surface channel device is in series with the buried channel device. The surface channel gate has the opposite polarity of the buried channel gate.
US09698183B2
A CMOS image sensor including: an array of M×N pixels, the pixels of a same column being connected to a same output track, each pixel including a photodiode, a sense node, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, and a read circuit; and a test circuit including an assembly of N elementary reference cells respectively connected to the N output tracks of the sensor, each cell including a resistor, a sense node, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, and a read circuit, the N resistors being series-connected between first and second nodes of application of a reference voltage.
US09698179B2
The present disclosure provides, in accordance with some illustrative embodiments, a capacitor structure comprising an active region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a MOSFET device comprising source and drain regions formed in the active region and a gate electrode formed above the active region, and a first electrode and a second electrode formed in a metallization layer above the MOSFET device, wherein the first electrode is electrically connected with the source and drain regions via respective source and drain contacts and the second electrode is electrically connected with the gate electrode via a gate contact.
US09698175B2
An LCD panel, an array substrate and a manufacturing method for TFT are disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming a first metal layer on the substrate, wherein the first metal layer includes an aluminum metal layer, an aluminum oxide layer and a molybdenum metal layer stacked sequentially; patterning the first metal layer to form a gate electrode of a TFT; sequentially forming a gate insulation layer, a semiconductor layer and an ohmic contact layer on the gate electrode; forming a second metal layer on the ohmic contact layer; and patterning the second metal layer to form a source electrode and a drain electrode of the TFT. The present invention can inhibit hillock generated by the aluminum metal layer in a high temperature environment, avoid the short circuit generated among the gate, the source and the drain electrodes of the TFT to ensure the display quality of an image.
US09698170B2
To reduce the amplitude voltage of control signals of a MEMS device. A semiconductor device includes a MEMS device, a first transistor, a second transistor whose source or drain is electrically connected to a source or a drain of the first transistor, a third transistor which sets the potential of a gate of the first transistor to a value at which the first transistor is turned on, a fourth transistor which sets the potential of the gate of the first transistor to a value at which the first transistor is turned off, and a fifth transistor which supplies a signal to a gate of the second transistor and a gate of the fourth transistor.
US09698167B2
Disclosed is a thin film transistor array panel including: a substrate including a display area and a peripheral area; a second semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate, and disposed on a first semiconductor layer disposed in the display area and the peripheral area; and a passivation layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, wherein the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer include an oxide semiconductor, and a thickness of the first semiconductor layer is different from that of the second semiconductor layer.
US09698145B1
A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided that includes the steps of: forming a structure including a substrate, a counter-doped layer on the substrate, and a heavily doped source contact layer on a side of the counter-doped layer opposite the substrate; and forming an oxide layer on a side of the heavily doped source contact layer opposite the counter-doped layer, wherein the oxide layer has a vertical dimension that is a difference between a length of a long channel thick oxide device and a length of a short channel non-thick oxide device.
US09698144B2
A Field Effect Transistor (FET) having a plurality of FET cells having a plurality of source pads, a plurality of drain pads, and a plurality of gate electrodes disposed on a surface of a substrate; each one of the FET cells having a corresponding one of the gate electrodes disposed between one of the source pads and one of the drain pads. The FET includes; a gate contact connected to the gate electrode of each one of the FET cells; a drain contact connected to the drain pad of each one of the FET cells; and a source contact connected to source pad of each one of the FET cells. The cells are disposed in a loop configuration.
US09698141B2
A semiconductor device includes a first nitride semiconductor layer having a first region, a second nitride semiconductor layer that is on the first nitride semiconductor layer and contains carbon and silicon, a third nitride semiconductor layer that is on the second nitride semiconductor layer and has a second region, a fourth nitride semiconductor layer on the third nitride semiconductor layer, the fourth nitride semiconductor layer having a band gap that is wider than a band gap of the third nitride semiconductor layer, a source electrode that is on the fourth nitride semiconductor layer and is electrically connected to the first region, a drain electrode that is on the fourth nitride semiconductor layer and is electrically connected to the second region, and a gate electrode that is on the fourth nitride semiconductor layer and is between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09698138B2
A power semiconductor device includes a first contact, a second contact, and a semiconductor volume disposed between the first contact and the second contact. The semiconductor volume includes an n-doped field stop layer configured to spatially delimit an electric field that in the semiconductor volume during operation of the power semiconductor device, a heavily p-doped zone and a neighboring heavily n-doped zone, which together form a tunnel diode. The tunnel diode is located in the vicinity of, or adjacent to, or within the field stop layer. The tunnel diode is configured to provide protection against damage to the device due to a rise of an electron flow in an abnormal operating condition, by the fast provision of holes. Further, a method for producing such devices is provided.
US09698130B2
In a connection system for electronic components (1) comprising a plurality of insulating layers (2) and conductive layers (3) and further comprising at least one embedded electronic component (4) embedded within at least one of the plurality of insulating layers (2) and conductive layers (3) the at least one embedded electronic component (4) is at least one first transistor having a bulk terminal thereof in thermal contact with a thermal duct (6) comprised of a plurality of vias (7) reaching through at least one of an insulating layer (2) and a conductive layer (3) of the connection system for electronic components (1) and emerging on a first outer surface (8) of the connection system for electronic components (1) under a first surface-mounted component (10).
US09698129B2
This invention discloses a device comprising multiple functional layers formed on substrates, wherein at least one functional layer comprises an electrical energy source. In some embodiments, the present invention includes a component for incorporation into ophthalmic lenses that has been formed by the stacking of multiple functionalized layers.
US09698099B2
A semiconductor structure includes a first conductive path and a second conductive path configured to carry a first pair of differential signals representative of an in-phase signal. The semiconductor device further includes a third conductive path and a fourth conductive path configured to carry a second pair of differential signals representative of a quadrature signal corresponding to the in-phase signal. The first and second conductive paths are in a conductive layer of the semiconductor structure, and the third and fourth conductive paths are in another conductive layer of the semiconductor structure.
US09698095B2
An interconnect structure and fabrication method are provided. A substrate can include a semiconductor device disposed therein. A porous dielectric layer can be formed on the substrate. A surface treatment can be performed to the porous dielectric layer to form an isolation layer on the porous dielectric layer to prevent moisture absorption of the porous dielectric layer. An interconnect can be formed at least through the isolation layer and the porous dielectric layer to provide electrical connection to the semiconductor device disposed in the substrate.
US09698093B2
A universal substrate for assembling ball grid array (BGA) type integrated circuit packages has a non-conducting matrix, an array of conducting vias extending between top and bottom surfaces of the matrix, and one or more instances of each of two or more different types of fiducial pairs on the top surface of the matrix. Each instance of each different fiducial pair indicates a location of a different via sub-array of the substrate for a different BGA package of a particular package size. The same substrate can be used to assemble BGA packages of different size, thereby avoiding having to design a different substrate for each different BGA package size.
US09698090B2
A semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The semiconductor substrate includes a substrate body having at least an opening formed on a surface thereof, wherein the surface of the substrate body and a wall of the opening are made of an insulating material; and a circuit layer formed on the surface of the substrate body, wherein the circuit layer covers an end of the opening and is electrically insulated from the opening. The opening facilitates to increase the thickness of the insulating structure between the circuit layer and the substrate body of a silicon material to prevent signal degradation when high frequency signals are applied to the circuit layer.
US09698086B2
Embodiments provide provides a chip package. The chip package may include a leadframe having a die pad and a plurality of lead fingers; a first chip attached to the die pad, the first chip being bonded to one or more of the lead fingers via a first set of wire bonds; a second chip bonded to one or more of the lead fingers via flip chip; and a heat slug attached to the second chip.
US09698079B2
A structure includes a die substrate; a passivation layer on the die substrate; first and second interconnect structures on the passivation layer; and a barrier on the passivation layer, at least one of the first or second interconnect structures, or a combination thereof. The first and second interconnect structures comprise first and second via portions through the passivation layer to first and second conductive features of the die substrate, respectively. The first and second interconnect structures further comprise first and second pads, respectively, and first and second transition elements on a surface of the passivation layer between the first and second via portion and the first and second pad, respectively. The barrier is disposed between the first pad and the second pad. The barrier does not fully encircle at least one of the first pad or the second pad.
US09698075B2
A microelectronic device includes semiconductor device with a component at a front surface of the semiconductor device and a backside heat spreader layer on a back surface of the semiconductor device. The backside heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K, and an electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters.
US09698070B2
In various embodiments, an arrangement is provided. The arrangement may include a plurality of chips; a chip carrier carrying the plurality of chips, the chip carrier including a chip carrier notch; and encapsulation material encapsulating the chip carrier and filling the chip carrier notch; wherein the outer circumference of the encapsulation material is free from a recess.
US09698065B2
An apparatus, a system and a method are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a wafer processing chamber. The apparatus further includes radiant heating elements disposed in different zones and operable to heat different portions of a wafer located within the wafer processing chamber. The apparatus further includes sensors disposed outside the wafer processing chamber and operable to monitor energy from the radiant heating elements disposed in the different zones. The apparatus further includes a computer configured to utilize the sensors to characterize the radiant heating elements disposed in the different zones and to provide a calibration for the radiant heating elements disposed in the different zones such that a substantially uniform temperature profile is maintained across a surface of the wafer.
US09698061B2
A method of forming a polysilicon resistor in replacement metal gate (RMG) processing of finFET devices includes forming a plurality of semiconductor fins over a buried oxide layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate; forming a trench in the buried oxide layer; forming a polysilicon layer over the semiconductor fins and in the trench, the polysilicon layer having a depression corresponding to a location of the trench; forming an insulating layer over the polysilicon layer, and performing a planarizing operation to remove the insulating layer except for a portion of the insulating layer formed in the depression, thereby defining a protective island; patterning the polysilicon layer to define both a dummy gate structure over the fins and the polysilicon resistor; and etching the polysilicon layer to remove the dummy gate structure, wherein the protective island prevents the polysilicon resistor from being removed.
US09698058B2
The present disclosure provides an embodiment of a fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET) device. The device includes a substrate having a first gate region, a first fin structure over the substrate in the first gate region. The first fin structure includes an upper semiconductor material member, a lower semiconductor material member, surrounded by an oxide feature and a liner wrapping around the oxide feature of the lower semiconductor material member, and extending upwards to wrap around a lower portion of the upper semiconductor material member. The device also includes a dielectric layer laterally proximate to an upper portion of the upper semiconductor material member. Therefore the upper semiconductor material member includes a middle portion that is neither laterally proximate to the dielectric layer nor wrapped by the liner.
US09698057B2
An integrated circuit device and method for manufacturing the integrated circuit device is disclosed. The disclosed method provides improved control over a surface proximity and tip depth of an integrated circuit device. In an embodiment, the method achieves improved control by forming a doped region and a lightly doped source and drain (LDD) region in a source and drain region of the device. The doped region is implanted with a dopant type opposite to the LDD region.
US09698056B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing pre-conductive lines and post-conductive lines for forming a first logic cell and a second logic cell, which are adjacent to each other, and a dummy cell and a third logic cell, which are adjacent to each other. A first conductive line, adjacent to the second logic cell, from among conductive lines of the first logic cell is spaced a first reference distance apart from a second conductive line, adjacent to the first logic cell, from among conductive lines of the second logic cell. A dummy line, which is adjacent to the third logic cell, from among conductive lines of the dummy cell is spaced a second reference distance apart from a third conductive line, which is adjacent to the dummy cell, from among conductive lines of the third logic cell. The second reference distance is greater than the first reference distance.
US09698052B2
In a method of manufacturing an element chip for manufacturing a plurality of element chips by dividing a substrate, where the protruding portions, which are exposed element electrodes, are formed on element regions, protection films made of fluorocarbon film are formed on a second surface and side surfaces of the element chip, and a first surface in a gap by exposing the element chip to second plasma after the substrate is divided by etching. Next, the protection films formed on the second surface and the side surfaces of the element chip are removed while leaving at least a part of the protection film formed in the gap by exposing the element chip to third plasma. Therefore, creep-up of a conductive material in a mounting step is suppressed by the left protection film.
US09698047B2
Semiconductor devices and method of manufacturing such semiconductor devices are provided for improved FinFET memory cells to avoid electric short often happened between metal contacts of a bit cell, where the meal contacts are positioned next to a dummy gate of a neighboring dummy edge cell. In one embodiment, during the patterning of a gate layer on a substrate surface, an improved gate slot pattern is used to extend the lengths of one or more gate slots adjacent bit lines so as to pattern and sectionalize a dummy gate line disposed next to metal contacts of an active memory cell. In another embodiment, during the patterning of gate lines, the distances between one or more dummy gates lines disposed adjacent an active memory cell are adjusted such that their locations within dummy edge cells are shifted in position to be away from metal contacts of the active memory cell.
US09698046B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide III-V-on-insulator (IIIVOI) platforms for semiconductor devices and methods for fabricating the same. According to one embodiment, compositionally-graded buffer layers of III-V alloy are grown on a silicon substrate, and a smart cut technique is used to cut and transfer one or more layers of III-V alloy to a silicon wafer having an insulator layer such as an oxide. One or more transferred layers of III-V alloy can be etched away to expose a desired transferred layer of III-V alloy, upon which a semi-insulating buffer layer and channel layer can be grown to yield IIIVOI platform on which semiconductor devices (e.g., planar and/or 3-dimensional FETs) can be fabricated.
US09698045B2
A semiconductor device and methods for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a polymer substrate and an interfacial layer over the polymer substrate. A buried oxide layer resides over the interfacial layer, and a device layer with at least a portion of a field effect device resides over the buried oxide layer. The polymer substrate is molded over the interfacial adhesion layer and has a thermal conductivity greater than 2 watts per meter Kelvin (W/mK) and an electrical resistivity greater than 1012 Ohm-cm. Methods of manufacture for the semiconductor device include removing a wafer handle to expose a first surface of the buried oxide layer, disposing the interfacial adhesion layer onto the first surface of the buried oxide layer, and molding the polymer substrate onto the interfacial adhesion layer.
US09698043B1
A substrate incorporating semiconductor regions electrically isolated by shallow trenches filled with hexagonal, textured or columnar boron nitride. A process for filling shallow trenches in a semiconductor substrate with columnar textured boron nitride using pulsed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (Pulsed PECVD) and plasma assisted atomic layer deposition (PAALD).
US09698042B1
A method for reducing slippage of a wafer during film deposition includes pumping out a processing chamber while the wafer is supported on lift pins or a carrier ring and lowering the wafer onto support members configured to minimize wafer slippage during deposition of the film. A multi-station processing chamber, such as a processing chamber for atomic layer deposition, can include a chuck-less pedestal at each station having wafer supports configured to prevent the wafer from moving off center by more than 400 microns. To minimize a gas cushion beneath the wafer, the wafer supports can provide a gap of at least 2 mils between the back side of the wafer and the wafer-facing surface of the pedestal.
US09698041B2
Substrate temperature control apparatus including optical fiber temperature control are described. Substrate temperature control apparatus includes a base, a thermal contact member proximate to the base, and a plurality of optical fibers adapted to provide light-based heating extending laterally between the base and thermal contact member. Substrate temperature control systems and electronic device processing systems and methods including optical fiber temperature control are described, as are numerous other aspects.
US09698039B2
Method for a controlled spalling utilizing vaporizable release layers. For example, a method comprises providing a base substrate, depositing a stressor layer and a vaporizable release layer on the base substrate, forming a flexible support layer on at least one of the stressor layer and the vaporizable release layer, spalling an upper portion of the base substrate, securing the spalled upper portion of the base substrate to a handle substrate, and vaporizing the vaporizable release layer.
US09698034B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a substrate storage container includes first and second cases, a lid and a moving unit. The first case is provided with an opening to take in or out a substrate. The lid closes the opening. The second case can move in a first direction crossing a surface of the first case. The opening is provided on the surface. The moving unit moves the second case in the first direction in response to the opening of the lid.
US09698030B2
A temperature controlled loadlock chamber for use in semiconductor processing is provided. The temperature controlled loadlock chamber may include one or more of an adjustable fluid pump, mass flow controller, one or more temperature sensors, and a controller. The adjustable fluid pump provides fluid having a predetermined temperature to a temperature-controlled plate. The mass flow controller provides gas flow into the chamber that may also aid in maintaining a desired temperature. Additionally, one or more temperature sensors may be combined with the adjustable fluid pump and/or the mass flow controller to provide feedback and to provide a greater control over the temperature. A controller may be added to control the adjustable fluid pump and the mass flow controller based upon temperature readings from the one or more temperature sensors.
US09698024B2
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method to increase breakdown voltage of a power device. A power device is formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer made up of a device wafer, a handle wafer, and an intermediate oxide layer. A recess is formed in a lower surface of the handle wafer to define a recessed region of the handle wafer. The recessed region of the handle wafer has a first handle wafer thickness, which is greater than zero. An un-recessed region of the handle wafer has a second handle wafer thickness, which is greater than the first handle wafer thickness. The first handle wafer thickness of the recessed region provides a breakdown voltage improvement for the power device.
US09698023B2
A traveling-wave amplifier includes a plurality of amplifier cells, an insulating layer, an input line, and an output line. The plurality of amplifier cells is provided on a semiconductor substrate. Each of the amplifier cells receives an input signal and generates a part of an output signal from the input signal. The insulating layer is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The input line is used to externally receive an input signal and to transmit the input signal to the amplifier cells respectively. The output line is used to transmit the output signal generated by the amplifier cells and to externally output the output signal. The thickness of the input line is smaller than the thickness of the output line, and the input line and the output line are provided on the same insulating layer.
US09698012B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing low temperature poly-silicon film, and a low temperature poly-silicon film. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming an amorphous silicon film; applying different temperatures to different regions of the amorphous silicon film by using an excimer laser annealing method, to change the amorphous silicon film into a molten state; and recrystallizating the amorphous silicon film in the molten state, a region having a lower temperature serving as a starting point, a region having a higher temperature serving as an end point, to form a low temperature poly-silicon film. The low temperature poly-silicon film manufactured by the above method and apparatus has a greater size of the crystalline grain and a larger electronic mobility than in the existing technology.
US09698007B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes forming a thin film containing silicon, oxygen and carbon or a thin film containing silicon, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes supplying a precursor gas serving as a silicon source and a carbon source or a precursor gas serving as a silicon source but no carbon source, and a first catalyst gas to the substrate; supplying an oxidizing gas and a second catalyst gas to the substrate; and supplying a modifying gas containing at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon and nitrogen to the substrate.
US09697999B2
A method of preparing or operating a mass spectrometer vacuum interface comprising a skimmer apparatus having a skimmer aperture and an internal surface of the skimmer apparatus, comprising disposing an adsorbent or getter material on the internal surface. The internal surface has a deposition region where matter from plasma flows may be deposited and the material is disposed on part or all of the deposition region. The disposing step may be performed before a first use and/or intermittently, especially to refresh a previously disposed material. Providing such material serves to trap or collect deposition matter which might anyway be deposited but in such a way that subsequent liberation of that matter is prevented or at least reduced.
US09697984B2
A charged particle filter includes a magnetic deflector having a bore along an axis thereof passing through the magnetic deflector from a sample end to a detector end of the magnetic deflector, and through which bore charged particles pass when in use, the magnetic deflector being formed from two magnets positioned around the bore, with a gap between the two magnets, the two magnets each having a linear central section and two ends, each end forming a curved surface, the curved surface having an aspect ratio defined by a height in a range of between one tenth and ten times the gap between the two magnets, and a width in a range of between one tenth and ten times the gap.
US09697978B2
A multi-frequency klystron has an electron gun which generates a beam, a circuit of bunch-align-collect (BAC) tuned cavities that bunch the beam and amplify an RF signal, a collector where the beam is collected and dumped, and a standard output cavity and waveguide coupled to a window to output RF power at a fundamental mode to an external load. In addition, the klystron has additional bunch-align-collect (BAC) cavities tuned to a higher harmonic frequency, and a harmonic output cavity and waveguide coupled via a window to an additional external load.
US09697974B2
A temperature-dependent switch has a temperature-dependent switching mechanism arranged in a housing having an upper part and a lower part. A first contact area is arranged on an inner side of the upper part and a second contact area is arranged internally in the lower part. The switching mechanism comprises a current transfer element, a bimetallic snap-action disc and a movable contact area. The moveable contact area is connected to the current transfer element and interacts with the first contact area, the bimetallic snap-action disc lifting off the movable contact area from the first contact area depending on the temperature of the bimetallic snap-action disc. A resistance ring is arranged between the upper part and the lower part and is electrically in series with the current transfer element between the first and second contact areas when the switch is in its closed state.
US09697970B1
The present invention discloses a protective structure, plug, socket and method assuring a live wire and a neutral wire to be powered off simultaneously when overheating. The present invention limits a live wire spring plate from contacting with a live wire conductive plate, and a neutral wire spring plate from contacting with a neutral wire conductive plate, such that when the live wire spring plate and the live wire conductive plate are overheated or the neutral wire spring plate and the neutral wire conductive plate are overheated, the live wire spring plate, the live wire conductive plate, the neutral wire spring plate and the neutral wire conductive plate can be separated apart at a same time.
US09697968B2
This electrical circuit breaker includes at least one first fixed land, a support assembly equipped with at least one second land rotationally mobile, about a main axis, between a first position in which the second land is in contact with the first land and a second position in which the second land is separated from the first land and an arc-extinguishing chamber including a stacking of plates, a top arc-guiding horn, a bottom arc-guiding horn, equipped with at least one tab and a screen made of insulating material surrounding the bottom arc-guiding horn. The circuit breaker also includes two protuberances produced in a gas-producing material, which are mounted on the screen, arranged between the bottom horn and the top arc-guiding horn and facing the tab of the bottom arc-guiding horn, the protuberances having a prismatic or pseudo-prismatic form.
US09697964B2
A method of manufacturing a power contactor from an existing contactor having a magnetic amplifier that comprises a blowout coil and a ferromagnetic core, and an arc chute for extinguishing an arc generated by opening the existing contactor under a current load is disclosed. The method includes removing a bolt assembly from the existing contactor and at least one side plate from the existing contactor. The method also includes removing the ferromagnetic core from the existing contactor.
US09697951B2
A contactless power transfer system comprising a power exchanging coil configured to exchange power via a magnetic field, a field focusing element for focusing the magnetic field, and a compensation coil having a resonance frequency different from a resonance frequency of the field focusing element for matching an impedance of the contactless power transfer system and compensating a change in phase resulting from a misalignment in the contactless power transfer system.
US09697946B2
An electronic component is provided which includes a helical coil having good coil characteristics and high reliability without peeling or breakage in each insulator layer. As compared to an existing configuration in which coil patterns are disposed on insulator layers 2a to 2d, respectively, so as to fully overlap each other in a plan view, portions where coil patterns 11 to 14 intersect each other in a plan view are dispersed and the number of the coil patterns 11 to 14 overlapping each other in each intersection portion is small. Thus, a change in thickness of a multilayer body in which the respective insulator layers 2a to 2d are stacked is suppressed. Therefore, the pressure applied when the respective insulator layers 2a to 2d are pressure-bonded is uniformly transmitted to the entire multilayer body, and thus it is possible to provide an electronic component having good coplanarity and high reliability.
US09697943B2
A laminating structure includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a first spacer disposed between the first and second magnetic layers and a second spacer disposed on the second magnetic layer.
US09697940B2
Apparatus and methods for generating a uniform magnetic field are provided herein. In certain configurations, a magnetic structure includes one or more pairs of magnets positioned within a housing. The magnets of each pair are arranged in parallel and include poles that are reversed in polarity relative to one another. For example, in certain implementations, a first pair of magnets includes a first magnet and a second magnet arranged side by side, with a north pole of the first magnet adjacent a south pole of the second magnet and with a south pole of the first magnet adjacent a north pole of the second magnet. The housing is implemented using a magnetic redirecting material, which can confine magnetic flux and reduce stray magnetic fields. The magnetic structure can be used to generate a magnetic field that is substantially uniform in a region of interest.
US09697937B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a ferrite material that is excellent in temperature characteristic and DC superimposition characteristic. The present invention relates to Ni—Zn—Cu-based ferrite particles comprising 70 to 95% by weight of an Ni—Zn—Cu ferrite having a specific composition, 1 to 20% by weight of nickel oxide, 0 to 20% by weight of zinc oxide and 1 to 10% by weight of copper oxide, and a ferrite sintered ceramics obtained by sintering the ferrite particles.
US09697928B2
An automated assembly sensor cable has a generally wide and flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body. This cable configuration facilitates the automated attachment of the cable to an optical sensor circuit and corresponding connector. In various embodiments, the automated assembly sensor cable has a conductor set of insulated wires, a conductive inner jacket generally surrounding the conductor set, an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket and a registration feature disposed along the surface of the outer jacket and a conductive drain line is embedded within the inner jacket. A strength member may be embedded within the inner jacket.
US09697927B2
A cable includes an indicating element for detecting the infiltration of water into the cable and a method using such indicating element.
US09697922B2
A radiation window foil for an X-ray radiation window comprises a mesh that defines a number of openings (902), said mesh having a first side surface (903) and a second side surface (904). A layer (906) spans said openings. Said layer (906) is on the first side of the mesh but spans said openings at a level closer to the second side surface (904) of the mesh than the first side surface (903) of the mesh.
US09697918B2
A method for loading fuel pellets for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod is provided. The method includes arranging fuel pellets in a row on a tray, aligning the fuel pellets in the row on the tray such that the fuel pellets are closely in contact with one another, obtaining a total length of the pellets in the row by measuring the fuel pellets in the row on the tray, and comparing the total length with a predetermined length. When the total length is smaller than the predetermined length by a difference greater than an average unit length of the pellet, one or more fuel pellets are added in the row until to increase the total length until the difference becomes smaller than the average unit length of the fuel pellet.
US09697917B2
Systems and methods for servicing a nuclear reactor module are provided. Such systems include a crane that couples to the reactor module. The crane includes a conduit for routing signals from sensors of the reactor module to sensor receivers. The crane includes a drive mechanism to move the reactor module from a reactor bay to a servicing area. The drive mechanism moves the reactor module in a first direction and a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. The crane includes a support bracket for mounting sensor signal receivers that receive the signals from the sensors within the nuclear reactor module. The system includes a display to display representations of the signals from the sensors of the nuclear reactor module in a servicing area. Another display displays representations of the signals from the sensors of the nuclear reactor module in an operator area.
US09697915B2
A pit gate 15 that is accommodated in a slot 14 and that seals service water retained in a first pit and a second pit in a watertight manner includes a gate main body 21; a sealing member 22 that is provided on a surface opposite to the slot 14 in a gate main body 21 and that seals between the gate main body 21 and the slot 14 in a watertight manner; and an upper pressing clamp 23, an intermediate pressing clamp 24, and a lower pressing clamp 25 that are provided in the gate main body 21 and that moves gate main body 21 toward the sealing member 22 side due to the weight of the gate main body 21 itself.
US09697913B1
Methods, systems, and devices for recovering fatigued ferroelectric memory cells are described. Recovery voltages may be applied to a ferroelectric memory cell that is fatigued due to repeated access (read or write) operations. The recovery voltage may have a greater amplitude than the access voltage and may include multiple voltage pulses or a constant voltage. The recovery operation may be performed in the background as the memory array operates, or it may be performed when a host device is not actively using the memory array. The recovery operations may be performed periodically or may include discrete series of pulses distributed among several instances.
US09697911B2
Provided is a semiconductor storage device including: first memory cells; first word lines; first bit lines; a first common bit line; second memory cells; second word lines; second bit lines; a second common bit line; a first selection circuit that connects the first common bit line to a first bit line selected from the first bit lines; a second selection circuit that connects the second common bit line to a second bit line selected from the second bit lines; a word line driver that activates any one of the first and second word lines; a reference current supply unit that supplies a reference current to a common bit line among the first and second common bit lines, the common bit line not being electrically connected to a data read target memory cell; and a sense amplifier that amplifies a potential difference between the first and second common bit lines.
US09697910B1
An aspect includes a method of multi-match error detection in content addressable memory (CAM) testing. The method includes loading a content addressing row of a CAM section with a row test address word. Data value rows of a random access memory (RAM) section are loaded with unique test patterns in each of the data value rows having a same number of on-state bits per data value row. A row test is initiated to search for a matching content addressing row in the CAM section corresponding to the row test address word. A row test result is received as one or more data value rows from the RAM section identified as having a content addressing row in the CAM section that matches the row test. The row test result is compared to an aspect of one or more of the unique test patterns to determine whether the row test has failed.
US09697896B2
A phase change non-volatile memory device has a memory array with a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, a column decoder and a row decoder designed to select columns, and, respectively, rows of the memory array during operations of programming of corresponding memory cells. A control logic, coupled to the column decoder and the row decoder, is designed to execute a sequential programming command, to control the column decoder and row decoder to select one column of the memory array and execute sequential programming operations on a desired block of memory cells belonging to contiguous selected rows of the selected column.
US09697895B1
An integrated circuit according to an embodiment includes: a plurality of first wiring lines; a plurality of second wiring lines intersecting with the plurality of first wiring lines; a plurality of resistive change memory elements provided in cross regions of the plurality of first and second wiring lines, each of which includes a first electrode connected to a corresponding first wiring line, a second electrode connected to a corresponding second wiring line, and a resistive change layer provided between the first and second electrodes, and in each of which a resistive state between the first electrode and the second electrode can be programmed from one of a first resistive state and a second resistive state, which has a larger resistance value than the first resistive state, to the other; and a driver driving the plurality of first and second wiring lines.
US09697887B2
Described is an apparatus comprising a plurality of memory arrays, local write assist logic units, and read/write local column multiplexers coupled together in a group such that area occupied by the local write assist logic units and the read/write local column multiplexers in the group is smaller than it would be when global write assist logic units and the read/write global column multiplexers are used. Described is a dual input level-shifter with integrated latch. Described is an apparatus which comprises: a write assist pulse generator operating on a first power supply; one or more pull-up devices coupled to the write assist pulse generator, the one or more pull-up devices operating on a second power supply different from the first power supply; and an output node to provide power supply to a memory cell.
US09697886B2
A semiconductor storage device having a plurality of low power consumption modes is provided.The semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory modules where a plurality of low power consumption modes can be set and cancelled based on a first and a second control signals. At least a part of memory modules of the plurality of memory modules have a propagation path that propagates an inputted first control signal to a post stage memory module. The second control signal is inputted into each of the plurality of memory modules in parallel. Setting and cancelling of the first low power consumption mode of each memory module are performed based on a combination of the first control signal that is propagated through the propagation path and the second control signal. Setting and cancelling of the second low power consumption mode, in which regions where a power source is shut down are different from those in the first low power consumption mode, of each memory module are sequentially performed according to the first control signal that is propagated through the propagation path.
US09697881B2
Methods of operating a ferroelectric memory cell. The method comprises applying one of a positive bias voltage and a negative bias voltage to a ferroelectric memory cell comprising a capacitor including a top electrode, a bottom electrode, a ferroelectric material between the top electrode and the bottom electrode, and an interfacial material between the ferroelectric material and one of the top electrode and the bottom electrode. The method further comprises applying another of the positive bias voltage and the negative bias voltage to the ferroelectric memory cell to switch a polarization of the ferroelectric memory cell, wherein an absolute value of the negative bias voltage is different from an absolute value of the positive bias voltage. Ferroelectric memory cells are also described.
US09697878B2
A word line divider which has a simplified circuit structure and can operate stably is provided. A storage device which has a simplified circuit structure and can operate stably is provided. A transistor whose leakage current is extremely low is connected in series with a portion between a word line and a sub word line so that the word line divider is constituted. The transistor can include an oxide semiconductor for a semiconductor layer in which a channel is formed. Such a word line divider whose circuit structure is simplified is used in the storage device.
US09697866B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a device for measuring pitch and roll torques. The device comprises a sensor plate having a horizontal cross member, a vertical cross member and a surrounding member connecting ends of the horizontal and vertical cross members, wherein the horizontal cross member and the vertical cross member intersect each other at a centre region of the sensor plate; a VCM coil attached to the sensor plate and configured to generate a pitch and a roll torque when an electrical current is applied to the VCM coil; a first strain gauge attached to a surface of the horizontal cross member and configured to detect a horizontal strain caused by the pitch and roll torques; and a second strain gauge attached to a surface of the vertical cross member and configured to detect a vertical strain caused by the pitch and roll torques.
US09697864B2
[Object] To prevent the occurrence of stuck without increasing the number of components and also to restore thread engagement of a rack with a lead screw to a normal condition.[Solution] Provided is an optical pickup including: a light source; an objective lens; an optical element; and an optical element driving device. The optical element driving device includes a lead screw having a threaded engagement portion with a thread groove formed in the threaded engagement portion, a drive unit configured to allow the lead screw to rotate, a thrust bearing configured to support an end portion of the lead screw on a side opposite to the drive unit in an axial direction of the lead screw, and a rack having a plurality of first tooth portions provided spaced apart in the axial direction to be threadably engaged with the threaded engagement portion and a second tooth portion provided closer to the thrust bearing in the axial direction than the first tooth portion to be threadably engaged with the threaded engagement portion, the first tooth portion and the second tooth portion being positioned on opposite sides across the lead screw, the rack being moved in the axial direction with a rotation of the lead screw. The lead screw includes a non-threaded engagement portion formed at the end portion of the lead screw on the thrust bearing side, the non-threaded engagement portion having no thread groove.
US09697863B2
An optical disk (100) of the present invention includes (i) a medium information region (101) (a) in which type identification information is recorded by recesses and/or protrusions which are formed by a given modulation method and whose lengths are longer than a length of an optical system resolution limit of a playback device and (b) in which first address information is recorded in a first address data format and (ii) a data region (102) (a) in which content data is recorded by recesses and/or protrusions which are formed by the given modulation method and which include a recess and/or a protrusion whose length is shorter than the length of the optical system resolution limit and (b) in which second address information is recorded in a second address data format.
US09697860B2
A magnetic-disk glass substrate of the present invention includes a pair of main surfaces, a side wall surface, and a chamfered surface between the main surfaces and the side wall surface. Regarding surface properties of at least one of the side wall surface and the chamfered surface of the glass substrate, an arithmetic average roughness (Ra) is 0.015 μm or less, and a bearing factor of a roughness cross-sectional area when a roughness percentage is 60% is 95% or more in a bearing curve of a roughness cross-sectional area.
US09697858B2
A perpendicular magnetic recording medium is disclosed in which crystal axis orientation dispersion, crystal grain diameter, and crystal grain diameter dispersion in a magnetic recording layer are reduced. The perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a structure having, stacked sequentially on a non-magnetic substrate, at least an amorphous underlayer, a lower orientation control layer made of Ru or Ru alloy of an hcp structure, an upper orientation control layer that is made of alloy containing an element selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni and an element selected from the group consisting of Cr, W, and Mo and that has an fcc or hcp structure, an intermediate layer, and a magnetic recording layer.
US09697850B2
A system, method, and apparatus for drone detection and classification are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a sound signal in a microphone and recording, via a sound card, a digital sound sample of the sound signal, the digital sound sample having a predetermined duration. The method also includes processing, via a processor, the digital sound sample into a feature frequency spectrum. The method further includes applying, via the processor, broad spectrum matching to compare the feature frequency spectrum to at least one drone sound signature stored in a database, the at least one drone sound signature corresponding to a flight characteristic of a drone model. The method moreover includes, conditioned on matching the feature frequency spectrum to one of the drone sound signatures, transmitting, via the processor, an alert.
US09697844B2
This invention describes a method for decentralized decoding of a multichannel audio signal by broadcasting the original encoded data and distributing the decoding process between a plurality of receiving units. This allows for the design and manufacture of scalable multichannel audio reproduction systems having an arbitrary number of output channels, composed of a plurality of generic decoder and loudspeaker units each generating fewer output channels. With distributed decoding, a manufacturer can use “off-the-shelf” stereo or mono signal processors, digital-to-analog converters and amplifier components in each generic decoding module, thus reducing manufacturing costs and complexity requirements for each module while offering unlimited scalability in the total number of output channels.
US09697843B2
A particular method includes determining, at a device, a voicing classification of an input signal. The input signal corresponds to an audio signal. The method also includes controlling an amount of an envelope of a representation of the input signal based on the voicing classification. The method further includes modulating a white noise signal based on the controlled amount of the envelope. The method also includes generating a high band excitation signal based on the modulated white noise signal.
US09697841B2
The present invention relates to a new method and apparatus for improvement of High Frequency Reconstruction (HFR) techniques using frequency translation or folding or a combination thereof. The proposed invention is applicable to audio source coding systems, and offers significantly reduced computational complexity. This is accomplished by means of frequency translation or folding in the subband domain, preferably integrated with spectral envelope adjustment in the same domain. The concept of dissonance guard-band filtering is further presented. The proposed invention offers a low-complexity, intermediate quality HFR method useful in speech and natural audio coding applications.
US09697839B2
Methods and apparatus for audio watermarking are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include obtaining a watermarked noise signal having energy in a first frequency band, the watermarked noise signal being associated with a first operating state of a device. Disclosed example methods also include adjusting the watermarked noise signal based on an ambient audio level sensed by an audio sensor. Disclosed example methods further include emitting the adjusted watermarked noise signal via a speaker in response to determining that the device is in the first operating state.
US09697831B2
A speech recognition system comprises: an input, for receiving an input signal from at least one microphone; a first buffer, for storing the input signal; a noise reduction block, for receiving the input signal and generating a noise reduced input signal; a speech recognition engine, for receiving either the input signal output from the first buffer or the noise reduced input signal from the noise reduction block; and a selection circuit for directing either the input signal output from the first buffer or the noise reduced input signal from the noise reduction block to the speech recognition engine.
US09697827B1
Features are disclosed for reducing errors in speech recognition processing. Methods for reducing errors can include receiving multiple speech recognition hypotheses based on an utterance indicative of a command or query of a user and determining a command or query within a grammar having a least amount of difference from one of the speech recognition hypotheses. The determination of the least amount of difference may be based at least in part on a comparison of individual subword units along at least some of the sequence paths of the speech recognition hypotheses and the grammar. For example, the comparison may be performed on the phoneme level instead of the word level.
US09697825B2
A method for analysis of a set of media recordings includes, in a first processing stage, selecting a subset of the set of media recordings by performing a first processing of each media recording of the set of media recordings and in a second processing stage, performing a second processing of the subset of the set of media recordings, the second processing including extraction of information from the media recordings of the subset of the set of media recordings. The first processing of each media recording of the set of media recordings includes determining a characterization of the media recording, the characterization including at least a quantity characterizing a predicted performance of the second processing of the media recording.
US09697816B2
A keyboard unit includes: a key; a displacement member which is configured to be driven directly or indirectly with the key by a pressing operation of the key to be moved in a forward stroke direction; a detector which is configured to detect that an operation direction of the displacement member has changed from the forward stroke direction to a returning direction; and a generator which is configured to generate sound generation indication information based on information detected by the detector.
US09697810B2
A strainer is provided for a snare drum having a bottom drumhead. The strainer includes a snare assembly including a snare carrier and a plurality of snares coupled therewith. A throw-side component includes a bracket member releasably mounted to the snare drum and a slide member moveable relative to the bracket member and engaging the snare carrier. The slide member includes a slider handle fixed thereto and a locking toggle such that when the strainer is coupled to the snare drum, manual movement of the slider handle causes the snares to move toward the bottom drumhead, with the locking toggle being constructed and arranged to be 1) moved to a first, locking position engaging the bracket member so as to lock the slide member to the bracket member, and 2) moved to a second, release position releasing the slide member from engagement with the bracket member.
US09697809B2
A tremolo bridge for a guitar comprising a body, a neck attached to said body, a headstock attached to said neck, a plurality of tuners disposed on said headstock and adjacent the neck, at least one post extending from said body, each of said at least one post further comprising a V-shaped notch, and a plurality of strings, whereby each string of said plurality of strings is attached to the tremolo bridge, extends along the neck of the guitar, and is attached to a corresponding one of said plurality of tuners disposed on the headstock, said tremolo bridge comprising: a base plate, a block extending from said base plate, a tremolo arm attached to said base plate, and a locking mechanism for locking the position of the tremolo bridge.
US09697794B2
A display system includes a plurality of transmitting lines configured to transmit a plurality of image signals and a display device configured to display an image based on the image signals applied thereto through the transmitting lines. At least one transmitting line of the transmitting lines is further configured to transmit the image signals at a bandwidth that is adjusted according to the information of the image signals.
US09697790B2
A display driving circuit having a shift register is formed on the display panel. The shift register includes a first stage having first and second transistors and a second stage having a third and fourth transistor. A voltage of a control electrode of the first transistor is boosted by a voltage of a first pulse line changing from low to high. In an On state, the second transistor connects the control electrode of the first transistor and a constant voltage line. A voltage of a control electrode of the third transistor is boosted by a voltage of a second pulse line changing from low to high. In an On state, the fourth transistor connects the control electrode of the third transistor and a constant voltage line. The fourth transistor is switched on by a signal from the first stage.
US09697778B2
An electrophoretic medium comprises a fluid and at least one species of particles disposed, When a first addressing impulse is applied to the medium, the first species of particles move in one direction relative to the electric field, but when a second addressing impulse, larger than the first addressing impulse, is applied to the medium, the first species of particles move in the opposed direction relative to the electric field.
US09697777B2
In a liquid crystal display device capable of performing image display while keeping a background in a transparent state, field-sequential driving is performed without causing color mixing.A backlight (700) is configured by upper-side LEDs (71U) and lower-side LEDs (71D) that are provided respectively in an upper side and a lower side of a liquid crystal panel (800), and an upper-side light guide plate (72U) and a lower-side light guide plate (72D) for guiding emission light respectively from the upper-side LEDs (71U) and the lower-side LEDs (71D) to the liquid crystal panel (800). When a screen of a color corresponding to each field which constitutes one frame period is displayed, LEDs included in the upper-side LEDs (71U) are turned into a light emission state and then LEDs included in the lower-side LEDs (71D) are turned into the light emission state, and the LEDs included in the upper-side LEDs (71U) are turned into a light-off state and then the LEDs included in the lower-side LEDs (71D) are turned into the light-off state.
US09697773B2
A method of manufacturing a display unit in which the method includes: forming a transistor on a substrate, in which a first direction to be scanned by an ion implantation apparatus intersects with a second direction to be scanned by an Excimer Laser Anneal apparatus; and forming a display element.
US09697772B2
A light emitting device that achieves long life, and which is capable of performing high duty drive, by suppressing initial light emitting element deterioration is provided. Reverse bias application to an EL element (109) is performed one row at a time by forming a reverse bias electric power source line (112) and a reverse bias TFT (108). Reverse bias application can therefore be performed in synchronous with operations for write-in of an image signal, light emission, erasure, and the like. Reverse bias application therefore becomes possible while maintaining a duty equivalent to that of a conventional driving method.
US09697767B2
Provided are an AMOLED pixel unit circuit, a driving method thereof and a display panel for realizing the threshold voltage compensation. The AMOLED pixel unit circuit includes: a light emitting module: a driving module configured to drive the light emitting module; a light emitting control module configured to control the light emitting module to emit light; a threshold compensation module configured to perform threshold voltage compensation for the driving module; a data voltage writing module configured to input a data voltage to the driving module; and an initialization module configured to initialize the threshold compensation module. The threshold voltage compensation is realized by modifying the pre-charging fashion to fixedly set the gate of the driving TFT to be at a data level lower than the high level such that the subthreshold saturation cutoff state is reached before the drain-source voltage becomes zero in the compensation stage.
US09697762B2
In a display device including a driver that drives load lines in an electro-optical panel through capacitor charge redistribution, load capacitance among the load lines of the electro-optical panel differs depending on parasitic capacitance of a board on which the load lines are mounted, the type of the panel, and so on, and the accuracy of driving voltages drops due to such variations. The driver is provided with a adjusting capacitance group that corrects variation in load capacitance, and by adjusting a driving capacitance on the driver side, a ratio with the load capacitance is increased and accuracy of a post-driving potential is increased.
US09697757B2
The present disclosure discloses a method and system of determining a location of a line fault of a panel. The method comprises: connecting a front end point of a metal wire that is determined to have suffered the line fault to a probe of a test instrument, the other probe of the test instrument being connected to a common electrode wire; performing a fusing-off processing on the metal wire according to a preset rule; and determining the location of the line fault of the metal wire based on a variation in the readings from the test instrument upon the fusing-off of the metal wire. The system comprises: a test instrument, one probe of which being connected to a front end point of a metal wire that is determined to have suffered the line fault, the other probe of which being connected to a common electrode wire; and a laser for performing a fusing-off processing on the metal wire. The short circuit of the metal wire may be localized at a pixel cell level using the method and system according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.
US09697754B2
A system and method for mounting a display or sign to a ceiling, wall or window frame includes an elongated channel having magnets that are affixed to a ceiling grid and mounting hooks or the like to suspend the sign or display from the channel. The channel includes high friction strips on a neck for engagement by a pole end gripper on a pole for mounting the channel on the ceiling while the user stands on the floor. End caps may be mounted on the channel. Mounting plates may be affixed to the ceiling or wall for magnetically engaging the channel. A wall mount channel includes an offset neck for gripping by the pole end gripper. A magnetic clip including a string for suspending a display may be mounted with the pole end gripper. An embodiment of the channel includes hooks for engaging an open girder ceiling.
US09697751B2
Various embodiments enable, in a mapping context, various visual entities to be clustered into groups that do not occlude one another. In at least some embodiments, individual clusters are represented on a map by a puddle defined by a computed contour line. Users can interact with the puddle to acquire more information about the puddle's content. In at least some embodiments, user interaction can include zooming operations, clicking operations, hovering operations and the like.
US09697746B2
This invention concerns the tracking of objects in video data for artificial vision; for instance for a bionic eye. More particularly, the invention concerns a vision enhancement apparatus for a vision-impaired user. In other aspects, the invention concerns a method for enhancing vision and software to perform the method. The image processor operates to process video data representing images of a scene. Automatically detect and track a user selected object, such as a face, in the images. And, automatically modify the video data, by reserving a user selected area of the displayed images for displaying the tracked object as a separate video tile within the scene. The separate video tile remains in the selected area despite movement of the camera relative to the scene, or movement of the user relative to the object or the scene.
US09697742B2
A maze construction system for fire and rescue training exercises includes a plurality of panels that are tensionably supported between a ceiling and floor. Each panel includes at least one extendable column that terminates with a pad for contact with a ceiling surface. A flange along at least one vertical edge of the panels permits the panels to align at their edges. The panels are quickly assembled and disassembled, and are easily reconfigured to form new maze paths without requiring additional additional tools.
US09697740B2
A device, method and system processes data about the user for determining and recommending a health/wellness action to the user. The action determined can be based on: (1) current biometric and/or motion data about the user (from the sensors), and (2) current health/medical information or condition about the user (from the user's personal information, e.g., health library or programmed into the smartphone). Specific information about the user is taken into consideration when recommending user action, such as the user's specific health or medical conditions.
US09697739B1
A system and a method for music training are described. The system includes an application having an evaluation module, an event correlation module, and a feedback module. The application, upon receiving a live performance input via a user device from a musical instrument, generates digital performance data to analyzes various aspects of the performance in real-time. In one embodiment, the event correlation module compares the performance to a composite performance standard, while the evaluation module analyzes rhythm, tempo, duration, dynamics, pedaling, volume, articulation, and note, and the feedback module displays performance evaluation and music score in real-time. In this way, the system analyzes musical performance in a way that is akin to a highly developed musical human perception.
US09697736B2
Described herein are systems and methods for tracking suspect aircraft. One embodiment is related to a method including receiving location data and current flight data of an aircraft, analyzing the location data and current flight data using flight behavior algorithms, detecting route deviation of the aircraft, and providing a report of flight pattern analysis and the detected route deviation to at least one device on a network. Another embodiment is related to a system comprising a location network determining location data of an aircraft, a searchable database storing historical flight activity data, current flight data, and the location data from the location network, a flight tracking module receiving location data and the current flight data of the aircraft from the database, analyzing the location data and current flight data using flight behavior algorithms, detecting route deviation of the aircraft based on the historical flight activity data, and providing a report of flight pattern analysis and the detected route deviation to at least one device on a network.
US09697728B2
A projection system, a projection apparatus, and a method for operating the projection apparatus are provided. According to a characteristic of a sound transmitted between the projection apparatus and an electronic device external to the projection apparatus, the projection apparatus is adapted to be controlled by the electronic device or is adapted to control the electronic device to execute a corresponding operation.
US09697720B1
A personal emergency safety device operates with the push of a button to warn of an emergency problem situation. The device is discretely configured as a belt buckle that calls up to three numbers with the push of a single button and provides location information as well as audio and video recording.
US09697719B2
The present invention relates to a security system for personal protection, having a first unit and a second unit separate from the first unit, wherein the first unit has a camera device, a microphone device, a siren device, a safety device, an attachment device, and a communication device for communication wirelessly with the second unit. The second unit has a microphone device and a communication device for communication wirelessly with the first unit. The second unit further has a communication device for wirelessly sending an alarm message to a network of one or more recipients. The security system is configured to, when triggered to send an alarm message, activate the microphone device of the first unit and the microphone device of the second unit, such that the alarm message contains an audio recording from an environment of a user of the security system. A method and a security arrangement therefore are also presented.
US09697718B1
A room privacy device sounds an audible alarm when a door to a room is not closed and sound is detected in the room. This helps prompt people in the room to close the door to maintain the privacy of the conversation and/or prevent sound in the room from disturbing others outside the room. In some embodiments, the room privacy device includes a door sensor for detecting whether a door is open, a microphone for capturing sound, and a speaker for providing an audible alarm. The room privacy device also includes a processor that causes the speaker to sound an audible alarm based on a signal from the door sensor indicative of the door being open and a signal from the microphone indicative of sound being detected.
US09697716B2
A method for determining a triggering time for the issuance of an alarm by an alarm device. A measured value is sensed at a measuring time, and the measured value is indicative of a hazard potential within a monitoring range. A waiting time is identified by way of a function which respectively indicates an assigned waiting time for a plurality of different measured values and which has a continuous profile. The triggering time is determined on the basis of the measuring time and the identified waiting time. In addition, an alarm device having a detection device for sensing a measured value and having an evaluation device which is configured to carry out said method is described. In addition, a program element for determining a triggering time for the issuance of an alarm by an alarm device is described, wherein the program element can be loaded into an evaluation unit of the alarm device and can cause the abovementioned method to be carried out.
US09697714B2
The present disclosure relates to location and communication systems that can be utilized for locating people, pets and other objects with a software defined radio set. A personal electronic device (PED) such as a cellular telephone, personal data assistant (PDA) or other device that include a software defined radio set can be configured for operation as a locator device. The PED transmits a signal A transponder or micro-transponder (MT) that is tagged to an object is arranged to reply to a transmission received from the PED. The PED based locator is arranged to calculate a distance between the PED and the MT using the time-of-flight (TOF) between the transmission and the receipt of a reply. The absolute geographic position of the PED can be determined using satellite navigation information, while the position of the MT relative to the PED can be determined from the TOF information.
US09697710B2
The present invention is a multi-modal security checkpoint. The security checkpoint can simultaneously scan for and identify hidden metallic (weapon and shrapnel), non-metallic (explosives and IED), and radioactive/nuclear threats. The security checkpoint can also perform long range facial recognition and detect suspected terrorists. The security checkpoint combines many threat detection technologies into one checkpoint that allows it to be robust and detect a large variety of threats including hidden weapons, explosives, dirty bombs, and other threats.
US09697690B2
There is described a gaming system including an award controller for allocating an award at a plurality of gaming machines. The award controller is arranged to allocate, in response to a win at a first gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines, an award to a player of at least one further gaming machine of the plurality of gaming machines based on a location of the at least one further gaming machine.
US09697688B2
A method of processing a jackpot win in a gaming network comprising: providing a jackpot server: receiving jackpot claim data at the jackpot server; locking a jackpot record corresponding to the jackpot claim data; aggregating any outstanding jackpot contributions for the jackpot record from contributing parts of the gaming network to form a prize; and communicating prize data corresponding to the prize to a network destination identified by the jackpot claim data.
US09697683B2
Disclosed is a method and system for preventing replay attacks for mobile promotions associated with gaming devices. Upon the occurrence of a promotion winning event such as a designated outcome of a game played on the gaming device the user, via a software application accessible to their mobile device, forwards images of the event to a server over a network. The server determines entitlement to the promotion and analyzes data associated with the images and mobile device location and time to confirm that the event is new promotion winning event. Upon such confirmation an entitlement to the promotion is awarded to the user. The foregoing prevents unscrupulous users from logging multiple claims for the same promotion winning event.
US09697680B2
Data can be received and can include a request to initiate a cooperative digital skills-based gaming competition and an identification of one or more additional players to invite to join a cooperative team. Data including an invitation to become members of the cooperative team can be transmitted using a transactional server and to clients associated with the additional players. An amount of funds for one or more of the members of the cooperative team to contribute to form a wager for the cooperative team can be determined. Data comprising a confirmation to initiate, which, when received by the game server, causes initiation of the cooperative digital skills-based gaming competition for the members of the cooperative team can be transmitted using the transactional server and to a game server. A prize can be caused to be distributed based on the outcome. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.
US09697671B2
Each player who is participating in the video poker tournament plays a designated group of video poker hands. The designated group of video poker hands comprises preselected starting hands so that each tournament participant plays the same starting hands. After the group of video poker hands has been completed, the player with the highest score or highest amount of accrued credits is awarded a prize. Besides awarding a prize to the player with the highest score, other lesser prizes could be awarded to other players who have high scores. Prizes could also be awarded to players who achieve a final score of at least a certain level.
US09697670B2
Provided is a prepayment-type watt-hour meter including: a code recognition that recognizes a code image in which information on prepayment of a charge-based amount of electric power that is to be consumed by a load is stored as coded, and that recognizes the information on the prepayment that is stored in the code image; and a control unit that measures an amount of electric power consumption by the load, and that calculates the electric bill for the measured amount of electric power, based on the information on the prepayment that is recognized by the code recognition unit.
US09697669B2
A removable, adjustable product magazine for use in an article dispensing system includes a central support member including a back wall connected to a base, first and second sidewalls, and a follower. The central support and the sidewalls cooperatively define a product compartment having a front opening. The sidewalls include fastener slots for connecting the follower to one of the sidewalls. Advancement of the follower adjusts the depth of the compartment. Each of the sidewalls has front, rear, and bottom flanges for retaining products within the magazine, connecting the sidewalls to the back wall and base. The base and backwall have fastener slots for adjustable connection of the sidewalls, thereby enabling adjustment of the width of the compartment. The sidewall front flanges terminate above the base to provide a product exit port. The back wall includes an ejector port for providing access to an ejector cylinder to expel product units.
US09697667B1
A method and apparatus is provided for verifying the validity of ID cards. A card reading device reads an ID card and transmits a request to a database server. A database is queried and a reply is sent back to the card reading device indicating whether the ID is valid. If desired, the reply can include additional information, such as a description of the ID holder. The ID verification system can be used to help verify whether an ID belongs to the ID holder. The system can also log and timestamp events for future access.
US09697664B2
Electronic locking devices, systems, and methods may employ an accelerometer to detect an acceleration associated with displacement of a portion of an electronic locking device, for example, displacement of a housing that includes a display of the electronic locking device. Responsive to such an acceleration being detected, a message is transmitted to a device remote from the locking device. The message may include a photograph and or audio signal. Concurrently with the transmission of the message, a greeting may be played and/or displayed.
US09697663B2
A system and apparatus which includes one or more locking container devices comprising a closeable container for holding at least one object; lock coupled to the container and moveable between a lock position and an unlock position; and programmable timer circuit for actuating the lock at a programmed time which is either specified or randomly set. The container device alternatively includes a receiving component for sensing a change an external condition including but not limited to, geographic location, temperature, sound and one or more predetermined operations. The timer circuit is alternatively unlocked by receiving an unlock signal via an appropriate communication medium from a remote source. The container device also includes a transmitter for transmitting an appropriate signal to the remote source. An interface terminal is coupled to the remote source and configured to accept at least one external condition instruction to be transmitted to the receiving component.
US09697659B2
Systems, methods, circuits and computer-readable mediums are disclosed for sign detection in multi-dimensional signal measurements. In some implementations, orthogonally oriented antennas are configured to generate signals in response to a magnetic field, where the signals correspond to components of magnetic field vectors in space. A circuit is coupled to the antennas and configured to: determine polarities of the signals based on phase measurements between the signals; reduce a possible number of magnetic field vector interpretations based on the determined polarities of the signals; reduce a possible number of angles or angle differences between the magnetic field vectors based on the reduced possible number of magnetic field vector interpretations; compare the reduced possible number of angles or angle differences to predetermined angle or angle differences; and detect a relay attack based on results of the comparing.
US09697656B2
A system for a frictionless access control automatically identifies users and enables access to restricted areas of a building for example via access points such as locked doors. The system allows access when authorized users are in the vicinity of doors without requiring the users to swipe access keycards (or badges) at keycard terminals located at the doors, as in current systems. The system includes user devices such as key fobs and mobile phones that wirelessly broadcast user information and unique IDs for each of the devices in data packets, which are received by positioning units. The positioning units determine locations of the user devices, and send the packet data and the location data to a verification and tracking system. Preferably, the positioning units include two or more antennas that determine close proximity of users to access points while also allowing the system to continuously monitor the locations of the users.
US09697651B2
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer readable media for facilitating reservation for a parking space with a near field communications (NFC)-enabled device are provided. A system can include an NFC-enabled parking meter associated with a parking space and a controller in communication with the NFC-enabled parking meter for measuring time and processing payment. A system can include an NFC-enabled device that upon interfacing with the NFC-enabled parking meter communicates with the controller to create a reservation of a parking space.
US09697648B1
Various systems and methods for implementing text functions in augmented reality are described herein. A system for implementing text functions in augmented reality includes a display to display a field of view to a user of the system; a gesture detection module to detect a selection gesture performed by a user of the system, the selection gesture defining a selection area in the field of view; a camera array to capture an image of the selection area; a text module to perform a text operation on text identified in the image; and a presentation module to present an indication of the text operation to the user.
US09697642B2
In an image processing device, an information processing section performs information processing according to an instruction input by a user. An alpha buffer generating block of an image processing section generates an alpha buffer representing, in an image plane, the alpha value of each pixel when designated objects formed by a plurality of objects are collectively regarded as one object. A rendering block reads each piece of model data from an image data storage section, and renders an image also including other objects than the designated objects. A shading processing block approximately calculates degrees of occlusion of ambient light on the image plane, and subjects the rendered image to shading processing on a basis of a result of the calculation.
US09697641B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for converting alpha values into pixel coverage masks. Geometric coverage is sampled at a number of “real” sample positions within each pixel. Color and depth values are computed for each of these real samples. Fragment alpha values are used to determine an alpha coverage mask for the real samples and additional “virtual” samples, in which the number of bits set in the mask bits is proportional to the alpha value. An alpha-to-coverage mode uses the virtual samples to increase the number of transparency levels for each pixel compared with using only real samples. The alpha-to-coverage mode may be used in conjunction with virtual coverage anti-aliasing to provide higher-quality transparency for rendering anti-aliased images.
US09697635B2
Technology is disclosed for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style. One or more processors generate a user 3D head model for the user based on captured 3D image data from a communicatively coupled 3D image capture device. A set of user transferable head features from the user 3D head model are automatically represented by the one or more processors in the facial avatar in accordance with rules governing transferable user 3D head features. In some embodiments, a base or reference head model of the avatar is remapped to include the set of user head features. In other embodiments, an avatar head shape model is selected based on the user 3D head model, and the transferable user 3D head features are represented in the avatar head shape model.
US09697634B2
Methods for processing two-dimensional ultrasound images from an intracardiac ultrasound imaging catheter provide improved image quality and enable generating three-dimensional composite images of the heart. Two-dimensional ultrasound images are obtained and stored in conjunction with correlating information, such as time or an electrocardiogram. Images related to particular conditions or configurations of the heart can be processed in combination to reduce image noise and increase resolution. Images may be processed to recognize structure edges, and the location of structure edges used to generate cartoon rendered images of the structure. Structure locations may be averaged over several images to remove noise, distortions and blurring from movement.
US09697631B2
A vector data processor (12) includes a thinning part (301), a central line acquiring part (302), and a superimposing part (303). A target figure includes a linear figure. The thinning part (301) processes target vector data (231) to acquire thinned data (232) by thinning the target figure indicated by the target vector data (231). The central line acquiring part (302) processes the target vector data (231) to acquire central line data (233) that indicates a central line of the target figure. The superimposing part (303) generates data that includes an instruction to record a combined figure obtained by superimposing the thinned figure and the central line one above the other. Superimposing the thinned figure and the central line enables the target figure to be thinned without line becoming broken. The shape of a rasterized figure can be approximated to the shape of a figure indicated by original data.
US09697621B2
Techniques are disclosed for generating and using a conformal or UV mapping between an object's 3D representation (e.g., a polygonal mesh model) and a corresponding 2D representation (e.g., texture memory). More particularly, techniques disclosed herein generate a conformal mapping that allows the rapid identification of disparate locations in texture memory (e.g., those that span a seam) that are spatially similar at the corresponding 3D locations. The ability to perform 2D-to-3D-to-2D mappings quickly, grants the ability to filter across a conformal map's seams—an action that has previously been avoided due to its high computational cost.
US09697611B2
An apparatus for detecting an error in a contour of a lesion includes an extracting unit configured to extract a contour of a lesion in each of a plurality of two-dimensional image frames that form a three-dimensional image, and an error determining unit configured to determine a presence or an absence of an error in a contour of a lesion in a target image frame of the two-dimensional image frames based on estimation information about the lesion in the target image frame and/or an energy value that corresponds to the contour of the lesion in the target image frame.
US09697607B2
A method is provided for estimating parameters of an imaging device with respect to an image of a scene said method comprising the steps of locating a target coordinate system in a scene, using an imaging device to capture an image of the scene, and processing the image using the target coordination system as a reference to estimate the parameters of the imaging device with respect to the image, wherein the target coordinate system comprises at least one planer target and wherein the at least one planar target contains a set of identifiable features with known relative positions.
US09697606B2
Methods and systems for object detection using laser point clouds are described herein. In an example implementation, a computing device may receive laser data indicative of a vehicle's environment from a sensor and generate a two dimensional (2D) range image that includes pixels indicative of respective positions of objects in the environment based on the laser data. The computing device may modify the 2D range image to provide values to given pixels that map to portions of objects in the environment lacking laser data, which may involve providing values to the given pixels based on the average value of neighboring pixels positioned by the given pixels. Additionally, the computing device may determine normal vectors of sets of pixels that correspond to surfaces of objects in the environment based on the modified 2D range image and may use the normal vectors to provide object recognition information to systems of the vehicle.
US09697591B2
Provided are a non-dyadic lens distortion correction method and an apparatus thereof. The non-dyadic lens distortion correction method includes: (a) acquiring a non-dyadic lens image photographed through a non-dyadic lens; (b) correcting geometric distortion for the non-dyadic lens image by stage by applying a magnification ratio based on a projection model; and (c) compensating a high-frequency component of an image corrected in a previous step by the patch unit in the non-dyadic lens image of which the geometric distortion is corrected.
US09697588B2
Provided are a system and method for image sharpening is provided that involves capturing an image, and then decomposing the image into a plurality of image-representation components, such as RGB components for example. Each image-representation component is transformed to obtain an unsharpened multi-resolution representation for each image-representation component. A multi-resolution representation includes a plurality of transformation level representations. Sharpness information is transported from an unsharpened transformation level representation of a first one of the image-representation components to a transformation level representation of an unsharpened multi-resolution representation of a second one of the image-representation components to create a sharpened multi-resolution representation of the second one of the image-representation components. The sharpened multi-resolution representation of the second one of the image-representation components is then transformed to obtain a sharpened image. The improved and sharpened image may then be displayed.
US09697586B2
In a method and apparatus for generating an enhanced image for display from medical imaging data of a subject, a feature of interest in the imaging data elongated in at least one dimension is determined. A location of a line through the imaging data along the feature of interest is obtained, and a projection image along the line is generated from the imaging data.
US09697578B2
The present disclosure relates generally to cell phones and cameras, and to digital watermarking involving such cell phones and cameras. One claim recites a method comprising: measuring distortion introduced by a cell phone camera; using a programmed electronic processor, quantifying the distortion; and providing quantified distortion as feedback to adjust a digital watermark embedding process in view of the distortion introduced by the cell phone camera. The act of quantifying distortion may include, e.g., quantifying a spatial frequency response (SFR) of the cell phone camera. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.
US09697575B2
A method and system for dynamically routing electric power in real time in accordance with parameters submitted by buyers and sellers of electric power using a feedback control scheme. A control node is arranged for receiving the parameters via a wide area network and to generate a route plan based on the parameters as well as current supply and demand in a network. The control node is also connected to the transmission and distribution systems to dynamically route electric power between matched buyers and sellers to effect the route plan.
US09697572B2
Lease calculations may be used by commercial real estate brokers, corporate tenants, landlords, financial professionals, financial advisors, accountants and/or the like, to compare financial aspects of one or more leases and/or contracts, determine the impact of new accounting rules on current and/or future leases, comply with current and/or future lease accounting rules, generate financial reports, generate market data comparables, allow clients and users to track, manage and administer lease information and repurpose independent data points to perform one or more of these or other lease calculations or actions.
US09697568B1
Systems and methods are provided for credit dispute processing, resolution, and reporting. Credit dispute resolution requests may be received, processed, and sent to a credit bureau for submission to creditors. Status of credit dispute resolutions may be reported to consumers. If a creditor's response time is longer than its average response time or if a creditor does not respond to a credit dispute resolution request within a regulatory response period, alerts and reports may be sent to consumers to provide consumers with further options.
US09697558B2
To determine candidates for product purchase in electronic commerce more easily when a user purchases an attracting product through electronic commerce, the server (14A) includes a retrieval API (164A). The retrieval API (164A) receives and analyzes identifying information from a user terminal (12A) having a function of acquiring identifying information for identifying a product and thereby identifies one or more products from the identifying information. Then, the retrieval API (164A) reads one or more product sales information corresponding to the identified one or more products from a product database (168) that stores product sales information related to sales of products. The retrieval API (164A) then stores the read one or more product sales information as a retrieval history into a retrieval history database (170) and transmits the one or more product sales information to the user terminal (12A) to be displayed as candidate product information on the user terminal (12A).
US09697556B2
The invention synthesizes a social network, an electronic commerce (including a performance based advertisement and electronic payment), a mobile internet device and a machine learning algorithm(s). The synthesized social commerce further dynamically integrates stored information, real time information and real time information/data/image(s) from an object/array of objects. The machine learning algorithm(s) can include a software agent, a fuzzy logic algorithm, a predictive algorithm, an intelligence rendering algorithm and a self-learning (including relearning) algorithm.
US09697553B2
In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, a controller receives an indication of acceptance by a customer of an offer for a subsidy from a second vendor (e.g., a subsidizing vendor). The offer may define, for example, a reduction in the price charged for an item purchased from a first vendor and an obligation for the customer to fulfill in exchange for the subsidy. The customer is charged a second price for the items, which is less than the total price, and may even be zero.
US09697551B1
Techniques and systems provide transparency in hidden transaction details for an item. A process comprises crawling one or more electronic marketplaces to identify an item presented in an item offering, extracting offer details in the item offering, emulating an ordering process for acquiring the item to determine transaction details that are revealed after the ordering process is initiated, and presenting at least a portion of the transaction details with item and offer details. In some embodiments, the offer details include a list price for the item, and the transaction details include a true price for the item with a hidden cost included in the true price. The hidden cost may be compared to a threshold to determine if it is excessive. A seller identified with the item offering may be designated with a rating indicative of a reputation of the seller for providing excessive hidden costs with item offerings.
US09697548B1
Techniques for managing a return request may be provided. For example, a user may want to return an item that the user received from an item provider via an electronic marketplace. The user can take a picture of the item and transmit the image to a computer that determines that the user would like to return the item. The computer may also determine that the item is returnable (e.g., was provided to the user within an allowable timeframe, satisfies a constraint for returning the item). The computer can initiate a return of the item. In some examples, the computer can also determine a convenient return location or the reason that the user is returning the item to the item provider.
US09697538B2
A method for recommending products. The method may include receiving an identification element associated with an image or a visual code captured by a user. The method may include identifying a first item associated with the identification element, whereby the first item is a product or a service. The method may include identifying at least one of a tag and a keyword associated with the first item. The method may include identifying social media interactions within a social media network that reference at least one of the first item, the tag, and the keyword, whereby the social media network is associated with the user. The method may further include identifying a second item referenced in the social media interactions, whereby the second item is a product or a service. The method may also include determining a score for the second item based on an algorithm.
US09697526B2
An item can be authenticated based on a first, second, third, and fourth identifier, wherein the identifiers are incorporated into various parts of product packaging. In some embodiments, the first, second, and fourth identifiers can be a QR code, a bar code, a serial number, any RFID tag, or a combination thereof, and the third identifier can be an image type, for example, a type of animal, and image location, for example, a quadrant. The identifiers can be scanned or inputted manually by a user. When the four identifiers are authenticated, the product is deemed to be authentic, whereas when the four identifiers are not authenticated, the product is deemed to be counterfeit. In some implementations, a user can authenticate the items using a smart phone, smart phone app, tablet, tablet app, website, web-based application, and/or the like.
US09697515B2
Provided is a mobile terminal that has a function of changing a payment credit card at the time of near field communication (NFC) payment in a low battery state, and a method of performing the NFC payment using the mobile terminal. In the mobile terminal according to the present invention, unlike in a mobile terminal in the related art in which payment is simply performed with a default credit card, if the NFC payment is requested in the low battery state where the mobile terminal is powered off, a payment application based on a light operating system, which is executed on an embedded Linux, is displayed, and the NFC payment with a credit card selected from the payment application based on the corresponding light operating system is performed. Therefore, a credit card payment can be effectively performed in a low battery state as well.
US09697513B2
The invention provides a user terminal and a payment system. The user terminal comprises an input device, a multi-channel selection switch, an application module, a processor, a password processing module, and a security IC chip containing information on user's ID and/or banking card therein, wherein the multi-channel selection switch is coupled with the input device, the password processing module and the processor, the password processing module is coupled with the processor, and the security IC chip is coupled with the password processing module; the application module controls the multi-channel selection switch via the processor so as to place the user terminal in a password input mode or in a normal input mode. The invention ensures the safety in entering the user's password in hardware configuration so that even when software system of the user terminal is not safe in itself, the safety of input password can be ensured.
US09697512B2
Methods and systems are provided for supporting electronic transactions, including transactions that are provided with per-user, per-device and per-domain security across domains of multiple service providers.
US09697509B2
In a control method of a control system including a terminal configured to execute an application, a device configured to send or receive data, and a controller connected to the device, a request for a device control is transmitted from the application to the controller. At the controller, the device control by the controller is established after the controller receives the request. At the terminal, the device control by the application through the controller is established after establishing the device control by the controller.
US09697507B2
A method, system and computer product for discount coupon acquisition, management and redemption. In one embodiment, the method comprises scanning a coupon with a portable computing device without establishing a data connection to the portable computing device. The method further comprises decoding a scanned image of the coupon for storage in the portable computing device, and generating information of the coupon by the portable computing device for redeeming the coupon.
US09697500B2
A resource reference is detected in a base resource, such as a web page or an email message. The resource reference refers to a target resource, such as another webpage or another email message. An appropriate activity-based resource type for the resource reference is then identified. The resource reference is then linked to an activity-based resource such that when the base resource is displayed and a user interacts with the resource reference, the activity-based resource is displayed to the user. The activity-based resource comprises a calculated field that has a value that indicates how one or more users have interacted with one or more resources. The value of the calculated field is calculated using activity data indicating how users interacted with the resources. The activity data is generated without receiving input of the activity data from the users.
US09697497B2
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the sharing of synchronization information corresponding to content among devices in a communication network. An originating device collects synchronization information related to the presentation of content to a user via the originating device. The synchronization information is defined according to reference points related to the presentation of the content to the user via the originating device, including a current state of the presentation of the content and/or additional information obtained during the presentation of the content. Based on detection of a synchronization event, the originating device transmits the collected synchronization information, resulting in the receipt of the synchronization information by one or more receiving devices. Thereafter, the presentation of the content to the user on one of the receiving devices can incorporate the synchronization information collected and transmitted by the originating device.
US09697491B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for analyzing performance data in a transit organization. Accelerometer metrics are collected for a vehicle along a first axis. The metrics collected from the vehicle are summarized by unit measurement. The metrics summarized by unit measurement are then stored in storage.
US09697490B1
Review data associated with a plurality of entities is received. Each of the entities is associated with a particular industry and the review data comprises review data obtained from a plurality of review sites. From at least a portion of the received review data, a review benchmark for the industry is determined. The benchmark is provided as output.
US09697486B2
Techniques are described for facilitating performance of tasks by human users. A task exchange server system acts an intermediary to facilitate performance by human task performer users of tasks provided by other task requesters, such as by providing information about tasks via an electronically accessible site. The task exchange server may further cause information about tasks to be provided to at least some users as they interact with third-party sites not provided by the task exchange server, such as third-party sites operated by entities unrelated to the task exchange server's operator. The third-party sites may include information about tasks along with other information that the third-party sites provide to users, or instead a separate client-side program executing on computing devices of certain users may obtain and present information about tasks to the users, such as in conjunction with information provided by unaffiliated third-party sites.
US09697479B2
A system for upgrading airline seats during an online pre-boarding auction that is accessible through travelers' mobile devices. The auction starts at or after check-in but prior to the boarding of a flight. During the auction, travelers that have confirmed reservations for an airline flight are permitted to bid on one or more seat upgrades through their mobile devices. For example, the travelers may be bidding on upgrades from economy to first class, and the bids may be submitted through bidding applications installed on the travelers' mobile devices. The auction can be a live auction that updates the travelers on the status of the auction and receives bids from the travelers throughout the auction. The auction ends prior to boarding, and the winning travelers are sent upgrade confirmations, such as scannable boarding codes that can be used as boarding passes when boarding the flight.
US09697473B2
A Josephson parametric converter is provided. The Josephson parametric converter includes a multi-Josephson junction ring modulator having a first, a second, a third, and a fourth node and a first, a second, a third, and a fourth array of N Josephson junctions arranged in a ring configuration with the nodes inter-dispersed between the arrays. The first array is between the first and second nodes, the second array is between the second and third nodes, the third array is between the third and fourth nodes, and the fourth array is between the fourth and first nodes. N is an integer having a value greater than one. The Josephson parametric converter further includes a first and a second resonator formed from lumped-element capacitors that shunt the multi-Josephson junction ring modulator and respectively enable a first and a second mode of the Josephson parametric converter.
US09697467B2
In at least one embodiment, a method and a system for determining a set of plans that best match a set of preferences. The method may include receiving into a goal specification interface at least one goal to be accomplished by the set of plans; receiving into a preference engine a pattern that includes preferences; generating a planning problem by using the preference engine; generating a set of plans by at least one planner; and providing the set of plans for selection of one plan to deploy. In a further embodiment, the preferences may be an occurrence or non-occurrence of at least one component, an occurrence of one component over another component, an ordering between at least two components, an existence or non-existence of at least one tag in a final stream, an existence of one tag over another tag in the final stream.
US09697460B2
Described herein are novel biological converter switches that utilize modular components, such as genetic toggle switches and single invertase memory modules (SIMMs), for converting analog inputs to digital outputs, and digital inputs to analog outputs, in cells and cellular systems. Flexibility in these biological converter switches is provided by combining individual modular components, i.e., SIMMs and genetic toggle switches, together. These biological converter switches can be combined in a variety of network topologies to create circuits that act, for example, as switchboards, and regulate the production of an output product(s) based on the combination and nature of input signals received.
US09697447B2
Systems and methods for the automated generation of QR codes with embedded images therein are provided. The QR code has an active, machine-readable portion and a background portion. An example system comprises an image identification module to identify a human-readable image. A primitive creation module generates a primitive QR code. The primitive QR code comprises a machine-readable QR code having the image embedded in the QR code. An overlay interface module generates an intermediate QR code by modifying the active portion of the QR code using a first modification and modifying the background portion using a second modification.
US09697436B2
A method for selecting an image of an appliance with a suitable position or orientation of a door of the appliance is provided. The method includes obtaining a digital RGB image from a camera of the appliance and converting the digital RGB image to a device independent color space in order to generate at least one of a first chromatic primary plane image or a second chromatic primary plane image from the digital RGB image. The method also includes comparing the first or second chromatic primary plane images to a reference image.
US09697420B2
Information processing system, information processing method, and computer-readable recording medium
To provide an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program, whereby it is possible, using a plurality of video camera videos, to desirably carry out person tracking. An information processing system includes: an appearance time score computation unit which computes a time from when a first mobile body exits a frame from a video of a first video camera to when a second mobile body enters a frame of a video of a second video camera; and a person association unit which, on the basis of an attribute of the first mobile body, a degree of similarity between the first mobile body and the second mobile body, and the time, determines whether the first mobile body and the second mobile body are the same mobile body.
US09697413B2
A remote data capture system includes a host computing device. A client computing device is communicatively coupled to the host computing device. A capture device having a sensor is coupled to the client computing device. The capture device is configured to receive an electrical input signal from the sensor, convert the input signal to corresponding input data having a predetermined format, compress the input data to a variable-length bit stream, and convert the bit stream to keyboard codes. The client computing device selectably transmits the keyboard codes to the host computing device.
US09697407B1
Examples of techniques for encoding data in a 2D symbology are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method for encoding data in a 2D symbology is provided. The method includes assigning a first color representative of a 0-bit and a second color representative of a 1-bit. The method further includes designating a starting indicator and an ending indicator. The method also includes generating, by a processor, the 2D symbology, the 2D symbology includes a series of data segments and null segments representing a binary string. The series of data segments and null segments starts with the starting indicator and ends with the ending indicator. The data segments include 0-bit segments of the first color and 1-bit segments of the second color. The null segments are positioned between each of the data segments and are of a third color.
US09697406B2
A pair of overhead mirror portions splits a field of view of an imager into first and second subfields of view. An illuminating assembly is energized to illuminate a target. A first part of the imager is exposed to capture return illumination light from the target passing through a horizontal window of a workstation over the first subfield of view, and a second part of the imager is exposed to capture return illumination light from the target passing through the horizontal window over the second subfield of view.
US09697402B1
An example method of tracking information for integrated circuits (ICs) that are handled by a plurality of tools during manufacture includes: marking each of IC with a barcode after the ICs have been packaged; performing, at a first tool of the plurality of tools, one or more electrical tests of the ICs and storing electrical characteristics of each IC in association with the barcode of each IC in a database; querying the database with a specification to obtain a set of barcodes for candidate ICs having electrical characteristics that match the specification; scanning, at a second tool of the plurality of tools, the barcode of each of the ICs to select a plurality of ICs each having a respective barcode in the set of barcodes; and segregating the plurality of ICs from the ICs.
US09697387B1
Embodiments are directed to sequential encoding for RFID tags. An encoding line transports an RFID tag from the reading zone of a first reader to the reading zone of a second reader. The first reader communicates with the tag, writes a portion of an identifier to the tag, and sends a tag write status to the second reader. The second reader, situated after the first reader, communicates with the tag, receives the tag write status from the first reader, then determines a remaining portion of the identifier to be written to the tag based on the tag write status. The second reader then attempts to write the remaining portion to the tag. If the attempt fails, the second reader initiates an error-handling procedure.
US09697386B2
An electrical connector for electrically connecting to a chip module. The chip module includes a base plate and a protruding portion projecting upward from the base plate. The electrical connector includes a socket for bearing the chip module, a fixing plate located above the base plate, and a load plate covering the chip module and the fixing plate. The load plate is provided with a first urging portion directly pressing the protruding portion downward, and a second urging portion pressing against the fixing plate downward, so that the fixing plate presses the base plate downward, thereby pressing the chip module downward and electrically connecting the chip module to the socket.
US09697378B2
A method of storing a data object received from a network is described. An encrypted data object encrypted with a first encryption key is received. It is determined whether the encrypted data object is to be stored in an encrypted file system that requires encryption of a data object with a second encryption key. The first encryption key is encrypted with a third encryption key when it is determined the encrypted data object is to be stored in the encrypted file system. The first encryption key is attached to the encrypted data object. The data object encrypted by the first encryption key is stored in the encrypted file system.
US09697377B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for conditionally allowing an application of an entity access to data of another entity in an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for conditionally allowing an application of an entity access to data of another entity in an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to limit such access to the data, as desired. Furthermore, embodiments of such mechanisms and methods may provide additional security when sharing data among different subscribers to an on-demand database service.
